December 2, 2014 Maybe you were in the same boat as me last Thursday… Our plates sit empty. Our eyelids droop. We nurse a cup of coffee in hopes of enough energy to put the turkey away. But still in the back of our minds, the fear that maybe we are missing out. Beyond the…
December 5, 2014 It’s that time of year! The holiday movie season is already upon us and December is always a month filled with fun releases from a variety of genres. It’s chilly out there so it’s definitely the time to bundle up and keep warm in a movie theater. Here are some of the releases…
December 9, 2014 There are two dramatic separations stealing headlines in Hollywood right now. Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon have officially filed for divorce while Kendra Wilkinson and Hank Baskett seem to be teetering on the edge. Both high profile couples have small children and it begs to question whether we should be hearing anything…
December 10, 2014 Last year around this time, I wrote Go Beyond the List to help people to think through the gift giving season. This year my son wrote up a wish list that read as a never-ending catalogue of Star Wars Lego sets and I found myself asking those same questions yet again. Legos are…
December 10, 2014 Dear Annie, My 10 year old daughter can’t remember to bring home school assignments. She’s a very good student, well mannered, etc. We lovingly say she is off with the fairies. In fact, she’s always drawing fairies and unicorns! We’ve tried a planner, notes taped to her backpack, and taking away special…
December 16, 2014 Last week, at a women’s holiday luncheon, we played a Family Feud type game. The question was, “What do women want for Christmas?” My first answer: a nap. Second response: a vacation. My cousin texted me, “Hey, I need some ideas for your kiddos!” I replied, “Cages.” She said she found a nice bedazzled…
December 26, 2014 One of the saddest things about the end of the year is looking back on all of the talented people we’ve lost in the world. Naturally, we mourn for all of our losses (not just the famous) but this is a list of people who we, as a collective, are sad to…
December 30, 2014 New Year’s Eve is one of those holidays that – outside of visiting New York and a kiss when the ball drops – doesn’t really come with a set list of traditions. December is filled with movies and songs and every other kind of activity for us to do. By the time…
December 30, 2014 My re-write of a favorite childrens’ story based on our post-Christmas gifts tween daughter experience … If you give a tween some lip gloss, She’ll ask for eyeshadow to go with it. When you tell her she’s only ten and talking crazy, She will attempt to put the gloss on her eyelids….
January 5, 2015 January is rarely a good month for movie releases and that is largely due to the fact that we are tired and broke after the holidays – and we have little energy (or money) for doing much of anything. Still, the show must go on and this month is no exception. While…
January 6, 2015 Ah, we have embarked on the first full week of January. Any mom knows that the first Monday, the first day back to your regular schedule, is the real start to our year. It’s time to roll out those personal and family resolutions. When our family sat down this New Year’s Day…
February 6, 2015 SpongeBob SquarePants, the world’s favorite sea dwelling invertebrate, comes ashore to our world for his most super-heroic adventure yet. I was so excited to learn that Paramount Animation and Nickelodeon Movies were coming together to bring us a new SpongeBob film! The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water is an all new…
January 8, 2015 Now that the new year has begun, we are all wondering when our favorite shows will return. With the plummeted temperatures and a desire to stay home, planning our primetime viewing is even more of a priority. In case you are anxiously waiting for an update, here’s a look at January’s midseason…
January 14, 2015 Did you spend a little too much over the holidays? If so, paying bills and getting things under control this month a little stressful. It may feel overwhelming but, with a little discipline and organization, you can get things back on track. Here are some suggestions: Avoid Denial It’s tempting to put…
January 22, 2015 If you’re a working mom, you’ve definitely got coworkers. Some days the office environment can be relatively easy and sometimes it can be a real challenge. It’s worth pointing out, though, that even if things are great, you can always make things a little better by focusing on who you are as a coworker….
January 13, 2015 Every mother wants to believe her angel is special: the smartest, the quickest, full of the most potential. Then again, some moms feel that other children don’t have to focus/think/listen quite as hard as their baby. She might even be right! But at what point does your little sweetie need specific help from the school?…
January 15, 2015 Dear Annie, My daughter came home from school in tears today and reports that a supposed friend led a group of girls away from her, excluding her from all the recess games they were playing. What do I do? Mama Lion Dear Mama Lion, You probably feel like roaring at the…
January 30, 2015 Having been in direct sales since before the online era of “social selling,” I used to struggle with the efforts of trying to get in front of customers in my local town while having two (and then three) small children. Then the online world exploded and opened a whole new path for anyone in direct sales. I could…
January 27, 2015 Nearly all kids can appreciate the fun of building with Legos, even if they don’t have them at home. My kids were lucky to get their uncles’ hand me downs in the form of a giant tub of Legos. They have always liked dumping them out and letting their creative juices loose. Then,…
January 26, 2015 By now most people in the country log onto Facebook at least once a day. For a long time, I just used the website to share pictures and keep in touch with old friends. Recently, though, I realized that as a busy mom, there are days when Facebook is my only touch with the world…
January 29, 2015 Not so long ago, women over 35 were downright discouraged from having children but, nowadays, it usually just means that the expectant mother will get a little more attention. The attitude towards pregnancy in a woman’s late 30s and 40s has been gradually changing and the leading ladies in Hollywood are definitely…
February 11, 2015 Kindness and compassion are two things I am constantly trying to instill in my children. It’s important as a way to show respect and really connect with those around us. Every day we see more proof that connections hold the power to heal. We hear of groups coming together in vigils and…
February 3, 2015 Writing the piece Martin Luther King Jr: One Teacher’s Lesson on Understanding, a few weeks ago reminded me of a social experiment I’d heard about in a documentary on PBS a while ago. It discussed another social division of power prevalent in our society, the wealthy and the “poorer” class. The studies researched adults, not children,…
February 5, 2015 February 2015 is going to be a hot and sexy month at the movies – just in time for Valentine’s Day! There is a decent variety among the upcoming releases but the adaptation of Fifty Shades of Grey is what everyone is talking about. If you’re looking for a family flick, SpongeBob…
February 9, 2015 You’re a mom, the same as me. But beyond that, our lives probably look different on paper. You might work a high-powered job while your kids are in school. You might have been up all night with a colicky newborn or a heart-broken teenager. You might be single, married, or somewhere in between….
February 10, 2015 The video from yesterday’s End the War: We’re All Moms reminded me of all the hysterical parenting videos I’ve seen through the years. So, I went looking through YouTube for those parents who felt just like me and found these laugh-worthy musical gems. Overstressed Mom Epic Rap “Sleep deprived and under house…
February 12, 2015 It’s been a long break for some but, finally, our favorite shows are returning to the lineup. The premieres have been staggered, with some already occurring in January but now, in the second month of the year (already!), more are coming back. In addition to established favorites, some new shows will be…
February 18, 2015 In the workplace, we need to feel as though there is strong leadership keeping everyone on the same path, but what happens when the leader goes through hard times? A boss may be injured, recently diagnosed with an illness, dealing with a loss or some other major stressor. But while they are going…
February 17, 2015 Let’s be honest. TV runs the way of fast food, sugar, and spiked coffee. We wish we could avoid it all together, but sometimes we thank the heavens it’s available. The American Academy of Pediatrics released newer guidelines for television, internet, and handheld devices last year. They still recommend limiting kids’ viewing…
February 20, 2015 Love her or hate her, Iggy Azalea has enjoyed quite a successful year. Her breakout hit “Fancy” started a tidal wave of hits and collaborations and has solidified her spot in the industry (at least, for now) but her journey has not been without some controversy. Azalea has faced harsh criticism from…
February 23, 2015 As I spoke with moms last week for To TV or Not to TV, thoughts of limiting screen time naturally led to the topic of internet safety. One mom told me about a recent experience. She and her husband paid a lot of attention to their children’s online life and safety. Every app…
February 23, 2015 Becoming a new mom, whether it’s your first or fourth time, can be an incredibly rewarding experience but it can also be exhausting. For this reason, it’s so important that the people around the growing family pitch in and help out in ways that will truly make a difference. By taking some…
February 27, 2015 Growing up, I was always a huge fan of Peter Pan and his mischievous fairy, Tinker Bell. She is fiercely loyal but with a bit of fun and attitude thrown in! When the focus finally moved to Tinker Bell in her first original animated film, I was thrilled at the chance to…
March 2, 2015 Once you’ve taken a look at this month’s offerings at the box office, it will be hard to deny how weird it is. The variety is somewhat nice but there’s just this mixed bag feel to it that makes it seem so disjointed. After several months of “themed” releases (Thanksgiving, Christmas and…
March 5, 2015 Another wave of shows is returning this month which is great since half of the country is stuck inside due to the extremely frigid temperatures. Once Upon a Time viewers will be happy to see the return of the surprisingly popular show that now features characters from Frozen and Maleficent, among others….
March 19, 2015 When Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck starred in Daredevil together, who could have known how their lives would change? The pair began dating in 2004 and, on June 29, 2005, when the actress was four months pregnant with their first child, Violet, they got married. Since then, they have added two more…
March 26, 2015 It’s starting to heat up outside but the box office is still warming up for the summer blockbusters. Still, there are a few gems to be seen in theaters this month and there is plenty of variety. Fans of the late Paul Walker will likely find the release of Furious 7 bittersweet…
March 9, 2015 I found myself outside with a group of moms during parent teacher conferences a few months ago. We talked about how the meetings went and many of us praised one particular teacher because he always had a personal story or two about our child. “Oh I don’t care about that,” another mom…
March 17, 2015 Media today tells girls they would be happier, more popular, more beautiful, more (yikes!) valuable, if they would just lose weight and conform to what society dictates. As parents we see the unique beauty that they already possess. In a perfect follow-up to last week’s article, 6 Videos That Take a Stand…
March 19, 2015 I recently had the opportunity to watch this amazing video and speak to its creator, 19-year-old filmmaker/singer/songwriter Juliana Lyons. Juliana filmed, directed, and edited this video about body image and pressure young girls feel to look a certain way. And it’s all set to a song she wrote a recorded! How amazing is that?…
March 23, 2015 I’ve been called a mean mom. Well, which mom hasn’t? In this case, though, an another adult backed up my daughter’s case. My family are all huge Harry Potter fans, but I explained to this friend that I only let my daughter read one book a year with one or two exceptions. He…
March 24, 2015 Since writing the article, A New View: We Need to Empower Introverts, about introverts in schools, I’ve thought a lot about behavioral influences on learning. My kids certainly approach their education differently. My son focuses intently because he worries about missing something the teacher might ask while my daughter tends to focus on the…
March 24, 2015 Bullying. Narcissism. Short attention spans. More and more, technology is getting the blame for raising a generation of anti-social children. But can technology, especially electronic games, also help children develop better people skills? Jessica Berlinski and Jeremy Richman think so. Berklinski, the chief impact officer for Personalized Learning Games, and Richman, founder…
March 31, 2015 It happened about six months ago. My son went to a friend’s house and played Minecraft. Parents who have experienced this know what came next … the obsession. He started talking about a variety of things that made little to no sense. The conversation ramped up to critical volume when we finally let him…
April 3, 2015 The weather continues to improve and that’s a great thing for people who have been suffering from cabin fever during this particularly harsh winter. Still, there will be times when you want to just chill on the couch and, fortunately, some great programming is returning to the lineup this month. One highly…