Lorianna's blog

A house will not be a home if it's a mess – emotionally, physically, financially, or in any other sense you can think of. We have received a card on our anniversary that says, “It’s love that makes a house a home.” Very true, if we remember that love is not just a warm fuzzy feeling but also a conscious effort.

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We had two cats, and both my husband and I had agreed that it was enough for our household. Our cats, both male and both former strays, were getting along great and adding a lot of fun to our life. Why take in more and risk getting your house overrun by felines?

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Every situation is different, of course, but I would say that whether the husband should share house chores largely depends on A) Whether the woman works, and B) Whether the couple has children. If both the husband and the wife have full-time jobs outside the house, yet it is only the wife who is expected to come home from work and do all the household chores, I do not see how it is fair or justified. This was the situation in my family when growing up: mom did it all, and it infuriated me to no end. In fact, I think my solemn vow to never get married (broken 7 years ago) can be attributed to it.

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Marriage can be difficult for various reasons. Number one is probably selfishness, number two wrong expectations. They go hand in hand, really: people expect to get married and be made happy instead of doing their best to make the husband / wife happy. It's work, and a young couple in love rarely thinks of work – they think of happiness. This happiness is supposed to just happen, automatically, just because they are in love and they are going to be together, and it is supposed to last.

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“You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed,” said Antoine de Saint-Exupery. I completely agree with him.

When I was little, my mother had made sure I understood very well that owning a pet meant taking some serious and long-term responsibilities. She had explained to me more than once that when you adopt a kitty or a puppy, you have to take care of them, no matter what happens. They need to be fed, cleaned, trained, interacted with, and treated if they become ill, whether you have time / desire / means to do it or not. Mom made it clear to me that there was no “trial time” when it comes to pet ownership. Pets are not toys; you can’t take one, play with it, and then throw it away when you get bored with it. Mom had made sure I knew about the unpleasant responsibilities, too: “If your kitty throws up on the floor, you will have to clean up the mess, and if your puppy has diarrhea, you will have to wipe his butt.”

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I grew up in a family where nobody ever took any medications to treat cold and cough. My parents and grandparents were keenly aware of the fact that there is no such thing as “safe drug,” be that prescription or over the counter. Drugs might help one thing but hurt another with their side effects. Chemicals, grandma called them. “I don’t want to put chemicals in my body,” she would say.

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Tiny Details is a home assembly company that manufactures dollhouse miniature accessories. They invite home assemblers to make items like miniature books, diaries, magazines, notepads, playing cards, money, and more.

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I love Bodycology bath bombs. When I had discovered them a couple of years ago, I was pleasantly surprised at how large and at the same time inexpensive they are. Three bath bombs the size of a tennis ball are sold for around $6, nicely packaged in a transparent plastic tube. Most other brands want more than that for one bath bomb, especially when it comes to extra-size ones.

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Cat training can be difficult because each cat has a unique personality that they want respected, pretty much like us people. Unlike dogs who just want to please and are happy to follow orders when they understand them and see clear rewards, cats will not be so easily persuaded into doing something. There are things they like and things they don’t like. Forcing them to do what they do not like does not work, ever.

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Preparation is the key for a successful job interview. The better you are prepared, the greater confidence you will have and the better you will do. There are both big and small things to think of during your preparation.

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I went to school that had mandatory uniforms. While I hated my uniform back then (because it represented school to me, and I passionately hated school), what I see now makes me think that school uniforms are actually not a bad idea. Kids are crazy about being "cool," so those from wealthier families show off wearing fancier clothes, and those who cannot afford it are shunned and ridiculed.

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One website I often use to plan my trips, find and purchase affordable airline tickets, and sometimes find hotels and transportation as well is Expedia.com.

Expedia is easy to navigate, and it can be a huge time-saver when it comes to researching prices. For example, if I want to find the cheapest airline ticket to fly from New York to Rome, I don't have to go to each airline and check their prices - or contact several travel agents and have them quote their rates in order to see which one takes less money for the service. All I have to do is type in my information at Expedia.com - date, destination, return date, number of passengers, round trip or one way, etc. - and click "Search for Flights." Within moments, I will have all the most affordable flights, from all airlines, right there in front of me.

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The only cat theater in the world, the Moscow Cats Theater is located at 25 Kutuzovsky Prospect in downtown Moscow, Russia. However, you don't have to travel all the way to Russia to enjoy their shows. The theater has traveled to over 80 countries, winning many awards - and hearts.

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Mangosteen (not to be confused with mango) is a tropical fruit with remarkable nutritional and healing powers. Relatively little known in the US and Europe, mangosteen has been used in Southeast Asia for centuries to treat a variety of ailments, from inflammation to skin conditions to digestive problems.

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Whoever came up with the idea of making heart-shaped chocolate had struck a goldmine. Women love chocolate and women love hearts; put the two together, and you’ve got a perfect gift, especially for Valentine’s Day. Stores flooded with heart-shaped candy before Valentine’s seem to prove it. But is it really a good gift idea? What about those who say that it is way too commonplace, unoriginal, and even thoughtless?

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