All grown up! AuCo is a young woman that became a part of our family when she became sadly estranged from hers. After finishing her day at university, we were able to provide her with support, and a place to have dinner, which we did nightly.

She folded into the fabric of our family easily and brilliantly, especially in the kitchen. This girl was marinating and grilling pork chops like I had never seen. Her cooking skills more than matched the foodie cook in me, and it was fun to see what she would put down on a plate. And because it was not mom-food, my kids held a better attitude about trying the new things AuCo offered.

I recently attended a dinner she created at Curaté, a restaurant in Asheville, North Carolina where she was representing the Lee Initiative, which offers opportunities for women chefs from Kentucky. We had a outstanding meal of sustainable foods like grilled radicchio, octopus, and trout. The preparation and creation of these foods ranged from simple to complex, but all were delicious.

Complimentary hot motel breakfast bars offer great people watching during summer vacation. Families show up early, fully dressed for a day of fun; others drift in wearing pajamas, barely making it as the food gets cleared away. Oatmeal, yogurt, apples, hard boiled ...

Lake Fontana is the birthday destination spot I've been taking my oldest girl, Haylee, to for years. We stay in the Smoky Mountains at a sweet spot that offers refurbished cabins and an amazing peaceful atmosphere. We usually bring our favorite foods, take a few hikes, ...

The Royal Wedding was so good, we are still talking about it a week later. Prince Harry and Megan Markel's magical day had so many unique details, I can barely keep up with them all. One immediate question I had was regarding who will make a copy of Meghan's wedding ...

The Apple store in my mall is always packed with people touching keyboards, can somebody get me some sanitizer?? With the consistent closing of storefronts, I'm amazed when I do go to the mall (rarely) and I see people all ages shopping and carrying bags with ...

The cliche spa gift for mom is just that: a regular cliche, and something she should be doing for herself anyway. Hello self-care, I love that you entered into our stream of consciousness! Being mindful and taking care of yourself consistently is the right message, ...

"School bus driver braids hair every morning for a student who lost her mother." This is a bittersweet story to share, but will really reach a woman-centered audience. I choose this story any day because I know my demo will connect with it over a gossipy, evergreen ...

There seems to be an annoying pressure that accompanies Spring Break. You open up your favorite social app, and right there is someone enjoying their break much more than you. It used to be okay to just hang out at home during Spring break; now it has to be called a ...

There's an old Bob Newhart (remember him?) sketch that has him playing a therapist that sits across a desk from a new patient. He tells her he will only need five minutes to fix her problems. As she unravels her mind, he listens carefully for the first minute, asks a ...

Working out with the same group of people forms a unique bond of understanding. There is a shared knowledge, and your goal is similar. When you grow accustomed to seeing the same people punch through the same workout of choice there's an odd sense of comfort and ...