Staying present every day

In a world of constant distractions and multi-tasking, we sometimes forget what it means to really be present in our lives. Tracy took on that challenge and found interesting results.

What about spring?

Just last week Tracy was welcoming and lauding spring, but with winter temperatures lingering, she's embracing the delayed start to the season.

Kudos to Lady Spring!

Spring is peeking through here in Charlotte and Tracy is embracing all that comes with the season.

"Let go or be dragged"

Tracy ponders the question, "Is the thing that you're holding onto, the thing that's holding you back?"

The real housewives of Downton Abbey

Tracy offers her interpretation of season 3's finale and imagines what's in store for the damsels of the Crawley family.

iPods and Minecraft and playlists, oh my!

Tracy ponders the question of why her boys are technologically-savvy yet unable to perform basic housekeeping chores.

Dress could be a mom's best friend

Tracy dreams of what could be if she had a projection dress like Carrie Underwood at the Grammys.

Super Bowl-Oscar mashup

I know you’re working on your Oscar pool, but don’t forget your Super Bowl pool … Best Original Title A. HarBowl B. SuperBaugh C. Bro Bowl D. Super Breaux XLVII Best Original Score A. Mercedes-Benz getting the naming rights of the Superdome B. The opposing coaches being brothers C. Putting Destiny’s Child back together D. PSY going Gangnam Style in a pistachio commercial Best Director A. Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco B. 49ers quarterback Colin Kaeperni...

Getting back in the skinny jeans

Hear how Tracy plans on getting back in her skinny jeans through good old diet, exercise and healthy living.

The pros and cons of moving

The joy of moving during the ho-ho holidays

Forget the holiday sweater. Go with velvet skinny pants!

Do they play basketball at the Bobcats games?

Why I'm thankful for ... Thanksgiving

Turkey and noodles, great. Casserole, YUCK!

50 shades of silliness

Charlotte is the bestest city in the whole world

Give me a mammogram over a DMV visit any day

Grumpy kid? Call the doctor

It's the law of the jungle when a 'pet' falls from the sky

Don’t ever tell your kids that having a pet lizard is not meant to be. Because here’s what will happen: You’ll be out of town, they’ll be in the car with Daddy, and a lizard will drop out of a tree and land right on the windshield. They will capture it in a plastic foam cup, go to PetSmart and buy a terrarium. And by the time you get home, they will be huddled around the dining table, ready to introduce you to the new family pet. “His name is Windshield.” Of c...

We can't do lunch without logistics

I don’t know why it’s so hard to get together for lunch. I email my girlfriends a date, which we all have to weigh in on. Then a time. Then a place. And it’s finally set, but then for all the days leading up to it, there is a barrage of texts asking when is it, where is it, what time, and am I sure I have the date right. How did we ever do play groups? Back then, when the kids were babies, we successfully organized play dates. And not only were we able to find a day we cou...

A discount for Best Mom

Last month there was a great story about a woman who was at a burger joint and noticed an odd deduction on her receipt. “Best Looking” was itemized along with her veggie bowl and fried pickles. A compliment that discounted her meal by $.02. And I’ve been reviewing my restaurant receipts closely ever since. So far, all I see is “burger” and “Diet Coke.” I thought I might have more luck at the grocery store, since there are more people ringing me up. Today I...

Do you 'like' my new ideas for Facebook?

I can’t decide how I feel about Facebook. But one thing I do like about it is if you don’t like a friend’s comment, you can report it as abusive. Not only that, but you can tell Mark Zuckerberg how you feel about it. How it works is, when you delete the comment it asks you, “Is this comment about you or a friend?” And if you say yes, you check one of these boxes: • I don’t like this comment. • It’s harassing me. • It’s harassing a f...

Tracy Curtis has a convention hangover - do you?

Comfy shoes are the shoo-in for DNC streets

My odd desire for imperfect kids

There’s a new movie out called “The Odd Life of Timothy Green.” And in it, a childless couple writes down all the qualities they would want a child of theirs to have. Then they bury the character traits in the garden. And then that perfect child grows out of the soil. Man, I wish we had done that. This kid’s got everything they want – he’s honest to a fault, Picasso with a pencil, and he never gives up. Not to mention he showed up walking, talking and is clear...

What I’ll miss – or not – from summer

A look back at the past 10 weeks of summer.

Go for gold in Parental Olympics

Gotta love women’s gymnastics. And the competitors’ parents. Watching Aly Raisman’s mom and dad twist, turn, cringe and squirm during their daughter’s uneven parallel bar routine last Sunday was a highlight for me. I’ve never suffered through a full twisting double layout off parallel bars, but I’ve been at bat with my son in the bottom of the ninth when his team is down by one. With my mouth dry, heart racing and palms sweating, I mentally crawl into his body, ...

It should be easy

It should be easy: Walk out the corners, slide on the canopy, then raise the legs. It’s a two-man job, but a three-part process. It’s … the beach tent. Actually, that part’s easy. It’s what comes next that’s the challenge: keeping it anchored – in sand. Stuff that’s only slightly heavier than hair. The metal stakes you anchor it down with are solid enough, but driving metal into what feels like a bowl full of sugar doesn’t exactly breed confidence...

At issue this summer: everything

I’m amazed that no matter where we are or what we’re doing this summer, there is always some issue, challenge or point of contention. How can this be? We’re on vacation. Yet there’s always some problem we’re trying to solve. At the beach. There’s a whole debate about who’s going to dig the hole. This, after a discussion back at the condo about whether we’re going to dig a hole at all. Then it’s determined we don’t have enough shovels, so we n...

Parenting and the art of job interviewing

Sometimes if you’re post-baby, or post-divorce, you end up going back to work. And since I’m both, I figure it’s probably time. Problem is, I haven’t really done the interview thing in a while. I’ve been a stay-at-home mom for 10 years, so I’m not sure what they’ll ask me. But I’m pretty sure I can hang with the boys in the boardroom – show ’em I’m ready for the workforce. Here’s how the interview went: Q: Give an example of wh...

Ninja theme, Mashoonga bats, it's a party

Don’t let her fool you. She may be a high-ranking government official, but she knows how to throw a party. A kid’s party. A Ninja Party. That’s my sister. Able to whip up a theme party on a kid’s whim and a moment’s notice. So for those of you who are getting requests from your kids for a Ninja Party, here’s what she came up with: The Goal: To work as a team to accomplish a mission, as training to beat all evil in the world. Reward: Cupcakes. Brilliant. She&#...

Next to Madonna, my needs are small

Tracy Curtis doesn't need a 200-person entourage, but bring on the La Croix.

This holiday really will be different this year, Charlie Brown

We kicked off the holiday season as we do every year, with "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving." And again, we watched Lucy set poor Chuck up for a fall. Lucy: Come on, Charlie Brown. I'll hold the ball and you kick it. Charlie Brown: Hold it? Ha! You'll pull it away and I'll land flat on my back and kill myself. Lucy: But Charlie Brown, it's Thanksgiving. Charlie Brown: What's that got to do with it?

Lost in the riddle of 2nd grade math

My second-grader brings home his math homework. Boy, math sure has changed. It's not even a numbers problem, it's more like a riddle: "Miss Green, Mrs. White, Mr. Black and Mr. Brown are all teachers. The men have one more student in their class than their room number. The women each have two less students than their room number. Miss Green is in Room 24, Mrs. White in Room 20 and Mr.

A lesson on lying

I teach a character education class at my son's school. And this month, the character trait is honesty. So I'm explaining, "you always have to tell the truth, never tell a lie and certainly never cover someone else's lie." Unless you're involved in a surprise party.

Hung out to dry

So my washing machine broke down. Followed quickly by me . Because, take my vacuum, take my dishwasher, take my kidney, just please don't take my washing machine. Wouldn't be so bad if I didn't have a huge load to do - the kind the kids are jumping into like it's a pile of leaves.

Halloween yard is pick of the litter

I hope you all have big plans for Halloween tonight, because I will tell you, my evening is going to be the cat's meow. Thanks to The Two Story Inflatable Black Cat. I love it when the neighbors lose their minds. When they just go crazy on a yard ornament for some random holiday or event.

Won't trade my jolt for a buzz

So there's a Starbucks in Seattle that is going to start serving beer and wine.

Glad this birthday stayed under control

So my son turned 8 this week.

Dad's stunt adds adventure to Oz

So I took the kids to the Land of Oz up in Beech Mountain last weekend.

West Wing reruns: a mom's best friend

Sometimes I just like to get lost in a movie or a television program.

From mama to cha-cha

I see "Dancing With the Stars" has cranked up again.

I'm reinventing the Wheel of Life

My girlfriend is over here talking about the spokes on her wheel again.

I'm wearing my white jeans, and the world is still turning

I wore white jeans this week.

Prep work key to mad morning dash

With elementary school now under way, we're still trying to figure out exactly what time we need to get up.

School's back in, so now I can "relax"

I am so glad that school's about to start.

That missing cell phone tolls for me

Somewhere between my house and the Chinese restaurant I've lost my cell phone.

Note to self: Write it down

I used to love to pass notes in class.

Bachelorette- style dates right here in Charlotte

The reality of ABC's "The Bachelorette" is that you have to make quality time with your man.

How hot is it? It's so hot...

Is it me, or is it really hot outside?I completely underestimated the heat.

All I know for sure is that she called ... back

So I get a call from a friend.

Oh, to be playing cards in a bikini ...

I had an interesting Memorial Day.

If I designed the perfect pool bag it would have ...

A woman arrives at the baseball game and unfolds her fancy chair.

How to turn a beautiful day into a train wreck

Does this ever happen to you?It's just you and one of your children going to church.

She looks so happy, thanks to ...

It says a Cardiff University study of 25 women found those who got Botox were happier than gals who had other cosmetic treatments.

Time for the family portrait: What's wrong with this picture?

Why are the best pictures of my children the ones where I wasn't involved? There is not a single picture displayed in my house that I had a hand in.

Fishing around for something to say

Most times I have a column topic, but other times not, so sometimes I look to my 7-year-old for ideas.

And don't forget, baseball's fun

Baseball is a hard game.

The cable company gets it right for once

Well - it's official.

Can't wait for tomorrow to be yesterday

"Happy Birthday!" we cheer, smothering him with hugs."I love tomorrow," he sighs.

How about a black belt for following directives?

I'm sitting at a tae kwon do class watching my two boys practice.

Is it daylight saving time or Russian roulette?

So we lost an hour.

Wii've learned a lot about computer games

I go back and forth on the whole video game thing.

It's the amazing invisible TV

There's a television in my dining room.

How I fell for Chuck E. Cheese

I shouldn't have opened it.

Snowball fights would be an Olympic feat

I tell my 7-year-old the Winter Olympics are coming and that he's going to love it because they compete in really cool events like skiing and snowboarding."And snowball fighting?" he asks.Well, no.

Snow's on the ground, time to think about summer camp

Ah, winter.

On the hunt for bargains to wear now

I love a deal.

The 10 days of Christmas went downhill from Day 1

I've had some time.

Tee it up, Tiger, and talk to Larry

I've got two words for Tiger Woods ...

Christmas cards? It's complicated

Christmas cards.

Our holiday tree has neighborhoods

I let my kids decorate the Christmas tree this year.

Want ambience? Then keep the party out of my kitchen

I love a good party at my house.

Fun with turkey and fixin's

OK, here we go - time to officially launch into the holiday season.

I can't slow down long enough to change a routine

On the way to the Harris Teeter, my son asks why we never go to Trader Joe's.

A school directory to love

I love school directories.

Coming home to our own little house of horrors

Like I need one more thing to do to impress the neighbors.

Don't speak Boundary? Here's a handy lexicon

Ever been involved in a school boundary change? I'm in one.

What's today's breakfast? Try two chicks on a raft

So the lawsuit against Jerry Seinfeld's wife was finally dropped.

Baseball for kids: Created by moms?

I have a theory baseball was created by moms.

I'm getting kids' wear organized - let's party!

My children's clothes are ruining my life.

Info, please: Let's get the good stuff

I call 411 to get the phone number for a theater, and the gal asks if she can look up a movie time for me.

I'm feeling Mellow Yellow

For the new school year, I'm color-coding my family.