Many families have a goal to be more active this year. When we make movement a habit, we set our children up for healthier lives, physically, mentally, and emotionally. As a parent of three, I know it can be tempting to really lean on our screens—especially when it’s cold outside. But as a fitness instructor, …
Typically, as we start a new year, we reflect on our lives and reprioritize our goals. A new year can feel like a fresh start, so it’s no wonder that it’s also the time of year when many people sign up for gym memberships and grueling diets. The messages, products, and programs—also known as diet …
If you have a teenager, you understand that parenting a teen can sometimes feel like trying to hug a hedgehog. Gosh, they’re cute when they want to be, but watch out for those spines! With nine children, I’ve now successfully survived seven teens and a total of forty-nine years of parenting the wonderful, exasperating, amazing, …
You are the protagonist of your own story. You star in the movie and also write the script. Why wouldn’t you choose to make it a heartwarming satisfying story of triumph? For 2022, that’s just what we’re going to do. Here’s how: Choose a Theme Every great film has a theme, a message explored through …
Do you feel blue as winter approaches? Do you struggle with wintertime sluggishness and feelings of depression? Does the change of seasons have a noticeably depressive effect on you or a loved one? If so, seasonal effective disorder—often termed SAD—might be the culprit. As with any mental health issue, exploring and understanding the root causes …
Understanding and Healing from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) Read More »
Every family is unique in their own special way—this includes holiday traditions. Some of us celebrate with our extended family, or maybe just our immediate family; still others have a small group of chosen friends who have become family. We celebrate Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, Boxing Day, and, yes, some of us even celebrate Festivus. However …
I thought I’d done so well that first Christmas in 2012, after my first husband died. I’d managed to decorate the house, bake cut-out cookies, fill stockings, and purchase and wrap gifts for my eight children and three grandchildren. I survived the first Christmas Eve celebration and the ritual opening of presents on Christmas morning …
It was a dark and stormy night . . . a perfect night for baking cookies! All of those words are not actually mine, but they unquestionably embody my sentiments: There are no miserable situations that cannot be made at least a little better by an adventurous stretch in the kitchen. Be it skinned knees, bruised feelings, or …
A Tribute to My Therapy: The Humble Cookie (and, Of Course, Cookie Baking) Read More »
In a society where multi-billion-dollar companies profit from our insecurities, we must actively work towards creating body-positive spaces to combat negative body image. On a good day, it’s important to practice habits that promote positive body image amongst your family, but during the holidays, it is critical. It is a time when marketers strategically plan …
When I was asked to write an article on “caring for ourselves while caring for others,” I thought about you, the reader, and what your life might be like, and what you might be needing to hear. I imagined myself back when I was in the thick of the early years of mothering and wondered what I would say …
Caring for Yourself While Caring for Others—Then and Now. Read More »
