Lisa Endlich's Blog, page 350

National Drug Take Back Day: What Parents Need To Know

Off the top of your head, how many old prescription medication containers do you think you have in your home right now?

About a year ago, after hearing yet another news report on the opioid epidemic in our country, I did a sweep of our medicine cabinets, thinking perhaps we still had some of the leftover pain meds from my kids’ wisdom teeth extractions. Those had been disposed of, but I found several bottles of expired cold medications, tossed them, and thought I had gotten rid of everything...

I Haven’t Figured Out How To Move On After My Kids Move Out

I know I am not the only person who struggles with life transition and loss as the years click on by, but some days it feels like I am the only one crying about it.

We all go through changes in our circumstances, relationships and life stages. I get it in my logical brain, but my heart has its own thoughts on the matter.

I am so sick of having to say goodbye to important chapters of my life, and is that profound and cloying sadness keeping me from opening new doors. I am so busy being stuck i...

See How Prom 2018 is Absolutely Different From Prom in the 80s

Back in the 1980s, prom stories were fairly monochromatic. It usually went like this; boy liked girl, boy asked girl to the prom, girl said yes and off they went. And if boy didn’t ask girl, girl sat home and moped dejectedly because that was pretty much the only option.

Happily, we’ve noticed that prom 2018 bears little resemblance to prom of the 1980’s and as far as we’re concerned, that’s a spectacularly awesome development.

Here are some prom stories that caught our attention.

When it com...

Consider These 8 Options If Your Teen Is Looking For a Summer Job

Although our teens play Fortnite and stare at their phones like it is their J-O-B, alas it is not.  There is no denying that getting our offspring off the couch and onto a productive path can prove difficult in these teen years. However, there are opportunities for employment for kids seeking a summer job if you know where to look. We all know about mowing lawns and working retail at the Mall but we tried to find some out of the box ideas for teens of all ages.

For kids under 16, it may take...

I Wonder What My Daughter’s College Experience Will Really Be Like

In this moment, as my second daughter prepares herself, (and me), for her freshman year at college, I have taken a pause in the mad rush of college decisions. In this moment, I think about all that lay ahead for my daughter, all the amazing, heart wrenching, beautiful, difficult life lessons she will learn over the course of the next four years. In this moment, I put aside college rankings, price tags and acceptance rates and wonder if she will experience some of the same things I did, more t...

What To Wear: Graduation Weekend Events

My son Josh is about to graduate from college (…finally!). He’s in school in the south and I’m looking forward to warming up after a long dreary winter on the east coast. There’s going to be a lot of parties (what with the Southern hospitality) and so I’m on the lookout for a few key items – two or three dresses that can travel easily and be worn with both heels and flats (I am a big walker).

Note: We receive compensation from purchases made through some of the links in this post but the opin...

I’ve Fallen In Love Since My Divorce But I Still Miss My Old Life

The other morning, I sat looking at my kitchen faucet and a wave of sadness washed over me. The man I am in love with had just left after we’d shared an amazing few days together; the house was quiet as my three kids were with their dad. I was alone with my thoughts and it felt scary.

I missed my kids deeply; I was missing the man who stood in my kitchen and kissed me good bye a few moments before. And as I let the warm water run over my hands, I realized how confusing it was to miss them all...

No, My Teen Won’t Be Attending a Coed Sleepover

I consider myself a pretty cool mom. I get highlights and wear skinny jeans. I know what “lit” means. I can text faster than my kids, and know I what all the abbreviations mean these days. I don’t kiss or hug them in public (that much anyway), and I have a Spotify account. I bake lots of good treats that are waiting for them when they come home from school, too.

Oh, and the coolest thing of all? There’s an Echo[image error] in our living room and I can play my favorite ’80s music to show them I still have...

12 Things Juniors and Seniors Should Do Before College Graduation

This post is sponsored by the GMAT (Graduate Management Admissions Test) but the opinions are our own.

After the fraught college search, the stressful dorm move-in and the many tearful goodbyes, your child has hopefully settled into an amazing and productive four years as a college student. But we all know that college is just the preamble to “real life.” And, before you can even adjust to your kids being college freshman, in the proverbial blink of an eye, they are juniors and seniors, and w...

Teens Are Over Scheduled And Exhausted And It’s Your Fault, Parents

When my son announced last week that he wanted to apply for his first summer job, I was dubious. Though he’s fifteen years old and quite responsible, I wasn’t sure I was ready for him to take on the commitment of a part time job over the summer. Frankly, the thought of having to drive him one. more. place this summer made my head spin.

His father and I discussed my son and his plan for employment and we quickly realized that our son was too busy to get a job. Between summer vacations, Boy Sco...