Toddlerhood

I love to read, and this has been true since I was a child.  I cannot really pinpoint what got me to love reading, but I am pretty sure it was my parents.  When we were kids my parents read...

The MAGIC of the holidays... what does that even mean?  Maybe you're one of those people who loves to go above and beyond when it comes to making Christmas magical. Maybe you're just trying to find easy, cheap ways to keep...

My daughter is many things: smart, frustrating, beautiful, exhausting, snarky, genuine, honest, loving… and hilarious.  The things that come out of that girl’s mouth just crack me up.  There will be times that she is being both so incredibly...

Do other moms stress as much as I do about how I can raise my little boy into a good, adult human? I don’t just want him to be a functional member of society, but rather a positive contribution...

I had a moment the other day. After a hellish day juggling the demands that come from working multiple jobs, being a wife, and caring for an overly tired two-year-old, I looked around my house. I briefly remembered a peaceful time...

Some of you may recognize the title from Game of Thrones: "Mother of Dragons." Unfortunately, it is not original to me. However, there are days that I feel like it is the perfect description of my role. My oldest daughter...

A few weeks ago, as I was flipping through a parenting magazine, I stumbled across an article entitled "How To Raise A Can-Do Kid." This concept isn't lost on me; it's quite the opposite, in fact. My time as...

What is scarier: Toddlers on a plane or snakes on a plane?? I vote toddlers. I recently embarked on a trip to Florida and took our 21-month-old daughter along for the ride. I was excited to visit my grandparents but absolutely...

My husband and I are big fans of Malcolm Gladwell, author of The Tipping Point and Outliers. We often discuss his 10,000 hour rule with regard to our 15 years of parenting. This rule states that it takes roughly...

3. THREE. Three…It's a tough number. This Spring will mark my daughters 3rd birthday. As usual, I have had the theme selected for months and created a short to-do list for this intimate family affair. I really enjoy the prep and planning...