Finding normal after orlando

Finding “Normal” in Times Like These

FAM, Featured, grow, kids, LIVE By June 15, 2016 No Comments

I know I’m not the only one out there who is having trouble dealing with the growing crisis surrounding Syrian refugees, the Paris attacks, this recent massacre in Orlando, and the constant threats that ISIS seems to be dangling in front of the Western world. The tension builds every day, as new hate crimes arise, more misinformed politicians take close-minded stands against what they perceive to be threats to “national security,” and more propaganda from terrorist organizations surfaces. Personally, I waffle back and forth between wanting to stick my head in the sand and pretend that none of this is happening, and wanting to know All The Things, grinding my life to a halt to take in the horror of it all.

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heal a blemish

Mom-Acne Survival Tip: Cover & Heal a Blemish in 5 Seconds

beauty, GEAR By June 15, 2016 Tags: , , , 2 Comments

When I was a young teenager I had acne. It was bad – but not as horrible as my once-great self esteem. I was on Accutane, wore cover-up by the spatula-full, and yet still had to have my high school grad photos take three times. Airbrushing wasn’t as easy back then. There was no easy way to remove a blemish but I tried everything. Tea tree oil, toothpaste… even mud.

There was a long period after that where my skin was mostly fine and I felt slightly pretty and even went out without makeup. But then I hit 40. Yes. Don’t you all go fainting. It’s the truth, and I still get ID’d.

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three kid trend

“The Three Kid Trend is Real” Moms Dish

FAM, kids, LIVE By June 14, 2016 6 Comments

Three kids appears to be the magic number for many families today. Every time I meet a new mommy friend, she has (or is working towards) three kids and statistics show that there is a major increase of three-child households in North America. Why is three the new two? What’s up with the three kid trend? I talked with a group of moms of three to get some inside perspective and here are some of their most popular answers.

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fatherhood

Why Fatherhood Is the Coolest ‘hood

FAM, kids By June 13, 2016 2 Comments

My 3-year-old daughter loves the Olivia books. You know, the free-spirited, slightly annoying piglet who has existential meltdowns and big opinions? Truth is: I love Olivia, too. Olivia is strong-willed, like my daughter. She’s independent, like my daughter. She does what she wants, when she wants, like my daughter [sigh]. Olivia lives with her mom, dad, and two brothers (and Edwin, the cat), but here’s where I start to have issues with this piggy roll model. Have you read the books? Have you ever noticed what Olivia’s dad is doing in most of them? He’s reading the paper or standing around. He’s always there, but not terribly involved and totally disengaged with his family. Not the fairest representation of fatherhood.

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Go Ask Dad

Stop Searching Online: Go Ask Dad

beauty, GEAR By June 13, 2016 Tags: , , , , No Comments

In a world where screen-time often outweighs actual face time, the internet has become the go-to source of information – and as we all know, websites don’t always give you the most unbiased and truthful advice… It’s quick and easy to search the internet for videos and how-to articles in seconds, but do the results truly give the answers teens really need? This Father’s Day, Gillette is reminding people everywhere to “Go Ask Dad” for answers to their everyday questions.  While your Dad will certainly appreciate a card (or a new razor) for Father’s Day, taking a moment to ask his advice will mean more to him than you might guess.

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inner calm

Busy Mom/Chill Mom: Finding Your Inner Calm

FAM, LIVE, nourish, self By June 13, 2016 Tags: , , , , No Comments

Whether you have little ones running rampant, or teenagers getting social all on their own—most moms will tell you that their household is running a busy schedule. Between carpooling and household duties, combined with working outside the home, or the never-ending battle that is being a stay-at-home-mom—coordinating a family’s activities is something that many women are balancing very, very carefully. It’s easy to forget to enjoy the journey, there’s often not enough time, but there are some easy ways to avoid succumbing to the ongoing state of ‘being busy’ and find your inner calm. Here are five simple ways to help bring the joy back to the chaos.

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Mom’s Away: How to be a Better Mom by Travelling Solo

eat, grow, LIVE, nourish, play, rest By June 11, 2016 3 Comments

It happens at some point for every mom and it was happening for me today, one and a half months before he would turn the big oh-two: the first trip away from my baby.

I’m a journalist and editor, so it’s been easy to find reasons to work from home over the past few years, scrambling to squeeze every workable second out of naps, evenings, and weekends—but when a press trip came up for Ann Arbor and my first choice writer couldn’t make the dates, I considered whether it was perhaps time to get back into the game and go myself—a mom’s getaway.

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Julie Andrews Netflix

Musical Theatre on Netflix (for the Preschool Set)

grow, LIVE, nourish By June 10, 2016 No Comments

I am positively giddy!!! Many readers know that I trained as an actor, singer and dancer before falling into my current career. I can sing most songs from most Broadway shows, and have studied choreography from Jerome Robbins by watching films and live performances over and over again until I memorized the moves.

Even before ‘Frozen’ fame, Idina Menzel was an extreme girl-crush of mine. And Julie Andrews? I can’t even bear to sing along to the Sound of Music because I may drown out her beautiful voice. Think of it: Musical Theatre on Netflix. The streaming company has announced that Ms. Andrews will star in ‘Julie’s Greenroom‘, a new preschool show from The Jim Henson Company that features an all-new puppet cast of kids learning about the performing arts. The series will be available exclusively to Netflix members globally in early 2017.

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Family Dinner Conversation Starters

36 Family Dinner Questions

EAT, family meals By June 9, 2016 Tags: , , , , , , , , 6 Comments

As part of a video recording, I was asked how I encouraged the boys (henceforth known as the little weasels) to come to the dinner table. Without missing a beat, the 10 year-old piped up that ‘Mommy just puts it on a plate and brings it down to us in front of the TV.” ^Mortified. But also… kind of true. We try to have at least three meals a week around the table but sometimes that path of least resistance reigns. Everyone always praises family dinners, but as I grew up an only child with parents who would quickly divorce, the ‘family dinner’ was often laboured, strained and uncomfortable. Maybe my childhood angst is now being brought to my own table. From that moment, I decided to develop 36 questions to ask your family at dinner.

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Summer breakfast

The Summer Breakfast Table

EAT, family meals By June 9, 2016 Tags: , , , , , , , , , 3 Comments

Anyone else’s roses in bloom? It’s spring, and as days get longer we experience the perfect time for al fresco meals—and that idea needn’t just extend to grand family dinners where your kids must exhibit perfect manners. Family dinners have actually always been slightly intimidating to me, and I’ve always slinked away from the judgmental moms who ask with disdain why we are at the park eating takeout and NOT HAVING A FAMILY DINNER at the table. So, if dinners are difficult, you can imagine how breakfast suffers.

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