"Love, Listings, and Life: Balancing Marriage, Motherhood, and Real Estate"

 If you’ve been dreaming about buying a home in the Kansas City area, now might be the perfect time to turn that dream into reality. The market is shifting in ways that create more opportunities for buyers—and Kansas City continues to stand out as one of the most affordable and exciting places to live. Affordability You Won’t Find Everywhere The national housing market can feel overwhelming, but Kansas City is different. With median home prices sitting around $275,000 —far below the national average—buyers here are able to stretch their dollars further. That means more space, more charm, and more possibilities for your lifestyle. More Homes, More Options Over the past year, the number of homes on the market has grown. That means buyers finally have more choices instead of competing in bidding wars for just a handful of listings. Whether you’re looking in Overland Park, Olathe, or a revitalizing neighborhood near downtown , there’s more variety now than we’ve seen in years. A M...

If you’ve been browsing Facebook Marketplace for a rental home lately, you’ve probably seen it — a gorgeous house in a great neighborhood, listed for rent at a price that seems almost too good to be true. Here’s the problem: in many cases, it is too good to be true. Scammers are taking homes that are for sale , copying the photos and descriptions from legitimate real estate listings, and reposting them online as fake rentals. They then lure unsuspecting renters into sending deposits or rent payments for a home they will never get to move into. How the Scam Works They steal a listing Scammers pull pictures and text directly from a real MLS listing — often one that’s vacant — and repost it as “For Rent.” They list it cheap To get attention, they set the rent well below market value. They pretend to be the owner The “owner” is often conveniently out of state or out of the country and can’t meet in person. They pressure you to pay upfront They promise to mail or “ov...

It’s easy to look back and see where the pain began. My mom was the youngest of three. She often felt invisible—like she was loved the least. That kind of hurt doesn’t just fade. It lingers, shaping the way you see yourself and the world. In her pain, she hurt me. And in my pain, I hurt my children. That’s hard to admit. And it’s even harder to listen when they tell me how I made them feel. It breaks my heart. But here’s what I’ve come to understand: we’re all human. And when we don’t heal our wounds, we unknowingly pass them on. That doesn’t make it okay—but it does help to see the full picture. It reminds me that my mom was human. And so am I. We both carried pain we didn’t choose. The beautiful part? We can heal. We can: forgive our parents take responsibility set boundaries choose life over survival and become emotional healthy Healing isn’t always loud. Sometimes it’s a quiet “I love you.” A heartfelt apology. A deep breath instead of a reaction. A choice to do it differently. ...

If you’re constantly juggling work, family, relationships, and everything in between—it’s easy to lose yourself. That sense of being pulled in every direction? That’s a sign you’re stretching too thin. And believe me, I know, all too well! True balance doesn’t mean doing it all. It means doing what matters —and learning to let go of what doesn’t. What is the “Let Them” Theory? Popularized by Mel Robbins, the “Let Them” theory is a simple but powerful shift: If someone wants to judge you, misunderstand you, talk about you, or walk away— let them . You don’t need to correct, explain, or convince anyone. You need to protect your energy. The more time you spend managing others’ expectations, the less energy you have for what truly matters: your peace, your people, and your purpose. Signs You’re Doing Too Much: You’re always busy but never feel caught up. You’re emotionally drained and short-tempered. You rarely feel rested—even on your days “off.” You say yes out of guilt...

This week, my son is competing in the US Marine Corp JR Nationals in Fargo, North Dakota—one of the most prestigious wrestling tournaments in the country. Just saying that sentence out loud brings a lump to my throat. Because what people see on the mat this week—the strength, the technique, the tenacity—is only the tip of the iceberg. What they don’t see is what it took to get here. They didn’t see the early mornings, late nights, the endless hours drilling takedowns, perfecting escapes, and building muscle memory until his body could move on autopilot. They didn’t see the meal prepping, the scale-checking, the sacrifices—birthday cake skipped, parties missed, social events passed up for a chance to train.  They didn’t see the heartbreak—the close losses that stung for days. The matches where he gave everything and still came up short. The injuries. The doubt. The pressure. The tears he hid and the times he questioned whether it was all worth it. But he keeps showing up. And t...

⚠️ Warning: Vulnerable Post Ahead Lately, I’ve realized just how much my first marriage still affects the way I show up—especially as a mother. I work hard every day to be better, but I’m still undoing the damage from years of being told I was “too much,” “too sensitive,” or “making things up.” Those lies left a residue. And that residue shows up in my parenting. When you’ve been gaslit long enough, you stop trusting yourself. Even now—years later, stronger and wiser—the voice still creeps in: “Are you overreacting?” “Did you just hurt their feelings?” “Maybe you’re remembering this wrong.” So when I see confusion or hurt in my children’s eyes, I panic. I try to fix it all instantly. I overcompensate—saying yes when I should say no, softening when I need boundaries. Not because I don’t love them—but because I’m still learning to trust myself again. Gaslighting made me hyperaware of how people see me. Instead of responding to the moment, I respond to old wounds. That’s not fai...