Hear Ye! Hear Ye! All you moms out there! Listen up!! Let me share a valuable tip I learned the hard way! When you are planning any kind of excursion, getaway, trip, or vacation, be in 3 days or 14 days, always plan for “recovery time!” It needs to be built-in on the back end! …
Super Mom’s Two Do List
Are you one of those SAHMs who lives paper free? Is there an app for everything on your phone, including your to-do list? Does all your paper make it into the trash, shredder, or recycle bin? Here’s a shout-out to you! Me, you ask? Nowhere close! I treasure the feel of nice heavy-weight cardstock in …
The Family Vacation, ummm… Trip
Let’s be fair to all the mom’s out there. Whether you are a stay-at-home mom, working mom, stepmom, whatever your label, family vacations are really trips. Call them what they are: Trips. Albeit, family trips. When you leave the children and go somewhere with your spouse, that’s a vacation. For all the moms who simply …
Rethinking Summer
Summertime is knocking at your door whether you’re ready for it or not! Some of you look forward to summer with no alarm clocks or schedules! Others of you dread summer with no alarm clocks or schedules! It is certainly a season unto itself. The challenge with summer lies in the expectations each of us …
Families that Play Together, Stay Together
Did you know play is work? As an adult, we can play for a bit, and sadly, it can wear us out. But for kids play is their work. It’s how they learn! Of course, we all would agree that’s true for the baby, toddler, and preschool set. So much work to sort out this …
Learning with Your Best Style
Okay, I know what you’re thinking. Karen, I already breezed through your post on the three main Learning Styles and waded my way through your post on Multiple Intelligences. I think I’ve got it. Why are you writing about this topic again? Good question. It’s not to annoy you or waste your time, I promise! Rather, it is …
Dreadful and Delightful Sides of Being the Stepmom
In honor of my step-daughter’s 15th birthday, I thought I would describe for you some of the ups and downs of my first 13 years with the title, Stepmom. As you know there are two sides to every story, two perspectives of every event, and different definitions of what is good or bad. I am the …
What Determines Value?
No one can deny that growing up in a divorced family is quite different than growing up in a nuclear family. No doubt about it. But what are the farther-reaching effects on the kids than the obvious of having one home or two? Parents or step-parents? One holiday or multiple celebrations? In my experience as …
What Forgiveness is Not
You’ve heard it time and time again. Forgive, forget and move on. Easier said than done, my friend, easier said than done. In a divorced or blended family, forgiveness takes on a whole new depth and dimension. We’re not just talking about snapping at someone rudely for not being ready on time or for leaving …
The Power of a Picture
Through my years of being a custodial step-mom, I have always looked for ways to create a bond with my step-daughter. I am not her biological mom and yet she has lived 85% of her life with me and her father for the last ten years. My heart’s desire is for her “enjoy” her life with us …