I’m a pizza junkie. It’s my “if you could only eat one food for the rest of your life” pick every single time. So when I heard Urban Bricks opened up in my town, Vero Beach, Florida, I had to try it right away. What is Urban Bricks I took my daughter (who is now […]
11 Ways to Ease Into the Empty Nest
I officially have an empty nest. I’m only 41. That seems too young. My home was filled with teenagers just two short weeks ago. Two lived with me, but there were always extra. I always wanted to be *that* house, the one everyone gathers. It was a safe, happy, accepting nest. And now they’ve […]
Solo Date Night in Vero Beach, Florida
I forced myself to go on a solo date night last week, hopping around Vero Beach, Florida. There’s a lot going on in my world. I’m parenting 2.5 teenage girls (yup, two and a HALF). The two who live with me full time are both getting ready to go to college, one across the […]
Date Yourself: 5 Reasons You Should Go Out Alone
When I left my 20 year relationship last year, my therapist kept encouraging to “date myself.” He encouraged me to plan something special to do alone outside of the house once a week. I lived in a summer rental cottage near the beach then. These solo dates were usually a Sunday walk to […]
Lessons learned after teen ran a red light
Last month I was in the car when the teen driver ran a red light. It was my lovely bonus daughter who has been living with us full time for the past six months or so. She was 17 with her learner’s permit. I was in the passenger seat while she drove herself to […]
How to Have An Awesome Birthday as an Adult
I turned 41 in February. It was probably my best birthday ever. It had been years since I really focused on myself. Giving myself permission to have an awesome birthday really filled me with joy. I didn’t do anything extravagant. But I *did* do things *I* wanted to do. I went years sacrificing what I […]
Pulse Nightclub Remembrance
Three years ago today I woke up to the news of the horrific Pulse Nightclub shooting. I was vacationing at Tybee Island, Georgia with my teenage daughter. I followed the news sobbing as details emerged. I was terrified waiting to hear from my dear friend who lives in Orlando. I knew there was a possibility […]
Realizing I had anxiety attacks not a personality flaw at 40
I just recently learned, at age 40, I’ve been having anxiety attacks since I was a little girl. I’ve always known when my daughter was having one right away. I quickly learned to recognize the overwhelming (and sometimes irrational) fear, the strong desire to flee the situation, the crying, sweating, shaking and shortness of breath. […]
Top Body Positive Instagrammers
Let’s talk about body positive Instagrammers. I’ve felt like crap about myself after scrolling through Instagram. Anyone else? Yeah, I see you. Thanks for raising your hand. Diet ads, fitness “coaches,” celebrities and models in skimpy bikinis, people posting their progress photos in their quest to be thin. “You’re not good enough as you are,” […]
Benefits of Walking: Cute Shoes, Healthy Heart, Clearer Mind
I’m rediscovering the benefits of walking after a long stretch of inactivity. I’d been pretty inactive for a long while. And then I had a couple of weird injuries, which made even walking to the bathroom painful. First, I developed weird shin pain that the ER doctor blamed on in infection from swimming in […]
