Archive for the ‘Blog’ Category
Glass Half Full Pollyanna Robot Mom… Cries by Pamela Francis
June 9th, 2020
The 1st time I've cried during this, the most recent and devastating Black Lives Matter entry in our race's tattered diary of The Historical Peaks and Valleys of Our Civil Rights Odyssey was on my 53rd birthday. That would be yesterday. The 1st time I allowed myself to cry. It ...
How to Beat Stress: The Scientific Guide to Being Happy by Alyssa Shaffer (Book Excerpt)
June 2nd, 2020
Excerpted from How to Beat Stress: The Scientific Guide to Being Happy by Alyssa Shaffer, published March 2020 by Centennial Books. When I was 15, I’m pretty sure my biggest source of stress was whether my parents would finally allow me to get my own (landline) phone in my bedroom. My twins ...
How to Raise Joyful Kids by Alyssa Shaffer, author The Happiness Formula (Book Excerpt)
May 29th, 2020
Excerpted from The Happiness Formula: Simple Habits for a More Joyful Life by Alyssa Shaffer, published March 2020 by Centennial Books. There Are Steps You Can Take To Make Sure Your Children Always Look On The Sunny Side Did you know that happiness can be learned? “Think of happiness as a set ...
“Hidden Orchard Mysteries: The Case of the Air B&B Robbery” Film Review by Andrea Santo Felcone
May 23rd, 2020
The opportunity entertainment provides, to get lost in another environment, if only for a little while, can be a very important way to cope in these extremely trying times. Any joy seems like something to grasp and hold onto, now, more than ever. However, with live theater on hold, I ...
THE HIGHLY SENSITIVE PARENT: Be Brilliant in Your Role, Even When the World Overwhelms You By Elaine Aron, Ph.D. (Book Excerpt)
May 20th, 2020
Emotional Regulation Since you are going to feel more deeply as a parent because of your innately greater emotional responsiveness, you need to become an expert in emotional regulation. Because of your depth of processing, once you have thought through emotional regulation, I think you’ll be better at it than ...
Simple, Jazzy Interior Design Tips for Families and Others by Ross Alexander
May 19th, 2020
Over the past few weeks I've had clients reach out for help adding interior design finishing touches to their homes and apartments. Many of us are spending more time indoors these days. Some are hunkered down solo. Others with friends or a significant other. Still others with family members. While ...
Struggling to Sleep? 4 Natural Ways to Get Better ZZZZs
May 15th, 2020
We all need a good night’s sleep to ensure that we wake up feeling well-rested and ready for the day ahead. However, if you are a light sleeper or find yourself struggling these days, then a good night’s rest might feel impossible at this time especially. Not getting the sleep ...
Smash Your Parenting iShoulds by Amber Trueblood, author, Stretch Marks (Book Excerpt & Giveaway)
May 15th, 2020
Chapter One SMASH YOUR iSHOULDS All the Woulda-Coulda-Shouldas layin’ in the sun, talking ‘bout the things they woulda-coulda-shoulda done... But those Woulda-Coulda-Shouldas all ran away and hid from one little did. Shel Silverstein I have this one stretch mark that’s longer and wider than all the rest. When I lay on my ...
When in Europe, Keep Your Eyes on Your Pizza by Dana Klosner
May 12th, 2020
In the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic I, like everyone else, was looking for something to do. I always love writing workshops. So, I borrowed my daughter’s computer and did my first Zoom meeting. An online writer’s workshop. The leader showed a picture of a leaning farmhouse in the middle ...
Pocahontas, Buffy, and New Heroines by Lisa Selin Davis, book excerpt, TOMBOY: The Surprising History and Future of Girls Who Dare to Be Different
May 11th, 2020
Ode to Jo Pocahontas, Buffy, and New Heroines Around the time that Girl Power and Sporty Spice were drop- kicking the tomboy off the screen, a new publishing trend emerged: girl crisis literature, inspired in part by the American Association of University Women’s 1991 report Shortchanging Girls, Short- changing America.2 The report ...
