The teen girl had a special studies day last Friday. The topic was how to be better about saving our planet. They watched the documentary Straws and came up with an action plan on what they can do individually to be better stewards of the environment. Of course the 14 year old girl's plan for … Continue reading Be better about saving our planet →

One of my new favorite Netflix shows is Dead to Me. It is a dark show about a husband who was killed in a hit and run accident. The driver who hit him befriends his wife in an effort to make amends. I told you it was dark. The best part of the show is … Continue reading How to say no →

The last few months have not been kind to our family. Our family dog Smooch died unexpectedly while we were on spring break in California. And I loved that damn dog more than anything. Even her giant tongue that did not fit into her mouth. She was instead of another kiddo, so I am sure … Continue reading Move your body when you are sad →

2019 has not been a kind year to our family, especially for my oldest child who has experienced more death in one year than I would ever hope he would experience in a lifetime. I won't share details here because they are mostly his losses, not mine, but the latest unexpected death has really rocked … Continue reading Dealing with grief as a teenager →

My mom died unexpectedly the week after Mother's Day in 2015. This will be my fourth Mother's Day without her. But even while she was alive, our relationship was complicated. She had untreated mental illness, and I so desperately wanted her to get help that she would never seek. Click here to read about my … Continue reading When Mother’s Day is hard →

I read this book to check in to see how we were doing as a family trying to navigate life with a teenage girl. Overall, I feel like we should get a pat on the back, since a lot of the recommendations are already a part of our family dynamics. It was also comforting to … Continue reading Book review: untangled →

If any parent in 2019 says they know exactly what their teen is doing online, they are liars. I am just going to put that out there. In the early teen years, I tried to police my children's screen time and where they were going on the internet. It was hard work and not that … Continue reading Monitoring teen screen time →

I have learned to be more mindful of managing stress as I enter middle age. Things that were not typically stressful in previous years tend to be triggers for stress and anxiety now. Here are 6 things I do to keep my stress under control. Let it go. No, not the Frozen movie theme song. … Continue reading Managing stress in middle age →

My oldest has had his learner's permit for about 4 months now. Unlike a lot of teens his age, he is very motivated to drive. I think teens are less interested in driving in general because they are already so connected with their friends via social media and other technology. Back when I was a … Continue reading Helping your teen learn to drive →