Best selling English author Elizabeth Haynes is coming to the US in September when she attends Bouchercon, the mystery/thriller fan convention in New York as well as signings at the Rust Library and One More Page Books in Virginia.

The honeymoon period is officially over. What had been as a heady love affair ended officially yesterday morning in a dramatic and public display.  And it came out of no where.  The perfection of the relationship had lulled me into a false sense of security.  I had no idea what I was in for.

Ugh.

It was two years ago that I began writing for Working Mother Media, and my posts heavily focus on all the lessons I learn daily from my family, friends and people I meet during my travels. It all began when a former friend told me in an anonymous survey that I needed to work on humility. And why did she feel the need to tell me anonymously? Because, apparently, I also became defensive when receiving feedback I didn’t like. After getting over the initial sting, I thought about it and agreed that humility was not one of my strengths.

Ever woke up on Monday morning and could not remember a thing you accomplished over the weekend?

Pretty much everyone who travels to Peru plans their trips around visiting Machu Picchu. In addition to the World Wonder, this also usually includes visits to some of the principal archaeological sites in and around Cusco.

There’s no doubt that Machu Picchu is awe-inspiring, even to jaded children who spend more time on the Internet than in the real world. Still, you can help keep their interest by including in your plans some options that are not so history-focused.

“Watch out for Balls” reads the sign in the private, ocean-front, golf-course that I pass through on my long runs. In addition to posting a sensible fear, this sign is also a signal for me to literally speed up.  My mom’s best friend was once struck in the hand by a golf-ball as she ran through this course. Her hand swelled and was black and blue for weeks. The warning sign reminds me to train at varying intervals and not be lulled by the beautiful scenery into a slow trot.

Woman On Top by Deborah Schwartz is a compelling account of how two men had an impact on the female heroine, Kate.  Jake is Kate’s late husband, who succumbed to cancer at the all too early age of thirty-five. The author describes him as Kate’s soul mate, best friend, and lover.

No more "I can't" or "I'm not sure I can do it" or "I'm not talented enough" or "I'm afraid" in my house. Anyone and everyone can do whatever they want if they put their mind to it. But the first step is having the right mindset. 

This school year is going to be one of the most positive years in my children's and my life. And the way we're going to make that happen is by creating and saying affirmations daily.

On a scale of 1-10, most days, how stressed are you? If you asked your partner (and kids) the same question, what would their number be?