Brandi' Starbuck
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly Truth About Motherhood
When I was pregnant with my first baby - my daughter, Mackenzie - I remember browsing Pinterest boards with the soft muted nurseries and the beautiful flat lays of tutus and bows and the...
5 Easy Ways to Keep Your Sanity INTACT During the Holidays
I'm a mom of two littles and this time of year is always crazy. My daughter's birthday falls literally two weeks before Christmas and I'm always scrambling up to Christmas Eve wrapping presents and...
The Girlfriend’s Guide to Making Girlfriends
We’ve all heard that making mom friends is like dating, right? And we all know how incredibly difficult it is to find friends and keep them (can I get an AMEN?). But how do...
How to Survive the Summer with Toddlers
I am one of those “crazy” women who thought that my husband and I should have our two tiny people within two years of each other. As a result, we now have a 3-year-old...
National Coffee Day :: Deals, Freebies & Favorites
My last name is Starbuck. No, I'm not kidding. When I met the man who I now call my husband and he told me his name, I didn't believe it either. I immediately wondered...
My Hate/Love Relationship with Columbia
I was born and raised in a small town outside of Tampa, Florida. My father was a New York transplant and my mother was a third generation Floridian. I was a stereotypical Florida kid...
Equal Opportunity Parenting :: What Does it Mean to You?
We were at our friends' daughter's birthday party a few weeks ago and I was in the living room chatting with our friends when my husband and a few of the other “dads” were...
When Did Keeping Friends Become so Tough?
I wrote a piece about finding my village in Columbia a few years ago. I love that post as it references a time in my life that I felt truly desperate to find a...
My Reason for the Season … It May Surprise You
We talk a lot about the true reason for the season this time of year, so as to set our sights above the lights, the gifts, and the constant stream of parties.
Depending on who...
Moms are MADE FOR MORE
If you haven’t been introduced to the book, Girl, Wash Your Face, written by Ms. Rachel Hollis, please allow me. I read this book in April of this year at a time when I...
Gearing Up for Tax Free Weekend in Columbia
Many parents mark their calendars for tax free weekend because it's the one time of year businesses - small and large alike - offer great sales ALONG with NO sales tax here in SC....
Pros & Cons :: Working Mom vs. Stay-at-Home Mom
I woke up feeling sad today. The Monday after a vacation is always a difficult day. But my sadness stemmed from knowing that after several days of my husband being home with me and...
When Everything Isn’t OK :: Battling Mental Illness as a Mom
"We're fine."
"We will be fine."
"Everyone's fine."
"I'm fine."
"I will be fine."
These are the things we say to one another when a friend or family member asks how things are going. But...
Breastfeeding :: How is Something so “Natural” so Difficult?
As I rounded the corner of Target this morning I spotted a new mom juggling to quiet what sounded like a newborn baby boy. (You know that precious mousey squeak that absolutely melts all...