Tired of Yo-Yo Dieting In Cleveland? You May Need to Quit Trying to Lose Weight
Here’s what I’ve learned about combining weight loss and intuitive eating. Photos by Thought Catalog (left) and ian dooley (right) on Unsplash. The other day, a reader left an earnest comment on one of my articles that I knew I couldn’t ignore:
Read full storyWhat's Wrong With Tennessee?
It would be great to celebrate more than mediocrity. Last week, I caught this tweet from our state’s governor, Bill Lee. Our state is proof that conservative principles work.
Read full storyPanda Express Coming to Paul Huff Road In Cleveland
Good news, Chinese fast food fans! Cleveland is getting its very own Panda Express. Finally! Construction began earlier last month at the corner of Paul Huff Parkway and Peerless Road — just kitty-corner from Publix Super Market at Mouse Creek.
Read full storyWhat It’s Like to Send My Kindergartner to School in Bradley County During a Viral Pandemic
For one thing, it’s not all bad. Back in August, I wasn't sure what to expect with schools opening back up in Cleveland, Tennessee.Parents seemed pretty divided about the whole thing, but I knew if my daughter didn't go back to school, I'd never get any work done.
Read full storyWhere I’m From: Saint Paul Edition
An exercise in understanding. The University of Minnesota’s Global Programs and Strategy Alliance and the Center for Educational Innovation developed an activity called "I Am From." They were inspired by the classic poem "Where I’m From" by George Ella Lyon. The purpose of the exercise is to "foster student interaction in the classroom," but countless adults and writers have found benefits to the activity as well.
Read full storyHere’s What Happened When I Hired a Chattanooga Cleanup Crew For Hoarding Help
If you've got a hoarding situation in Tennessee, there are businesses that can help you get your life back. Bio-One took this photo of my living room during their initial walk-through.
Read full storyHey Cleveland! You Don’t Want to Miss Out on These Delicious Valentine Deals!
Impress your sweetheart without breaking a sweat in the kitchen. Valentine’s Day is coming up fast, folks. Are you ready? This year, a lot of us will be spending the holiday at home, but that doesn’t mean you can’t up your dinnertime game.
Read full storyTwo Simple ‘Get Well’ Soups I Make to Feel Better In Cleveland
I’m guessing that you’ve already noticed, but the weather down here in Cleveland, Tennessee has getting cold. Today, in particular, it’s a pretty gloomy day:. And while my daughter and I have both done really well since school started back up in August, it looks like the common cold has finally hit us this week.
Read full storyDon't Worry About Marrying a "Best Friend'
People love to talk about the secrets to a successful marriage, as if there are seriously any secrets to making anything last forever. To be honest, I'm not a big fan of advice that supposedly reveals secrets. That's why you'll never see many (if any) stories from me with the word "secret" in the title.
Read full storyNice Guys Are Actually The Worst
Everybody knows a nice guy. But nice guys today don’t just finish last. Instead, they announce their presence up front and whenever they feel the least bit threatened. We need to talk about the nice guy persona, and why so many men feel the need to make sure people know they’re NG club members.
Read full story"The Friend Zone" Doesn't Exist
The friend zone. That mythical purgatory of persecution where the someone you like doesn’t like you back. It doesn’t matter that you’re clearly perfect for each other — because they heartlessly stuffed you into the dang friend zone long ago and refuse to see you in any other light. Am I right?
Read full storyThe Kellyanne Conway Family Drama Is Unbelievable!
We are watching the politicization and protection of child abuse — and it’s horrifying. On the slim chance that you’ve missed the highly talked about and increasingly disturbing Conway family drama, here’s a little recap.
Read full storyMy Mother Used to Wash My Mouth Out With Soap
About ten years ago, I caught up with an old classmate from grade school named Summer. Despite attending public schools, I had an especially strict and religious upbringing. So, I was sort of surprised when she told me about her work with spiritual tools like astrology and tarot. Ooof. My mom would kill me if I got involved in that sort of stuff, I thought.
Read full storyWhen He Asked Me to Marry Him, His Mother Cried
She helped us all dodge a bullet, to be honest. When you’re young, possibly in love, and wanting to get married, it’s so easy to think that it’s okay if there are issues with your partner’s family. You’re not marrying their family, right?
Read full storyI Don’t Owe My Ex a Relationship with Our Kid
How long should a mother take responsibility for a father’s job?. Anytime I write about the challenges of being a single mom (which happens to include dealing with a difficult ex), I get comments from folks warning me to make sure I am not alienating my daughter from her dad. To be honest, those comments annoy me, because there’s the whole level of obviously, I am not trying to keep my ex away from our daughter.
Read full story11 Perks of Being Single During a Pandemic
There’s a silver lining everywhere, even in a global crisis. Let’s start with the obvious. If I’m not dating anyone or looking for a partner from home, that’s fewer potential avenues through which the virus might spread. Fewer channels than if I was attached and feeling tempted to commingle.
Read full storyI Can't Believe My Ex Didn’t Even Give Our Kid a Christmas Present
Back in early November, I sent my ex a quick message to let him know that our daughter was asking for some very specific doll toys for Christmas. I already knew what I was getting her, so I made a list of five related things I knew she wanted, so, he’d have options. All five gifts came in at different price points: $25, $28, $35, $50, and $100 since I didn’t know his budget.
Read full storyI Made a Facebook Post That Had the Police Knocking on My Door
Here's what I wish people knew about reporting their friends on social media. In the winter of 2013, I found myself spending a month on a leaky air mattress. I was staying at the home of my ex-fiancé’s Facebook friend, in Iowa. She’d generously welcomed me after my ex kicked me out of our shared Tennessee apartment.
Read full storyTime Will Never Heal Your Emotional Scars
In one of the latest film adaptations of Charles Dickens’ classic Great Expectations, Helena Bonham Carter was cast in the role of Miss Havisham. For those unacquainted with the character, she is an old, rich woman, still living in the decay of the day her fiancé left her at the altar.
Read full storyA Woman Should Be Independent Before She Gets Married
Marriage can wait, but job skills? Not so much. Dating a divorced man in the South is often a remarkably different experience than doing the same thing in Yankee country. This might be one of the hardest lessons I’ve had to learn as a woman who’s transplanted herself from the Twin Cities to Tennessee.
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