Traveling as a mom is so much harder than I anticipated. Recently, I had to travel for the first time since I had my little girl and it was every bit as hard as I imagined. It is particularly hard during COVID, because it’s a new level of stress to be concerned that you will…
MAMA
Bringing up Daddy
Yes, you read that right. It’s a spin on the Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn classic “Bringing Up Baby”. Instead, I’m talking about raising a daddy. Now I know there are some wonderful men out there. They may be an amazing husband, father, son, friend, employee, coworker, and overall a wonderful person. Today, I’m not…
New Year, New You
Today marks a special day for me. One year ago today, I left my husband and it was the best decision I ever made. It was a half hour before midnight on New Year’s Eve and he had been screaming at me and my two-month old for hours. The profanities he was yelling at me,…
Lights Out
This was the moment I’ve been dreading for 10 months… my first overnight away from my baby. My ex didn’t have any overnights until my daughter turned 12 months. He was supposed to take her two weeks ago for his first overnight…a Saturday. The night before, he called to ask if I would watch her…
Are We Dating, Seriously?!
Are you being forced to date your ex? I divorced my ex-husband yet I feel like I’m being forced to “date” him. We share one child, but is there any reason we need to be hanging out? My little girl is just a year old and we divorced when she was 2 months old so…
It Was Dark
Is your ex the one that got away? Do you feel like you can’t stop thinking about him or her? Well, this isn’t that kind of story. For me, I feel humiliated that I ever dated my ex-husband. It feels as though my stock value plummeted once people saw me with him. I still remember…
Hello Mr. Slacker
My ex just didn’t show up tonight. He completely forgot about his daughter! Has this happened to anyone else? Has your ex just forgotten their children??? I hadn’t heard from him and usually he texts by 5:30 pm to say he’ll be at my house around 6 to collect her but tonight, nothing. I finally…
Fall…Cuddle Season
I love Fall. It’s my favorite season. The leaves are turning beautiful, vibrant yellows, oranges, and reds. The air is crisp. Christmas movies are starting to air and yes I love the cheesy Hallmark Christmas movies. And now that I’m a mommy, it makes Fall so much better. This is my first fall with my…
Doing It All
Women are taking a huge step back in their careers. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a lot of tension for working moms. Single and married moms are struggling, but why? Kids have now been home for 8 months and parents are finding themselves in uncharted territory. Working moms not only have a full-time out-of-the-house job,…
Let’s Talk Finances, Ladies!
Well, this really could be helpful for anyone. I say ladies because that is generally my target audience but men, this may be eye-opening for you too if you identify yourself as the saver in the relationship. I remember being about 6 months pregnant when my lazy husband said to me that he wants to…
The Mistakes I’ve Made
This is it…the last post in the Divorce Series. I’ve spent the last five weeks focusing on several elements of divorce that I think are important to research and understand. This final week, I’m revealing the most eye-opening revelations I’ve had, or the mistakes I made. ALL ABOUT MONEY How do you handle expenses and…
To CFI or Not to CFI?
About a month after I filed for divorce, I showed up at the Initial Status Conference (ISC) and was blindsided by the question “will you be appointing a Child and Family Investigator (CFI)?” The judge asked us to make a decision by XYZ date and file the decision with the courts. This added an entirely…
To Lawyer Up? That Is the Question…
Deciding to hire a lawyer is one of the biggest decisions you will make during a divorce. This one decision may determine how much your divorce costs and the overall outcome of the custody arrangement and marital assets. There are disadvantages associated with hiring a lawyer, as well as choosing to represent yourself. I will…
The Steps to Divorce
I never imagined going through a divorce would be so confusing. You’re already emotional with the fact that this person you thought you’d build a life with will no longer be a part of your world. But emotions aside, if you aren’t a divorce attorney, all of the red tape you need to go through…
Record Everything!
Today’s tip…record everything! Phone calls, video calls with kids, document times he picks up, times he drops off, any time he bails, etc. I decided to document all conversations with my ex after I left for many reasons. To name a few: he was abusive, had zero interest in being a father, and suffered from…
When Is the Right Time to Divorce?
Many people wait until the kids have left for college before they seek divorce. There are also the occasional ones that fight to stick with it for as long as they can but end up divorcing when the kids are somewhere between 6 and 10 years old. A lot of parents think it’s tough on…
Six Weeks of Divorce!
From what I’ve read, there are two major times during the year when divorce filings increase: January and August. The first week in January is an active time because many couples are spending a lot of quality time together over the holidays, which for the wrong match, could be unbearable. Therefore, all of this extra…
Wellness Check
I was disappointed when I filed for divorce. It was never what I imagined my life would look like. I felt like a failure, but not because I left him. Honestly, I felt empowered when I left because I finally found the courage to do so. But I felt like I failed when I chose…
August 9, 2019
Do you remember the day you realized you were living a nightmare? I do…mine is August 9, 2019. This day last year was one of the lowest points in my life. I was about 8 months pregnant. I was working on my feet 9 hours a day, and coming home to a lazy man-child who…
It Takes a Village
My family was having a family get-together the day after I left my husband. I broke the news to my sister and brother-in-law that I moved out the night before and would be filing for divorce. That is when they learned of the emotional and verbal abuse that had been going on behind closed doors….