Meredith Loudenback
Being Savvy in the Aesthetic World of Skin Health Procedures
I grew up in the days of Merle Norman pancake full-coverage base makeup. It wasn’t called foundation at that time, and I doubt anything other than full-coverage base makeup existed. The trend in the...
I’ve Been Wearing It Wrong (And I Bet You Are, Too!)
For most of my life, I’ve worn a size 34C bra. Fine. My breasts aren’t spectacular, just regular, but at least I'd finally developed beyond the "carpenter's dream" boys called me in high school...
Rising Up for Our Neighborhood Public Middle School
If you’re like me, I stressed about middle school WAAAAY before I needed to be stressed. Put it this way: I attended Fifth Grade Parent Information nights at our surrounding middle schools as a...
Starting Middle School Doesn’t Have to Suck!
I dreaded it for years. The hormones. The backtalk. The eye rolls. Uncontrolled emotions. His awkwardness. My awkwardness answering certain "questions." Seven class changes with seven different teachers. The increased workload. Bullies. Fights. Heartbreak....
A Holiday Tradition I ‘Gift’ Myself
I promise myself every year that I won’t procrastinate on “all the holiday stuff” next year — the decorating, baking, cooking, gift buying, wrapping, etc. Don’t even get me started on sending family holiday...
Is Being Kind Enough?
A few years ago, one of my son’s friends called me by my first name. He was 8 years old. He walked right over to me and straight-up said, “Meredith,” like he was a...
Charity Spotlight: Children’s Tumor Foundation
They say it is the most common disorder no one has heard about. It causes tumors to grow throughout the body that can lead to deafness, blindness, disfigurement, bone abnormalities, learning disabilities, disabling pain,...
Yes, We Argue In Front of Our Kid
If you’ve come to know me at all, whether it’s personally or because you’ve read some of the posts I’ve written, you know my husband and I practice some old-school methods for rearing our...
Favorite Amazon Finds: Affordable Fashion Is the New Black
Y’all. Shopping for clothes on Amazon has rocked my world!
I started my relationship with Amazon clothing later than most savvy online shoppers, which is standard operating procedure for me. I’m typically late to the...
Why My 11-Year Old Isn’t Getting a Smartphone
Our son is in 5th grade, and we’re in the last chapter of elementary school days. He’ll start middle school this fall, and as parents, we’re heavy into conversations about preparing for “the talk”...
Know Before You Go: ‘Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge’ at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Today’s Walt Disney World is a whole new world. Gone are the days of walking up to a ticket window the day of, purchasing your ticket, skipping through the gates, and enjoying any ride...
I Admit It, I’m a Hypocrite
I’ll be 48 next month, and I kind of like me. Well, most things about me, anyway. One of the things I like is my empathy and compassion for others, although it was a...