I would not trade being a stay at home mom for anything in the world. I love these little pumpkins more than life itself. But there comes a time where it all becomes too much. And sometimes, just sometimes, I’ve got to take refuge. Even if it is in the toilet.
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Texts from the Toilet
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5 Techno-Tips for a Simpler Summer
Like most of you, I am forced to juggle the camps and the swim team and the playdates this summer. As any parent knows, that can be a bit overwhelming. Sooo…in the spirit of de-stressing as much as possible, I thought I’d share five fun ways you can use technology to simplify your travels, camps, and family adventures. Enjoy! -
Photographs
There is a hallway in my grandparents’ home that I love. It is lined on both sides with ceiling to floor photographs. Still images that captured a moment in time. I look at them and memories of the exact day they were taken come flooding back to me. They are magic. Things change so rapidly. Children grow up. People move on. Grandparents pass. So, the biggest mistake you can make with your camera is not taking the photo at all. -
Slipped Your Mind?
After forgetting my own age, I began to worry about myself. Things started creeping into my mind, like will I be able to recall my fourth child’s name in a few years? Do I need to get on some vitamins that will help my brain? But, as I delved deeper, turns out I’m no different than most people my age. I figured out it is just a normal thing that happens.
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Reunited, and it feels so…ugh
I’m getting old. My 20-year high school reunion is officially around the corner, and I am SO NOT READY for it. For a variety of reasons. I’m not a doctor or a lawyer or a future Nobel Prize candidate. Haven’t written a novel yet. My family of five survives on one car (a decrepit minivan), and it’s got more trash inside it than a Nikki Minaj album. Sigh. I’m just so average. So, like any resourceful woman feeling totally inadequate for no good reason, I’ve devised a list of the Top 10 Tactics to Boost My Confidence When Facing Blasts from My Past. -
Blooming Bluebonnets
It’s springtime in Texas and the bluebonnets are popping up along the roadsides. Whether you have a few hours to enjoy a display near the Metroplex or a weekend to enjoy a Bluebonnet Festival or travel to the Hill Country, here are some of the best spots in Texas to find these beautiful wild flowers. -
Stuck In A Rut…
Perhaps your rut is different than mine. We all have them. In fact, I have several. I cook the same things, have the same workout routine, talk to the same people about the same subject matter, and obviously wear the same outfit. The ruts always seem deeper mid-winter. It’s time to cut a new path, my friends! -
Seven Days of Fun
With Spring Break just around the corner, everyone is scrambling to find something to do to keep the kiddos entertained for an entire week. Of course traveling somewhere exotic and sinking your toes in the sand sounds like a dream. But with work and budget constraints, the only sand most of us will be seeing is located in a box in our backyard! Luckily I have a plan. Here are a few things my girls and I will be doing for fun this Spring Break. Maybe our list will help you keep your little ones happy and busy too.
meet our contributors
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Victorya Rogers
Victorya Michaels Rogers is a Life & Love Coach, equipping women to create and keep healthy relationships. Rogers’ authored four books, including Finding a Man Worth Keeping and The Automatic 2nd Date. Her latest release is the DVD “Straight Talk About Sex for Christian Couples” co-written with Sex Therapist Debby Wade. Victorya has been seen and heard on national TV, Radio, and print—from MTV to Focus on the Family, Cosmopolitan to Woman’s World. This former Hollywood agent is also an active REALTOR® at Coldwell Banker Residential. She’s part of First Friday Women and lives in Southlake with her husband, Will, and their two children. Learn more about her coaching services at www.Victorya.com. -
Samantha Conner
In my “past life” I earned a degree in Education at TCU and taught elementary school. But these days, I am working as a super stay-at-home-mom with a serious craft addiction. During naptime, I am an avid blogger, runner, and nester. My blog is the place where I chronicle my journey in homemaking and sell my fabulous handmade bows, tutus, and hair accessories. I have a loving husband and two young daughters. Their enthusiasm and support is what drives my creativity in home decor, unique crafts, party planning, holiday fun, and all things girly. I am dedicated to creating a warm, loving home for my family. And to me, that means a lot of 'crafty how-to’ projects along the way. I believe that life can be more fabulous with the use of polka dots, tulle, ribbon and rhinestones! I hope you enjoy sharing in our adventures and that I can inspire you to 'get crafty' in your own home. Follow my crafting journey at craftytexasgirls.blogspot.com -
Rhonda Sargent Chambers
Rhonda, a former model and owner of RSC Show Productions, considers herself a “naturalized Texan”. After moving to Texas from San Francisco, she began her modeling career at a young age walking runways around the world from Japan to Mexico. She transitioned from full-time modeling to fashion show production with the creation of RSC Show Productions. As an instructor and speaker in the modeling community for over 30 years, she is a respected figure who consults with modeling agencies to develop criteria and guidelines for professional models to follow. Rhonda and her husband Kit have been together more than 20 years. The busy mom’s schedule is somewhat flexible since she owns her own business, but it’s the couple’s two boys, Callahan, 12, and Ford, 10, who now shape Rhonda’s daily routine. She is active in the community both personally and professionally giving her time to organizations such as Children’s Cancer Fund, Mane Gait Therapeutic Center, Child Abuse Prevention Center, Big Thought and The Elisa Project. She is passionate about fashion, and her forte will offer wonderful shopping and wardrobing tips for busy moms on the go! www.rscshow.com -
Maxi Erdmann
I am Maxi Erdmann, and I reside in Keller, TX with my four sweet babies and my husband, Nathan. A University of Oklahoma grad, I love all things SOONER! I love food, but I don’t cook, I love music, but I don’t sing, (except in the shower), and I have a ridiculously expensive obsession with make-up. I have been writing since I could form letters and my mother put a pencil in my hand. Prior to having my third and fourth baby, I was a teacher at Southlake Christian Preschool. Before moving to Texas, I lived in Oklahoma where I spent my days as a full-time mom of twins and part-time make-up artist. I have also lived in Nashville, TN where I worked for Gaylord Entertainment and Springhouse Golf Course. My other interests include all things sports related and a new endeavor as an aspiring (learning!) photographer. It seems, along with my pencil, I have always had a camera around my neck. My days are filled with loud kids, tons of laundry and enough extra-curricular activities to keep six people busy. I’m up for the challenge, and I love every minute of it... -
Brooke Hortenstine
Brooke Hortenstine is a Dallas-based editor, writer and charitable volunteer. As editor-at-large of PaperCity magazine, Brooke chronicles the evolving Dallas social scene and writes about all things luxurious — fashion, food, beauty, and interior design, to name a few. She has appeared as a style authority in television segments, and has been published in periodicals such as In Style and Four Seasons Magazine. Contemporary art, dining, travel, music, modern furnishings, and southern customs — think iced tea, old monograms and SEC football — top her lists of likes, as well as giving back to her community. She sits on the Board of Directors of the Dallas Contemporary artspace and the President’s Advisory Council to the AT&T Performing Arts Center, and serves as a member of Cattle Baron’s Ball benefiting the American Cancer Society. Her family includes her husband Blake Hortenstine, a ranch real estate broker, and their two-year-old son, Rollins Hortenstine.
