Dashanna Hanlon
Breaking Up With Birth Control and Learning to Love My Entire Cycle
Until recently, I had never imagined a life without continuous birth control. When I started birth control, I was 19 and in college. My doctor prescribed it and told me the pill was the...
Approaching the Seven-Year Itch :: Putting Our Marriage Front And Center
While I don't consider getting married an accomplishment, I have come to consider staying married an accomplishment. Choosing to stay in a relationship and love someone through years of change is pretty incredible. We...
The Real Post-Holiday Must Haves for Toddler Moms
We all know to stock up on batteries of various sizes and to buy an extra roll of tape before the holidays. But this is not all a toddler mom needs in her post-holiday...
Holiday Gatherings With Your Newborn :: 6 Tips for Less Stress
Introducing the newest member of your family to the outside world was daunting before the pandemic. Now, at a time when gatherings require more prep than ever, many parents are wondering how to include...
Struggling in Gentle Parenting and Attempting It Anyway
For me, gentle parenting feels like a lot of negotiating with irrational toddlers. And honestly, I find it hard.
What parent doesn't want to be gentle? I want my child to be eased into personhood,...
Start ‘Em Young :: Getting the Boys Involved on Chore Days
I am the kind of mom who can’t think straight if the house is too disorganized. I live by the mantra, "A place for everything, and everything in its place." As much as I’ve...
I Didn’t Think I Could Bake, and Then I Got Allergies
I have always been a self-proclaimed non-baker. The only thing my mom has ever baked from scratch is sweet potato pie — this is reserved for holidays and is absolutely delicious! My grandma will...
Fathers Are Born, Too :: Celebrating Father’s Day
This year you may have a special someone in your life celebrating his first official Father’s Day. If so, you should ask him about the day he became a father. As a doula, I...
5 Unique Ways to Help A New Mom
Spring is always a reminder of new life! And as a mom, new life reminds me of babies and new parents. There will be quite a few new moms in my life this year,...
Foregoing Mom Guilt Even When I Choose Myself First
When my friends tell me they feel guilty when they're working or they worry they don't "do enough" as a stay-at-home mom, I tell them I understand. But in truth, I do not feel...
Celebrating Valentine’s Day for the First Time
Truthfully, this title is a little misleading.
My husband has always made an effort to get me flowers or my favorite candy for Valentine’s Day. But my birthday is the week just before Valentine’s Day,...
How to Survive the Pandemic: Winter Edition
Unless you’re our family dog, you’re probably not embracing the winter of 2020/2021. As COVID cases continue to rise in various cities across the U.S. and now Massachusetts, we wonder how much longer our...