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

Make Your Own Luck

March 16, 2015

Normally, I’m not so big on the random little holidays. Valentine’s Day? Earth Day? Meh. They usually involve school parties and extra work for me. (Oh, you can call me a killjoy until you pull an all-nighter sweating over several dozen Valentines or cupcakes for your kid’s class. Then we’ll talk. P.S. Why is Minecraft […]

Read the full article →

It’s Come to This

March 5, 2015

Monday: school closed due to icy conditions. Tuesday: school closed 2 hours early due to weather. Wednesday: rain all day, turns to snow overnight. Thursday: This. Friday: Will our children ever attend a full day of school again? Ever?? And so it’s come to this: I make them run like hamsters on a wheel to […]

Read the full article →

Dear Customer Service Person

March 3, 2015

Dear Customer Service Person: First off, I recognize that you have a difficult job. Customer service people and moms have a lot in common, actually: people don’t call us up to be like, “Hey, just wanted to tell you that you’re doing a great job! Kudos! Keep it up!” No, we only hear from them […]

Read the full article →

Happy Birthday to My Boy!

February 27, 2015

Dear Riley, Happy Birthday! Today you are 6. You are many things to many people. You are brave: Smart: Loyal: And loving: You are a master of disguise: And you have never met anything you couldn’t climb: I mean, not ANYTHING: Thank you for teaching me that life is better when you love fiercely, dress […]

Read the full article →

On Daily Joy and Fresh Perspectives

February 23, 2015

Last week I read a blog post that really spoke to me. It was about feeling stuck, in writing and in life. It’s about broken washing machines and insomnia and other everyday inconveniences and frustrations that the author called “puzzles we have to figure out in order to get to and maintain our Daily Joy.” […]

Read the full article →

Rileyisms: Mid-Winter Edition

February 9, 2015

Winter is tough on my mental health. The cold, the gray, the snow delays, the illnesses. Also taxing on my psyche? Being stuck at home with sick kids. Blessedly, we have not been hit with the 5 feet (!) of snow that is currently overwhelming my in-laws in Massachusetts. And the illnesses are just severe […]

Read the full article →

The Purpose of Life from a Kid’s P.O.V.

January 30, 2015

7:15 a.m., Thursday morning: “Mom, you know what the purpose of life is?” This is the question my 8yo poses to me as I stumble into the kitchen in search of coffee. On the one hand, how could I possibly pass up the answer to this burning existential question? And from the mouth of my […]

Read the full article →

3 Fun Indoor Winter Activities (for a Real-Life Family)

January 22, 2015

By day, I often write and edit blog posts for clients that have to do with health, wellness, family fitness, that sort of thing. Everybody loves the “Secrets to Eating More Veggies” and “10 Tips for Raising Active Kids” type of posts. Even *I* click on them, even though (I hate to admit) I usually […]

Read the full article →

3 Ineffective Strategies for Dealing with a Tantrum

January 16, 2015

My kindergartener is either the snuggliest love bug or as mean as an angry drunk. Nothing in between and no warning when the switch flips. Take swimming lessons, for instance. He loves them. Cannonballs into the pool, splashing, kicking, grinning. Doesn’t even mind the showering and toweling off after, fond as he is of any […]

Read the full article →

My Tips to Stick with the Gym Past January

January 8, 2015

The parking lot’s packed around the clock? Gridlock in the locker room? Nary an open treadmill in sight? It seemed like a good time to run this post from my archives. You know what my motivation was to go to the gym 3 times this week? COLD. It was the only way I could get […]