Jen Mann's Blog, page 5

Source: Responsibility.org
Gomer is going into seventh grade in a couple weeks. Seventh. Grade. When did my sweet, cuddly, mild-mannered preschooler get replaced with a perpetually bored, eye-rolling, snarky man-boy?

Last year was his first year of middle school and we talked with him a lot about how that was his year to mess up and figure stuff out on his own. Of course, we'd be there for him if he had something major going on, but he could no longer count on Mommy and Daddy to bring...

A few weeks ago children's book author Tammi Sauer, who is a friend of my sister-in-law, Heidi, commented on Facebook that it was her 22nd wedding anniversary. She posted a picture of the bridal party and as an aside apologized to the bridesmaids for the dresses she made them wear.



Excuse me? A bride should NEVER apologize for the dresses she chose. Because we all know a bride always chooses elegant, timeless gowns that are flattering on all body types and can easily be repurposed for other...

Swim suit season is upon us and so as women we're being inundated with "helpful" articles about how to look our best while wearing the least amount of clothes. We're introduced to miracle suits that lift and suck all the right places. The skirted suit for those days when you're not feeling your lady garden has had enough weeding. The tankini for that woman who says, "Society frowns on women my age wearing a bikini, but damn it, I still look good enough for a two piece. Plus two pieces are...

Today I found Adolpha's Summer To-Do List on my bedside table. We're in Kansas, so school has been out for about three weeks now and she's feeling like we need to get cracking if we're going to get this stuff done! The list never gets done completely, though, because there are always a few random things on there that either can't happen or won't happen (like "buy a dog" or "visit Paris" both of which have been on past lists and have never happened).

Gomer has a playdate today and so I thought...

Photo: Jason MilesIt's the end of the school year and teachers across the country are handing out awards to their students. I actually always hated awards day, because I was a nervous wreck. I was afraid I wouldn't get one. I really wanted "Most Likely to Succeed" but I knew that only the cool kids would get those types of awards. But on the flip side I was also afraid I'd get one of the crap awards like "Most Improved" which we all knew was code for "You're Doing Better, But You're Still a...

It was brought to my attention that my header had been stolen from my blog and was being used on an anti-Trump meme. At first I was like, "Huh, I do hate that guy and I'd love to see him get impeached," but on the other hand I was like, "That really sucks that someone stole my header and is using my property to make a meme." Because do you know what I hate more than Donald Trump? The theft of intellectual property.

This is not an abnormal occurrence. It happens every single day. Memes are...

I don't know if you've noticed, but I've been really quiet lately. I have a good reason, though. It's not like I've been binge-watching Netflix and eating bonbons all day. I've been writing a book when I run out of stuff to watch on Netflix and the bonbons are all gone.

That's right! I wrote a new boooooook! (Said in my best Oprah voice.)

I know a lot of you have been waiting for a new People I Want to Punch in the Throat book and I'm excited to tell you that it's ... STILL ON THE WAY. I'm...

Every woman, "I can't wear that thing, it will ruin my hair!"
Source: Pexels
I've noticed that with the climate right now there is a lot of disaster-preparedness going on. I'm in a bunch of private groups on Facebook where the discussion revolves around what to take when the shit hits the fan (SHTF for the pros out there), either man-made or natural disaster, and you've got to move out quickly.

Since I'm a bit of a worrier (and I have a shopping addiction) I decided that maybe we needed to be...

Photo: whitehouse.gov
Well, the inauguration is over. It finally happened. Some of you are jumping for joy and yelling "Praise the Lord!" Some of you are cowering in your basements, recounting your hoarded canned goods because surely this is Armageddon. But I would bet that a lot of you are like me: nervous, agitated, frustrated, emotional, all rolled into one exhausted ball. I feel like I've been living with a weight on me since November 8th. A weight of "What's going to happen?" Well, now...

Over the years I've come up with a bunch of silly New Year's Resolutions like drink more water or hang up my coat. Well, this year, I've just got one: Don't stay silent.

Now you might think, "Gee, Jen, I didn't know that you stayed silent on much. You're kind of a ranter and you tend to yell a lot. Are there really things you're staying silent on?"

YES. There are. For instance, when I see someone in public behaving badly, I tend to steer myself away from them, I don't want to get involved,...