The annual family photo book for people too busy to make them
If you are anything like me, you have hundreds of photos sitting on your phone, but struggle to print them and get them into albums. Enter Shortcake Albums. They are a women-owned small business that will take your social media feed, or icloud or google photos, and select the best photos and lay them out into a custom album for you. I've been using them for 10 years and I love the yearly recap albums we have. My kids love pulling them off the shelf and looking back at memories. Our 2020 album . . .
Paper Tutoring: Mother’s little helper for the high-school set
This post was sponsored by Paper.co Having three kids in high school has been a learning curve. I’m so glad they are all in school again but the transition back into all of their activities is overwhelming. We are a busy family, and staying on top of everyone’s homework is a challenge. Not to mention, I’m also struggling to help with classes and subjects that are way above my pay grade. Enter Paper.co. It’s an amazing, on-demand tutoring service that school districts can implement to help . . .
A fix for the night-time screen/insomnia cycle
This post was sponsored by Ocusleep™ I’ve talked quite a bit about my struggles with insomnia. It’s been a lifelong issue for me, and I’ve worked hard to have better sleep hygiene. But like most folks in this digital age we are living in, the siren call of screens can be an issue for me at bedtime, which is a problem since we know that exposure to TV, smartphones, tablets, and laptops can suppress natural melatonin. I try to stay off screens, but often find myself needing to send off one last . . .
It’s decorative guord season! Easy fall decorating with a subscription box . . .
This post is sponsored by Decocrated I’ve been getting Decocrated boxes for over a year now. If you aren’t familiar, Decocrated is a subscription box company that sends seasonal decor to your home. It’s so ideal for someone like myself who wants to decorate for the seasons but gets overwhelmed with where to start. Prior to subscribing, I felt like I could only manage Christmas. But Decocrated has upped my game, and I just got the fall box and set things out, along with some of my own pieces . . .
Life changes fast: financial planning for foster and adoptive families
This post was sponsored by True Advisory Group It's always heartening for me to learn of businesses that are tailoring services to meet the needs of adoptive and foster families specifically, so when True Advisory Group reached out to me, the story of their principal caught my attention. Last year Greg Bianco became the sudden foster father to five children, age 7 and under. He spent 10+ years in financial services, and since the kids came home, his business life has transformed just as . . .
Soothing Tips for Flu Season
This post was sponsored by Lolleez and Tumeez, organic remedies in the form of lollipops. Made by Momeez Choice, and founded by a mom of four, they are a delicious and effective way to make everyone’s sick day a little easier. My kids have finally gone back to school, and while I'm thrilled to have the predictable time to work each day that the school year brings, it also brings cold and flu season. With four active and social kids, we are usually hit with a bug or two every fall. It's nearly . . .
Stories from the OC: An interview with Kembe
I got to interview Kembe about moving from Haiti to Orange County, life in California, identity as an immigrant and a black American, and his goals for the future as a part of the Stories From The OC initiative. I"m a longtime fan of StoryCorps, an organization whose mission is to record, preserve, and share the stories of Americans from all backgrounds and beliefs. For over a decade, they've been doing pop-up StoryBooths, which are small, publicly accessible recording studios located in . . .
