Use Common Sense, Be Safe

I read an article earlier today that suggested not to shoot your guns in celebration of the new year. Seems reasonable. But celebration isn't the only place you should use common sense, the weather is another place to use good judgement. Click here to read an article of a man who used a cutting torch to thaw ice and wound up thawing a lot of ice when he caught his house on fire. Be safe, don't drink and drive, and enjoy your New Year celebrations! Happy New Year everyone and be sure to give your spouse a BIG kiss at midnight--then remember to do the same thing throughout the year.

Army Couple Makes Marriage Work Through 5 Deployments

Army majors Elizabeth and Mike (no last name given in the article) have deployed five times between the two of them to Bosnia, Kosovo and Iraq. Fortunately, the U.S. Army has been extremely accommodating letting the two station geographically close, even if not together. Over Christmas, Elizabeth traveled to his unit, only to find he had gone to visit hers. Elizabeth says, "I left presents on his desk." The couple, having met in the military has been married for eight years and says they currently see each other about once every three to five weeks. Enough time to get their family started. Elizabeth is currently in her third trimester of pregnancy and the couple is already starting to make plans for another deployment. They expect their next move will take them to Afghanistan, but this time they wish to go separately so one can stay behind to care for their new baby. They realize that this will add a new level of complication to their marriage, but then again this couple has faced tougher challenges in the past.

Read their full story here. According to the Military Family Research Institute, nearly 13% of active-duty service members were married to another service member in 2005. Are you one of them?

Medical Myths

Your kid eating sugar will make them hyper, right? Not so says British medical journal BMJ. They say that there is no scientific evidence to support this myth and that some of it is even psychological for the parents. The journal said that when parent were told their kids had sugary drinks, they rated that they were more hyper, even though the drinks were sugar free. Other myths include the one that poinsettias are poisonous, suicides increase during the holidays, eating at night makes you fat, you lose the most body heat through your head, and that their are cures for hangovers. To read the full article with explanations on these myths, click here. So go ahead and eat up at night with that sugary dessert, but don't drink too much because there's no cure in the morning. Happy holidays!

Less Gifts This Year

Who on your Santa list is not going to receive a gift this year because of the economy? A Maritz Holiday Poll asked who's off this year's holiday gift list and perhaps surprisingly extended family were the first to go. 67 Percent said extended family were getting chopped, while 55 percent said friends and 50 percent said work associates. Click here to see the poll.

Have you removed some people off your gift list who has traditionally been on it in years past? Are you making homemade goodies instead or have other ideas? Let us know what you're doing.

Postnuptial Depression

Time magazine published an article addressing the blues couples face (particularly the bride) once their big day has come and gone. The article says 5% to 10% of newlyweds suffer strong enough remorse, sadness or frustration to prompt them to seek professional counseling. The article says some feel it and describe it as buyers remorse, others expected some magical change to happen in their relationship only to find that there's no such thing. One bride who was married in 2006 says she's found the secret to getting over the blues. She recommends newlyweds to refocus the energy that they spent working toward the wedding and now put it into themselves and their marriage, like date nights. The article also recommended:

After the vows, to defeat the postnuptial blues, doctors say, couples should get adequate rest and exercise; communicate constantly; focus on the benefits of marriage, like having a built-in support system; and start thinking about the future in terms of family or finance. Women should stop thinking of themselves as "the bride" and throw out those wedding magazines, then plan social events for after the honeymoon, so they have other parties to look forward to.

Did you experience postnuptial depression? If so, how long did it last and how did you get out of it?

Relieve Stress With Sex

This isn't new, but Self magazine recently published an article stating that sex relieves stress among other things. "Being in an intimate relationship correlates to healing faster, getting sick less often and living longer," says James Coan, Ph.D., professor of psychology at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. "Good relationships offset tension in daily life." The article further says that anxiety spikes blood pressure, which hobbles the immune system. "But when you have sex, you release feel-good hormones, including oxytocin and endorphins," Coan adds. So do you need sex to relieve stress? Nope. At least according to Coan's research. Coan says kissing, hugging, cuddling and holding hands will help relieve stress.

To read the complete article click here.

Poor Get Poorer

Talk about rubbing salt in the wound. Earlier this month, the FDIC reported that bank overdraft fees of up to $38 were disproportionately affecting young and low-income consumers. Perhaps that's not too surprising. What is interesting is that nearly half of consumers pay overdraft fees each year. Also found was that large banks are more likely to process transactions from largest to smallest dollar amount, often triggering more fees. Seems like dirty banking tricks. In total, overdraft-related fees bring in $17.5 billion each year to banks and credit unions according to the Center for Responsible Lending.

Be careful this holiday season and watch your bank account, you can be sure the banks are looking for a way to make some money. Click here to read the complete article.

Sex Toy Recycling Program

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Vermont: Healthiest State in America

Hitched is headquartered in California. You know, the land of yoga, no smoking, and sunny out-door activity all year round. So some might find it surprising that California isn't in the top five ranking of the healthiest states in America. It's more shocking for many that it ranked all the way down at 24, according to the United Health Foundation. The rankings take many different factors into consideration including prevalence of smoking, drinking, obesity, infectious disease, air pollution, public health funding, immunization coverage and many other factors.

The top five healthiest states are: Vermont, Hawaii, New Hampshire, Minnesota and Utah. The worst state is Louisiana. Click here to find out where your state ranks.

'Nagging' Wife Prompts Husband to Buy Winning Lottery Ticket

A young New Zealand couple won the jackpot of $4.2 million after the husband rushed into the store to purchase the ticket two minutes before the ticket sales closed. The husband says his wife was nagging him all week to buy one so when he say the Lotto sign in the window, he sprinted in the store to make the purchase at the last minute on a Saturday night. On Sunday, the wife asked her husband to go to the store and pick up some sausage. When the husband arrived, he realized he didn't have enough money so he looked in the paper to see if he won a few bucks. Sure enough, the couple won the grand prize. When he returned home to show his wife, she replied, "but all I wanted was a sausage."

What's the most amount of money you've won?

Do You Tell Your Kids About the Economy?

Today's youth have never seen an economic slump. Heck, with the drop in the economy we've seen these past few months, only those who are old enough to remember the Great Depression have (like our money expert Al Jacobs). Anyway, now that the holidays are here and many kids probably aren't going to have as many gifts as in years past, what's a parent to do? This article on MSNBC says that many parents are spending less on themselves to shield their kids from financial hardships. One family with sons ages 10, 8 and 4, had their kids go through the advertising circulars and circle their holiday wish list. They then had their kids ad up the total of all the items they wished for. One child was surprised that his list came to $904, which was a perfect segue to discuss money with them.

In conclusion, the article didn't offer any concrete advice, but I thought the last bit about the sons was a neat idea. How are you approaching the money situation in your household? Are you shielding your kids or shedding a light on the real world?

Avoiding Your In-Laws Could Hurt Your Marriage

If you're having a difficult time getting your spouse over to your parents house, you now have scientific data on your side. University of Denver associate professor Mary Claire Morr Serewicz spent six years researching family issues and found that in-law relations can represent 43 percent of a couple's satisfaction in their marriage. One highlight mentioned in this post on the Seattle Post-Intelligencer says that gossiping about other family members with the new son- or daughter-in-law in the room may make them feel more included, but also have them wondering what you say about them when they leave the room. Ultimately, it has a negative affect.

How would your grade your relationship with your in-laws? Do you find that your in-law grade coincides with your current marital satisfaction? Talk about it on our message boards.

12 Days of Christmas Costs $86,609

Every year PNC Wealth Management compiles a "Christmas Price Index," which rings up the total costs from the first day of Christmas's partridge in a pear tree to the 12 drummers drumming, purchased repeatedly as the song suggests. Last year, the total was was $78,100. This year the total jumped 10.9 percent to $86,609, an increase of $8,508. Interestingly, the five gold rings is down to $350 from $395 last year and many of the birds are cheaper (french hens, turtle doves, geese a-laying). This seems like just good holiday fodder, but these prices are a telling barometer of our current economic conditions. For example, gasoline increases have driven up shipping costs resulting in the pear tree price increase of $5. The aforementioned bird drops reflect the decrease in food prices. While the increase in the price of "swans a swimming" reflect in the pricing increase of luxury items. Click here to read the full article, including how to purchase these items on the cheap (Riverdance DVD instead of "lords a-leaping".

Here's a breakdown of the costs and their comparison to last year:

Partridge, $20 (last year: $15)
Pear Tree, $200 (last year: $150)
Two Turtle Doves, $55 (last year: $40)
Three French Hens, $30 (last year: $45)
Four Calling Birds (canaries), $600 (last year: same)
Five Gold Rings, $350 (last year: $395)
Six Geese a-Laying, $240 (last year: $360)
Seven Swans a-Swimming, $5,600 (last year: $4,200)
Eight Maids a-Milking, $52 (last year: $47)
Nine Ladies Dancing (per performance), $4,759 (last year: same)
10 Lords a-Leaping (per performance), $4,414 (last year: $4,285)
11 Pipers Piping (per performance), $2,285 (last year: $2,213)
12 Drummers Drumming (per performance), $2,475 (last year: $2,398)

How to Green Your Sex Life

You recycle cans and bottles, use reusable bags at the grocery store and drive a hybrid car. So what's the next step to saving the planet? Greening up your sex life! Planet Green offers many tips on turning your sex life green. For example, many sex toys contain chemicals and materials that are harmful to the environment. So instead, they recommend using sex toys made of glass, metal, silicone, hard plastics, or elastomers. If your toy uses power, look for one that is rechargeable or use your own rechargeable batteries. For lubes, they say to avoid petroleum products, artificial scents, flavors, and colors, and instead look for organic lubes. Other quick tips include showering together, bamboo bed sheets, and lingerie that's made of earth-friendly materials that you'll wear more than once, such as organic cotton, hemp silk, bamboo.

Check out their article, which includes specific brands that are eco-friendly, plus it has many more tips. Do you have any tips?