Anyone who manages a small country called ‘Family’ is familiar with  the mayhem that accompanies the start of a new school year.  The work involved in this transition can drain an entire summer’s worth of relaxation in a single week.  Which is why I find myself holding onto a clear shedule and summer weather with [...]

As a mom and a tween mentor, I’m always on the lookout for empowering songs to inspire the tweens in my life.  Today I’d like to share part of my inspirational playlist with you.  Most songs are fairly current and popular, but if you can’t convince your tween to add these songs to her own [...]

I read a poll claiming that, “one gift that seemed most important to women on Mother’s Day was quality time alone.” As a mother of young children, this statement did not shock me; this is exactly what I ‘ask’ for each year.  I felt partially vindicated to learn that  I’m not the only ogre whose greatest [...]

Cautions from childhood echo in my ear, “What are you complaining about?  Wait til you’re an adult in the real world.  Then you’ll know problems!”  Dismal warnings like this were enough to make me want to curl under my covers and hope that Peter Pan would rescue me from becoming an adult.  Feeling overwhelmed and [...]

Do you yell at your kids?  This question was presented to me by a parent of 3 young children.  Had I not asked this same question multiple times as a young mother hoping for absolution, I may have been more reticent and less truthful in my answer.  My neck and jaw may have stiffened as [...]