May 5, 2017

(Happy?) Mother’s Day!

******Posted originally on my first blog, “In The Valley – My life as a single mom” on May 9, 2011.*****

People who are newly separated often ask me, “When will things return to normal?” After being a single mom for almost seven years I always tell them that I have learned that there is no “normal” anymore. As a single parent you have to create a new “normal” for your kids and yourself. No matter how hard you try, things will not be the same as they were before. Not to say that things are worse than before – just different.

And the harder you try to recreate the “normal” you knew before, the harder the transition will be on everyone.

Mother’s Day is a perfect example.

I know there are some single moms who are blessed with ex-husbands who still take the kids to get cards and gifts for their mom – I am not in one of those situations. My ex didn’t even wish me a happy day…

When we lived in Greenville, my parents always took the kids out to get me something. Last year, my boyfriend took them to get cards and gifts. This year, I just didn’t think about it. As a result, I spent the day reassuring my children that I was having such a wonderful day since they had no gift or card for me.

And it was a wonderful day. My daughter brought me breakfast in bed. Then we went to church and, afterward, had a nice peanut butter and jelly sandwich lunch together. Then we went to see Hoodwinked Too and hung around the house all afternoon.

It wasn’t until today that my emotions got the best of me and I realized that I was exhausted from trying to make sure my KIDS had a great Mother’s Day. I didn’t need flowers or extravagant gifts or a corsage, but I couldn’t help but feel guilty that my kids were missing out on the true Mother’s Day experience. It’s just part of the single parent guilt.

Of course hindsight is 20/20 and I am going to make sure that next year I give each child money and let the babysitter take them to the store. They will get the satisfaction of “gifting” and I won’t feel the need to overcompensate to make them feel “normal.” It’s all part of the give and take of making the best of the situation you are in.

April 21, 2017

It’s Not Always Unicorns & Rainbows

Living in a blended family is tough… there are good days and there are bad days. Just remember that it is all dependent on your perspective. If you focus on the negative, then it will consume your life. Negativity can put a shadow on everything else in your day!

DON’T LET IT HAPPEN.

Life may not always be all unicorns and rainbows, but if you truly try to live like it IS all unicorns and rainbows, then you will love the transformation in your life. When we focus on the positive and take every baby step like a mountain has been conquered, then you start to realize that life is pretty darn fantastic.

You realize that you aren’t the only one going through whatever it is that you are going through… and that if others can persevere and come out on top, then YOU CAN TOO.

As a co-parent, try to be proactive rather than reactive. Treat your ex like you want to be treated. Share information that you would want shared with you. Share only information with your children that you would want your ex to share with them. Never speak poorly of your ex in front of the kids or your friends (let’s be realistic… I mean, you are going to speak candidly about things with your closest friends and family, but there is no need to run your ex into the ground. It’s kind of a reflection on YOU too if you were married to the person for a while!!!!). Encourage a positive relationship with your children and your ex. Show your children how to live a life with grace and forgiveness… to love others unconditionally like Christ loves us.

Surround yourself with like-minded people who also live a life of grace and forgiveness and kindness and love. The more you surround yourself with those people, the harder it is for the negative and high conflict people to affect you. If negativity tries to seep in then IGNORE IT.

Just follow the golden rule and things will slowly but surely get better. Hope is a wonderful thing and if there is one thing I can do today, I would like for it to be that I have given hope to someone who is going through a hardship of any kind. My children pick on me because I smile incessantly… but if my smile can boost just one person’s day or help me ignore negativity when it surrounds me, then I AM GOING TO KEEP ON SMILING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My wish is that you too can live a beautiful life full of love and laughter. It’s a wonderful place to be… I am blessed indeed.

HAPPY FRIDAY… xoxoxo Val

December 15, 2016

My Christmas Wish List For Divorced Families

I thought this worthy of a repeat performance! This is my true wish for all of you this Christmas!!!! ❤ Valerie

Life in a Blender...

Update 12/22/13 — This blog was published today by the Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/valerie-deloach/my-christmas-wish-list-fo_b_4487571.html

Christmas can be tough following a divorce. If you are single, then you may find yourself alone during a very vulnerable and emotional time. I know, because I was there. I will never forget my first Christmas Eve service at church without my children almost ten years ago. It was a baptism service which made it even harder for me. As we sang Silent Night in the candlelight, tears streamed silently down my face.

Things have certainly improved since then and I am thankful that I have been blessed with an amazing husband and two wonderful step-children who God clearly handpicked for my children and me. The week before Christmas is not quite as lonely as it used to be while my kids are at their dad’s house.

Emotions run high around the holidays and co-parenting can…

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December 15, 2016

CONTACT ME!

If you would like to give me feedback or talk to me about your current situation, please email me at ournewpartyofsix@gmail.com. I would love to hear from you!!!

Best, Valerie

November 27, 2015

My Father’s Mother

This may end up being a jumbled mess of just words, but they are my thoughts that are overflowing from my heart the day after Thanksgiving. Yesterday was such a day of juxtaposition for me. Thanksgiving is a day of family and joy and gratefulness, but at the same time we started the day at a Turkey Trot to support childhood cancer while some old friends’ daughter is in pediatric ICU fighting for her life… then there was the typical teenage angst drama with our boys… all culminating with the death of my father’s mother last night.

You may wonder why I say “my father’s mother” as if I don’t really know her. Honestly, it’s because I don’t. Not like I should. My father was adopted as a baby by my grandparents, Revie and DeRoche Vincent. They were clearly wonderful parents because my father turned out to be, well… Charles Vincent. “The Honorable” Charles Vincent. And it is easy to say he was honorable well before he became a judge. I’m not naive enough to believe my dad is perfect. I am sure there have been missteps along the way and things in life he may regret, but he was raised to be an honest, kind and loving gentleman. There truly aren’t many like him around. He brought so much happiness to my grandmother and granddaddy. I feel confident in saying their pride in him was strong even in both of their last breaths.

While I could claim that grandmother and granddaddy did it alone, I can’t. After meeting my father’s birth mother and her family, I realize that genetics is even stronger than I knew. I always believed in nurture over nature… until I met them.

My dad had always wondered about his birth family, but it wasn’t until after the death of my grandparents (and with my grandmother’s blessing to do so) that he really start looking for them. He had gone to the Children’s Home to get information previously and saw from across the desk that his birth family lived in Virginia. He and my mom made many trips to the area for weekends to visit and dad would just look at the people in Floyd and wonder if they shared the same eyes or the same mouth. One trip to Floyd, VA they got a little side tracked and ended up pulling into a church parking lot to look at the map. Little did dad know what that church would end up meaning to him.

In 2008, prepared with pointed questions just like he would be prepared for interrogating a witness, he went back to the Children’s Home. He learned that he was actually born in Winston-Salem, NC and he had always been searching for his birth certificate in Virginia. Within 24 hours the investigator had located my father’s birth certificate. The miracle in this is that they used to pull off the birth certificate so there should not have been a record of it, but there was an error on his original, so they created TWO – one of which was still in the record books. We knew the name of his birth mother.

I was in Pinehurst for the week with my parents when we got a copy of his birth certificate. I jumped on my laptop and started searching. I found a pastor of a church in Virginia who had a mother with the same name and when his picture popped up we just KNEW. Mom and dad made a trip that weekend to the church to hear the man who could be his brother preach. When they pulled up, they realized it was the exact same church where they had stopped years before to look at the map!

It was a small church, but the people were very welcoming and dad spoke to some of the people around him. He asked if the pastor’s mother went to the church and he couldn’t believe it when they said she was living but lived in Martinsville. After the service, mom and dad shook hands with the minister and left. Mom said it was such an odd feeling to see dad shaking hands with a man who clearly resembled him. As an adopted child, he was not accustomed to having anyone (other than his kids) “resemble” him.

Dad mailed the minister a letter and asked to meet with him after the service the following Sunday. He said he could call him if he wanted to talk before then. The minister called and dad introduced himself and he told the minister that he was adopted but he thought they may have the same mother. The response that came was better than dad could have ever imagined… the minister said, “We have been waiting for you. Our mother is going to be so happy.” The following Sunday they had a “homecoming” at the church for my dad.

They have embraced our family as part of their own. Dad has five brothers and one sister. Since their family has reunited they have already suffered the loss of the oldest brother. Last night, his mother went to be with the Lord.

My regret is that I did not get to know her like I should have. I was unable to spend the time to get to know her over the past few years because of everything going on in my life, but admittedly I had a little internal struggle with my loyalty to my grandparents which probably got in the way of my efforts.

I have heard that “Grandma” was an amazing storyteller with a great sense of humor. She was also a peaceful person who could teach you a lesson without yelling or condemnation. Everyone who knew her said it was a blessing just to be in her presence. They said her love was abundant and her faith was unwavering even through some terrible hardships in her life.

This morning as I sit here thinking about her death, I realize that if she was like my father in so many ways, then I have truly missed out on getting to know an amazing person. My father may be a judge, but if anyone has ever been in front of him in court they know that he judges the facts… he never judges the person. He uses experience and stories to teach lessons to the defendants in his courtroom and his children and grandchildren. And just like his mother, he loves the Lord with all his heart.

I’m being very vulnerable as I type this through tears this morning, but I want others to realize that life is too short. We need to love others every day and don’t miss the chance to get to know or love someone just because you are “too busy.” We are all busy, but we could miss out on a chance to catch a shooting star. My heart is heavy this morning knowing I missed my chance.

Although I may not have had her throughout my life as my Grandma, she is teaching me lessons now through her death. She has taught me to put my family first… ALWAYS. She has taught me to love others unconditionally and to show them that love every day. You don’t have to say “I love you” over and over if you daily live a life that shows those you love that you do. She has taught me to be selfless and to love God with all my heart. She has made me want to strive to be the person that she was to her family so that I too can have a legacy like she has.

I am so thankful for her today and always. She was my father’s mother… and I love her for that. Nov. 23, 1924- Nov. 27, 2015

That’s my dad sitting next to his mother surrounded by his siblings. I love how happy he looks…

September 14, 2015

The Struggle Of Communicating With Parents Who Don’t Communicate

This blog was originally posted on Carolina Parent Magazine’s website.

It’s that time of year again… the time when most parents rejoice and most kids moan. Back to school! After about 10 weeks of no bedtimes, sodas with dinner, and phones kept in bedrooms at night, the dreaded (or welcomed, depending on whom you ask) routine returns. The past couple of weeks have been tough in our house because the kids are fighting us tooth and nail regarding rules that they followed just fine only a couple of months ago. It’s also a tough time because with new schedules and routines, there is a lot of information that must be shared between parents. This sharing of information can often be a struggle for many divorced families.

I write a lot about the importance of communication in the co-parenting situation. Everyone knows it is best for the kids for their parents to do what they can to get along. Keeping secrets from the other parent and/or keeping them out of the loop when it comes to school performances or doctor’s visits puts the children in the middle. I have said a million times that forcing children to choose a side is very harmful and will have lasting effects on them.

While the struggle may be real for the children and parents, people often fail to realize that it’s a tough time for teachers and principals as well. Last weekend I was sitting out at a practice for one of my kids and someone asked me what I was doing. I told her that I was working on a blog for back to school in divorced families, but I couldn’t think of what to write about that was not already done. I had a principal on one side of me and a teacher on the other side and they shared with me how hard it is to deal with parents who don’t communicate with each other. That is a point of view I had not considered. Here are some of the points they made:

MISPLACED ANGER The parents are often so angry with each other, that if they are left off of an email or left out of a meeting, then they immediately attack the teacher or principal. If you are in a blended or divorced family, help the teachers out by always copying your ex on emails regarding the children. If you get a response and see that the teacher inadvertently left off the other parent, forward the message to the other parent. You may not like that person, but they have a right to be completely involved. It’s what is best for the children.

MORE WORK FOR TEACHERS Parents who can’t communicate are the ones who insist that the teacher make two copies of everything to be sent home or they require two separate meetings because they don’t want to sit at the same table with each other… even though it’s about the kids and not about them. The teacher I spoke to said it requires so much more work to make sure everyone stays informed. There are ways that you can help make things easier on the teachers. What my ex and I do is whoever signs the syllabus or report card scans a copy and sends it to the other immediately. That way we are kept informed and the teacher doesn’t have to do extra work. We also make sure that if one of us attends an Open House and the other one doesn’t, then we are sure to put both of our names and email addresses on all lists. Another thing we do is if one of us fills out a permission form, we always put the other parent as the emergency contact. It’s common courtesy to include the other parent whenever you complete any form for your child.

THE PAIN OF BEING PUT IN THE MIDDLE When a parent emails a teacher and shares information but does not copy the other parent, it puts the teacher in a very uncomfortable situation of not knowing what he/she can share with the other parent if then contacted separately. From what they told me, many parents will get angry with the teacher for sharing something with the other parent. It’s often much simpler for the teacher is everyone is copied on all emails and everyone attends all meetings. It eliminates the possibility of misinterpretation.

While all of these ideas are good in an ideal situation, they did acknowledge that sometimes if the parents are extremely difficult and are absolutely unable to put their own issues aside for the best interest of their child, then it can actually be better to have separate meetings because it keeps the conflict down and eliminates any he said/she said. However, you should do whatever you can do to not be one of those high conflict divorces. Try to help the teachers and school administrators by putting your differences aside to communicate for the kids. If you can’t do it for the teachers, then just focus on doing it for your children. Never forget that studies show that it is always best for your children for you to keep controversy to a minimum. The kids are not the only ones who will benefit.

July 9, 2015

Everything Else is Just Gravy…

“Everything else is just gravy…”

I have used that phrase more times than I care to admit. I’m not sure if it’s southern thing or if it’s just a saying that has been used FOREVER, but it’s fun to use because it has such great meaning. To me, I think it refers to everything beyond what is required… or something that is above or beyond what is necessary. It’s always good though, DEFINITELY good. I mean, who can say anything bad about gravy?

We may need the meat and potatoes to make a meal, but the gravy on top is just the perfect addition to make it something special.

When I started using Isagenix, I kept telling people that I loved the product because it gave me a tremendous amount of energy, and “the weight loss is just gravy.” Then when I would enroll friends I would say, “I just want to get my products paid for… everything else is just gravy.” Once I started making money in the business, I started telling people that I have a full time job I love, but “my Isagenix income is just gravy.”

I have found that on top of all of the amazing physical changes in my life since starting Isagenix – energy out of the roof (but not nervous energy), weight loss (20 lbs), great sleep (waking up rested and energized), and beautiful skin – I have had some great emotional changes as well. I have noticed I am much calmer in everything I do now (dropped two medications out of my life) and my perspective in general has improved.

Now I know I have always been pretty much annoyingly optimistic…. but yeah, it has gotten even worse.

I passed this sign on my way to my parking garage yesterday and I just had to stop to take the picture, because I thought of writing this blog:

Life is ALL GRAVY…….

It hit me immediately that lately I have still let the little things get to me. I’ve let inconsequential people hurt my feelings. I have talked incessantly about a wrong that I felt had been done to a loved one. I felt broken inside because my kids are spending every other week with their dad (like they do every summer). I had been convincing myself that I was fine, but I had forgotten something so important… I was making happiness in my life just gravy. I wasn’t making it the most important thing. Happiness had become a by-product of other things, but was not my focus anymore.

WHAT?

I was so disappointed in myself. That one sign made me realize that LIFE is to be celebrated! We can’t just celebrate the little extras, but we need to focus on celebrating everything.

When I think about my dashingly handsome husband who regularly surprises me with sweet texts and flowers and tells me daily how I am the most beautiful woman in the world (God knew who I needed in my life after my first marriage and He found Joe)…

or when I think about our kids and the happiness they bring me even when they are the spoiled rotten selfish teenage kids that they wholeheartedly are…

or when I think about my beautiful parents and my brother and his family and how blessed I was to grow up in such a supportive, loving, and idyllic life…

or when I think about the friends that God has blessed me with who are there for me regardless and always listen to me and who introduce me to (and let me introduce to them) this amazing nutritional cleansing system that helped me do this in 30 days (THANKS JULIE).

I can’t help but remember that LIFE IS A BLESSING. And just like gravy, life is all of the amazing, saucy goodness. Sit down now and start counting your blessings. Your entire perspective will change and you may end up being that annoying woman who smiles all the time at the gym and weirds people out (at least that’s what my son told me). I can’t help it I smile all the time!!!! It certainly beats the alternative….

There is one thing for sure…. my life IS all gravy.

November 12, 2014

Stress Management For The Working Mother

Originally posted today on the Huffington Post… http://www.huffingtonpost.com/valerie-deloach/stress-management-for-the_b_6139470.html?utm_hp_ref=divorce&ir=Divorce

The compliment I receive the most about my writing is that I am honest (to a fault) and that I give my readers empathy. By reading my blog, you feel that you aren’t alone. Some of you even admit that I make you feel more normal because my crazy life makes you feel better about your own situation. So overall, I guess it’s my relatability to my readers that keeps a lot of you coming back for more.

With that being said, if you relate to what I am about to write, then I will apologize in advance. Wholeheartedly… I’m sorry.

Recently our office had a doctor come in to talk about “Stress Management.” It seems whenever someone talks to me about stress I think, “I don’t really have any major stress in my life.” Then reality punches me in the face when I think about everything I face on a daily basis. Sure I don’t have any MAJOR stressors in my life, but when you have ten million small stressors, then it begins to add up significantly.

Of course some may view this as stress… others of us just view it as another normal week for a working mom in a blended family.

We have four kids at four different schools with two different custody schedules. Not to mention piano, tutoring, soccer, cross country, basketball and two girls playing tennis. Two kids had school pictures last week, which meant haircuts. Plus the end of the month in my husband’s job is exceptionally busy. He and I both will probably spend at least eight hours in the car this week carpooling kids. Every week is tough logistically, but I am proud to say we are surviving.

Although lately I haven’t handled my anxiety well, I feel like I do have plenty of coping mechanisms in place to manage my stress. As a working mom, this is what I rely on to get through the week.

1) Get By With A Little Help From Your Friends

I usually feel like I have a firm grasp on my emotions, but the past two weeks has been tough. I am not proud of it, but I have not handled my emotions well. I have yelled, I have cried, and I have overall been VERY short tempered. I met a friend for a margarita the other night and I filled her in on all of the crazy in my life the past two weeks and she said, “Val, no wonder you are struggling! That’s a lot!” Just talking everything out with her made me feel so much better. Having friends who validate you can be just what you need.

On Friday, I came home to a present at my back door:

After hearing about my week, my sister-in-law was sweet enough to leave me a “just because” gift. When we have friends who constantly remind us of our worth, then we are rich indeed.

2) PLAN, PLAN, & PLAN SOME MORE

Many working moms cause themselves unnecessary stress by not being prepared for the week. As a result, they are frantically running around last minute just trying to get by. I admit I am a freak when it comes to planning, but it helps me keep my sanity!

Each week I email my babysitters a detailed email about where they need to be and when with the kids. I then copy the same email and add (in red ink) exactly where my husband Joe needs to be and when. On his email I add the weekly menu and what I will need him to do. It is truly an act of team work, but when everyone knows where they need to be, then I don’t have to worry about it.

I also suggest that you include the kids by putting a detailed calendar on the wall in your kitchen (or other centrally located place). You can even involve the other parents by creating and sharing a Google calendar. My ex-husband, his wife, my husband, our kids, and I all share a Google calendar. We can all access the calendar on our cell phones and know all important information regarding the children, even when they are not with us.

3) Allow Extra Time To Avoid Being Late

One of the most stressful feelings is leaving your house knowing that there is no way you will get where you are going on time. It’s that sweaty, heart racing feeling that your child may be late for an important rehearsal or practice, but there is really NOTHING you can do about it and as the parent is it COMPLETELY your fault. We can blame the kids for not being ready or for not having their bags packed, but as the adults it all falls back on us. Make sure the kids pack up their bags the night before and put them by the door. Get up earlier if you must to make sure you can leave a few minutes early.

If you are like me, then you are probably used to being right on time. I am usually not early, but I am usually on time. The problem is, if you don’t allow extra time, then traffic can wreak havoc on an otherwise well planned day. It certainly can’t hurt for your child to get to practice early. It eases stress for everyone in the car.

4) Make Time For Yourself

I know personally that it is tough for me to get up and I’m immediately plunged into “mom mode.” Two mornings a week I have to leave home at 6:15 a.m. to drive 40 minutes to drop my son off at school in another county, turn around and drive back to drop off my daughter. Then I race to work to work eight hours in my “office job.” Then it’s straight back to “mom mode” with piano lessons and basketball games and soccer games and choral performances and homework and dinner and showers. Then the kids go to bed and I shift into “wife mode” when I try to connect with my husband. Did you see what was missing?

If I went seven days a week without any “me time” then I would go absolutely insane! Because of this, it is imperative that you find some time for yourself. Whether it’s working out or reading or meeting friends for drinks. Carving out time for yourself can feel selfish, but as a working mother it is important for survival. I’m so thankful that I have a husband who understands that. He recently sent a group of my girlfriends and me to the beach for the weekend as part of my birthday present. I came back from that weekend renewed and ready to get back into the swing of my chaotic schedule.

So lean on your friends (and even ask for help if needed), schedule religiously, add time to give yourself a buffer when going somewhere, and look out for yourself every once in a while. Working mothers juggle a ton of balls at once (especially in a blended family), so you have to find out what works for you because a happy mom makes for a happy family!

November 11, 2014

Shake It Off…

With four kids between the ages of 11 and 15, we hear a lot of “he said/she said” drama. In the day of Instagram and Facebook and SnapChat, our kids are constantly looking for ways to embarrass each other (and me). I always have to be on my game because at any given time one of them may snap a pic of me to send to 10 of their friends just to be funny. I’ve gotten so good at turning away quickly that there are probably millions of pictures floating around in the internet cloud of “deleted SnapChat pics” (sure… they just disappear into thin air, never to be seen again…) that look just like this:

This need for kids to embarrass others is a common theme that we see throughout adolescence. A girl may be upset that the boy she likes doesn’t like her… but likes one of her friends. She then goes to their other friends and tells lies and ugly secrets about that friend to get the other girls not to like her and in hopes that the boy will hear the gossip and not like her too. I could give about twenty-five examples from my own childhood of that scenario playing out play by play. The friend who the boy liked gets rejected and ridiculed by all of the girls for no reason whatsoever except that she was unfortunate enough to be liked by the wrong boy.

My favorite thing to tell our kids when I hear about this kind of situation is “SHAKE IT OFF.” I can turn on the Taylor Swift song below and we can dance until we forget what was upsetting.

That seems to work for them (for now) although I realize that as the girls get into their teens it will be a lot more hurtful and harder to move past. The alienation that can happen with teenaged girls can be devastating. I have a couple of friends who still talk about that alienation and how it affected them for years.

Yesterday I heard some gossip about me that was absolute lies. I called one of my best friends who is the best sounding board of reason that I know and I said, “I know I shouldn’t care, but I am so upset that a lot of people may hear this and it is just so far from the truth! What if people believe it and don’t like me??” She said, “If you know in your heart that you have done nothing wrong, then you have to move on. If you did do something wrong, then you have to own it and apologize and then move on.” She added that real friends will talk to me before coming to any conclusions. While I know that is true, why is it so hard to swallow?

How can we teach our children to move on after having their feelings hurt when it’s almost impossible to do as an adult??? Even when we know in our hearts that we have done nothing wrong?

I saw this on another friend’s Facebook page this morning and I knew I had to include it:

The whole world would be a better place if we all truly tried to get along rather than hold grudges and try to make others look bad. It’s not healthy for anyone to be in a war. If you know in your heart that you are saying things that are true and right and just, then you are on the right path. As Shel Silverstein said above, when we are all happy and silly and love each other, then EVERYONE WINS.

My favorite Bible verse says,

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” Philippians 4:8

My goal is to shake off the gossip and focus on my amazing family. I have a husband who is not perfect, but he is perfect for me and I love him with all of my heart. I’m so proud of the communication we share and the dedication he shows to our relationship and to our family. There is not doubt we will have the best time growing old together. Most importantly, I am proud of the Christian man he is and what a good role model and father he is to our kids. We have four funny, beautiful, smart kids who make us so proud every single day. I have some of the best friends a girl could ask for who know that I would never be malicious and unkind. I have the most supportive and loving family who is always behind me 100%.

The next time my girls come to me about unkind words being said about them, I am going to encourage them to think of all of the excellent and praiseworthy things in their lives. Make a list if they need to, and pray over everything on the list. When we focus on what we have to be thankful for, then everything else is petty and insignificant.

September 15, 2014

Triangle Style Magazine – Best Hometown Blogs

I am honored to be able to share that my blog has been featured in the newest Fall Edition of Triangle Style Magazine as one of the BEST LOCAL BLOGS!

Triangle Style is a great magazine, so go find one today and check out my excerpt. Thank you to Triangle Style for including me! This accolade has encouraged me to branch out a little and blog about more than just parenting issues… I am working on one right now about some of my favorite restaurants!

Click on HERE to read Triangle Style Magazine or you can click on the pics below to see the specific pages where I am mentioned. Thank you all for your support!!!!! Val