Holiday

Let me preface this post with a few important points. I absolutely know that there are more "important" issues in the world, and I am so deeply aware that many children struggle to have their basic needs met. I have spent 5+ years of my own career working in inner city schools in Louisiana, so I have seen firsthand the tangible effects of hunger, poverty, abuse and more. I also know that having living and involved grandparents at all is a HUGE blessing, and it's not one we take for granted. That said, after conversing with many friends, I also know that I am not alone in these feelings. While well-meaning, all of the plastic tchotchkes that enter our home...

I am sure you've heard the saying, "oh that's just a Hallmark holiday," yes? My husband is a huge fan of this phrase, and it's not just because he happens to be really challenged (he hates shopping) in my love language (gift giving). I genuinely understand that some people aren't celebratory by nature; these are likely the same people who don't love birthday parties. I also understand that some people don't see a need to dedicate a day of the year to moms, dads or our relationships. I am going to agree to disagree. And here's why. We live in such a fast paced culture. The vast majority of us, especially those of us in the trenches with small children and...

Last year, I threw my first ever "Galentine's Day" party.  "What's Galentine's Day??," you ask. Source Don't worry, I didn't know anything about it until I binge-watched Parks and Rec while I was pregnant with my second son last year. Once I saw it, I knew I had to do it. An excuse to host some of my favorite gals? Yes please! Here is what I did. First, a couple weeks before the party, I emailed all the husbands, fiances, or boyfriends of the women who were coming with these questions and strict instructions NOT to tell their partners: What is your favorite sport? Where did you go on your first date? What is your favorite dinner that she makes? What is her favorite pastime or...

The holidays for our family, like most families, are a little manic. From the time we carve the turkey on Thanksgiving day until we cut the King Cake on 12th night, we are filled to the brim with family events, eating, running from here to there, more eating, staying off schedule, not keeping up with laundry, opening presents, still more food, and lack of sleep. By the time mid-January rolls around (I'm a resolution procrastinator), I'm ready to get my life in order by de-cluttering, refocusing, and de-stressing. This is usually when I detox. I don't mean the celebrity detox where you drink cayenne water for 3 days. I'm speaking of a life cleanse. To cleanse means to rid yourself of things that...

I am not a child of divorce, but my son is. This is a lifestyle that has become new and unfamiliar to me. Heartbreaking at times. It has its moments. I am learning as the years go by. It’s not the life I would have wished for my child to experience, but it is the life I chose for him, for us. We persevere. We share the holidays. For my son, this is all he knows. His parents were divorced when he was an infant. So he has always had two families; it’s what he knows and it’s all he remembers. So as the temperature drops and I begin hear the jingle of the music, I anticipate the reminder of what his...