Work and Finances

Before I started college, I never really thought much about the profession of nursing. But once I hit twenty one that all changed. I was one of those early twenty-year-olds that every parent hopes they never have: the early...

I was born to older parents. In the 70s, it was unusual for couples over 35 to start building their families. I’ve always grown up knowing that my parents would probably need longer-term care sooner than those of my...

Look, I am no financial expert.  My husband hasn't worked at a for-profit organization since his teenage days in the Wal-Mart technology department.  He was a total stud, I wish I had known him then. Recently I paid our mortgage...

I don’t know what I’m doing. There. I said it… Are you happy, world??? This dad’s life is basically a series of hot messes that I’m desperately trying to contain with Kirkland brand disinfecting wipes. Shout out to Costco for...

Lately I've been contemplating how I feed my family. I work hard to stock my kitchen with healthy snacks. Soda is a rare treat, baked goods are typically homemade, and I (almost) always home-cook meals. I try to avoid high fructose corn...

Like so many others, my small business shut its doors on March 16, 2020, and has yet to reopen. The two blurry months that followed have been full of uncertainty, desperate searches for guidance from the state, application after...

Before we moved to Vermont, my husband and I had our holiday schedule streamlined. When we had kids, we decided that we would not run around and try to see everyone on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. We...

Party planning is not what it used to be. Back in my own 1980s birthday party heyday we played games like Drop the Clothespin in the Jelly Jar and passed out home-popped popcorn in brown paper bags as favors....

Money can be a sensitive topic, am I right?! But, it doesn't always have to be, especially when it comes to guiding and teaching our children. While I don’t think it’s necessary to divulge every detail of our finances to...

Ever since it was legal for me to work, I had a job and often times I had two. I always enjoyed working and have had so many jobs, I can't even count them all. When I started dairy...

My husband always says that “Vermont is the greatest exporter of young people'' and now we’re living it. Even though we make a decent income, we’re finding we can’t afford to live here anymore. My family has been priced...

I am an engineer with spacecraft in orbit and on Mars, and am a parent to two wonderful kids.  I have designed some really crazy stuff as an engineer, and still spend a lot of time doing activities with my kids.  So, why then do I feel like a failure at work and at home?  Shouldn’t I be proud of all that I’ve done? I have Impostor Syndrome, a feeling of persistent incompetence and fear of being found out as a fraud.  It makes you feel like you don’t deserve your role, in spite of being highly qualified and prepared for what you do.  All of this is a cognitive misperception, but feels very real.  I experience Impostor Syndrome as both a parent and as an engineer.

Too pushy! Now, that’s a hot button topic for me! I wish I could remember when being “too pushy” first became an issue in my life. When I was a young girl, I remember advocating for what I wanted. It...

I’ve had a lot of jobs. Close to 20 if I’m being honest. I’ve worked as a preschool teacher, a law office assistant, an online ESL teacher, a travel agent, a Walt Disney World Cast Member, an ice cream scooper,...