Father Christmas had One Job. One.

Nothing says, "I have my life together" like a holiday card that arrives weeks before the actual holidays, right? Well, it’s the thought that counts, I suppose.

A Lost Gem: The Lircle

It’s not that I hadn’t seen Rich in the wild, at this point; it’s that I hadn’t realized how at ease he was in the wild. Any wild at all, as it turned out.

Bringing Back the Red Tent

Would they have been better off if their father had never met me? The guilt of a stepmother.

Wait, Did I Just Become Julia Roberts?

Did I just become Julia Roberts? Were we about to head back to all those other stores, waving our bags around while declaring, “Big Mistake. Big. Huge.”?

10 YEARS! The Vow Renewal

Getting married is easy. Staying married? So, so difficult!

Justice of the Peace? The Secret to an Epic Wedding.

As we approach the tenth anniversary of our 2015 nuptials, I’m reminded of the single most important thing we did when it came to preparing for our wedding. And, as I hear from many of my friends of anticipated spring engagements, I would be remiss if I didn’t pass this absolute pro-tip. Get Married Ahead … Continue reading Justice of the Peace? The Secret to an Epic Wedding. →

MommaPause: Empty Nesting, Day 8.

MommaPause: Empty Nesting hasn't gone exactly as planned.

Lawd! Of the Rings.

Do you want to know what true love looks like? It's this: The Lord of the Rings, per my husband’s standard, is the most perfect piece of writing in the history of published works. He reads it once per year in celebration of the return of the crisp autumn air. He tells me that the … Continue reading Lawd! Of the Rings. →

Together At Last!

I wasn’t going to do a blog/podcast combo this month as this month’s episode is the final of a three-part series related to my memoir, What to Expect When You Weren’t Expecting. But…then I got to editing and was blown away. It’s a great listen. It’s a great listen for the blended family but it’s … Continue reading Together At Last! →

StepMother’s Day: Celebrating the Heart of the Blended Family

It is an early blog for next week, coming to you on Saturday rather than my standard Monday. Why? Because tomorrow is the very unofficial Stepmother's Day. This is a piece pitched to the Huffington Post and while it hasn't appeared on the site, I did still want to share. For all of those wonderful women who have taken on this crazy, chaotic role HAPPY STEPMOTHER'S DAY!!