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Marybeth Bock
Marybeth Bock is a native San Franciscan, who spent 13 years living and working in two European countries and four U.S. states as an Army spouse. (Faves: Germany and Hawaii). She’s been enduring the heat of Arizona for 14 years now with her husband, two adult-ish kids, and one crazy coonhound. An alumna of UCLA (Go, Bruins!), she has a Master’s in Public Health and loves to research and write about all health topics, particularly the mental and physical health issues of adolescents and women. Her writing can often be found on the Grown and Flown and Blunt Moms websites. As a new empty-nester, she is thoroughly enjoying the role of “College Mom”, and is finding more time for crafting, hiking, Happy Hour and travel. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter.
Why Do We Take Our Kids on Vacation?
Why do we take our kids on vacation? Well, that’s a loaded question, isn’t it?
Here in Arizona, most of us plan a family vacation during the summer so we can escape the intense (yet...
Ten Cool and Tasty Local Treats You’ve Got to Try Right Now
When you live in a place where the summer feels endless, there’s always an excuse to go and grab some cool and tasty treats. Lucky for us, here in the Valley we’ve got so...
10 Great Valley Salads to Savor This Summer
It’s summertime in the Valley once again, and if you’re like me, you start craving cool, crisp salads to enjoy for a lunch or dinner meal out. We may be challenged by our triple-digit...
Ten Must Have Tunes for Your Arizona Summer Playlist
Summer has definitely arrived in Arizona so it’s time to make a new playlist to listen to as you hang out by the pool, at the lake, or next to your favorite splashpad.
Why not...
Sky Harbor Airport: Fun Facts and Terrific Travel Tips
It’s finally summer, and many of us here in the Valley are heading back to the airport this year to kick off a much-needed family vacation. But with summer travel heating back up again, and...
Graduation: Fantastic Gift Ideas for High School and College Grads
Graduation season is right around the corner. You may be struggling with what to gift your own graduate, or you may be thinking about those announcements from family and friends that will be arriving in...
Desert Gardening 101
Have you ever tried to keep a colorful flower bed alive through a summer in the Valley? Or dared to grow some herbs in your yard that ended up completely withered in the heat?...
You Really Can Help Your Kids Adopt a Mindfulness Habit
Every mom in the history of Momming has been there.
Has reached the point of frustration with a child and found themself saying, “Can you just sit still and be quiet for a few minutes?”
It...
5 Easy Ways to Read More Books in 2022
One of the best things to come out of the pandemic for me was a renewed joy of reading novels. Prior to 2020, my reading habits had been changing for several years. I found...
20 Great Local Charities for Your Family to Support this Holiday Season
When the holidays roll around, it’s easy to focus on giving gifts to our children. No matter what age they are, we spend time trying to find things they’ll love, and we experience joy...
Letting High School Students Take Ownership of Their Journey
The pressure to perform in high school these day is intense.
Kids are warned by parents and teachers that their grades matter from day one. Many of them are pushed to take as many Honors...
Pumpkin Spice is Not Always Nice
America, I think it’s safe to say we have jumped the shark – or the pumpkin spice deodorant – with our national pumpkin spice obsession. Yes, the deodorant is a real product. Go check...
The Wisdom of Love and Logic Parenting
We’ve all heard and read plenty about “helicopter parents” in the news over the last few years. Our society has placed collective blame upon them for excessive hovering and over-involvement during their kids’ childhoods,...
Discounted Dorm Items are Hot Buys in September
Now that my kids are no longer little, I’ve come to realize this fact about the intersectionality of parenting and shopping: You really miss out on a ton of innovation and information about products...
Try Some Poptails This Summer
Poptails to the rescue!
If you parent children through an Arizona summer, these three statements are big facts:
It is ridiculously hot.
You have a bunch of popsicles in your freezer.
Everyone in the family...
What Sports Parents Can Learn from Simone Biles
We live in a culture that enjoys sporting events, that celebrates athletic competition, and that places a lot of pressure on athletes – from highly paid professionals all the way down to happy-go-lucky Little...
Every Mom Needs (at least) One Non-Mom BFF
When you’re a mom deep in the trenches of a challenging stage with a child, it’s helpful to have other moms to confer with, to complain to, and to fully understand what you’re going...
Let’s Get Cookin’! Check Out These Trending New Cookbooks
It’s May, the weather is great and we’re all starting to socialize more. It’s also the time of year that many of us are on the hunt for Mother’s Day, graduation, bridal shower, and...
Spring Cleaning with Kids: Getting Them Involved and Making It Fun!
Spring in Arizona brings some of our best weather, stunning wildflowers, and the perfect opportunity to clean inside and outside our homes before it gets too hot.
Getting your kids motivated to be involved in...
What’s “Niksen” and Can It Help You Be a Better Mom?
Are you currently feeling overwhelmed, burnt out, or exhausted?
Perhaps the better question for any Mom right now, as we reach the one-year anniversary of pandemic lockdowns, is “Are there any of us not feeling...
You Really Can Make Macarons at Home
I don’t think I’ve ever met someone who didn’t like macarons, those delicious French, meringue-based cookie sandwiches. I also don’t think I’ve ever met someone who says they make them at home all the...
Helping Kids and Grandparents Stay Connected This Year
It may be a new year, but for many of us, keeping physical distance from extended family members is still a thing. As parents, we may have been challenged with how to come up...
Where to Find the Best Local Holiday Desserts
Maybe your holiday celebrations will be looking a little different this year, but that’s no reason to forgo enjoying some special desserts. And, if you’re like me, dessert has been one of your go-to...
When It’s Hard to Be Thankful: Focusing on the Good
November is traditionally the month when we focus on trying to be thankful.
For all that is good in our lives. For the people that we love. And for the things that bring us joy...
Safe Ways to Trick-or-Treat this Pandemic Halloween
Parents, kids, and teachers all love a year when Halloween falls on a weekend night, and no one has to get up early for school the next morning suffering from a candy-hangover.
Well, as luck...
What Our Stressed Teens Need Right Now
September means that our teenagers are back to school, but this year, school for them is anything but normal. Some of them may be learning in actual classrooms wearing masks, some of them may...
How to Celebrate National Beach Day in Arizona
If it seems like there’s a national day for just about everything now, you’d be right. In the month of August alone, we can celebrate National Days for mustard, oysters, and even cherry popsicles....
The Benefits of Letting Your Kids Be Bored
That universal whine of childhood: “I’m bored.”
As parents, we’ve all heard it countless times, and have all struggled with how to respond. Handing your kid some kind of screen is so tempting, with its...
Helpful Ideas for Creating a Covid Care Basket
It’s not just a normal Arizona summer this year, where our primary concerns are sunburns and scorpions. The unfortunate reality is that if it hasn’t happened already, some of us may be getting a...
Escape This Summer with a Great Book {Fiction Edition}
While many of us may not be embarking on the travels we had hoped to take this summer, there’s still the quintessential way to escape reality during the long, hot days of summer– book...