AJ

My dearest son, As you begin this new chapter in your life and step into middle school, I want you to know how proud I am of you. Watching you grow into the amazing person you are today has been the greatest joy of my life, and I know that you will continue to make …

Dads, when it comes to household chores, we know many of you may feel like they are not your responsibility. But the truth is, helping with household chores is essential for building strong and healthy families. Not only does it make the workload more manageable for moms, but it also teaches children valuable life skills …

Hey kiddo, Can you believe it? 16 already! I feel like just yesterday you were asking me to help tie your shoes and now you’re getting your driver’s license! I am so proud of the person you’re becoming and I can’t wait to see all the amazing things you’ll accomplish. Before you officially become a …

Kanye West aka ‘Ye’ is currently the train wreck you cannot seem to look away from… Today is officially day 2 of Kanye West’s Instagram Rampage and it’s a total dumpster fire. As you may have noticed, Kanye has seemed to be battling all sorts of issues with mental health, issues with relationships and according …

I’m in a group for liberals on Facebook and while I love being in there, and I love the people in there, it is truly exhausting. Today a woman posted a meme. It was cute, funny, and like all memes it wasn’t written to be a dissertation on being human. Immediately people started in with, …

I will always remember several years ago when actress Anne Heche left her long time relationship with comedienne Ellen DeGeneres and married a man. The world seemingly lost its mind. How was it possible? How could she go from being gay to being straight? No one understood. I am pretty sure I watched several reporters’ …

What if I told you that the only thing stopping you from getting your ideal fro or that stylish twist out is not a secret? As a black woman, I had long felt that my dream of thick, healthy hair would never come true because I lacked the ‘good hair’ gene. However, I can assure you that …

I am fully vaccinated, but I have to keep it a secret. You might have noticed there is a bit of a divide between the people who think the vaccines are a good thing and the people who think the vaccines are a conspiracy. The majority of my family falls in the second camp. This …

We got the call Monday. Nothing ever prepares you for any horrific news, but this was bad. A member of our family had taken his own life. His brother made the call, and we could hardly understand what he was saying through all the tears, sorrow, shock, and confusion that was rolling off of him …

You think you know what you are going to say and do — until it actually happens. I was in the middle of making dinner, in the middle of a project at work (I work from home), and in the middle of switching out a load of laundry from the laundry room. I had so …

For the briefest of seconds the earth stands still, and all is right, all is good. You can feel it, though. It’s too right. In an instant, with the next breath, the earth starts spinning, a little too fast and slightly off its axis. The ground starts angrily shaking, and you can see a fissure …

The summer season is here and chances are you’ve got your grill ready and your fireworks on standby. I personally love the summer  holidays as they are filled with family, friends, fun, food and fireworks! Of course, no summer celebration would be complete without the perfect cocktails! That’s why I found 15 Perfectly Patriotic Drink Recipes to …

I have to admit that when I was looking for Plant Based Protein Recipes, I wasn’t expecting to find anything other than boring and bland recipe ideas. However, I was so wrong! I’ve discovered that plant based meals can be delightfully flavorful, creative and delicious! If you’re looking to start eating more plant based protein …

Summers to me are all about enjoying the great outdoors:  fresh crisp air, the warm sunny days, being outside, the fresh smell of flowers in the air, enjoying bbqs with family and friends and enjoying refreshing drinks! When I think of summer refreshing drinks, the first thing that comes to my mind are mocktails. These …

Congratulations! You made it thru another week! I get it. Adulting is hard work. Fortunately for you, I’ve come up with the perfect way to end a long week with 25 Best Ever Boozy Cupcakes You Don’t Deserve To Eat. Well, maybe you “do” deserve to indulge in all the greatness and deliciousness these cupcakes …

If you’re like me, you love to eat fried foods, but you also want to eat healthy. Well, I’m here to tell you that you can have the best of both worlds by using an Air Fryer! You can imagine my excitement when I found 25 Amazing Air Fryer Recipes You Need In Your Life! …

You make many decisions as a parent. However, not many are as critical to your child’s happiness and overall health as choosing the right day care.

I am sure that I waste a ton of money every year by throwing away toothpaste tubes filled with toothpaste! The problem with toothpaste is that it’s, well… paste which means it will stick to the tube and once you reach the end of the tube, it’s hard to get out! As a budget conscious parent, …

Lemon is good in almost anything, especially cocktails and a refreshing glass of water! This super awesome Muffin Tin Lemon Ice is a great party-trick for you to have up your sleeve to wow your guests and fool them into thinking you have your act together! Drink-Ready Muffin Tin Lemon Ice I made a super short …

It is no secret that the world is divided right now. With everything going on with the political side of things, it has turned the world mad, angry and quite frankly, ugly in a lot of ways. To be honest, I don’t give a damn how you feel or what political party you support but …

Oprah Winfrey is taking her motivational spirit on the road early next year with an arena tour to promote a healthier lifestyle. The former talk-show host and OWN television network chief announced Wednesday that the “Oprah’s 2020 Vision: Your Life in Focus” tour will begin Jan. 4 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. She is working in …

Moviegoers from Maine who watch the film “It: Chapter Two” this weekend might recognize a scene that draws on a painful event from the state’s history. Quite honestly, it is a trigger warning that the movie needs especially for those that are sensitive to LGBT history. Full disclosure, there may be a few spoilers here… …

I wouldn’t say my sister and I were close growing up. I was a narcissistic, five years older than her, and she drove the attention away from me by selfishly being born. When I was seven, I was jealous that she got a birthday party, and *gasp* people brought her presents. I wanted those tap …

Watermelon is one of our favorite fruits so naturally it is a must have in our house during the summer months! Its so refreshing to munch on a beautiful ripe watermelon on a hot summer’s day. These Mini Watermelon Cupcakes capture the mouth-watering watermelon you’re craving all while satisfying your sweet tooth. Every bite is …

As a mom I do everything in my power to protect my kids. I know who their friends are, where they are going and I even monitor their online activity to ensure it’s kid-friendly content. But here’s the thing – it’s not enough and here is why… A mom found suicide instructions in a YouTube …

My jewelry is always a mess! When I’ve finally gotten a shower and am ready to accessorize, it seems like then i have to spend about 45 minutes untangling stuff. I mean, there has to be a better way right? Enter the Jewelry Box Organizer Hack! In just a few minutes with a box and …

I am not sure where exactly everyone is getting all of their medical information, but for some reason people actually believe that you can get the flu from a flu shot. No. You can’t. And every time you say you did you just sound dumb. So stop saying it! It’s completely impossible for you to …

“I’m gonna get a pic of me breastfeeding put on a baby blanket so when someone asks me to cover up they still get to see me breast feed.” This is from Whisper. For more awesome stuff just like this, download the Whisper app for your phone here.

When it comes to children, some people love to give parents (experienced and new) their own advice on how to better raise the children, regardless if they themselves have any children of their own. Watching someone else try to parent your own kid while you’re doing the best your best job can be very infuriating, …

It hasn’t even been two years since Anna Faris and Chris Pratt announced they were splitting and Christ Pratt has announced his engagement to Katherine Schwarzenegger. Yes, she is the daughter of Arnold Schwarzenegger in case you’re wondering… This morning Chris Pratt posted an image of him and Katherine Schwarzenegger with the caption “Sweet Katherine, …

Some people around here feel like the new Tidying Up With Marie Kondo Show is stressing them out, but not me! Oh no, that show soothes and lulls me into a state of utter happiness. First, there’s Marie. She’s this perfectly adorable, perfectly put together tiny woman who shows up at crazy people’s houses and …

I’ve been divorced five years. That’s half as long as I was married. So I thought it might be time to start dating again. But my daughter is fifteen. And this means she’s dating, too. So, yes. That means my daughter and I can go out on a double date. Look, we’re not actually going …

We should have locked the door. But we didn’t. We should have waited until we were sure he was asleep. But we didn’t. My tween walked right in on us, and I am not even sure he looked up. “Mom, my ear hurts…” And that’s when my husband jumped off of me in a move …

With Memorial Day being the unofficial kick off of the summer season, what better way to celebrate than with amazing and delicious food? Whether you’re grilling steaks on the grill, you’re in need of sides, salads, desserts or drinks, you’re sure to find some delicious ideas in this incredible recipe collection of 25 Best Ever …

With Cinco De Mayo on the way, I figured why not make Tres Leches Cupcakes?! Did you know that these are also known as three milk cupcakes? In fact, “Tres Leches” means three milk in Spanish! This is a dense, wet cupcake that’s best eaten with a fork. I love the light whipped topping because …

I love desserts and I love eating Vegan! However, finding both delicious and healthy Vegan dessert recipes can sometimes be a challenge.  Lucky for you, I’ve put together a list of 25 Mind-Blowing Vegan Desserts You Simply Can’t Resist! If you’re craving something sweet, these indulgent treats are sure to satisfy! In case you are …

Mother’s Day is just around the corner, which means its time to shower our moms with some extra love! Its this time of year when you get to not only shower mom with gifts, but you get to show her the love and appreciation she deserves! And what better way to show your mom how …

Is it Happy Hour yet? We’ve all been there. Its been a long day and you want a refreshing cocktail, but you don’t want to wreck your diet. So, what now? Cleaner Cocktails are on the way… You can have the best of both worlds! Whether you’re looking for something bold, fruity or boozy, you …

The warmer weather season is upon us and that means its also Baseball Season! I love all the things that baseball season brings-fun summer nights, America’s favorite past-time and spending quality time with friends and family. What better way to celebrate than with these 25 Delicious Grand Slam Baseball Recipes! 25 Delicious Grand Slam Baseball …

If you’re looking for a delicious comforting dinner to get on the table quickly and easily, then look no further than these Instant Pot Soup Recipes. These soups can be ready in minutes, and are oh so good on a cold winter’s night! Because at the end of the day, delicious comfort food is what …

While looking for new Instant Pot recipes to add to my weekly dinner rotation, I came across the most delicious Instant Pot Seafood Recipes and let me just say that I’m impressed! Lucky for you, I’ve taken the stress and guesswork out of “what’s for dinner?” with these recipes that are quick, easy and bursting with …

If you love homemade cheesecake, but you want a quick and easy way to make the most delicious cheesecake recipes, then you’re going to love these Instant Pot Cheesecake Recipes. These mouth-watering Instant Pot Cheesecake recipes are so easy to make, but look like you spent your whole day making beautiful desserts in the kitchen! …

I love the look of flannel so needless to say, I’m happy it’s trending again! That being said, I laugh at little at the prices of flannel things…especially since there is SO much flannel available at literally every single thrift store on the planet (thank you 90’s kids). I’ve been thinking a lot lately about …

I didn’t think I could love my Instant Pot any more than I already do, but then I found the best Instant Pot Chocolate Recipes and I’ve fallen in love all over again! If you like chocolate (and I know you do) you are going to LOVE these! 25 Instant Pot Chocolate Recipes So Delicious They’ll …

Tonight my daughter told me she hated me. She screamed it, in fact, before flipping her hair and marching upstairs to her bedroom. The door slammed and while part of me wanted to run after her and talk to her, I knew the best thing would be to give her time to cool down. My …

Over and over I’ve seen other moms talk about their stretch marks as ‘tiger stripes’, ‘warrior scars’, ‘hope wounds’, but I hated mine. And the worst part was I couldn’t tell anyone how much I hated them. I remember starting the conversation with a friend of mine. “I had the baby and now my skin …

Marriage is hard on everyone. Sure, at first it’s all honeymooning and sex and being on your best behavior, but at some point the guard comes down and life gets messy. We’ve all been there. You love your spouse, but if they do this one horrible thing one more time you swear to GOD you will …

I recently came across an article with that very title– Should I let my middle schooler date? The article gets pretty sanctimonious, and talks all about how you should definitely not let your middle schooler date. But what really surprised me was how everyone in the comments agreed that you should absolutely not let your …

Some parents roll out of bed perky and ready to tackle the day. I am not one of those parents. Most mornings I roll out of bed squinty eyed, cursing at the alarm clock, and praying someday they invent a patch that infuses us with caffeine as we sleep. I, like many of us, was …

aka That Time Everyone Without Little Kids Pissed Off Everyone With Little Kids When a child, being a child and therefore prone to stupidity, got himself into an endangered gorilla’s enclosure last year, the zoo sacrificed the gorilla’s life to extract the boy.  The Internet went on a campaign of blame and outrage, some even sending …

To start with, this post is probably going to make me look horrible. I swear I’m not. I love my kids. I love my husband. I love love love my family with all of my life and every fiber of my being. But…sometimes it’s a bit much. I mean, the whole family and life and …

I don’t care if my husband watches porn. Like at all. Well, I mean, not while he’s driving…or when he’s supposed to be taking out the trash. But if I’m not home and he’s got a spare minute? He’s welcome to peel his own carrot. Now, for some of you this is a non-issue. Of …

Unless you’ve been hiding from the internet since November (and really who could blame you), you might have noticed that January 21st boasted a historic Women’s March. An estimated, worldwide, 5 million women, men, and children strapped on their walking shoes, made signs, and took to the street to have their voices heard. Hell, even my tiny conservative …

A little over a year ago my personal dating profile could have read something like: ‘Crazy workaholic cat lady who loves wild weekends with big books and bottomless pots of dark roast coffees looking for Mr. Right Now to help keep her gossip interesting and her reputation questionable.’ No shame. Who knew things would change …

Let’s face it – we all want to present the better side of ourselves to our (future) spouses, and their families, and while the ones we love will eventually become aware of all of our flaws, as we will become aware of theirs, it is human nature to try to convince our in-laws that we …

I’m adding to the list of things I wish I hadn’t done after getting engaged. First up was simply not telling anyone I was engaged. This week it’s wedding groups. I Will Cut The Next Bitch Who Adds Me To A Wedding Group See, I joined a couple because I figured I’d troll them for …

Chances are we haven’t met, so let me introduce myself. I’m a 30-something white girl from the Mid-West. My family includes a lot of racial diversity, within my immediate family I have black, Hispanic and Middle Eastern relatives. To say that our family is an interesting melting pot would be an understatement. You might have …

At the time of writing this I’ve been engaged (that’s such a weird word to use in regards to…well…me) for almost five whole days. My long time boyfriend proposed on New Year’s Day. We waited a few days to tell family and close friends. This was, essentially, to ease ourselves into the chaos that is the …

I’m writing this post from a very conflicted place in life. This weekend was supposed to be about a reunion. A coming together of generations for food and games and stories. A gathering of loved ones. Instead, it was a hectic juggling of travel details and the fall out from someone taking their own life. Please …

I’ll never forget our first Christmas together…because it was an emotional disaster. We’d just settled down after years of dating, bought a house and it just so happened that we were going to have the children. Due to other circumstances the kids had never gotten the chance to have a truly festive holiday with their …

Our daughter is a high functioning Autistic daughter. Our son isn’t. Neither are what you’d call social butterflies. We don’t go to a lot of parks, because parks mean people and a high likelihood that we’re all just going to sit on a bench watching other kids play. Not all that much fun for any …

Let me say out of the gate, I don’t have solutions. I have questions. And as a stepparent, there’s only so much I can do to make a difference. To complicate matters more, parenting a child with special needs in two separate households is…in short…almost effing impossible. When I went all in with my husband …

So I’m sitting over here trying my hardest to be as non-judgmental as possible – because we should support each other – and then my SIL tells me she’s “unschooling” her kids. Unschooling? Not homeschooling, but unschooling. She’s decided that at the ages of 10 and 8, her two oldest kids have learned enough basic …

I’m an avid pet lover. I love animals. Any shape, size, whatever. I dig animals. I probably should have been a zoo keeper, but I made other life decisions. Which means that my house is comfortably full of animals. We capped our limit at six, some have fur, others don’t. And, as one does, I …

I was wholly unprepared to be a step-mom. Completely and totally. I don’t think there’s a word that fully encompasses just how out of my depth I was. In the last few years I’ve made a lot of mistakes, but I’ve also learned a lot of lessons. For one, thanks to Disney step moms get …

I have two rambunctious boys. They’re three and one and full of love and kisses and Iron Man. The three-year-old, at least. He’s convinced he’s Iron Man. That is my fault. One day while I was doing dishes, I put on the Iron Man cartoon for him and that was that. Ever since then he’s …

Have you ever felt like you were the only one following the rules? We have been very fortunate in our school system and have amazing teachers that work with, and that we trust our kids to, all day every day. When the children are at school, their teachers are in charge. I don’t mess with …

My ten-year-old came home from school the other day practically bursting at the seams: “We talked about puberty at school today.” “Yeah?” I asked. “What about it?” “The teacher said there are signs it’s starting. Like you start craving chocolate and get moody.” Inside I rolled my eyes a little. We live in Texas and there’s …

This morning I woke up and thought maybe it’s ok to forget all those things I thought about myself in middle and high school. Forget all the perceived dismissals, write offs, mean words, and slights from so long ago. How weird is it that things said (or often times 100% made up in our heads) …

“I don’t play with stuffed animals anymore,” she told me after coming home from school. I was standing in the kitchen chopping onions for the pepper steak I’d planned for dinner and was only half listening. “Oh, yeah?” She raced past me and grabbed a garbage bag. “I’m cleaning my room!” I smiled. My kid isn’t …

We all think our kids are the most beautiful ever, but mine really is. She’s ten and has this long, blonde hair, huge pool-water blue eyes, and a smile that she must have stolen from her dad…because it’s the same smile that made me fall in love with him. And smart? This kid remembers just …

I used to be someone who hated the idea of getting married. I have been through too many divorces (my own and those of my parents) to feel like marriage was something I ever wanted to be a part of again. My experience with marriages and other serious relationships had me feeling like I needed …

Don’t get me wrong. I love being a mom. Most of the time. Most of the time it’s the greatest thing ever. Most of the time I look at those beautiful blue eyes and think, “Wow. You’re the coolest kid alive.” But I didn’t give birth to her. And since she is ten, she likes …

I’m a bright woman. If you’re reading this, you probably are, too. So know that I’m not writing this with pride, but with the great chagrin that comes from doing absolutely dumb-dumb things from time to time and feeling like we have to get them off our chests. My most recent dumb-dumb thing? I brushed …

For the record, maple syrup does NOT treat meningitis. I am not a doctor, nor a holistic healer, I barely know how to put on bandaids properly, but, and I repeat, maple syrup does NOT treat meningitis. Know how I know this? Because there is a couple in Canada (David and Collet Stephan) who are …

It’s all over Facebook: Donald Trump is the WORST PRESIDENT EVER! And if Facebook says it’s so, it Must be so! I mean, look at the hair, that alone is an affront to nature. And what’s up with the orange…like, has no one told him or something? He’s the worst! And we’ve all seen the …

I’m kind of obsessed with magnets. Maybe it’s because I see my fridge as a place to hold artwork that I see it, in a weird way, like a work of art itself? So. I’m always on the lookout for very original DIY magnet ideas that I can pull-off easily. These super cool DIY Hashtag …

Turn an ugly thrift store painting into something cool with this Thrift Store Painting Hack project! I’m always looking for inexpensive art I can transform into something amazing for my home. Today I am going to show you how to turn a seriously dated painting into something super stylish. Watch this Thrift Store Painting Hack …

My daughter had been asking me to buy her a Ukulele for months after she saw this adorable girl playing one on You Tube. I found a very inexpensive Ukulele on eBay and ordered it for her. While I was looking, I saw some for sale that were elaborately decorated! A lightbulb moment happened and …

A new piece of fun jewelry for everyday wear is just a hack away with this cool DIY Wooden Pendant Necklace project. At craft stores everywhere in the section where they sell wooden craft supplies, you can find all sorts of small geometric shapes for under a dollar. With this project, you simply paint the …

You know what makes me happy these days? Tiny little things in my house that are easy to make and look incredibly cool too. But do you know something else? I have NO time for projects that are complicated. That’s why I love this one so much. In a few minutes, and with only ONE …

I’m always super busy with work and my kids therefore I don’t have a whole lot of shopping time to hunt around for special things for my home. That being said, I definitely love following home decor trends and, being a crafty person, I try to emulate those trends. Like everyone else, I’ve fallen completely …

My refrigerator gets completely trashed from time to time. I have four kids if that explains anything! I can hear the door opening and closing and opening and closing which means that activity is happening. That activity (which although I’m happy they are all do-it-yourselfers) really makes a mess. So when I saw this Press-N-Seal …

I know, I know– Trix are for kids and all that, but I’ve decided these Trix Cupcakes are so delicious that I am totally breaking the rule. Watch a fun video that shows you how we made our DIY Trix Cupcakes: I’m always looking for fresh and fun ways to decorate cupcakes! Whether I’m making …

So here’s the skinny of the whole thing…take a sharp knife. Stab it into your lower abdomen once every ten to fifteen minutes for three days straight. Strap a baby mattress into your panties to collect the three gallons of goop falling out of you. Make sure you’re within running distance of a bathroom at all …