I’m a wife, mom of five extra sparkly* kids, writer, speaker, bibliophile, fitness enthusiast, fashionista wannabe, eating disorder survivor, and perfectionist in recovery. I'm the author of Getting Past Perfect: Finding Joy & Grace in the Messiness of Motherhood (a 2018 Catholic Press Association award winner) and Weightless: Making Peace With Your Body.
I’ve tried a lot of things in my life – anorexia, bulimia, law school, teaching aerobics, vegetarianism, nursing babies beyond toddlerhood, being perfect – and through it all I’ve been writing. And learning to embrace the messiness of life instead of covering it up, making excuses for it, or being ashamed of my brokenness or my home’s sticky counters.
Nowadays I’m striving every single, imperfect day to strike a balance between keeping it real and keeping it joyful.
* sparkly children: lively, passionate little people with big voices who give off frequent flashes of defiance, emotion, and what they and their grandparents think is brilliance.
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I write a lot about motherhood, but I also write about body image, faith (or lack thereof), fitness, and life randomness like shoes and chocolate.
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if you’re pining for visual glimpses into this mucky, noisy, colorful, and imperfectly beautiful life of mine.
Looking for homemaking tips, beautiful photography, and DIY craft ideas? Then don’t follow me on Instagram. But if perusing a smorgasbord of images and words – the good, the bad, and the ugly - sounds like a good way to waste time, come along for a crazy-fun Insta ride.