Search for "under my skin" | Mommy Ever After

My five favorite things

Yesterday, over on Instagram, I posted a story in which I asked an honest question and for which I wanted an honest answer: despite the fact that most of my posts address serious topics, how would you feel about a post about beauty/self-care products? I, personally, love learning what other people use and love, but I wanted to ...

Baby Ever After

"I know words, and I love words, but I simply do not have the words to express my gratitude for this book and for all of the people who made it possible." When I wrote this in the acknowledgments of Baby Ever After, it was my way of trying to convey the deep and profound appreciation I feel in ...

It really was no miracle.

What happened was just this... Last Fall, I made the very personal confession that I struggle with nightmares. Back then I was experiencing these bad dreams 6 out of 7 nights. I dreaded going to sleep. But it's gotten a lot better. Two nights ago, I had a nightmare, again. And then yesterday I had a really crappy ...

Milking it.

My daughter is quite the crafty one. She is smart and creative. She can use her precociousness and persuasiveness simultaneously and deliberately, so this girl rarely hears "no" from people other than her primary caregivers and authority figures (really, just her parents and teachers). Which means that I had to get really clever, myself. My daughter, the ...

I have so much.

This weekend was the first that the fierce cold really whipped me in the bones. It has been dancing around, and gotten close, but this weekend it hit me, and got under my skin. We spent most of the time holed up at home, in our cozy fuzzy living room. When we went outside for some brief ...

One year in, a pandemic poem

One year in, a pandemic poem To hear me read the poem, click here. February 2020, when we look back now, it almost seems funny, A whole year has passed in the blink of an eye, (read: agonizing slog; a lifetime’s gone by). As we licked envelopes for our Valentines, freely, our hopes were still bright, our nerves still so steely. 2020 was ...

Not enough

The photo above was taken last month at Ludlow House, on the Lower East Side, for my sister's pub day party. It shows a little bit of sparkle. And makeup. And the cool updo. And glitter. Gotta get my glitter back. *** I couldn’t have scripted this any better. This morning, I woke up and I lingered in ...

Lifted

There are certain subjects that people like to talk about – need to talk about, in fact – but seem to only do so in a whisper. These topics, it seems, are my specialty! I write openly about things that are hard to say in the hopes of helping others. While I am usually focused on ...

16 years

It has been 16 years. How has it been 16 years? *** When I woke up this morning, roused from my slumber by little hands poking at me, I checked my phone, saw the date, and felt the familiar pit in my stomach as I read the words "Monday, September 11" on my iPhone's home screen. I can't believe ...

Festen

"It's daddy's birthday, oh yes it is, and it is today!" This birthday chant has become a tradition in our family -- mostly as a joke -- after having seen "Festen", the dark, dramatic play based on the Danish movie, on Broadway. For my 21st birthday, my parents and I got tickets to this star-filled show, featuring ...