I've always wanted to be the kind of person who loved plants. There was the aloe plant sophomore year of college that I somehow killed (it turned orange before dying though so I like to think it was a somewhat evil plant). There was the spider plant that my college friend H.K. gave me upon the completion of my thesis that I wanted to have forever until it died in my basement apartment the following...

Sean and I had a great time at Moosehead Lake and were amazed to discover it's only 2 hours and 30 minutes from our house to Greenville. Maine is such a geographically diverse state. Where we went was so different than our normal routine that Sean said "This is like an adventure but we didn't have to fly anywhere!" True that. We did a difficult hike at Gulf Hagas, the "Grand Canyon Of Maine"....

You regular Breaking Even readers know both my weakness for magazines (their glossy pictures, their easy-to-read articles) and my love of decorating so I really do love a good decorating magazine. I'm a Domino subscriber for a few reasons 1) I like their modern decorating style 2) It costs $10 a year and 3) It's something for me to look forward to getting in the mail. That said, when they show an o...

The following are some great tips from my friend Barb, a seasoned camper (and a couple from me). You can check out her Myspace blog here. 1. Get to your camp before dark so that you set up the tent, etc. in the daylight. 2. Keep your sleeping bag off the floor of the tent--use pads or another blanket or if you're wimpy, an air mattress. Egg crate foam padding is great. You'll be warmer and much mor...

In an effort to be spontaneous (and a profound need to get out of town), Sean and I made reservations at the last available lot at Lily Pond State Park near Moosehead Lake. It's a two and a half hour drive from our house and we'll both leave work a little early tomorrow. Our campsite (which was the last available one at this campground) sounds like it may be a hike-to situation and the terrain has...