On Thursdays I post from the archives. This is from July of 2012. When I was in high school, I went to see the musical version of the movie Big (yes – they made that Tom Hanks movie into a musical).  It’s not an entirely memorable show, but one number stuck with me. It’s called “Stop, Time” and it’s a song that a mother sings about her sadness in regards to her child growing older. Even as a teenager, I was aware that this song was touching on a profound pain of the human experience, and I . . .

This post is sponsored by Uncle Ben’s. Growing up, my parents made sure I had plenty of opportunities to learn new skills. I took swimming lessons and gymnastics, dances classes and soccer. But one thing I never have lessons in: meal prep. It’s not that my mom did’t cook. I think it just wasn’t on her radar to take the time to explain what she was doing to request us to help. And I get it . . . when you are busy trying to get a meal on the table, the last thing you want to do is have a bunch of . . .

Every Wednesday I feature a child recently highlighted by a local Wednesday's Child newscast to share the stories of children from around the country who are waiting for a family. My hope is that this can broaden exposure for the children highlighted, but also serve as a reminder that these children represent thousands of children currently in the foster-care system. Perhaps their stories will inspire you to consider opening your home to a child needing a family. For more information and to . . .

This past summer was a uniquely challenging season of my life. So much so that I have had difficulty even knowing how to write about it. I am not quite there yet . . . probably because I am not quite out of the season. It's much easier to talk about difficult seasons in retrospect. Laying it out in the moment is sometimes too painful, too vulnerable.I am still in the midst of a hard time, which for me includes dealing with anxiety, depression, and occasional panic attacks. Oh, and insomnia. The . . .

One of the biggest bummers about Sarah James moving to Oklahoma (aside from missing her like crazy) is that we can no longer do our weekly videos. She was in town last week and so we decided to give periscope a try.  We settled a debate about under-eye eyeliner, we talked (from recent experience) about hangovers and we lamented the difficulties of self-care. Here’s the conversation in case you missed it. Apologies in advance for our squinting as we try to read the comments. Do you . . .

Dressing up for Halloween is a given when you are a kid, but what about for grown-ups? In my adult life, I haven't dressed up for Halloween many times. If there is an occasion that requires it, like a grown-up costume party, I can muster a costume. But if we are just talking a regular Halloween where I am walking the kids around the neighborhood or passing out candy, I don't usually dress up. I made an exception two years ago, when I convinced the whole family to wear a costume from the . . .