Since I was five, with the exception of the last two years, I’ve been starting school the first week of September. That’s 25 years of First Days of School. Even now, while I’m still out on maternity leave, I feel the impact, as my husband and nearly all of our family are returning to the […]
Self Improvement
How “Being” Becomes “Doing”
This post from the Simple Mom blog yesterday really resonated with me. The author resolved to spend more time just living in the moment, or “being.” She fully committed to that change in her outlook. She restructured parts of her life to suit the change. She simplified, pared down, cleared away. And then she had […]
Makeup: Wearing The Daily Mask
I wear makeup every day. Most days, I put on everything from concealer to bronzer to highlighter, but sometimes I keep it simple: just concealer, powder foundation and mascara. On very, very rare occasions, I go a whole day without putting on any makeup, but that means I spent the whole day at home with […]
The Discipline Muscle
This summer, while I was dieting and exercising my post-baby bod (as I wrote about in my post New Floors and Sticks of Butter), I was also exercising my discipline muscle. I used it every time I thought about the Almond Joy sundae at our local ice cream place. I used it when I felt […]
New Floors and Sticks of Butter
I’ve missed a post or two this week, and I apologize. It’s a very busy time in the Sowul household right now, as we’re in the middle of getting our floors redone. The previous owners left us with nice, shiny wood floors covered in a very cheap sealant that started to peel within months of […]
Sometimes It’s Good To Complain
American psychology pushes us to be positive. We’re supposed to think positively, act with good intentions, and have gratitude for everything in our lives. But something that often gets missed in the psychobabble is the value of complaining. True, few people enjoy hearing others complain, particularly when haranguing for long stretches of time on one […]