I announced this on my personal Facebook page and decided to share this great news here.

Lauren has decided on the next chapter of her life after high school. 

She will follow the family's footsteps in the beauty industry to become an esthetician. She will attend one of the top beauty schools, Paul Mitchell, The School of Esani in Roswell, Georgia!

I'd been holding onto this news until her current high school made the announcement.

She gets asked what made her decide to be an esthetician?

And she always says it's because of our mother and daughter's monthly facial dates at our MedSpa. She loves getting facials and how they help improve her skin and confidence.

If you've been following me for a while, you know that I speak about my skincare journey regularly and share how much I love getting Hydrafacials.

I wasn't taking this skincare journey alone; Lauren went along from the beginning in 2021. Her favorite treatments are microdermabrasion and light peels.

Lauren is passionate about improving skin health and appearance and would love to help others achieve their skincare goals.

She hopes to someday open her own MedSpa. But first, she must go to school and pass the state board exams, and Paul Mitchell would help her get the necessary education, prepare her to ace the test, and kick-start her career.

We toured Paul Mitchell a couple of times, but on the first tour, we knew that it would be the best school for her.

I love the diversity of the students and how they all seemed happy to be there. I can tell that Lauren will meet life-long friends there.

So, what is all Lauren will learn at Paul Mitchell?

Lauren will learn hands-on techniques and theory in various skincare procedures, including hair removal, waxing, brow design, makeup, facials, facial massage, facial machines, and skin therapy. She will also learn about Hydrafacials!

To complete the school program, Lauren must do 1000 hours, so if she sticks with it full-time, she can be done within a year!

You all just don't know how proud I am of Lauren!

I can't wait until she starts giving me facials, and I'll be her first client and the one she'll practice on. 

Thanks to her, she'll help me better understand skincare and learn more about which products on the market are the best to use. This will significantly help me as I share my experience with different skincare products.

And hey, you never know; you may even see her skincare products in stores, just like her dad's haircare line is in stores now.

I admire how children see their parents as role models and are influenced by them throughout their lives. Similar to how I looked up to my dad, who had a passion for cars, I also share the same interest. 

My dad worked as a regional manager for Enterprise and Avis rental car companies when I was a young child, often driving new cars home. 

He would ask me my opinion on which cars he should drive next, and I loved being in the passenger seat of all these new cars he would bring home, and his love for cars passed down to me.

I know I haven't reviewed new cars lately because I've been enjoying the new Highlander I recently bought, but I'll get back to it soon. It doesn't feel the same without being in the most incredible new vehicles.

Also, I'll share how it goes for Lauren at Paul Mitchell. And if you're in the area, she would love to give you facials once she can take on clients!

There is that moment when you walk out of the hospital with your newborn in a car seat and you think — why are they letting me do this? How can this be legal? As crazy as that milestone felt for me, it felt equally surreal to drop that same child at an apartment building, at age 18, to begin a new life apart from me. 

My husband and I didn’t cry on the way home. We were struck dumb. Our younger son was still in his room, hiding under a blanket and heartbroken that he lost his only sibling to the “real world.” Just as there are few words that can express the sea change that parenthood brings, it’s hard to talk about the seismic shift that occurs anytime a kid leaves home and the headcount in your house goes down one. 

That was our first goodbye. Now both kids have left. We have the proverbial empty nest. It is brutal, and fantastic, just like their babyhood. In trying to process my emotions, I re-listened to Kelly Corrigan on an episode of her podcast Kelly Corrigan Wonders called “Getting Real About the Empty Nest.” Corrigan is a breast-cancer survivor who wrote the New York Times bestselling memoir The Middle Place and hosts the PBS interview show Tell Me More. Her painful day dropping her youngest child mirrored mine in many ways. But I also understand how happy she is to now have a lighter mental load. What kids eat and whether their clothes are clean are not a parent’s problem once kids leave home.

Corrigan also wrote a brilliant New York Times essay called How to Let Go of Your Irreplaceable, Unstoppable Daughter about seeing an adult child off into the world, and I could relate to the essay, too. Like Corrigan and her husband, our youngest had pandemic high school years. We had too much together time. When he got into his dream school, and made friends and even a girlfriend over the college Discord channel, everything worked out perfectly. I was thrilled for him. So why did it still sting to hug him, choke out, ““I am so proud of you,” then turn and walk away?

“Today is the end of it,” Corrigan remembers thinking, explaining on the podcast the “total nervous breakdown” she had before moving her youngest into a dorm. In her essay she says that she later had this epiphany: She’s not yours. And the truth is, she never was.

“I’m just a person who’s crazy about [them],” is what she thinks now about her daughters. “But I’m not a parent in the way I previously defined it. I’m not responsible for [them]. I’m on standby. I’m [their] emergency contact.”

Corrigan admits, though, that leaving one’s kids is easier mentally than emotionally. It’s one thing to say “I’m done!” and another to feel it. Because it hurts. And it all keeps being weird, as Corrigan points out and I can confirm, because people ask all the time, “How are your kids?” All you have to go by are their short texts, or Instagram posts that you’re allowed to stalk. It’s a far cry from the toddler years, when you could recite everything that went into and out of their body and how long they slept and what they played with that day.

Which brings me to the fantastic part of the empty nest. The freedom! The not preparing meals. The sleeping in! My husband and I travel, work, see friends and family. No matter where we are, we do the New York Times Spelling Bee over breakfast. Corrigan says that the empty nest is not a time that people necessarily envision. It just happens. “This is a time to move your focus,” Corrigan says on the podcast. “I rotate my field of vision away from [my kids] to the people in my life now who can make use of me,” whether that’s coworkers or friends or elderly parents or a spouse. But, she says, her kids are always in her thoughts, even if she has no idea what they are doing on any given day.

“My new agenda is emotional autonomy,” Corrigan told Flow in a recent interview. “I want to learn how to detach from the highs and lows of my kids’ lives. Still love them madly, still be useful when possible, but not ride the rollercoaster.”

Here are a few of Corrigan’s empty-nest takeaways, outlined at the end of the podcast:

We asked if Corrigan had any final words of wisdom to parents who, like me, can barely walk in their child’s bedroom without feeling somber. (Shouldn’t they be there, yelling for me to get out?) “When you can’t think of anything else but what’s passed, turn your attention to the world and look more closely,” Corrigan says. “It’s vast and fascinating and waiting for our participation. Get smaller in the frame. Include a broader set of ideas and concerns. That’s what I’m telling myself these days. That’s what I’m trying to practice.”

From the author of the hit Men to Avoid in Art and Life and Friends to Keep in Art and Life comes a collection of all-too-familiar unsolicited advice parents receive on the daily.

From in-laws and other parents to complete strangers and even your own kids—when it comes to parenting, everyone’s a critic. Against the classic backdrop of fine art, bestselling author Nicole Tersigni’s Parenting Advice to Ignore in Art and Life pokes fun at the many “experts” who think they know more than you about your own children. Utterly (and unfortunately) relatable and hilarious as ever, Tersigni’s spot-on captions provide a much-needed laugh for anyone who has had the pleasure of parenting and the pain of having a stranger tell you to put a hat on your baby.

You’ll never forget the important parenting milestones: your child’s first steps. their first day of school. the first time a complete stranger stops you in the middle of a Costco bathroom to explain how you’re breastfeeding wrong.

   
Review

Whether it’s from your family —

“Pick up your baby the second he cries.”
“Even if you’re asleep”
“Or on the toilet”
“Or not there.”

“You call that swaddling? If I wrapped a burrito like that at Chipotle, I’d get fired.” 

or Strangers — 

“Not to brag, but our son was chosen for day care line leader. His teacher says he’s so good at bossing the other kids around. What has your kid done?”

or Experts —

“You should feed your kid organic, homemade meals. A single Cheeto will destroy his brain.”

Or even your own kids —

“Grandma says if you didn’t yell at us so much, you wouldn’t have so many gray hairs.”

“But your room isn’t clean either.”  

So many people have got something to say about your parenting skills. Or lack thereof. Check out the latest melding of art plus awful things that people will tell you but which you never asked to hear. B

~Jayne  

AmazonBNKoboBook DepositoryGoogle

Hear ye! Hear ye! I welcome you all back to Wednesday Links!

How has your week been? Mine is incredibly busy and I’m just trying to keep my eyes on Friday. All of hard work will be rewarded with a weekend trip to Maine, which may not be relaxing as I want it to be, but it’ll still be a much-needed break.

As I mentioned last week, I was eager for a couple MMORPGs coming out. I’ve been sinking a ton of time into Palia and I’ve loved the mindlessness of fishing or chopping down trees to eventually build my next sawmill or increasing my friendship with the sweet fishing robot giant.

…

Sarah: Did y’all know that there is a lesbian library of books that show different forms of or representation in children’s books?

…

If you want more Dungeons and Dragons-inspired romance in your life, Tor.com has some recommendations! (Definitely here for more of this!)

…

If you’ve ever wondered why sexy aliens are always blue, well…you’re not alone! Bustle asks the same question!

…

Do you have any spare fabric scraps lying around? It’s almost spooky season and you could put those scraps to use making little pumpkins!

…

Don’t forget to share what cool or interesting things you’ve seen, read, or listened to this week! And if you have anything you think we’d like to post on a future Wednesday Links, send it my way!

Are you the parent of a high school senior and curious about what their final year of school will be like?

Senior year of high school is an exciting time for students but can also be overwhelming. As a parent, you want to ensure your child is prepared for what lies ahead. Here are a few things to expect during your child's senior year:

1. College Applications: This is the most significant thing on your child's mind during senior year. They must research colleges, take standardized tests (such as the SAT or ACT), and complete college applications. Make sure your child starts early and stays organized throughout the process.

2. Senioritis: Your child may experience burnout as the school year progresses. This is commonly known as senioritis, and can be difficult to overcome. Encourage your child to remain focused and motivated as the end of the school year nears.

3. Senior Pictures: Senior pictures are essential to your child's senior year. They are a way to capture this special time in their life and create memories that will last a lifetime. Schedule a senior picture session early in the school year to avoid the rush (some schools provide a photographer to make it easier for you). Please encourage your child to choose a location and outfit that reflects their personality and style. And most importantly, have fun with it! Senior pictures should be a fun and memorable experience for your child. Check out my daughter's senior photos.

4. Homecoming: Homecoming is a week-long celebration of returning to school, including events such as a dance and football game, typically against a rival team. The dance, with a theme chosen by the students, can be formal or informal, and a King and Queen are crowned during the event.

5. Field Trips: Seniors participate in various field trip bonding activities before graduation, such as senior retreats, off-campus lunch events, award ceremonies, class field trips, and international travel.

6. Senior Breakfast: I wonder if all schools do this, but at my daughter's school, they have a senior breakfast. Parents have breakfast with their students and present them with thoughtful gifts and encouraging letters from family and friends.

7. Prom: This is one of the two most memorable events of senior year. Prom is a night to dress up and dance with friends. It is usually held towards the end of the school year and may have a semi-formal dress code for boys in black tie or suits and evening gowns for girls.

8. Graduation: Graduation is a celebration of your child's hard work and accomplishments and making it through high school. Graduation may mark the end of this chapter; it also marks the beginning of a new one, filled with endless possibilities and opportunities while entering adulthood.

9. Transition to College: Starting college can be an exciting and nerve-wracking experience for your child. It's a big transition from high school, and there are a lot of changes to adjust to. One of the most significant differences is the level of independence they'll have. Your child will have more control over their schedule and life in general. 

It can be overwhelming at first, but it's also liberating. Another big adjustment is the workload. College classes are generally more challenging than high school classes, and there will be a lot of reading and assignments to keep up with. 

But don't panic! Many resources, like tutoring services and study groups, are available to help your child succeed. It's also crucial for them to take care of themselves. 

College can be stressful, so they must prioritize self-care and maintain a healthy balance between their academic and social life. They can thrive in this new chapter of their life with some preparation and a positive attitude.

Senior year is a time of change and growth for your child. By staying involved and offering support, you can help them make the most of this exciting time.