Family

Peeps. Everyone has an opinion on Peeps. There has never been a more controversial topic around the family Easter table that has resulted in so much thrown ham. They are either a perennial Easter favorite or a much maligned “last treat in the basket” candy. Some adults have fond memories of these sugar coated marshmallows …

My husband and I don’t really do lovey gifts. Valentine’s, anniversary, whatever. He doesn’t care if he gets a gift on Valentine’s Day. I used to care. A lot. Mostly because I’d been taught to care. All those TV sitcoms where the goober of a husband forgot a special day and had to scramble to …

Whether you have toddlers or teens, these 25 Totally Adorable Easter Crafts will provide hours of crafting awesomeness. Chances are as they grow up they won’t remember what you made, but they’ll always remember the time you spent crafting together. My mom was a Pinterest mom before Pinterest existed. Every Easter we’d dig into the …

Any true craftsman will say, “Measure twice, cut once.” But if you’re like me it’s more like, “Close your eyes and hope you don’t lose a thumb.” It’s Halloween, and if you’re an environmentally friendly hippy with time on your hands between protests or if you’re a broke guy with an underwhelming job, this post …

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 …

This year alone we have had around a dozen phone calls to deal with one emergency or another. It feels like ever since college I’ve been prepared, down to a packed bag and ready to go hospital kit. It’s not because we’re accident prone or have unusual health needs. I have an older father and …

Last June I had a miscarriage. It was a quiet thing which made it all the more dreadful. Something so wretched as losing a very VERY wanted pregnancy should at least have the decency to be loud and obvious. But no one knew. My husband did, of course. My boss, too, since I had to …

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 …

We all have that friend who can’t cook even a simple meal. None of us are perfect, we all fall short. Heck, I don’t know how to ride a bike. But guess what? I don’t need to know how to ride a bike because I have a car. But if you’re on a camping trip …

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 …

My brother got married last weekend. I’m so happy for him! His new wife is super cool! I was my brother’s Best Grooms-Lady so I had to look snazzy. The day before the wedding, my then sister-in-law-to-be and I treated ourselves to a mani and pedi. I’d never had fake nails before because I was …

My family are idiots. I honestly don’t know how they’ve survived this long. They don’t have the basic life skills that I learned when I was young. I mean, I can be lazy. Sometimes I’ll even sleep the day away if I find a nice sunny spot. But my family takes it to a whole …

People in your life look at you and wonder why you aren’t tangled up in the all-American pursuit of that picket fence family. I look at you, and I just don’t freaking care. I understand the pressure. You have family members asking when you’re going to get married and have babies. You have friends who …

It’s like a picture taken straight from the scene of a horror movie: You walk into your kitchen, and find the cabinets wide open. You look down. Two drawers are pulled out, like something was riffling through them looking for a spoon. You quickly shut them, trying not to think about that movie you just watched …

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 …

In the last few years Santa Claus’ darker half, Krampus, has enjoyed a resurgence in popularity. The delightful half goat, half demon punishes where Santa Claus rewards. But he’s not the only other Christmas time folklore figure that kids can look forward to a visit from this holiday season. The History Of Krampus’s Gal-Pal, Frau …

You might not know this, but blogs aren’t always written in order. You might get a kick butt Arbor Day blog idea, but Bastille Day is just around the corner. What are you suppose to do? Post one holiday’s blog the same time as another? That would be stupid. Plus, I hate how Big Arbor …

When I was a little kid, my Christmases were fairly predictable. My brother and I would fall asleep on Christmas Eve somewhere after 1 AM (we were, of course, in bed by 9 PM but Christmas morning excitement is a hell of a drug). As soon as it was light enough to see, we’d bolt …

I love giving gifts, but I hate shopping for them. I mean, HATE it. It isn’t that I’m indecisive. I know that when I see the right thing for somebody, I’ll know it. And by God, I’m going to keep looking until I find it. That’s why I cheat. I’m a Cheaty McCheaterson when it …

I was young when my doctor told me I wouldn’t be able to conceive without help—medical help, I mean, not the usual two-to-tango type. It sucked, but infertility runs in my family and having drawn the short straw in my generation, at least I found out early. I had plenty of time to think about …

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 …

My boyfriend and I are on year three of living together, and we still don’t have a real plan for how to split or manage the holidays. Add to it my birthday is in December, and, well…the season is always a marathon of family, parties and too much peopling. For one, he has a large, …

Yet another year has zipped on by, leaving us all in much the same position we were 365 days ago:  wondering if it’s technically a “regift” if you only touched the packaging twice, hovering over our bank balance like a hawk, and dreading the inevitable racist comments from Grandma.  But we tolerate it, because the …

By the time my boyfriend told me on our fourth or fifth date that he had a son I was far too hooked on this guy with a cute smile, lip ring and a quirky sense of humor. Needless to say, after having a long talk on our first real date that neither of us …

We all have those things that we accumulate that we will use some day. Sure it’s been in the back of the closet for 5 years, but you will definitely repair it one day even though you’ve already bought a new one and haven’t thought of the old one in forever. But please, take it …

October is here, and with the crisp weather and the promise of Halloween on the wind comes the traditional horror movie marathons. We watch in giddy anticipation of the hapless hero stumbling upon a murder in progress. Then we yell at the screen when they idiotically run upstairs instead of outside to the already running …

I suppose I’d always imagined that if I ever made a late night trip to purchase a humidifier it would be as a last ditch effort to comfort a sick kid. As I pulled into the Wal-Mart parking lot at 10:45 PM I realized I was half right. But the sick kid was my husband. …

Everybody lies to you when you’re a kid. Doesn’t matter if it’s “Santa Claus is coming” or “this medicine tastes good”, or even “you can be whatever you want when you grow up”. It’s all a manipulative pile of deceit. And you would think that when you grow up the lies would stop. You know …

Look, I know most people won’t ever need IVF. I certainly thought I wouldn’t. If there is one thing that human beings are really good at it’s making more of ourselves. But since starting IVF, I have made some observations that I really wish someone had let me in on ahead of time. So I’ve …

It sucks feeling old in my thirties. Before those of you who have made it past level 32 of this crazy game called “Life” want to write me off as a punk kid, hear me out. At the tender age of 32 I realized that I’m getting old…er. I’m not saying that my bursitis is …

When my husband and I embarked on our IVF odyssey, I thought I was ready for the emotional roller coaster I was about to strap myself into. Ha. Ha hahahahahaHAHAHA. Ha. That’s like saying “Well, I’ve been on a trampoline so surely I can base jump.” 6 Things I THOUGHT I Knew About IVF 1. …

I think my family was transplanted from another planet. You would think, being raised in the same environment, that we would turn out to lead somewhat similar lives, right? We had the same parents, went to the same schools (mostly, I rebelled in high school a little), and we were taught the same manners, beliefs, …

There are a million hurdles to jump through when you’re the kind of girl who doesn’t want to raise children. Why does falling in love have to be one of them? I guess that’s just the kind of thing we have to understand, the struggle we have to live with. I’m one of those girls, …

I got my period the day my mom died. It wasn’t my first period or anything. I was 29 at the time. But the painful coincidence didn’t go unnoticed. Nor did the parallel that exactly nine months had passed between Mom’s diagnosis of pancreatic cancer and the day of her death. My mom had been …

From the minute you said ‘I Do’ you’ve had issues with certain members of your new husband’s family. They’re different than you (you didn’t realize how different until now), they’re strange about how they deal with normal things, they eat their food on the wrong side of their mouth. Right now you are experiencing life …

I’ve got to say, men, we’ve really let ourselves go. We’re like that significant other who kept it tight for the first year then tossed it away in a slippery slope of Fiddle Faddle and Orange Is The New Black binge watching. I don’t like what we’re becoming: a pack of callow, feckless man-babies. I …

Dr. O had been my doctor for twenty years. Not just any doctor: my gynecologist. There’s something so much more personal about the doctor who intimately examines our junk as opposed to other doctors. I was his patient within his very first week of opening an office. He was my doctor through the loss of …

At some point in our lives or another, we have all had to learn how to set boundaries and expectations for the way we allow other people to treat us. While some of us have a natural knack for this sort of thing, some of us are still learning when and how to draw the …

Back in the day (I won’t mention the time period, since it’ll reveal my age), my parents would shove me and my younger brothers out of the house in the morning and not expect us back until the street lights came on in the evening. We’d ride bikes, hike in the nearby woods (no longer …

I didn’t get to spend Easter with my family, and it was more emotional than I ever thought it would be. Every holiday I find myself dreading going to family events. They’re crowded and being the only single, childless person there puts me in this ‘odd man out’ place that somehow feels worse Because I’m …

Hey, I get it. Whether you’re related to me or not, as a romance author with a penchant for profanity, I understand that my online presence isn’t suitable for children or the ultra conservative. But if you’re like me, social media is the one place you can broadcast your opinions to the world, share your …

This post is sponsored by Socialstars and Tide, however all opinions are my own. #SmallButPowerful So, here we sit on yet another Super Bowl Sunday, and my family has no plans to watch, attend watching parties, or have anything to do with it at all, really. It’s weird, I live in Texas, and am totally …

When I was a kid, family game night usually involved a never-ending game of Monopoly in which I was forced to be the banker so that I might learn some math skills (that didn’t work very well), or my dad teaching me how to play poker (that worked a little better – getting to keep real …

Every time I find out a friend of mine is pregnant, I feel a moment of intense happiness and sheer pain all in the same breath. “Oh my goodness,” I exclaim, the ecstatic feelings winning out. “When are you due?” And then we start gushing together and share in that intimately happy moment of knowing …

There are some things I forget about every single year when it comes to Christmas, but I’m determined to remember them for next year. I’m pretty sure they’re universal, too. Like that we all have someone in our family who tells inappropriate jokes around children. Or that grandma’s don’t always understand your sense of humor. …

Rudolph was always my favorite reindeer. While the other reindeer always seemed a bit snooty (they wouldn’t let him play their games, c’mon!) Rudolph used his bright red nose to guide Santa through fog and make sure all kids get presents. What an amazing guy! That’s why instead of making any ol’ boring reindeer candle, …

Some people love Christmas, but we’ve all got that one friend who REALLY LOVES CHRISTMAS. That one perky person in our lives whose eyes are bright and shiny year round and their optimism could brighten a funeral… When Christmas rolls around, it’s like GO TIME for that person. And while some of us drag out …

The holiday season is a time of joyous celebration, of giving, and of time spent with family. It reminds us all what it means to put others before ourselves. There is nothing more rewarding than to see the look on a child’s face on Christmas morning as the wrapping paper flies across the room, or the smiles …

If I drop the Christmas ham on the kitchen floor, the dog eats it, gets sick and throws up right under the tree, I will not let the holidays overwhelm me. If I forget about the Elf on The Shelf and my daughter cries because she’s pretty sure the reason he didn’t report back to …

It’s no secret that Minions have taken the world by storm, and everyone is all about these strange talking little creatures that want nothing more than to be a part of taking over the world. So the other day when I was at the store planning for family game night, I saw a box of …

Summertime is built for picnics and these 25 Must Have Picnic Recipes will become your new picnic favorites. Sure, you probably usually pack sandwiches, and chips, soda, things like that…but have you ever tried packing muffuletta? Or how about  cheesecake in a jar, or maybe even (if you’re really wanting those sandwiches) the easiest quick …

No question breakfast is the most hectic meal of the day around our house. With everyone rushing around trying to get to where they need to be on time, it’s a wonder my family ever gets anything in their stomachs before they leave. At least it used to be. Now that I have these 25 insanely …

Here’s the thing. It’s not that tweens (boys in particular) don’t want to talk. They just don’t know how. Their brains are still developing and they just need to be taught how to open-up. To get you thinking, here’s 10 ways to Talk with a Tween Boy that will TOTALLY work, if you give them …

Thanksgiving really wipes me out. Not just all the hard work that goes into making the meal fabulous, but also the sheer quantity of people in my house and the build-up. Christmas is like a soft, squishy cloud of relief in comparison. LOL! Just kidding! It’s just as stressful and wacky. But this year, I …

We had a small, impromptu family dinner the other evening. One of those “oh, we were in the neighborhood” pop-in’s from my parents, my daughter was hungry and suddenly I needed dinner-in a hurry! It was Marie Callenders Pot Pies to the rescue! The holidays are just around the corner and I’m so not in the mood to …

Do you love to save money?  You know we do and we’re excited to host a chat about our favorite ways to stretch the budget without sacrificing on quality, at Sam’s Club!  OnThursday, August 28 at 11am ET, please join us for the #TrySamsClub Twitter Chat! We’ll be chatting about our favorite Sam’s Club departments, …

photo credit: loop_ohMy husband and I have been on many trips, and we’ve done a couple of hotel out of town things with Hal, but we’ve never actually taken her on a real Vacation. But, my parents live in Florida now for three weeks out of every month, and we want to go and see …

I love my brother, let me just get that out of the way. We grew up very close. I am from a tight knit family, and we talk to each other a lot. He just called me to find out when Mom’s flight is landing and decided to cop a little attitude in the middle …

Okay, my daughter is back home, my company is gone, and we should be able to return to normal now… I had a super great time with my cousins here, but I am definitely worn out from the weekend! Yesterday we had my husband’s company picnic, and Hal went on her very first boat ride! …

My cousins are here my cousins are here! They came to play with me for the weekend and it is a big scrapbooking party up in my scrap room woot woot! I love bringing people into the scrapbooking fold… makes me feel all evil, but in a crafty way. Tomorrow we are having lunch with …