Encouragement

World's Okayest Dance Mom Tis’ the season of tutus and tap shoes! A new season of dance has begun. My daughter started her fourth year of dance this year and I’m not afraid to admit that I still don’t know what a plié is. You see, I love that she loves dance. I love that I’m able to provide her with an opportunity to be involved in dance. I know NOTHING about dance. Every week she puts on her tights and leotard and gets dropped off for an hour. What goes on in that class is a mystery to me. Only on our twice a year parent watch nights, and at the rehearsal and recital do I actually see all the...

Three Ways I Found My Village As A Stay At Home Mom When you become (or are about to become) a parent, everyone tells you “it takes a village.” And they’re right… but what happens when your village works full time and can’t come rock your colicky baby who hasn’t slept all night? In the fall of 2022, I became a stay-at-home mom after having worked since my first job as a cashier in high school. However, when my husband and I were anticipating the arrival of our third child, we knew the price of daycare just wouldn’t make sense while having another little one at home under the age of two. So, painstakingly, we made the decision that I wouldn’t...

#MidsizeFashion :: Not Your Mother's Missy Midsize is a new (to me) term being popularized by fashion bloggers and influencers all over social media. While I consider myself to be pretty fashion forward, I had to catch up to this trending term that popped up mid-pandemic and is fast becoming a mainstay in the lexicon of fashion. I’d heard of midsize SUV’s but never midsize clothing. If you’ve been living under a TikTok rock like me, let me bring you up to speed. What is Midsize Fashion? Midsize refers to body types that are not straight sizes, or those between 0 and 8 - but are not plus size either, which typically starts at size 16. They fall somewhere in the middle,...

Mom, I'm So Sad All The Time: Ending The Stigma Begins At Home In early 2021, both of my beautiful, amazing sons told their father and me that they were struggling with mental health issues. This was during a year that brought with it a cancer diagnosis for our 10 year old, more Covid chaos, the death of their grandfather (whom they loved dearly and saw almost weekly since their births) the death of their great-grandmother (whom they were also very close to), unrelenting anxiety and hopelessness for our 16-year old, plus the day-to-day struggles that life, middle school and high school brought with it.    As divorced co-parents, their father and I have made it clear that we are always open...

Instant Gratification Junkies :: Are We Raising Them?? I want what I want, and I want it NOW! Our lives are consumed with needs and wants, and for the most part, our society makes it pretty easy to obtain things quickly. Do any of these below sound familiar? Hungry and don’t have time to cook? There are drive-thru’s, gas station foods, and microwaves for that. Having a bad day at work and need some release? That’s what happy hours provide. Bored and need some entertainment? That’s exactly what scrolling through social media delivers. Kid throws a fit and you just need it to stop before you pull your hair out? Just give him what he wants! Emotionally taxing day with nearly unbearable...