Some days, you just need something hearty and delicious for dinner. That’s doubly true when it’s been a long, cold day. And on those days, that’s when my taste buds start begging me for some beef stew. And while there are many fine beef stews out there, this new traditional Scottish beef stew is one of […]
Health
What You Need to Know About the 4 Month Sleep Regression
Four-month-old babies are the cutest. By now, your baby is cute, chubby, and smiling. I mean, really. How cute is that? And, if you’re lucky, your baby’s even sleeping for several hours at a time. Naps might also get you some free time to get a quick shower or some basic things done. Until… you […]
A Mom’s Guide to Diastasis Recti (mommy tummy) by an RN
When you’ve got an injury, people are gonna ask what happened… and I wish I had a story that didn’t involve a toilet. When I was about 6 months’ pregnant with our youngest, my kids informed me there was a clogged toilet. And since my husband was at work, I sighed and grabbed the plunger. […]
Home & Garden
When 10X or 4X Restore Goes Bad – and How to Avoid it!
While I’m all about doing a job well, I don’t want to get stuck having to do that job any more frequently than I have to. Restaining a deck every year? Um, that’s not on my list of favorite things to do. So when we decided to use Restore 10X to restain our deck, I […]
My Review of Restore 10X and 4X for Deck and Concrete
You know those home projects that need to get done? But you’re too busy living life, so you do whatever you can to avoid doing that project? Well, at our last home we finally had to address a huge, discolored eyesore attached to the back of our house: the back deck. It’d been on the home and […]
Humor
How I Use Humor (and anxiety) to Plan a Family Vacation
Today while the baby napped, I thought (for the eleven billionth time) that we should think about scheduling a family vacation for next year. Because, you know, parenting at home isn’t hard enough – let’s do it on the road. Oh, dear… yeah, that’s a little bit of humor and even some sarcasm dripping from […]
One Simple Phrase to Brighten Your Day: I love you Mom
Mornings are controlled chaos, as I juggle getting breakfasts made, lunches packed, and kids dressed. And yet as I watch my kids – whether they’re playing, settling down for naps, or begging for another round of “crack the egg” on the trampoline, I realize how much I love this parenting gig. Because even on the […]
Inspirational
Enjoy Your Season in Life: the Parable of the Pear Tree
I can still remember the day when a coworker pointed out that, once my first baby was born, I should probably learn how to change a diaper without gloves on. I shuddered because poop in any hospital setting is definitely something you wear gloves for. But 4 kids later, here I am with zero glove stash […]
Why Having a Baby Girl Reminds Me Things Will Work Out
Several months ago, I became a mom for the fourth time. This time, to a beautiful baby girl. Growing up, I’d always thought I’d have all boys. Probably because I have so many sisters… (and I love them all dearly!) But for whatever reason, I had it in my head that I’d be parenting four boys. And I […]
Parenting
Science Says an Early Kids Bedtime is Good for Mom’s Health
Our kids’ first birthday is a big deal at our house, but it’s not because cake-smashing is our favorite activity. While we love getting to bathe a child encased in chocolate, what we’re really excited about is the magic that happens for our kids at age one: they finally start sleeping better at night. Because […]
How to Survive the 11 Month Old Sleep Regression
With four small kids, I’ve had to ask myself a few very hard questions – multiple times. And one of the hardest was this… what do you do when your kid hits an 11 month old sleep regression? My answer so far? You cry a lot and binge-eat chocolate because a sleep regression is the worst. And […]
Good Eats
How to Make and Gift Perfect Pumpkin Swirl Snickerdoodle Bread
Fall is one of my most favorite times of the year. It may be because, where I grew up, trees didn’t have leaves – let alone leaves that changed color. Or perhaps it’s the cooler weather, the smell of Christmas coming, or the neighbors who have already decorated for Christmas. Either way, it’s a great […]
How to Make Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Cookies for the Holidays
After living in South Carolina for a few years, I get the whole red velvet craze. When done right, it’s delicious. And it can be totally festive or not, depending on what the occasion is. And with Christmas coming up, this is a perfect way to dress up your table with some festive colors and […]
Writing
Why You Need Your Own Custom Search Engine – and How to Make One
As I’ve dived more and deeper into the layers of SEO (search engine optimization), I’ve realized what a rabbit hole it is – and how much fun it can be, too! One of my new favorite parts of it is the custom search engine because it’s a quick, easy, painless way to do so many wonderful […]
How to Avoid ‘the Perfect SEO’ Monkey Trap
What if I told you there’s an online trap that’s so good that it’s snared countless thousands of business owners and bloggers? Well, there is. And it’s so effective that it’s a huge drain on productivity and bottom lines everywhere. What is it? It’s the SEO monkey trap. Now, because your business has to be online, […]
