Encouragement

It’s a weird feeling- grieving your home and all that was in it. It’s almost like losing a loved one. At first, you don’t really believe you’ve lost them. It just doesn't quite sink in. But then you go to call them or come across an old picture, and the reality of it all begins to hit you. That's where I’m at now.     When I leave the grocery store and accidentally start driving towards our house - it hits me! When I come across an old photograph taken in our home -- it hits me! When I watch someone use a blanket, frying pan or handbag that looks similar to one I used to have - it hits me! Every...

  Losing your home and your things isn’t ideal under any circumstance. Tossing out our children’s toys was about as heartbreaking as tossing out ruined family photos for me. My kids didn’t deserve to lose what they lost. They aren’t able to grasp the reasons why this has happened to us. I kept silent about it for the first week. They knew we weren’t staying with family “just because.” They saw me cry and they heard conversations, but they never knew what was really going on. I took them both aside one morning before we headed back home to start demo. I told them that things would be different and the furniture we had would be replaced. I told them it...

We are all moms here, generally speaking, and we all probably laugh out loud at the thought of self-care. I know my idea of self-care is using my regular sitter at least one Thursday a month so I can enjoy a $4 margarita with college friends at Zippy’s. There are no massages; very rarely is there “me time” and I’m sure I’m not the only one still hoping to lose two-year- old baby weight … but when is a single mom supposed to work out?! Where and when and how does self-care happen? Well, about a month ago I decided to join a gym and shoot for a weight loss challenge. I was making time for ME to get healthy...

WARNING: The comments section is rated Internet-MA and may cause heartbreak and/or loss of faith in humanity. If you hang around on social media as much as I do, you've likely heard the phrase, "Don't read the comments." The comments section is most definitely the train wreck of the internet. Despite the very best of intentions, we always seem to get sucked in. And more often than not, we regret it. The judgement, hate, and vitriol coming from the keyboard warriors can be more than we can take. While it can be hard to resist, there are a few things to consider before you hit Reply.   1. Behind the screen, we're all human. Think about what you are about to type. Would you...

Yep. We flooded, too. I jokingly called that pic above our "floodie." It's our street, after we hiked it to our house to assess the damage. We're smiling because we're together - and WHAT ELSE ARE WE SUPPOSED TO DO?!? I'm writing from my in-law's kitchen table after everyone is asleep. This is the ninth night away from my house and we haven't reached a new normal yet. My children aren't in their own beds and I'm headed for the pull-out sofa to join my husband after I finish this, but I'm SO thankful for a place where everyone is safe. I'll go to work again in the morning (first day back was yesterday) and come home to my husband...