Carrie Saum

So, when your BFF moves into her first real home and her husband has a birthday at basically the same moment, you bake a cake. And not just any cake but a beautiful thing made of the best ingredients. You aim high, confident that you can come through for your BFF and celebrate her family's milestones with four spongy layers filled with thick raspberry preserves and succulent buttercream.

We are in the midst of buying a house.

The fastest way to living without strings is to be up front about expectations and exchanges, even if it's uncomfortable. Like money. Like time. Like emotional sweat equity.

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My grandmother planted these gorgeous Meyer lemon trees

I've been taking some time this summer to focus on self-care.

Am I the only one who gets pumped about using a crockpot during the colder months?

This probably won't come as a surprise, but taking care of yourself is probably going to piss some people off.

Not only was TV working as part of my parenting routine, we also unashamedly used it as a babysitter. Yes, you read that correctly!

I know it feels like you're falling apart. It's the kind that happens when I have overcommitted and then something goes wrong and everything else spirals.