It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood!
I saw a prompt on Mama Kat’s Writing Workshop a few weeks ago asking writers to make a list of things that you’d like to get your husband for Father’s Day. It took me awhile to come up with ideas, but I finally compiled this list, full of goofy and real things I wish I […]
I’ve been keeping a major secret for many months now…We’re moving! I know what you’re thinking: What the heck is she thinking moving during her final weeks of pregnancy? I don’t have a great answer besides the fact this process has taken way longer than we anticipated thanks to the crazy real estate market here […]
I wasn’t much of a rebel as a teen. I never went to jail. I never failed a class. I didn’t get a speeding ticket until I was 19. I didn’t have sex at a crazy young age. But, innocent wouldn’t be a word I’d use to describe my teenage self either. Because, I did […]
My husband laughs at me for this, but there are just some things I feel like I need to learn to do before my children are old enough to remember, because let’s face it: Did you mother fail you that often? Maybe she did, but mine didn’t and I have some major shoes to fill. My […]
I cannot believe it has officially been one entire year of blogging. I secretly hoped I would make it six months and not run out of things to say…Now, I think I could probably make it six years with all the ideas I have – just very little time to get them all written! It […]
I have a confession…I’ve done the classic mom thing: I’ve forgotten about myself. I haven’t bought any new clothes in months. I haven’t gotten a haircut in 6 months. I haven’t gotten my brows waxed in months (I do pluck though – no worries!). I haven’t had a pedicure or manicure in waaaaay more than […]
Dear Taco Bell, I love you from the depths of my soul. But I know you clog my arteries, and for that, I feel guilty. I remember the first time I met you like it was yesterday…I was in third grade and we were on our way to my friend’s sister’s volleyball game. Her mom […]
Not a day goes by when I don’t thank my lucky stars for meeting my husband — the one I believe (and hope!) I will be with for the rest of my life. Yet, it’s crazy to reflect on how polar opposite we are on many levels. Here are some examples: I love sushi and […]
“An understanding heart is everything in a teacher, and cannot be esteemed highly enough. One looks back with appreciation to the brilliant teachers, but with gratitude to those who touched our human feeling. The curriculum is so much necessary raw material, but warmth is the vital element for the growing plant and for the soul […]
It has been almost one year exactly since I quit my full-time job at a PR firm to stay home with the little one. While on maternity leave, staying home didn’t even cross my mind once. I looked forward to the return to work and to what I thought would be normalcy. Just a few […]
The princess craze is something that has taken America by storm. While I’m all for Disney and imagination and fantasy, I also struggle as a mom who wants my daughter to be a realist, too. After having a very hard time trying to find toddler bedding for my little gal that isn’t princess-related (or any […]
One of the prompts from Mama Kat’s this week was to write a post including one favorite blog from each month of the past year. Since I didn’t start blogging until April, I will start there. Here’s my personal favorites from the year: April: My Birth Story – Because who doesn’t love to read about […]
Christmas has come and gone and now we’re in the re-couping phase. For us, it’s always a whirlwind of family parties (let me just say the hubby has just under 50 first cousins and probably close to 75ish second cousins, so it’s always crazy), and traveling around the great state of Michigan. It’s a wonderful […]
I am crazy sensitive. Always have been. I was the kid that cried when other kids got made of fun of in school because I felt bad for them. For some reason, God gave me this wonderful curse of sensitivity. Which is incredibly odd because when it comes to my own personal matters, I can […]
Dear self, Think back… What do you remember most about Christmas growing up? I remember listening to my favorite Christmas cassette tape with little elves on the cover. The “pa rum pump pum pum” in “The Little Drummer Boy” always made me giggle, as I sang “bum bum bum bum,” instead. I remember helping my […]
It was my junior year of college and I worked at our college newspaper selling ads. Despite a job, I always seemed to be short on cash after buying groceries and paying my rent, so going out to eat was rarely an option. When I did go out to eat, it was generally a Taco […]
Here in metro Detroit, we are lucky to have several cider mills within an hour’s drive. My favorite one is the Parshallville Cider Mill, just outside Fenton. It’s very simple and may not be much to some, but it’s the one I grew-up with and have the most fond memories of. Each fall growing up, […]
I am from peace and quiet, from Old English to polish the antique furniture and line-dried clothes, lovingly hung with wooden clothespins. I am from a dirt road, where grass grows long, sticks crack under your feet as you walk and the scent of burning leaves fill the air. I am from the lilac bush, […]
I’m an outspoken person; therefore I am not one to shy away from topics like politics and religion. In fact, both are topics I love discussing, even if friends/family have opposing views because I always walk away with a new piece of knowledge. So, I decided I would tackle religion today… I am a fairly […]
Even though my little 10-month old munchkin can’t verbally tell me things, she teaches me something about myself each day. She’s my sidekick and already my best friend. I can’t wait to learn more valuable (and maybe not-so-valuable!) lessons from her down the road. Here are 10 lessons she has shown me, complete with fun […]