Things changed since I grew up (wow – I sound like my parents – always surprises me when it happens).  I went to my eldest son’s 8th grade promotion recently.  I was struck by a few things.  First, going to high school was not a promotion when I was a kid.  Second, I am too young to have a high schooler. . or at least I feel that way. 

Renee Israel traded in grueling 70+-hour workweeks as a corporate VP in New York City for fun, family – and popcorn

When I was in high school, during exams, one of my girlfriends would be so stressed out from studying, boyfriend problems and lack of sleep that she would literally stop eating and immediately lose five pounds.  Unfortunately, I was just the opposite.  Stress, of any kind, seemed to make me react by reaching for a bag of potato chips or box of cookies for comfort.

I could not have chosen a more unpredictable and capricious time to be in health care policy with a new health care reform law and our Medicare and Medicaid programs consuming much of our tight federal and/or state budgets. Plus, I’m a lobbyist in one of the most peculiar states in the Union, good ole South Carolina—home to “Yell It Like It Is--You Lie!” Joe Wilson, “You Gotta Be Kidding Me” Alvin Greene, and “You Were Doing WHAT on the Appalachian Trail?” Mark Sanford.

People have very specific opinions about daycare and rightfully so. It’s an odd feeling to hand off your precious little one to be cared for by someone you may be unfamiliar with yourself.

Managing a busy lifestyle as a busy mom can be merely challenging sometimes. That’s why I’ve come up with 10 original time saving tips for busy mothers. As a working mother of 4 plus another on the way, I could use all the time saving tips I can find.

Two days ago my father drove forty five minutes to pick up my thirteen year old man child son and three of his friends. He took them back to his house, where my mother was waiting for them.  Grandma and Grandpa then took the boys out to lunch.  I'm sure that was an experience, since all these kids seem to do is eat.  After lunch, they headed to the marina where my parents keep a fishing boat.  The four thirteen year old boys and two seventy something grandparents spent the afternoon fishing and tooling around on the lake.

In the blink of an eye...

We've all heard that time flies in the blink of an eye and it's so true. Seems like just yesterday I was a new mom with 4 little ones and in reality, just yesterday I watched 2 of my kids graduate from elementary and middle school.

As moms, we're so busy "getting it all done" and if we're not careful, besides the physical, mental and emotional wear and tear living an overextended lifestyle can create, we'll miss much of the reason why we chose to become moms in the first place.