Done Trying to Be perfect: Allowing myself to be a B+ Mom
With the New Year upon us, the pressure to improve ourselves as a human and especially as a mom is constantly in our faces. However, I need to be honest…
Living in Abundance: 5 steps to Loving What You Have
"If you look at what you have in life, you will always have enough. If you look at what you don't have in life, you'll never have enough." Oprah Winfrey.…
Gluten Free Solutions to Holiday Meals: You Can Still Enjoy Thanksgiving
Enjoying holiday meals after a celiac or gluten intolerance diagnosis can be difficult. I know personally those first few years I just didn’t eat that much because I didn’t know…
Let Go with Fall: 7 Ways to Change with the Season
My favorite season is here, welcome Fall! The trees are beginning to transition and it's time to acknowledge a similar change within ourselves. The changing seasons can be a guide…
Hispanic Heritage Month – Mes de la Herencia Hispana
"Preservation of one's own culture does not require contempt or disrespect for other cultures."Cesar Chavez According to the United States Census Bureau, the U.S. population is roughly 332,693,997. About 18%…
What is Juneteenth? Why This Holiday Deserves Recognition
To be clear, I am not a historian, or an expert in African American history or culture. I am a white woman and only learned of Juneteenth during my own…
A Love Letter To A Graduating Senior: Signed, a 30-Year Post Graduate
Dear Graduating Senior, I write to you as one who is now a 30-year post-high-school graduate. One thing I can say is: hold on---oh, what adventure and joy lay ahead…
Celebrating Cinco de Mayo? Here’s What You Need to Know!
Cinco de Mayo! (“Fifth of May”) - the most widely celebrated Mexican holiday in the United States. Most people associate this day with tacos, tequila, sombreros, and serapes. Cinco de…
Black History Month- Acknowledging the Past and Fighting for the Future
As February comes to an end, I want to reflect on Black History Month. I believe that it is important to recognize that the end of this month does not…
New Year’s Resolutions: What 2020 Can Teach us About Goal Setting
Each year around half of Americans set a New Year's resolution. In contrast, less than 10% stick to it or remember the goal past February. However, I think most people…
My First Christmas in the U.S. – Holding On To Special Memories
My family and I arrived to the United States from Mexico in 1997, with just the clothes on our back and a handful of personal belongings. As a family, we…
Putting a New Twist on Annual Holiday Traditions
While gathering together for traditional holiday activities might not be possible this year, there are still ways to celebrate. It just may take a little creative ingenuity to put a…
Experiences Are the Ultimate Gift of 2020
If I’m being honest, I’m a terrible gift giver. I admire people who have a knack for selecting thoughtful, creative, and practical gifts. From the moment the radio stations start…
Five of My Favorite Holiday Gluten-Free Cookie Recipes
When I made the decision to go gluten-free 5 years ago to help with my Rheumatoid Arthritis and digestive issues, it was extremely difficult. There are things I was really…
How to Save Big on Black Friday: All Your Shopping Tips Here
Is it that time of year again? Yikes, it is. I don’t know about you, but this time of year always sneaks up on me. One minute I am enjoying…
Family and Politics: Preparing for the Conversations & Potential Fallout
Our current political climate has been rocky and down right nasty. No matter your political affiliation, bitterness seems to be the flavor of choice for interactions between those that disagree.…
Life Lessons Learned From Beloved War Veterans
Veterans Day is always a day of great reflection for me. Growing up the daughter of a Vietnam Veteran and then later marrying a Veteran from Operation Enduring Freedom, I…
A Fun Treat to Make with your Kids this Halloween
Halloween will most likely look very different than it has in the past and I think it is really important to try and have some kind of normalcy. I wanted…
Why Should You Care About Hispanic Heritage Month?
History of Hispanic Heritage Month The Hispanic Heritage observance began in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon Johnson and was expanded by President Ronald Reagan in 1988 to…
Preparing for Your Fall Family Photos: Advice From Photographers
I absolutely love having family photos taken, especially in the Fall when the weather starts to change and I start thinking about Christmas card photos. My husband would probably even…
Tips to Transition to Fall: Plus Delicious Applesauce Recipe
Fall is right around the corner. How are we feeling? Is this even a question anymore? Are people even still asking how we are feeling? 2020 will, without a doubt,…
Día de la Independencia de México – What You Need To Know!
El Día de la Independencia de México (Mexico's Independence Day) is a special holiday for all Mexicans, including my family and me. It is a time when our dear Mexico…
My Husband is Not the Romantic Valentine’s Type, He’s His Own Novel.
Happy Valentine's season my fellow comrades. I know this can be a sensitive time for many of us and it can also be a time for envy and anger. Well…
Planning a New Year’s Resolution That Will Be a Success
Our New Year's Resolution The New Year begins and we smile and hug ourselves as thoughts of thousands of new opportunities dance in our heads! Scraping the old, yucky and…
Exchanging Our Agendas for a Posture of Curiosity this New Year
It’s the New Year and we all know what that means….New Years Resolutions. While I think the idea behind the practice of making goals for the New Year is good,…
Word of the Year: Find Empowerment Through Words in 2020
Someone very close to me once told me that she had a 'Word of the Year' that she reminded herself of frequently throughout 2019. She wanted this word to be…
This New Year: Resolve to Finally be Your Authentic Self in 6 Steps
“To be authentic, we must cultivate the courage to be imperfect — and vulnerable. We have to believe that we are fundamentally worthy of love and acceptance, just as we…
Looking Back: A Heart-Centered New Year’s Eve Ritual
Rituals are an integral part of the holiday season. They are shaped by ancestry, faith, and culture, varying from person to person, family to family. A tree with ornaments collected…
Let’s Gift the Gift of Being Present: 4 Tips to Enjoy the Holiday Season
Creating a list, checking it twice, sticking to a budget, making sure the kids are happy and loved. It's easy to get so wrapped up in the shopping and the…
The Holidays are Hard For Me: Navigating a Tough Season
The holidays are hard. Driving into work the other day I could barely keep the tears back. I hurt. Life hurts right now. The holidays are a hard season for…
Holiday Blues: Coming Face to Face with Loneliness and Discovering Joy
It was a crisp autumn day, down under in the southern hemisphere of New Zealand. Wandering around the city of Auckland, I found myself people-watching while simultaneously soaking up my…
Celebrating the Spirit of Christmas; with the Giving of Tzedakah!
This Christmas season, I encourage you to celebrate the spirit of giving by embracing the Jewish tradition of Tzedakah! More Faith, More Fun! Our family gets the honor of having…
Holiday Memories: 3 Ways to Capture Them in Your Journal
This time of year I enjoy reflecting on my holiday memories, of a time when we all gathered around the tree to open presents or sat around the table for…
How to Be Alone for the Holidays — A Survival Guide
Being alone for the holidays is hard, so here are 7 tips to make it a little easier.
Pushing Pause: The Power and Gift of Our Presence
I’m unsure where this year went. It feels like just yesterday, my kids and I were filled with much anticipation and excitement for the return of our husband and daddy…
Preparing For the Holidays: Tips For Families With Children on the Spectrum
It is the most magical time of the year and notably the most stressful for many. If you are raising an autistic child then you have some added stress that…
Christmas, Don’t Break My Bank Account! Ways to Save This Season.
Tis’ the season for Christmas: Christmas time can be a magical time. It can also be one of the most stressful months of the entire year. It has this true…
This Isn’t A Hallmark Movie! 6 Ways to be Present, Not Perfect, During the Holidays
If you know me, you know I really love a good, sappy Hallmark movie, especially a Christmas one. During the holiday season there's little I enjoy more than snuggling up…