Thursday December 31, 2009
Several weeks ago I got a nail in my tire and needed to have it patched. I walked into the repair shop and explained it to the gentleman who worked there. With a completely straight face, he said, "So you need four new tires, right?"
Fortunately, in my case, the gentleman was genuinely joking, and I wouldn't have fallen for it anyway, even if he'd been trying to trick me. But what do you do when you need a major repair and you're not sure who to trust?
You may think that you don't know anyone who works as a mechanic, or a plumber, or who does sheet rock, but you might be surprised. If you use Facebook, Twitter, or another social networking service, ask your friends for recommendations.
I did this when we needed to have our roof repaired, and the dad of a friend was able to point me toward a colleague of his who did the job for, literally, thousands of dollars less than the competitors' bids.
In the end, though, if you're just not comfortable with a price that's being quoted to you, or you're not confident in the person who's doing the repairs, hold off until you can get a second opinion from someone you trust.
Related: Winterize Your Car | Video: Replace Your Car's Wiper Blades
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Wednesday December 30, 2009
There's an interesting child custody case out of Vermont that every single parent who's had to endure a contentious child custody battle should pay attention to. Lisa Miller and Janet Jenkins had a child together through artificial insemination seven years ago. Miller, who gave birth to the child, later renounced her decision to live with Jenkins as a lesbian and moved to Virginia. The couple's civil union was dissolved, and at that time, custody was given to Miller, with visitation rights going to Jenkins.
Read more...
Tuesday December 29, 2009
A friend of mine posted the following question on her Facebook page: "Laundry every day, or one big day of laundry? What's your laundry strategy?"
I was embarrassed to admit that I'm a "top of the pile" gal. I seem to always and only get to the top of the laundry pile. As I write this, at least three pairs of my kids' shorts await in the mound that sits on the floor of my closet--leftover from the summer!
So one of my New Year's resolutions this year is to get control of that mound of laundry, and finally stay on top of it. What I need to do is really quite simple, actually. It's just a matter of doing two loads a day until the pile is gone. That's it. But, as with many of the things we resist doing, it's not so much the "doing it" that we dread--it's getting started that feels like a monumental task.
What are your resolutions for the upcoming year? Let us know by leaving a comment below. Whether it's a simple chore you need to do more consistently, or big changes you've been wanting to implement for awhile, naming your goal "out loud" adds an extra layer of accountability.
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This blog post is part of the All About Parenting Blog Carnival for January, 2010, hosted by Katherine Lewis, About.com's Guide to Working Moms.
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Monday December 28, 2009
What aspects of family law do you have questions about? Our contributing writer, Debrina Washington, is an attorney who runs her own virtual law practice in New York. If there's a family law question you'd like Debrina to answer here on the site, please use our online submission form to send it to her.
You may find your family law question featured in a future FAQ or article!
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