“Mom, that smells so bad,” my teenage son says to me pointing at the table.
I look down — (and no, it’s not my cooking, but I do burn a lot of stuff) —, to my nail polish.
All the colors are out and uncapped — yellow, blue, pink, green and purple.
Lately, I have been experimenting with my nails. For years, I didn’t wear any colors, or if I did it would only be on my toes. I just didn’t have time to paint and let them dry before they chipped. However, recently, I was inspired to paint them. I guess living in a house, which sports —hockey, baseball and we just added basketball —dominate our media and outdoor play, I wanted to insert a little bit of mom (me) in the mix.
While I’m the only one who cares about what I do with my nails, it makes me happy to look at them, and I feel slightly less stressed for a moment.
It’s the end of August, and that means the lounge days of the summer are almost over. We’re headed back into our cars for drop-off, pick-up, after school activities, parent-teacher meetings, and then at-home homework and go-to-sleep battles.
So, as we think about what’s coming next, preparing for our back-to-school routine doesn’t always have to be about the kids — splurge on a new water bottle or key chain with an inspirational saying or image you love, or if you don’t have the cash, recycle an old purse to put in your rotation, change your lock screen photo to something that makes you happy. Start the year off right, not just for the kids, but for you, too.
In our August issue, we cover plenty of education topics to kick-off the season, including our Fall Education Guides — each month through November, we cover a specific school level, preschool in August, elementary in September, middle school in October, and high school in November. Also, check out the digital issues on NortheastOhioParent.com, which will be filled with education extras.
For those just starting out in parenthood or having their second or third and beyond child, we provide info on making room for babies. The recent formula shortage has everyone thinking differently on how to feed their infants. We cover breastfeeding and why it could be an option.
For Northeast Ohio Parent, we are celebrating our 100th issue! It’s been an amazing experience as editor to see families and the stories they’ve shared on our pages over the years. I’m excited to bring you up-to-date on some past Cover Kids and stories that we loved.
As I’m typing this note, I can’t help to glance at the colors of my not-so-perfect nail polish. Like the colors of my nails, it makes me happy to provide you with resources for whatever parent stage you’re in — so in the next 100 issues, feel free to reach out and share your ideas and stories with us!
Please feel free to email at [email protected], we would love to hear from you!