Kristen McGuire
Kristen is a wife, mother and full-time special education teacher. Born in Connecticut, she has lived in Washington, DC, North Carolina and now happily calls Columbia home. Her children, the tortoise and the hare, were adopted from South Korea and are now 7 and 4. This “Dawson’s Creek” enthusiast was convinced if she scored a spot as an extra on the show, a famous actor would fall in love with her and whisk her away to pursue a life of parties and Prada. She scored the spot, but not the actor. With a chronic case of Wanderlust, she can be found day-tripping throughout the Carolinas and planning excursions to visit family across the US. She could be a contestant on "World's Worst Cook" as she has ruined instant pudding not once...but twice.
5 Ways to Enjoy March Madness With Kids
I love sports. My kids, ages nine and six, don’t necessarily share my passion. Football, basketball, golf, baseball … I love a good sports competition. The month of March is home to one of...
I Purposely Let My Son Fail
"Mommy, I don't know what I'm supposed to do," my son said to me.
"I know you don't, but you signed up for this tournament and I expect that you will follow through," I replied.
There,...
The “Best Friend” I Can’t Get Rid Of
I have a “best friend.” She’s nice to me most of the time, but behind every good thing that happens there’s a gray cloud hanging overhead. How do you get rid of someone who...
Suicide :: The Disease That Lives Next Door
The bus stopped at the end of our street. My husband was sitting in the driveway while our son played with chalk. My husband and young neighbor shared a slight, but friendly wave as...
I’m That Evil Mom Who Makes Her Kids Ride the Bus
I was a bus kid. My early memories are of me and my neighbors standing in someone’s garage in a lame attempt to get warm because it was in the teens outside. Or running...
It’s National Girlfriends Day… Grab Your Girls And Celebrate!
In college, my girlfriends’ primary responsibilities involved eating in the dining hall with me, making sure I didn’t wander off from the bar, holding my hair back when I had too much to drink...
Summer Savings :: Regal Cinemas $1 Summer Movie Express
If you are a family on a budget, it’s hard to pack up the kids and go to the movies. For a family of four, it’s at least $40 to just get into the theater...
When You are Raising the Class “Chatterbox”
Growing up, I talked all the time. I’d talk to strangers like they were friends. In class I wouldn’t be quiet. No matter who the teacher put me next to, I’d talk to them....
5 Easy Ways to Engage Kids in Random Acts of Kindness Week
“Kindness is a language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see,” wrote Mark Twain. One of the most important things we try to teach our kids is the ability to be...
5 Ways to Make the Workplace More Fun
Working outside of the home can be a difficult balance that creates stress, tension and a feeling of not being able to do anything fully and completely. But, intentionally bringing joy to the workplace...
When Mom Has ADHD :: The Good, Bad, and Ugly
When we think of ADHD, we think of young kids being hyperactive. Kids who are unable to sit still. Kids who are impulsive. But there are a growing number of adults who are diagnosed...
7 Adoption Books We Love
When we became a family through adoption, we realized this new and exciting world did not contain many books that represented our new family. So we started an interesting search for children’s books that...
Mom’s Midlife Crisis
I’ll admit it. I’m in the throes of a midlife crisis. Something happened when I turned 40 last month. I looked at my life and while I love it, I thought “technically it’s halftime...
You Can’t Save Them All
As a special education teacher, I hear it all the time...
“You can’t save them all.”
Usually it’s in a response to tears I shed when I lose a student to suspension, a move within the...