by Keisha McKinney

For most of our lives, we’ve shared some form of insecurity. Most of it was related to body image. Even as little girls, we were opinionated about what colors we would wear, when we were too old for ruffles, how big our purses were and what kinds of shoes we had on. When we got to middle school, our judgments began to wear names..name brands and we knew whether we were part of the haves or the have-nots based on the letters on our purse or the boots on our feet. Once we got to high school, cliques really began to form and the kids who “had it together” were divided by whether they were in athletics, cheered for the athletes or just sat in the stands. We got to our sophomore year and wheels began to define us, name brands resurfaced and which neighborhood you gathered in on a Friday night said whether you were a good kid or a bad one. Our self-image began to waffle and we never balanced that with the fact that we were “enough”. 

For more of Keisha’s thoughts on drowning out insecurities, click here. 

by Kellee Mayfield

Have you ever sent live lobsters to anyone as a gift?

Well, before you do, I recommend checking with your lobster-loving friend or loved one to consider how they feel about preparing the lobsters to the point where they are on the plate waiting for its pieces to be dipped into drawn butter.

The Lobster Guy’s website recommends alerting the recipient that a perishable package will be arriving on their delivery day. I discovered this is a great idea because I didn’t get the reaction I was expecting when I notified my aunt that lobsters were headed her way.

Find out what happened next in this hilarious story from Delta Moxie!

by Pat Downs of Sweet Yellow Cornbread

Hospitality is a generous reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers.  I tend to frequent places that go that extra mile on hospitality or just plain common courtesy.  It takes less energy to be polite than it does to be harsh.

I have been stopping by the Walgreens Pharmacy located at Cantrell & Mississippi for many years.   This store opens at 7:00 a.m.  Often times I am at the door awaiting to be the first in.   I love smaller scale stores because it is faster to grab morning snacks, cosmetics, etc.  After my leg injury, it is worth for me to pay a little extra than to try and tackle a large department store.

My favorite part of stopping at this particular Walgreens is to visit with Callie Epperson. Callie is the definition of hospitality. READ MORE…

by Colleen Cashio

So lately, Zach + I have not been on the same wavelength. Such as- we fight constantly + are basically living the life of ‘I don’t like you + you don’t like me’. We’ve been walking next to each other like pissed off roommates because someone didn’t do the dishes on their night. I’ve been struggling with my pride of not wanting to say sorry when I should. I feel validated because my feelings seem legit.

The other day I was trying to talk to God about my feelings, because Zach is obviously not understanding me + doesn’t care about my feelings- (insert the rolling eyes emoji). I was trying to reason why I am so frustrated with Zach. There are many reasons that are all surface level; Airstream not complete, no us time, etc. But the main one under the surface was I don’t feel pursued. And for me that’s a sucky feeling.

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by Colleen Cashio

Am I the only one who doesn’t want my kids to grow up? When Ezra was a newborn I wished that stage away. It truly was an awful experience. But when he hit 18 months I was praying I could freeze time. It is the best age. They are so sweet, so curious, + like a sponge soaking up everything. It’s also a bonus because they think mom knows best. Now Ezra is two and a half years old + I still love the age he’s in now. But I won’t lie, I can see slivers of himself changing + evolving in his boyhood. It absolutely breaks my heart. I think most moms would agree at some point we’ve thought about experimenting with freezing time and living in an age for the rest of our lives; I have at least. 

I have been reading “Wild Things the art of nurturing boys” + y’all, honestly I’ve debated about stopping after chapter 2. It is going through explaining the different stages in boyhood: what to expect, how to help, etc., etc., etc. And I literally thought to myself, maybe if I stop reading time will stay still and I won’t need to prepare for the next season because we can just stay nice + comfy right here. Sighhh… I know that’s not true or possible. This book is so helpful though; I wish I heard about it before Ezra turned 2. I come from a family of all girls, so I knew nothing about boys. Which is why I had a mild panic attack when I found out I was pregnant with a boy. Y’all, boys are so different than girls. Reading this book has helped me in understanding boys better + help change some things up that I am currently doing. 

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by Anita Stafford

If you’re talking and no one is listening, you might be a parent. Maybe your voice becomes louder with each successive ‘time for bed’ announcement. You’re at the point of shouting after your daughter ignores your third warning. She continues to play, with toys scattered about the floor. She has tuned you out. She has made it a nightly habit to push her limits for bedtime. This has become a battle of wills, and she is winning.

This kind of behavior is no surprise. She has been watching, listening, and learning from the first day of her life. She knows you’ll have to get to the frustration point and make some empty threats before she has to stop and go to bed. She’s only playing the game by the rules as she knows them.

This is a problem that will only get worse as the child gets older. It’s up to mom and dad to learn a better way of parenting.

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