For years, my husband has thrown on his metaphorical Santa hat a few days before Christmas in a frantic rush to fill his sleigh with some of my favorite things. He usually stays pretty close to home — gathering all the goodies from our local town plaza. My gifts are typically heavy on bath products, cozy stuff, and a gift card or two. Now, to be clear, I am very grateful for his efforts. As a busy guy who doesn’t typically love shopping, he does his very best to make me feel special and appreciated via my under-the-tree surprises. But...
New Jersey Becomes The Third State To Enact A Ban On Book Bans
Baltimore Sun/Tribune News Service/Getty Images Since 2016, challenges to books in schools and public libraries have risen dramatically. Between 2021 and 2023, there was a dizzying 128% increase in such challenges, often targeting materials about and written by people in marginalized communities. In states like Texas and Florida, legislation often categorized as “book bans” gives license to those who would seek to exclude materials from public access and has raised outcry among teachers and librarians — who are legally threatened for not complying with these prohibitive measures. But some states are moving in the opposite direction. On December 9, New...
Rewatching 'The Santa Clause' As A Mom Made Me Appreciate Neil
Buena Vista Pictures Distribution Since its theatrical release in 1994, Tim Allen’s portrayal of Santa in The Santa Clause has become universally beloved by many all over the world. And yeah, watching an ordinary guy take on the mystical, magical role of Kris Kringle makes for some great entertainment — setting aside its horror movie-esque undertones. After all, Santa is the most iconic (non-religious) symbol of Christmas out there. Yet, now whenever I go back and rewatch The Santa Clause, first as an adult and now as a mom, I’ve come to love and appreciate one particular character much more...
Why Moms Say No To Sex — & The Simple Changes That Make A Big Difference
Anchiy/Getty Images You survived another work day, PTA meeting, sports carpool, and the mountain of dishes — and you’re ready to flop into bed. Pre-kids, you might still have had one more "to do" on your list. Yep, I’m talking about sex. And while it may be as great and frequent as ever with your partner, the desire and energy definitely wane with parenthood for some moms. When you haven’t had a good meal, shower, or sleep recently thanks to all those other responsibilities, sex can seem like… another thing on your already overloaded list. A recent survey from Skylight...