If you are a parent who drops their child off at school every day then you know that there is no place on this earth that is as likely to inspire a special type of rage as the circle drive. There is a set of unspoken rules that most of us comply with because it’s what keeps order in the chaos of the circle drive, some parents think the rules either don’t apply to them, or simply don’t matter. And that, my friends, is where circle-drive-rage can happen! The rules for the morning drop off are simple, and yet they
Since the very first moment that I found out I was going to be a mother I knew that I would have one mission above all others. I was determined not to let anyone make my child feel stupid. I was definitely a victim of teachers who said stupid things, and bullies who got under my skin as a child and I spent my entire adolescence believing that I was stupid, not smart enough, or just not good at things—you know, things like math, or science. I remember like it was yesterday having an elementary school teacher tell me, “Oh,
I have been a lover of romance—both as a reader and a writer—since I was a freshman in high school. In those years I have read many, many books that have inspired me to put my love of writing those amazing characters, love stories, and yes sexy love scenes to work for me. I have been lucky enough over the years to work as a book reviewer which has enabled me to befriend many of those writers who have served as my inspiration! I understand the appeal of 50 Shades of Gray, but I have absolutely no desire to read
If you’re the parent of a teen or preteen girl, you know that the struggle is very real. Every school dance or formal event requires a new dress that you will spend hundreds of dollars on–not to mention shoes, accessories, hair, makeup–and they’ll wear it exactly once before it’s banished to the back of the closet. If you’re lucky–and I mean very, very lucky–you’ll be able to sell the dress on a used dress site for a fraction of what you paid for it. Meanwhile her date goes to the local mall, pays a small fee, and rents his outfit–even
You’ve seen the posts, and the bumper stickers, and the…everything else. On report card day your Facebook feed is full of posts bragging about how little Suzy made all A’s…again! I have two children, a boy, and a girl. They are opposite in more ways than just that. She is outgoing and enjoys performing, she enjoys books, and school comes easily to her. He is shyer, but enjoys playing with friends and being active outdoors, school is a challenge, and he avoids anything to do with reading. My daughter has been on the honor roll every single semester of her
You know the old story, when it comes to sex men are easy, and women are complicated. Want to get a guy hot and bothered? Show him a naked woman. Done. Hot and bothered guy. Want to get a woman hot and bothered? Supposedly it’s far more complicated, right? Sure, a simple picture of a naked guy isn’t going to do the trick for the average mom. We’re a little busy, I don’t know if you’ve noticed that or not. This isn’t June Cleaver’s heyday, we’re not running the vacuum cleaner in our high heels and pearls waiting for
For children to help prevent and cope with bullying, learning and participating in martial arts can be incredibly beneficial. Martial arts, such as taekwondo, karate, kickboxing, and Muay Thai offer a variety of skills that can contribute to children’s overall well-being. Mentally and physically, participation in martial arts can improve children’s coping methods and help them not only to deal with bullies, but may also help stop them from being bullies themselves. First and foremost, martial arts instill respect. Kids learn deference to their instructors and to the masters of the practice in class. In addition, kids learn to be
As we go through our daily lives we tend to focus on our own life, our own days, and our own loved ones. There’s nothing at all wrong with that, we focus on what’s in front of us. But the truth is that by going through our daily lives, pursuing our dreams or even just living our mundane lives we are creating ripples in the water of life that impact others in ways we cannot possibly see. A young woman found a love of dance in her life, she had a passion to create a dance studio where all dancers
Truth be told when my mom first mentioned this recipe to me it didn’t appeal to me all that much. I’m not usually a fan of tomatoes especially what I consider “stewed tomatoes”. Blame it on the grade school cafeteria maybe? But, I am a fan of all things Mexican flavored so when she made it and offered me a bowl I tried it, thinking I would eat around the tomatoes. To my surprise I LOVED the soup so much I immediately had seconds, demanded the recipe and made it for my family as soon as she sent it to
Being friends with a writer comes with a certain set of caveats, or rules if you will, that you simply must accept if you’re going to really appreciate the relationship you have with your writer friend. I’ve gathered a handy list of those rules for you here, all together in one place, so you can easily refer to them whenever you’re not sure how to handle something. Because I have an amazing group of writer friends I have asked many of them to contribute to this post! I have linked their rule to their blog, you should click, visit them,
Back Cover Blurb: Family law attorney Maddie Prescott is driven to succeed. A pawn in her parents’ messy divorce, she devoted her career to representing children in court, and when her husband’s early death makes it seem like she can’t have it all, she’s ready to beat the odds by going to a sperm bank. One advantage to single parenthood is that her child will never be a pawn. That, and she’ll never have to deal with sarcastic ladies’ men or liars. Jack Worth promised to look out for his dying best friend’s wife: a small repayment for someone
If you’re at all like me, and since you’re here reading my blog I’m just going to go ahead and assume that you are, then sometimes you just want someone else to take the responsibility of planning what’s for dinner tonight. It’s not the cooking, or the cleaning up, sometimes it’s just the act of deciding what to make that I want a night off from! Well, you’re in luck! Enter to win this fabulous Red Gold Skinny Lasagna Kit which includes all the ingredients to make a fabulous lasagna and a coupon for a few bonus items so you
In our journey on dealing with my son’s attention deficit disorder we have experimented with two different medications (so far) and each of them at various doses. The most recent medication seems to be the best fit we can hope for, and it’s definitely a great fit during the school day. However, we were finding that more often than not homework time was still a struggle. Like most kids he is tired after school and wants to do anything except more school work! He was having two to three hours of homework some evenings, which also told me that while
As teens grow and develop, it can be tempting to assume that they can think and behave just like adults. A little bit of time with a teen, however, can starkly demonstrate just how differently they think and act, and it is all due to brain development. The Teenaged Brain A brain is like a complicated entertainment system that includes the cable box, television, blu-ray player, and surround sound that are all connected through wires. For adults, the parts of the brain work together using a similar system of wires called synapses. The teenaged brain, however, has all of the
Once upon a time, a long, long time ago, we were newlyweds. Watching television in the evening meant snuggling together, spoon style on the couch. We were the couple every other couple envied. We held hands. We went on dates. We hurried home to see one another. He told me I was beautiful. I happily did his laundry without any complaints about the amount that landed outside the hamper instead of inside the hamper. Cooking dinner for him was a treat, a way to show him how much I loved him. When he shopped for my birthday it was a
Do you remember those early years when your children were first beginning to look to the world to find their entertainment and stimulation? Do you remember that no matter how much you spent on expensive gifts, or toys, they were far happier to play with the empty box that once held that expensive toy instead of the actual toy? Do you remember thinking, or even saying out loud “Why do we buy toys, they would rather have the box?” A lot of times, as a parent, or an adult who cares about a child in our lives we strive to
In today’s world where we share a lot (everything?) on social media it’s easy to get caught up in what someone else’s traditions are, and a keeping up with the Jones’s type of scenario. Here are a few things that you should keep in mind as you travel through this year’s hectic Holiday Season. It’s up to you and your partner which traditions you participate in. I know, I know! Everyone and their brother is jumping on the Elf on a Shelf tradition but you don’t have to do it if you don’t want to. And you should have
Just because you see me smiling, doesn’t mean I am always happy. Just because you hear me laughing, doesn’t mean my every moment is always filled with joy. I have moments, I have days, and I have weeks, where I just don’t want to do it. Any of it. I don’t want to get out of bed, I don’t want to drive the kids to school. I don’t want to work. I don’t want to clean the kitchen, or do the laundry. I don’t want to make sure there’s something for dinner, and that everyone does their homework. I don’t
I haven’t blogged a new recipe in ages, but tonight Hubby made one of his famous requests for “something different” and he went further to request that we stuff some really nice chicken breasts we had in the freezer. His thought was to stuff them with stuffing (a la Thanksgiving Stuffing) but I’ve never been a fan of stuffing (or dressing if you call it that) so I persuaded him to let me try something a little more creative. I came up with Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Chicken Breasts that I stuffed with ricotta cheese! I had three really good size
I know as well as anyone that the holidays are insanely stressful and that stress multiplies by about a gazillion when you add being a mom to the mix. Just the things we have to accomplish on a normal day seem impossible to get done, add the extra holiday insanity to the mix and you can practically feel a nervous breakdown stalking you around every corner! Between kids, spouses, and in-laws there’s a constant, never ending demand for our attention and our time! The pressure to create the Norman Rockwell holiday picture is endless! If you’ve ever browsed for holiday
Marcia Kester Doyle is one of my blogging idols, not only is this woman fall-down, pee your pants, hilarious she is also the most kind and giving blogger friend a woman could ask for in this world. I don’t know how she manages to be as prolific in her writing as she is, but figuring that out is definitely a goal of mine! When she asked if I would be interested in guest blogging on her site as part of her Wacky Wednesday Writer series I jumped at the chance and then had a mild panic attack about HOW
Help make a dream come true! I’d love to hit the Amazon Best Seller’s List. Here’s how we can make that happen… Download your copy of Clash of the Couples (a book I co-authored along with forty-five fellow bloggers) for just $0.99 – TODAY ONLY. That’s less than the Starbucks you’re currently sipping and would sure make this lady very happy! VERY. HAPPY. So please, please, please…download today! Thank you for your support! Angela P.S. After you’re done reading and laughing don’t forget to leave us an honest review on Amazon! Yes, I never stop asking you for things…it’s
Hiring a babysitter so you and your spouse can enjoy a “date night” out of the house, without little people demanding to have their butt’s wiped, or their food cut into bite size pieces is a special treat for any couple. But, for the teenager who is taking your place in the role of caregiver to your kids for the night, it’s a part-time job. One they do not because they simply love children, but because they want a chance to earn some spending money of their own that they don’t have to beg from their parents. If your children
I’m willing to bet that if you stopped and thought about your group of friends you would be able to identify a need that each one of them fulfills for you, and if I asked them to do the same about you there’s a spot that you fill that no one else would be able to. Friend relationships are not a one-size-fits all proposition, we have different types of friends, and different types of friendships. When you have a crisis, or a funny story to tell, or you need advice, you know immediately who you are going to call. You
It sounds so simple, doesn’t it? Just focus! Simply pay attention and finish the task in front of you. To those without attention deficit disorder it sounds like the most simple, obvious thing in the entire world. To those with attention deficit disorder it sounds like a pipe dream, something they so desperately wish that they could do but they are just unable to pull it off. We wouldn’t shout “just lower your blood sugar” to a diabetic. Or, “reduce your blood pressure” to someone with heart disease. We know that these things are out of the person’s control.
