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Kids are Gross: A Lice Tale
It’s been close to two years, and I finally feel like I can write about it now — that time my long-haired daughter had actual bugs living in her hair. Yep, I’m talking lice, people. By first grade, our...
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‘Planning’ and ‘Parenting’ Are Not Contradictory Words
As an Army master sergeant, a safety manager, a radiation safety officer and fellow Nevadan, I would like to think that I have “my stuff” together. Spending 16 years in the military makes you a...
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Five Unexpected Benefits of a Family Sport/Hobby/Activity
Me practicing self defense…Photo Credit: ISR Matrix International About two years ago, I enrolled my 4 1/2-year-old son in martial arts. Nine months later his 7-year-old sister hopped in. The...
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Raising Boys in the Time of “Me Too”
With the recent resurgence of the “Me Too” hashtag, and seeing almost every single one of my female friends, business partners, acquaintances, etc. post just the hashtag, or be brave enough to tell...
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What does your family do?
The best kept worst secret of having a school-aged kid are ALL the days out of school. Now, I get it. Teachers need work days. There are holidays. Kids need breaks. Yadda Yadda. I KNOW. But, seriously!...
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Finding Balance on the Mommy Tightrope: How NOT to ‘Lose It’
Juggling work, kids, personal time, couple time, family time, individual time, and time with each kid — are you serious? While I may not be an expert mom (I’m definitely not), I have learned...
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Welcome to the Golden Days of Childhood
Earlier this week, my husband and I were taking a mental checkout break to delve into the world of Stranger Things 2. I was engrossed in Hawkins, Indiana world, when I realized I was 2.5 episodes deep...
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5 Reasons Reno is the Best Place to Homeschool
Photo by Alexis Brown on Unsplash If you are considering homeschooling your children, you just so happen to be in one of the best places to do so! Having homeschooled my children from the get-go, I...
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To the One Who Made Me a Mother
Dearest A: I’m writing to tell you today that things are going to change in our home and in our lives — and they’ll never be the same again. There is going to be one more who needs me, one more I’m...
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I’m Going to Disneyland without My Baby
My husband and I are total Disney nerds. We had our first date in Disneyland, we got engaged in Disneyland, and we got married in Walt Disney World (Yes Virginia, Disneyland and Walt Disney World are...
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3 Ways to Keep Your Marriage Hot During the Holidays
Dinner isn’t the only thing that needs to stay hot around the holidays. You can be married for all of ten seconds and fully grasp how hellish the holidays can be on your relationship. Your time, your...
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As a Parent, I’m Thankful for These Small Joys
I am always, eternally, forever, constantly thankful for these people. Let me get this out of the way from the outset: I never take for granted how blessed I am to be called “Mom” by three spectacular...
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The War Isn’t Over: We Still Need to Fight for New Schools after WC-1 Passed
Image credit: Reno Gazette Journal A little over a year ago, our community banded together and ensured that WC-1 passed to fund new schools and significant repairs for older schools in our growing...
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Nature Deficit Disorder and Raising a Generation to Love the Outdoors
Nature deficit disorder is a term from Richard Louv’s book “Last Child in the Woods,” describing child behavioral problems when alienated from nature. This is a growing body of research that directly...
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The Seasons of Motherhood
Lately I’ve been feeling more acutely the seasons of motherhood. It’s incredibly cliché to say, “Oh enjoy this season, it goes so fast.” In fact, when other people (usually elderly women) said that to...
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Just Call me the Scheduling Queen
I have succumbed to the mercy of my calendar. And not just any calendar, but ALL calendars. Being organized is a skill that becomes more and more imperative as I grow older and my family becomes more...
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Home, Home on the Range
I met my husband Mike when we were both 18 and just starting our adult lives. He grew up riding horses, cattle ranching, and building barns with his family. All of this was a very different childhood...
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Sensory Deprivation Tanks: The Gift Moms Don’t Know They Need
I recently took a trip over to Healing One here in Reno for a sensory deprivation float. What once sounded like a strange experience to me, was now something that I could readily try — and I was...
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Survival of the Realist
The holidays are a time of happiness, joy, and family. And while I agree, I think we do ourselves a disservice by forgetting that they can also be a time of sadness, stress, and anxiety. But why limit...
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Go Forth and #Light the World
For the last few years, my family has followed the LDS #LightTheWorld service calendar during the holidays. The calendar has acts of service for each day in December accompanied by short videos. Some...
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