A gift for mom. We are bombarded with ads about what Mom wants for Mother’s Day, Christmas, her birthday, whatever, and there are a lot of good ideas. From days at the spa to that new clay machine she’s been wanting and from a new bike to that tea cup she’s been eyeing, there are…
Author: Jen-Admin
Even in the Grips of Poor Choices and Shame, You are Not the Only One
Shame runs deep. It seems especially dark and strangling when we think we are the only one. But you are not the only one. You are not the only one who woke up today with a hangover wondering what it will take for you to quit drinking so you can have your life back. You…
Unschoolers Don’t Know What They’re Missing and Isn’t that the Point?
I was sitting in the living room in front of the fire tonight on one of the last really cold nights of winter. My daughter was snuggled in the corner seat next to me. My husband was on the other side of me and my son was on the chaise next to him. We were…
Please Stop Prescribing Weight Loss Without Knowing My History
I was sitting at the doctor’s office today getting the results of a sleep study. I have mild sleep disruption and I was given two treatment options; CPAP machine and weight loss. I looked the doctor and directly asked “is it proven that losing weight will in and of itself help my sleep apnea?” “Well”…
Bye-Bye Spanx and Other Ways I Have Let Myself Go
“She really let herself go.” How often do we hear people say this about women? Maybe her body shape is different than it used to be. Maybe she doesn’t get her hair cut regularly. Maybe she wears sweats and t-shirts now or doesn’t wear make-up anymore. Maybe it’s all of these. Maybe she has let…
Candid Reasons I Stopped Watching the News That Might Be Useful for You, Too
Three nights ago I stopped sleeping. I had insomnia through high school, college, and early adulthood and having sleep come easily and fitfully for the last two decades is something I’ve been grateful for. So when sleep disappears it triggers panic. I’m sure you all know the drill; bed isn’t cozy. It doesn’t feel safe…
Bulk Grocery Shopping to Quieting the Noise: Lessons from 2020
Whew. 2020 was something, wasn’t it? A year ago everything was going along as it always does. We stepped into the shoes that make our big right toe hurt every single time we wear them, threw the kids lunches together, and came home to get something somewhat nutritious into the mouths of our families for…
New Year, NEW (smaller) YOU! Thoughts to Help you Through That Not-So-Wonderful Time of Year
Here it comes; that not-so-wonderful time of year. Those post-holiday weeks when we are assaulted with messaging that we are not enough; not thin enough, strong enough, healthy enough, young enough… we are not enough of anything, except when we are too much. There is so much to deconstruct about why this advertising works so…
5 Tips for Making your Hot Chocolate Bar Magical!
One year I was walking through HomeGoods, found a cute winter plate with a snowman on it and thought “this is so cute! I think the kids would really like this. But what will I do with it? Will I really use it or will it just be something else to fill our space?” On…
The Humanity of a Pandemic
My God. Do you feel it? Do you feel something happening? What is it? It’s a shift like nothing we have experienced. I’m aetheist. I am not new-agey. I don’t buy into any of that bullshit. Except. Something is happening… and it feels like humanity. For the first time in history humans in every corner…