Confession: I didn’t learn how to truly say “No” until I was well into adulthood. Oh I said no to the big things or easy things. When I was sick enough that I was actually feverish or throwing up for example.

There is one go-to for spending my time that never, ever seems to fail: volunteering. Perhaps part of it is the fact that whenever I volunteer somewhere, I get the satisfaction of knowing that I’m making a difference in the community.

Good news! If you are a teenager, after reading this article, YOU will be able to explain and defend your sleep habits to any adult who questions you. No, seriously, there are hormonal and biological reasons for why adolescents sleep the way they do.

Do you need to wade through the past and make some order, but you have a hard time staying focused? Writing is the best solution I’ve found. 

One of the things we absolutely need to consider when dating is what we are NOT looking for. I call these the non-negotiables. These are the things that, if they become present in a relationship, are a major red flag.

If there was one place I spent a LOT of time in my pre-teen and teen years, it was the car. Yes, the car, but not on my way to vacations, exciting new places, restaurants, or even friend’s houses (all that much). No, I passed countless hours traveling between my parents’ homes.

find them incredibly helpful at giving me a visual reminder of what I hope to accomplish in a day, and they are extremely valuable in helping me set tangible goals. However, I have come to learn that they are not the right tool for every circumstance.

For various reasons, however, I haven’t had the opportunities to make those dreams a reality yet. That doesn’t mean that I can’t soak up some of the benefits of a getaway like that right in my own home though. 

There are many ways to approach this hobby while keeping the cost down. If pottery is something that interests you, read on to see how you can bring more of it into your life!

Fact: the teen years are host to one of the biggest transitions you’ll ever experience in your life. This is the season when your entire being, your body, mind, heart, and soul shift from being a child to being a sexually mature young adult.

If I’m honest, there are moments when life feels hopeless. You may understand that feeling as well. But looking at my life as a story is the best way I know to turn that feeling around and set things on a better track.

What if I told you that you could create the ultimate partner of your dreams? And what if everything you wrote down that that person did, came true? What if you could control them?

Up in the raftors, his eyes widened in amazement. He’d practiced with these men countless times and never had it occurred to him that they were silently thinking such awful things about themselves. Then again, come to think of it, hadn’t he done the same thing?

The best thing any teacher ever told me was this: “You’re going to fail.” At first I was a bit taken aback. What did he mean, I’m going to fail? Wasn’t he supposed to say stuff like, “I believe in you!” or “I know you’re going to do amazing things!” What was this? 

Every single month, my body sends me a signal that I need to slow down. Yes, I’m referring to my menstrual cycle. This cycle is biologically necessary in the bodies of mature females if life as we know it is going to continue.

When my husband’s grandparents died, his parents received the bulk of what they’d spent the better part of their lifetimes together collecting: salt and pepper shakers. Yep, you read that correctly. Salt and pepper shakers.

That increased level of self-awareness could be part of what’s contributing to the disturbing trend. It’s one thing to want to put your best foot forward. It’s another to believe that your face is never good enough on its own without heavy editing.

If we look at the past, we can also see that there were unexpected times that shaped us - experiences that made us who we are today even though they were NOT pleasant to go through when we were in them.

This scenario also plays out in our relationships. When we aren't purposely moving towards another, we tend to drift apart even if this is not our intention.

Estrangement wasn’t what I ever wanted. I certainly never imagined that I would go years without speaking to my own mother. Without her speaking to or seeing her grandchildren. And  yet, here we were.