Kristen McGuire
Don’t Sweat It :: My Struggle With Hyperhydrosis
When I was a teenager my hands were sweaty. My pediatrician dismissed it as a reaction to hormones and I would grow out of it. If I went on dates I was sure to...
Hitting the Babysitter Jackpot
The perfect family babysitter. Their names and identities are protected like people in the witness protection program because we don't want our neighbor to "steal" them. If we could, we'd officially draft them onto...
5 Great “Mom’s Night Out” in Columbia
Every now and then, we have to let our inner sorority girl out. That woman we were before our lives became about running an entire household while putting our priorities last. Dead Last. Luckily,...
The Day I Lost My Sanity
I wasn’t sleeping. I was getting yelled at, sweared at and hit at work as a teacher for middle schoolers with behavioral disorders. I would come home, on edge, to my two children (and...
The Best Parenting Advice Came From My Mom – After She Passed
We've all had those days. Days when one request for a snack sends you over the edge and you yell your response. Days when you want to have your 4 p.m. glass of wine...
How to Create a Savings Plan that REALLY Works
Hello America Saves Week (February 22-27). It's not as sexy as Mardi Gras. Not as festive as St. Patrick's Day. Not as joyous as Easter. But, as the American family wages remain stagnant while...
Thank you, Blood Donor
This is one of the last family pictures we have before my mom got sick. Cancer sucks and sometimes the cure wreaks havoc on the body. Chemotherapy not only kills the bad cells, it...
Normal Thoughts as You Head Back to Work After Baby
I recently visited my cousin who had an adorable baby girl. On my last day there, she was preparing to return to work for the first time since having her daughter. When I heard...
The Gift of Alzheimer’s
Growing up my grandmother was not the warm, fuzzy, cuddly type. She was calculating, manipulative and sometimes just downright mean. One of my earliest memories of her was getting a Christmas gift of money...
3 Things I Wish I Knew Before We Adopted
The saying “ignorance is bliss” has been around for so long because it is partially true.
When we were in our late 20's and decided to form our family through adoption, we were so excited...
I Do. I Did. Now What?! Life After the Wedding Dress
After my wedding, I was still so in love with my wedding dress. I was trim, tanned and toned. Having it professionally fitted did wonders for me and I never felt more beautiful in...
No Tricks, Just Treats :: Columbia’s Korean Festival
Before getting the kids ready for trick or treating on Halloween, head down to the Korean Festival for some authentic treats. The 2015 Korean Festival will take place on October 31 from 11 a.m....
Columbia’s Fall Festival :: Helping Kids in Need
Fall is one of the best seasons to celebrate. We are entering a season where the weather is not too hot and not too cold. People trade in summer activities for football games and fairs....
5 Reasons I’ll Never Be “Mother of the Year”
My Faceboook and Instagram feeds are filled with pictures of kids. Happy kids, doing all sorts of incredible, engaged activities with their parents. These parents, repeatedly talk about how amazed they are to parent...