What Doesn’t Kill You Has To Make You Stronger

Josephine MacalusoMay 19, 2012 marks a very special 1st anniversary for Josephine (Jo) Macaluso. It’s one she is happy to be alive and well to talk about and celebrate. Over a year ago, a rare medical condition suddenly turned Jo’s world upside down and we are honored that she was willing to share the details of her deeply personal struggle with us. “I think it is important for people to know they are not alone. The only way for this to happen is to share our experiences. Raising awareness is the key.” Here is her incredible story in her own words.
 

My story begins December 16th, 2010 at 2:45 pm. It was the day after my 41st birthday. I was driving and noticed when I looked to my left, my eyes could not focus and every image I was seeing appeared to be splitting. My assumption was that my prescription eye glasses needed a change. Simple, right? Not by a long shot. Continue reading »

Categories: Health | 3 Comments

Lynda Mitchell: Food Allergy Activist and Founder of Kids With Food Allergies

Food AllergyBy Jill Hornig
It takes a special person who can take a personal challenge and turn it into one of the foremost online support communities for families facing similar challenges.  Lynda Mitchell, the founder and president of Kids with Food Allergies Foundation (KFA) is such a person and a Woman You Should Know. Lynda’s life changed in 1990 when her son was born with a life threatening birth defect. After overcoming a stay in the NICU, several surgeries and multiple hospitalizations, her son’s complicated medical challenges were compounded when he developed multiple food allergies. Continue reading »

Categories: Education, Good Causes, Health, Nutrition | 1 Comment

Trend Of Parents Paying For Their Future Grandkids To Be Put On Ice… Gift Or Pressure?

egg freezingThere was an article in this Sunday’s New York Times that led to lots of discussion in our office. Titled “So Eager for Grandchildren, They’re Paying the Egg-Freezing Clinic”, the crux of the piece is about a growing trend of parents lending financial support to their 35+ year old daughters to undergo egg freezing to improve their chances of having children later on, when they are ready to start a family. With the “no guarantees” procedure costing a whopping $8,000 – $18,000 (excluding the future costs of using those frozen eggs for In Vitro Fertilization), we think it’s lovely and generous for parents to want to help their adult daughters in this way. But, if the motivation to help is wrapped in a parent’s personal desire to increase their own chances of being a grandparent, that’s when the line is crossed from care and concern to unnecessary and unfair pressure. Continue reading »

Categories: Finance, Health, Motherhood, The Hood Series | 1 Comment

The World Needs More Pie

Beth Howard, the “Pie Girl” is a writer, pie baker and self-proclaimed pie evangelist. When her husband suddenly passed away, she packed up the RV he left behind, and hit the road. Through her blog, The World Needs More Pie, Beth chronicles her adventures in pie and shares how pie has, and continues to help her heal from the loss of her husband. First learning to make pies when she was 17, after getting caught stealing apples from an orchard of a retired pastry chef, Beth has continued to use pie as a way to find purpose. Continue reading »

Categories: Books, Food & Drinks, Good Causes | 2 Comments

Get Your Buttermilk Biscuit On Today

Homemade Buttermilk BiscuitDid you happen to have a buttermilk biscuit for breakfast this morning? If not, you should have because today, May 14th is National Buttermilk Biscuit Day. YES… even biscuits get their own holiday. And why not, after all? They’re steeped in history (Americans have been enjoying biscuits since the early 1800s when they were discovered to be a delicious alternative to breads made with yeast, which was expensive and hard to store. Source: Hallmark Channel) and they’re flaky, buttery discs of undeniable goodness. So, we’re celebrating this totally random U.S. holiday by sharing a few savory and sweet recipes that take traditional buttermilk biscuits to a whole new level of deliciousness! Continue reading »

Categories: Food & Drinks | 3 Comments

The Mother of All Comedy

Several years ago we heard comedian Amy Borkowsky’s mother’s hysterical answering machine messages and we laughed so hard, the mascara ran down our cheeks. At first we thought it must be a set up, as we couldn’t imagine anyone’s mother being so suffocating, overprotective or that funny, but the unsolicited advice Amy’s mom imparts is done with such genuine sincerity and caring, that the tapes can only be real, if not just incredibly entertaining. Continue reading »

Categories: Comedy, Motherhood | 5 Comments

Book Buzz: Mothers & Daughters

Stack of booksWith Mother’s Day on the mind, the Women You Should Know team started to talk about some of our favorite titles that explore and celebrate the relationship between mothers and daughters.
This first and essential relationship is irrefutably one of the most intense bonds a woman will ever experience, affecting and shaping our lives forever. What we love about these books are that the stories are filled with joy and tragedy, love, self discovery, adversity and all the other stuff that life is made up of. Some of these suggestions have been around a long time, and others are new on the scene, but the common thread remains the same… the mother and daughter relationship is complicated, fiery, deep and intense, but one to learn from and to treasure. Continue reading »

Categories: Books, Motherhood | 3 Comments

Super Mom Ready To Fly Again This Mother’s Day

Erin Mullen with children Carson and ClaireBy Erin Mullen

My six year old and my eight year old know what Mommy asks for each Mother’s Day. “A day to sleep in and have a quiet morning”, is my traditional answer when my kids or husband ask what I want. The previous number of years I have been able to sleep to 8 or maybe even 9 o’clock before they pounce offering breakfast, cards and balloons. 2011 was different.

It was a tough year to say the least. I was challenged with many difficult decisions and situations during the year. Saying goodbye to my beloved father after he battled ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease), leaving a corporate position, coordinating my family’s cross country move, and settling in to a new town had left me a bit frazzled. I really wanted to sleep in… and not just on Mother’s Day. Continue reading »

Categories: Health, Motherhood | 14 Comments

It’s Mothers Day, Every Day

Mother and ChildMother’s Day hasn’t always been about gifts, flowers and candy, and although many of us may think it was created as a marketing ploy by the greeting card industry, days of tribute in honor of mothers, can actually be traced back to the Greeks and ancient Romans. In fact, Mother’s Day in the United States, was established about 150 years ago by woman you should know, Anna Jarvis, an Appalachian homemaker who organized the day to raise awareness of the poor health conditions in her community, which she believed would gain attention with the support of mothers. It was called “Mother’s Work Day”. Over the decades, the original meaning of the holiday has become somewhat lost with over commercialization, but it was with the original spirit of “Mother’s Work Day” that Mothers Day Every Day was founded. Continue reading »

Categories: Education, Good Causes, Health, History, Holiday, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Don’t Sweat The Small Stuff For Moms

In the first new Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff book in nine years, out just in time for Mother’s Day, Woman You Should Know Kristine Carlson shows how moms can live with less stress and more happiness. The dedicated mother to her two daughters and “Nana” to her wonderful grandson packed Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff for Moms with tried-and-true advice that will empower mothers to find greater peace, joy, and harmony within themselves and their homes. Continue reading »

Categories: Books, Motherhood, Self Improvement | 1 Comment