Blog Posts by Intent.com

The addition of Bo Obama brought back fond memories of my own dog. The biggest lesson I learnt from my dog was responsibility. After months of begging, my parents got me a big white fluffy dog on one condition - I would be 100% responsible for him. I would have to bathe him, take him for walks, clean up after him and feed him. I was about 7-8 years when my dog Snoopy came into my life. Not only was he my best friend but also taught me what it meant to be responsible for another being. Even though he passed away a few years later, I will always be thankful for his love and the life lessons he taught me.

On Intent.com this week, we honored the four legged, two legged or no legged creatures, who love us regardless of who we are or how we look or what we do. There is much inspiration to get from our furry (or non furry ) friends:

• Find Your Own Puppy Love by Dating with Your Dog by Divine Caroline
• Our Animal Friends Love Us Forever by Carole Lynne
• My Dog Does Not

Question: I find it difficult to save money at the grocery store. Everything seems to be geared toward families. And what is oriented towards singles, such as individual servings, etc., is more expensive than the bulky items. I know there is less cost involved in packaging and overhead with the family sized products, but I can't get much variety in my meals because I'm hesitant to buy a quart of milk that will go bad before I have time to use it, or bags of salad that turn brown and the like. What do you suggest for us singles trying not to waste money at the grocery store? Can you extend the life of dairy products, breads (freezing them seems to make them stale/dry them out), salads, etc. so we can get more use out of them? Or are we doomed to waste money buying sizes we can't use and buying individual servings that are more expensive?

Sherri's Answer:

Your question is timely given economy's squeeze on all of our wallets;many singles struggle with the grocery issues

Nowadays the recession is not only depleting our finances, but is triggering guilty feelings like surviving a job layoff when a colleague or friend has been let go. You might be surprised to learn that it's not just a crime or a lie that makes most of us feel guilty, rather happiness and fun. Consider the phrase: "I'm so happy that I just can't stand it!" Or are you afraid of being jinxed if you own your success or do you keep a low profile because of that ubiquitous evil eye? Ever wonder why sex falls by the wayside for many people - it's the guilt about experiencing pleasure.

Here are some things we typically feel guilty about: eating, sex, shopping, switching doctors and requesting our medical records, taking time out for the self, caregiving and saying no.

However, don't feel guilty about feeling guilty! You have your work cut out for you shedding the guilt that was passed down to you from generations of parents and educators urging you to conform and be nice. It's time

Many health experts will agree that drinking more water will help give you more energy. (Read here from Michelle Schoffro Cook on why you should drink more water.) In celebration of this week's theme on keeping up your energy, here are my personal tricks on drinking more water.

* Make it a Morning Ritual. I once read in a magazine article that many of us wake up dehydrated, and the first thing you should do before you do anything else is drink two glasses of water. I've now made it a regular morning habit, and it inspires the momentum to continue drinking more for the rest of the day.

* Add Some Lemon. Back in the early stages when I couldn't stand drinking water, I squeezed lemon juice into my water. At restaurants, I would ask the servers to provide lemon slices with my water--which makes me sound snobby, but most restaurants are willing and expected to provide this service.

* Keep it In the Clear. When your urine is clear, you are properly hydrated. When your urine

It's spring and from the ground up we are all thinking about spring cleaning. Some of us are actually doing it while the rest of us are procrastinating. All that decision-making of what to throw away presents the primary impediment. Besides, throwing out what we have already purchased invalidates the money we spent as well as the intent - could we have been wrong?

Maybe you don't realize it, but all of your stuff is piling up altering your perception: the various knickknacks, the hundreds of similar photographs, the piles of magazines and mail and the layers of dust. Your space becomes uninviting (embarrassed to let people drop in) which contributes to the loneliness - "Why don't I have more friends?" Maybe you don't really see the person who lives with you and loves you and he or she doesn't see you anymore because the view is obscured. Here are some reasons why de-cluttering will immediately invigorate your life and renew your relationships.

* Toss out the toxins in your

Calcium is a tricky beast:
-- If you get over 250% of your recommended daily allowance, your body can OD on it.
-- If you don't get enough, your bones, teeth and muscles will suffer.
-- You can only absorb up to 60% of your recommended daily allowance at a time
-- You need Vitamin D to absorb calcium.

So, with all of that in mind, what are the best ways to get calcium?

You can use supplements -- like TUMS -- but the best source of vitamins and nutrients is food.

If you're an omnivore, dairy makes a lot of sense. Don't overdo it, and don't consume dairy (primarily) through high fat sources -- like full fat cheeses -- but in moderation, even full fat cheese is fine.

If you like yoghurt, be conscious of how much sugar (and fat) your favorite brand includes. I prefer my yoghurt nonfat and plain. Trader Joe's actually has a really great French Style nonfat plain yoghurt. I add stevia, vanilla extract and some cinnamon, and it's amazing (healthy and

Most people identify who they are with what they do. This seems to work until the day arrives and one is out of work. Not only is there a loss of income, but there is a loss of identity. Unfortunately, the recession has destabilized many with sudden job loss or in the case of recent graduates the inability to enter the job market. If you are lucky enough to be married, you have a teammate who can help out and you don't have to spend a dime to date your spouse. But what if you are single and unemployed - should you be dating or should you put romance on hold until you get a job?

The tendency when you grieve is to feel alienated and cocoon in your room, too depressed to see other people. However, this is the best time to see other people who will help you see yourself in a larger context by defining yourself through contrast: How do you differ from others? What is unique about you? What do you bring to the table? Dating will help you find the answer. When you know the answer, you

Today is World Tubercuberculosis Day. It is a day not as widely known and a cause not as widely supported, yet one that affects so many everywhere. So to honor and raise awareness for this day, I wanted to shed a spotlight on the disease, the cause and what is being done around the world.

World TB Day:

World TB Day is observed each year on March 24 to commemorate the date in 1882 when Dr. Robert Koch announced the discovery of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacterium that causes tuberculosis (TB). Worldwide, TB remains one of the leading causes of death from infectious disease. An estimated 2 billion persons are infected with M. tuberculosis. In 2006, approximately 9.2 million persons became ill from TB, and 1.7 million died from the disease. World TB Day provides an opportunity for TB programs, nongovernmental organizations, and other partners to describe problems and solutions related to the TB pandemic and to support worldwide TB control efforts. The U.S. theme for this