Blog Posts by HybridHer

A few weeks ago my Father, aka Big Daddy, "graduated from the school of life with honors", as I refer to it. He was quietly a remarkable man who raised four successful kids, surviving the death of his oldest son 36 years ago, and continuing to live with honor, dignity and integrity. After living with Cancer for 13 years and having a few health scares over that time, my family and I were somewhat prepared for his mortality, and when his body was too tired from his long and graceful fight, we knew it was time for him to go.

We each will experience our grieving process, as adults, but what about our kids? While there are certain expected phases to the grieving process: Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance, not everyone will go through this process the same way, and the duration of this process will vary. Kids also experience grief, however, the way they experience emotions will likely not be the same way you do.

My daughter is a

"Mommy, do you love your computer more than you love us?" is a question I get often. The answer is obviously no but since the old saying "actions speak louder than words" applies I'm forced to explain myself.

I have two daughters, one of whom carries around a stuffed animal head (that used to be an entire stuffed animal but it got so toxic from her sucking on it that we have been forced to give it monthly haircuts). It's really more of an appendage than a stuffed animal. We take it on trips, include it in holiday cards, fancy dinners, family references…even discuss its place in my daughter's wedding (which will occur in 30+ years according to my husband). It's her security blanket. She relies on it.She needs it to sleep. She needs it to function. Once I asked her if she were trapped on a desert island and could only take me or "Bo" (its name) which would she choose? She hesitated for about a minute too long before telling me, "Both." "But both wouldn't be allowed," I told her.

Here's a fact: If you can cut 500 calories from your eats or burn an extra 500 calories a day (or our fave: cut/burn 250 calories of each), you can lose about a pound of weight a week. But what's the best way to do that without feeling totally deprived or getting obsessed with calorie counting? Fitbie.com recently put together a list of easy, calorie-blasting strategies that will help you lose weight and burn more fat all day long without even stepping foot in the gym. See the list below for all the different ways you can easily cut 500 calories!

1. Make a trade. Cutting calories is as easy as swapping one food for another!

• Bagel for an English muffin to slash 220 calories.
• A glass of whole milk for skim to save 70 calories.
• Three-egg omelet for one egg and two egg whites.
• Pork sausage for turkey sausage to cut about 125 calories each.

2. Measure portions. So many of us have serious portion-distortion. Measuring out one

A happy marriage (or intimate relationship) is a lot like a garden - plant the seeds in healthy soil and provide the appropriate nutrients: water and sunlight - and watch your garden grow. Tending to your garden every day, in the smallest ways, allows it to grow and bloom. This holds true for your relationship - doing little things every day keeps your relationship happy and healthy.

Below are 3 Simple Secrets every Happy Couple Knows - and now you will know them too!

Happy Couple Secret #1: Communicate. Couples who communicate on a daily basis are the happiest. Communicating about life's little things - not just trying to solve big "problems" - helps keep the spark alive in a marriage. Why? Because communication is the only way couples can keep their emotional connection charged in a positive way! Happy couples make the time to talk on a daily basis about the incidentals of life - they share stories about their day and tell jokes to each other.

The way we communicate

Conceiving a baby seems like it should be the easiest thing in the world. After all, the reproductive system is part of our basic human make-up. Perhaps that is all the more reason why many women and couples feel frustration and even emotional trauma when a pregnancy doesn't happen exactly as planned.

There are a number of issues that can contribute to infertility; advanced maternal age, hormonal imbalances and low sperm count to name a few. Sometimes the cause is unknown and the diagnosis is aptly referred to as "unexplained infertility." The reality is that no matter the particular reason a woman or couple may be struggling to have a baby, one thing is certain: stress is unhealthy for the reproductive system.

So, how can we efficiently move ourselves from stress into relaxation? One answer lies in the practice of Therapeutic Yoga. Therapeutic yoga teaches us how to efficiently move out of "fight or flight" syndrome and into "rest and digest." Many of the

It can be done. All across America, families are meeting a mighty financial challenge - the challenge of paying college costs with retirement potentially on the horizon. How do they do it? They go about it consistently; they also get creative.

First, make sure the priorities are in the right order. Strange as it may sound, your retirement may need to take precedence over your child's college education.

Think about it. Your son or daughter might qualify for student loans or financial aid. By the time they are 30 or 35, they will have the earnings potential to pay those loans back. Do you see any ads out there for "retirement loans" or "retirement aid"? For most, it is much harder to earn money at age 65 than at age 35. Because of this, many choose to allow the younger generation to assume the debt.

5 Tips for Navigating Today's Financial Realities

The following are some short-term and long-term ideas you may want to consider if you have college costs on your mind:

Barbara Butler Play Structures: Now DIY

Spring is finally here and there are all types of fun activities for kids to do outdoors from helping to plant a flower garden to searching on all fours for unique insects. As the weather warms, you and your children are sure to spend more time outdoors soaking in the sunshine and basking in the spring season. But what if your children were able to play in a Barbara Butler playhouse or cottage? We bet you've never seen any quite like these before.

Some of her celebrity clients include Will and Jada Smith, Bobby McFerrin, Kevin Kline and Phoebe Cates and Walk Disney Productions. In creating her masterpieces, Barbara uses sustainable woods, reusable materials and non-toxic paints designed to make the structures long-lasting and eco-friendly.

Even though it's not in everyone's budget to have an original Barbara Butler structure in their backyard, Butler offers easy tips on how to create your own backyard play area.

Barbara Butler's Tips For Creating a Great Backyard

"Sleeping With the Enemy" was a movie that came out in 1991. It was based on a couple's violent, obsessed and dangerous relationship. The couple appeared like the perfect couple in public, but behind closed doors, the wife (played by Julia Roberts) was in fear of her life. When your relationship struggles with resentment, it can feel like you are sleeping with the enemy. The resentment is felt deeply by one of the partners, and although it is rarely discussed openly, the tension can be felt by anyone close to the couple.

Resentment is not caused by one thing, but many things that happen.

Resentment forms when someone is hurt by someone they love intensely. Feeling unappreciated, ignored, controlled or misunderstood can turn into anger, and since it is not discussed, the anger is held in. You cannot hold anger in for long without it trying to break through. It breaks through by criticizing your partner, picking on your partner, being irritable with your partner, and