“Treat yourself as you would treat a good friend.” -Kristin Neff When my stepkids are here, I change into a different person. At the beginning of the week, I start off with high hopes and a positive attitude. I try to hang onto that joy, but towards the end of the week, I can feel
Guest Post By Karen Struck One of the most joyful experiences in life is the unconditional love of our pets. They bring us so much happiness and teach us important lessons in life like responsibility, patience, and love. For many of us, losing our beloved companions can feel as painful as losing a human family
“Marriage is a mosaic you build with your spouse. Millions of tiny moments that create your love story.” -Jennifer Smith Although 90 percent of people get married, only four in ten will find lasting love, according to Ty Tashiro, social scientist and author of The Science of Happily Ever After. Relationships fail due to many
“There are few situations in life which are more difficult to cope with than an adolescent son or daughter during the attempt to liberate themselves.” -Anna Freud If you are raising teenage daughters or stepdaughters, you may be wondering what happened now that they’ve hit the teen years. Has your teenager been having “meltdowns” or
This academic year has been especially challenging with the pandemic and online schooling. Due to these challenges, one topic that has come up a lot in my work with stepmoms this year is concern for their stepchildren’s grades. Here are some common questions and concerns I hear from stepmoms: I’m really worried about my stepchild’s
“Once your mindset changes, everything on the outside will change along with it.” -Steve Maraboli I checked my reflection out in the mirror as I was getting three inches cut off. “Now I’ll actually have to do my hair rather than just throw it in a ponytail,” I remarked to my hair stylist. “You mean
If you’re looking for a fun, easy treat to make, you should try making homemade peanut butter cups! I make them for my hubby for Valentine’s Day every year, and he loves them. (Nothing says “I love you” more than peanut butter and chocolate, right?!) The best part is that it’s a really simple recipe,
“To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.” -Lewis B. Smedes Have you ever been so angry with someone that you felt physically sick? Or you couldn’t sleep very well because you kept thinking about the way someone hurt you? Have you ever had a tension headache or felt nauseous
This is Part 3 in a 3-part series on how to prepare your kids or stepkids for college. Read Part 1 here and Part 2 here. “Don’t ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go and do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come
“The greatest gifts you can give your children are the roots of responsiblity and the wings of independence.” -Denis Waitley This is Part 2 in a 3-part series on how to prepare your kids or stepkids for college. To read Part 1, click here. Finances can be one of the biggest issues in a marriage.