Huckleberry Row

HONESTY POLL : To those of you who have been adulting for more than seven minutes... When someone shows their appreciation for a kind act or job well done, are you more or less likely to repeat your appreciated behavior?  I would be more inclined to repeat behavior, knowing my efforts are being recognized and appreciated.   Another person's appreciation of my work or activities has no bearing on my performance level.  Regardless of your own response, being in a healthy relationship means knowing how your partner would answer this question.   If you're a person who requires frequent affirmations, and your partner has never once thanked you for sending his mother a birthday card . Without feeling appreciated, over time you may start to feel taken for granted, angry, even resentful. It's more than about the birthday cards, isn't it? Here's where it gets personal.  Our family has been undergoing major changes over the past year, the majority of whi

Having six people in the house means twelve feet and a LOT of shoes. Our entryway opens directly into our dining room. So, we have no separate mud room to hide all the shoes, boots, coats, mittens, hats and snow pants associated with endless Minnesota winters. Recently, we ditched our cubby bench which was great for holding all sorts of things. However, it had puppy chew marks, was falling apart from years of overuse, and really didn't float my boat where aesthetics are concerned. Functional, yes. Eyesore, definitely. Something different was needed, so I decided on a white IKEA Hemnes shoe cabinet and a Hemnes bench with shoe storage . My inspiration from the IKEA catalog:   I seldom buy retail (it's a genetic thing learned from my grandmother), but IKEA's unassembled prices are pretty low. If you've never assembled IKEA furniture, there's a certain frustration level you may want to factor into your purchase equation. For some people, it's worth the t