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What Teens Need This Holiday Season: Pumpkin Pie and a “Check Up from The Neck Up”

November 18, 2019 By Christine 1 Comment

pumpkin pie

I was compensated by Med-IQ through an educational grant from Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc. and Lundbeck to write about depression in college-aged students.  All opinions are my own. As I stood on the curb of my dormitory parking lot, I could see my dad’s car slowly making its way to me. I remember readjusting my […]

Filed Under: Holly Daze Tagged With: depression, teenagers, teens, thanksgiving

A Break Up Letter To The Elf On The Shelf: We Are So Over

November 1, 2019 By Christine 1 Comment

Elf on The Shelf with Christmas decorations

Dear Herbie the Elf, I feel as though it’s time we had a talk. I’ve been very unhappy for a very long time and I bet that if you were honest with yourself, you’d admit that you have known for a while that things were not right between us.  I’m sure that you’ve noticed that […]

Filed Under: Holly Daze Tagged With: Christmas, Elf On The Shelf, Holly Daze

Dear Publix: Thanks For Making College Parents Ugly Cry At The Holidays

October 23, 2019 By Christine Leave a Comment

ugly cry

The holidays are upon us and many of us are waiting anxiously for our college kids to barge in the front door yelling, “I’m home!” And, for those of us who sent our first kids off to college this fall, it can feel like an eternity as we count down the days to having all […]

Filed Under: Holly Daze Tagged With: Holly Daze, home for the holidays, thanksgiving

Did You Move The Elf On The Shelf? 11 Last Minute Ideas To Save Your Ass

November 1, 2018 By Christine 4 Comments

Time to move The Elf on The Shelf. Here are easy ideas.

Let’s just get something clear: I hate The Elf on The Shelf. There, I said it. And yes, we all know that I love channeling Martha Stewart at the holidays and I’ve been known to bake thousands of Christmas cookies from November to December but that doesn’t mean I have willingly participated in this Elf […]

Filed Under: Holly Daze Tagged With: Christmas

The Year I Didn’t Make Christmas Cookies

December 4, 2017 By Christine 6 Comments

Baking Christmas cookies brings me joy.

I’m pretty sure I married Hubby just to get his mother’s Christmas cookie recipes. I’m kidding. Mostly. When I attended a Christmas Eve gathering at his mother’s house the first year we were dating, my eyes nearly bugged out of my head when I saw her Christmas cookie trays. Gorgeous confections iced to perfection, her […]

Filed Under: Holly Daze

In Defense of Christmas (It’s Not About The Red Cup)

December 18, 2015 By Christine 2 Comments

Christmas is so much more than Starbucks red cups.

A few years, I realized there was a NYT best selling fiction author living in my town. I KNOW, RIGHT? I almost lost my mind when I realized that Kate Moretti was a mother and a writer just like me and I immediately decided that I had to meet her. Not in a stalkery, creepy, […]

Filed Under: Holly Daze, Tribe Tuesday Tagged With: Christmas, guest post, tribe tuesday

7 People From Hell We All Meet During The Holidays

November 19, 2015 By Christine 2 Comments

Do you know these seven people from hell at the holidays?

The holidays are HERE. We are in the trenches. We are hall decking. We are cookie baking. We are loading our eggnogs with massive quantities of booze. With every shot of spiced rum, we are bracing ourselves, steeling ourselves against the inevitable. Because on top of the present wrapping, the light stringing and the carol […]

Filed Under: Holly Daze, People Who Suck Tagged With: Holly Daze, people from hell, people who suck

The Day The Lights Went Out On Thanksgiving

November 10, 2015 By Christine 7 Comments

Thanksgiving is a big deal around here. Huge. I plan for months.  MONTHS, I tell you. I scour Pinterest for the perfect recipes and I painstakingly keep my meticulous lists from year to year to make sure my menus are varied.  I write notes to myself about what appetizers went over well, which dishes had […]

Filed Under: Holly Daze Tagged With: fast food, friendship, lights out, thanksgiving

9 Halloween Costume Ideas That Are Scary Good (and Easy, too!)

October 24, 2015 By Christine 2 Comments

Easy, last minute halloween costumes

As most GenXers will tell you, Halloween as we know it today was a lot different when we were kids. A LOT different. The candy choices were limited to products made by Hershey and Mars, we were able to roam neighborhood after neighborhood without parents tracking us via phone apps and everyone collected money for Unicef […]

Filed Under: Holly Daze, Parenting My Way Tagged With: halloween, Suck It

Chocolate And Champagne Led To The Most Embarrassing Holiday Party Of My Life

September 28, 2015 By Christine 6 Comments

I died a thousand social deaths at the holidays.

Let’s face it:  we all know by now that I like to have a good time. I might have even paid my college roommates large quantities of money to keep their traps shut about our escapades and I thank GAWD every day that Facebook didn’t exist when I was a coed. Frankly, between you and me, I […]

Filed Under: Holly Daze Tagged With: Chocolate Fountain, Christmas

December 26th Is My Favorite Day Of The Year And I’m Not at All Sorry

December 8, 2014 By Christine 14 Comments

Moms look forward to December 26th.

Dear December 25th, I feel as though it’s time we had a talk. I’ve been very unhappy for a very long time and I bet that if you were honest with yourself, you’d admit that you have known for a while that things were not right between us. I’m sure that you’ve noticed that I’ve […]

Filed Under: Holly Daze Tagged With: Christmas

An Adult Ruined Christmas For My Daughter And I’m Still Angry

December 5, 2014 By Christine 24 Comments

An adult ruined Christmas for my daughter.

I don’t write about religion. Because religion. But I’m going to today. Sort of. Not in a preachy way. Not in a argumentative way. No preaching, no prosthelyzing, no snakes. Religion is part of the story but it’s not THE story. So, if you are of a religious conviction different than mine, I respect you. […]

Filed Under: Holly Daze, People Who Suck Tagged With: Christmas, Scrooge

Victoria, Keep Your Secrets

December 3, 2014 By Christine 11 Comments

It’s that time of year when spouses far and wide search the far recesses of the interwebs to find the exact right gift to put under the tree. The gift that says “In the day to day trenches, it’s you I want by my side”. The gift that says, “I heard what you said six […]

Filed Under: Holly Daze Tagged With: Christmas, secrets, victoria

How To Bake A Mince Pie Without Losing Your Marbles

October 27, 2014 By Christine 6 Comments

Thanksgiving is my favorite. I love the smells. I love the parades. I love the gathering of family to hearth and home for the annual display of familial dysfunction and inebriation. And I love the pie. Oh, how I loves me the pie. Pumpkin pie, how do I love thee? Let me count the creamy […]

Filed Under: Holly Daze Tagged With: and more pie, pie

It’s Not You, It’s Me

December 23, 2013 By Christine 6 Comments

Dear December 25th, I feel as though it’s time we had a talk. I’ve been very unhappy for a very long time and I bet that if you were honest with yourself, you’d admit that you have known for a while that things were not right between us.  I’m sure that you’ve noticed that I’ve […]

Filed Under: Holly Daze Tagged With: December 26th

The Year We Hosted Thanksgiving In The Garage. With A Frozen Turkey.

November 20, 2013 By Christine 3 Comments

When Hubby and I were young and stupid (read: poor and stupid), we used to day dream about having big family holidays in the new home we didn’t yet own. Visions of snowy windows, crackling fireplaces and family with rosy cheeks at our door used to dance in our heads. We used to get positively […]

Filed Under: Holly Daze Tagged With: frozen, hell, turkey, you people

No One Tells You That You Have To Do A Lot of Lying As A Mom

November 13, 2013 By Christine 31 Comments

Lying

I have a secret. You might be shocked and appalled. You might stop following my blog or leave my Facebook page as a result of what I’m about to divulge. Here goes: I. AM. A. LIAR. Yep. You read this correctly. I lie all day long and during the holiday season, it’s at it’s worst. […]

Filed Under: Holly Daze Tagged With: Elf On The Shelf, lies, tooth fairy

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fruitloopkeeper

Nurse. Wife. Mom. Runner. Blogger. Writer. Thrift Shop Junkie. Sauvignon Blanc Snob.
Social Media Manager for @hermoneymedia and @jeanchatzky.

It’s time to let the world swallow your whole s It’s time to let the world swallow your  whole self, bitchachos. And you can hand the haters a glass of milk if they are having trouble. #bringit #momtruth #parentingtruth #iamwhoiam #nojoke #mywholeself
Can we all agree that our pets are the real winner Can we all agree that our pets are the real winners of the quarantine?
For six months, this dog has had four people to cuddle her, give her treats, and take her for walks at the drop of a hat. And she does not care if she interrupts a Zoom call to protect us from the UPS guy.
And, yes, she’s been forced to take more selfies than she’d like but sorry not sorry, #daisytheshihtzu.
What are these pets gonna do if we ever have to go back to “real” life?
#petsofinstagram #shihtzusofinstagram #shihtzulovers #shihtzusgram_feature #quarantinelife #petsofquarantine #lifewithdaisy
No words. RIP, #rbg. Fly with the angels and rest No words. RIP, #rbg. Fly with the angels and rest easy. We won’t let you down. Also? SOMEONE FIND BETTY WHITE RIGHT NOW. #ruthbaderginsburg #suckit2020 #wtf #notoriousrbg #ruthbaderginsburgismyhero
When I was thinking about how I wanted to write ab When I was thinking about how I wanted to write about eczema for a project with @mediqcme, I was reminded of a time a few years ago when I had the world’s worst case of poison ivy.
After a marathon session of gardening, I’d managed to swipe a huge swath of poison ivy oil across my chest, left flank, and left side of my face.
Within days, I was in agony: huge, weeping crusted pustules covered my body and as the days turned into weeks, my skin screamed at me for attention at every given moment.
I couldn’t sleep.
I couldn’t wear my favorite clothing because my lesions were constantly weeping.
And then came the steroids.
That’s when the real hell began. I’m a high energy person without the aid of stimulants (I really should switch to decaf, I know) and steroids make me a next-level handful, trust me.
For six weeks, every decision I made revolved around my skin: how to sit comfortably, what position made sleep come more easily, even bathing became a chore because nothing helped allay the itch that seemed to come from the inside out.
I was miserable, yes, but thankfully, I eventually healed and soon forgot about my six weeks of poison ivy hell.
But, 9-year-old Elizabeth told me that living with atopic dermatitis means that itching from the inside out is a way of life for her and, in her words, itchy skin makes her feel “bad” most of the time.
Head to my IG stories to read more about life with #atopicdermatitis and how it affects almost 31 million Americans (10 million of which are kids).
#itchyskinhelp #chroniceczema #eczema #eczemarelief #atopicdermatitistreatment
Why is it that when the temp dips to 50 degrees in Why is it that when the temp dips to 50 degrees in September, I can’t wait to wear sweaters and scarves but, in April, I’m pretty much wearing shorts and tank tops?
#hardhittingquestions #fallproblems #sweaterweather #falllife #fallfashion #fallvibes #conundrum #yorkbeach #yorkbeachme
Do you have eczema? Does someone you know and love Do you have eczema? Does someone you know and love have atopic dermatitis, a chronic skin condition that affects more than 31 million Americans? 

Join me Tuesday, September 15 at 2p EST for a very special FB live conversation about Atopic Dermatitis with Dr. Peter Lio, Asst. Professor of Dermatology and Pediatrics at @northwesternu. 

We will be discussing what atopic dermatitis is, how it affects families, and the resources that you can trust if you, your kids, or family members are navigating a new (or ongoing) atopic dermatitis diagnosis.

Bring your questions because we will be answering them live!

Special thanks to @mediqcme for making this discussion possible!
#itchyskinhelp
On the day my son was born, my father sent us a ca On the day my son was born, my father sent us a card.
“You’ll always remember the firsts but the lasts are the most precious,” he wrote.
She’s our last.
She was the last baby to walk with her fat feet on our hardwood floors.
She was the last one to go to kindergarten.
She was the one who napped on the go as her brother attended Mommy and Me classes and soccer practices.
She was the last one to have a single digit birthday in our house.
But for all of the firsts that have been afforded to her brother, she’s our first in so many ways.
She’s the first one to navigate freshman year during a hybrid school system in the midst of a pandemic.
She’s the first one to forge her way on a cross country team with teammates who have never had to race virtually.
She’s the first one to have had to face a high school career that looks infinitely different than the one her brother (a senior) has enjoyed.
She’s our last, yes.
But she’s the one who is teaching us to savor the moments when we get to see her race on the track while we wear masks and socially distance.
She’s the one who is brave enough to lean in to hybrid learning, mask and all, so that we can figure out how best to educate our kids in the coming years.
And, yes, she’s our last one to go to high school but she’s the first one to teach us what we really need to know in the midst of a pandemic.
The lastest really is the bestest.
#lifewithteens
Let’s face it: I’m all in on the bullshit. (Th Let’s face it: I’m all in on the bullshit. (Thanks, @modernmommymadness for being all about the bullshit, too.) #backtoschool #parentingteens #momofteens #motherhoodunplugged #parenting #pandemicparenting #quaranteens #bullshitquotes #allaboutthebullshit #keeperofthefruitloops
School starts tomorrow and I am READY, bitchachos. School starts tomorrow and I am READY, bitchachos. 💪🏻🍷📚#backtoschool #letsdothis #itsgonnatakeavineyard #covidclassroom #covidclassof2021 #quaranteens #momofteens #parentingteens #senioryear🎓 #freshmanyear
Well played, universe. (via: @ramblinma) #momoftee Well played, universe. (via: @ramblinma) #momofteenagers #parentingteens #motherhoodunplugged #momofteens #momtruth #wtf #keeperofthefruitloops #teenagers🙄 #sendhelp
So. I did a thing today. I went to a NASCAR race. So.
I did a thing today.
I went to a NASCAR race.
My first.
During a pandemic.
I know, I can't believe it, either.
But, when you are married to a man who eats, sleeps, and breathes cars, eventually you come to a point in your marriage when you realize that a trip to a major speedway is a marital inevitability.
I managed to avoid it for 21 years but today was the day.
And I have thoughts, in no particular order:
1). I was not prepared for the noise of the engines. And by "noise," I mean the constant reverberation deep into your soul for three. solid. hours. Loud does not begin to cover it.
2). I watched 38 cars whizz by me 301 times. I enjoyed seeing #43 drive by 301 times. Car #32? Not so much (#32 finished 35th. I was fine with that).
3). Every single person in the grandstands complied with the mask restrictions. It's not that hard, people. I watched thousands of people do it today. You can, too.
4). We didn't see a single confederate flag. #FistBumpNASCAR 
5). I couldn't hear a thing my family said for three hours. Actually, almost four hours. This was a major bonus.
6). Earplugs are necessary. Again, see #5.
7). The universe did me a solid and provided me with an overcast day as I did my "wifely duty" and pretended to be interested in the parade of cars that monotonously sped by me every thirty seconds. If it had been 100 degrees (like it apparently was last year), this status would be very different.
8). 301 laps takes a really long time. Like, a really long time.
9). I think NASCAR would have a bigger fan base if they served frozé wine and provided charcuterie. Hear me out on this, NASCAR.
10). Watching my husband and Fruit Loop #1 scream at each other (because noise and ear plugs) and gesticulate wildly at whatever was happening on the track while they soaked in their first NASCAR race together made it all worth it. I think. #PleaseLetUsHaveUsedEnoughHandSanitizer.
#nascar #loudonspeedway #newhampshiremotorspeedway #nascarracing #nascarlife
Well behaved women never make history...or some sh Well behaved women never make history...or some shit like that. 😏 
#motherhoodunplugged #momtruth #nevershutup #keeperofthefruitloops #mouthybitch #speakyourtruth #speakup
143 days. I took this picture 143 days ago. I was 143 days.
I took this picture 143 days ago.
I was in Palm Springs and I had taken a tram ride with @mommybacktalk to San Jacinto National Park.
We hiked several miles for this view and I remember feeling relaxed and free of stress.
We were in PS to attend a conference and the whispers of an unknown virus were starting to swell.
“A virus out of China.”
“There’s no vaccine and it’s highly contagious. It could become a pandemic.”
“Wait. Corona is a beer...”
Though we didn’t shake hands with attendees, for the most part, we went about the business of “normal” life.
At a dinner with @monicagsakala and @mommybacktalk, we threw back glasses of wine and talked long into the night over gourmet macaroni and cheese that tasted like actual heaven on a fork.
We talked about politics, current events, and books we loved. No stories about kids, no griping about husbands. Just intelligent, stimulating conversation that I now realize was going to become a lifeline only a few weeks later.
I have no pictures of that dinner.
Just the memory of being with two good friends when life didn’t feel so fractured.
Now those friends are hours away, whether by car or plane, and I think about that night in CA almost every day.
The me from 143 days ago had no idea what was coming.
The me at the top of the mountain in the picture didn’t know that she should have savored the fresh air more, that she should have relished what it was like to be one in a crowd on a tram headed to scenic vistas.
I’ve been quiet here on IG because everything feels too much.
I’ve been trying to keep my family safe and maintain what’s left of my sanity in a world that feels prickly and dangerous.
I’ve been wearing a mask, using hand sanitizer, and obsessively watching the news for a sign that we are all going to be okay.
I’ve been looking for small pockets of joy in the middle of the dumpster fire that life has become.
And, I’m realizing that we are all climbing one hell of a mountain, together.
And, at some point, the view is going to be gorgeous.
We just have to keep climbing.
No matter how much our legs are telling us it's too hard to go on.
#keepclimbing
My old life was exhausting...what parts of your pr My old life was exhausting...what parts of your pre-quarantine life are you not going back to when your community opens up fully? @mommyneedsalife #quarantinelife #quarantineandchill #lifewithteens #parenting #parentingteens #momtruth #momhumor #momlife #motherhoodunplugged❤️
It was clear from the start that my kids got a goo It was clear from the start that my kids got a good one. ❤️ #happyfathersday2020 #pandemicparenting #lifewithteens #parentingteens #dadlifeisthebestlife #fathersday #fathersday2020 #quarantinelife
It’s not you, it’s me. Probably. @natecomedy # It’s not you, it’s me. Probably. @natecomedy #quarantinelife #pandemichumor😄 #lifewithteens #lifewithteenagers #momofteens #parentingteens #howcanimissyouifyouwontgoaway #momtruth #motherhoodunplugged
“Mom? Can I hang out with my friends tonight? I “Mom? Can I hang out with  my friends tonight? I need a ride.”
Those words seemed to be on auto repeat last summer.
He had a social life.
I had the driver’s license.
He wanted to stay a half hour later.
I gave him all kinds of hell for upending my evening so that he could hang for a bit more with his friends.
But then he bought his car.
And passed his driver’s test not long after.
My car hasn’t found him folding his lanky frame into the passenger seat in almost a year.
I miss seeing him there.
Tonight, I wanted to see my friends for a couple of socially distanced glasses of wine and I didn’t want to drive.
“Hey, I’d like to hang out with my friends tonight. Can you give me a ride?” I said to him.
And of course, he took every opportunity to give me a dose of my own medicine in jest:
“You know, I have plans this evening, too, Mom.”
“I want you outside by 830p because I’ll be waiting.”
“No, you can’t stay til 9, I don’t care what the other moms are doing.”
It was a full circle moment.
After he picked me up and we swung by the local ice cream shop so he could get a treat for him and his sister, we drove home with the windows down on a summer night.
For a few moments, it was like old times.
I’ve missed him, even though we’ve been home together for months in quarantine.
And when Def Leppard blared on the radio and he dialed it up while singing every word, I remembered what it was like to be seventeen. @joe_burke0227 
#lifewithteens #momofteens #quarantinelife #quaranteens #pandemiclife #parentinginquarantine #momtruth #motherhoodunplugged #momofteenslife
We can get new backpacks and lunch boxes, too, rig We can get new backpacks and lunch boxes, too, right? @ellie_schnitt #pandemic2020 #pandemiclife #quarantinelife #quarantineandchill #workfromhomemom #workfromhomelife #momofteens
#blackoutday2020 #blackoutday2020
Moms are gonna drop it like it’s hot, yo. #tgif Moms are gonna drop it like it’s hot, yo. #tgif #thankgoditsfriday #pandemiclife #quarantineandchill #quarantineandchill2020 #momlife #momtruth #lifewithteensandtweens #lifewithteens #letsgetthispartystarted🎉 #quarantinesucks😷
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