I Brake for Moms

DONT USE THIS IN PRINT OR ONLINE EXCEPT AS TSR

Stop bugging high school seniors with questions about college

Give high school seniors who are stressed to the max a break — find something else to talk about.

 

A snapping sound in her calf muscle sent her to urgent care. What happened next, involved a lot of sitting. (Jennifer Bardsley)

This injury changed me from a ‘human-doing’ to a ‘human-being’

A painful torn calf muscle doesn’t require surgery — just a LOT of rest. So pass the Advil and the TV remote.

 

Caption: Does your car have an OK button? Trips through the carwash aren’t usually terrifying unless you’re driving a Hyundai IONIQ-5.

Her EV is fun to drive, but a real problem at the car wash

“Never again,” she vows after a white-knuckle trip through the Brown Bear tunnel. Then she remembers she bought a year’s worth of car washes.

 

Step-by-step tips for organizing your home in the new year. (Jennifer Bardsley)

Tackling home organization one step at a time

Got 10 minutes? Spend it cleaning a corner of the kitchen. You can get a lot done in that short period.

Step-by-step tips for organizing your home in the new year. (Jennifer Bardsley)
Graduating students hands throwing graduation caps in the air.

High school seniors, get set to be linked with 2023 forever

Some day, you’ll be mocked like you make fun of people who graduated in, say, 1996.

Graduating students hands throwing graduation caps in the air.
Caption: Waking your parents up at 4 am is only the beginning. Here are some never-fail ideas for making a Christmas you hate to remember.

Ten Ways to ruin Christmas: a DIY tutorial

No surprise, forgetting to water the Christmas tree is on the list.

Caption: Waking your parents up at 4 am is only the beginning. Here are some never-fail ideas for making a Christmas you hate to remember.
Could your Facebook page be earning money? Find out how our columnist made almost $7,000 this year by syncing her Facebook page to the Meta for Creators program.

Facebook is paying her to post about herself

Unlike the top TikTok content creators, local author Jennifer Bardsley isn’t getting rich. But it’s nice to be paid nearly $7,000 this year for doing what she’s done for years.

Could your Facebook page be earning money? Find out how our columnist made almost $7,000 this year by syncing her Facebook page to the Meta for Creators program.
Caption: What to serve for Christmas dinner? Here are three entrees that fit a variety of budgets.

Memorable holiday dinners require showstoppers and toilet plungers

This Christmas home cook has progressed from pot pies to round steak to prime rib.

Caption: What to serve for Christmas dinner? Here are three entrees that fit a variety of budgets.
Caption: The eternal fragrance of bath products triggers memories from long ago. (Jennifer Bardsley)

Bath product fragrances are full of memories

A Costco-size bottle of Neutrogena Rainbath takes the author back to the carefree days of seventh grade

Caption: The eternal fragrance of bath products triggers memories from long ago. (Jennifer Bardsley)
Caption: If you can get past the itchiness factor, wool garments warm you up and last a lifetime. (Jennifer Bardsley)

In praise of wool, the fiber that saved this California girl

It may itch, but you can’t beat a wool sweater for warmth. And it’ll last a lifetime.

Caption: If you can get past the itchiness factor, wool garments warm you up and last a lifetime. (Jennifer Bardsley)
Caption: Curbside delivery at Kindred Kitchen in Everett made cooking dinner a whole lot easier. (Jennifer Bardsley)

A quick trip to Everett helps put dinner on the table

Kindred Kitchen on Broadway offers delicious, affordable meal kits — supporting a local humanitarian cause.

Caption: Curbside delivery at Kindred Kitchen in Everett made cooking dinner a whole lot easier. (Jennifer Bardsley)
Caption: Medical-grade LED therapy lights add a unique experience to this brand new yoga studio in downtown Everett. (Jennifer Bardsley)

I’ve never practiced yoga like this before

A session at a downtown Everett yoga studio recharges my batteries after a difficult start to fall.

Caption: Medical-grade LED therapy lights add a unique experience to this brand new yoga studio in downtown Everett. (Jennifer Bardsley)
Caption: Downtown Everett has lots to offer pedestrians, including a wide variety of coffee houses. (Jennifer Bardsley)

Coffee in downtown Everett is the cure for a cloudy day

You could do a pub crawl there — and drive home safely, if a bit jittery.

Caption: Downtown Everett has lots to offer pedestrians, including a wide variety of coffee houses. (Jennifer Bardsley)
It meant staying up way past this mom's bedtime, but taking her daughter to an Alex G concert at The Showbox in Seattle was worth it. (Jennifer Bardsley)

Middle-aged mom braves a school-night concert

Jennifer Bardsley accompanies her daughter and a friend to an Alex G concert in downtown Seattle. What could go wrong?

It meant staying up way past this mom's bedtime, but taking her daughter to an Alex G concert at The Showbox in Seattle was worth it. (Jennifer Bardsley)
Caption: Step right up and perform your civic duty. Jury service in Snohomish County is an experience to remember. (Jennifer Bardsley)

Jury duty offers inside look at the criminal justice system

Sure, it’s a pain in the neck. But much, much more than that, it’s a vital piece of American democracy.

Caption: Step right up and perform your civic duty. Jury service in Snohomish County is an experience to remember. (Jennifer Bardsley)
Caption: One of the first things you learn as a parent is that your child has their own plans for what their room should look like. (Jenny Bardsley)

No matter what you do, your child will redecorate their room

From toddlers to teenagers, kids invariably put their personal stamp on their spaces.

Caption: One of the first things you learn as a parent is that your child has their own plans for what their room should look like. (Jenny Bardsley)
Caption: It took a Mother’s Day gift to Washhpodd and 10 hours of labor to bring her car back to pre-kid condition.

The trusty Mom-mobile deserves a fresh start

Hard work by the crew at the auto detailer makes her a rarity: a mom with a clean car.

Caption: It took a Mother’s Day gift to Washhpodd and 10 hours of labor to bring her car back to pre-kid condition.
Break out of a cooking rut but thematically planning your menu according to cuisine. (Jennifer Bardsley)

Eat around the world from the comfort of your home

Trying recipes from different cuisines breaks the author out of a home-cooking rut.

Break out of a cooking rut but thematically planning your menu according to cuisine. (Jennifer Bardsley)
Caption: Food delivery services offer tempting—but pricey—answers to that age-old question: “What’s for dinner?” (Picture of a Hungryroot box.)

6 meal delivery services that offer convenience for a price

When something throws your daily routine out of whack, meal kits can be a godsend.

Caption: Food delivery services offer tempting—but pricey—answers to that age-old question: “What’s for dinner?” (Picture of a Hungryroot box.)
Grandpa’s vintage sweaters are high fashion in 7th grade. (Jennifer Bardsley)

Middle-school fashion sense makes Mom scratch her head

Ragged jeans and grandpa sweaters — the baggie the better — are what The Kids Today are wearing.

Grandpa’s vintage sweaters are high fashion in 7th grade. (Jennifer Bardsley)