Help for Autism

I grew up in Anaheim, California, so I have had my share of time spent at Disneyland. Naturally, I wanted the same experience for my own children, so my best high school friend and I would take our children to Disneyland whenever we got the chance. I’ll never forget the time, though, when my friend’s little boy wandered off while we were trying to get all the kids their meals. My heart stopped for a moment, and time seemed to stand still as panic set in. Hundreds of people were around us, and it seemed as if we would never find my friend’s son. Fortunately, after five of the longest minutes of our lives, we found him. 

Today, I read in “USA Today” that kids with autism tend to wander off, and even worse, these children sometimes either don’t realize that they are lost or don’t know how to ask for help. My heart goes out to parents who must live and deal with their child wandering off. It’s important for neighbors and friends to understand the gravity of this situation, and it’s important for parents to find the best solution for their particular circumstance.

Maybe my article on Autism Home Programs for Parents can help you determine whether you have an autistic child and the steps you can take to help your child.

Winning with Tiger Blood

Listening to Charlie Sheen’s ravings is kind of funny…at first. Who wouldn’t laugh at some alpha male proclaiming that he has “tiger blood, man” or one who says, “I have one speed; I have one gear. Go?” Poor Charlie may think he’s winning, but the whole world knows he isn’t.

Charlie Sheen admits to using more drugs than anybody could take and survive. Sheen says the run he was on made “Sinatra, Flynn, Jagger and Richards look like droopy-eyed armless children.” Sheen may think that he can blink and cure his brain, but has he really come clean?

Drug addiction is a complex problem that is difficult to treat and is subject to relapse. Many parents deal with drug abuse regarding their teenage children, and many moms become addicted to painkillers or other drugs to cope with life. I hope the articles I’ve written on these subjects can help you out if you or your child is struggling with this battle: Teen Drug Abuse and I Need Help With My Prescription Drug Addiction.

The Scale

My husband brought home a new scale last week. A digital one that you cannot “adjust” to make the numbers better. That scale was sitting in the bathroom just staring at me for a week until I finally got the nerve to get on it. 

Don’t hate me for this, but the number was actually lower than I thought it would be. I owe this to a book I recently read, “Younger Next Year for Women,” that changed my life. 

I’ve always been active, but this book kicked it up a notch, advising women to not only exercise, but to make it part of your life, devoting as much energy to exercising as we do to anything else if we want to keep in shape as we age. 

I wrote a short article for “Modern Mom, called Fitness Programs for Women. I hope the article inspires you to make exercise a part of your life, and if you have time, pick up the book, and get healthy.

The New Car

I recently bought a new car, and I am now wise enough (I won’t say old enough, but yeah, that too) to know how to do this without being screwed. But, that wasn’t always the case. The first car I bought, a cute Triumph convertible, sat in the car repair shop almost as much as I had it with me. I learned the hard way that I needed a reliable car that I could afford and that looks were not the most important factor.

If you are in the market for a new car, the best advice I can give you is to prepare. Figure out what type of car is going to best suit your lifestyle, read car reviews and find out the fair price of the car. I spelled out the process for readers of “The Nest” online magazine. Maybe the article, Steps for Buying a New Car, can help you. Happy shopping!

Getting Started

Laura Agadoni

Because I write for a living, I thought starting a blog was going to be easy, but it really isn’t, at least not for me. I mean, sure I can write about a topic, no sweat, but blogs are supposed to be more free form, right?

This blog, if I do it right, is going to help you get though some of life’s difficulties. I have been fortunate to be able to work in my field of journalism, and then stay home and raise my family. Now that two of my kids are grown and one is a new teenager, I have time to get back to my career.

For the past year or so, I’ve been writing about and researching topics that explain many issues that young families tend to want to know, from how to make a typical household budget, to determining whether you are pushing your child too far regarding sports, to how women can remain in great shape through their 80s.

When I research and write about a topic that I believe is going to be useful, I’m going to share it here. I have the time to research subjects to my heart’s content, so this blog is my way of giving back. I hope it helps you!

Please feel free to leave me a comment. I encourage and appreciate feedback, good or bad.
Here's an article I wrote to start off. If you carry any debt, you might be interested in the Ultimate Debt Strategy.