The other morning as the sun was rising, I took my dog out to do his business and I spotted 3 deer grazing at the edge of our back yard. They looked so peaceful, shrouded in some light morning mist. I saw them before my dog did, so the moment lasted long enough for me to start fumbling for my phone in order to snap a picture. I was disappointed when I realized I didn’t have the phone on me, but then it dawned on me that I was actually enjoying a beautiful scene in real life instead of through the lens of my iPhone. Why couldn’t I just enjoy it without feeling the need to document it?

Continue reading “If a tree falls in the forest and there’s no Snapchat story about it… did it really happen?” →

I am so excited to be a Guest Writer on one of my favorite websites, Grown and Flown, a site for parents of teens and college-age children!

Click HERE to see my article about helping your student to cope with tragedy, based on my own son’s experience with grieving a good friend who died by suicide during his freshman year at college.

For years now, consumer watchdog reporters like Jeff Rossen have been warning us that hackers could be watching us through our computer webcams. In response, I’ve decided to take precautions. Specifically, I’m making sure my hair is brushed and my makeup is applied before opening my laptop. Hello, Mr. Hacker! How do I look?

That’s it. I’m not going to freak out about the idea too much, because a.) I think it’s highly unlikely, and b.) the most scandalous thing a hacker is going to see through my webcam is just how messy my desk is. I’m not dancing around naked in front of my webcam, EVER. No one is going to see any nudity through my computer unless I start using my laptop in the shower, in which case I’ve probably got much bigger problems than worrying about some hacker seeing my boobs.
Continue reading “Every Breath You Take, Every Click You Make, I’ll Be Watching You” →

Originally published on my first blog: HERE.

The older I get, the less I like self-help books. I tend to believe that everyone’s definition of happiness (and/or success) is different, and everyone has to find their own path to it. It’s a personal journey unique to each of us. But after three different friends recommended the book You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life by Jen Sincero, I had to check it out.

I enjoyed the book because of the author’s sassy and sarcastic sense of humor. But I found some of her advice to be just a more in-your-face version of stuff we’ve all heard before. She is big on the Law of Attraction, sans The Secret vision board, and I am not a huge fan of that concept. If you are not familiar with it, the basic idea is that if you believe hard enough and send enough positive vibes out to the universe, you will attract the positive life changes you are seeking. I’m an optimistic person and I believe a positive attitude goes a long way, BUT… I don’t believe that putting sticky notes all over my house that say “I am a supermodel” is really going to land me on the cover of Sports Illustrated‘s swimsuit edition.

Continue reading “I Am A Badass” →