MamaManagement

It's back to school time! Which means new schedules and tighter timelines; back to running between activities and trying to get everything done and everyone to bed on time; and back to needing easy, nutritious dinners that everyone will eat...bonus points for ones that make good leftovers! So, as we all get back into the swing of things, I thought I'd share a quick and easy weeknight dinner recipe. I made this one last night and we gobbled it up! You can make it with just the pasta and broccoli, or you can add some extra protein with either chickpeas or chicken. (I added chickpeas. If you want to make it with chicken you can use chopped, leftover chicken or shredded rotisserie.) Simple. Yummy. Nutritious. Not known for my beauty food shots; but trust me, it's good. Broccoli Pasta 1 package shape pasta of your choice (I used gluten-free penne) 1 head of broccoli cut into bite size pieces 1/4 cup olive oil 2 heaping tsps minced garlic 1/2 cup grated Parmesan ...

Sometime over the last year or two, writing went from being my hobby to being something more of a vocation. It's not because I started making money at it (I haven't really...yet), but I committed to it in a way that made it somehow different. I set goals, objectives, and timelines. I started investing more time, and more-than-just my time, in it; I'm spending money to attend conferences and workshops; I've joined writer organizations; and I'm querying my work to agents. You know, stuff that makes it feel more like a legit, budding career. It's great and I'm happy with the path I'm on with my writing. I'm growing and developing and really loving it. BUT, what used to be just a creative outlet for me is now somehow changed. And that change left a little hole in my creative brain space. I realize now that I need a creative outlet that is about nothing more than relaxing, enjoying, and creating. No real goals or objectives or timelines. Just joy. ...

As I slowly evolve into an essential oil-using, organic food-eating, affirmation-saying, meditation-doing, Birkenstock-wearing, flowy dress-owning, new age granola lady (my evolution finish line will be Frankie from Grace & Frankie...which may involve moving to Canada), I find that a lot of the "skills" I built up during my twenties and thirties aren't really serving me well in the life I want to live today. Looking back, I see that much of what I was doing back then was cultivating survival skills. I was building my armor, proving myself as strong and independent and can-do. I was toughening up and accomplishing. And, as any good over-achiever (perfectionist/worthiness-seeker) would do, I took it too far. So now, in my forties, I find the need to soften...in most every sense of the word. To allow for softness. At 23, during my first performance review at my first real job out of college, I remember biting the inside of my cheek and and pinching the side of m...

Last night I was on the floor of my daughter's room stretching while she read to us from the biography  Who are Venus and Serena Williams?.  (It's part of the "Who Was/Is" series, which we are pretty much addicted to.) We're a good third of the way into the book and she's reading to me about Venus and Serena's early teen years, right before they joined the WTA and went pro. I stopped her mid-chapter to emphasize what she'd just read...that the Williams' sisters would practice 6 hours a day, during that time, in addition to school work and regular life stuff. Isn't that amazing, I said to her. They clearly had talent, but to become the best, that's how hard they had to work. To win tournaments, to become great, to make it their job, they had to practice 6 hours a day. That's a lot of work, I said, marveling over the fact that they hit more than 100 serves everyday. Can you imagine how tired their arms must have gotten? I asked. ...

When things get crazy in your life and you just can't do it all, what are the first things you drop off your to-do list? I can tell you, without the least bit of hesitation, the first things to fall off mine: Exercise Meditation Healthy eating Downtime Hobbytime Sleep Which means that when I'm stressed out, the first things I stop doing are the things that help me manage stress. Brilliant, I know. Am I only one who does this? I have to believe I'm not. Nowadays, the month of May and first half of June are almost as crazy as the back half of November and the month of December. Of course, in all the wisdom of my pre-kid-self, I conveniently gave birth to my children in December and May. (Who knew?!?) So in addition to all the other craziness that we all have in those months, I also have kid birthdays. Which basically means I'm insane in May and December. It also means that I am stressed out, more likely to have anxiety attacks (a new-this-year added bo...

I just read this Instagram post by Glennon Doyle that shows a photo of a woman walking her dog from a golf cart. Glennon had named this woman the "VP of the #OOF Club" (that's "Out of Fucks to Give Club") for "carrying a bucket of coffee the size of Florida and finding a way to beat the dog walking system at its own game-- driving 1 mile per hour in front of me and not even considering pulling over or speeding up for me." Glennon wasn't mad; she goes on to say, "HERE'S TO WOMEN WHO REST WHEN WE'RE TIRED." (And we're tired.) This made me think of the notes I put in the kids lunch boxes today. For the last 8 months I have written a fun joke and a note to each of my kids and put them in their lunches pretty much every day. These notes are on colorful, cute-shaped sticky notes; they are written in multi-colored pens; they are usually done the night before. This morning I scribbled I <3 U on a sticky and tossed it in...

photo from pinchofyum.com It's been a while since I shared a recipe and this one was so good, I knew that it would be my next post. Sadly, I did not realize this until after we'd devoured the entire batch...so I have no pics! I'll likely make it again next week, so I'll come back and add some pics then. So, this quinoa salad is pretty simple; it's nice and light, making it perfect for spring/summer; it's healthy, so you can feel good about eating; and, of course, it's delicious! Let's get to the recipe! Spring Pea and Quinoa Salad with Honey-Lemon Vinaigrette * For the salad: 1 cup uncooked quinoa 3 cups frozen, organic peas 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese 6 slices turkey-bacon, cooked and chopped 1/2 cup raw almonds, pulsed in a food processor until crushed (or super finely chopped) For the dressing: 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice 1/3 cup olive oil 2-3 tbsp raw honey (or to taste) 2-3 tbsp basil paste (or to taste) or 1/2 cup f...