Mary
Mary, a native of Rockford, Illinois, attended DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois where she received her BA in Secondary Art Education. In 2007, she moved to Cedar Rapids, Iowa after accepting a position as a high school visual arts teacher with the Cedar Rapids Community School District. She and her husband, Collin, who is a teacher in the Iowa City Community School District, reside in Cedar Rapids with their daughters, Zoey and Munroe. Zoey is five and Munroe will be turning one in October 2016. In addition to being a full time mommy, full time teacher, and writer for the mom’s blog, she is also a professional artist who has shown and published works both nationally and internationally. Mary enjoys traveling, painting, and most of all, spending time with her family.
Mucinex Doesn’t Protect Against the Coronavirus: The Facts Will
My brother sent me a text today with a photograph from a pharmacy in Minneapolis. He said that several stores resemble the empty shelves seen in this image all over the city. I had...
Top 8 Insta-Mamas: Instagram Moms to Follow in 2020
I'll admit it . . . I'm a social media junkie. I'm the mom who is constantly posting photos of my kiddos, our travels, and the chaos of our daily lives. I enjoy seeing...
My Husband’s Vasectomy Horror Story
When we think of routine surgeries we often shrug off the list of side effects and complications. We often say to ourselves, “What could go wrong with an outpatient surgery that takes less than...
Celebrating Dia de los Muertos: The Day of the Dead
As expats living in Madrid, my family and I have become accustomed to new traditions. Many of these we celebrate as a family so that our children can learn about different cultures and traditions...
The Year of the “No”
Education is a top priority in our home, as it is for many. My husband and I are both educators. We are the type of parents that attend EVERY school event that our children...
New Student Jitters: 6 Ways to Support Your Anxious Child
My oldest (8) has always been known as a social butterfly. Just like my husband and I, it comes naturally to her to spark up conversation and to make friends. So of course we...
Lice Treatment: Salons, Preventative Measures, & Natural Remedies
During our first year living abroad in Spain we’ve had many firsts. Unfortunately one of those firsts was NOT an enjoyable experience: Piojos, which translates to…lice.
My youngest daughter had woken up one morning and would...
Downsizing: 5 Tips for Small Space Living
Prior to moving to Madrid from Cedar Rapids, our family lived in a two-story colonial style home with a fenced-in backyard. I loved our home and it was perfect for our family of four....
Tips to Help You Learn a Second Language
Hablas Ingles?
Yo hablo Ingles.
These were two of my ‘go to’ phrases that I commonly used during the first few months after our recent move to Madrid.
I was mortified to speak to anyone in...
A New Idea on Gift Giving for Birthday Parties: The Fiver Party
It wasn’t until we moved overseas that I heard about the newest birthday party craze: the "Fiver Party." Not only is it GENIUS, but it helps with those last minute birthday gift buying stresses...