I love to travel, and love traveling with my family.
That being said, there is something really nice and refreshing about traveling solo for work. I’m sure I might feel differently if my job kept me on the road and away from my family often, but the fact that it doesn’t means that the occasional business trip for meetings or a conference becomes a genuine treat. An exception to the rule. Continue reading “A little getaway”
On June 14, I will be walking with my family in the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America’s Take Steps walk in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in memory of my much-loved and much-missed cousin Michelle, who passed away in January from Crohn’s complications.
For anyone unfamiliar with Crohn’s, it’s a chronic inflammatory condition of the GI tract. In my cousin’s case, Crohn’s was just one of the many illnesses she was dealing with … and, after battling for 22 of her 31 years on Earth, her body just couldn’t handle anymore; on January 25, she passed away. Continue reading “walking for michelle”
I don’t hate running. I don’t. I just hate the idea of it. Once I’m out there, I’m fine.
At least, that’s what yesterday’s 20 minute impromptu run (#wycwyc)– inspired by my good friend Staci’s awesome 4-miler this weekend — reminded me.
This is my bubby: my maternal grandma, Jeanette. She passed away in January 1999, mid-way through my sophomore year of college, but today — June 11 — would have been her birthday. Happy Birthday, Grandma! Continue reading ““I’ll go to hell with myself!””
This weekend, my parents came out to visit us from New Jersey and when they left, I was a bawling mess. I am 33, a mother myself … and I cried like a baby after we said goodbye.
The fact that it was cold and miserable and raining here all day completely suited my mood. I felt sad for those whose Memorial Day barbecues and picnics and parades were tainted, but secretly I was happy for a legit excuse to stay inside our new (still-in-process-of-unpacking) casa. I just didn’t feel like doing much of anything.
Note: I originally submitted this to Babble but they said they had too many pieces touching on a similar topic. So on my blog it goes 🙂
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The scenario: Fifteen straws under your chair, spilled milk soaking your lap, repeating “No thank you” til your voice gets hoarse, rice strewn all over the table… these are the things meals out with a toddler are usually made of.
But dining out with your toddler doesn’t have to be the aforementioned nightmare. We go out to eat about once a week with our 2-year old daughter and though it isn’t always a walk in the park, it can be fun, relatively cheap … and even better for your waistline than a date night would be. Confused? Don’t be. You have a couple things working in your favor that can make dining out with your toddler a great experience for the whole family.
Generally speaking …
1) They have a small appetite – Toddlers are pint-sized people bursting with energy and blessed with quick metabolisms … but aren’t necessarily the best eaters. And even if your kid isn’t picky, chances are he/she isn’t wolfing down every morsel on his/her plate. Today’s super-sized portions of everything mean even kids’ meals could make a couple of future meals for a toddler. Capitalize on this by divvying their meal into smaller portions to start … or try sharing your meal with them and getting an extra side of veggies – which saves money and calories.
Net gain: 1-2 bonus meals … or a savings of $5 if you skip the kids’ meal and share your meal with your toddler.
I don’t talk much anymore about my anxiety issues. It’s not because they’ve all but disappeared — they haven’t — but rather because I’ve found ways to learn to live with them. To cope.
I share this today because my mother-in-law and sister-in-law arrived for their annual visit yesterday. Typically, as long-time readers know, I’d be fraught with anxiety leading up to the visit and throughout. Continue reading “Anxiety and Appreciation”
For Labor Day, we went home to N.J. and it was WONDERFUL. I loved every minute of being home with my family — the little family I’ve created with Luis, and the one I was born into.
The three of us flew in from Michigan, my brother flew in from California with his girlfriend (whom we adore!), and my sister came in from NYC. My parents were thrilled to have “all their chickies in the nest” and, per usual, smitten by Maya and it was just an all-around awesome and relaxing time. We ate, we drank, we were merry. I was sad to not be able to see any of my high school friends this trip but it was really all about family this time. Between full moon gazing (thanks to Dad’s new toy!) park playing, boat riding, lake splashing, Catchphrase winning, winery sipping, woods hiking … it was a blast through and through. Continue reading “All-Over-the-Place Labor Day Recap”
A conversation with a dear friend on a walk last night reminded me of why I desperately miss my morning workouts … and why I need to find a way back to them.
You see, prior to getting Rocco, I never had a problem with morning workouts.
A lark by nature, I loved the idea of getting my workout out of the way so I could enjoy the rest of my day. It set the tone for my day and it energized me. It made me feel happy and whole, and any walks in the afternoon were just a bonus in terms of physical activity and a positive jolt to my mental well-being. When I worked out in the morning, I ate better and slept better.
But then things changed.
Once Rocco joined our family, he was like a baby — waking a few times at night in the beginning and he’d cry if he heard anyone up. So I stopped working out in the AM because I knew I’d be walking him later in the day and didn’t want to risk waking him up. Plus, I was tired all of a sudden. Bone tired, like never before.
Little did I know … Continue reading “Making the Case for AM Workouts”
Anyone who has been reading my blog for the past two years knows that the annual visit from my mother-in-law and sister-in-law each summer is usually a giant source of anxiety for me.
Without going into the details out of respect to my husband, let me just say that while I love them both very much, it’s very challenging for me when they are here. They don’t come for a weekend — because they live in El Salvador, they come for 3-5 weeks (though we’ve put the kibosh on those long visits the past few years). There’s a language barrier — my Spanish isn’t very good anymore and is about as good as my mother-in-law’s English, which means a lot of communication gaffes and a lot of me tuning out the situation around me once I lose the train of the conversation (even with my husband translating, it’s hard to keep up). My mother-in-law is a lot older than my own parents, and far more traditional so culturally there are some major differences. And finally, my sister-in-law is sweet as can be, but 37 and severely mentally challenged, which just adds to the complexity of the situation for a variety of reasons. Continue reading “On Anxiety”
Let There Be Light 