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Friday, July 28, 2017
When I saw a headline about a cat petting a tiny frog, I thought, "Right. This is one of those 'click-bait' links that promises a cute, cuddly story but ends with the cat eating the frog." After all, that's what my cats would probably do.

But I clicked anyway. (Don't we all? That's why they call it 'bait'!) My inner cynic had to admit defeat when I saw this:


Rin-chan is the definition of the curious cat. After petting the frog the first time, the cat even stops to smell and lick his paw a bit - as if trying to suss out what exactly this thing is. The frog seems relatively unperturbed, even when the cat leans in for a closer sniff.

Now Rin-chan and his little green friend are bona-fide Internet stars. As a cat parent myself, I'd make sure all that newfound fame doesn't go to their heads. I wouldn't want superstar egos to spoil what looks to be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

Your "Cats & Frogs" Gift Guru,
Linda
Posted by: Linda | 8:00 AM | permalink
Friday, July 21, 2017
Just when we're tired of dieting for swimsuit season, along comes the best holiday of the summer: today is National Junk Food Day! That means you can eat anything you want today and none of it has any calories. Just kidding. It means you don't have to make the healthy choice and you don't feel a shred of guilt about it. Not one iota.

That's how you eat right on Junk Food Day.

You don't have to overeat to enjoy the holiday. Just don't worry about what you eat. Treat yourself to a fast food burger or a giant sundae. Order that pizza for lunch and skip the salad. Take a box of donuts to work and share the festive spirit with everyone. Cupcakes, pies, chips, fries...nothing is off limits today!

I did a lot of digging and I can't find an origin for the unofficial holiday. Best guess? It was created by a woman. A hungry woman. A woman who hadn't eaten chocolate since Easter. Sounds plausible to me. I just wish she'd have taken credit for it. I'd like to send her a thank you card. And a box of candies!

Your "Let's Eat!" Gift Guru,
Linda


Posted by: Linda | 8:00 AM | permalink
Friday, July 14, 2017
Remember taking family photos? Photos we took with actual cameras instead of phones? Pictures on actual film that you had to take in for developing? Then you'd come home with a fat envelope full of prints? Remember how you never knew if your photos had come out the way you wanted until you held them in your hand?

Now we view our photos on a screen. We delete them if we don't like the way we look. We plug our cameras or phones into our computers, transfer the photos, and, with the exception of those we share on social media, we forget all about them.

I was cleaning the back bedroom last weekend when I came across a box of old pictures. I found my wedding photos, tons of random snapshots of the kids and our pets, and lots of goofy pictures from family vacations, baseball outings, the kids in Halloween costumes...

I had always meant to hang them - I even had the frames - but I just never got around to it. Right there on the spot, I decided our photos had been hidden away for too long. With my handful of frames and some picture hangers, I went to work. I framed and put up all those pictures up and down the walls on either side of the staircase.

I didn't get that back bedroom clean, but I did create a family gallery that stretched from a worn out photo of my parents' wedding party to a picture of my own family on vacation. And the pictures I like best? The ones where we look goofy, or tired, or someone's eyes were closed. The photos that would have been deleted from our digital devices and our memories...they turned out to be my favorites.

Your "No Such Thing as a 'Bad' Picture" Gift Guru,
Linda
Posted by: Linda | 8:00 AM | permalink
Friday, July 7, 2017
Pregnancy can be a burden for women. Sure there's the "glow" that everyone talks about but there's also the morning sickness, the bloating, the cravings, the back pain, and feeling like there's a bowling ball sitting on top of your bladder for half a year. Men aren't always spared the discomfort, either. Some get what's called "Couvade Syndrome". Whether it's psychosomatic, hormonal, or just plain sympathy, the symptoms are real and some are quite painful. Men can be afflicted with back pain, stomach upset, food cravings, end even breast swelling during their partner's pregnancy.

As if that's not enough for the poor expectant dad to endure, some cultures make sure that men feel the pain of pregnancy by deliberately forcing symptoms to emerge. But the Huichol Indians take it to a whole new level, making sure that men feel the pain of childbirth as well. In an elaborate ritual that takes place during labor, the father sits above his wife with ropes tied to his testicles. (Yes, you read that right!) These ropes are held by his wife. When the expectant mother has a contraction, she pulls on the rope...the rest is, well, self-explanatory.

American moms have less elaborate rituals of their own. Rituals for which American fathers, even if they suffer from Couvade Syndrome, should be grateful. After all, a 4AM run to the all-night market for a pint of chocolate-chocolate ice cream, a jar of pickles, and a back pillow is better than having a rope tied around the "family jewels"!

Your "That's Gotta Hurt!" Gift Guru,
Linda
Posted by: Linda | 8:00 AM | permalink
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