Their Quiver Runneth Over

No doubt, you've already heard of the infamous and famous Duggar Family of Arkansas. They are devout Christians (Baptists to be more specific), but they are part of a small sect of Christians who follow the Quiverfull movement. Basically, they don't believe in any form of birth control as they believe that every child is a gift from God. Apparently, when parents Jim Bob and Michelle first got married, they did use birth control, like any other newly married couple, but when Michelle got pregnant and miscarried while using birth control, they decided that this was a sign from God to let nature take its course. Needless to say, nature has been working over time in the Duggar household and Michelle is now expecting child number 18 on New Year's Day. The newest member of the household will be a girl bearing a name that begins with the letter "J". While one is coming in, the oldest boy, Josh, recently married a fellow, home-schooled Christian girl named Anna, last month. Josh and his new wife will be hopefully fulling their home with children and will probably have their own reality series, just like Michelle and Jim Bob. While it's not the lifestyle most people would choose, one can't really pass judgment. The Duggars, both of whom are licensed real estate agents and who support their growing family, debt free, have a wonderful, seemingly normal group of children who are well spoken and very intelligent. One does have to wonder about the social aspects of their life, but the kids don't seem any worse off than any other kid who has grown up in a dysfunctional "normal" family. Frankly, I've grown quite fond of this family and was happy to see that they now have a new reality show on TLC which airs a new episode every Monday night.

No Room With A View

"The View" has not been without controversy since the day it first aired so many years ago, but what can you expect when you put a bunch of women around a table in front of millions of viewers a day? That was the whole point of the show to begin with and henceforth, the title of the show. Now it appears that there is little room for opinions in this already sizzling political climate, at least for Elisabeth Hasselbeck. She is the lone conservative, but she cannot or will not allow for an intelligent debate on political topics without becoming abusive and belligerent. In fact, she is beginning to become more and more like her nemisis, Rosie O'Donnell; the straight, conservative version of her at least. I'm not a fan of Hasselbeck and it has little to do with the fact that she leans so far to the right. She is not an intelligent person to begin with and is no match for Barbara Walters or even Whoopie Goldberg. Say what you want about Star Jones, but she had half a brain, which is more than I can say for at least two of the co-hosts of a show I gave up on long ago. Just wish it would already die from what appears to be a slow and painful death.

I'm Off To See The Wizard This Halloween

Halloween is probably one of my favorite holidays. In fact, anything that involves the giving and receiving of chocolate is always good with me. However, this year it seems more important. Halloween comes at a time when we need some fun and fantasy right now and there's really no better way to celebrate than with fun Halloween Costumes. Of course, there are literally hundreds of costumes to choose from, but what would best suit your personality? Personally, I'm a movie lover and my favorite movie of all time is "The Wizard of Oz". Now I can choose from one of many characters from the movie and, best of all, I can get a matching costume for my dog. Even if you are just planning on staying home and answering the door for all the little trick-or-treaters, why not give them a treat and dress up for the occasion. You can be a scary witch or your favorite super hero. Also, why rent an expensive costume, when you can own the very same one? This way you can have it for years to come and pass it on to others when your done and really get your money's worth and who doesn't want to get their money's worth right about now? Also, take advantage of shopping online. If you read my blog with any regularity, then you know how much I love to shop right from my home. It saves me money on gas and time and I don't even have to change out of my pajamas. Also, most of the time when I shop online, I actually save more money on each product I purchase and shopping wisely has never been more important. Give yourself a treat this year and get a great costume. It will make you feel better and you bring a smile to everyone you meet on Halloween and that's the best gift you really can give someone.

Remarkable!

There are lots of things I could blog about, Madonna's divorce being just one of many, but since I am shying away from mindless gossip, I've chosen instead to shed a light on a woman who was one of the first to crack the glass ceiling. In fact, without Gloria Steinam, there may have never been a Hilary Clinton or a Sarah Palin for that matter. She has been an advocate, an activist, an author and the founder of Ms. Magazine, the first magazine dedicated to working women. At seventy-four, she really looks very much like she did those many years ago when, as a journalist, she went under cover as a bunny at the Playboy club. She was going to write an expose about the experience, and she did, but the Playboy club loved her so much that they asked her to work on and off long after she needed to. She never bore children, but believe me, she validates women who choose to stay home to raise their children as much as those who choose life as a career woman. She married late in life in her early sixties, but her beloved husband passed away not long after their marriage. Now she is being honored as just one of the recipients of the coveted Minverva Awards to be presented on October 22nd. These awards are given to women who truly dared to be true to themselves and, in return, served as role models for so many women who came after them. You can read more about the Minerva Awards at Oprah.

Saving Money Has Never Been More Important

It's great to be able to save money and in these difficult times, you must do all you can to save what money you have. However, there are some things you just can't treat cheaply, and your eyes are just such a place. Fortunately, you can still get quality eyeglasses with fashionable frames for as little as eight dollars a pair. Best of all, you don't even have to leave your home and spend money on gas to do this. You can order a pair of prescription eyeglasses online and get the desired order you need, including prescription sunglasses and bi-focals. Let's face it, someone in your family needs eyeglasses. In fact, probably more than one person needs them. In my own family, all four of us wear prescription eyeglasses and that can really add up. As featured on the Clark Howard Show and on other news shows, you really can get quality and fashion-forward eyewear for as little as eight dollars a pair and have them delivered right to your door, without ever leaving your home. That's sounds like a great deal to me so why not give it a try. This post is sponsored by Pay Per Post.

You Still Gotta Laugh

We are living through very tough times as you all well know. There's virtually no place on the planet that isn't being impacted by the financial crisis that's keeping people from sleeping at night. In the midst of all the negative news, comes a new comedy, at least here in the United States, called Kath and Kim. Like so many of our successful television shows, this sitcom originated somewhere else, in this case, Australia and has been transformed for NBC with Molly Shannon as Kath and Selma Blair as Kim. This fresh new/old comedy is funny, fresh and just what's needed in tough times. You can watch Kath & Kim Thursday nights at 8:30 PM on NBC.

Remembering Susan

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness month. This is traditionally the time I pick up the phone and make an appointment for my yearly mammogram and, like clockwork, I didn't miss the opportunity because I know how important it is to have clinical examinations and mammograms every year. Early detection is the best defense and survival rates have risen to over eighty percent in women who have their cancer detected in the early stages. One person who truly wanted to help women in their quest to fight the disease was a woman named Susan Goodman Komen. She was a beautiful, young and brilliant woman whose life ended too soon, as with many women. Her strength and her desire to bring breast cancer awareness out in the open did not die with her however. Her sister, Nancy started the Susan G. Komen foundation in honor of her brave sister. The foundation has raised over a billion dollars and has helped bring women together in sisterhood with their annual Race for the Cure. If you want to do something good for yourself, your mom, sisters, friends, daughters, nieces and granddaughters, then purchase products this month that donate to the Susan G. Komen foundation or, better still, donate directly here.

Caribou Barbie

So Sarah Palin had her first and only Vice-Presidential debate last night. The pundits weighed in after, of course, and she scored high. However, considering expectations were so low, I do get the impression that they cut her slack in a rather sexist way. She isn't running for PTA president afterall, but if elected, will be the heartbeat away from a man who is in his 70s and has had several bouts of skin cancer already. Now, if I were scoring Sarah agains other PTA moms, then yes, she got high scores for memorizing her well-rehearsed script and she got to use big words occasionally, but she is not fit to run for such high office. We don't need a soccer mom, a hockey mom or a pitbull with lipstick to lead the legislative branch of our government. We do however, need a man like Joe Biden who can knock back a six-pack probably better than Sarah and can properly pronounce the word nuclear. This is a man who completely understands foreign policy, the Bush doctrine and who can clearly and concisely list the agenda outlined by Barack Obama, should he hopefully be elected to the Presidency.