Jenn Hollowell

Richmond, Maine, UNITED STATES


Joined March 27th 2008

Number of Posts:
235

Number of Comments:
65

Karma:
1



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Recent Posts

I Live Under a Rock

March 9th 2009 18:50

Okay, when it comes to learning about cars in America I’m not exactly the smartest person in the world. I’m an eager learner, but I’m constantly left scratching my head. You see, I already have an “idea” about the manufacturing of cars and so on . . . so, when things change or are not what I expect, I’m baffled.

This is also true for foreign cars. I don’t know why, but I’ve been lead to firmly believe the following impression: foreign cars all look the same in other countries, and are designed differently only for American consumers. Who taught me this? I had no idea, but it’s annoying . . . I do know that.

To further prove myself wrong, I decided to surf around. I mean, seriously, it’s a little (okay, a lot) strange for me to think this way. I immediately came across a ton of sites in my favorite search engine (we all have one, right?), but one seemed to stand out more than the others – the vauxhall dealer. Have you ever been to a site, particularly blog (like mine!) where you think, “yes, this is it; this is exactly what I was looking for.”? Surf through, you’ll see what I mean.

Now, back to my original point about how foreign cars all look the same blah, blah, blah, and my ambition to prove myself wrong. Take this car, the vauxhall insignia, for example. This is a great looking car . . . nothing AT ALL like the boxy Dotson-y looking things I was envisioning rolling through Europe. What is wrong with me? Do I live under a rock? I must. That’s the only explanation I can come up with! Then there’s this one, the vauxhall corsa, that reminds me a lot of a VW . . . not of a dumpy, boxy, icky brownish gray generic un-named vehicle.

My conclusion? I’m a busy working mom who barely has time to think about her own vehicle, let alone the vehicles in other countries. I like my vehicle, though the seatbelts could be spaced further apart so I don’t have to spend so much time fighting with car seats. In other news: my vehicle served me quite well when I was in an ice-slush accident a week and a half ago. I managed to walk away with only a few dents on the door…. And no dents on me!
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When a Compact Car Isn’t Enough

January 29th 2009 20:25

Our family seems to be growing in leaps and bounds and I have to say, in all honesty, a compact car just would not work for this family. We have two teens in the household now, as well as three children who are all still in car seats. As a result, there just is not enough room for us all to fit in anything smaller than a mini-van or SUV.

Should we look for used autos? Good question. In these tough economic times, new cars seem to be growing further and further out of reach. However, there are a number of financial institutions that are working out better deals for those who prefer new autos over used ones. Like me, for example, I like the older models of the Dodge Durango over the new ones. It’s just my taste. If there were new Durangos that looked like the older ones, then I would certainly buy one!

The best thing to do is use your best judgment, create a budget, and figure out what will work best for your family. In our case, we’re a family of seven. Most of the vehicles we can afford at the moment are for six passengers. Eventually, we would like to purchase an eight-passenger mini-van. Those are beyond our budget right now, which is fine because we rarely all need to leave the house all at once. Most often, my fiancé is at work when I need to carpool the kids all over the place. So, this works best for us right now.

I’m both fearful and looking forward to when the older kids get their licenses and can drive themselves wherever they need to go. That will cut down on my “taxi-mom-ness” and it may alleviate the need to purchase a bigger vehicle. These teens will, of course, be earning their own vehicles just like my fiancé and I had to when we were their age. We think that’s the best way to teach them how to appreciate what they have.

What are your thoughts on buying new autos versus buying used autos?
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Surfing Through [In]sanity

December 19th 2008 12:31
So, it seems things around here are getting really ... interesting ... when it comes to our children. I don't know what other word to use, really. I've got my nephew who would rather be angry at the world than really look his problems in the eye and solve them, I've got my oldest son who has resorted to physical stances to solve his problem, I've got my middle step-daughter who would rather be a follower than cause problems, and I've got my youngest who thrives on causing problems in order to get attention.

Needless to say, all of this culminated in the span of two weeks causing things to be...interesting...around here. My fiancé and I are often left scratching our heads wondering what's going to happen next.

What's more is I was surfing around the 'net looking for clues about how to better lead these children because, in my opinion, there's no such thing as too much information. I wondered if classes, like muay thai training, would benefit my nephew ... until I realized that he may use this type of training out of anger, rather than what it's intended for. Besides, do we really want to send him away for muay thai in Thailand ... now, that would be interesting! After scrutinizing the site, and realizing the muay thai camp is a good establishment, I decided to chalk this one up as an interesting coincidence and leave it at that.

I think I need to find a different word than "interesting" because, despite the truth of the matter, it doesn't seem a strong enough word for what goes on around here most of the time. That's part of what keeps us on our toes with this truly blended family, I suppose. It's also benefiting my writing career, to say the very least, because I'm constantly presented with material to research and write about. Not a wasted effort or moment in this household, that's for sure! No one will be going away to camp, but there "surf" will continue as I try to find new things to teach these children...and more things to write about!

Learn it, live it, write it!
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Ending the Experiment

October 17th 2008 12:12

After giving this some serious thought, I think I’m going to move on from this blog. Using orble.com was a fun experiment, but it didn’t provide the results I was hoping for. I’m happy to have participated in so many wonderful conversations, but that was really the only benefit to maintaining this blog.

[ Click here to read more ]
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Ending the Experiment

October 17th 2008 12:07

After giving this some serious thought, I think I’m going to move on from this blog. Using orble.com was a fun experiment, but it didn’t provide the results I was hoping for. I’m happy to have participated in so many wonderful conversations, but that was really the only benefit to maintaining this blog.

[ Click here to read more ]
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Break the Block: Tip #44

October 17th 2008 11:59

Follow this prompt to help break or prevent writer’s block. Use your word processor, your blog, or handwrite this out. Remember that whatever works best for you will yield the best results.

[ Click here to read more ]
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Break the Block: Tip #43

October 16th 2008 12:11

Follow this prompt to help break or prevent writer’s block. Use your word processor, your blog, or handwrite this out. Remember that whatever works best for you will yield the best results.

[ Click here to read more ]
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EDUCATION: It’s a Full-Time Job

October 15th 2008 15:02

Like it or not, keeping track of and following up on your child’s education is a full time job (or, as some like to say, a full time responsibility). You don’t need a degree in education, but you do need to possess organizational skills and follow-through with what you say you’re going to do.

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Never-ending To-Do Lists

October 15th 2008 14:18

This week has been one never-ending to-do list of chores, appointments, errands, housework, sporting events, parenting, and career responsibilities . . . and . . . it’s only Wednesday. I’m eager for this weekend, but I’m not really sure why because it is full of more lists of things that have to be finished (primarily: homework with my nephew and finishing my book).

[ Click here to read more ]
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Favorable Topics, or Just Funds?

October 15th 2008 13:21

When you’re setting up your query goals, do you choose:
· topics that interest you the most, or are things you have experience with


[ Click here to read more ]
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Recent Comments

Comment by Jenn Hollowell
on Meal Planning Help

October 16th 2008 19:46
Thank you very much!

Comment by Jenn Hollowell
on Don’t Count the Hours!

October 14th 2008 10:55
You're absolutely right! I've often considered letting go of this blog, as well as realitymom.com because they do take some time from the work day . . . and the benefit beyond good conversation is very little.

Comment by Jenn Hollowell
on Break the Block: Tip #37

October 13th 2008 20:20
LOL!!!

Comment by Jenn Hollowell
on Don’t Count the Hours!

October 13th 2008 17:28
Thanks, Kimberlee! I agree with what you say 100%! I made the mistake today because my nephew wondered how much work I have, and then wondered how many words I'm going to write today . . . and this, of course, lead to more math calculations. That was stupid. LOL

Comment by Jenn Hollowell
on Being a Small Business Owner

October 12th 2008 17:37
LOL That's SO VERY true!!!

Comment by Jenn Hollowell
on Being a Small Business Owner

October 12th 2008 17:11
We constantly here:

"Well, Jenn's home all day - why doesn't she do this, that or the other thing?"

or...

"Jenn's home anyway, so why can't she go here, do this, or do that because I have to work."

Hmm....

Comment by Jenn Hollowell
on Break the Block: Tip #37

October 12th 2008 15:41
I can relate to that. There's way too much negative news. That's why I choose those freebie publications - they tend to have a more positive bent and focus on topics of interest to those interested in community events such as the arts, library news, and the parks/wildlife.

Comment by Jenn Hollowell
on Keeping Track, Losing Mind

October 12th 2008 15:39
LOL

Comment by Jenn Hollowell
on Bullying or Surviving?

October 12th 2008 15:37
I will check it out right now! Thank you for letting me know!

Comment by Jenn Hollowell
on Break the Block: Tip #37

October 11th 2008 14:18
I get those "freebie" newspapers from the library every week, plus I love reading magazines while I'm there (or in a waiting room).