Red Stick Mom

My girls are excited to be the topic of conversation for us all today. And by my girls, I mean my quite beautiful (if I do say so myself) backyard hens. Last spring, I decided that I wanted to get chickens. I spend a lot of time in our vegetable garden during the spring/summer/fall months so I thought the girls would be a nice addition for both enjoyment and for purpose. As with gardening, I love the thought of our son getting to experience first hand where our food comes from. He was only 11 months when we got our chicks but now at 18 months, 'chicken', 'egg' and 'bawk bawk' are among the other words he's learning. And...

Disclaimer: This is not a "poor me" post; I've CHOSEN a more positive life. At 12, it's typical to start rebelling against your mother. At 18, it's typical to ignore all the advice your mother gives you about college choices. At 25ish, it's typical to START believing that your mother might actually know what she is talking about. At 30ish, it's typical to admit you enjoy your mother's company and ask for advice, help and opinions about raising kids. Eventually, becoming best friends. But what do you when those typical moments are denied to you because your mother chose suicide over her family. (That was probably the hardest thing I've ever written down on paper.) I never got to go to a mother/daughter brunch. I...

Do you remember when you were in middle school and, like, the best thing ever was to be invited to another girl's house for a sleepover?  I used to LIVE for these nights.  There was just something so great and exhilarating about being in a room with six or seven of my closest pals, eating foods that were never allowed any other day of the week, telling our deepest secrets, and laughing until our stomachs hurt.  Girls nights were, to put it simply, just fun! I crave nights like this, but without the Truth or Dare and the mean pranks.  If you are looking to have a night of fun with all of your favorite girlfriends, why not think like...

The last seven weeks have been the most transformative of my life. My husband and I welcomed our first child, our son William Webster, on January 9, 2014 at 11:10 am. We checked into the hospital at about 3 a.m. that day to be induced. A few days earlier, the doctor had performed an ultrasound (our first since week 20) and we found out that he was smaller than he should be. That combined with my slightly elevated blood pressure convinced her to schedule my delivery for three days later, at 39 weeks. She assured us that he appeared to be doing just fine, but of course we were worried. We were also completely taken off guard that we were...

“Good moms have dirty ovens and sticky floors.” I’ve heard this quote before and it never sat quite right with me. I think the idea that moms should set housework aside for the more important work of enjoying and raising your children is a fine notion and reminds us that children grow up quickly while we’re busy with other things. However, I also don’t think the homes where we raise our children need to be left to turn into chaos during these important years with our kids. In fact, an organized home is a great gift to yourself as well as your children. Being organized and having an organized home does not have to mean you are a perfectionist who ignores...