Today our state grieves along with the rest of the nation. For those precious little lives who should be in class today with their friends, and returned safely back to their parents at the end of the day. Today and...
Last week I had the privilege of seeing Dolly Parton live in concert. It's funny, I didn't even realize how many of her songs I loved until my mom told me she had tickets and then I started to count...
All moms are different. We find what works for us. We do what we have to do. We parent in our own unique ways, but the stuff of motherhood makes us all part of the same tribe. We all carry...
Spoiler Alert!! If you are under the age of 10 or believe in Santa Claus do not read any further! This past Christmas has been filled with wonderful memories, sad happenings, and uneasiness. You see, I'm the mother of a...
The past, present and future walk into a bar. It was tense. After you roll your eyes, lend me your ears. Let’s imagine your future self. Blythe, billionaire heiress, floating on a swan shaped inflatable at an exclusive resort in...
Read, read, read. Teachers are always discussing the importance of reading for young children. All young children love to have their parents read them their favorite stories over and over again. Then, once they enter elementary school, the push increases...
Compassion. There’s a word we hear a lot, but how many people know the true meaning? According to merriam-webster.com, compassion is “the sympathetic consciousness of others' distress together with a desire to alleviate it.” That last bit is important –...
The one constant source of entertainment in my life, and has been for years, are Disney movies. They never disappoint and transport you to a world of magic. Every time a new animated film comes out, I get very excited....
I did the #dubchallenge before I even understood what it was. This is where we are as a society: we share without reading, skim headlines but ignore content, and participate without questioning. This is what I saw of the #dubchallenge...
Each the year the holidays approach with lots of excitement and preparation. Plans made, decorations hung up, recipes cooked, and presents purchased – and create and mail those customized holiday cards. Some families take special pictures specifically for the holidays, but we typically use candids...
I don’t know if everybody gets it, but I’m grateful for my divorce. Or, I guess I should say, my separation. My divorce isn’t yet final, but it’s on it’s way. And I’m thankful for that. This is the sort...
My body and I separated in 8th grade. I was 13 years old and at a friend’s whose older sister was having a party. This was my first experience with both drinking and boys, and I had no information about...
Well friends, if there was ever going to be a two way tie for crap-tastic mother of the year, it will be going to the Midwestern Misfit Mom Team Barrie Bismark and Kristin McCarthy. Between the two ranty, snarky moms...
This concept, “It takes a village”, is nothing new. It comes from a Nigerian proverb “It takes a whole village to raise a child” which conveys the emphasis on the value of family relationships, self-sacrifice and caring for others as well...
“Because the Elf on the Shelf isn't real.” The words left my mouth and I didn't stop them. They were glassy--sharp right angles delivered to the wrong person. I meant the words but they weren’t for my daughter. They were...
Preface: Mom has ongoing internal conflict on how to advocate for middle school aged son with ADHD. Act 1: Flashback Summer 2016: Summer before son starts 7th Grade, which is his 2nd year of middle school. Scene 1: One Sunny Summer Day:...
52% of white women voted for Donald Trump. White Women just put the most anti-woman candidate this nation has ever seen in the White House. I was wrong. Terribly, devastatingly wrong. I was one of those that said Trump could...
Some moms spend hours every day searching on pinning on Pinterest. I’m not that mom. Some moms pin their own recipes, crafts, and décor with their own photos from their own lives. I’m not that mom. Some moms make cute...
Remember when you were a kid and how exciting it was to have a sleep over with your friends? For me, it was in the late 80's and early 90's…In the late 80's I got to experience the typical elementary school...
Friendship is a funny thing. I used to think it was odd when I heard that two people just stopped being friends for no particular reason. But as I get older, I see how easy it is to drift apart...
I am Huma. I don’t want to talk about emails, in fact, I don't know anything about emails. However, I do know what it's like to want nothing more than to go back in time and choose a husband who wouldn't cheat,...
Near death experiences are no laughing matter. But the other day after an intense workout, I was in the locker room with a girlfriend who took out an aerosol can and hosed down her entire body, her workout bag and...
Recently I was taking part in a workshop. I was in a room filled with strangers all working on our personal development. We were in a beautiful church in Covent Garden; it was a safe space, free from judgement and...
The time for showing you facts and figures is done. They have not swayed you. Now is the time for shaming and debasing. You've been shown the bare, bloodied facts and yet you continue to vote no. I want you...
"It's a squishy one, Mum," was shouted from the toilet. Great. Just. Freakin'. Great. Today, I needed to feel more than just an on tap arse wiper. It was a nothing Wednesday. Hump day. A long, long way from Friday....
A few weeks ago I traveled to Atlanta to attend "The Warrior Mom Conference" for Postpartum Progress (#warriorconmom) in Atlanta. The Warrior Mom™ Conference is a patient-centered, community-focused conference for survivors of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, and those still working toward...
Sitting in my office I start to think about life before my current school. I realize that I have worked in some amazing schools and have worked in some not so great schools. All of them have been great as...
In my professional life I work as an Enrollment Counselor for a child care & preschool organization. For the past 6 years I have had the privilege of connecting with many parents of newborns who are exploring their option for child care. And even though I am...
My kids are both tucked into their beds, sweaty hairs on the pillow, small warm bodies snuggled into fresh sheets with their overhead fans whirring and white noise all around. Like most other days, I snuck out from my son’s...
Manhattan is one of those places where you'd expect to see celebrities out and about. But even with all my years of working in Manhattan, I hardy ever saw any. Maybe they blend in a little more in the city? Or more likely is...
The bell rang and as I quickly trailed the other girls across the school, I noticed the boys in my homeroom class gathered in a circle talking. Of course in the mix of this circle was the cute, tall boy...
We’ve been hearing a lot about detoxing lately… Well, I have anyway. And I’ve been talking a lot about it to my health coaching clients. And anyone else who will listen. If you haven’t heard, here are some reasons why...
By Jen Schwartz (The Medicated Mommy) & Rachel Sobel (Whine & Cheez - its) Early fall is Jewish holiday season. That means going to temple, eating apples and honey in hopes of a sweet year ahead, family dinners filled with...
By Jen Schwartz (The Medicated Mommy) & Rachel Sobel (Whine & Cheez - its) Early fall is Jewish holiday season. That means going to temple, eating apples and honey in hopes of a sweet year ahead, family dinners filled with...
I read a lot about parenting, the do’s and dont’s, the must’s and must not’s, the how to’s. A lot of it is good information, some is laughable, and some sounds good on paper. Most of it, however, only talks...
I woke up freezing cold. My head felt fuzzy - not like a hangover. More like the way you feel when you’ve been to the movies in the day and you walk out into bright sunlight; and it takes you...
"I'll take care of it. Don't worry!" That's what I always say, always do, and I know I am not the only mom/wife who says these words. Sometimes, wait, most of the time, it is just easier to do it...
Reading posts on social media these days is depressing stuff if you’re a woman. Just when did it become the norm for women to hate on women? I recently got into a verbal altercation on Huff Post’s Facebook page over...
I can feel my body wake up from a slumber – One I didn’t know I was in Sleeping secretly When that drum beat breaks, breaking me open, but how I like or maybe putting me back together, depending Or...
I’m on the phone with one of my childhood best friends listening to her talk about how her job is going, various shenanigans with her two children, and how she’s keeping everything all together. I think about all she’s telling...
Ok class, listen up, because today we are going to be talking about knickers. Ladies knickers to be precise. Men have it easy – boxers or briefs, that’s it. The only thing they have to worry about is material. But...
Dear You-Know-Who-You-Are, I’ve been thinking about you since we crossed paths last weekend at the party. You greeted me enthusiastically with a “Jenny!!” and proceeded to tell those around us that we’ve known each other since childhood. Almost 30 years! ...
I loved growing up in the 80s - The movies, the music, the "fashion" trends, the hair. It was a great time to be a teenager. It seemed like a simpler time, but that's most likely because I wasn't a grown-up...
As I complete the 40th anniversary of my freshman year, I am about to return home with the same feelings as I did when I came back for Thanksgiving my freshman year of college. Returning home to my very wonderful and...
Imagine the soft tongue of a handsome stranger enthusiastically exploring the hollows of your open mouth, when suddenly the moment is interrupted (and enhanced) by the soft exploration of another man’s tongue…and then, minutes later, yet another. Then imagine these...
One morning while snuggled up with my four-year-old daughter watching one of her favorite super-hero cartoons, she looked at me with her big, brown doe eyes and asked, “Mama, can that guy fornicate?” A battery spray of “HOLY SHIT!” questions...
The first time I realized I wanted to write was during a contest hosted by a local organization. The subject was "What do you wish for, during this Holiday season?" I was in 8th grade and my response flowed out...
Life usually offers up many opportunities which allow us to get involved with new experiences. Some are exciting, some unexpected, some exhilarating and some completely terrifying. There are certainly aspects of my life where if you told me 10 years ago...
Stitches? Hours of labour? Complications? Is it necessary to share with the world, literally, the ins and outs? Have you discussed your labour with a complete stranger? In minute blow by blow details? Does anyone know how that little firecracker...
So funny. I took a vacation last week with my best friends, some of whom I've known since I was 5 years old - that's 35 years of memories people!!) and started reflecting back on past vacations with the same...