To paraphrase Virginia Woolf, everyone needs a room of one's own. If at all possible, we all need spaces that are fully ours, where we can decompress, be creative, and not have to worry about someone barging in and demanding something of us . This is especially true as a new parent. It might not always be possible to have a sanctuary as a new mom, but you can get creative with it. Maybe you take extra long “showers," and when you're family thinks you're shampooing, you're actually knee-deep in…

Everybody wants the perfect proposal photo . You want everyone to be jealous of your picturesque setting, your gorgeous outfit, and the perfect snapshot of the perfect love. On some implicit level, everyone wants that. It's human nature to want those around you to be jealous. But life is far from perfect. It's messy, unpredictable, and often not all that photogenic. That extends to proposals as well. And after all, it's not about that. It's about coming together as a couple in the ultimate prom…

Sounds like a soap opera

Everybody is allowed to have the wedding of their dreams, within reason. It's your day, so you get to do what you want. And if that means having no kids attend, then that's your prerogative. But you can't then be surprised when certain family members decline to attend. If you have a kid-free wedding, you also have to commit to it before you send the invitations out. You can't change your mind last minute. Weddings are expensive, time-consuming affairs for everyone involved, including the guests…

He sounds like a real winner

Poor baby

Allergies are no joke. People who suffer from them know how serious they can be, and take every precaution to keep themselves safe. It's a whole skill you have to develop, not only knowing what foods might secretly contain your allergen but also informing everyone around you how to keep you safe. You have to constantly educate the people around you. And when you're having dinner at someone else's house, you can't be sure what they did or didn't put in the meal. So you develop failsafes, like br…

It's always tough to live with a family member. You most likely did it when you were young and then moved out for a reason. It's so much easier to maintain a healthy relationship when you don't also have to share a bathroom or a kitchen with them. But anyone living in close quarters knows how much your roommates can get under your skin, even when they're not doing anything wrong. You get to witness close-ups of their little habits, quirks, and shortcomings, and they can grind your gears no matt…

Is she a child?

"She got upset and said I was being selfish and punishing her kids for something that wasn’t their fault."

Trust is a slippery thing. You want to trust the people you love , but it takes time. Especially if you've been burned before, it can take a heck of a long time to rebuild your trust in others. Sometimes, this is a bad thing. You close people off from getting to really know you because you're scared that they might hurt you, even if they've given you no reason not to trust them. This is what therapy is good for. But in other cases, it's good not to trust someone. Because you think you might kno…

Every action has an equal and opposite reaction

You're allowed to wear whatever you want at your wedding . It's your wedding, after all. You can wear a green morph suit for all I care. You are not, however, exempt from the opinions of others regarding what you're wearing. Especially family. Weddings are family affairs by nature, or else everyone would simply elope. So when you have a wedding, you're opening up your life and choices to be evaluated by the people in your company. You don't have to care (and probably shouldn't care) what they t…

What did Bridgerton do...

Hallmark movies are awesome . They're hilariously, reliably formulaic. They have stilted acting and even more stilted dialogue. They have names like “The Other Christmas Wife” or “Winter Is For Loving, and Christmas." They're my favorite thing to watch when I'm in a hotel room. Nothing hits like a terrible movie and a room service BLT. My mom and I play a game we invented whenever we watch Hallmark movies together: we pause it 15 minutes in and each take a turn saying what we think is going to…

Everyone is entitled to their weird collecting habit, within reason. Some people collect stamps. Some collect Beanie Babies. Some folks collect Garfield memorabilia. Some collect fingernail clippings. Whatever your strange collection is, you're allowed to indulge, as long as (and this is the kicker) it doesn't interfere with anyone's happiness. If you're cohabitating with someone, you have to make sure your stuff is confined to your space. Nobody wants to live with someone whose apartment is li…