I was out drinking with a friend recently. She saved me from an awful first date. As we ran — and I mean RAN — from the restaurant, we started laughing at ourselves, she looked straight at me and said “Ugh, there you are. I finally have my friend back!” Here’s the understatement of the year: women are strong.…
Last night I took my girl scout troop — 11 girls and 11 moms — on a retreat to a waterpark/resort in the Poconos. The day was jam packed with activities and by the time I got back to the room, it was past 10pm and I was more than ready for bed. Even as…
Is there a fine line between quick reaction and careful response? I was talking to my brother recently about the dating scene and how odd it is to have these long-standing “text relationships.” I was quasi-complaining about how difficult it is to get a sense for the person and how they handle situations in real…
We moms put a lot of pressure on ourselves. And we allow others to put pressure on us as well — our kids, our parents, our siblings, our friends. They may not even know they’re doing it. Innocently, they may be offering advice or sharing their hopes and aspirations for our well being. But you know…
Is there such thing as a “Failed Relationship?” I guess it depends on how you define a successful relationship. If you’re looking for a relationship that lasts until death and falls short, then I guess using the term “failed” is well within reason. But if you are approaching relationships in general as an opportunity to…
Today my best friend sent me something that proves she knows me so well. It was all about Kali, the Goddess of New Beginnings (and interesting accessories?) I am not a man hater by any stretch of the imagination but man, somedays I really feel like this chick: she is like Beyonce meets Gene Simmons meets…
I have a favorite sweatshirt. I bought it a few months ago. It’s gray and soft and in big black letters on the front, it says “Pancakes Solve Everything.” It was totally an impulse buy, but it made me smile on a day when I really needed to, and so, that lucky sweatshirt came home…
Leaving for a much-needed respite and as the plane took off this morning, I couldn’t help but hum one of my favorite songs.Yes, I love Tom Petty but that is not the song I’m singing today: “Nel blue dipinto di blu….Felice di stare lassu.” Words that express how simple and content I am at…
Twice in the past week I have read interesting passages about awareness. The first was actually in my horoscope. According to the stars, I was in for a very emotionally trying day and the advice from Susan Miller was to “be aware of those feelings because they are the antidote to being dragged down.” The second reference,…
Have you ever observed children as they play pretend? They often mimic the habits and dialogue of their parents and older siblings — doing and saying things they think they are supposed to… Does playing pretend ever stop? True we may not be hovering over a miniature kitchen, mashing plastic fruit into bowls and sharing a “num,…
I have been really hung up on the concept of change these past few days. While I entered the New Year with a pretty optimistic attitude, I have definitely found it hard to keep my charge up. Change is hard. Forced change is harder. The prospect of being a newly single woman is exciting to…
Its hard for me to write about my children in such a public fashion. Mostly because I feel like their own struggles with the divorce are theirs and theirs alone…not to be shared. They didn’t ask for this and yet they are the most effected of all. Still, I am their mother and what they…
It has taken me several days to write this first post of 2017 because once I put pen to paper, I plan to hold myself accountable to these statements for the next 361 days, at the very least. I spent the last moments of 2016 in amazing chaos — 5 kids screaming in anticipation of the…
Christmas is over. The presents have been purchased, wrapped, unwrapped, unboxed, re-boxed (in some cases), cleaned-up, and put away. My mind has been racing for weeks to execute and survive this holiday and now that it is over, I am trying to enjoy the few lazy days that follow. One the best gifts I was given…
I had about 12 kids and their parents over my house for a cookie decorating party last night. It was amazing chaos. One of my best friends came over with her family to join the fun. I just have to point out that she and I are total opposites — she is super organized and proactive, I keep…
A few years ago I switched from reading paperback books to using a kindle app on my phone. It is just way more convenient to carry around an entire library of books digitally, especially because my opportunities to actually read for pleasure are few and far between. Long, long ago, (whahh!) when I was in…
I can’t lie…this has been a really tough holiday season. If it were just me, I’d load up my Kindle with NYT bestsellers, hop a plane to Fiji by myself and skip Christmas this year… Typically, I am the type of person who loves the holidays. I put so much effort and thought into gifts, charity,…
Is it better to deliver 90% than 100%? The more I strive to deliver perfection, the more I learn that imperfection may be ideal. Let’s be clear. There are times when an incomplete deliverable is unacceptable…like any construction project or health-related procedure. But in our extraordinarily busy lives, is 90% the new norm? Instead of agonizing over everything, should…
What amazes me about going through divorce is that it has brought me closer to so many people in my circle of family and friends. These are people that surrounded me my whole life, and now that I am going through the my most difficult trial to date, they are there for me in ways…
Anyone who knows me, knows I am deathly afraid of rodents. It’s the tail. I can’t even look at them on television without cringing. Every once in a while, I see one on the subway and I freeze. I am probably the only New Yorker who even notices, let alone is bothered by it. But I…