by Kira Hazledine | Frugal Living, Money Matters
Getting Real with Kira Hazledine I don’t think I’ve ever encountered anything as magical as my student loans. I blink and the amount I owe raises a few cents. The amount of money floats around somewhere in an “owed” statement, collecting interest and dust. The more I...
by Kira Hazledine | Love, Resolving Conflict
Getting Real with Kira Hazledine I’ve only been married once, so I don’t have the frame of reference for this question that I’ve gotten more frequently than I ever anticipated. I did marry a man from another country, and even I was not privy to all the ins and outs of...
by Shadra Bruce | Everything Baby, Parenting, Toddlers
Getting Real with Shadra Bruce Before you know it, your kids won’t want to snuggle with you at night. In fact, they’ll someday wake up and see that they know more than you, that they’re perhaps taller than you, and that really, you’re just an...
by Kira Hazledine | On Motherhood, Pregnancy and Your Newborn
Getting Real with Kira Hazledine Those first few weeks after bringing the baby home are brutal. Everyone is trying to settle into a new routine, and your precious baby is adjusting to the outside world. Whether your new addition is bottle fed or breastfeed, nights are...
by Kira Hazledine | Parenting, Toddlers
Getting Real with Kira Hazledine I had a short debate with some mom friends who had experienced both infants and toddlers, and I was in the minority when I claimed that toddlers were harder. Sure, infants do their fair share of crying, and it’s honestly a guessing...
by Kira Hazledine | Parenting, Raising Healthy Kids
Getting Real with Kira Hazledine For the first time, the American Academy of Pediatrics has taken a firm stance on spanking. The verdict? That would be a no from me, dawg. Their research, officially released December of 2018, says that spanking as a form of punishment...
by Kira Hazledine | On Motherhood, Self-Improvement
Getting Real with Kira Hazledine I don’t put a lot of emphasis on the “new year, new me” mentality. I’m sure I’ll be the same delightful hot mess this year that I was last year. I’ve also made absolutely no promises on the motherhood front. I’m a damn good mom and I...
by Kira Hazledine | Keeping Marriage Strong, Love
Getting Real with Kira Hazledine It’s officially panic weekend for those who haven’t gotten their significant others a Christmas gift. Kids are easy: A color book and whatever toy and they are pretty happy. So why do we struggle when we are giving gifts to our life...
by Shadra Bruce | Home and Hearth
Getting Real with Shadra Bruce Playrooms and children’s bedrooms are the best room in any house. It’s where the magic happens. It’s the room where superheroes live, the place where princesses have their castles, the place where little girls get to...
by Kira Hazledine | Let's Talk
Getting Real with Kira Hazledine I have significant disdain for Elf on the Shelf. He and I are not friends because I find him creepy and manipulative. However, do you know what makes me more upset? How parents and grandparents and aunts and uncles and girlfriends and...
by Kira Hazledine | Parenting, Toddlers
Getting Real with Kira Hazledine My rambunctious toddler, Hallie, has been vaguely potty training for some time now. She showed interest over a year ago and we have let her coast along, using the potty as she was comfortable but not pushing anything. I did test the...
by Kira Hazledine | Pregnancy and Your Newborn
Getting Real with Kira Hazledine It was time for Round 2. Same battle ground, different kid. I entered the hospital for my second induction, as ready as an overdue pregnant woman can be for what’s to come. As the procrastinator that I am, I took no birthing classes. I...
by Kira Hazledine | On Motherhood
Getting Real with Kira Hazledine On the first day of Christmas my children gave to me, A poorly decorated Christmas tree. On the second day of Christmas my children gave to me, Two missing gloves and a poorly decorated Christmas tree. On the third day of Christmas my...
by Shadra Bruce | Crafts with Kids, Parenting
What’s the best way to keep your child occupied while you finish up last minute Christmas preparations? Christmas games, of course! Because school is out and it’s cold outside, children often get a little rowdy during this time of year. There’s not a good outlet for...
by Kira Hazledine | Let's Talk, Parenting
Getting Real with Kira Hazledine My career hit a hard pause when I had to do a quick turnaround on adulting and move back in with my parents. Three years later I have two kids and no semblance of a career that once stood promisingly before me. As an Ivy League...
