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

Flashback Friday: The Deep End

August 16, 2013

We are away this weekend, visiting family and squeezing the last drops out of summer. Please enjoy this post from my archives, written last summer. Happy Friday! The Deep End “Mom! Mom! Watch this!” My 6yo’s shouts come from across the pool. FAR across the pool from the deep end, where we have never ventured […]

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Healthier Than Thou

August 14, 2013

I’ve noticed a disturbing trend in our society: healthy one-upping. Let me explain. Let’s say you’ve decided to cut back on red meat by having “Meatless Mondays” at your house. You’re telling a friend about it and she says, “Oh, I haven’t eaten red meat in YEARS.” Then she adds, “In fact, we don’t eat […]

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Berry Fun

August 12, 2013

I never thought I’d say it, but the end of summer is actually flying by. We’ve still got a few weeks left, but I’m already stocking up on new shoes and glue sticks, taking inventory of our crayon and No. 2 pencil supplies, and – kill me now – thinking about all those lunches I’ll […]

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Princess Kate and the Lies We’re Told About Having a Baby

August 7, 2013

I may be coming late to this, but I was shocked to hear about the criticism of Princess Kate and her post-baby belly. For reals, people?! You’re expecting a bikini-ready body 24 hours after childbirth? To be fair, it’s possible a lot of the negative comments were from folks who were simply ignorant and not […]

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New Things We Tried On Our Summer Vacation

August 5, 2013

I finally got around to sorting through the enormous pile of papers and artwork that my first-grader, Miles, brought home on the last day of school. (Yes, I know, it’s August. Give me a break, will ya?!) Among them was a list of things he wanted to do over the summer: Well, we just got […]

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Wordless Wednesday: Vacation Edition

July 31, 2013

P.S. Is there an Instagram filter called “Ziploc baggie”? I took this photo with my phone inside one to protect it from the sand and “surf”!

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Treasures from the Sea

July 29, 2013

I’m on vacation this week, and I’m trying to disconnect as much as possible. (Which is basically impossible in 2013, BTW. Every time anyone asks, “When’s the tide come in?” or “What’s the best place to buy fish around here?” at least 3 people whip out their iPhones before you can blink.) We spent the […]

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Positive Thinking or Positively Delusional?

July 25, 2013

We leave for our annual family vacation in a few days. And in typical freelancer feast-or-famine style, I am currently slammed with work. In addition to my deadlines, I have a summer cold, C. is working extra-late to make up for the time he’s missing, and our babysitter is going on HER annual vacation. Oh, […]

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Fairy Gardens and Forgotten Memories

July 22, 2013

A couple summers ago, we were staying with my in-laws in Cape Cod. Flipping through the local paper one day, an article caught my eye. The owners of a local lavender farm had built a fairy garden on the property – a group of tiny houses made from stones and sticks and moss, meant to […]

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It’s Been One of Those Weeks

July 19, 2013

You know those weeks when you’ve been running around like crazy from one activity to the next and it’s like 95 degrees out with 99% humidity and you’ve taken on more work than you can comfortably handle while your kids are out of school to pay for your upcoming vacation so you’re cobbling together a […]