Susan Schade

I am no SuperMom. It is 6 a.m. and I am just getting out of bed. On a Wednesday morning, this means that I am late. After my husband gently rubs my arm twice, I toss the soft blankets to the ...

It has been more than a year since our family lost our beloved cat of eleven years to a sudden heart attack. He was such an important member of our family. Our boys continue to talk about ...

No one can really prepare you for what it will be like when you become a parent. There are plenty of books to give you information on what to do when you are a parent. But it would be near to ...

After two glorious years of adoring my pink Samsung slide phone, it was time for me to upgrade and pick out something new. I tend to be resistant to change when it comes to things that I am ...

After having three children, our family is just the size that we want, so we are faced with the decision of what birth control method to use going forward. When I was younger, I was always on ...

My kids have always been prone to ear infections. Two of my three sons had tubes put in their ears as infants. For me the signs are unmistakable. Usually there is a slight fever, constant ...

I won’t pretend that I have never thought about it. As I gaze at the mirror, I can find plenty of things about my body that I wouldn’t mind changing. I would love to have my flat, pre-child ...

When we were expecting our first child, my husband and I made it a weekend habit to frequent baby stores. I could spend hours at a time at Babies R Us, and did. Who could blame me? They had ...

It's an occupational hazard. Every parent will experience being hurt by their child at least a few in their lifetime, and can usually remember them in detail. The following is my experience ...

I am thankful every day for the opportunity to be a mother. Being a parent of three wonderful boys is re-teaching me the things that I forgot when I became an adult. To laugh out loud when ...

Remember the “Sex In The City” episode when Carrie rushes to the hospital to meet a pregnant Miranda straight from a date with Mr. Big? Of course she is wearing very fancy and very expensive ...

Stealing is wrong. We know it. We teach it to our kids. Do you feel that reporting the act of stealing is a moral obligation? Picture this situation: You are in a grocery store with ...

Our youngest son is 4 years old. He is returning for his second year at the preschool that all our boys have attended. Even when he didn’t have classes, he got in the routine of being there ...

My son came home from school the other day with his backpack stuffed full of books and papers. As I sifted through his homework, worksheets, and notes from his teachers, I came across a paper ...

It was 2 a.m. when I realized that my oldest son was standing over my bed. I woke up with a jolt as my mind pieced together the words that were coming out of his mouth. I heard, “fell out of ...

As the freedom of summer comes to an end and kids prepare for “back to school”, many families will take advantage of these last few weeks to get away on a family trip. When you are a parent, ...

There are people in our lives that we rely on and believe will always be there for us. It is not always just family or close friends whose departure affect us. Have you ever had a favorite ...

My husband and I have always considered swimming lessons necessary for our children. Our boys are now ages nine, seven and four, and they LOVE to go to swimming lessons. Our four-year-old ...

Let’s Talk About Sex. In the 90s, that was a famous song by Salt and Pepa. We are always told that sex sells. E L James has managed to use it to draw interest in the “Fifty Shades of Grey” ...

When I first started college, it was a time before there was a Starbucks on every corner. My Mom never drank coffee so it wasn’t ever at my house. As I grew more dependent on studying for ...

I usually skim the news headlines. Occasionally, I will stop to read a full story. Sometimes what I read will bring tears to my eyes. This morning, I saw a story that prompted that reaction. ...

I have been lucky enough to have taken some great trips at all different times of the year but when I think of summer, it tends to go together with vacations. A vacation is a break. A time ...

There is never a good time to be sick, especially when you are a parent. But the pressure really begins to build when you have just spent more that a week nursing your kids back to good ...

I had lots of things planned for my kids over summer break. Getting sick was not one of them. It is hard enough to see your child feeling miserable, but it is an even bigger challenge when ...

Scent can trigger memories in a powerful way. It can bring you back to times in the past. It can extend feelings of peace and happiness. Sometimes scents can you remind you of bad memories ...

Is it better to shop alone? Typically, I would say no. I welcome the advice, suggestion and opinion of friends when I pick out clothes or decorating items for my home. I have on too many ...

When I moved to Arizona nearly 13 years ago, I started a new adventure. I was in love with a handsome guy and we wanted to start a life together. He lived in Arizona so I packed up my belongings ...

Everyone has a fear of something. Sometimes a fear can be so extreme that it causes physical reactions. Can you conquer a fear as well as the way your body reacts when faced with it? I have ...

When you carry a child, you are very aware of the person that grows inside of you. You welcome every kick, every hiccup, and every movement that reminds you that a miracle has been created. ...

Each year, I look forward to summer when my kids are out of school. I love the lack of schedule and the freedom to do anything that we want. I love that we can build Legos for hours or eat ...

Articles of clothing have been a source of embarrassment long before Janet Jackson performed at the Superbowl, but her memorable appearance made “wardrobe malfunction” a common term. As if we ...

It’s not easy to carve out time to exercise. Not for anyone that I know. People have to make choices and prioritize what is important to them. And people tend to make the time to do the ...

How would I describe an eye twitch? My vision is usually not affected but I can feel a sensation running along my eyelash line. It causes my eyelid to move sideways every couple of seconds. ...

It’s that time of the year again. The time of the year when the news segments are darkened with the sad reports of deaths of children caused by accidental drowning. The summers are hot, the ...

One afternoon, my friend found herself in between school drop off and bus pick up. She was kid-free and near the mall. With a purse on her shoulder and a grin on her face, she decided to go ...

It was a typical day. I had already dropped all three boys off at school and decided to treat myself to a latte and some retail pleasure. I wasn’t even shopping really. Just browsing ...

My first time I was clueless as to what to expect as I welcomed my son into the world. I did what I could. I read books and took birthing classes, in an attempt to prepare myself. But in ...

Pregnancy Brain. It that a technical term? It seemed like the movie “Groundhog Day” a lot at my house when I was pregnant. I would stop what I was doing and waddle with my baby bump leading ...

I was enjoying some kid-free time with a friend the other day. We had an uninterrupted conversation over coffee and bagels and moved on to an even bigger treat, shopping. We walked happy and ...

In a time when email and text messages are far more common on a daily basis than phone calls, are people really getting across what they want to say? I have to admit that I was a late bloomer ...

A few days ago, I received a text from a friend of mine asking me if I remembered an old friend’s maiden name. I sent back the information and she replied that she had just seen our friend’s ...

Last night I was reading through articles on EmpowHer.com and I found a title that caught my eye --

When I was younger, I spent much more time putting on make-up than removing it. But as I grow older, I appreciate the look of fresh, glowing skin and I realize that the best thing that I can do ...

Do you ever have dreams where you are reunited with loved ones that have passed away? I have these on occasion and I usually wake up emotional, sometimes even with my face wet with tears. ...

My eyes are heavy and I can feel myself almost drifting off to sleep. The lights are dim inside a room that is filled with smells of aromatherapy and relaxation. I am lying down comfortably ...

When we brought our first son home from the hospital, we thought he was adorable. Those tiny little features, soft baby coos and peaceful, sweet face. That was while he slept. He was pretty ...

It was several years ago that I first did this. I was interested in losing some weight, shaping up, the usual. But I was most interested in seeing what I was putting into my body without really ...