Happy one-year anniversary to me!

At exactly this time last year, in the midst of a divorce, I moved out of our family home and into the condo that I bought for myself. I was reluctantly ready to return to solo adulting after 22 years of partnership and marital strife. It was a time of new beginnings.

And you know what? Although last year rocked my world to its very foundation, the changes forced me to build a whole new life from scratch and I excelled at that.

I took those bitter lemons and made the sweetest, sparkling lemonade which I now enjoy out of a champagne glass and with sunrise views.

Although I have written before about the one thing I wish Z and I could change about our condo – the stompy, mean and nasty neighbors above us – I am dedicating today’s post to the things I love most about our beautiful home. Even those b-words upstairs can’t dull the shine of this amazing place.

Here are my 10 favorite things about my condo!

• Sunrise views – these cannot be beat! I don’t go to my beloved dam much anymore, because I can step outside and see this majesty every single morning. Who needs to travel when I have these vacation views right here at home?
• Walking the dogs – while having a fenced-in yard at our old house had its benefits, I love walking the dogs morning and night. The natural beauty of our condo community makes it a pleasure; they even installed new waste station amenities this year for us dog parents.
• Our pool – I do not miss the Orange Township pool one bit because our private pool here is cleaner, never crowded and has gorgeous views. Zero complaints about this beauty!
• The gym – I did not start taking advantage of our wonderful little community gym until Andrew suggested it this spring, but we’re loving it now and I am so happy we have this healthy haven so close to home.
• Location, location, location – I love Lewis Center and I especially love this green, beautiful corner we call home. We live off one of the prettiest roads ever and it’s a pleasure to drive it every day.
• Nature friends – the deer above are just a few of the wild wonders we get to experience regularly. I’m also in love with a local family of 6-7 wild turkeys I call my gobblers. They are just so cute!
• Love thy neighbors – I still don’t know all of my neighbors, but I smile and wave at all of them and once in a while we’ll stop and chat. I need to do this more!
• Girlie wonderland – I’ve never enjoyed decorating a space more than this condo. Z and I have unleashed our maximalist vision and this place is a sparkling, colorful girls’ world.
• Small yet spacious – Big enough to feel comfortable yet small enough to keep clutter down, I absolutely love the size and layout of this place. It’s a cozy Hobbit cave in the winter and comfortable year-round.
• The pack is back together – There’s perhaps nothing I love more about this place than the fact that all three of our fur babies – Dani, Galaxy and Lambo – share it with us. Having Galaxy join us this spring truly made it feel like home. Is it really a home if it doesn’t have at least one cat and dog zooming around?

This condo was such a soft place to land and even though life looks different yet again this year, I still feel a great deal of pride in being “out here on my own” and making the most wonderful new life for myself in my mid-50s. It wasn’t something I expected or planned for, but we have more than made the best of this midlife shift.

If you’re considering a condo and want to chat about the pros and cons, give me a shout over on Instagram or Facebook – or leave a comment below!

The post I love my condo in spite of the neighbors upstairs appeared first on Lewis Center Mom.

I remember a time, seven years ago, when I was desperate for a magic drug that could help me lose weight fast.

At that time, I was so sick of dieting and working out without ever seeing any real difference. I was convinced my body needed to be smaller.

I went in search of a magical, miracle weight loss drug to help me reach my goals – but because it was 2019, I didn’t find one.

Instead, I ultimately found the only TRUE solution to my lifelong battles: getting off the diet culture hamster wheel and radically accepting my body just the way it is.

In hindsight, I’m actually so happy that there wasn’t a drug to “help” me back then!

Now it’s 2026 and, as we all know, the magic-bullet weight-loss drug does exist today. I know so many people who are on it.

And Ozempic and the other GLP-1s do seem like a miracle for some. These meds seem to make weight loss easy and quick, just like I always longed for.

But I have to ask… at what cost? We don’t know the long-term health impact of staying on a GLP-1 indefinitely. Sure, most people can make peace with the side effects of going on the medication – things like nausea, diarrhea and the like.

But what about the longer-term ill effects, such as muscle and bone loss? Significant weight loss can include loss of lean muscle and accelerated bone mineral loss, raising fracture risks. Some people have also experienced hair loss from being on GLP-1s.

And, that rapid weight loss can result in changes to facial appearance. “Ozempic face” is a real thing. As you lose facial fat, your skin loses its supportive volume, resulting in a more gaunt, hollow or aged appearance with increased wrinkles, sagging skin and sunken eyes. This sounds dreadful, and it’s sad to me that people are willing to age their faces unnecessarily just to be skinny.

Then there are the issues that occur when the medication is discontinued: most notably, rebound weight gain. Coming off the GLP-1s typically leads to a return of appetite and progressive weight regain unless long-term lifestyle changes are successfully maintained. Which, as we all know, is next to impossible – or you wouldn’t have gone on the drug in the first place!

It makes me sad that our society has artificially created a craving or need to be thin that almost nothing can ease. That never-ending need to be thin makes people do brutal and barbaric things to their beautiful bodies.

It makes me sad that people could be cutting their lives short or harming themselves in exchange for being thin. It makes me sad that for some people, there will never be a “thin enough” because the problem was never their bigger bodies in the first place. Maybe the weight we need to lose is actually just this faulty thinking that there’s something wrong with our bodies?!

And it makes me sad that, although I have done the work to love and accept myself just as I am, even I am still tempted at times by the never-ending commercials and social media posts in support of weight loss with GLP-1s.

It is tough to be in a bigger body in this Ozempic age when it feels like everyone else is falling in line with “thin is in.” Staying fat and happy is a form of rebellion against diet culture and false societal norms and constructs. There is beauty and acceptance in the fat community and there are still influencers who reject the GLP-1s and rejoice in their natural bodies – you just have to look extra hard to find them.

I personally wouldn’t change a thing – I’m so grateful that I found body acceptance before the GLP-1s became available. I don’t judge anyone who goes on the skinny drugs, I just feel sad that they couldn’t find acceptance for and within themselves without doing something so extreme.

I wish true body love and acceptance for everyone. And I also wish our society would quiet pushing the false narrative of “thin is in” because thin isn’t right for every body!

Some of us are happy just the way we are.

The post Ozempic and the other GLP-1s make me sad appeared first on Lewis Center Mom.

I don’t know who coined the “90s summer” trend, but I keep seeing it everywhere – and with good reason.

Summer is the perfect time to go old school, lose the tech and focus instead on having fun without the little rectangular boxes that get way too much of our time and attention.

At our house, we’ve been diving deep into arts and crafts like we’ve time-traveled back to summer camp days of yore. Playing in the creative arts arena is nostalgic, fun and good for our mental health. Plus, you can’t be on your phone while you’re two hands deep in beads, sparkles and clay.

My kitchen table has been converted to a temporary art studio where beading projects, bedazzling kits and more are left out to entice us to play and create during any blocks of free time. It’s magical – so far, it’s working like a charm!

Here are some of our favorite summer craft projects so far. We have many more planned, so expect future updates here!

• Beaded, bejeweled plants – I love houseplants, but I’m notorious for either over- or underwatering them. That’s why these beaded, unkillable plants are the gorgeous alternative I’ve been searching for. I first saw them in videos on TikTok and Instagram, and I fell in love. These plants are so much fun to make with sparkly supplies found at Michael’s or on Temu – and once they’re done, they bring color, charm and whimsy to any room. I’ve made one beautiful plant so far, with plans to create many more for friends and family.

• Air-dry foam clay crafts – I saw promos for Claymoo clay craft kits on social media and thought it would be a fun family night activity. While my teen may have been skeptical at first, she ended up making three little guys from her kit and we have plenty of clay leftover to make more. We all had fun creating with clay, and the colorful little guys we made are a fun addition to my whimsical kitchen decor. I highly recommend these kits, or you can just pick up some foam clay at Michael’s or another craft shop and get creative. It’s actually more fun when you deviate from any pre-set notion or design and just do your own thing.

• Bedazzling everything – There is a literal bedazzling renaissance going on right now, and I’m proud to be smack-dab in the middle of it. I’ve always loved glitter and sparkly things, and the nostalgic aspect plus getting completely absorbed by something that is not a phone, are huge benefits. I find bedazzling relaxing, it’s a great creative outlet and a terrific way to achieve a zen-like flow state, and best of all it’s another way to decorate my home with sparkles and whimsy. There’s literally no downside – unless you accidentally dump a tray of tiny sparkles in your excitement. Yes, that really happened. Get yourself a bedazzling kit from Amazon or your local craft store and start bedazzling today.

Summer fun doesn’t have to involve sweat and sunshine – it can also include arts and crafts that take you back to a simpler time. What creative projects have you been working on this summer? I’d love to hear in the comments below or over on Instagram or Facebook!

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I am proud to share that I just bought my first set of high-quality, grown-up girl bedding for my room.

Up until this month, I had been using hand-me-down sheets and duvet covers that weren’t really my taste and didn’t go with my other room decor.

You see, when I first moved to my condo last summer, I was single and didn’t expect to be in a relationship anytime soon. I was solely focused on solo life!

At that time, I figured it didn’t matter if I had mismatched hand-me-down sheets originally purchased for the guest room in our old house, plus a badly stained duvet cover leftover from Z’s early childhood. Who was going to see my bed? Just my dogs and me.

But as I’ve shared before, all that changed this year. In January, I entered into a lovely relationship with a wonderful man, and my bedroom has since changed from a place where I sleep with my dogs to a place where my special someone and I spend time and enjoy each other’s company.

I had been putting up with hand-me-downs for long enough; it was high time for a bedding makeover!

For years, I’ve had my eye on the gorgeous high-end home decor from Emma J. Shipley in London. If I’m being honest with myself, her homewares are out of my price range, but I wrangled a 20% off coupon and bit the bullet.

I invested in my happiness and purchased the finishing touches for my gorgeous bedroom: the luxurious, whimsical new duvet cover and pillow cases of my dreams.

Now, it feels like a whole new room. It feels elegant yet comfortable, and stylish yet still playful and totally me. I love my Emma J. Shipley bedding and the way it all coordinates perfectly with my orchid-painted walls.

The look and feel of truly high-quality bedding cannot be overstated. It’s utterly stunning. I now find myself wanting to spend time in my room during the day; it’s become my favorite place to read or use my phone for Duolingo language lessons. My family room couch – including my formerly beloved throw pillow collection – is so last month. This gorgeous bed is now where it’s at!

I love how with one purchase, I have transformed my bedroom into a peaceful oasis that I never want to leave. I’m surprised to be typing this at my desk in my home office – that gorgeous Emma J. Shipley-adorned bed is calling to me, and this laptop is, after all, perfectly portable. Are you thinking what I’m thinking?

It’s too hot to go outside or walk down to the pool this week. If you need me, I’ll be working from my bed!

The post The life impact of really nice bedding appeared first on Lewis Center Mom.

If you heard a fellow parent say they couldn’t wait to bust open a bottle of wine later that evening, you probably wouldn’t think twice.

Wine is not just socially acceptable in white Western culture – it’s encouraged. Wine and other alcoholic beverages are practically pushed on those of us who prefer to abstain.

But tell a group of PTO moms you’re excited to head home and light up a joint or take some delta-8 THC or CBD oil for some self-care, and you might get some serious stink-eye. Even though cannabis is now legal or at least decriminalized in many states, and is proven safer than alcohol, it’s still not as socially accepted.

So why is it that alcohol is so acceptable in polite company, yet cannabis and its derivatives are so scorned? It can be easily summed up in one word: racism.

Feel free to do your own research and don’t just take my word for it. There’s no way cannabis would be illegal if it weren’t for racist, white supremacist leaders and lawmakers associating the herb with immigrants and people of color.

The facts are clear: alcohol causes about 88,000 deaths per year, while cannabis causes none. That doesn’t mean young people should smoke pot – on the contrary, before the age of 25, cannabis should be avoided entirely, just like tobacco and, in my opinion, alcohol.

But here’s my hot take: adults over 25 with fully developed brains should be free to smoke pot, take edibles or enjoy delta-8 THC in the privacy of their homes if they wish.

If you haven’t heard of it yet, delta-8 THC is a derivative of hemp or cannabis and is legal in many states. Many feel it should be legal in all states as it has many benefits and few drawbacks.

Does delta-8 THC get you high? Yes – but it’s a milder, smoother high than cannabis or delta-9 THC. And it certainly is not as damaging or destructive as alcohol.

I don’t know whether I feel more strongly about being pro-cannabis or anti-alcohol, but I realize both biases are coming through loud and clear in this post. And I’m okay with that!

It just seems crazy to me that one substance is praised and welcomed in our society, while the other is still somewhat ostracized despite a clear shift in public opinion in recent years.

So, dear reader, where do you land in the weed vs. alcohol debate? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below or over on Instagram or Facebook.

The post Why is getting drunk okay for adults but getting high is still taboo? appeared first on Lewis Center Mom.

This post is for my fellow lovers of Indian cuisine.

I enjoy all kinds of food from diverse cultures, but Indian food will always be one of my favorites. The flavors are incredible and unique, ranging from mild to very spicy depending upon your preference. There’s an abundance of vegetarian options for those who prefer meatless dining. And, Indian food is sure to warm you up even on Ohio’s coldest days.

My one complaint about Indian food in our area of northern Columbus is that the best Indian restaurants tend to be clustered up in Dublin (I’m looking at you, Bikanervala and Neehee’s). While that’s only 20 minutes away on a good day, rush hour traffic can make the drive feel intolerable for a hungry girl.

That’s why I’m so delighted we finally have not one but three truly amazing Indian food options right here in Lewis Center!

1. I’ve been a huge fan of Moon Pizza since the day it opened in the LC; in fact, I was their very first customer. I used to drive all the way down to Hilliard to their original location before they opened here. This food truck parked off Orange Rd. serves up the best Indian pizzas around, and their flavorful dipping sauces are to die for, as are their perfect fries and tasty appetizers. I’ve blogged before about how much I love Indian pizza – if you haven’t tried it, you definitely need to check out Moon Pizza (and there’s a second Indian place on Polaris called Pizzawala!)

2. I can’t believe I’ve never mentioned Rollz Rice Indian Kitchen here before, because I’ve been eating there since they opened. A small cafe on Polaris Parkway serving excellent Indian cuisine for both lunch and dinner, Rollz Rice is big on flavor and freshness. It’s Chipotle-style in that you go up to the counter and order a bowl or wrap customized with all the fixings and sauces you want. My favorite dish here is the naan taco – it can be messy to eat, but it’s the perfect size for lunch and just so tasty! Rollz Rice masala fries are also incredible.

3. This one is new to me, and the inspiration for this blog post. My bestie and I discovered a new Indian food truck off Route 23 serving up the most amazing, authentic South Indian cuisine. Sandy’s Food Mania is tucked back behind other restaurants and stores in a big empty parking lot. They have a small outdoor dining area with colorful chairs, tables and lights strung up to make it look festive. The food is out of this world! It is definitely authentic so on the spicier side, as well as very fresh and delicious. Their dosas – fried Indian crepes served plain or with various fillings tucked inside – are bigger than your head and utterly amazing.

Are you surprised that two of the restaurants recommended here are food trucks? Don’t be – Indian food trucks, or dhabas, often serve up some of the tastiest cuisine ever! I’m absolutely thrilled to have two of them parked so close to home.

If you know of other Indian favorites here in Lewis Center, or other types of restaurants we should try, drop me a note in the comments below or over on Instagram or Facebook. A girl’s got to eat – and this one’s also got to blog about it.

The post We found the best Indian food in Lewis Center appeared first on Lewis Center Mom.

I love it when people are naturally creative gift-givers. I’ve always aspired to be one myself.

This month, I learned that my boyfriend definitely falls into that category because he got me the COOLEST experience gift for my birthday: a Turkish mosaic art workshop where we could create a gorgeous mosaic lamp together.

We had such a great time at the workshop, and the lamp we designed and decorated together will be a treasure forever.

I first fell in love with these colorful mosaic lamps at a Turkish shop in the Short North – and I also really enjoyed seeing them at a Turkish shop in Monterey, CA during our vacation a few years ago.

Another cool thing to know is that I actually saw this mosaic lamp workshop advertised on social media many months ago – long before I met Andrew. I thought it looked super cool and asked both my bestie and daughter if they’d want to do it with me, but they both declined so I put it out of my mind. I wanted to do it, but not enough to go alone.

And ultimately, thanks to my sweetheart, I didn’t have to!

The pop-up mosaic lamp workshop took place at a hotel in Dublin. We enjoyed tea and Turkish delight as we sat at tables laid out with trays of supplies for each person, design templates to use as reference, and dozens of colors of glass pieces and beads for use in the mosaics. At the front of the room, there were also several completed mosaic lamps we could look at for inspiration. Each lamp was unique and they were so beautiful!

The instructors showed us where to find printed directions in our supplies, and they also walked around and gave us tips as needed. First, we laid out colorful glass pieces into the design templates on the tray in front of us. We could use about 3 bigger designs, or more if we went with smaller designs. We were able to use color combinations they had as examples, or we could build a totally custom color scheme for our lantern.

I had so much fun building the designs in the templates they gave us and choosing colors that would work best in my home. Then, when it was time to put the glue on the lamp and re-build the designs on the glass, my sweetheart took a turn. He did a good job with all the messy parts of the project! While he attached the glass pieces to our glass lamp, I made a few custom mixes of colorful glass beads that we could use as filler in between our designs.

I’m not sure how long the workshop was; I had so much fun that I literally lost track of time. I think we were there a little under two hours? When our lamp was fully decorated with glass pieces and beads, we were given the rest of our supplies to take home and finish after the glue dried for 12 hours.

So far, we have not yet grouted our lamp, which is the final and messiest step. The lamp is honestly so pretty that it almost doesn’t seem like it needs the grout, but I know that will help to keep everything firmly in place. We’ll do it one of these days.

Our beautiful mosaic lamp is already in its place of honor on my entrance-way table. I love it so much – the colors are exquisite and it’s even more fun knowing that we made this treasure together. I highly recommend the mosaic lamp workshop if you love arts, crafts and beautiful home decor you can make yourself!

The post This mosaic art workshop rocked my world! appeared first on Lewis Center Mom.

Spring is one of my favorite seasons.

The transition from Ohio’s cold winter weather to warmer days, sunshine and flowers is awe-inspiring!

I especially love the annual appearance of baby Canada geese, which always look to me like adorable little dirty tennis balls.

In fact, spring is one of the top reasons why I live here in the midwest instead of in sunny Cali with the rest of my family. I’m not sure I’d want to live in a world without springtime.

This year, the season is feeling especially spring-y for me because I’m in a new relationship. There’s just something about spring and new love that goes together as deliciously as peanut butter and chocolate.

I’ve been shopping a bit, too. Here are five curvy body approved things I’m loving this spring, which hopefully you might love, too!

1. This “milkmaid” style gingham dress from Target. I had been wanting a dress like this since they first became popular. When I saw this unique shade of gingham, I figured I’d give it a try. The dress is comfortable, flattering and there are pockets. It’s cleavage-enhancing, but I think it will still make a cute dress for church with a cardigan or denim jacket. It makes me feel like a pretty princess – two thumbs up!

2. Wal-Mart’s stunning light denim minidress. If you ever see me in this dress, you won’t believe for a second I got it at Wal-Mart. It is well-made, has pockets and fits like a dream. Although it’s called a minidress, it comes to the knee on me and I’ll definitely wear it for church. It’s one of my casual favorites for spring and will be perfect in all seasons with appropriate layers beneath or on top. Simply adorable!

3. These cropped barrel pants from the TikTok Shop. I got them in green with white stripes and went back for a second pair after both my daughter and boyfriend said they looked really good on me. I now also have them in brown with black stripes and love them just as much. Buy them in any and every color – they are comfortable, stretchy, fashionable and you can dress them up or down. I’m obsessed!

4. This popular spring dress from the TikTok Shop. It’s true to size, comfortable enough to be casual, and nice enough to wear to church or a wedding. Yes, of course it has pockets – and it’s made from cotton with a polyester lining. I have gotten compliments every time I’ve put my yellow dress on, and will likely get it in another color. But which one to choose?!

5. These affordable cropped fitted tees from Old Navy. They are the perfect tops to wear with any loose-fitting pants (love them with #3 above), but they are also great with skirts, shorts or layered under any kind of jacket. This tee is a basic wardrobe staple and you need it in several colors. I have it in black, white, hot pink stripe and slate blue. I probably could still use a couple more – it’s that perfect.

I know this post makes it seem like I’ve been on a shopping spree, but actually I’m trying to be really intentional about where and how I spend my money these days. These are five recent purchases that I am glad I made and feel good recommending. Alas, I’m not getting any kickbacks!

What are you wearing this spring? I’d love to hear in the comments below or over on Instagram or Facebook!

The post 5 things to love this spring appeared first on Lewis Center Mom.

Last year, I wrote about how sad I was to leave our beloved cat Galaxy behind when I moved to my new condo.

It made sense for Galaxy to stay there at the time, because she had a great life and three sunny floors to explore. We didn’t think she would adjust well to living in a smaller space; cats are notorious for hating change!

But Z and I missed her a ton, which is why we agreed to foster a small abandoned kitty a few days before Christmas. Z named our foster kitty Biggie Smalls because she was tiny.

At first, we weren’t sure if Biggie was a kitten or just an undersized and malnourished cat. After a few months of eating well and being pampered like a princess, Biggie put on some weight but never grew in size. Our vet confirmed that Biggie is just a really small adult cat. And she’s not only tiny, but perfect in every way!

Biggie is sweet, affectionate, playful and a talker. She made her home in Z’s room but also enjoyed roaming the condo and spending time in my home office at night while the dogs were confined to my room. Biggie loves people, but she doesn’t care for dogs, which is why we made the tough decision to find her a dog-free home rather than keep her.

Right around the time we realized that we needed to re-home our foster kitty Biggie, my co-parent began having some issues with his newly adopted cat, Toby, that he felt might be helped by having Galaxy come live with us. In addition, he plans to move soon, which means Galaxy has a big change in her future either way.

So, this month, we found a wonderful home for Biggie with a lovely family where she will be a cherished only pet. And, now that we know a dog-loving cat can work in our condo, we are more than ready to welcome our queen, Galaxy!

I’m so happy with the way all this worked out. Zoe gets her beloved pandemic kitty back – the cat who “saved” us during the Covid lockdown in 2020. Galaxy will get to reunite with her pack – she loves Dani and Lambo, and they adore her.

And, a lovely family in Cincinnati got Breezy, the kitty of their dreams, formerly known as our little foster, Biggie Smalls. From abandoned and starving on the streets to pampered only housecat – that’s the life Biggie deserves.

Saying goodbye to Biggie after three months together was hard for both Z and I, because we really had hoped to keep her. Still, once we wiped our tears, we realized it’s truly a happy ending for everyone.

And I can’t help feeling like I manifested bringing Galaxy home to Z and I by getting my beautiful neo-traditional cat portrait of Galaxy! This is not the first time I’ve manifested great things through tattoo; tattoos have powerful magic.

And so do cats!

The post Good news! Two beloved cats are getting new homes appeared first on Lewis Center Mom.

When I found myself needing a new home last summer, I decided on a condo rather than a house.

At 55, I knew I didn’t want to be tackling home and yard maintenance on top of my job and parenting duties. I also hoped to find a community of neighbors in similar life stages – divorcees, empty nesters, small families, etc.

And, I figured a community pool of our own would help sweeten this big lifestyle change for my teenage daughter.

When I found my Lewis Center condo, it was love at first sight for both my daughter and I. It’s a lovely ranch home in a serene setting with tons of nature and peaceful vibes.

The interior of our condo even has several unique architectural touches that remind me of my beloved former home in The Shores.

Buying a home solo for the first time was not without its challenges, but I persevered. In August 2025, this little condo became our home sweet home!

While I loved our home itself from day one, I was a little disappointed at first that our neighbors didn’t seem as friendly as I had hoped they would be. Thankfully, over time, we’ve befriended a few of our neighbors. One woman in particular has become a truly special friend to Z, our dogs and me.

But unfortunately, we’ve also experienced a particularly unkind form of neighbor harassment from our upstairs neighbors, and it’s been distressing enough at times to make me actually regret buying this beautiful home.

Before moving to a condo, I had of course considered that my daughter and I would have to learn to live at a slightly lower volume. Moving from a three-story home to one with adjacent neighbors means we can’t crank our music quite as loud as we once could! But that’s a sacrifice we were more than willing to make.

Unfortunately, as anyone with teens (especially teen daughters!) knows, there can still be loud moments in teen parenting. Once in a while, we argue – and occasionally, Z gets mad enough to yell pretty loudly. As a result, we got a noise complaint within our first several months – and two more early this year about loud yelling and dogs barking.

One of the most upsetting aspects of these noise complaints is that the complaining neighbor never once tried to address it with us or have a conversation about things. Instead, they went right to the HOA to lodge a formal complaint.

From the very first complaint, I knew immediately who had made it: our upstairs neighbors. Although we park right next to each other every day, these two women never look my way, make eye contact or wave hello in return when I say hello or good morning to them. Instead, they ignore me and look away – and they’ve doing this ever since the day we moved in.

Now, I’m not denying that Z and I can be loud at times. I wish it were not the case; it’s something I take very seriously, and we’re working on it.

But the unfriendliness, unkindness and complete lack of empathy we’ve seen from these upstairs neighbors is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. I’m literally starting to worry that they’re actually evil.

After the first complaint, I hand-wrote a very kind apology letter, including my phone number and email. I implored them to call, text or come say hi so that I could both apologize in person and learn how we can be quieter and better neighbors. For example, is it louder in the evenings or in certain rooms of their condo? I was eager to reconcile so that life could be more peaceful for both our households.

Unfortunately, just as these neighbors ignore my every “hello” and “good morning,” they also disregarded my letter. They continued to file noise complaints against us, resulting in a hearing for me with our condo board and a $50 fine. Fortunately, I was allowed to speak to the board on behalf of Z and I. Although it didn’t change the outcome, I’m still glad I was able to explain our side and share about the ongoing rudeness and unkindness of our upstairs neighbors.

I wish I could say it has gotten better. The other day, while Z was crying in her room and I was trying to help her get calmed down, one of these adult women yelled right into Z’s window, “Shut the f*#$ up, I’m sick of f@%$ing hearing it.” This is not only inappropriate language with which to address a distraught child, but also completely cruel and lacking in human decency.

Please send help. The situation is desperate and dire, and I have tried everything I can think of to be kind and befriend the women upstairs. If anyone has suggestions for how to reconcile with abusive, evil neighbors – I’m all ears.

The post Moving to this condo may have been a big blunder appeared first on Lewis Center Mom.