I'm at a corner table in the coffee shop I frequent every Wednesday when, without a word, the gracious owner places a fresh-out-of-the-oven cookie next to my laptop. She waits with expectant eyes, proud of her confection, willing me to take a bite. The delectable aroma of hot chocolate chips wafts ... » Learn More about Free Cookies & Other Uphill Battles
DIY
Steaming is the New Mattress
I remember the day I got my first ball glove. The smell of leather made me feel like a Major Leaguer, and I attributed the fact that I could out-throw most of the boys to That Glove. To break it in, I lathered the palm in baby oil, then closed it around a ball, securing it under my mattress for a ... » Learn More about Steaming is the New Mattress
Fueling Education
Raise your hand if you know teachers who spend their own money on classroom stuffs. That's a rhetorical question, you guys. EVERYONE knows a teacher who forks over cash money for extra pencils, classroom decor, or to supplement their lesson plans. The average teacher actually spends, like, $500 ... » Learn More about Fueling Education
My Afternoon with the First Lady
As a member of the POPSUGAR Select network, and by the grace of baby Jesus, I was one of about 150 writers invited to the White House to participate in First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move event. Upon receiving the invitation, my Type A flared up and I initially declined. Too much to do, too many ... » Learn More about My Afternoon with the First Lady
The Road to the White House is Paved with YESes
If we live within five miles of one another, perhaps you heard a sound reminiscent of pigs squealing in delight coming from my house late Tuesday evening, as it was then that I formally accepted an invitation to the White House. I may have freaked the freak out just a little, but I think it was ... » Learn More about The Road to the White House is Paved with YESes
We All Survived
On Friday night, I babysat four kids under the age of four in order to give my best friend a much-deserved night out. Since two of the kiddos were mine, I was feeling confident I could manage. No, I was not drunk. I'm just a good friend. After a successful dinner, the older kids were running ... » Learn More about We All Survived
Listen to Your Mother Pittsburgh tickets on sale now!
Friday, May 6, 2016 8pm Carnegie Lecture Hall in the Carnegie Public Library / Museum of Natural History Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Me + you + our incredible 2016 cast + about 700 other people = a perfect Friday night With the first year under our collective ... » Learn More about Listen to Your Mother Pittsburgh tickets on sale now!
The Proof is in the Pages
When I began my career, I embodied the perfect trifecta of a promising teacher: tenacious enthusiasm, blind ambition, and bunches and bunches of naivety. That's what youth affords us: complete oblivion of glass ceilings. Before first-hand experience could taint my fresh face, a fellow English ... » Learn More about The Proof is in the Pages
Take Your Students to Peru!
Our neighbor is an elementary school teacher and a few years ago, she told me how she had shared a live-streaming of bald eagle eggs hatching in their nest. Without ever leaving their seats, her students saw nature at its best. Those kids probably didn't realize how lucky they were to witness ... » Learn More about Take Your Students to Peru!
Discipline. I Have None.
In 250 words or less, write about a time when sheer discipline made you continue to do something. I hate this prompt; it exposes my biggest weakness: I have zero discipline. (And 250 words or less?! *madly edits*). Aside from personal relationships, I can’t commit. I disguise ... » Learn More about Discipline. I Have None.