I love the dollar store. It's the only place I don't have to check the price tag before I make a purchase. Latest dollar store find: chinese lanterns. I've always wanted to string them up in the backyard to light a summer party. Floating, glimmering lights, like over-grown fireflies.

Little bit of advice for moms of little ones: don't waste the time you have when your kidlings are occupied by doing something useful. Use it for reading a bit of your favorite book. Look at the latest issue of your favorite magazine. Drink a cup of whatever you fancy and daydream for a few minutes.

Well, today is a red letter day. I took a shower AND fixed my hair AND put on makeup. Some days I only get to one of those and it isn't always the shower.

C.S. Lewis says that the morality of a society can deteriorate in part when individuals drift away from one another. I'm not sure exactly what he meant by that but it made me think of our society and how we seem to be trying to prove false the statement "No man is an island". Sure we can chat online and we can find out what's happening in each others lives by reading facebook statuses or blogs, but do we really know each other? Do we know each other's hearts? Do we know when the people around us are hurting or in need? Do we share our hurts and needs with others? I believe we need to find out what is hidden beneath the smiles and updates and statuses and bear one anothers burdans and let our own burdans be lightened or lifted. We must all be more humble, more honest and more helpful.

Being the oldest sister of eight I'm all about giving unsolicited advice. So that's what this blog is about. If your wondering why I'm calling it "my straight line" it's because my life can be summed up by the sentence "The shortest distance between two points is a straight line.". Everything I do and say and believe is about achieving the most in the most efficient way.

So from here on out if you want to know what I would say in a given situation, what I would do, or what I would think you can ask or you can just read what I post.

Today's advice: don't let superfluous holidays take over your world. The holidays I'm refering to are Valentine's day, Mother's Day, and Father's Day. I don't know if you've noticed but the commercials on TV insinuate that you should spend a boatload of cash on each of these days. But I think these days should be celebrated by remembering the sentiments or people they are supposed to be commemorating with much less expense. Just use them as a gentle nudge to say what you should say or do what you should do for each other. Save your money for Christmas, birthdays and anniversaries.

just saying hallo for my first blog ever.