Brynna
A Legacy of Love: Tales from Different Types of Grandparents
Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about how lucky my husband, daughter, and I are to have had the grandparents we do—grandparents who are and were so different yet came together to have such...
Sundays Are For Only Child Guilt
I feel the most guilt that my daughter is an only child on Sundays. Why Sundays?
Before we get there, it’s important to understand that my husband and I never intended to be a one-and-done...
Beyond Laundry and Lunch: Reflecting on My Ego and Motherhood
My four-year-old daughter recently gave me a gut punch straight to my ego. When asked what mommy is good at, she said - without hesitation - folding clothes and making food. That's it: laundry...
Dear Parents of School Aged Children: Do Lockdowns Get Easier?
Dear Parents of School-Aged Children:
I really wish this wasn't a question I needed to ask. But here we are in America in 2024, and I just have to know. Do school lockdowns get any...
Here I Go Again: Complicated Feelings About Training For A Half Marathons
I just signed up for the 2024 Indy OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon in May, and based on past experiences, I know my half-marathon training will be filled with lots of complicated feelings.
To be clear,...
10 Simple Things That Make My Life Better
About a year ago, I - the old millennial in a fully committed relationship with Instagram - begrudgingly joined TikTok. To say the algorithm is impressive would be an understatement. My feed quickly filled...
Dear Mom In Line: I Saw You And You’re Doing An Awesome Job
To the mom in line behind me for Santa's Workshop, I want you to know I saw you, and you're doing an awesome job.
Let me back up …
Last Friday night, I took my daughter...
How To Support Someone Diagnosed with Breast Cancer
As a breast cancer survivor, I’m often asked by people with newly diagnosed friends, family, or colleagues: “What can I do to support them?”
Honestly, there’s no easy answer to this question because there are...
Welcome to Soup Season: Easy Vegetable Beef
While Mother Nature has been doing her wacky Midwest thing with temperatures jumping between the 70s to the 90s, September is still the official start of fall, and fall means soup season! There is...
Is She Shy? No, She is Confident!
Last week, we took my 3.5-year-old daughter to the state fair. She rode a pony, climbed through two funhouses, fed carrots to sheep and alpacas, rode with us on the Ferris wheel and big...
I Want My Daughter To Be Kind, Not Nice
I am intentionally trying to ban the use of the word "nice" from our household vocabulary, particularly when it comes to describing my daughter. You may be thinking, "What? You don't want your daughter...
A Midwest Staple: Homemade Ranch Dressing
The statement I'm about to make will solidify my status as a born and raised Midwesterner: I have very strong feelings about ranch dressing.
Like "Ope!" or a church potluck with casseroles, ranch dressing is...
I Want To Be Fun Again
I'm usually not one for resolutions, but I have a singular focus for 2023: I want to be fun again.
I definitely used to be a fun person. In my 20s and early 30s, I...
Celebrate National Brownie Day With Your Favorite Box Mix
While I personally believe every day should be filled with chocolatey goodness, today, it's especially true. Why? December 8th is National Brownie Day!
The origin of the brownie is not without controversy. Some believe the delectable...