Life
5 Tips for an Overnight Getaway
When you’re planning an overnight getaway, take a little time to pack a smart, versatile wardrobe and develop a wish list of to-dos to ensure no time is wasted. This post is sponsored by Aventura® Aside from the one week-long vacation we take every summer, most of my trips are overnights or long weekends. I’ve found that those shorter trips require a little more strategic planning than the longer ones because there’s no wiggle room to allow for missed opportunities. The good news is, it’s easy to do a little simple planning ahead to produce a fun whirlwind overnight getaway. These five tips have worked well for me! 1. Pack…
My Secret to Feeling Empowered
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #StrengthHasNoGender #CBias One way to feel empowered as an “everyday hero” is to practice modeling strong, resilient behavior doing the things that bring you joy and helping others find theirs, too. It’s really important to me to find things in life that bring me joy and to model that for my kids, not just as their mom, but as a woman. They can choose to be whatever they want in life with our emotional support, and I want them to feel proud of their accomplishments—the things they work really hard for. They should feel…
This Soup Makes Life Easier in Winter
Thank you Idahoan® Steakhouse® Soups for sponsoring this post. Grab yourself a bowl and celebrate National Soup Month with me! I could enjoy soup any day of the week—it’s such a comfort food, and there are so many different varieties and recipes from which to pick … and devour. One of my favorites will always be potato soup, which is why I was excited to try Idahoan® Steakhouse® Soups during National Soup Month! We’re just coming out of a really cold snap this winter, and it’s just barely halfway over. And, when I say “really cold” I’m probably not doing the frigid air justice, as the high for weeks was…
Stop These 5 Airport Bad Habits
You need to stop these 5 airport bad habits right now. About once a month I travel for business trips, and I find myself in an airport headed somewhere far from here … to meetings, conferences, or something else job-related. The closest airport is in Baltimore, and when I’m headed to Illinois (a frequent work destination) unfortunately none of the airlines I’m able to use have direct flights. (Read: not Chicago.) This means I spend a significant amount of time in airports, consumed by layovers. It’s not all bad, really. The stress that comes with a quick layover (especially in Atlanta) has encouraged me to always take the longer one,…
Make the Most of the Time Between Your Kids’ Activities
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, INC. and The Coca-Cola Company, all opinions are mine alone. #ServeWithACoke #CollectiveBias As kids get older they participate in activities that don’t require parents to stay and hang out. Use those odd bits of time during your kids’ activities to your advantage—everything from focusing on self-care to catching up on work. If you’d asked me about free time a few years ago, I would have said, “What free time?” Fast-forward to today, and I still find myself shuttling kids to a myriad of after-school activities, but there’s a big difference: I don’t need to stay. Oh, sure. Our almost-teen daughter sometimes enjoys…
A Hair Makeover by a Celebrity Stylist
Sometimes I find myself in the midst of crazy, once-in-a-lifetime opportunities because of blogging, and other times it’s simply because I’m in the right place at the right time. Getting a hair makeover by celebrity stylist Johnny Wright is one of those “right place; right time” chances. By the time spring 2016 rolled around, I’d been growing out my hair for five years, and in that time I’ve had a slew of different cuts—layered and funky, to long and natural—all without the use of hair dye. Don’t get me wrong; I’m not opposed to hair dye. In the 20 years preceding those five, I’d had nearly every color imaginable, from…
10 Enjoyable Books for Tweens and Teens (and You Too)
Learning to read is the first important step in the literacy journey. Learning to *love* to read is a magical adventure! These ten books for tweens and teens are titles they can sink their teeth into, and a list you’ll enjoy reading (or re-reading), too! I developed a love of reading early on. My parents are avid readers, and I suppose that affected my inclination to pick up books. We took lots of trips to the library—a place that continues to bring waves of nostalgia each time I step foot inside—leaving with stacks of books after having returned just as many the week prior. Planning for trip has always included…
The Importance Of Choosing Positive Intent
Choosing to assume positive intent in my life has been a game changer. Find out why! This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #WellYesMoment #CollectiveBias There’s a lot to learn when you become an adult. Some are transactional in nature. Things like budgeting, taking care of regular car maintenance, preparing Thanksgiving dinner, or understanding when to take your sick kids to the doctor. Others lessons, though, are kind of ethereal in nature and more difficult to accomplish—things like changing behavior and learning to have an open mind. A few years ago I was invited to join a parenting group for…
