Search Results for: blog revisions and do overs

MinnesotaCare Covers Pregnant Women

The Medicaid program in Minnesota is called MinnesotaCare. A portion of MinnesotaCare covers women who are pregnant. You can find out about it on a page within the Minnesota Department of Human Services website that is called “Pregnant Women”. Medicaid is a public, or government run, form of health insurance. It is designed to cover individuals and families who are low-income and who cannot afford to purchase health insurance from a private health insurance company. Part of the funding for Medicaid comes from the federal government. The other portion of the funding comes from the government of an individual state. … Continue reading →

Balancing Security and Ambition for the Single Parent

I think many of us walk a tightrope between clinging to and working for the security of ourselves and our families, and indulging our ambitions and taking those big risks. For a single parent, that tightrope can feel even more precarious—do we focus JUST on establishing and maintaining security for our families, or do we stretch ourselves and give in to our personal or work-related ambitions? And, what if we don’t think we ARE very ambitious—is this a personality failing that will hurt our families in the long run? I confess that trying to establish some security for my family … Continue reading →

Revisions and Do-Overs

I make a big chunk of my living from writing work. Of course, I would love to make more but since I am gradually building my freelance business, I’m fairly content and it works well with my role and responsibilities as a single mom. One of the realities of writing is that you always have the opportunity to do another draft, make revisions, or start completely from scratch. It seems to me that revisions and do-overs are a great metaphor for the life of a single parent as well–after all, isn’t that what rebuilding our lives as single parent families … Continue reading →

Donald Trump Bad Neighbor?

I suppose when you own as many homes as Donald Trump you are bound to have a few neighbors who wish you weren’t part of the hood. Such is the case in California where the real estate mogul has once again upset his just-as-wealthy neighbors. According to news reports, this time the problem has to do with ficus trees. (Oh, to be so rich and problem free that trees are enough to set you off.) The Donald reportedly planted hundreds of the trees without the city’s permission to screen the nearby driving range from the multimillion-dollar mansions that border his … Continue reading →

The Perfect Draft

Recently I’ve been agonizing over the perfect draft. You see, I’m writing a dissertation and, as my topic of choice includes ever-changing content, I’m constantly reevaluating my work. Is it current enough? Should the structure change again? Is this ready to be reviewed? Will I just be wasting their time? What else might I think about including? Have I done too much? What if something happens tomorrow that changes everything? What if…? It’s a complicated little game I play in my own head. While my dissertation may be the most important document I’ve tackled so far, I experience this type … Continue reading →

Bathing Suit Brouhaha

First, it was the guy who got ticketed for wearing a Speedo at a beach (of all places). Now, city leaders in Kanab, Utah (the community sits just north of the Arizona state line) are banning bikinis at area pools. Perhaps it would be best if we all just tanned in our own backyards from now on. Actually, the ban on bikinis at Kanab’s municipal pool has been around for a while… long enough for two-piece swimsuit fans to raise a stink strong enough for city leaders to reconsider the prohibition on the popular pool attire. The city council member … Continue reading →

Starting Over 101

It is common knowledge that many of us single parents have been or are in the midst of starting over. But, what does that actually mean? Just because we know that what used to be is no more and that we need to build a new life, does not necessarily mean that we know what to do. Here are a few tips for getting down to the basics of starting over… 1. Let Go…you cannot start a new life or even move in a new direction until you let go of the old. This means any clinging, clutching, or resistance … Continue reading →

Coming to Peace With the Past

While holding on to the past is a pretty common theme for single parents–and it can take us a while to let go of guilt, anger, disillusionment, etc.–coming to peace with the past and learning to let go and live in the present really is the healthy thing we can do. It is the healthiest things for our families, for ourselves, and for our futures. Someone once told me that I would know when I had fully recovered from a painful past when I could actually be “grateful” for it. Now, at the time, I thought that was the craziest … Continue reading →

An Interview With Think Inside The Box Owners (3)

….continued from part one and part two Part three of the interview I conducted with both of them: How do you promote or market your product? Erin and Julie: Ads in scrapbooking and craft magazines, online newsletters, consumer shows, trade shows, and most importantly, word of mouth. Our customers are our best marketing tool. What are some of the funny things that have happened since you launched? Our first letter that we sent to a magazine editor – we agonized over EVERY single word, editing and re-editing for at least 12 hours! Chances are, this 2-page masterpiece wasn’t even read! … Continue reading →