I recently heard the expression "decision fatigue," for the very first time. Without explanation or definition, I instantly understood the meaning and it immediately resonated with me. Right now, I am experiencing major decision fatigue. Most of us are. Parents have been ...read more
Summer is here, which normally means it’s time to take a vacation. In the age of the Coronavirus Pandemic, many plans are being changed or curtailed. No matter where you’re going, if you’re not prepared, a potentially amazing holiday can turn out to be the worst. Here are our ...read more
This will undoubtedly be a summer like no other my kids and I have ever experienced. Camps look like they'll be canceled, vacations are in question, and we are all stuck at home on top of each other. Suffice to say, COVID-19 is cramping our usual summer style. We are going to ...read more
I fall into bed exhausted after a full day of learning and playing and homeschooling and working and assuming the role of referee to my wrestling quarantined kiddos. It's a long day when you know you have nowhere to go and nobody to see and tons to get done. I wake up, bee-line ...read more
This is a safe space, so can I admit something sort of personal? In the beginning of this whole shelter-in-place ordeal, I told my husband that we better be careful or we'd find ourselves with our very own pandemic pregnancy. Endless time home, together? I assumed we'd be ...read more
If you thought pregnancy was stressful, try expecting during a pandemic. COVID-19 has made what is supposed to be an exciting time downright terrifying for many soon-to-be moms and dads. Couples who are trying to conceive or are currently expecting are left wondering what they ...read more
Last week my sister texted me in a panic. "Buy meat! Freeze meat! Get as much as you can now or you'll be sorry." Ugh, a potential meat shortage. First it was hand sanitizer. Then toilet paper. And now, beef. Listen, I love me some steak, but I can't be hoarding prime rib. And if ...read more
Okay dads and loved ones, this Mother's Day, there's no excuse. You've got nothing but time. You can create a plan and make Mother's Day special--even if the family is stuck at home. And moms, if you're reading this, you can drop some not so subtle hints or prioritize self-care ...read more
You guys, I've done it. I've hopped on the baking bandwagon. I'm pouring my feelings into chocolate chip cookies, cupcakes, and crumbles. I've loaded my Instacart orders up with confectioner's sugar, vanilla extract, and all the flours. I'm a veritable cream puff--oozing with ...read more
It's Earth Day; and, yet, we're supposed to stay inside, instead of celebrating nature's bounty. With local and national parks being closed around the country to help reduce the spread of Covid-19, it may feel as though we are losing touch with the beautiful world around us. ...read more
What we’re going through right now may be different and a little scary, but it’s vital that kids can identify exactly what’s going on inside of them. They need to be able to understand and vocalize their emotions, recognize the thoughts behind what makes them happy, sad, bored ...read more
Four weekends ago (or approximately seven thousand days ago), I had a lovely spa day with my best girlfriends at Mirbeau Spa in Plymouth, MA. I got a deep tissue massage that legit had me drooling on the table and a collagen facial that made me look a good five years younger. Of ...read more
You should have seen the sheepish look on my husband's face this morning when he broached me, coffee extended, and said "Have a sip... Okay, don't be mad." He went on to apologetically tell me that the online grocery order he thought he had set up was actually never confirmed. ...read more
This is a really strange time. I legitimately feel like we're living out a weird science fiction novel. This new normal is anything but, and I'm eagerly hoping for a happy ending (or maybe a new beginning?) to take us all by surprise. Alas, right now, we can only take one ...read more
We still in the early days of "social distancing" and the resulting homeschooling of our children. It's Day 4, so I'm trying not to get too excited or cocky about how well my kids are adjusting--because, let's face it: they're going to have their highs and lows and so am I. ...read more
I'm running out of ideas here, friends. We're on Day 3 of "social distancing" and let's just say I don't have a second career as a homeschool mama-teacher. This gig is challenging. To add fuel to the fire, there's the fact that I don't have a lot of "things" for the kiddos to ...read more
Okay, guys. We're in the midst of an actual pandemic. Stores are out of toilet paper. Schools and public institutions are closing. The market is plummeting. People are sick--with way more confirmed cases of COVID-19 to come in the approaching days and week. Panic is consuming ...read more
Hand washing is a hot topic these days. As if the incessant spread of "regular ole viruses" wasn't scary enough, the appearance of COVID-19 here in New York State (and, you know, around the entire world) is causing even more fear and misconception. Indeed, the news of a ...read more