Rethinking Father’s Day

As a commercial holiday, Father’s Day runs a distant second to Mother’s Day. Americans spend less on dad, and this year spending is down even more. But what does that mean? Do we spend less because we appreciate dad’s contributions less? Does mom get more because we think that she gives more? In my Rethinking Mother’s Day post, I looked at how Mother’s Day gets mom wrong and it seems only fair to do the same for dad.

The media tends to portray fathers as bumblers in the domestic sphere (Ray Romano), or as sexist buffoons declaring domestic chores to be “woman’s work,” (Archie Bunker), or as hyper-successful patriarchs, too busy with “important stuff” to do much around the house (JR Ewing, Tony Soprano). Except for grilling meat on the barbecue, men seem doomed by our collective expectations, to feel conflicted about participating in day-to-day home life. This is bad for everyone, especially kids. Read the rest of this entry »

Happiness is a Warm Hearth

When the price of oil hit $4.67 this summer, my husband and I had a cast-iron, non-catalytic insert installed in our fireplace. We calculated that if we burned a fire every night, the insert would pay for itself in a year or two. Then the price of oil dropped, and dropped, and dropped. Suddenly the fireplace insert didn’t make as much economic sense, but it had some unexpected benefits. It made us love stay-at-home evenings; it made our family time even more magical, and it made entertaining at home seem luxurious.

If you have a fireplace, I encourage you to rediscover it. Light a fire and experience these “priceless” benefits for yourself.

Alone time by the fire becomes time to recharge. Read a book, update your blog, or take a nap. The fire adds a bonus “relaxation factor” to everything. Staring into the flames can be a rejuvenating meditation.

Family time goes from routine to magical. A game of “go fish” or “trivial pursuit” played next to the fire is suddenly an event. A bowl of popcorn, and a favorite movie by the firelight make the home box office a hundred times more satisfying than the theatre.

Entertaining next to a crackling fire adds a feeling of luxury and old-world charm that makes guests feel pampered. Keep a robust fire burning in the hearth and watch how the attitude of your get-together changes from “we can’t afford to go out” to “why would we even want to go out?”

So if your budget demands that you spend more time at home, rediscover your fireplace. It will transform your home into a luxurious, relaxing, magical place to spend an evening.