Murphy's Laws for Moms

A lot of people think that asking for things is difficult and; therefore, not worth the effort.  But, the truth of the matter is that asking for things is one of the easiest things you can do.  If you don't think that's right, then just take a look at the children around you.  My two-year-old daughter asks for everything.  When she wakes up she asks for breakfast.  She starts off asking for cookies.  When I say no, she asks for candy (also a "no").  She asks for cake and cupcakes.  After going through an extensive list of "no" items, we make it to the "yes" items.  At nap time, she asks to read 40 books.  We negotiate and she gets to read two.  She asks for 20 more minutes of bath time and we negotiate down to five.  There's a pattern here.  It involves a sense of fearlessness in asking for things in the mind of my daughter.  She knows what she wants.  She's willing to compromise.  And, she understands (or a...

Let's face it; air travel just isn't what it used to be.  So, when faced with sitting in a crowded middle seat and paying a la carte for checked bags, food (primarily snacks), extra legroom, and many other options, first class isn't always something we think we can afford.  However, it's not always out of our reach. You don't need to have an elite frequent flyer status, thousands of frequent flyer miles, or an unlimited budget.  You just have to ask! Recently on my first flight sans kids from Portland, Oregon to Honolulu on Alaska Air, when checking in, I asked the agent if there were any upgrades available.  Now, I don't have an elite frequent flyer status and didn't even have any miles with this airline.  However, the agent informed me that for $150, I could upgrade.  When considering the fact that I had one checked, overweight bag that was going to cost me $70 ($20 for a regular traveler checked bag and $50 for being overweight), I thought it was worth t...