Abby Off the Record — The scoop on life, writing & raising kids

Music Videos and Fun with Margarine Tubs

November 1, 2013

I’m not sure how I got hooked on the TV drama Nashville, since I’m not much of a country music fan, but it may be because I had recently been to that city and because I secretly covet Connie Britton’s hair. As a fan of the show, I was thrilled to learn that the girls […]

Read the full article →

When Kids Say Embarrassing Things: Halloween Edition

October 30, 2013

Remember when my son told his entire first-grade class that his dad and I fight sometimes and it was immortalized forever in a wedding keepsake for his teacher? Well, this is another example of kids saying embarrassing things. Even though I told you all how much my perfect boots cost, I generally believe it’s tacky […]

Read the full article →

10 Unlikely Things I’m Grateful For

October 28, 2013

So we’re all on board with having an attitude of gratitude and counting our blessings and thinking positive and all that, right? Scientific studies have shown that it may even improve your health. The trick is, you have to focus on what YOU are grateful for — you can’t force gratitude on someone else. Because […]

Read the full article →

Parenting Is a High-Intensity Sport: FitBit Flex Review

October 25, 2013

Well, damn. I’m not as fit as I thought. And I sleep a LOT. I discovered this information by tracking my daily activity levels, calories, and steps with a FitBit Flex, which is like a fancier, sleeker, higher tech pedometer you wear on your wrist. I will admit that I was a little smug when […]

Read the full article →

Life’s an Adventure: Dress for It

October 23, 2013

He’s small. He’s stealthy. He fights dirty. He’s cute, but don’t tell him that unless you want a foam shuriken to the jugular. He’s Riley, the… You have never seen such unbridled joy as that of my 4yo son when I took him to Party City to buy his Halloween costume yesterday. In the first […]

Read the full article →

Signs from the Universe and the Perfect Boots

October 21, 2013

I am a person who believes in signs. I see a ladybug on my windowsill and think, “That’s a sign.” I count its spots and think, “Ooh, 13. That’s a sign.” It gets tricky sometimes when the signs contradict each other, but who cares? I’m getting signs from the universe! BTW, if you’re tempted to […]

Read the full article →

Flashback Friday: Keep Your Quirks and Your Cousins Close

October 18, 2013

Remember the outdoor spot I went to a couple weeks ago to refill my well? It reminded me of the place my cousin got married — hence, this post from my archives. I still really like this post; it makes me smile. Hope you all enjoy it, too. Happy Friday! Keep Your Quirks and Your […]

Read the full article →

Kid Math: A Word Problem

October 16, 2013

If you take 5 kids to a pumpkin farm and… 1 gets stung by a bee… 1 falls into a tank of water… 3 get lost in the hay maze… and 2 go for a tractor ride… … what do you end up with? Answers: a) 5 happy, tired, dirty and/or wet kids b) 2 […]

Read the full article →

There’s No Such Thing as ‘Just’

October 14, 2013

I remember reading an article about Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist and Baltimore resident Anne Tyler, in which she recounted an exchange with a woman at her daughters’ preschool, I believe, when her children were small. The other mom said to Tyler, “So what are you doing these days, still just writing?” That line stuck with me […]

Read the full article →

The Freedom of a Rainy Day

October 11, 2013

All day and all night, the rain’s been falling. In buckets, bursts, and great wet billows. In sheets, sprinkles, and misty spritzes. Towels have been bunched up in those leaky spots under the kitchen window and in front of the fireplace. Rain gear has been extricated from closets and rubber boots are waiting by the […]