My ex and I have been co-parenting successfully for a long time now and as the kids get older and more complicated issues arise, it seems our co-parenting relationship gets even stronger. I was recently asked why I thought I’ve had success navigating the treacherous waters of parenting with an ex post-divorce. I wish I had a silver bullet to our success. It’s not been an easy road by any means, but even though we were flying blind, I think we’ve worked out most of the kinks. I sat down with him to talk about our success and to see if we can figure out the steps we took (and are still taking) t ..read more

Well, the world just got a bit crazy! It feels like we’re living in some kind of weird, alternate universe. I’m strongly feeling the need to make actionable plans during this coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic scare. Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. If you make purchases through these links (at no additional cost to you), I receive some spare change that indulges my chai latte cravings and more importantly, allows me to continue to provide you with great content that I hope will interest and inspire you. This once in a lifetime experience is just beginning for us as the cor ..read more

We don’t get a lot of snow days here in North Carolina. Certainly not as many as we used to get during long and cold New York winters. I guess it’s the reason I appreciate the small amounts of snow that paralyze our streets in the South and the resulting snow days so much more. Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. If you make purchases through these links (at no additional cost to you), I receive some spare change that indulges my chai latte cravings and more importantly, allows me to continue to provide you with great content that I hope will interest and inspire you. We lik ..read more

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. Chocolate, flowers, special dinners or gifts are usually the norm to honor this day celebrating romantic love. I thought I’d honor Valentine’s Day differently this year by trying to find ways to improve communication with my husband and partner. I’m obviously no expert (although I’ve actually played one on TV!) so I reached out to my friend, April Smith, a local couple’s counselor at Relationship Restoration in Raleigh. We met for a cup of coffee to chat about life, marriage and family. As middle aged women (ugh, that term, tho’), we bonded over o ..read more

The 5th annual N.C. Chinese Lantern Festival returns to Cary on November 22, 2019 and runs for seven weeks thru January 12, 2020. The festival has become a holiday tradition in Cary, NC as the Booth Amphitheatre transforms into a spectacular setting of holiday lights, lanterns, and cultural performances. This year’s Festival will. include all-new lanterns, each one comprised of hundreds of parts, and thousands of LED lights. The 5th annual Chinese Lantern Festival also returns with some surprises including an all-new giant lantern on Symphony Lake to replace the beloved dragon. The kids are ..read more

The North Carolina Museum of History will unveil its newest year-long exhibit to the public on October 4th- Toy Boom! Toys from the 1950s & ’60s. I was thrilled to get a sneak media peek this week. The 2nd floor exhibit features vintage toys like an Easy Bake Oven, the Rock ’Em, Sock ’Em Robots, a Slinky and so many more that had me feeling like I had gone back in time. This special toy exhibit in Raleigh examines how toys most beloved by Baby Boomers reflected the energy, ambition, and abundance of a prosperous era. They also channeled the uncertainties of the period-taking a look back ma ..read more

I’ve been a fan of escape room adventures for a couple of years. Last week I was invited to have some escape room fun at Game On Escapes and More in Cary and jumped at the chance to try my hand at another adventure. Escape rooms are one of my favorite ways to bond with the kids. I grabbed my teen-aged daughter and headed to MacGregor Village to meet friends and enjoy a night out puzzling and collaborating while doing some Mama and daughter bonding at the same time. My 14 year old and I were excited to try out a local escape room. We’ve managed to escape adventures in Wilmington, Wilkesboro an ..read more

Fall is in the air and besides pumpkin-flavored everything, I always look forward to the great fall festivals around North Carolina. Some of my favorites are the unique local cultural festivals in Cary, NC at the Koka Booth Amphitheatre that give us a way to celebrate the richness and diversity of different cultures and arts. Besides making for great weekend entertainment, I love that cultural festivals promote intercultural dialogue and appreciation for the whole family. It’s important to our family that we learn about the values, beliefs and cultural identities of the neighbors we share our ..read more

Here in the South, we are in the midst of hurricane season. In certain disaster scenarios, there may be little to no time to evacuate so planning ahead for our blended family of 6 and our dog, Zollie, has always been a priority. Pets are family too and it’s important to remember them when you’re putting together your family’s emergency evacuation plan. Tornadoes, floods, fires and hurricanes are all potential disasters that can quickly displace your pets. AKC Reunite, the largest non-profit pet identification and recovery service provider in the United States shares the following tips to help ..read more

Summer is winding down to a close and it’s almost back-to-school time again. With four kids in our blended family I have to navigate meet the teacher nights, haircuts, doctors’ visits, school supply and clothes shopping, and parent “get to know you” meet-ups starting, well…..now. All stepmoms’ degree of participation in their bonus kid’s life can vary from complete disconnection (it’s not my kid), to full time parenting with an uninvolved bio-mom. Because of this, there’s usually a learning curve for others while they figure out our roles and particular circumstances. In preparation for back-t ..read more