Boo! Scaring Away the Ghosts Of Life's Past

Blogger Stacey Margo writes about letting go of the past.

Take Me Out to the Ballpark, but Watch Out for Flying Baseballs!

Attorney James McCarthy advises readers on whether baseball teams are liable for injuries.

Get Real

Who Pays for a Short Sale Negotiator?

Lisa Loper of the Scott Loper Team explains the value of a 3rd party negotiator when purchasing a short sale.

A 3rd party negotiator can be invaluable to the success of a short sale.  Good 3rd party negotiators have established relationships with many banks.  They know the in’s and out’s of how to best handle each individual short sale which is unique with respect to the seller’s situation and their bank’s requirements. The process gets even more complex when there are two loans (a first mortgage and a second mortgage) with two different banks. While the seller’s agent may be able to negotiate directly with the bank, a good 3rd party negotiator who specializes in short sales will often produce the best results for the buyer (i.e. approval at the most favorable terms and in the shortest amount of time).  Considering that a real estate agent may …

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Montco Mommy

Your Little One's Ace in the Hole–the Meltdown

Every parent fears the tsunami-sized tantrum that is the Meltdown.

For the most part, I feel like I am a parent in control of my children. I’ve seen those that are not. I have seen those that do so much better than I could ever hope for, too. With some basic discipline, solid and clear rules, and consistency, my husband and I usually can maintain order. We joke that we can’t have a third child because our defensive plan would have to adjust. For now, we can play man-to-man, but three kids would mean a breakdown into zone. To me, that means a little bit less ability to control the situation. There is one card a child holds, though. I am hoping those that still hold it are too young to read this column because I’d hate to ever admit it to them. Children can play this card at any time. Like a stealthy dealer…

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Joe The Nerd Ferraro

12:47 pm on Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Good article, We have 3 well past this stage. When it happened to us at a store, we took a few steps out of the kid's range of view, but still close enough to see him. There were others around, but they got it. A crowd of people understand a kid's tantrum better than you are giving credit for. If anyone gives you "the eye", just smile with the look that says - "we got this". The kid will calm …   more ›

Dear Lizzie

A Woman Struggles With Her Daughter's Impending Adulthood

A single mother looks for advice on how to strengthen her relationship with her teenage daughter.

Dear Lizzie, Single mom here. It’s not easy, but I enjoy my life. What I’m not enjoying is the rebellion of my daughter. She is 17 and a junior in high school. All I have is her and my son, who is 5. Her father is never around, and I have to raise her by myself. We try to get along, but it is hard. We go out together and have “Girls Night,” and for a while, it’s great. But it goes back to the same routine. She is good in school, but I don’t know much about her social life. I wish I did. What can I do to make our relationship better? —Worried Mom, Lansdale   Dear Worried, Every mother and daughter go through this phase in their lives. Your daughter is finally getting her independence. She is almost 18—a legal adult—and she will begin doing …

Dear Lizzie

Respect Goes Both Ways In the Parent-Child Relationship

A woman wants her parents to respect her choices and personal life on Facebook, and a flirty friend causes concern.

Dear Lizzie, I recently had a fight with my parents, and it has to do with Facebook. I am 28 years old, and I live on my own. Last week, I went out with a group of friends to celebrate a new job. A lot of pictures were taken that night. There was nothing inappropriate, but sometimes you can get a little wacky when you’re with friends and having a good time. My parents are friends with me on Facebook and saw the pictures posted from that evening. They proceeded to berate me, insult me and make me feel so bad and sick to my stomach. I’m an adult and I shouldn’t be treated this way. Pictures of me do not reflect my character, but tell that to them! What can I do to fix all this? – Picture Imperfect?, Norristown Dear Picture, Whether it is …

Dear Lizzie

Woman Thinks it Should Be 'Game Over' for Hubby's Hobby

A wife has concerns that her husband's video gaming addiction may be infecting the kids, and one couple can't compromise on children.

Dear Lizzie, I have a husband that loves video games. The problem is, we also have three children who are starting to love them too—too much. My husband works from home often, and nearly every time I come home from work, he is in front of the TV playing PS3. Sometimes, our sons or daughter are there, either playing along or watching him. Recently, one of our sons, an elementary student, brought home a poor report card. Our daughter, I think, is starting to have comprehension and reading troubles. Then, there’s our “alone time.” It’s great here and there, but as of recent, I’ve been going to bed alone while he stays up and shoots things on his video game. It is starting to annoy me, and I don’t know how to approach it. I don’t want him to …

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Dear Lizzie

Friends Don't Let Friends Take Their Drug Test For Them

A woman seeks advice about her boyfriend's habit of helping a friend pass a urine test and a lonely dog lover questions getting a puppy

Dear Lizzie, My boyfriend has a friend from college who continually asks him to help him out when it comes to passing his work drug test. My boyfriend has to pee for him. (I don’t know the specifics on how this is done). I know this cannot be legal. I want to tell my boyfriend, as nice of a guy that he is, that I do NOT think he should be doing this for his “friend.” Your thoughts? Are there any potential legal issues my boyfriend could face? – PEE O’D, Lansdale Dear P.O’D, My first bit of advice is to tell this “friend” to stop doing drugs or smoking marijuana and pee in his own cup. Your boyfriend’s friend is not a friend. No friend tries to bring you down with his or her problems. Either your boyfriend is really nice or he is a pushover…

Dear Lizzie

Woman Fed Up With Boyfriend Who Doesn't Give Enough

A woman wants her man to put a little more effort into their relationship, and one new mom has babies on her mind.

Dear Lizzie, I have been dating and living with a man for several years now. In the beginning he was sweet, charming and fun to be around. Lately, things have been different. He hardly works, and when he does he complains about how much he hates going (or he works less than full time). He never helps out around the house and he makes me do all the cooking, cleaning and laundry. I have asked him to help out, but it is short lived. I'm actually not to sure what he does all day while I'm at work. I have tried not doing it to see if he would eventually do it, but the house ended up filthy and it was just more work for me. I work full-time and go to school and I find myself resentful of him not helping out. He rarely wants to spend time with my…

Dear Lizzie

Valentine's Day advice for a hopeless romantic

A best friend is keeping a secret about a cheating boyfriend and one hopeless romantic asks for some Valentine's Day suggestions

Dear Lizzie, My best friend Stephanie and I have known each other more than 15 years. For the past two years, she has been dating this guy and it’s getting pretty serious. She is the happiest she’s ever been and she tells me all the time how he’s changed her life for the better. It’s true because I see it. Recently, I came to discover that her boyfriend is cheating on her with another woman. An older woman to be exact. While I haven’t told her yet, I feel awful that this is going on behind her back and I’m basically the only one that knows. I feel it’s my duty as her best friend to tell her. I don’t know what’s stopping me. What do you think? – Best Friend with Secrets, Collegeville Dear Best, First and foremost, that is your best friend …