Hello,
The last couple days the news has been consumed by the terrorist activity in Paris or the Mizzou protest that were earlier this week.  My heart goes out to all those families that lost a love one due to the attack in Paris.  It's truly said to read about the activity and the innocent lives that were lost.  I read this afternoon about a young lady that laid on the floor in the concert hall and acted as if she were dead and survived the attack.  The innocent people that survived will never be the same again.  That is such a horrific event to witness and try to deal with.  I just can't imagine the heartache those folks in France are feeling.  I guess it's similar to what we felt after 9/11. 

Thanks,
Jennifer Bruce

Hello,

I ran across this article on MSN today and found it interesting.  The article is explains how studies show that Americans used to get happier in their 30's but not anymore.  It says teens are happier.  Let me say this, of course teens are happier than people in their 30's!  Little to no responsibility other than being a teen and going to school.  I guess when you get to your 30's most people are probably out of their parents house and living independently.  That could make someone happier depending on their home situation with their parents. On the down fall though, you have bills - electric, rent, gas, food, etc. 

The article lists one of the reasons is because of marriage and a stable relationship.  I always hear that people are waiting longer to get married or start families so maybe that's why.

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/americans-used-to-get-happier-in-their-thirties-not-any-more/ar-CC6hqb?li=BBgzzfc&ocid=U146DHP

What do you think? 

Thanks,
Jennifer Bruce

Hello,
Well here it is November 1st.  Halloween is over and now it's only between 3-4 weeks before Thanksgiving.  Halloween at my house almost was a bust.  My son would not take a nap for anything before it was time to head out for the evening.  On the way to a friend's house to trick or treat and then hand out candy he decided to take a nap in the car.  Which was all good except when I had to wake him up he was not happy and with that he refused to put on his costume.  Thank goodness we got where we were going early and he warmed up, woke up and then was ready to put his costume on right before we all started walking down the sidewalk.  He didn't have any desire to be put on the dragon costume but I had brought a Mickey Mouse costume for a back up.  He decided he would dress up as Mickey.  Before that I thought he was just going to have to trick or treat in his orange jack-o-lantern shirt.  Hopefully next year he'll like to dress up a little bit more. 

Thanks,
Jennifer Bruce

Mistakes

Hello,

I understand everyone makes mistakes and I just really hate to admit when I make a stupid mistake.  Let me tell you what I did, last week I talked to my mother-in-law and asked if they wanted to go to the Polar Express and take our son this holiday season.  They are from out of town and agreed to stay a couple extra days after Thanksgiving to take him.  I ordered tickets the day they went on sale not knowing how fast they sell out I didn't get the time we wanted but needless to say I got some tickets and thought all was well.  This weekend I was looking at the tickets and saw that I mistakenly ordered the wrong date!  I actually ordered tickets for 11/20 instead of 11/27.  I was a little embarrassed to tell my mother-in-law how I goofed.  Luckily she understood and I sold the tickets.  We will try to get tickets for a different time throughout the season.  I was looking forward to taking our son and I truly disappointed myself with this mistake.  Ugh.....

Thanks,
Jennifer Bruce

Hello,

This week I didn't know what to blog about so I started searching MSN's website for ideas.  I was going to blog about the Oregon shooting but it's just too sad and depressing.  I continued my search and came across an article about a retiring police officer in Tuscaloosa, AL.  What I found so interesting is after 35 years of being a police officer he never used one sick day over his career.  The article starts out by saying how he learned something from his parents and that was to get up and get going on whatever he had to do every day.  You can tell with is work ethic he is in a different generation than those in the workforce today.  Now days it's ridiculous to see how many people call in sick.  If you are truly sick then I agree with calling in because you don't want to spread it and get everyone else sick however so many times people are calling off work out of pure laziness.  I wish more people today had a work ethic like this retiree.

Thanks,
Jennifer Bruce

Hello,

This week I wanted to share what a fun time my family had at Eckert's in Millstadt.  It was more than we thought it was going to be.  I'm a little embarrassed to say that I've lived in the area all my life and have never been there.  My son had a great time.  We originally were going just to pick apples but he was having so much fun at the petting zoo, riding the rides and playing on the playground.  When we finally went and go to on the trailer to go pick apples my son enjoyed picking and eating them.  He tried all the different kinds of apples they grow there.  We brought 16lbs of apples home that he picked!

If you and your family is looking for some fun outside this fall I would highly recommend going.   The St. Louis metro area really has a lot of fun family things to offer.

Thanks,
Jennifer Bruce

Hello,

I'm going to vent a little in my blog this week about respect.  Earlier this week my family and I were out of town and notice there were a lot if people standing along the side of the road holding the American flag.  Since we were not familiar with  the area and did not know what was ahead we kept driving with the flow of traffic.  However, it wasn't far down the road and we saw on a sign that a soldier had died.  Of what, we don't know?  This small community stood along the road to show respect to the fallen soldier.  When we saw the flashing lights ahead of us we stopped along the side of the road along with several other cars.  I got frustrated with those who did not stop to show their respect.  What happened to people stopping?  How can you feel good about yourself and keep driving when a soldier has lost their life while serving this country?  Just saying.....

Thanks,
Jennifer Bruce

Hello,

While thinking about what to blog about this week I came across this article on the internet.  Some may think this is rather boring but as a homeowner I thought it was great tips.  I have always heard you can do a lot with vinegar but I only use it to clean my hardwood floors.  Check out these great tips.

"10 Extraordinarily Handy Uses for White Vinegar."

1.  Keep flowers alive - Prolong the life of your bouquet by adding 2 Tbsp white vinegar and 2 Tbsp sugar to the water. Change this mixture every couple of days to help provide the nourishment that cut blooms need.
2. Reinvigorate hair. Wash away product buildup and improve shine with a simple rinse. Mix 1 cup distilled water and ¼ cup vinegar, then pour over freshly washed wet hair. Let sit for 15 to 30 seconds before rinsing with cool water.
3. Buff leather furniture. Rejuvenate worn sofas and chairs with a DIY hydrating conditioner. Shake together equal parts white vinegar and boiled linseed oil (available at hardware stores), then dab onto a soft cloth and apply to leather in a circular motion. After 10 minutes, rub away with a clean, dry cloth.
4. Tackle weeds.  Spray unwanted plants or weeds with white vinegar. The acid acts as an eco-friendly herbicide, and will work to destroy the growth with just a few applications.
5.  Pull up candle wax. To get rid of accidental drippings, saturate a cloth with vinegar, then place it over the wax spot and apply light pressure for a few minutes. The vinegar will break down the residue without damaging the surface.
6.  Clean paintbrushes. Loosen dried, caked-on paint with this simple trick: Bring vinegar to a boil, remove from heat and soak the brushes in it until the paint starts to release, about 20 minutes. Rinse bristles in cool water and use your fingers to remove any flakes.
7.  Clean cloudy glassware. Soak a paper towel or cloth in white vinegar and use it to cover both the interior and exterior surfaces of the glass; let sit for 10 minutes, then rinse clean. Acetic acid, the main ingredient in vinegar, will work to dissolve any lingering mineral deposits, grease and soap scum that's dulling the glass.
8.  Make towels more absorbent. Add a solution of 1 cup white vinegar to your regular rinse cycle once the machine is filled at least a quarter-way with clean water. The acid will break down minerals, salt and other chemicals that have accumulated on your towels, leaving the fabric more absorbent.
9.  Remove rust.  Acetic acid, found in vinegar, can easily dissolve rust. Revive old tools by soaking them in undiluted vinegar for several hours, then rub away any stubborn residue with an old rag.
10.  Clean salt off shoes. Tarnished your leather shoes? Simply dip a cloth in white vinegar and wipe away the marks. The acid will restore shine. It will also dissolve rock salt residue, a common winter woe.

Thanks,
Jennifer Bruce

Hello,

First let me start off by saying this is my first blog and I have no idea what I am doing.  I'm not even sure if I created the blog right but we will try and see if this works.

Since we can write about anything this week I'm just going to vent for a little bit on all the violence towards children.  I can't hardly watch the news or get on social media with all the reports of child abuse or neglect, and if it's one of those it's kidnapping.  It really has become very sad to see the amount of children abused in the US.  It just breaks my heart to see a helpless child be abused because their parents are not capable of handling or raising a child.  Just this week twins were drown by their own mother.  Apparently the mother had some mental issues to deal with and instead of getting the help she needed she drown her children.  It's just a shame that these twins did not have a chance in life.  Nobody knows what was going through the mother's mind at the time but somehow someway we need to help these people before doing something drastic.

Thanks