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    Blog Posts by Allana Calhoun

    • Multiple Children and Multiple Pets: A Funny Little Moment

      By Allana Calhoun | Parenting – Fri, Sep 7, 2012 4:01 PM EDT

      It is quite common to see people who do not have any children, or whose children have since vacated the home, to adopt animals and treat them as if they were their children. Of course, this type of treatment can also be found in families that do have children. Pets are often considered to be just as much a part of the family as any human member.

      Anyone with multiple children knows that there are many conundrums that arise with having more than one child. For instance, how often have you wished that you had named your children the same name so that calling one would get them all, instead of going down the list until your tongue finds the matching one? This is especially true when it is time for a scolding. The child that most often gets into trouble will often be the first name out of your mouth, no matter which child is causing the actual problem at that moment!

      Multiple pets can raise a similar situation. One should really keep it in mind to name each pet with names that

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    • Online Reviews Don't Mean Anything Anymore

      By Allana Calhoun | Author Blog Posts – Fri, Sep 7, 2012 3:59 PM EDT

      Way back in the beginning, when online reviews were first introduced, I could see the validity in using them to form an opinion of a business. These days it is nowhere near that clear anymore.

      Angie's List has been advertised quite a bit lately and while I love the idea that they purport, they do not really say how they guarantee that the reviews are real. I know for a fact that people can be hired on various sites to purposely post raving reviews on other sites (whether they actually used the product or service or not)

      Case in point, just heard a radio advertisement for a COMPANY that apparently does just that. They specifically said in the ad that they remove negative reviews and information from the internet and ensure that positive information only is put online so that your business' reputation is cleaned up.

      And that, is why I do not trust reviews any more, even from sites such as Angie's List.

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    • The Little Things They Do Should Make You a Proud Parent!

      By Allana Calhoun | Parenting – Thu, Jun 7, 2012 4:58 PM EDT

      In the overabundance of photos, videos, and blogs about various people's children and the cute stuff they do, one can easily feel like the extraordinary actions of their own children are lacking. We must however, not allow our children to feel that way about themselves. Even the little things they do, which may not necessarily be social media worthy, are worthy enough to receive recognition and praise. As well, if the action or event creates a warm snuggly in your heart, than it should make you proud, because it means you are doing right by your children.
      Case in point, this week I have been a somewhat irresponsible adult and going to bed at a very late hour. While this does not affect me if I only do it once in a while, multiple nights in a row of retiring in the wee hours of morning eventually puts me in a comatose stupor where I turn the alarm off, fall back to sleep, and don't remember ever hearing the alarm.
      I have my alarm set for 7:00 am and am supposed to leave the house by

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    • Courtesy is a Lost Cause when it Comes to Driving

      By Allana Calhoun | Author Blog Posts – Tue, Jun 5, 2012 12:45 PM EDT

      I'm sitting in driver's seat of my 4-door mid-sized sedan at an intersection where I want to turn left onto the crossroad. I have a nice clean view of both directions and am ready to make my move when a silver SUV pulls up alongside of me on the right, fully blocking my view of traffic. Apparently the driver felt it necessary to pull up far enough so that they could see in front of me to the left, despite the fact that they could very clearly see above my car.

      I realized at that very moment how much that particular situation irks the heck out of me! It happens a lot too. Why people in large cars, vans, or trucks feel that they must be ahead of you to see traffic is beyond me. Most of them sit well above the roof of your car and therefore have a clear view even if they sat back far enough to ensure their vehicle is not blocking your view of traffic. Even if they cannot see above the roof of your car, they can surely see above your trunk.

      When I am the one pulling up next to

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    • A Clean Kitchen is a Happy Kitchen

      By Allana Calhoun | At Home – Wed, May 30, 2012 3:20 PM EDT

      I am not a good housekeeper by any means. Despite the fact that I was made to do chores when I was growing up, I did not keep up those habits as an adult. Dishes in my kitchen were mostly done on a "as needed" basis. When I needed a pot to make something for dinner I washed the pot and then used it. Not the healthiest habit, I know.

      In recent weeks I have actually had the gumption to keep the kitchen clean, or at least wash the dishes right away after dinner. I discovered that it was actually really nice and convenient to have the pots and pans already clean when going to make dinner. Plus dinner was done a lot faster without the extra time spent washing the cookware.

      This past Sunday being Mother's Day, I let the dinner dishes sit, figuring I'd do them the next day. Well, with 3 kids the schedule got full and those dirty dishes sat all the way until Wednesday.

      So here I am making dinner (cinnamon rolls and omelets) and I am in the process of placing the uncooked rolls

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