Samantha Powers
Filling Up a Free Food Box: Teaching My Toddler about the Gift of Giving
With the holiday season approaching, I contemplated how to introduce my daughter to giving and generosity. Being only a mere two-and-a-half years old, the concept of kindness is simple for her: hugs make mommy...
Tooth Trauma Truths: What I Learned After My Daughter’s Tumble
I’m not a dentist — or a medical professional of any kind, actually.
I’m just a mom, a mom who isn’t quite sure she’ll ever get the dreadfully painful sound of teeth hitting cement out...
I’m Not a Cool Mom: How a Little Kindness Can Go a Long Way
I let out a sigh of relief when we arrived at our local library story time, only a minute late. It wasn’t our usual branch, but I just needed to get out of the...
::Heart of IM – Non-Profit Spotlight: The Liar’s Contest by Storytelling Arts of Indiana
Typically, as parents, we strive to teach our kids that lying is wrong – because it is.
Just a week ago, my husband overheard me tell my daughter that she could not have another donut...
How Taylor Swift’s Midnights is the Current Soundtrack of My Motherhood
Listen, the irony of this post is not lost on me.
It seems like only yesterday I was overly enthusiastically singing along to "Teardrops on My Guitar" as if I had actually ever been in...
How and Why I Became a Thrifty Mama
It never fails. During the spring and summer months, as we drive down the street, my husband will turn to me, point at a sign alongside the road, and ask, "Is that a good...
How Sorority Life Made Me A Better Mom
I get quite a few different reactions when I first tell people I participated in Greek life in college. I don't, by any means, fit the "sorority girl" stereotype, and honestly, that wasn't why...
Google And I Need To Break Up: My Battle With Health Anxiety
When I was a child, I had some friends who found amusement in scaring me. They'd run ahead as we'd walk to the kitchen and hide behind a corner. As I walked by, they'd...
Stroller Running Like a Mother
I’m not proud of the texts I sent the first few times I ran with my daughter in a stroller.
It was hot. It was hard. I was frustrated, which is extra frustrating when you’re...
The Evolution of (Step)Mom: National Step Family Day
"I am woman. Hear me roar!" I looked up to see my soon-to-be stepmom confidently claim those words as we concluded setting up the fresh Christmas tree. I recall my young self being in awe...
To My Best Friend Who Doesn’t Want Kids
I remember when you first told me you didn’t want children. I selfishly panicked because I’ve always known I wanted to be a mom, but I have always loved being your best friend. Time...
Being a Motherless Mother: Loss of a Loved One as a Child
*I am not a grief counselor; this post is solely based on my personal experience.*
I may not be able to tell you what I had for breakfast yesterday – or even this morning, for...
An Ode to the Monon Trail
Every now and again, someone will ask me, “What’s your favorite place?” Throughout the course of my life, the answers have varied – anywhere from the sticky basement floor of my now husband’s college...
How I Became a Movie Plot: Going Back to School as a Real Adult
Throughout the entire 2000s, my dad purchased two DVDs — Old School and, well, I cannot even remember the other one because it is insignificant in this anecdote. If you were ever to meet...