Empowerment Gift If you do nothing else for yourself this season, I highly recommend that you give yourself - or your loved ones - a little gift. Have you had the chance to read the book Wonder by R. J. Palacio or did you see the movie? You may remember that Auggie's teacher, Mr. Browne, introduces the kids to precepts. Each and every month, Mr. Browne introduces a precept continue reading...

Life is full of ups and downs. It is a roller coaster that sometimes we'd rather get off than climb the next hill. We get tired. Adulting can be difficult! But when you strip all of it down, it really comes down to a very black and white decision. You can get busy living or get busy dying. When my husband and I were first married, we had dinner with a few people from a car continue reading...

This post was made in partnership with Depend® brand. All opinions are my own. Do you ever wish that you could speak to your younger self? Tell yourself all of the things that might help relieve some of the long-term stress - or even just offer a hug and encouraging words? I spend a lot of time saying things to my children that I wish that I could go back and share with the continue reading...

SAD When the weather starts to turn from summer to fall and fall to winter, many people are pleased. Many people bear the hot weather just to get to cooler temperatures and winter holidays. But that isn't the case for everyone. Some people find that while they were cheery and bright in the summer, depression takes over in the winter. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), also continue reading...

Morning Routines Have you ever woken up feeling foggy? It is as if your brain has a mind of its own and doesn’t always want to function when it needs to - particularly in the morning. Well, there are ways around that.  We are creatures of habit from the time we are born. Babies and children typically do better when they have set numbers of naps that happen around the continue reading...

How Social Media Affects Teenagers In this day and age, children and teenagers are being raised in a different world than their parents were. When we were kids, we rode bikes, played card games with friends, and had never even heard the words "social media." Teenagers these days are being raised in a tech world. By the time a child is 13 years old, they will often already continue reading...

The Benefits of Having Siblings Having siblings can be a wonderful experience. Of course, it may not always feel that fantastic. When you're little and you have to share a lot of space and attention or when you're older and have to compete with your sibling, you definitely may not appreciate every aspect.  Depending on your birth order, you and your siblings may have a continue reading...

This post was made in partnership with Depend® brand. All opinions are my own. It happened! "Back to school" has now become "back in school." Whether you are missing the kids or incredibly glad that they're back in session (or a little of both?), fall brings about new challenges, expectations and activities. The weather is just right this time of year - not too hot and continue reading...

5 Simple Ways To Deal With Criticism Criticism affects everyone. Whether it be constructive or projected, criticism never feels great - at least not right off the bat. Criticism has its benefits of course - we learn, we grow, we get motivated - but it also has its major emotional downfalls.  When you hear criticism, do you feel yourself bristle? Do you get emotional continue reading...

Making Memories Life can be busy and tough. In this age of social media and constant stimulation from outside sources, it can be hard to find time, patience and concentration enough to have a little peace. You may remember a time when life wasn't quite this way; playing baseball in the backyard with friends or riding bikes around the block. As children, we only know what we continue reading...