Introverts have a bad rap for incessantly talking about being introverts. We can be annoying, but there is power in understanding and respecting one’s own temperament. And when you finally have a handle on these things, you want to tell people. So, hi. My name is Mandy and I’m an introvert. I lived my childhood […]
I’m in the throes of raising a tiny human, sustaining a meaningful marriage, growing new friendships, maintaining old relationships, chasing dreams, and managing all that daily life throws at me. It’s often amazing and occasionally exhausting. To complicate things, I have a hateful little monster that follows me around. For a long time I defended […]
Every year I tiptoe the line between not wanting to be the girl that gushes about her wedding anniversary on social media and totally wanting to be the girl that gushes about her wedding anniversary on social media. My hesitation is in stepping into the ring of comparison, because marriage is hard enough without comparing […]
May you have that one friend. That one friend who you can spend all day with and not get tired of. Truly. That one friend who shows up at your house uninvited and knows she’s as welcome as if you’d had it planned for weeks. That one friend who loves & disciplines your child as […]
I’m not very good at accepting a compliment. I get all weird and I never 100% believe that the compliment is true. There’s often a little part of me that thinks it’s a joke. But you know what makes me feel pretty good about myself? Getting a compliment. Go figure. Compliments are an unnecessary but […]
Why do we so easily discount our small victories? Yesterday my three-year-old daughter figured out that she can swing standing up and this is no big deal. Tons of kids have known this forever. Tons of kids do it every day. Tons of kids are climbing, jumping risk-takers. My child is not a climbing, jumping […]
Dear Me, Summer is nearly here. You get to stay home with your daughter all summer and that is the best news ever. Seriously, it is the BEST. I know that this is your favorite. I also know that all the togetherness can get a bit intense, and you’re already mourning the snippets of alone […]
I’m not the first to say it, but I believe it bears repeating. MOTHER’S DAY IS HARD FOR SOME PEOPLE. It might be your thing, but maybe it’s not. You don’t need anyone’s permission to feel the way you feel and I’d like to offer you these words of truth. If you love Mother’s Day… […]
I’ve always been a planner, a list maker, an anticipator. For me, these things are coping mechanisms to fend off the anxiety of change and the unknown. I honestly believed those things could help me reach a magical place where I could start living happily. They can, in fact, be very useful tools for an […]
What you have, what you can afford, and what you love is what works. My people make this house my home.
