I’m coming out of the closet. I have an addiction. The moment I get home, I go straight up to my room and put on something…fluffy.

I love fluffy and soft things. It’s a serious weakness.

I can say no to most everything when walking through a mall but if my skin is touched by something fuzzy. Game over. Follow me on Snapchat for funny snaps of my fuzzy finds.

I don’t think my addiction is without cause. There are (in my mind) links to scientific studies that fluff is good for me (and, therefore, good for you). 

On New Year’s Day Sunday the preacher asked who made new year’s resolutions. My hand shot up. And then I looked around…no one else made resolutions!

I was shocked. Floored.

My in-laws sitting next to me slightly raised their hands after I raised mind. Of course, during our new year’s dinner I made them make resolutions. (And after obsessively waving my arm in church with a very proud smile creased on my face I did notice a few others put their hands up tentatively.)

Does the thought of vinegar make you sour? Growing up, my mother would put apple cider vinegar on cooked spinach. Whenever I got a whiff, I would be instantly angered that someone would willingly subject me (and others) to the foulest smell in the universe. Dinner ruined.

I carried that hatred with me through college, avoiding all things vinegar.

Until I met someone who drank Bragg’s apple cider vinegar with the mother to help a hoard of health issues she had. HAD being the big word. Doctor after doctor couldn’t figure out what was wrong with her. She had headaches and digestive problems. Soon she turned to natural remedies and found apple cider vinegar to work wonders for her health.

I tried it…well that is to say, I tried trying it. Couldn’t get past the first sip of the ice cold water with a splash of ACV (apple cider vinegar for short). 

Do you have any holiday traditions that make you feel the joy of Christmas? Maybe it’s a scent that brings back the giddiness of being seven-years-old and knowing Santa was going to bring you some awesome toys this month. Or an event you go to every December that ushers in holiday cheer!

Growing up, my family had some awesome Christmas traditions. We got to buy a unique ornament for the tree each year. We also decked out our house with lights, singing bells, snowmen and garland. And we ALWAYS made my mother’s sugar cookies. It took the entire day because we would never just make enough for us…we had to make them for our neighbors and friends as well. But part of the joy of baking and decorating the cookies was being able to share our delicious labor of love with our friends.

Christmas shopping gives me mixed feelings. On one hand, I loved being able to have an excuse to spend money on gifts that I think my friends and family will enjoy. On the other, shopping malls give me headaches.

I don’t think I’ve ever enjoyed black Friday shopping…and yet I somehow find myself in bumper to bumper traffic each time. I guess I like the thought of getting the best deal out there but the reality is less than desirable.

And with the onslaught of e-commerce it’s really no longer necessary to even leave the house to get the best deal. So for those who want to do all their Christmas shopping at home in their housecoats, here’s my list of the best Christmas gifts for 2016 to give to your friends and loved ones.

For centuries, people referred to the third season of the year as “harvest”. However, that term became less favorable as more and more people began to relocate to cities in the 1600s. It was replaced with the phrase “fall of the leaf”, which was eventually shortened to just “fall”.

If you’re like most people in the Northern Hemisphere, you’re currently experiencing the turning leaf colors and piles of fallen leaves in your yard that come with the colder weather.

While fall foliage looks spectacular, it also sparks the dreaded question; what do we do with all of these leaves?