Articles written by Martina Youngblood

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About me - Martina Youngblood

I'm pleased to serve as site steward for the Travel Channel's Southwestern United States area of Texas, Arizona and California. I also am site steward in Local Guides for Texas, Arizona, California and Minnesota.

I grew up in beautiful Arizona. My fondest

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Creative Writing > Humor Humor: Cars: 2 of 64
A few years ago I read something I thought was pretty silly. Something about cars taking on a personality of their own. I forgot all about that car personality thing until a couple of months ago. I think moving to Minnesota was when it started. We have 60 days to register the car and get a Minnesota license. I waited until ... More..
Personal Finance > Budgets & Saving 7 tips on saving money: 9 of 151
What is the secret to saving money? How can you slow down spending and increase your savings? 1. Leave the Checkbook at Home Learn to view your check book simply as your bill paying system. Leave it in the writing desk and use checks for this purpose only. You'll be surprised at how much money will be left over at the end of... More..
Politics, News & Issues > News (Other) The importance of seeking a balance in positive news to combat the negative: 7 of 113
Sometimes we have to wonder where all the good news has gone. Flick on the TV or check the news online and it seems to be one catastrophe after another. After awhile we begin to crave normalcy. When we do get a glimpse of good news we slurp it right up. Like today, there was a science article online about dolphins and how the... More..
Home & Garden > Gardening (Other) True gardening stories: How it all went terribly wrong (humor): 11 of 141
Gardening was never meant to be this hard. Who would have known the main crop was going to be fire ants and crab grass? Texans call it St. Augustine grass. It creeps all over the place and digs its roots down so far you need dynamite to get it all out. Well, I never actually lit the dynamite, so as far as I know that could be... More..
Education > Teachers & Administrators The typical day of a substitute teacher: 1 of 11
All names have been changed to protect the innocent (me). I'd like to say it's because I'm loyalty-minded that I chose to teach at the school in my neighborhood. But there were pressing reasons that topped the loyalty thing. Even though the students were 7th and 8th graders, too many of them were gang members. I need mental... More..
Sports & Recreation > Outdoors & Sportsman (Other) The philosophy of awareness in the wilderness: 1 of 11
To the wilderness mind, awareness is not about survival alone. It is about nurturing your relationship with the earth.Absorb nature as it surrounds you. As you become a part of the wilderness, you begin to feel your place on earth in relation to all other living things.More than mere survival of the body when face-to-face wit... More..
Style & Beauty > Skin Care (Other) Steps for younger looking hands: 1 of 11
Before you even begin a beauty regimen for your hands, you can improve their appearance in minutes with a few quick steps.The Instant Fix:Your hands will look 100% better instantly if you hydrate them with lotion and polish your fingernails. Even a clear coat of polish on nicely filed nails will do wonders for the appearance ... More..
Creative Writing > Reflections Reflections: Why can't I be rich?: 5 of 52
The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence, isn't it? I remember as a child, being told that a certain neighbor family was very poor. I felt sorry for them. One day while visiting them I said something that changed my view of being rich. The husband was eating dinner at the bare, wooden kitchen table. No tab... More..
Personal Finance > Budgets & Saving Single parents: Budget tips: 2 of 20
The best budget tip for a single parent is learning to say, no, to your child.You're constantly aware that one parent is missing from the picture, so you try to compensate by giving in to requests for "stuff." With today's economy, this may be "stuff" you really can't afford.1. Include the children in budget planning.This is ... More..
Home & Garden > Gardening (Other) The advantages of starting seeds indoors: 1 of 10
Every time you admire that luscious garden flourishing ahead of others in the neighborhood, you've just seen the advantages of starting seed indoors. By starting your tomato seeds indoors you get a head start on producing large, juicy tomatoes early in the summer. When summer planting time comes, you can set out both the you... More..