How many times have you heard someone say admiringly “girlfriend is totally rocking that angry, bitter thing?” How ‘bout never? Lately, I’ve recognized bitterness in myself. It feels funny, like shoes that don’t fit but that I’m wearing anyway. I try to shrug off bitter. Sometimes I can, but it’s temporary. Bitterness sneaks back. Sometimes I…
Some memories really stay with you. I like to think I’m a pretty strong and confident person but seeing the name of the girl who taunted me in high school pop up on my friends’ social media feeds elicits a reaction in me, even after all these years. Here’s an excerpt of my latest post…
Dear Jill, We love your awesome, family-friendly content on your clever and creative website, Ripped Jeans and Bifocals. We would love to offer Ripped Jeans and Bifocals an amazing partnership and an opportunity to share our life-changing product with your readers. Wowza. Life-changing, huh? Is it special laser-guided tweezers that will eradicate those pesky chin hairs…
Yesterday was my last day employed by the bourbon distillery where my father worked 17 years. I made it 31 months. It wasn’t that I didn’t inherit his stamina and work ethic. My co-workers were interesting, good people, with laid back, comedic and gossipy personalities one grows up around in a small town. Time tick…
I struggle with writing about adoption and motherhood all the time. That might seem like a funny thing to say, considering the words “adoption” and “motherhood” appear in the tag line of my blog. But, it’s complicated. I write for a variety of reasons: to clear my head, to document life, to earn money, and…
I was sitting at my computer working when I saw eight words flash across my screen. Ads are everywhere and the stalker-ish Internet always knows what kind of stuff we like to buy, right? All bad things must come to an end. It was an ad for the farewell Mötley Crüe tour stopping in my…
If grades were given out in this thing called motherhood, last week would probably have fallen somewhere between a D+ and a C-, depending on the generosity of the teacher. I don’t aim for perfection in parenting. I’m mostly shooting for above-average. Most of the time, I think I succeed. But not last week. I…
I blew off Chinese New Year last year. It was the year of the something-I-could-look-up-on-the-Internet-but-really-I-have-no-idea. And I have to tell you…I am a little ashamed about this. When my husband and I decided to adopt from China in 2011, we decided we’d take some small steps to keep some of the boys’ heritage alive. Most…
I love my crock pot. I love my Instant Pot, too, but my crock pot will always have a place in my life. The crock pot is the perfect way to make dinner for your active family and a snap to work into any meal plan. If you’re looking for something easy to make and…
When my husband and I first considered China adoption we were told we’d wait roughly six years for a child. It seemed our journey was over before it started, but our adoption agency suggested the special needs program (shorter wait). I had two things to say about that: Hell and no. I was intimidated by “special…
