Real Talk

I've seen it time and time again - the woman scorned. Her husband: a no-good cheater who destroyed their picture-perfect life. This isn't that story. Instead, I was the no-good cheater, the one who would have been branded with that scarlet A. I met my husband when I was 18 years old - a child, one who had been sheltered for a long time before being essentially abandoned to raise myself. He was a gift. I found him when I was rebounding from a toxic non-relationship in the midst of dealing with my younger brother dying from cancer. He was sweet and pure and exactly what I needed at that moment. And once I found him, my whole world revolved...

7:42 a.m. Day 1 of summer break. My youngest, 11, comes up to me and lays in my lap as I am working. I already know what she is about to say because we have been here so many times before. "I'm boooooored," she moans. "I can't help you. You have plenty to do." She marches off, mad and mumbling to herself. I remember being that age and home during summer break. I spent my afternoons playing outside or with friends. I never told my mom that I was bored because she would just give me chores to do. I learned that lesson pretty quickly. My kids have also learned the same lesson. When my children were younger, I would plan out their summers. Bucket lists of...

If you need a filter to make something look perfect, social media is where it’s at. It can make you look however you want to look. Completely unrecognizable. On the other side of the coin, it removes the filters of societal norms. The things that should and should not be shared and by whom they should be shared. People lose their filter of all things appropriate. There is a time and a place for information to be shared and it should be shared by the person and/or a designated family member. For example… When someone has a baby:: When I was growing up, you found out that someone was in labor and going to the hospital through your house phone (yes,...

I’m over Disney princesses y’all. Or the old school ones at least. I know I'll have to get over this as my three daughters love all things princess, but I just don’t want our girls continually seeing perfectly beautiful women solely focused on romance and “true loves kiss.” I was really happy when Disney switched gears with the introduction of strong women characters like Anna and Elsa and am completely here for broader storylines and diverse casts like in Encanto. So, while it doesn’t have the completely addictive (or annoying, pending your perspective) soundtrack, Disney’s new movie, Bad Guys fits the bill for a fun family movie that has positive messages and doesn’t revolve around romance.  Friendship and personal...

The other day, a suggested post in one of my social media feeds introduced me to the idea of NO-vember. In a nutshell, you are free to say no to ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING this month if it drains your energy. This isn't necessarily a new concept, but I like to think of it as Marie-Kondo-ing my so-called and quite often self-inflicted obligations (instead of my home). If it doesn't spark joy, then you can say no to it with no guilt whatsoever. Honestly, it shouldn't take social media posts or witty phrasing to help us understand something we should already be doing. There should never be any guilt associated with doing what is best for you, even if that means...