Gila Pfeffer breast cancer, Hallmark holiday, humor, Mother's Day, motherhood, motherless daughter, resilience

Mother’s Day? None For Me, Thanks

This year marks the twentieth Mother’s Day since I became a mother. My parenthood has gone through as many iterations as my kids have. Ever-evolving over two decades, shape shifting in tandem with the needs of my brood of four as they shed each stage of childhood and move on to the next. They are … Continue reading Mother’s Day? None For Me, Thanks

Gila Pfeffer coronavirus, germaphobes, gratitude, home goods, humor, mom humor, reopening, retail therapy

I Went to Home Goods and Learned that Retail Therapy is Not About Buying Things

Last February, when we still took things like air travel and shopping for granted,  I wrote a blog post about how validating it was for me, a lifelong germaphobe who refused to touch subway poles, taxi door handles and elevator buttons, to watch the whole world start to adopt hygiene habits that I’d practiced for years. … Continue reading I Went to Home Goods and Learned that Retail Therapy is Not About Buying Things

Gila Pfeffer breast cancer prevention, breast cancer survivor, gratitude, health issues, humor, major life changes, major milestones, mastectomy, mom humor, motherhood, unexpected, women health, women's issues

Having Knee Surgery Didn’t Scare Me; Here’s Why

Yesterday I had surgery to repair a torn meniscus, which is a cartilage in the back of the knee. The photo above is me back in my hospital room after the successful procedure, doped up on enough morphine to kill a small horse. I have a very high pain threshold which is both a blessing … Continue reading Having Knee Surgery Didn’t Scare Me; Here’s Why

Gila Pfeffer breast cancer prevention, breast cancer survivor, child nutrition, humor, mom blogger, mom humor, moms of teens, motherhood, parent challenges, parenting, raising kids, raising teens

The Year in Review from The Mom Who Knew Too Much

Dear Reader,  Happy New Year! By now I’m guessing you’ve all had your fill of corny “2020” jokes, so I’d like to take this opportunity to recap the central issues this blog has addressed since its inception nearly 2 years ago.   You’ll also be getting an update on the progress (and regression) I’ve seen in my … Continue reading The Year in Review from The Mom Who Knew Too Much

Gila Pfeffer breast cancer, expats, gratitude, major life changes, major milestones, marriage, mastectomy, raising kids, thanksgiving, tradition, unexpected

The Worst Thanksgiving Ever

As a Jewish kid growing up in Staten Island, my favorite thing about Thanksgiving was the no-strings-attached days off from school. Most of our "no school" days were in observance of Jewish festivals such as Rosh Hashana or Pesach, but those days were holy and, as on Shabbat, we didn't drive, use electricity or talk … Continue reading The Worst Thanksgiving Ever