am very fortunate and thankful that I had the opportunity to take a planned career break for 11 years. Because of my husband’s job, I was afforded the luxury of being a stay-at-home-mom, or SAHM.

I realize 2021 just started, but doesn’t it feel kind of like we’re extending a yearlong experience of a toddler who raided the snack drawer, missed their naptime and probably has a stinky diaper? It’s been chaotic, loud, and WHY is everything so sticky?

I realize it’s entirely cliché to look back at the year that just passed, but 2020 certainly was… interesting. I didn’t learn a new hobby or how to bake bread or start a business. I do feel like I learned some things, but a lot of it was reinforcing old lessons I’d kind of forgotten. ...

I was not raised to sit still. I was raised to make good use of my time and improve the lives of others, whenever possible. During the holidays, I usually find myself volunteering for local nonprofits, exchanging cookies with my friend, Kristen, and her loved ones, or watching “The Boy,” (my son,) perform in Open ...

Christmas Eve 2013: I was driving from my parent’s house where we exchanged presents and stuffed ourselves with good “Mom-Mom” food. I was heading to drop my kids off at their father’s house where they would wake up to Santa's splendor.

On a recent trip to Vermont to visit one of my favorite people, I became addicted to instant coffee. Yes, it’s exactly what you’re thinking – freeze dried, just add hot water, instant coffee. I loved it so much that Shirley (fav person) sent me home with some for my pantry. I am telling you ...

As a single mother, I have often had to work multiple jobs to make ends meet. Unfortunately, I was not always able to take my son, known as The Boy, to work with me. When my mother was unable to babysit, I had to pay a babysitter and that often took the majority of the ...

Couldn't we all use 5 Tips for Surviving "HallowThanksMas" this year? Never heard of it? The first time I heard of it was last year.

I had my last drink on July 11th, 2020, smack dab in the middle of a global pandemic while most of my peers had an increase in their alcohol consumption. Since it’s “Sober October,” I thought it would be appropriate to follow up with a continuation of that first sober article I wrote in August, ...

My kid won’t say mama. It’s rude, right? I carried her for nine-plus months, experienced extreme everything, changed my diet drastically (gestational diabetes, y’all), and suffered a migraine in my third trimester so intense I thought I was having a stroke. I forgot how to form words. Have you ever tried to call 911, and ...

You’re probably very aware that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. As a sister of Zeta Tau Alpha fraternity, with breast cancer awareness and education as our national philanthropy, I’ve been proud to also help honor survivors. But it’s in the past year that I’ve become aware of someone else we should celebrate: the “previvors” ...

Some parents just do not have the luxury or the option to stay home to solely focus on their children and running their homes. I am one of those parents that must work in order to keep a roof over our heads, shoes on our feet, and food to stock the fridge. Right now I ...

When I was a child, I was repeatedly labeled as “shy.” I was never the most verbose kid on the block. As the younger of two daughters, I was perfectly content listening to my bubbly and chatty mother and older sister. Throughout my primary school years, my “shyness” spilled over into interactions with peers and ...

I’m done trying to be the perfect mom Yup, I’m done, I quit. That load is way too heavy for me to carry, and I will never live up to the expectations. My own or someone else’s. Notice: I’m done trying to be the PERFECT mom.  She doesn’t exist. Seriously, hear me out. For way ...

What if we learned some permanent lessons from the pandemic? I recently went to Target – something I’ve done far less frequently in the time of COVID-19 – and as I waited in line, I noticed an associate sanitizing the shopping carts.  And it struck me: Why couldn’t this be a regular thing? Extra sanitation ...