I don’t know about you, but we are on our THIRD virus within a month. Over it!! 😩 Yesterday was just one of those days where I felt tempted to go into “woe is me” mode (and I did slip into it a few times, let’s be honest!) One super random thing that helped me a little bit was a game I played in my own head throughout the day… and it all started with a stinkbug lying dead on the floor next to the couch. For some reason the phrase “Stinkbug Revival” popped into my head (don’t ask why because I...
14 days ago • 1 min read
My sis came to town this past weekend and, yep, per usual I peed myself from laughter. Listen, this is actually not a common thing for me, so please don’t worry about my pelvic floor. It’s just my SISTER makes me laugh so hard I literally lose control of my bodily functions. The night before she left, we decided to go live on Instagram (something I never do) and take requests for inspiration to do games where we make something up by trading off every other word. We did: GPS directions to the...
21 days ago • 2 min read
I was working upstairs the other day when I got a text from my husband, who was downstairs with the kids. It said, “He did this all on his own. Keeps saying, ‘Hope no one eats this when I’m not looking!’” and included a short video. In the video, my son was holding my daughter’s toddler fork with a bite of butternut squash. She was in her highchair, gazing at him. He brings the fork toward her mouth, then looks away, humming casually, as if to say, Nothing to see here! She smiles...
28 days ago • 1 min read
My weekend was SICKK (and not in a good way!) Yep, after caring for sick kiddos, the virus finally caught up to my husband and me this past weekend and knocked us on our BOOTANGS, as my friend Angela calls it. TV was working OVERTIME as we literally just tried to make it through and keep our kiddos alive. 😮💨 (SO thankful for power, it’s a mess in Nashville and many STILL don’t have power!!) Was I silly and playful this past weekend? Heckkk NOPE. But there was actually one moment. My 4yo and...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Reasons we've been spiraling over here: Our town was hit with a severe ice storm and we lost power for 12 hours... We are so grateful because so many are still without power in Nashville and are having to seek shelter. To top it off, we’ve got sick kiddos. (like, throw-up sick and I have emetophobia... not fun) And we’re feeling the weight of the world. So last night when my stepdaughter started spiraling about something else entirely, at first I was thinking… “come on, pleeease… everything...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
The other day we were alllll grumpy. My husband and I were just kind of missing each other communication-wise, nothing big or bad happened, and nothing was even really "wrong..." but we were just off. The kids' energy was off, too. Things just felt kind of tense. You might be thinking... "Yeah, yeah, I know where this email's goin. Mia used some kind of playfulness or silly game to save the day and bust them all out of the funk..." Noooope! I literally had the conversation in my own mind of...
2 months ago • 1 min read
I posted a video on Instagram before I went to bed Sunday night and woke up to THOUSANDS of comments on it… As I briefly skimmed through, I started laughing so hard (but trying to stifle the laughter because all the kids — yes, ALL — were in our bed) I nudged Steve and pointed for him to read some too and we were both giggling so hard. The video was my stepdaughter and me playing one of our favorite games where we tell a story one word at a time (trading off each word) but we were making up a...
2 months ago • 2 min read
this is what me dropping the ball looks like today: Yep. Snuggling the kiddos who didn’t sleep well. Normally I work late at night when they’re asleep (and in any nook and cranny of the day I get) But baby girl couldn’t settle last night. So I planned for early this morning. I’d get up before everyone else, write this week’s email, edit and post content for the day to Instagram, and we’d be good! but nope! This morning, everyone is still on top me me. and I realize: it is a HUGE privilege to...
3 months ago • 1 min read
Hanukkah begins soon, and I wanted to share something special that I put together! A big thank you to Jen, a wonderful mom from our community, who gave me the nudge to create this and helped me review it too. My mother grew up celebrating Hanukkah and we honored the holiday when I was a child, while also celebrating Christmas from my dad’s side. Christmas traditions are what I know most naturally, but Hanukkah has always held a meaningful place in my family story. My grandfather fled...
3 months ago • 1 min read