The 2024 presidential election motivated me to have a birthday do-over

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At the Pittsburgh Ballet Theater Pointe in Time Emerald Gala Today marks a week since my birthday.  Its occurrence is a tremendous blessing. Because all around us are reminders about the fragility of life. To that end, my brother, who always makes a point to celebrate me, took me to the Pittsburgh Ballet Theater's Pointe in Time Emerald Gala on November 2d. That was the beginning of my birthday celebrations. And then, on my birthday itself, I got a bit of a surprise... My actual birthday was tough. It was Election Day. And, I spent the day working polls as a part of an election protection effort. My efforts were designed to protect all voters. However, deep in my heart I love my AKA sister, Kamala Harris and I hoped for her historic victory. Then, much to my chagrin and despite my efforts—and those of thousands more—she lost. In my estimation, that loss was one of the greatest setbacks in human dignity in my lifetime.  The country elected a felon and self-proclaimed, racist, ableis
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S'mores, Are a Great Way to Create Memories This Fourth of July

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Summer fun, S'mores

If you read this blog you have a good sense of who I am and who I am not. I am a mom who tries hard to create great memories for her kids. I am not a mom who has a lot of time because I am an executive at a large organization and an attorney. If you know anything about attorneys, especially attorney moms, you know that we have a bit of a chip on our shoulder because we believe that we are going to short change our kids because we don't have the time that other moms have to show up at school events, carpool, or do anything for which we don't receive plenty of advance notice, which basically means we aren't doing a whole lot of ish that isn't truly required.
Child enjoying s'mores
And even though well known working moms like Sherry Sandberg emphasize the importance of "leaning into" our careers, they don't say a whole lot about whether that means that you're leaning away from your family. Well, I am here to tell you that I am not leaning away from my family. That said, I recognize my limitations. I am not Super Woman. So, instead of trying to be everywhere for everybody all of the time, I try to make the ordinary magical and memorable without spending any extra time doing it.

Instagram Helped Me Step Up My S'mores Game


One way I save time is to find inspiration, everywhere. There's a lady on Instagram that is always posting things that motivate me to try to make my kids world a better place. Her name is Macy Blackwell. She's always making interesting drinks, meals and snacks. I don't know how she finds the time. However, her life posts are creative! Another mom, Lizzy Mathis, is also a lifestyle genius, if there is such a thing. She's thin, beautiful, creative, and appears to be best friends with Jessica Alba. Lizzy fills her Insta-feed with posts that make me smile and inspire me to stand up straighter, wear a little make up and brush my teeth! 

I am also inspired by my husband. I was raised to believe that life is generally reduced to a series of chores. And, he believes that the events you share together should be celebrated! For that reason, he put a fire pit in our backyard so that the kids could enjoy s'mores and he and his friends can do whatever it is that they do out there around the fire... 

We have been making s'mores the regular way for a couple years. However, the Insta-moms helped me step it up without much effort. All it took was an extra large cutting board that can double as a serving tray, Keeblers' Fudge Stripe Cookies in addition to Graham Crackers, and extra long skewers. Let me tell you what, those cookies are a game changer. All you need is a roasted marshmallow, and boom! It's s'mores time! They're especially useful with small children who often struggle to keep the chocolate on the graham crackers. Indeed, these small additions helped make our outdoor fun more enjoyable!

So, instead of trying to figure out how to amuse your kids and look fabulous on your own, while you're working, spend your life observing, taking in events, fashion and comments and being inspired by others in your life. You may not be able to do it all. But you can copy others who have more time and impress your kids!

Here's to a great summer!


Location: Pittsburgh, PA, USA

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