When I was a kid, I wanted a horse more than anything. I loved horses and dreamed that one day I would have one like Black Beauty, my favorite story. Then I grew up and bought 17 acres with a barn with a stall for a horse already in it and decided to raise pigs. Not very romantic ending to a life-long dream, but they provided us with some nice meals and a bit of extra cash. I won’t tell you about my uncle’s request when we butchered them as he needed the ingredients for headcheese because it’s very gross, and it’s good material  for another post.  One can’t give it all up at once! (That’s what I tell my girls, anyway.)

But back to my love for horses that was rekindled this vacation when my sister-in-law lent me her book “No Place Like Home” by Mary Higgins Clark that revolves around horses and horseback riding. In it, some couples share a love of horses and riding at a very exclusive riding club that started us discussing an equestrian cupid dating service that her friend was thinking of joining.  I guess it’s a site where horse lovers can find each other. (I wonder if you get to say “yeah” or “neigh” to a possible date? ) I am pretty skeptical but she insisted that this was a great place for like-minded singles to find each other and they would be sure that they would have at least something in common, and it has FREE sign-ups. That free part would get my attention if I were single, loved horses and was looking for a companion with two legs.

Well, the book was very good and I coudn’t put it down and it kind of made me want to take a riding lesson, which I mentioned to the family. Then my kids reminded me that I gagged the whole time I walked through the horse barn at the county fair last year. Those kids sure know how to bring a person back to reality, but two can play at that game. I reminded them that this happens to me when I walk by their bedrooms. I just got snorts.

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“Outside of a dog, a book is man’s best friend. Inside of a dog it’s too dark to read.” ~Groucho Marx

P.S. I would think the same could be said of a horse.

Things must have changed in more modern times because Salon Grafix Dry Shampoo didn’t leave any powdery stuff, made his hair feel and look cleaner, AND it smelled clean too. This stuff actually comes in shades for your hair color too. (He’s brunette.) Now, I must convince him that you must eventually wash your hair and it doesn’t work in perpetuity, but that’s is nice to have handy when you just don’t have the time.

When I told the girls that I was actually happy about their dry shampoo discovery for their brother, they added, “Good, Mom. We can get you some too. It comes in gray.”

The time between Christmas and their birthdays is sooo long.
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“Ignoring a child’s disrespect is the surest guarantee that it will continue.” ~ Fred G. Gosman

Apparently, lifting a finger to stop your breakouts is too much for a 15-year-old to handle. Making office visits and making co-pays with no results was too much for me. After a bunch of begging, cajoling, bleating and threats, I gave up. He didn’t even seem to notice we stopped going. (And that irked me too!)

Then, he liked this girl and woo hoo, he was motivated. Still bristling from wasting cash on his teen rash, I opted to let him use the same treatment I gave his sister for her acne – proactiv. Magically, he was able to follow directions. It was easy for me too. I ordered it online and it’s delivered to the house on a schedule that I can adjust online too.

I remember that I didn’t have to beg my daughter to use Proactive faithfully. She did and still does. In fact, people compliment her on her complexion not knowing she has acne and oily skin. What gets me about her is that whenever she has some ailment that MAY have been passed on from my genetics (yes, I did have acne and oily skin) she has this annoying habit of saying, “Thanks, mom” like I gave it to her on purpose.

My theory is that oily skin prevents wrinkles in the later years (I am living proof!) so she can thank me then. I know – fat chance. By then she’ll be blaming me for stretch marks, spider veins and acid reflux. I inherited the ability to accept the inevitable.
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“Acceptance of one’s life has nothing to do with resignation; it does not mean running away from the struggle. On the contrary, it means accepting it as it comes, with all the handicaps of heredity, of suffering, of psychological complexes and injustices.” ~ Paul Tournier

But I came up with this idea for a product that I really want made. It’s something you’d set to remind other people of what they’re supposed to do. It is inspired by zillions of the “Oh, I forgot” statements that in turn, inspired the same number of corresponding scoldings and/or reasons to doubt the true intelligence of your loved ones. It’s called a mom-minder.

The mom-minder is a small mechanism that attaches to your loved one’s ear lobe. It can look like an earring and now that both sexes are sporting them, it’s socially acceptable for anyone to wear one. (Not true 15 years ago when I first thought of this when it was simply females and Mr. Clean wearing ear bling.)

The fashionable outside of the mom-minder covers the functional inside that is a timed recording device. It is set to go off at specific intervals of your choosing with a recording of your voice to remind the wearer to bring home the milk, pick up the kids at school, take the dog out when they get home, etc. You can even add a motivator after the reminder like, “or you won’t be watching any TV” “or you won’t be gettin’ any” or whatever you think will make your loved one remember.

Since every parent (or wife) has reason to use a mom-minder a minimum of 2 to 7 times a week, coming up with a marketing strategy would be a piece of cake. Imagine all the possibilities! All the times you could prevent small explosions in the home. (It could be considered a safety device.) I could have used one today when I picked up my son from school for a doctor’s appointment and he came outside without his coat. It was about 20 degrees, the wind was whipping, and snow swirled inside of my car as I yelled through the open window, “Get your blasted coat! Does this look like Miami to you?” A mom-minder would have kept me from that icy blast – and him too. I think someone clever should contact me about the development of this idea – pronto. It’s only December.

Or I could just try sticky notes.

“Prevention is one of the few known ways to reduce demand for health and aged care services. ” ~ Julie Bishop

For a more permanent fix, I decided to get him a better pair. Those of you who know me (and how I love to shop online but that is another story – and again, you would have to ask…), I found him a quality pair of work boots to last a really long time. My husband says “You can’t beat the cheapness of quality” and yes, he made that up himself, and because shipping was free as my order at Met Boots was over $100, I did well.

I suppose all things considered, it worked out for the best as this time I got him a pair of steel toe boots like his teacher suggested in the first place. (I just told him to be careful not to drop anything.)

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“Safety is something that happens between your ears, not something you hold in your hands.” ~ Jeff Cooper

I never used to use these coupons until a friend told me about this website AND told me I was crazy not to. There are hundreds of merchants there – stores that I actually shop at. When I went there, I found a coupon for Zappos (one of my favorite places to buy shoes online) or if your teenagers like clothes from the Gap (and nowhere else) it can really save you some bucks. Offers are updated daily too and you can get around very easily. Stores are organized alphabetically so there is no mystery trying to find your favorite. I like simple.