Challenges

As some of you have already read on this blog, I lost both of my parents in the same year to cancer. My step dad passed in November 2017 and my mom passed in March 2018. A few...

As one of my favorite authors, Glennon Doyle, always says, "We can do hard things!" This year has been full of hard things, hard decisions, and hard conversations. I feel like we are all a little beat down but...

There seems to be a love-hate relationship when I think about traveling with my daughter, for sure.  I love spending time with my family creating fun memories on vacation, but getting to and from there is always an interesting experience. ...

I’ve been a mom for 12 years and I've struggled with whether to stay home or pursue a career for 12 years and 9 months. Many times in my life I have debated the benefits of being home with my...

New Year’s Resolution - a phrase you either love, or hate.  I fall into the “love" category and look forward to the fresh start of a New Year! On January 1st, memes will pop up everywhere, reading something along the...

Getting married and having children at a young age was something I always wanted. We were surrounded by people I love at our wedding with nine bridesmaids, nine groomsmen, and nearly 300 guests. All of our family and friends...

Think of motherhood. Has it changed you?  As a mother, my initial thoughts were about all the giggles, hiccups, and baby kisses. There are countless blessings that come with having a child, whether it be your first or the...

Please don’t panic! It’s just word play, mostly. I am purely here to educate, and hopefully encourage. See, I had expectations about nursing. We all do, expectations are women’s expertise. I saw myself snuggling that sweet baby, feeding those...

I remember the day I left for college and my mom handed me a Suze Orman book, I always budgeted my own money, I always paid my own way. I had an allowance growing up and I did chores...

One of my good mom friends and I got to talking about the challenges that parenting can present. We moms are often caught with the feeling that our cups are overflowing, and we are giving all aspects of life...

I recently lost my step-mom to stage 4 cancer. It's unbearable...losing a loved one. This is the sort of pain that I vigilantly protect my children from. I get in mother bear mode and don't want them to hurt at all....

Last week I shared with you How To Achieve Financial Freedom :: The “Why” {Part 1}. If you haven’t read it yet, check it out first, and then come back to get more tips to save money for your family! Ideally...

Perhaps it was the way I was raised or just the Type A personality traits in me, but being late drives me nuts. Even as a kid, my punctuality was on point. But when I became a mom I suddenly...

Teenagers, Tweenagers, Toddlers OH MY! I have three kids in each of these developmental stages (fun times in my house…… ) and providing allowance for chores is not something we do for any of them.  I am all for...

When I see those moms who have more than two kids and are really rocking it, I find myself in awe. I just don’t think I could do it. I always knew that I wanted more than one baby, but it wasn't...

Saying “I’m sorry” is something I’m quite familiar with. So much so, that when I was in eighth grade, a mentor of mine recommended that I wear a rubber-band around my wrist and smack it whenever I say “sorry.” Suffice...

If you followed along with my post last month, you know that I embarked on a “no spend” January.  Let me tell you, I ended up getting a lot more out of it than I thought I would!  I...

Admittedly, as the curtains drew open at the renowned Cine Capri in Scottsdale, I sat with a furrowed brow and a biased attitude, wondering if filmmaker and actress Greta Gerwig’s rendering of Little Women (2019) could hold a candle...

When I told people I was pregnant, they started calling me mom, mama, mommy right away. I didn’t know how to respond, we had been trying for a long time and I still didn’t think it was real, even...

A few years ago I met a man who completely swept me off my feet.  He was everything I had hoped and dreamed for in a husband.  He was tall, handsome, kind, dedicated to work, took care of his...

I will admit it.....I am a germophobe mom. I fear germs, and my goal is to keep my kids as healthy as possible. I know kids will be kids, and they will ultimately get a cold or some type...

Parenting can be tough and tiring, but there are also many joys.  The problem is sometimes the joys can be overshadowed by all the hard work, especially in the first years.  One of my besties has twin babies, and...

As I write this with bloodshot eyes, my head is pulsing, I'm unable to focus on the work I need to get done (are the lights shining directly on me in this room?)… and I have already cried twice...

Spending the mornings with my daughter is the highlight of my day. I adore spending time with my 15-month-old and watching her grow in this magical time in her life. She’s only going to be this little once; I...

A letter to my surprise baby, I remember when your daddy and I first started talking about having kids. We were so young, hopeful and naive. We didn’t know about pregnancy complications, congenital defects, infertility and infant loss. And slowly...