Ashley Varol
Dear America, I’m Heartbroken
Let's be clear - I love America. So much so that I have an American flag tattooed to my side. But lately, America has let me down as I now view her from the...
Sickness, Death and Young Kids
Death is something no one wants to face, no matter how old or how "prepared" you may think you are. Yes, there are times where someone's passing may just be "for the best" if...
How I Survived the Most Overwhelming Time of my Life
There's the saying from Mother Teresa that goes "God only gives you what you can handle." I have great respect for her, but I think that's a little bogus after the year I experienced...
Want to Shower…Alone? Get a Side Gig Teaching Fitness
Mamas, I have a quick insiders tip for you: if you teach fitness, you can take quiet showers away from your children's fingers popping up under the door. If this selfish reason isn't enticing...
Emergency Rooms Suck – Here’s How to Make Them Suck Less
Emergency Rooms suck. There's no denying that. No matter how many nice plants and things are in the waiting room, it is a scary, awful, germy place to be. One of the biggest differences from...
How I Know My Son is Ready for All-day Kindergarten
My oldest has reached the magical age of five and a half and will begin kindergarten very soon. We've gotten to enjoy all these new firsts: picking out a backpack, getting the supplies list...
WANTED: A Tribe (& Can We Take Turns Being the Chief?)
You can spend hours upon hours learning about how important it is to have a tribe (such as this Motherly article). Or you can ponder how different it is to raise a child in...
One Last Chance: How Having Multiples Makes You Want to Multiply
For the record (and for anyone I know who may read this) - no, I am not pregnant. But the thought of being pregnant again doesn't exactly sound terrible. You see - having multiples had opposite...
Everyday Fun: Household Finds to Keep Them Occupied
If you came to my house, you'd honestly think we raided a Once Upon a Child or scored big as a toy store went out of business. My husband, who grew up in Istanbul,...
DIY Project: Painted Rocks
Rainy Day Gratitude, Sunny Day Joy
"When a child gives you a gift, even if it is a rock they just picked up, exude gratitude. It might be the only they have to give, and...