Michelle’s Blog
Saying goodbye to a dad you never really knew.
Do I look like my dad? I think I got his nose, but I can’t decide if my eyes look more like his or my mom’s. This picture is the only one I have of us together. He and my mom went their separate ways when I was a baby and (to the best of…
Read MoreSnow Day!
When you live in East Texas, good snow days can be few and far between. When we get one, my family tries to make the most of it! Gourmet Snow My first snow day memory is of my mother and grandmother putting Mrs Baird’s bread bags over my shoes and the lower part of my…
Read MoreProject: Home Ownership Explained
“Unfair Mom”, my super-hero alter-ego has always been an independent, successful woman, living in a 3 bedroom house with a nice yard. Real-life “Michelle” has been raising her daughter in an apartment for almost 9 years now. What was supposed to be a short-term housing solution has lasted far too long. Apartment Living Don’t get…
Read MoreRockit Apples (and other premium priced food)
Just in time for the school year, a new item caught my attention at the grocery store. My first thought was “Is that a plum or an apple?” At nearly $5 per pound ($2.99 for a 9.7 ounce package) these apples don’t really fit into my cheapskate ways. As a single mom on a very…
Read MoreMy 10 year old wants a job!
I started giving my daughter an allowance when she was 2 years old. It was small … $1 per week. She learned early on how to save up for the things she wants. At 4 years old she was saving her dollars and asking to do extra chores for a $9 mirror. Somewhere along the…
Read MoreWhat does a 10 year old do for her birthday? Eat bugs and make a sock puppet!
My little girl turned 10 this week. Her requests were simple: A trip to the lake and a chocolate covered ant. Rainy weather and a mixup at the candy shop meant she got neither. But we still had a good time! First on the agenda: Take her dad to a children’s museum. Discovery Science Place…
Read MoreWe got a Guinea Pig!
Meet the newest addition to our family. No name yet since we do not know if it is a boy or a girl. I am thinking it looks like either a Larry or a Gina. We recently decided to give away our parakeets, Justin and Feathers. My daughter did a great job of taking…
Read MoreWould I really make my kid eat seaweed?
Would Unfair Mom really make her kid eat seaweed? You bet I would! Nori (roasted seaweed like used in sushi) is supposed to be fairly healthy. When I saw that our small-town grocery store had it and everything else needed to make sushi, I decided this is the perfect time to introduce my 9 year…
Read MoreThank you Sallie Mae!
When I started college almost 7 years ago, a portion of my student loans came from Sallie Mae. For the first year, my grandfather co-signed to get me a nice interest rate of 4.75%. For my second term, I was on my own with an interest rate of over 13% – a significant difference when…
Read MoreLet the punishment fit the crime
I have always been big on letting the punishment fit the crime. Even when my daughter was 2 1/2 years old, if she acted too babyish I responded by treating her like a baby. If she whined instead of using her words, I would hold her in my lap. After all, her toddler toys would…
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