53 Weeks

Spring Break 2022 led us into paradise to the famed sands of Waikiki. It had been quite a few years since I had walked along that stretch of Honolulu, and the first time for both of my boys to visit Oahu. Needless to say, I fell in love with Waikiki all over again, just as I had the first time I visited many, many years ago and my kids were thoroughly impressed. When planning this trip, I already had a good idea I wanted to stay at the Hilton Hawaiian Village (HHW). I knew it would be just me and the boys, since their Dad wasn’t...

We’ve been living in Sacramento for almost a year now, and the one thing my younger son has been asking for and looking forward to since the move, was celebrating his birthday at home and having his friends come over. Well, enter COVID-19 and the age of “social distancing,” and there went that idea. At first, I tried to wait it out thinking, maybe things will get better and open up, so I reserved a bounce house with a water slide thinking we’d keep the gathering small to less than 10 people. Of course, I realize...

This year we had to adjust the birthday party to fit the times aka Coronavirus social distancing and living life on Zoom! My older son turned 8, and since his favorite pastime during the stay at home orders has been playing Roblox with his friends online, it made perfect sense to center the celebration on his favorite game. I actually did an interview for work with Roblox and so I got some tips about hosting a virtual shin dig on their platform, things like signing up for a private VIP server and carry out that theme for the online...

**This is a “Summer Survival Guide” guest post by Laura Hernandez** This summer is set up to be a summer unlike any other! I am here to help. And instead of adding more crazy to an already chaotic year, let’s get back to the basics. I want to help you set up simple routines and easy systems that take back a little control for you, Mama, and give a bit of control to your kiddos, too. Here are five ways we thrive at home with our ten kids during the long summer days. WORKING There are a few key themes that...

Do I have your attention? The title of this blog post sounds pretty charged, right? At first read, it’s definitely not PC in these volatile times of protests and demonstrations to fight for justice and make sure black voices are heard, and more importantly that their lives matter. Amid all this chaos and noise of the current climate, the pain and sadness I feel and see, this quote, the title of this post, came to my mind. “My Friend’s Not Black.” About a couple years ago, I started the conversation with...

I had the opportunity to interview Meena Harris on my show today! She is the founder and CEO of Phenomenal Woman, a female-powered lifestyle brand that brings awareness to social causes, and the author of Kamala and Maya’s Big Idea. She is a Harvard Law graduate, entrepreneur and mom, who is now adding the title of Children’s Book author to her resume. I previewed her new book Kamala and Maya’s Big Idea and read it to my 6-year old, and he was into it! The book has great illustrations and the story...

I love the creativity, hilarity and light-heartedness being spawned by the pandemic…and Mother’s Day is not immune! Typically our kids would still be in school and their ever so thoughtful teachers usually assign and create a craft for the kids to bring home to Mom, but not this year. In all seriousness, I am the type who really isn’t expecting or needing a material gift, but I also won’t lie, it is nice to get a little something (from Baby Daddy *hint hint*) to let me know that I am thought of and appreciated....

I don’t know about everyone else, but this distance learning is not easy! It was one thing to help my kids with their nightly homework assignments and try to figure out how to do “common core,” but managing their assignments, tempering emotions (theirs and mine), plus keeping them focused and on track for school, is tough to say the least! A lot of us have questions about online learning, especially as we all learn as we go. I know one of my concerns has been making sure they stay on target as far as meeting education...

My new “normal” of juggling work from home, schooling from home and just being home ALL THE TIME, is making me anxious. On the one hand, I was thrown back to my days of being the stay at home Mom when the kids were still rolling around in a stroller…which is sort of like self-quarantine, because one thing I always craved was adult interaction. Fast-forward, now the kids are school age and while they are self-sufficient in some ways, distance learning and keeping them (educationally) engaged are the new challenges....

We’re at the end of week 4, sheltering in place is feeling a bit more normal. I go from my daytime yoga pants to my night time sweats. The kids have asked to stop going places, because well, we can’t! I’ve had to make sure I get in my steps and take laps around the neighborhood for fresh air, or even just hop in the car for a drive…just to get away. Everyday is a new challenge and while we try to adjust, so do the kids. But is anyone feeling coronavirus cabin fever? I spoke to parenting expert and author...