Well, as promised, I have finished reading and I’m ready to share with you my review of Dr. John T. Chirban’s Collateral Damage; Guiding and Protecting You Child Through the Minefield of Divorce. (And I thought the title of my book was long).  I was given two advance copies for an honest review and giveaway here at the blog. The book is slated for publication this month. That means, the books I have for the giveaway are pre-published editions and as such have no page numbers and the Foreward is not included. 

Last year I rounded up a ‘look back’ at The Great Escape blog. It was interesting to see a year in the life of this little blog, so I’m doing the same here with a slight twist. We’ll end on my (and your) hopes for 2017. My theme for the year is building a dream…a year to build a dream on…because why not?

10 Tips to improve your Christmas post divorce, is something I think will help anyone coping with co-parenting issues over the holidays. One of the most difficult times of the year for divorced and broken families is undoubtedly the Christmas Season.  Especially the first couple of years when it is a time for re-building and transitioning the new family unit.  What makes this even harder is having  to let go of old traditions.  Also, Christmas memories from before the divorce are still raw.  Due to these changes in family dynamics, the holidays become a challenge and a tug of war between households.  Neither Mom nor Dad want to be alone during this time and the children inevitably get caught in the middle.

image source; unsplash

Insomnia is a common problem during divorce. Any time of stress actually, can cause a bad case of insomnia. There’s nothing worse than losing sleep, especially when it’s over things we can’t control. In hopes to alleviate the problem for anyone experiencing insomnia now, I’ve put together five quick tips to help plus a bonus tip. Some are tried and true (no caffeine in the evening) and some are my own remedies (keeping a notebook on my nightstand).

image source; collider film review. Will Ferrel in Everything Must Go

Letting go of our stuff is one of the steps to moving forward but how and when can we do this? That’s the tricky part and there isn’t one perfect answer. Each of us hold different attachments to our things, stuff. We all have various degrees of emotional attachment.  At the outset of divorce we can be a little too hasty in discarding our old life. Until some time passes, we don’t know what these items will mean to us. What memory will they evoke or what part of ourselves will they represent. if any? If you’re not sure right now, then keep them and let some time pass before revisiting their worth.

Hello Escapees, want to catch up over coffee? That’s one of my favorite things to do with friends. Even though we can’t do it literally, we can do it virtually here at the blog. Thanks to Shantala over at Shanayatales, for starting this Catch Up Over Coffee theme.  It’s just an informal chat designed to put a more personal slant on the blog.

I think after all that’s been going on it’s nice to take a deep breath and just talk. Shoot the breeze. So, grab your cup a joe. (Ironically, I wrote a similar post almost exactly a year ago Hello! Come On In, I’ll Put Coffee On I guess Shantala and I think alike).

What do Forrest Gump and Donald Trump have in common? They both made it to the White House, for starters. So, if life is like a box of chocolates in Forrest Gump’s time then what is it now? Perhaps it’s like a bag of chips?

image source unsplash by Kevin Lee

I used to equate grace with ballerinas. Their long legs and perfectly held arms and delicate buns atop their perfect shaped heads, said ‘graceful’. I thought of myself as the polar opposite of the ballet dancer. I had no grace.

I was often called ‘clumsy’ as a child. I still lose my grip sometimes, spilling milk, not to cry over or maybe it’s spilled wine to cry over. Regardless, things get spilled and people cry.

image source yoganonomous

Every Saturday I attend yoga class but it’s not just any old yoga class. It’s Goddess class. Our teacher calls on one of the ancient Goddesses during class and has us all join her, while holding our Goddess pose. We may call on Kali to conquer our fears or Aditi to overcome obstacles we are facing. Goddess To The Rescue!

Just look at the power in the Goddess (Fierce) pose (pictured above). The legs, abdominal and arms all firing and increasing blood flow, generating heat and with that our own physical power.

This class is affectionately referred to as ‘Goddess class’ although it’s not named that on the schedule. Our teacher has

image source HBO

HBO’s Divorce, the new show starring Sarah Jessica Parker, is both raw and funny.  I read a few reviews that weren’t favorable so my expectations weren’t exactly high. I’m happy to report though, that this show based solely on the Premier episode, has a