OK, mamas, admit it. Sometimes you just can’t figure out what’s going on “Inside His Head”. We’re here to help. This feature is all about what guys really think. If you’ve got a question for our anonymous panel of husbands just send it to mamas@nwaMotherlode.com.

This month the question is from a mom who just wants a beach vacation. Is that so much to ask?

Q: My husband and I are trying to plan a family vacation for the summer and we’re at an impasse. He wants to hike/mountain bike and I want to relax with a book on the sand. The kids are also more interested in sandcastles and ocean waves, too. How can I persuade him that a beach vacation is the way to go?

MAVERICK: Oh goodness, this is an easy one.

Use sex.

Start leaving pictures of yourself in your bathing suit around. Let it slip that you’re getting a new, more revealing one if you go to the beach this year. Mention how you always feel more amorous when you smell the ocean and feel sand between your toes.

Tell him you’ve figured out a way to ditch the kids one night and you two can go out on an adult date, to a seafood restaurant and drink strong, rum-filled boat drinks. Ask him to practice rubbing suntan oil onto your back.

I can’t really believe women need this sort of advice. We’re really easy creatures to control and if you’re controlling us with sex, well, we’re willing slaves.

If he’s a eunuch or just a load, I guess you could convince him he could bike, or do whatever exertions he wants, on or around the beach. Shouldn’t be that hard to find substitute activities.

Still, that’s a lot of pointless effort. Play the sex card. You’ll both get what you want and have a great vacation. Vacation sex is the best.

GRAY: Compromise can often be a tricky thing. My wife and I have several: I cook, she does the dishes; I mow the lawn, she does the laundry; she takes care of the litter boxes and I, well, try to stay out of her way. Yet as easy as it is to suggest going somewhere where you and the kids can sit on the beach while he rides, that defeats the purpose of what vacations are about. Really, if you aren’t going to be around each other while on vacation then why even bother taking them together at all?

What it really boils down to is giving him a thump up side the head. If he’s the only one out of line then he ought to snap out of it and give in to the majority. I’m not suggesting he not have the opportunity to plead his case, but if the dust settles and he’s still the only one supporting his cause, then the family wins.

And what to do if he feels railroaded and is a bit sullen about things? Well, there’s always room for compromise. Find time to go mountain biking some time, just not this go round. Maybe the deal is that he gets to pick the venue for the following summer or gets dibs if you plan to do something in the fall. There are always clever ways to achieve a balance in life. Sometimes it means you’re the one with the litter box, but as long as life is generally equitable then a little bit of not getting our way every now and again is forgivable.

MAX:  “The secret is to always let the other man have your way.” ~ Claiborne Pell.

Can my simple one-word answer be “sex”? (this question is EASY!)

No? OK, well unless the beach you plan on vacationing is a 10-foot square comic strip island, then there is no reason you both can’t have your way. Find a beach for you and the kiddies that has access to hiking and mountain biking.

My wife likes to go shopping on vacation, but that doesn’t preclude us from going to the beach. (It usually precludes us from having enough money to eat when we get back home, though.)

Tell your husband that you need relaxation and you’re going to read on the beach, and the kids are going to swim and frolic in the waves. Reassure him he is more than welcome to go traipsing off in the local hills and valleys with a walking stick and his bicycle, and you even found a perfect
place to allows all of y’all to enjoy what y’all enjoy.

And if he ever wants to enjoy again …

Raise your hand if your computer contains hundreds upon hundreds of digital pictures of your kids and family that you love love love and can’t bear to part with but really and truly don’t quite know what to do with. Yeah, me too. Until Shutterfly walked into my life. I’ve never been the same.

Shutterfly describes itself as “a leading Internet-based social expression and personal publishing service that enables consumers to share, print and preserve their memories by leveraging our technology-based platform and manufacturing processes”. Trust me when I say that’s a fancy way of saying – “Attention Moms: We make your life easier!”

Here’s the scoop. I was a little intimidated at first, but quickly got the hang of it and have never looked back. Shutterfly’s website makes the process really easy. No, really – EASY. I promise.

After you log on to www.shutterfly.com and create your FREE account, you’re ready to get started. If it’s the first time you’ve signed in, you can choose between the Welcome Center (over on the right) that will walk you through the basic stuff - uploading, ordering, etc. Or you can dive right in by clicking “Upload” in the middle of the page.

As you start uploading your photos and creating albums, home base for you will be the ‘My Shutterfly’ tab along the top of the page. As you progress, you’ll be able to click that tab and see all your stuff - projects, albums, photos.

Start small — maybe upload your folder of photos from the holidays or your little guy’s recent birthday party.  With a few clicks, you’ll have created an album using your new, FREE account and you’re ready to create your first masterpiece.

A calendar for Grandma’s fridge or Daddy’s office, stationery personalized with your favorite little toothless grin, or - my personal favorite - Photobooks. Photobooks can capture anything from one day in the park to baby’s first year - and beyond. Shutterfly lets you choose from tons of backgrounds and fonts and borders to create a book that really reflects your style and personality. You can add journaling to capture dates, names, and those little details you’ll love to read years later.

The site is fairly intuitive, and laid out well - they know Moms don’t have all day! Do some digging, you’ll find it’s a lot of fun and a GREAT way to let your favorite photos finally see the light of day. The site offers perfect gifts ideas for “the person who has everything” or priceless keepsakes of baby photos, pregnancy memoirs, or your first family trip to Disney World. And one of my favorite things about it is that it’s all online!

The only workspace I need is the space my computer already takes up on the desk – no box of materials to spread out then clean up and store somewhere, and since nothing is printed until the very end I can tweak and adjust to my heart’s content.

I predict that half of you have already wandered off and are knee-deep in clicking through the site, marveling at all the cool stuff around every corner - but if you’re still with me, here are a few tips as you dive in:

• Use Shutterfly’s editing tools to correct red-eye or convert to black & white. Super easy! One click!
• The Storyboard tool lets you select a background, dump some pictures and the software populates the book for you. Done! (I personally think this takes a little of the fun out of it but it is a fabulous time saver!)
• Photos aren’t always the whole story! Use a scanner and make digital copies of mementos like Kindergarten diplomas, birthday party invitations, and first footprints. Upload them just like photos and drop them into your Photobook to complement your pics and journaling.
• Kids LOVE to look through the pages, so consider ordering two copies and putting one “away” while letting the kids truly enjoy looking through their book at the photos and stories. That way you won’t worry (as much!) about grubby hands and not-so-gentle page turning.
• Get on the mailing list! Shutterfly will send you emails with deals like Free Shipping, 30% off, and Buy One Get One 50% Off. They run deals like this OFTEN so if you finish a project during an off time, wait a week or two and you should get an email that will help you out a little on the price. Worth the wait! I try to always have one project finished and waiting for a hot coupon!
• The Shutterfly Blog is loaded with tips, ideas and inspiration. Bookmark it and check in for cool ideas for your next holiday card photo or inspiration for this year’s Father’s Day gift.
• Every print your order can be personalized (for FREE!) with a message on the back. You can record the date, names of people in the shot, or just a favorite detail you want to share with kids, grandkids and beyond. (P.S. You get 50 FREE 4×6 prints just for signing up!)
• You MUST check out the Photobook gallery. Other users post their Photobooks for you to peruse and enjoy — and it is the BEST place for ideas!
• They even have an iPhone app! Download the FREE iPhone app to have access to all your photos and albums wherever you go. Even upload photos taken with your phone directly to your online account!

I know I’m good at hiding it - ha! - but I am absolutely in love with the concept of capturing memories this way. I recently did a book for my son’s first year, from my pregnancy up through his first birthday, and it is so special to me. I have shared it with friends and family and am so proud of this labor of love I created for him to enjoy with his family someday. I have used Shutterfly for our Christmas cards and photo calendars and have been highly impressed with the quality and service. I keep coming back for more!

There are other sites out there with similar products - MyPublisher, Blurb, snapfish - check them out, too! The idea is to make the technology work for you! Don’t let your kiddos stay hidden away on your hard drive - create something cool and unforgettable that you and your family can enjoy for years to come.

Time is made up of captured moments.

Our new technology blogger Sarah Hood says, “I’m thrilled to join the team and would love to hear from you with questions or feedback regarding gadgets, technology, or blogging – I’m here for YOU. And, of course, you’re always welcome to stop by my blog, Musings of Mother Hood to say hello.” To read more of Sarah’s bio, click here!

Just a quick reminder to “spring forward” one hour this Saturday night. Daylight Savings Time officially begins on Sunday, March 14th!

It’s so nice to have the extra daylight, and the kids love the extra time to play outside and burn off some after-school energy. Enjoy!

Oh, it’s a classic, cliche story about a stripper with a heart of gold. But what happens when said stripper moves to Wisteria Lane and rubs elbows with the Desperate Housewives? Well, if you missed Sunday’s episode, we’ll catch you up on what happened:

Lynette and the Stripper: All the ladies of Wisteria Lane were a little miffed that Susan let a stripper move in with her. But Lynette was especially concerned because she still has a teenage boy at home. Lynette caught her son, Parker, and his friends peering out the window with binoculars. When she took a look for herself, she realized they were watching Robin, the stripper, take a shower through a partially open window. Lynette marched over to Susan’s house to warn Robin to close the blinds, since there are “innocent children” in the neighborhood. But Robin broke the news to Lynette that her teenage son isn’t so innocent and actually propositioned her for sex and offered to pay cash for it. (She turned him down.)

Shocked and horrified, Lynette and Tom sat down with Parker who explained himself by saying that he is the only one of his friends who hasn’t had sex and that he feels like it’s never going to happen. They assured him that one day, years from now when he’s emotionally ready, it would happen and he wouldn’t need to pay for it. After their son left the room, Tom asked Lynette if she thought Parker believe him, since the truth is that guys always pay for sex in one way or another. (Tom had just bought Lynette an antique ring for an anniversary gift.) Lynette was furious at the implication and called off her intimate “anniversary gift” for Tom later that night until he apologized for what he said.

Gabi and the Stripper: Robin, Gabi and Susan were talking one day and Gabi heard the story of how Robin ended up as a stripper. Once a promising ballerina, she turned down an opportunity to dance professionally because she’d fallen in love with a boy. But the boy dumped her, she had a knee accident and couldn’t dance ballet anymore. Long story short… she ended up taking her clothes off for money. So Gabi asked her to share her story with Ana, her niece, to convince her not to pass up a modeling opportunity in New York.

The stripper’s sad tale worked on Ana, who decided to leave for New York immediately to take the modeling job, even though it meant saying goodbye to boyfriend Danny (which is exactly what Gabi and Carlos wanted to have happen.) Gabi even helped Ana go out and buy new pink luggage for her trip. When Robin found out she’d been used to manipulate a break-up of the teenage couple, she told Danny what happened and he left in a taxi with an overnight bag, probably headed to New York.

Bree and the Stripper: Robin wanted to bake a cake for Susan and Mike, to say thank you for all their help and hospitality. She asked Bree for help, and the two women ended up bonding over baked goods. Bree told Robin that her marriage was a little shaky, and Robin offered a little professional insight on how to re-establish intimacy with a man. She quoted her grandmother by saying “If you want to save your marriage, there’s only one room to do it in.”

So Bree tried to take the advice and perform a little striptease and lap dance for Orson. But she got her earring stuck in her sweater while trying to take it off over her head. Orson tried to help but ran over her toe with his wheelchair which made her fall down. It was disastrous (and pretty funny, too). But it did finally get the two of them talking about being close again, and they had a sweet moment at the end of the scene with Bree sitting in his lap while they listened to music.

Susan and the Stripper: Things were going just fine with Mike, Susan and the Stripper — until Mike hurt his back. Robin offered to help because she had experience helping her fellow strippers who often had back pain after sliding down the pole too many times. She cracked Mike back a few times and stretched and pulled and even walked on his back while wearing some skimpy work-out clothes. Susan tried to be cool about it, but she finally couldn’t take it anymore. She tried to fix Mike’s back herself and ended up putting him in the hospital. She told Robin that, given her history as a stripper, it made her too nervous to see her straddling her husband that way. So Robin offered to move out because she didn’t want to jeopardize their friendship.

Katherine and the Stripper: Robin didn’t have to move very far away, as it turned out. She asked if she could rent a room from Katherine across the street, and Katherine said yes. The ladies went out for a drink and were approached by a couple of guys who wanted them to sit at their table. Katherine wanted to go sit with them, since it had been a long time since anyone had flirted with her. But once they got to the table, it was abundantly clear the guys were mostly interested in ogling Robin’s blonde hair and big chest. So Robin suggested to Katherine that they go home and she agreed. The guys made it clear they wanted Robin (and only Robin) to stay. Robin took offense for Katherine and told the guys that Katherine was the witty, smart beautiful one and then leaned over and kissed her — a move that surprised the guys and really shocked Katherine.

Later at home, they laughed about the guys’ reaction and Katherine complained about her lack of dating life. Robin suggested she “widen the net” and date girls. (Yep, apparently Robin is a lesbian.) Katherine said she didn’t think that was a good idea for her. But we could all tell, especially at the end of the episode, that Katherine is thinking about that kiss quite a bit. It all reeks of “I Kissed a Girl and I Liked It,” by Katy Perry. Perhaps Katherine is considering some alternatives.

What did you guys think of this episode? There were quite a few controversial angles in it, from the sex talk with the teenage son, the conversation between Lynette and Tom about how guys always “pay for it” in one way or another, the idea of “saving a marriage” with sex, and the surprising kiss between Katherine and Robin. Feel free to post your comments below.

Lingerie? Check. Presents centered around his ‘10 favorite things’? Check. The I’m-so-ready-for-a-weekend-alone-with-my-husband good mood? Check.

I thought I had everything I needed for our 10th anniversary weekend until I started getting ready for dinner that first night. Extra clothes? Uncheck. Darnit! I almost got bent out of shape, but then I realized that A) The Mt. Magazine Lodge restaurant isn’t black-tie only or anything, and B) The lack of choices just fit right in with the simplicity theme of our weekend plans.

So I just threw on some red lipstick and a red scarf for “pretty” and called it good. And it was.

We had so much fun. Not in the on-our-honeymoon-in-the-Bahamas way, or the viva-Las-Vegas way, but in a holding-hands-while-taking-long-walks, eat-chocolate-in-the-bed-together-while-watching-movies getting reconnected kind of way.

We both love to read and it was simply decadent to snuggle up next to each other in comfy chairs overlooking Blue Mountain Lake while indulging our inner bookworms. My pick was non-fiction essays and his was a book on chivalry that I’d given him as one of his ‘10 favorite things’.  (Here’s an aerial view of the lodge and cabins from the Mt. Magazine website. Gorgeous.)

Speaking of his ‘10 Favorite Things’ — in honor of our 10th anniversary, of course — I highly recommend trying it for your next big-number anniversary. It was super fun going around town picking out the presents. I doled out the goodies all weekend. They ranged from small things like his favorite candy to a nice new backpack for weekend trips.

Since he’s a lover of words, too, I also wrote him a letter sharing my “Top 10 favorite things about you”.

On Saturday we broke from our romantic mountain pursuits to drive into Paris, the little town about 20 miles from Mt. Magazine. Now we can forever tell each other in corny voices, “We’ll always have Paris.”

Getting back to reality after our 10th anniversary weekend has proved difficult. I still like to close my eyes and imagine we’re back on the “island in the sky”. Time on a mountaintop can help any marriage weather those potential “valleys”.

Shannon Magsam is mom to 8-year-old Ladybug, married to Ladybug’s aforementioned awesome dad, John, and co-creator of nwaMotherlode.com. To read previously published installments of Life With Ladybug, click here. Leave a comment if the mood strikes.