The holiday season is upon us, no doubt. Are you preparing for this November-though-January-marathon? I certainly hope so, because if you are treating the holidays like a sprint, you will burn out quickly. Personally, I vote for making the whole thing as easy and relaxed as possible… but that’s just ...

If you have an eye-rolling teen, don't be offended by the gesture. This is why. There is this interesting technique for creating calm from within, where you cast your eyes upward and look at the sky for a few seconds. It’s a self-soother. Picture yourself looking heavenward and saying, "Why ...

Did you welcome the advice you received when you were a teenager?  Or, did you choose to bristle at the advisor's good intentions? Perhaps, you still bristle?The resentment that sage advice (i.e., from us parents) generates in our tween/teenagers is perfectly normal (and irritating). This is a conflicted period in ...

"Do you have a bodily sign that signals you are needing a break or you are on the edge of stress?" This question was posed on social media recently. As I read the responses below, I was struck by the repetition of the symptoms (some of which I’ve experienced myself ...

My husband needs to have two discs replaced, so of course he needs the one operation our health insurance doesn’t cover. Oh well. That means we’ll end up with a huge medical bill, and have to use vacation money for the next few years to pay it off. It turns ...

(Based on a true story.) Monday Phone Call: Darling Daughter: Mom, I wanted to talk to you about something. You got a minute? Marvelous Mom: For you? Always. Let me to stop supper from burning. Darling Daughter: I just want to make sure that you and Daddy were aware that ...

Want to get out of a rut? Stuck in a negative pattern because you follow the same negative behavior? Do the same negative reactions make your body produce the same corresponding chemicals, and the resulting negative emotions that follow? The only way to stop a pattern is to interrupt it ...

Teenage girl. Does that make you think of drama? Angst? Moodiness? Emotional Rollercoaster? Wouldn’t it be great if our girls could just be happy all the time? It turns out that one of the biggest blocks to your daughter’s happy state is her Addiction to Drama. Believe it or not, ...

Daughter: “What’s for supper, Mom?” Me: “Stuff In A Pot!” Daughter: “Oooh, that’s my favorite! You’re the best, Mom!” Yes, you, too, can generate that kind of enthusiasm over your culinary disinterest. Stuff In A Pot is my favorite go-to, clean-out-the-fridge, weekend meal. Growing up, there was always a pot ...