“Families are like fudge -mostly sweet, with a few nuts.”-Les Dawson National Stepfamily Day is a nationally and an internationally recognized holiday that is celebrated on September 16th each year. It’s a time for stepfamilies to get together and celebrate being part of a stepfamily. Christy Tusing-Borgeld is the founder of National Stepfamily Day and you can read the inspiring story of how she started it HERE. This year, National Stepfamily Day falls on a Saturday, so get ready to celebrate this special day over the weekend. 8 Ways to Celebrate National Stepfamily Day: Have a family pi ..read more

Guest Post by Carrie Spencer Stepmoms already have a lot on their plate when it comes to juggling the demands of family life. From managing your stepchildren’s schedules to organizing paperwork and keeping your home clean, it can feel like there’s always something that needs your attention. And with many parents working from home these days, staying organized can feel even more daunting. The good news is that there are plenty of ways to stay on top of things without breaking the bank. Today, we’ll explore some practical tips to help you organize your home and keep your life running smoothly! C ..read more

Recently, I read a powerful book about friendship, determination, and creating joy, called The Wildwater Walking Club by Claire Cook. Rosie, Noreen, and Tess, three women living in the same neighborhood, happen to meet, and they bond through daily walks. As they walk, they talk, as they are all navigating difficult situations in their lives. Rosie’s mother recently died, and Rosie moved back to her hometown to take care of her dad. Noreen took a buyout from her job and her boyfriend broke up with her. Tess has a contentious relationship with her teenage daughter. At one point, as Rosie and Nor ..read more

One of my aims on my 23 for 2023 List is to read 50 books this year. I’m an avid reader, but this is the first time I’ve had a concrete aim, so I’m taking it very seriously. For one of my nonfiction book choices, I just finished You’re Not Listening: What You’re Missing and Why it Matters by Kate Murphy. As I was reading it, I thought about how closeness communication bias applies to stepfamilies and how it affects our relationships. What is Closeness Communication Bias? A couple of weeks ago, I was having dinner with my husband and my parents. My husband started asking my parents questions ab ..read more

You’ve probably heard the old adage the more energy and focus you give something, the more it grows. That’s the basic concept behind visualization or imagery. Visualization is a mental training strategy or tool in which you generate a mental picture to achieve an outcome. In fact, studies show that visualization can increase motivation, increase confidence levels, and improve performance. There are different types of visualization techniques. We use some in everyday life, such as when we visualize our performance before giving a presentation. Others are used in cognitive behavioral therapy to ..read more

Family is like music: some high notes, some low notes, but always a beautiful song. National Stepfamily Day is a nationally and an internationally recognized holiday that is celebrated on September 16th each year.  It’s a time for stepfamilies to get together and celebrate being part of a stepfamily. Christy Tusing-Borgeld is the founder of National Stepfamily Day and you can read the inspiring story of how she started it HERE. This year, National Stepfamily Day falls on a Friday, so you can still do something fun over the weekend to celebrate with your family. 9 Ways to Celebrate Nationa ..read more

You deserve the love and kindness that you give so easily to others. Stepfamily life can be stressful. You might feel like you’re walking on eggshells and find yourself second-guessing something you said to your stepchildren or to your spouse. Did that come off the right way? Was that hurtful? Maybe I shouldn’t have said that. Ever woken up at night and started ruminating over something that happened earlier that day? That’s where self-compassion comes in. If you get into the habit of practicing self-compassion, you’ll notice a difference in how you approach situations in your stepfamily. Acco ..read more

I am honored to be the cover girl for the August 2022 issue of StepMom Magazine. StepMom Magazine has definitely helped me during my stepmom journey, and that’s why I’m so excited to be featured as a cover girl! StepMom Magazine has provided much-needed support for me over the years. In that first year as a stepmom, StepMom Magazine answered many of those questions I was too ashamed to ask. As I read articles written by fellow stepmoms and experts, I felt like I wasn’t alone. This encouraged me and reminded me that everyone struggles, no matter how much experience they have or how much they ha ..read more

Ask yourself if what you’re doing today is getting you closer to where you want to be tomorrow. Ever wonder why some people set goals but don’t achieve them while others seem to effortlessly reach their goals? They might make it look effortless, but those who are achieving their goals are writing them down and setting implementation intentions. In fact, according to a meta-analysis of 94 studies, psychologists Gollwitzer & Sheeran found that forming an implementation intention has a strong correlation with achieving a goal. What is an Implementation Intention? An implementation intention i ..read more

Guest Post by Carrie Spencer College admissions offices are increasingly looking at teens’ summer activities to determine how motivated and well-rounded they’ll be as undergraduates. This means it’s more important than ever for students to have productive summers if they want to be competitive for college admissions and scholarships. However, you also want your stepkids to enjoy their last carefree months before the pressures of the real world hit. So how can you balance these competing demands? Dig into Special Interests Teens can use their summers as opportunities to explore interests that a ..read more