Relationships

Hi all, I've experienced a grand scale of emotions, events, and dilemmas as a parent of six children, especially now that three of them are teens still at home, and one of them is only 2.5 years old. Yes, you could say my life is interesting, crazy, and even a little stressful. One of the strangest things is having to think about all the different things that they each of them need, like my two teen girls will likely need prom dresses here soon; my 13-year-old son needs baseball garb; and my youngest is itching for one of the outdoor playsets that make home...well, more like the park. That's a lot to think about and plan for, even for the most experienced of moms.

Today, I want to bring you a special article by a Women's Life Link friend, Dr. Bonnie Eaker Weil. Dr. Bonnie is considered one of the top relationship experts in the world. Her list of accomplishments include authoring six books, speaking, coaching, and mentoring countless couples to achieve happy, fulfilling relationships.

Just to let you know, I've lacked in the inspiration department lately...as if you couldn't tell. I realized that it's not that I don't have anything to write about, but it's that I have too much to write about. Am I making any sense at all? If not, click out, do your search, and go visit one of those "other" blogs.

I was reminded today about how lucky I was that my two oldest children (now adults) were not high-strung, rebellious, down-right nasty, or any of those negative personas that make any woman reconsider her motherly throne. But that was like a million years ago.

As one of the most sacred of spaces, the bedroom has the potential to bring peace and serenity or ill-health and distress. I'm only scratching the surface of how important it is to have balance in this area. Focus on the actual sleeping space of the room first. How does it make you feel?

You know how they say you thrive in the areas of your life on which you focus most of your attention? I was thinking about how much energy we moms put into the lives of our children.

As far as me, I'm thankful for all of the incredible opportunities that have flown through my door as of late. Desires that I had months and even years ago are coming to pass right before my eyes.

As parents, we often worry about our choices that concern our children, what form of discipline to use, how to tell them about sex, how much independence to give. It's a never-ending challenge to balance the good with the bad. Though all of these things and much more are important, I find myself thinking about something completely different...

We have plenty of excuses for Tiger Woods' sexual mis-steps: “Powerful men have a higher sex drive,” says one expert; “Men are just wired that way,” says another. “If women don’t want their men to stray, they need to turn up the passion in the bedroom.” And I say – Pleeeeze!

Have you ever just wanted to take a break from the man in your life? Picture it - a whole day (or year) without him. Men-on-pause...

"Are you like your mother?"was bold and loud in my mind as I opened my eyes. For some of you that inquiry might provoke some angry feelings or at least a nonchalant eye roll. A few of you might be beaming with pride to know that, yes, you are just like your mother. But, for most, you are like me, knowing that you have carried on some of mom's negative traits as well as some good ones.

For some making friends (and keeping them) comes easily, and for others it seems to be a daunting chore that never seems to happen. Today, I was thinking about all of the people in my life whom I consider to be my friends, how we met, and how we continue to grow (or not) in our relationships. Have I been a good friend? Yes and no...nobody is perfect.

Recently, I posted a couple of articles on women's sexual health - not a complete series by any means. So, I thought it a good idea to throw a couple more points out there on the subject. It doesn't get much more girlie than talking about vaginas. The following article is a guest post by Vanessa Scott, a former vaginal surgery consultant who knows her stuff. We'll just call her the Vagina Expert, for now.

I woke up this morning with an epiphany about relationships. Well, I guess it wasn't really anything new to me, just a reminder of something that I discovered years ago. I've been having a little trouble finding common ground with one of my children lately. So much so that it's concerning. The answer came to me as I lay there thinking about getting out of bed. "You are not giving her love in the way she receives it," my inner voice chimed.

Are you wife of.., and mum of…, and are you spending your days in jeans and t-shirt behind the computer at home? Can you pass a construction site without anyone eying you or commenting on you anymore? Do you find your make up dried out in the back of a drawer? Then it is time to get your sexy back.