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I am a glutton for punishment.

As if our lives aren't busy enough, with being room mom and on the PTO, plus gymnastics for Belle, and simply parenting Wes, who requires the effort for two normal children, and trying to keep up this blog, I decided to start a Daisy Scouts troop for Belle's grade.

It was one of those things that started innocently enough. A friend who also has a daughter in kindergarten commented that the school doesn't have Daisy Scouts (Daisies are the Girl Scout category for 5-6 year olds). I filed the comment away, and a month later I contacted our local Girl Scouts council, just to find out what would be involved in setting up a troop.

They put me in contact with a young woman who reeled me right in. I was just looking for information, but she approached it as if my decision was made, like, "Here's what we're going to do." She made it seem so easy that I didn't really hesitate. And now that I'm into it, I'm not bothered by things that would have seemed daunting had they been explained to me in detail beforehand (like setting up a bank account for the troop, creating a budget, doing financial reporting). I just have to take it one step at a time so as not to get overwhelmed.

So here we are. Next week is our first meeting, and I'm really excited. About 10 girls have signed up so far (including all of Belle's closest girl friends at school), and I think they're going to have a great time. Now my friend and co-leader (the one who initially mentioned the idea) and I need to start planning the activities. Thankfully, the Web is replete with resources for Girl Scouts. This site in particular is really useful.

Have you been involved in a Daisies program? Suggestions would be most appreciated!

Here is a quick update on ice fishing conditions around the state. While the warm up melted much of the snow making for easier travel on the inland lakes, caution still needs to be used as we lost some ice with the rain and strong winds, the Michigan Department of Resources said Wednesday in its weekly fishing report. Ice thickness varies depending on your location. Always use extreme caution and be sure to take a spud with you to test the ice before you go.

SOUTHEAST LOWER PENINSULA

I finished 2008 making a really strong bid for that Mother of the Year title.

Driving home from my in-laws the day after Christmas, just me and the kids, things were going pretty well. It's a two-hour drive, and about 30 minutes into it, Wes fell asleep. Belle was contentedly gazing out the window as she usually does during long car rides, and she was asking how much longer only every 10 minutes instead of the usual five.

We'd had a wonderful Christmas with Kevin's family, and we had a car full of new toys to bring home. It was peaceful.

After sleeping for about half an hour, Wes started to stir. I tensed up and motioned for Belle to be extra quiet, lest the sleeping beast wake. Then suddenly, he opened his eyes and puked all over himself.

He looked at me questioningly in the mirror before he started crying. It was the first time he had ever thrown up. I got off at the next exit and pulled into a parking lot, anxiously debating what to do. It was freezing cold outside, so I didn't want to change his clothes in the car. Bringing him into the restaurant just seemed rude -- we would get vomit all over the place. And besides, he was looking at me warily, like he didn't want to be moved or touched. I was sure his body ached.

All the while, Belle is crying because her stuffed animals suffered collateral damage.

So what did I do? I grabbed the diaper wipes and scraped off the worst of it, put his blanket over him, and kept driving. He quieted down and was calm for the rest of the ride, until he threw up again a mile from home.

I just keep thinking about was how uncomfortable he surely was, and whether I should have went ahead and changed him. Am I a bad mother for leaving him in vomit-soaked clothes for the rest of the ride? What would you have done?

Press Photo/Jennifer Ackerman-HaywoodYouth librarian Morgan Doane, of Grand Rapids, poses with the Blythe dolls that serve as models for the party dresses she makes and sells online to collectors around the world.

As a young girl, Morgan Doane spent many hours crafting with her mom and styling Barbie and Strawberry Shortcake dolls.

"I was a doll maniac," she said. "I had 7 million Barbies."

Fast forward two decades and Doane, 27, of Grand Rapids, still is crafting and playing with dolls. The difference is she makes money at it. A lifetime of experience is paying off in the form of a crafty side business -- selling handmade doll dresses online.

Many homeowners this year will update their homes by taking on do-it-yourself projects using green, environmentally friendly materials.

Are you green enough?

It is an odd question, certainly, when asked outside the context of St. Patrick's Day.

Get used to it; we'll continue to ride the groundswell of green into 2009 as environmental stewardship permeates every facet of day-to-day living. But it will be tempered by the Go Lean movement -- a byproduct of economic uncertainty.

What does that mean for the average household? More home-grown produce, less store-bought extravagance and no weekends financed on credit cards.

Furniture will be smaller and multifunctional, interiors will make greater use of Earth-friendly products from bamboo floors to clay-coated walls, and harnessing the sun's energy will become cost-effective.

We start 2009 licking our collective wounds, and it has little to do with New Year's celebrations or the Detroit Lions.

Michigan is an economic basket case, with nearly 1 in 10 residents out of work. While it is too soon to talk about Armageddon, once-comfortable suburbanites are starting to feel the pinch and making changes that for legions of Depression-era families was second nature.

They are growing their own food.

It can be so very frustrating when you know you have more than enough square footage, yet some rooms are too big, or cramped or simply not functional. Clearly an addition is not needed, but how do you reallocate spaces that relate to each other and are in the right proportion? While considering this, attention has to be paid to access and views of the outdoors, interior views (what you see from where), and the ultimate lifestyle you want to have.

Have you been thinking about selling some unwanted antiques or collectibles online and don't know where to start? Has the economy turned you into a salesperson of all of your unwanted clutter? Do you want to take advantage of a worldwide audience of buyers? Selling on the Internet is easy for the big guys, but how do regular folks generate some extra cash online?

As always, tip No. 1 is to find out what you have and what it's worth before you sell anything anywhere.

Know your market: Certain items sell better in certain markets. For instance, Pennsylvania Impressionist landscape paintings sell better in Pennsylvania than they do in New Mexico. Think broadly about potential markets.