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Excuse me, but I think you’ve confused me with someone else. Everyone keeps telling me that my oldest daughter is about to turn 11 years old, but you see, that can’t be possible. She is still two. I am still 29. I’m a carefree mom—not this bizarre worker bee you’re pointing at. THAT woman is […]

I know this is the time of year we are all making (or maybe already breaking?) resolutions. Resolutions about what we want to do, who we want to be, what we want to change. It’s interesting how we go about this, often times making big decisions or plans, spending lots of money, working to accomplish […]

I have a history of almost ruining Christmas. I never mean to do it, and sometimes it’s not even my fault, but I have this history nonetheless. First, there was the time when I was about 11, when I’d asked my parents for a very fancy Casio keyboard—the kind with the drum beats and the […]

This is the month you’re expecting to read about Halloween, but I’ve got something truly scary to discuss with you. On September 7, my husband and I began Phase 1 of the Liquid Amino Diet—a strict 30-day detox/eating regimen. I’ll spare you the details, but suffice it to say that this first stage of the […]

Don’t be thrown off by that title. I’m not talking about teenage paranormal romance novels. We have a REAL vampire crisis on our hands, people. There are literally creatures out there RIGHT NOW that feed off our blood. EVERY DAY! In fact, I just swatted one, but I was too late. He already got me. […]

In case you’re wondering, I survived my 20 year high school reunion last month. The next thing I have to survive, however, is equally daunting when you have 3 kids: Summer. True, we’ve got our usual awesome vacay to Colorado planned. But before that, I—like most of you—am forced to juggle the camps and the […]

I’m getting old. My 20-year high school reunion is officially around the corner, and I am SO NOT READY for it. For a variety of reasons. Where should I start? I’m not a doctor or a lawyer or a future Nobel Prize candidate. Haven’t written a novel yet. Never saw the point in graduate school—or […]

When we moved from San Jose back to Texas in 2005, my husband and I promised ourselves we would continue to visit our beloved Bay Area—our home together for over a decade. At least once a year, we said. At first, we were true to our plan. We went back several times to visit friends […]

I really want to write something witty and engaging for you this month, but frankly, it’s too hot. Seriously hot. Can’t-touch-the-steering-wheel hot. Cook-an-egg-on-the-driveway hot. Stupid hot. Last month, I wrote from the cool climate of the Rockies, which made humor and creativity literally ooze from my pores. I could write a novel up there. A […]

It’s hard to be a chicken when your kids are watching, but man, I could barely hold it together once Chuck, the lead guide, started in with his “safety talk.” He was telling us what to do if we fell out of the raft. Don’t try to stand up—he’s known someone who died from having […]

    You will never confuse me with a frugal person. In my opinion, money is made to be spent. It’s like a transmogrification miracle: Spend it, and money literally becomes something else. Maybe, if you’re lucky, it becomes something fun. Or shiny.   Money in a bank is never shiny. Money in a bank […]

With summer vacation in full swing, and a vacation in my family’s near future, I decided to set my 9 year old up with her own blog. Blogs have a lot to offer that private diaries can’t provide, and the interactive potential can be healthy for kids if properly supervised. Writing about their experiences online, […]

Welcome back, my friends. This is the season of go-go-go, of speed-breakfasting, bus-catching, and teleporting between home and school and dance and soccer. This is the resurgence of 20-minute stand-up dinners, bedtime warnings, homework checking, and nag-nag-nag. This is that place where your hands are cuffed to iPhones and car keys, where you learn to […]

I know it’s no laughing matter, but I have to admit I thought it was a little bit funny. I have this friend who just had her email hacked—after which every contact in her email address book (hundreds) received a mysterious message. The subject line simply read, “HELP!” And the body of the message relayed, […]

When I was a little girl, my family drove everywhere. My parents revered all things practical and efficient, and cars fit the bill perfectly. They got you where you were going, they were much less expensive than airline tickets, and—unlike buses or trains—they enabled you to remain in control of your own journey. It didn’t […]

Someone recently forwarded my husband a link to an episode of “South Park” where the primary topic is Facebook. Now, I’m sure there are many who take offense at “South Park” humor, but I admit, I’m a fan. (For those not in the know, I’m talking about an animated TV show on Comedy Central, whose […]

Last year, my oldest daughter turned seven—and, if you recall my article here on SouthlakeMoms.com, she desperately wanted an iPhone. Tech freaks though we are in this house, we ended up saying no. The poor girl didn’t know how to make phone calls yet, so what was the point in getting the fanciest cell phone […]

Several weeks ago at the bookstore, while waiting on kids and poking lazily through the new releases table, I found a title that intrigued me: The iConnected Parent. I grabbed it because I thought it was one of those diatribes against technology and children, and I always get a kick out of seeing how people […]

School is now in session. Let the chaos begin!   Mind you, I’m not just talking about school mayhem. Some of you, like me, have extended obligations beyond your children to include “paying” work, volunteer commitments, and community involvement—all of which seems to pick up in September. And maybe a few of you, also like […]

There’s no easy way to digest bad news when you get it, and no easy way to write about it, so I’ll just spit it out: In early June, after what I thought would be a regular dermatologist checkup, I was diagnosed with a malignant melanoma on my right leg. The irregularly shaped mole had […]