Teaching my kids not to swear makes me a f&cking hypocrite

January 31, 2019.Reading time less than 1 minute.

Words are powerful—we all know that. They have concrete definitions but carry different weight depending on usage. The F-word alone is a magically versatile tool that can be thrown into literally any sentence as a noun, adjective or verb. It can be combined with other words to create sweary compounds, shouted at the top of your […]

I know how to talk to my kids about death – but how do we talk about dying?

January 30, 2019.Reading time 2 minutes.

To love a person is to one day know grief; I know this to be true. People age, illness strikes and tragedy can happen without warning. A life can slow down and fade out before our eyes or be taken quickly, impervious to the wake left behind. It’s hard – often devastating – but it […]

New post on The Mabelhood: Hey Mama, being amazing doesn’t mean perfection

January 9, 2019.Reading time 1 minute.

Mom guilt is messed up. It’s useless, it’s detrimental to our happiness and well-being and unfortunately, it’s something most of us struggle with. Ask any woman with kids and she’s likely to agree: motherhood comes with a pressure to be ‘perfect’ and a sense that if we’re anything less than that, we’re failing. This pressure comes […]

Happ(ier) New Year

December 31, 2018.Reading time 9 minutes.

It’s New Year’s Eve and I’m home alone, writing and wishing I had a cup of coffee within reach. My husband has taken the kids to a nearby book store so they can spend some of their Christmas money and I can work uninterrupted, without the sound of Hatchimal babies and BeyBlade battles in the […]

Rachael’s Story: Remembering William and Oliver Turza

December 3, 2018.Reading time 13 minutes.

Today, instead of writing out my own thoughts and stories I’d like to use this space to share something very close to my heart: the 2nd annual William and Oliver Turza Fundraiser, in memory of my friend Rachael’s twin boys. I met Rachael when our sons joined the same preschool class in 2015. My son […]

ICYMI: Stories on privilege, peanuts and much more to come

November 29, 2018.Reading time 2 minutes.

Hey friends, life’s been a whirlwind lately but here I am – hello! – with a few notes before the holiday season hits us in full force and things get extra crazy. (Starts?! LOL, I’m already lying to myself…) First of all, thanks so much for the kind words, support and condolences after my last […]

Loving Papa Donnie

October 18, 2018.Reading time 9 minutes.

Writer’s note: I wrote this back in early August, when my grandpa was first told he had cancer. At that time, I still had hope, as he did, that he’d survive. Sadly, the cancer was incurable and fast-moving. He died on September 4th, 2018. Weeks later, I’ve decided to share my tribute to him. Please […]