jen austin

New Year's Eve means fancy parties to some, and to others it's just another night to fall asleep on the couch.  What is it for you?

It's mean to withhold the magic of Christmas from the kids, and I just couldn't do it any longer. Lights on, tree up. And I've discovered three big reasons besides these girls, why Christmas should always start before Thanksgiving.

If my dad gets a free hour, we can usually find him digging around on Ancestry.com. He loves it, and he's made some interesting discoveries along the way. Pop is Navy Veteran that served in Vietnam, and he's learned that the other veterans in our family served in the Civil and Revolutionary Wars.  I bet you've got these veterans in your family too.

Doesn't it feel good to vote?  I think it does. There are things that motivate us to get to the polls, besides the obvious opportunity to weigh in on the next four years. The kids are talking about the election at school, and if Mama doesn't vote, they will be on my case!  What else encourages you to get to the polls?

Part of the idea behind early voting is to help us avoid long lines on Election Day, but early voting has become so popular that we sometimes hit long lines there too. I think I may have discovered the best time of day to go, to avoid long lines. Oh, and I voted for...

Good luck today with your office cubicle decorating contest.  You are rockin' those cob webs. I have failed my children with my lack of Halloween decorations, so my 6-year old decided to take matters into her own hands and make something festive on her own.  And then the sprinkler system hit it.

These guys were impressive on Saturday night at Rock the Square. Foghat has been mastering that slide guitar sound since 1971, and although band members have come and gone over the years, they keep finding talented guys to step up and they haven't lost any of that signature sound. And one of them asked for my number backstage. Did he get it?

Rock the Square in Downtown Tyler on Saturday night was a blast, full of music, frosty beverages, and rock solid music.  And many fans watched it on the small screen.

My dog would high five this dog and say "Amen." A friend of mine was staring at her phone and couldn't stop laughing, and I asked her what in the heck was so funny.  This dog!  She shared it with me, and I am sharing with you.  Pet owners will relate.

I found this while I was out running errands this week. Somebody apparently polished off a chicken wing and left the bone in the shopping cart. What in the world?!  I have so many questions for this person.  Like, where are the rest of the wings?  No one can eat just one.

If you're involved in our Pro Pick 'Em contest in any way, chances are you're beating me.  Bad. And I don't mind one bit, because I want you to win big prizes. That said, I didn't think I would perform quite this pitifully!  I blame the Saints.

We carry around a secret inner desire to be Flo from Progressive all year long, and finally at Halloween we let her out!  Is that it? The kids might have questions about Halloween, so I did some research to prep us.