Caroline
Caroline is an Arizona native who moved to Iowa in 2007 ‘for love.’ She and her husband live in Coralville with their 8-year-old daughter. Caroline works full-time at the University of Iowa and recently earned her MA in Higher Education Administration. Caroline is a self-taught sewer, fabric hoarder, Starbucks lover, wannabe graphic designer, and avid reader. Her greatest aspirations are to raise a kind, strong, and fearless girl and have a clean house.
Cocoa Drop Cookie Recipe (from a Mom Who Hates Baking)
I really hate baking.
I love eating baked goods, but I really hate baking. I don’t know why, but butter, flour, and sugar and I just don’t get along.
My mom baked like crazy when...
No Right Answer: Education Options in the Time of COVID-19
There have been no easy answers or simple solutions this year. COVID-19 has ripped through our lives in a way that none of us could have imagined or predicted. Anything that was once normal...
Ode to a Tiny Cactus
I share this poem in memory of all of the plants we have lost after they were forgotten at work when we abandoned our posts during social distancing/quarantine.
Ode to a Tiny Cactus
A gift from...
Is the Ordinary Okay Right Now?
My deadline has come and gone, and yet I still stare at a blank screen without a clue as to what I should write. It generally helps to start with a theme or a...
COVID-19 Community Resources for Our New Reality
Today is another day of my new reality: working from home . . . with my daughter at home . . . not going anywhere. My sewing table is now a temporary work station...
Your Penis Doesn’t Need a Sock (and Other Things We Never Thought We’d Say...
Before my daughter was born, I never deceived myself into thinking that I would be a perfect model of a parent. I figured the television would babysit on occasion and fast food would be...
A Simple Question: Asking About Guns Before Playdates
On December 14, 2012, a mass shooting occurred that shook me to my very core. Why was I so affected? I didn't know any of the victims or their families. Until that day, I'd...
A Season of Gratitude
With the holiday season fast approaching, I find myself getting caught up in the busyness and consumerism that so often surrounds it. My thoughts turn toward list making, shopping, scouting the best deals, creating...
Out of the Mouths of Babes: The Crazy Stuff Our Kids Say, Rebooted
A few years ago, I decided to gather all of the delightful gems my friends' kids have said into a blog post, because, you know, kids are hilarious. Well, nothing has changed since that...
When the Bare Minimum is the Best You’ve Got
I’m finding it difficult to go above and beyond lately. Give 110%. Excel. Overachieve. Be a super mom. Cultivate a Pinterest- and social-media-perfect life. Do anything out of the ordinary.
Honestly, I’m finding it difficult...