On the eve of our high school graduation, my three best friends and I knew we wanted to do something special to mark the end of an era. We would all be spreading out across [read more]
“Cupcakes,” I said quite exhaustedly, “all I want is sleep, baby cuddles, and cupcakes!” My mom should have known that I wouldn’t be able to come up with a better response to her question in [read more]
“We all went on safari, over grasslands damp with dew…” Little minds will fill with wonder as the story We All Went on Safari unfolds in detailed descriptions and colorful pictures, transporting wee ones to [read more]
It was just days away from my best friend’s birthday and not only was I short on her favorite flamingo-printed tissue paper, but I didn’t even have a good idea for her present. After some [read more]
Rifling through a box that I’ve yet to unpack in the two years since buying our home, I pull out a stack of old photos from my high school days. I can’t help but wonder [read more]
“Let me guess… Peanut M&Ms?!?,” my dad says, squishing the wrapped gift in his hands and shaking it ever so slightly. While they’re still his favorite treat, and a longstanding tradition I always include with [read more]
“Above the river and over the woods, to Grandmother’s house I’ll fly…” I can’t help but laugh at my own goofy rendition of the familiar holiday tune, all the while puzzling on how I can [read more]
As a child, Christmas was full of magic. I loved the gifts, the food, being with family—and collecting leftover wrapping paper at the end of all the festivities. I always asked my family and friends [read more]
This time last year, I had just started in a new department at work. Along with my orientation package came an invitation to participate in the office Secret Santa gift exchange. I was hesitant because [read more]
Christmas music chimes through overhead speakers, brightly colored lights gleam in window displays, and vast aisles of decor offer an assortment of musical novelty toys all belting out carols like a dissonant choir. Rushed shoppers [read more]
The frosts of winter will soon blanket the trees around my hometown with a frozen sparkle, but, first, there’s a final harvest of my favorite handheld snack—the apple. Late fall always means a visit to [read more]
Now known in my circle of friends as “The Epic Bird Battle of 2015,” I’ll never forget watching my old college roommate Sarah wrestle with a 30lb turkey last Thanksgiving. If I can’t be home [read more]
Only the leaves blowing past my living room window gave evidence of the day’s chill—the weather in my house was a balmy 80 degrees, and not a cloud in sight. Crepe paper Hawaiian flower banners [read more]
I’ve never liked that old saying “don’t judge a book by its cover”—everyone knows the cover is an extension of the book. It’s an introduction to the heart of the story, a way to begin [read more]
Photo credit Etsy seller justalittlesparkle Cake. Balloons. Bouncy castles. These party staples sound like heaven to most children—for my little one, the fuss and hoopla created more stress than smiles. But that didn’t mean he [read more]
There’s a special magic that wells up in children everywhere this time of year—their hearts are filled with hope at just the thought of twinkling lights, happy carols, and the possibility of snow flurries to [read more]
Photo credit Amazon seller New Wave Office pizza parties were a tradition at my old job, where we would file into a tiny conference room where cheesy pies covered in generic toppings would be stacked [read more]
Photo credit flick’r user Joe Flood “One of those moments that everything is so perfect and so wonderful that you almost feel sad because nothing can ever be this good again.” – Rory Gilmore Rory’s [read more]
As I pour myself a cup of coffee in the breakroom to warm up, I can’t help but overhear the typical buzz about the office. Sam is still telling his summer vacation adventures stories, and [read more]
Back to school prep—you have been conquered. From the binders to the #2 pencils, all the supplies are checked off the list, and the kids are getting used to their new school year schedules. Well, [read more]