Support Louise Bonnett-Rampersaud

  I recently received an e-mail from my children’s pre-school – no, they’re not in trouble…yet – asking for the school family to rally around one of our own. Through the power of blogging and social media, I’d like to see if we can all help this family in need. My family is lucky enough…

Are You Blissfully Domestic?

Recently I became a contributing writer for the Family Bliss Channel of the awesome e-magazine, Blissfully Domestic. I’m sure most of you have spent many hours reading BD and learning about anything from getting the most out of your coupons to following the latest fall fashions to tips for buying a domain name . But…

Together We Rise: Book Introduction

For those of you waiting to hear more about G’s story, women and choice, or even cartoon voices, I apologize. For the time being, at least, my energies are focused on the non-fiction book I am writing (agents and publishers, feel free to contact me!). This book will feature a bit of history, a touch…

Together We Rise: Speechless

Recently a friend on Twitter tweeted to me, “You’re not subtle, are you?” Subtle is something I’ve never been called. Likewise, speechless is a word that’s never been used to describe me. Until tonight. Tonight I read something that left me utterly speechless, tears rolling down my face.It all started a short while ago when…

Just for Fun: From Winnie to Weinie &...

Recently my kids decided to start watching Oswald on Noggin, a Nickelodeon affiliated channel aimed at the pre-school set. The main character is a blue octopus with a top hat, which seemed odd to me, but the two year olds really dig this guy. And once I heard him speak, I did, too. At first…

Women and Choice: Part 2-The Myth of ...

In the quiet, early morning hours of July 16, 1975, Gerald Ford was meeting with his cabinet regarding troubles in the Soviet Union, the Stones were resting up for the concert they would play that night in San Francisco, and a 26 year old woman, in labor with her first child, was quietly walking the…

How to Afford to Be a Stay at Home Mom

If I had a nickel for every time a mom has told me that she needs to work for her family to “get-by”, I would have – well, enough money for that mom to be able to stay home with her kids. The truth is that for many families a second income is necessary only…

Women and Choice: Part 2 The Myth of ...

Driving my kids to the mall one day to buy bigger shoes….again….my daughter asked if it would be okay for her to be a doctor when she grows up. Innocently and instinctively I let slip, “Honey, you can be anything you want to be.” And then I realized that I had joined the ranks of…

Women and Choice: Part 1 – Choi...

Once upon a time women worked only because they had to, they had children because they happened to, and they stayed home to raise them because that was the default choice. Now they work because they prefer to, they have children because they decide to, and they stay home because they have consciously chosen that…

Reflections: Message from the Past

Have you ever wondered what you would have written about if blogs existed when you were younger? Well I don’t have to wonder anymore. During a recent trip to my parents’ house, I discovered a journal that I kept when I was seventeen and on my first trip to Europe with a large group of…

Kids’ Closet Organization Tips

The fall colors are back – the bright yellow of the school buses, the orange and gold of the falling leaves, and the red in my daughter’s cheeks as I tell her it’s time to clean out her closet to prepare to go back to school. I remember sobbing over large plastic containers as I…

Nutritional Know-How: Not All Protein...

Mealtime is the most stressful time of day for many families because it is a never ending battle of wills. You’ve probably got a decent grasp on the nutritional needs of your child, but there is no way to communicate the importance of protein, iron, and other vitamins to a screaming two year old who…

Lessons from a Miserable Pregnancy: L...

If you have ever left your doctor’s office with unanswered questions and unheard complaints, then you are very much not alone. I spent my entire first miserable pregnancy feeling as though there was a wall between myself and my health care providers. Perhaps it was my general inexperience with doctor’s visits. Growing up I very…

Craft Room Clutter Organization Strat...

If you’re like me and you’ve got a kid in pre-school, you know that back to school time means the return of craft clutter. I’m pretty sure that the teachers at my children’s school held a contest last year to see who could send home the most projects. We had melted plastic jewelry, glittered cardboard…

Lessons from a Miserable Pregnancy: L...

When most women find out that they are pregnant for the first time, they run to their closest book store and buy a flurry of how-to’s, what-to’s, and you-can-do-it-to’s – that is, if they can stop feeling nauseous long enough to make it to their car. I indulged in the same mommy-to-be right of passage,…

Lessons from a Miserable Pregnancy: L...

Choosing an obstetrician for a first pregnancy is a tricky business. As a woman who is not yet a mother, there are several hurdles to overcome: naivete, modesty, lack of experience performing bodily functions in front of others. So when the time came to choose an OB for my first pregnancy, I knew very little…

Reflections: Unexpected Delivery

I read “What to Expect When You’re Expecting.” Twice. I subscribed to parenting and pregnancy magazines before conception, I checked out all of the best websites, and even read medical journals online to help me make the “big” decisions such as how to choose the best hospital, the benefits of natural childbirth, and how to…

How Freecycle Changed My Life

I’m a pack rat. A hoarder. A woman who keeps stationary in unopened boxes so that it doesn’t disappear “too quickly.” Yeah. That bad. But like any genetic disorder, my packratitis is not my fault. I come from a long line of pile stackers, closet stuffers, and box overflowers. We’ve got basement fillers, attic packers,…

Motorcycles and Mustangs

I want a motorcycle. I really do. But what I want it for is the funny part. I’d like to have a motorcycle to drive to “the gym” (you know, the one that’s just for ladies…). Why does one need a motorcycle to drive to the gym, you ask? Because my other option is the…

Saying Goodbye to Fernando

The time has come to give away my college couch. I’ve held on to it now for nearly twelve years, and I’ve run out of excuses to keep the tattered piece of 90’s memorabilia. My first thought was to sell Fernando – oh, did I mention the couch’s name is Fernando? – for a large…