20 Free Acts of Kindness

It’s the time of year when the spirit of giving abounds, and people want to show love and kindness to others. But if doing things for others isn’t in the budget this time of year, fear not! Here are 20 Free Acts of Kindness that you can put into practice...

The Pull of Home

We moved to a new town the summer before I began fourth grade. A shy bookworm, I had stick-straight blonde hair down to my rear, 90s bangs, and an affinity for wearing a Mickey Mouse tunic and leggings. It was summer, so without school to help me meet other kids, I...

Paleo Zuppa Toscana

My friend Samantha is an amazing cook. I literally want to gobble everything in sight when we have dinner at her house. After my third daughter was born, she kindly brought a delicious zuppa toscana to our home during my recovery from surgery. Like me, my children...

When You Send the Wrong Message

It was a classic case of good intentions gone bad. I was 16, and it was my second year cheerleading. Our coach that year was new, and she had grand visions of a revitalizing a somewhat-neglected, not-always-considered-a-sport activity like cheerleading. With that in...

The Ugly Side of Parenting

We like to talk about the fun parts of parenting – the wonder of a baby’s tiny toes, the cute things our kids say or expressions they make, and how they snuggle up to us. But sometimes, if I’m honest, parenting can be ugly. I feel intensely vulnerable in acknowledging...