Ali Solino

Three Glitter Hearts :: Christmas Traditions Don't Have To Be Rigid "Mommy! It's a glitter heart!" My three year old precariously hangs his third heart-shaped ornament on a single Christmas tree branch. "Three, like me!"...

The First Gray I was 19 when I found my first gray hair. I was driving in my car, and glanced in the mirror at a stoplight. I nearly wrecked. Since I have hair that's...

I just knew I was pregnant. We got home from Trunk-or-Treating with our toddler and I took a test. The line popped up quickly: faint, but it was there. A few days went by...

What a shock. When the final field goal made it through the uprights to end the game, you could hear a pin drop. In the hall where I watched the game, in an audience of...

Yup. Nothing. Most of the time when people think of someone creating a resolution for the new year, it involves a positive change. Many people set resolutions in order to add value to their life...

When we were planning our honeymoon, my husband and I knew we wanted to go out of the country. With wedding expenses and a new house to pay for, however, we were strapped for...

I'm sorry, but I just can't be a room mom. It began in August. Within the first three weeks of school, I had already been solicited for multiple volunteer opportunities. School fair tent volunteering, teacher...

We all know of the eternal Holiday power struggle between Christmas and Halloween. November is a sort of no man’s land where Christmas enthusiasts are chomping at the bit to put out their decorations,...

Bachelor (of Arts) Party I graduated from Loyola in 2010 and I absolutely loved it. I had the full college experience. I made lifelong friends. I spent my fair share of nights at F&Ms and...

A Prudent Student I’m finally done my first clinical semester of nursing school. Anyone who knew me during high school or college knows that I am high strung when it comes to doing well in...

Small Talk It was the beginning of April, and my husband and I brought our son to a playground within our neighborhood park. My husband chased our toddler around the play equipment while I sat...

Wake-up Call “Hey. I have someone who wants to talk to you." It was 7:20 in the morning when my husband called me to say my son woke up in a bad mood because I wasn’t...

Guys, my grocery bill is getting out of control. With a toddler that is constantly snacking (but always refusing the meals I cook him), I need to keep my pantry stocked with an arsenal...

Unwelcome Advice My entire life I've been hearing "Just wait." "Oh, you think you have a lot of homework in third grade? Just wait until fourth." "Did you say that prepping for the SAT is stressful? Just...