This post about easy shaving tips for teenage boys has been sponsored. All opinions are my own. he reviewer has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product.I am the proud mom of one teenage boy. If you have sons, you will probably understand the unique challenges that come with raising these testosterone fueled creatures. One of the joys of raising boys is teaching your son to shave. This is not just a one day projects. In fact, I think we have been giving him shaving … [Read more...]
Raising Teenagers and the Art of Compromise
February 4, 2019 by · 7 Comments
Raising teenagers is incredibly challenging. It is both a joy and a struggle on a daily basis. You must find a balance between loving the heck out of them and navigating a minefield. Learning the art of compromise will help ease your parenting problems as you raise teenagers in a complicated society. I thought I would share a few things I have learned over the years of parenting teenagers in my own home. Raising Teenagers and the Art of Compromise When my children were little, I had complete control over their … [Read more...]
Mental Health and Teens: How Parents Can Help
November 19, 2018 by · 2 Comments
This post about mental health and teens has been sponsored by BetterHelp. All opinions are my own. Parenting teens can be incredibly challenging. This is a time in their lives when hormones are raging and they have an intense desire to not communicate with their parents. Academic stress, societal expectations, and interpersonal relationships create challenges in their lives that they NEED to talk about. How do parents help their teenagers tackle the stress of these chaotic years? And where can teens and … [Read more...]
Celebrating High School Graduation with Burgers, Tears, and Memories
May 30, 2018 by · Leave a Comment
This post about celebrating high school graduation has been sponsored by Culver's. All opinions are my own.The school year is drawing to a close. It's hard to believe that the last 9 months have flown by so quickly. What makes this year particularly difficult is that I have a high school senior. There will be no going back for this guy. He is moving onward and upwards and will be heading off to college in a few months. His impending departure has me wanting to cling to every moment I have left with him. He is harder to hold on to as a … [Read more...]
Things College Kids Need to Stay Organized
March 22, 2018 by · Leave a Comment
This post about things college kids need to stay organized has been sponsored by Best Buy. All opinions are my own.I am the proud parent of one high school senior. We stressed out for months about SAT scores, worried a while longer about college applications, and now have breathed a sigh of relief that he is heading off to college in the fall. Except that I am really worried about his ability to stay organized at college. I love my son dearly, however, organization is not his strongest skill. His room is a mess, the agenda he owns is … [Read more...]
A Message for my Daughter About Acting Her Age
January 22, 2018 by · Leave a Comment
I am writing a message for my daughter about acting her age as part of the #DisruptAging campaign. This post is made possible with support from AARP’s Disrupt Aging. All opinions are my own.When my children were young, they were very tall for their age. That means at age five, they were the size of an 8 year old. Which meant that when they ACTED five, they got some very nasty looks from people who wanted them to 'act their age'. The age they ASSUMED my children were, anyhow. It created a lot of stress for me and probably unreasonable … [Read more...]
Make Time for Music No Matter What Your Age
January 16, 2018 by · 6 Comments
Thank you Fender for sponsoring this post about why you should make time for music. Learn guitar at home with Fender Play!One of the first formal classes I joined with my children was a small music class at our church. The kids were babies and toddlers at that point. The instruments they used were wooden maracas and brightly colored shaker toys. We sang and we clapped and generally had a grand and glorious time for a solid hour. As the children grew up, they brought home the dreaded recorders from school. We signed them up for formal … [Read more...]
Beauty Stocking Stuffers for Teens That Will Be A Hit This Year
December 1, 2017 by · 1 Comment
This discussion about beauty stocking stuffers for teens has been sponsored by Olay and Braun at Walmart. All opinions are my own.Gone are the days of getting my kids Pokémon cards for their Christmas stockings. I have teenagers now, and it has gotten harder to find stocking stuffers that they will really use. I could load their stockings with candy but there are enough sweets around this house in December without me buying them more. If you are hunting for stocking stuffers for teens this year, I thought I would share a few that might be a … [Read more...]
High Tech Holiday Gift Ideas and Shopping Technology for Teens
November 20, 2017 by · Leave a Comment
This post about high tech holiday gift ideas and technology for teens has been sponsored by Intel. All opinions expressed here are my own.When the kids were young, gift giving was easy. They were pretty happy with just about everything they found under the tree. Heck, when they were really little, all they wanted was the empty box and bows to play with. Now that they are teens, gift giving has gotten more challenging. Of course, like most teens, they are constantly tossing out plenty of high tech holiday gift ideas in addition to new … [Read more...]
Giving My Kids Music Gifts Makes Us All Happy!
November 14, 2017 by · 6 Comments
Thank you, Fender, for sponsoring this post about kids music gifts. Learn guitar at home with Fender Play!Like most teens, my kids have a long list of 'wants' when it comes to birthday and holiday gifts. Some years, I have to say, NOPE, you can't have that. Like the baby sister my daughter asked for several years in a row. That one wasn't going to happen! I'm always happy to give my kids music gifts, however, and there have been many! Our home contains a piano, flute, piccolo, clarinet, about 5 guitars and a ukulele. And probably a … [Read more...]
