I can’t carry a tune in a bucket. I lip-sync “Happy Birthday.” There is no music in me. Not even a flute at band camp. So when my husband and I were meeting friends at a winery near our home a few weeks ago and they were seated in front of the small stage where…
Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and there are tons of adorable, glitter-y, do-it-you… [more]
Taking care of sick toddlers is a pain, but it helped me figure out how the universe works.… [more]
You may have been asking yourself “What exactly IS a roundtable and how is this different from… [more]
5 Movies from the 80s I’ve Never Seen. Don’t You Judge Me.
You can’t believe I haven’t seen them. Sometimes, I can’t believe I haven’t seen them because you’re so incredulous that I haven’t seen them. Some of the so-called greatest 80s movies, LIKE-OMG-EVER. And that’s exactly how you say it, too. The Goonies. I KNOW. I just haven’t gotten around to seeing it because it’s like “a…
3 Reasons I Shouldn’t Be Allowed Near a Kitchen
I had only been back in the country for less than 24 hours, having been to visit relatives back in the UK, but the kitchen and I had not gotten off to an auspicious start. Firstly, and for reasons completely unknown to me at the time, I thought I could save a bit of time…
3 Pictures Most People Wouldn’t Take With Their iPhones
Have you ever analyzed the type of pictures that you tend to take? I think most people have a picture-taking style or interest. Some people’s pictures will consist primarily of their kids, pets or themselves. Some like landscapes, signs or food. Do you know what I discovered when I was skimming through all my iPhone…
Dirge of the Bridesmaid: Part 1
About a year ago, I was a bridesmaid in my brother-in-law’s wedding. The weeks leading up to the event were filled with a mild sense of apprehension on my part. I was honored to be included, but the vision that the bride-to-be painted for her big day made my non-girlie-girl knees shake. I was sure…
11 Weird Foods I Have Tried
I grew up in an Irish-Catholic, meat-and-taters family. When I met my future sucker husband, the list of foods I WOULD eat was much shorter than the food I WOULDN’T eat. The first time he brought me home for dinner they served these bizarre foods like zucchini and chick peas and olives and herbs and…
The Difference Between Boys and Girls
My daughter and I recently spent four days at a Caribbean resort, our first mother-daughter getaway. We bonded over frozen drinks, had our toes painted and shared one or two long cries that ended up bringing us closer together. We came home holding hands and giggling over inside jokes. My husband and son spent the…
Drowning in Pinch Pots
I love my kids. They can be cute and smart and funny and I relish their accomplishments. I keep their little drawings and progress reports and the cards they make for me. I imagine that, someday, they might mean even more to me (or that they might eventually mean something to them). So, I tuck…
Aunt Becky and the Brain
I started getting headaches in my early twenties, which, at 31, seems a lifetime ago. Back then, I could pop a few Tylenol, chug a Red Bull and be all wham-bam-thank-you-ma’am as I went about my day. After my daughter was born, the headaches increased until I was having them every day. People are always…
The Stupidest Commercial Ever
There are a lot of dumb commercials out there. Like the ones where women are beside themselves with smug joy over fat-free yogurt with flavors like “triple-crème Brie,” or “carnival corndog.” Listen ladies, I know society has taught us to hate ourselves and to frantically pack every orifice with Splenda until we can’t feel our…
