Today is a day that many love and a whole lot hate; It’s Valentine’s Day. And for many, it’s a day usually filled with stress. The pressure is on finding the perfect gift for that special person in your life. And those who aren’t in a relationship feel the stress of wondering why. At this…
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Thanks to the megahit movie, Barbie has been the toy everyone has talked about this year. While Mattel enjoyed a spike in doll sales this year, another of its longtime creations also had another stellar year. Hot Wheels celebrated its 55th anniversary this year, and the brand of toy cars once again earned the toy…
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As I get older, the Christmas holiday becomes a nostalgic time. And that’s not a bad thing. I remember when I couldn’t wait to see what Santa left me under the tree. For the most part, I usually only remember the good times. Fortunately, there weren’t that many bad ones. The other day, my wife…
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I’ve admitted this before, but I’m a pretty simple guy. I’ve enjoyed the finer things in life but love the little things sometimes a bit more. The other day our neighbor dropped off some fancy cookies as a Christmas gift. And while I enjoy them, I wonder who came up with the idea to make…
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Valentine’s Day is here once again. And many people will celebrate with chocolate. That makes perfect sense; who doesn’t love it? But how and when did chocolate get associated with this Hallmark holiday in the first place? There’s no simple answer. Some think the tradition goes back hundreds of years…
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My wife has stopped counting birthdays. Naturally, you can guess what day it is. Now, I don’t know if this applies to everyone or just her? I’m also betting that this doesn’t mean I should stop buying her gifts for her special day. I’m not holding my breath for that answer…
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Back in my younger days, there were certain toys I wanted but knew I’d never get. Anything that said batteries required was out of the question. Now that the technology has improved and rechargeable options are cheap, batteries aren’t taboo. And now it seems that everything needs batteries…
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As we get older, birthdays become something of a mixed message. You like the fact that it’s your special day, but you often don’t like the numbers getting bigger. For my wife, her birthday is truly a mixed message. Her birthday is today, the day after Christmas, and that has its own built-in set of…
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Many families have traditions around the holidays. Some are very special, and some are often quite silly. Back when my wife was growing up she often got pajamas as a gift she could open on Christmas Eve. Was this a family tradition? I guess that all depends…
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This hasn’t been a normal holiday season. Sure, go ahead and call that the understatement of the year. Many people like me have really struggled coming up with gift ideas for many of their favorite people. Well, it looks like I may have found an interesting solution for those hard to buy for people in…
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