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• Work-Life Balance

Extreme Makeover (Minus the Big Reveal)
March 12, 2010 4:24 PM by Pam Tarapchak

I blame it on the horrible snow and winter winds we've endured in the East over the past 2 months. Perhaps it's been the endless hours we've all spent in the house trapped by drifts and surrounded by the same walls and furniture day after closed-school Read More...

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Spit Happens
March 1, 2010 4:19 PM by Pam Tarapchak

True confession: I was not on prenatal vitamins prior to when my daughter was conceived. At the time, it didn't seem like a big deal. Within hours of confirming my pregnancy at home, I called the doctor and then picked up my NataChews at the pharmacy. Read More...

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Love Is in the Air
February 13, 2010 7:19 PM by Pam Tarapchak

A pink heart sticks to my kitchen window, which divides a nice warm house with more than two feet of snow on our deck. It's February, just a few days after the blizzard of 2010, and tomorrow is Valentine's Day. In our house, this holiday includes cartoon Read More...

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Childhood Lessons on Haiti
January 22, 2010 2:36 PM by Pam Tarapchak

My children don't watch a lot of TV, so I didn't give much thought as to whether they would see any news coverage of the earthquake in Haiti. In fact, I didn't even consider whether they would be upset by such an event. We live in a tiny town thousands Read More...

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It's a Good Thing?
December 20, 2009 10:20 PM by Pam Tarapchak

As if the holidays don't generate enough anxiety and high expectations, this year, I decided to venture into the realm of Martha Stewart activities - you know, things like 20 festive decorating ideas, handcrafted gifts for everyone and 13 beautiful ways Read More...

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Fallen for Facebook
November 12, 2009 7:17 PM by Pam Tarapchak

I have a confession: I love Facebook, a love some might call obsession. I created my profile for work, making it sound significant and worthy of my time. Look at me - I'm a Facebook administrator, I'm really cool. But, this whole social networking trend Read More...

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It’s in the Bag
October 2, 2009 6:07 PM by Pam Tarapchak

Most women have an extra appendage that is as natural to them as an arm or leg - their purse. And while there is such a phenomenon as a man-purse (or man-bag), women generally have a closer bond to this must-have handbag. We change it with the seasons, Read More...

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The Beauty of Fate
September 25, 2009 2:55 PM by Pam Tarapchak

On the day my daughter Ava was born, my journey as a parent of a child with special needs began, as did my insight into such an excursion. Early on, I had accepted her diagnosis of spina bifida, but knew nothing of the realities. It certainly is not something Read More...

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Intersections in Life
September 3, 2009 11:34 AM by Pam Tarapchak

They met in the parking lot of an unassuming Chinese buffet restaurant. My 4-year-old daughter, Ava, and I were strolling to the eatery when she exclaimed, "a baby!" Her obsession with babies come in all forms: real, dolls, anything baby is on her radar Read More...

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The Summer Tour
July 24, 2009 3:26 PM by Pam Tarapchak

Everyone remembers summer moments from their childhood. Playing kickball in the front yard well after the time when dusk gives way to dark. Sitting along main street in a tiny town watching the local band march by in an all-too short parade. Traveling Read More...

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Forty Funk
June 3, 2009 1:12 PM by Pam Tarapchak

June 6, 2009. It's the day I've been brewing over and sulking about for some time now. It's my birthday - but not just any birthday; it's the 40th one. I certainly haven't been acting like an adult about it, more like a 5-year-old, whining to everyone Read More...

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I Confess
April 9, 2009 10:44 PM by Pam Tarapchak

Guilt is a bag of rocks you begin carrying on your back when you enter motherhood. From the moment you hear the first cry in the delivery room, it's there - forever. It's a secretive emotion that makes mothers wrestle between being the proverbial perfect Read More...

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Being a Teen With Autism
March 2, 2009 5:08 PM by Pam Tarapchak

As parents of a 14-year-old girl with Asperger's syndrome, a high-functioning form of autism, we've begun to realize puberty gives a unique twist on a developmental disorder. Not only do teens experience physical and hormonal changes, but they are thrust Read More...

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