I was never going to stay home after I had my daughter. I planned my maternity leave from teaching meticulously. Lesson plans in perfect order, my classroom organized so a sub could teach the beginning of the school year. I'd be back in my classroom by Halloween, and my daughter would be happy and healthy in the perfect preschool, but then I had her. From the very second I met my little girl, I knew I wasn't going back to work. Which meant, in my mind at least, that all those years of college, the time I'd put in teaching in the smaller school districts to finally land Keep Reading >>>
Why I Am Forgiving Everyone In The New Year
Forgiveness is one of those things that makes you seem like the bigger person, like you are the one that is willing to forgive and forget and just move on from whatever has happened. But jokes on, well everyone, because forgiveness isn't for THEM, it's for YOU. This is for your sanity, not theirs. This is so you can breathe easier, get rid of the tension in your neck, stop grinding your teeth. This new year is about cleaning, about starting fresh, and anew. The thing is, you can't do any of this if you're holding onto grudges. Wishing things were different, or just in Keep Reading >>>
How To Get Rid of a Migraine For Real {Without Medicine}
I am the migraine queen, which means I know a thing or two about migraine remedies. I think I get them from my grandma. She used to call it "the headache." When her migraines started to kick in, she'd say "I got the headache." And she would sit in a dark room until it went away. That's still one of my favorite migraine remedies, by the way, to sit in a dark room with a cold washcloth over my head. But this only works at the VERY beginning of a migraine. When you first feel the tingles of it coming on. Oh, and don't let anyone come in there and annoy you. The second you drop Keep Reading >>>
Why I Take Down My Tree The Day After Christmas
I love Christmas. It’s happy and beautiful and festive. But what I really love is getting my house back after the holidays are over. I love the clean, open feeling when I take down all the decorations. It’s like a new beginning for a new year. The first year my husband and I were together, I went to take the tree down on the 26th and he freaked out. He’s catholic, you see, and believes in keeping the decorations up until after the new year. (It’s called Epiphany.) I had no idea. I thought this was just procrastination. He insisted we keep them up and I wasn’t about to die on Keep Reading >>>
Today Is The Day My Family Does Christmas. Without Me.
Several years ago, I got a divorce. This was rough on my family, but it was nothing compared to when I met my husband. My parents don't approve, and never want to see me again. What does that mean for the holidays? It means I just dropped my daughter off 15 minutes from their house. (My brother met me at the grocery store, so I didn't have to have the awkward at-the-door exchange.) And it means tonight they will celebrate Christmas without me. The holidays are tough when you're estranged from your parents. Every year around Thanksgiving, I start to get anxiety, and it doesn't Keep Reading >>>
Time Management Is a Waste Of Time
I am a working mom. One that always gets asked, "How do you find the time to do it all?" And most of the time I smile or laugh, but never answer the question. But not today, today I am spilling all the secrets. Time Management for Busy Moms Time management isn't what everyone always makes it out to be. It's not about managing the time you're given, it's about forcing the time for things that need to get done and the time for the things you want to get done all into the same day. It's about deciding what's actually important enough to get done and doing those things. I will never make Keep Reading >>>
10 Things You Probably Aren’t Doing To Keep Your Baby Safe
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Luvs at Walmart. The opinions and text are all mine. Baby safety is one of those things that everyone can agree on. In that it's important to keep babies safe, now HOW you should keep those babies safe? Well, that's a different story, everyone has a different opinion on that. But there are some things you might be doing every day that aren't keeping your baby safe, and that's what I am here for! (Oh, and I am also here to tell you that as an experienced parent, you got this!) To help you out with ten things you probably Keep Reading >>>
I Never Expected Being A Stay-At-Home-Parent Would Be So Lonely…
Over the last few weeks I’ve become a mostly stay-at-home-dad. I’ve been working two, maybe three days a week while my wife is crushing it in her new, fancy accounting job. When my better half and I switched roles, I knew I’d keep busy. I’ve got rooms to clean, and endless stream of laundry to wash, meals to prepare, a house to maintain, but I didn’t know that I’d spend most of my time wrestling with soul-crushing loneliness. I Never Expected Being A Stay-At-Home-Parent Would Be So Lonely... If you know me, that might sound weird. I don’t like people. I don’t understand most of them. I Keep Reading >>>
After Divorce: Trying To Date When You Have A Teenager
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 to do that or anything, but holy moly, we totally could. Here's the thing, I have a responsibility to my daughter not only to be a good mom, and a good role model, but also to show her what kinds of guys to choose. To show her that guys shouldn't be coming home with me after a date, to show her what it Keep Reading >>>
My Kid Caught My Husband And I Doing The Deed
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 so stunning he's now considering applying for Cirque Du Soleil. "What, baby?" I start grasping for my comforter. Where was that damn thing anyway? How did it end up on the floor? I was still trying to comprehend how he was standing in the doorway. I mean, we remembered to put the dog in his crate, how did we Keep Reading >>>
Organizing Your Workspace
For the majority of us, work is an occasionally awesome but mostly unfortunate fact of life that we just have to deal with. Why would you want to sit at a desk when you could be sipping Mai Tais on a beach somewhere? If you're lucky enough to work from home, then you have a lot more leeway when it comes to decorating your workspace (and whether you get to have Mai Tais after all), but no matter where you work, Organizing Your Workspace is an important thing to consider to keep you happily typing away. Organizing Your Workspace Start by taking everything off your desk - give Keep Reading >>>
15 Things For Your Summer Bucket List
It can be really hard to make the most of your summer when it's super hot outside and no one feels like leaving the comfort of the A/C. Let's face it, we're all pretty lazy, which is a shame because having the kids home from school all summer is the perfect time to introduce them to all kinds of new opportunities and experiences. Or to mentally scar them for life. You should probably shoot for those exciting new experiences though. If you're looking for an easy way to plan for the best summer ever, look no further than our Summer Bucket List! It comes with a calendar, a sample checklist with Keep Reading >>>
Whoever Invented Underwire Hated Women…And I Had The Rash To Prove It
If you peeked into my underwear drawer you would find exactly one wired bra, but it's the one bra I refuse to wear. The only time I put that thing on is in the case of an end-of-the-world emergency, like when all my other bras are in the laundry and I don't want to venture outside braless (although sometime that argument still isn't strong enough to get me to put that cursed thing on). Sure, that bra makes my boobs look bigger and perkier, but I just can't tolerate that thing for more than a couple of minutes. I swear there are little tiny daggers sewn into the seams. Seriously, whoever Keep Reading >>>
I’ve Been Using Chopsticks All Wrong (And So Have You!)
One of the biggest accomplishments of my adult life was learning how to use chopsticks. Not even a lie. It was on par with learning how to whistle or how to well, whistling is really the biggest shame. One of those things that people never want to admit that they just don't know how to do. Yes, for many years I was the person who had to use a fork at Chinese restaurants whilst surrounded by friends who were all chopping it up. Turns out, though, ALL OF US WERE USING THEM WRONG. My adult life has been a lie and I'm here now to rescue you from the same shame. Did you know there's a reason Keep Reading >>>
I Have A Cold And Why You Don’t Care
Excuse me a second while I take some medicine and blow my nose. I don’t know where you live, but it’s cold season here. It’s that season where you pile on some warm, comfy pajamas and curl up on the couch. Season 3 of Gilmore Girls isn’t going to watch itself. Maybe take an hour-long bath, and the only reason the bath is an hour instead of, say, five hours, is because at some point water cools and the laws of nature are against you. Maybe your better half takes little Rudiger Jr. to soccer practice. And you know the potential for ice cream is always in play because you’ve got a tickle in your Keep Reading >>>
My House Is Never Clean, And I’m Okay With That
This weekend we're getting ready to visit my future mother-in-law. These trips are always a nice break from the every day for us, but they also highlight one rather crucial shortcoming in my life: I am not a cleaner. I don't do the dishes after every meal. I do not sweep daily. I do not wash, dry, hang or fold laundry in one magical day. The truth is, my house is never clean. But, I'm okay with that. My House Is Never Clean, And I'm Okay With That I'm not a slob, but I'm not a neat person by nature. Some studies like to say it's because creative people need a bit of mess in their lives. Keep Reading >>>
Should You Ask About Guns In The House Before You Let Your Kids Stay?
It's tough to find good friends as adults and it's even tougher to find adults we actually trust with our children. So many times, we think we have found the perfect people. We get to know them, spend time with them, dinners, park play times. It takes a lot of time to build up trust. When my daughter was four, I had these really nice neighbors that lived right behind us. Our kids were the same age, our husbands were in similar jobs, and the mom and I actually liked each other! This was huge for me, because I hadn't really trusted anyone other than grandparents with my kids, but what Keep Reading >>>
How To Know If You’re Doing An ‘Okay’ Job As A Parent
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 daughter is twelve. She came to me this afternoon and asked if she could go to the mall with her new friend (just moved in down the street), and I told her no. See, I don't know her new friend's parents. We've met in passing, but never really talked. And while I realize twelve is almost old enough to hang out at the Keep Reading >>>
I Put Off Intimacy With My Husband After Pregnancy Because I Was Ashamed Of My Body
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 is all stretched out of shape..." She called it glorious. Said that we should embrace our bodies and be so happy with what we've accomplished. I carried a baby for a little over nine months, I'm proud of that. But the way my body looks now? Here's the truth...and it's something we mommies don't Keep Reading >>>
Why Is Valentine’s Day Still A Thing?
I'm just going to go ahead and say it: I don't like Valentine's Day. Oh, don't get me wrong. I'm all for love. I appreciate both the grande gestures that take immense planning and the small gestures that may simply come in the form of hand holding or brushing a stray hair out of a partner's eyes. What I don't like is the expectation. I don't like the conditioning we have towards giving and receiving gifts on a certain day to prove our love.I don't like the retail push for spending money on trinkets that get disregarded by the next week. Seriously, why is Valentine's Day still a Keep Reading >>>
Why Elf On The Shelf Is Actually Bad For Your Kids
Seems like a great concept: every year as we put away our Thanksgiving platters, and take out our Christmas tree, we think about the Elf and all the merriment he'll bring our children in December. We plan his pranks, and antics - the blue milk, the tiny sooty Elf footprints leading away from the fireplace. We set him up riding Dinosaurs and breaking chunks off the family gingerbread house and it's just so freaking adorable. But is Elf on the Shelf actually bad for your kids? Are we setting our children up for years of disappointment by shoving so much magic and merriment into one month? Keep Reading >>>
How To Stay Out Of Facebook Jail
One of the hardest things about being someone who does direct sales is how to stay out of Facebook jail. What is Facebook Jail? It's when your facebook profile can't like, comment, post or go live on Facebook. A lot of times it happens suddenly and without warning, and Facebook never gives you a reason why. Sometimes they will let you know when your temporary Facebook ban is lifted, but most of the time you just sort of have to wait it out. The best thing for anyone who uses Facebook to run their business is to stay out of Facebook jail and here are some quick and easy tips to keep that Keep Reading >>>
We Need To Take Better Care Of Our Fellow Moms
We all know the things we say matter, but sometimes in the heat of it we say some things that are hard to take back. Today I was at the grocery store when I heard a fed-up mother yell at her kids to, "Shut the h*ll up." I get it. We've all been frustrated and just lost our cool. And I don't blame this mama for losing hers. The store was hot. Like, Texas in the middle of summer and not enough A/C hot. And she had three kids under ten and a completely full grocery cart. Plus, the kids were loud. They were going bananas and from the place mama was at in the store, I'm guessing she was only about Keep Reading >>>
Know Those Gross Moms Who Suck The Pacifier Before Popping It Back In? Turns Out Their Kids Are Healthier!
We've all seen her: the frazzled mom who has too much going on and is pushing a baby in a stroller and has no hands left for anything. Then, the baby spits out the pacifier. What does mom do? Picks it up, pops it into her own mouth, and gives it back to baby. So. Gross. What is wrong with that mom? Doesn't she know she's got a billion germs in her mouth and she just gave all billion of them to her precious little bundle of joy? Well, turns out that's not actually a bad thing. Yes she just stuck a germy pacifier in her little one's gob, but that little one's immune system is about to kick in Keep Reading >>>
I Can Pull My Butt Up Like Panties, And Other Unexpected Joys Of Weight Loss Surgery
I have always been curvy and well endowed gal: a habitual "yo-yo dieter''/fad dieter. I always felt bigger than I was when I was younger. Never a size 6, always around 10...and in school that was huge in my mind. I realize that I was usually the only one that it bothered. If I'd known then that one day I'd be able to pull my butt up like a pair of panties, I'd have probably tried to love myself more. I Can Pull My Butt Up Like Panties, And Other Unexpected Joys Of Weight Loss Surgery I didn't really begin to put some weight on until I was 17 and was put on birth control. This is what I Keep Reading >>>
There Are Not Enough Hours In The Day For This Stay-At-Home Dad
If you’re a stay-at-home mom, I’m probably not going to tell you anything new, but being a stay-at-home mom can suck. Don’t get wrong, tending to home and family is rewarding both emotionally and spiritually. Plus, you get to binge watch GLOW while you Pledge the china cabinet. But there is a lot more that goes on in a day than your working spouse even realizes. How do I know this? Because I used to be the working spouse, before I became the stay-at-home dad. There Are Not Enough Hours In The Day For This Stay-At-Home Dad When I came home from a long day at the office, I would find my Keep Reading >>>
Breast Is Not Always Best, And We Need To Stop Telling Women That It Is!
Breast is best. Almost from the moment you see those beautiful double lines, you start hearing that mantra. And you've seen research. Listened to friends. Had plenty of doctors tell you the same. Offices have lactation rooms. Breastfeeding is legal in literally every single public space in America. So why would so many people go through so much effort to educate you on the benefits of breastfeeding if it truly wasn't the best option? And what about formula? Is it even safe to give babies formula? Why would any good mom give her child chemicals when breast is best? Think baby Keep Reading >>>
5 Things To Teach Children About Judging Books (And People) By Their Covers
We've always been told to 'never judge a book by it's cover'. Covers can be elaborate, plain, some are so beautiful and some are completely unattractive to the readers eye. Some have very little color, but it's what's in the book that matters. Even the most attractive cover can be the worst read and the plainest of covers can be one of the most intense books you've ever picked up. Choosing to read a book based on it's cover or turning it away because of it, can cause you to miss out on something really wonderful, or you could wish you would have never read it at all because you based it on the Keep Reading >>>
8 Things Only Moms With Anxiety Truly Understand
It's like a daily issue where something, and I mean SOMETHING goes weird. Us moms just seem to have those moments where we can't find our keys just magically find them in the refrigerator or we can't remember if we turned off our curling iron before we left home. And those moments cause so much anxiety. It's hard enough being a mom, but when you put anxiety on top of that? Brutal. Here's a few more things that get my anxiety flared up, maybe you can relate! 8 Things Only Moms With Anxiety Truly Understand 1. The Faulty Alarm. Okay, so maybe it was human error but at any rate there Keep Reading >>>
10 Ways To Avoid Being A Bull In A China Shop
When I was 12, if anyone had called me "Grace", it would have been entirely ironic. I was as klutzy as a newborn giraffe and literally broke every single thing I touched. I never got better. Over the years, I have come to terms with my personal lack of coordination, but there are certain things I always have to avoid because otherwise things will be broken. Here are 10 ways to avoid being a bull in a China shop! 10 Ways To Avoid Being A Bull In A China Shop 1. Stay away from any type of glass, especially if it's not yours: My rule of thumb is to keep my hands to myself when it comes to Keep Reading >>>
5 Things I Say To Myself All The Time (And What I’m Going To Start Saying Instead)
I am the queen of negative self talk. I can find things about myself and talk myself into a feeling of self pity in less than two seconds. I could list a plethora of things I say to myself all the time, but I'm going to stick to five of the main ones. Here are 5 things I say to myself all the time (and what I'm going to start saying instead). 5 Things I Say To Myself All The Time (And What I'm Going To Start Saying Instead) 1. "Droopy Dog" - One of my many self negative talks involves my overly-exaggerated smile lines. They are there whether I'm smiling or not. I see myself as Droopy Dog Keep Reading >>>
10 Chick Flicks To Watch When Your Uterus Is Being A Little Bitch
Look, if you're female and have a uterus that still does it's monthly molting, you've been here. There's just nothing worse than being a tough-ass woman 90% of the time, and then having those one or two days a month where you're tearful for no flecking reason and then "IT" starts. Yeah. We've ALL been there. And sometimes when you're there, you just have to cry your way through it. It is what it is. So here are some chick flicks to watch on those days when your uterus is being a little bitch. 10 Chick Flicks To Watch When Your Uterus Is Being A Little Bitch 1. The Notebook: Get a Keep Reading >>>
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