scarlett

Good Friday is literally the antithesis to Black Friday. A day of fasting and penance to reflect on the day Jesus was crucified, and my child thought it was a …

The other day, as I was watching my 4-year-old play at the park, clothed in pants heavily stained at the knees and a shirt that did not match, I wondered …

Exploring the unexpected challenges of embracing school choice after moving from Pittsburgh to Florida. I was prepared for differences in education quality and facilities, but wasn’t expecting the loss of …

My 13-year-old is addicted to green grapes. While the rest of her age bracket is vaping and having sex, my daughter Scarlett is happy OD’ing on nature’s candy. I am …

I try to inspire my family but most often are met with blank stares. Recently I swapped out our WiFi password for some deep wisdom and threw a “Quote Quiz” …

The other day, when I got into the car, my phone automatically hooked up and began playing one of my audio episodes of the blog I’ve been recording. I was …

Until 9:14pm last night, I thought I was pretty cool under pressure. At 9:15pm, I realized I was wrong. Because at 9:15pm, I thought my 13-year-old daughter had been abducted …

In the days leading up to the first day of school, Scarlett had made plans to go tanning to get the perfect back to school glow. She monitored the UV …

Vince and I had a date last night to go see Deadpool & Wolverine. It started off as a normal evening out until about 45 minutes into the movie I …

Walked into Scarlett’s room the other night to say goodnight. She has her covers wrapped over her head and is on the phone video chatting with two friends as they …

We have family movie nights pretty regularly. It can be hard to pick a movie because of the vast age range in our kids. But one thing that is always …

When we moved to Florida 8 years ago, I thought the upheaval would impact Gianna the most. She was 9 after all. She had a circle of friends and had …

Pixar makes amazing movies that totally impact my life, especially Inside Out (1&2). On the surface, they are kids’ movies, but with so much depth. It’s truly impressive how they …

Took the brood to the Tampa Fringe Fest yesterday. I never heard of it before but got an email somehow and was intrigued. It was inside and not that expensive …

Family came to visit this past weekend to celebrate Evie turning 4. Vince’s mom, aunt, and sister all flew down from Pittsburgh to stay with us. We didn’t really do …

raising the curtins 153. watch yo mouth Play Episode Pause Episode Mute/Unmute Episode Rewind 10 Seconds 1x Fast Forward 10 seconds 00:00 / 00:03:57 Subscribe Share Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts …

They both admired her wall and complimented her work. Gianna’s eyes, however, lingered for a moment on the two sets of rosaries that were draped over the push pins on the …

raising the curtins 142. a ruined moment in the kitchen Play Episode Pause Episode Mute/Unmute Episode Rewind 10 Seconds 1x Fast Forward 10 seconds 00:00 / 00:01:57 Subscribe Share Apple …

They wanted to go sneak into our unfinished clubhouse to see how it looked. Not to do any vandalism, just curious and wanting to explore. Excited by the thrill of …

This trip, while a learning experience, was also supposed to double as a mini vacation for my family. Going alone was an option, but that felt like leaving too much …

“I’m scared Mom.” When she followed up with those three words, it didn’t matter that this lockdown was out of an abundance of caution. It didn’t matter that there was …

We arrived at the doctor’s office. You know when you walk into a place, and you immediately feel like something is off? That’s how I felt. This place was bare …

raising the curtins 130. stroganoff for dinner Play Episode Pause Episode Mute/Unmute Episode Rewind 10 Seconds 1x Fast Forward 10 seconds 00:00 / 00:03:39 Subscribe Share Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts …

We went strawberry picking this past weekend. It’s something I’ve been wanting to take the kids to do for a while, but never seemed to have the time. This weekend …

Gianna had about 18 or so of her friends come over for a gift exchange a few days before Christmas. Last time she had her large group of friends over, …

Having a fourth child, that’s not crazy, right? I go back and forth about this idea and wonder if I’m batshit crazy to even entertain this thought. There’s never a …

The girls still had school, so we were on a typical schedule. I take Scar to her school with Evie in tow. Afterwards, me and the little shadow go through …

I followed the girls around all night, watching them laugh, take photos, and stalk (so not casually) a group of young boys. We took a break after they lost the …

Lice. This was not good. This was not good at all. This was not good because I immediately recall that my daughter, Scarlett, had been complaining for the past two …

I was sitting at my desk, staring at the Southwest website, realizing that a trip to Pittsburgh for Christmas just wasn’t going to happen. The cost of airline tickets was …

Why does school sometimes feel like a creativity-killer? When my daughter Scarlett came home upset because her teacher criticized her unique writing style in front of the class, I was …

Are you a parent who sometimes feels like you’re barely holding it together? Same here. In my latest post, I’m sharing my “Mother of the Year” moments—the times I definitely …

TikTok… love it or hate it? I was firmly in the “hate it” camp—until my daughter pulled a fast one on me, using a TikTok persuasion trick to get herself …

What happens when you mix a competitive soccer tournament, a road trip, and an unpredictable toddler? A “perfect recipe for disaster”—or maybe not. This lighthearted look at managing family chaos …

Ever wonder how COVID hit a house full of girls (and one man with a “man flu” immune system)? Our family’s journey through mild symptoms, testing woes, and a side …

Raising a child who reinvents herself every few months isn’t easy—especially when you’re the one footing the bill. From fashion overhauls to room redesigns, join me as I share the …

A simple day turns into a profound journey of connection, memory, and love. Join me as I share the serendipitous series of events that brought me face-to-face with my guardian …

In “The Message in Luca,” Kristina Curtin reflects on the 2021 Disney movie Luca, highlighting a key message that resonated with her about silencing fear and self-doubt. In the film, …

This past weekend, we took a day trip to Sarasota. It’s about an hour and 20 minutes from our house, but we decided to go on Memorial Day weekend, so …

As a parent, I’m going to be direct and say that you should never allow a video service to autoplay anything for your kids. It’s like playing roulette with your …

Initially I had wanted to spend Mother’s Day mulching my front yard and planting some flowers to get my house ready to sell. I was going to guilt my family …

We try to raise good children. Honest, funny, caring, aware, financially savvy, confident…all things we want our kids to be. We teach them to tell the truth, to never bully, …

The housing market is downright bonkers right now. I don’t know if it’s like this everywhere…but inventory is low and demand is high in our area. I think a lot …

It’s the house kids flock to. You know the one. Opening the pantry door is like walking up aisle 16 at the grocery store. Shelves loaded with Nutella snack packs, …

At what point, as a parent, do you throw in the towel and decide you need outside help? How do you decide that it’s gotten to the point that you …

My hands are purple and I don’t know how to get the color off. It’s all because I’m a sucker for guilt and Evie was primed and ready to pee …

I walked downstairs the other night to tell the girls it was time for bed. As I made my way into the kitchen, I overheard the TV show they were …

Just wanted to share the bingo cards I created for my fam to use when driving around our neighborhood, looking at Halloween decorations. We did the same thing last year …

My girls don’t date. They are all under the age of 14 and one’s an infant so I don’t think I’m being a strict parent. Really, what’s the point of …

I don’t know if it’s a common thing or not but when I was little, I used to lay in bed at night and think about dying. The idea of …

There are probably a million good things about having just one child. I can say this confidently because I have 3 kids. Jokes aside, all 3 of my girls are …

Sleep deprivation is hands down the worst part of having a newborn. Close second might be breastfeeding. Sure, despite the 50 things I basically LOVE about breastfeeding, it does literally …

Apologies out the gate if this post is a little haphazard and seems like it was written by a sleep-deprived, walking milk truck who can’t remember anything unless it’s written …

The age gap between my kids is pretty significant and for the most part, 100% intentional. Four and a half years separates Scarlett from Gianna. Baby girl #3, who is …

Being grateful actually makes you MORE HAPPY than getting more money or buying a sweet ass car or dream home. Our brains tell us this isn’t true, but the science …

I talk about positivity and how I am focused on living my life with that type of mindset. However, I am human. I am a pregnant human with hormones and …

I’ve dealt with Santa and actually somewhat enjoyed the magic he brings to the season, however, I’ve never, EVER been a fan of the Easter Bunny. He’s creepy, slutty, and …

My family has a history of mental illness. I spent a good part of my life waiting to see if I would also be afflicted with something. Now that I …

I need to teach my kids about money. Not that a quarter equals 25 cents That’s covered in school. But they never learn money’s true value, it’s importance, how to …

Gianna’s 13th birthday is nearing. Along with the internal struggle of dealing with the fact that my baby will be a teenager in a couple weeks, I am also overloaded …

I wanted to break tradition and not have my daughter believe in Santa. It didn’t feel right in my heart creating all the lies that surround the magic. I just …

These weeks leading up to my next doc appointment have been slow as my kids getting ready to leave the house because, regardless of if we have girl #3 or …

A lot of parents give you a rosy look on what raising children is like. How much they absolutely love their kids and how perfect they are. Kids being the …

I am 37 as I write this post. Not dead yet, but not at the ideal age for a 9 month sobriety challenge (aka pregnancy). Because, at this age, it’s …

A little recap of our second try at shark tooth hunting for your reading pleasure. It includes a homeless guy showing off his goods, inappropriate jokes, ice nuggets, drinking anxiety, …

Recently, we were extras for a Mexican television show. This catalogs our experience which includes the raping of a snack cart, stripper comparisons, and swollen feet.

A lot of people think I am exaggerating or merely joking when I talk about how unreal Scarlett can be. Between her difficulty getting dressed, inability or unwillingness to follow …

First things first. I am not a lady. No one would ever call me prim or proper. I fart – because everyone does. I crack dirty jokes. I wear a …

Scarlett had her 8th birthday party this past weekend. I was relieved to find a local music studio that offered birthday parties. Scarlett’s ability to hang on to disappointment is …

We are officially closing out the second full week of summer since school let out and my house has become over-ridden with the disease known as slime. I had the …

I dread Scarlett’s outfit selection process more than I dread going to the gyno for my annual pap smear. Sure, the room is always freezing, I’m naked save only for …

Chaperoning sucks. Especially for me. I never wanted kids and don’t really like them. It’s just who I am. So with that in mind, why on earth would I volunteer …

Growing up, I didn’t want to be a mom and I definitely didn’t want kids…ever. I think deep down it’s a combination of a few things. First, because I didn’t …