Casandra Chesser
Cassy Fiano-Chesser was born and raised in Jacksonville, Florida, where she met her future husband, Matt. After he joined the United States Marine Corps, they were stationed at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, and weathered three deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan together, while she worked as a freelance writer. Their first son, Benjamin, was born in 2011, the day after Matt came home from Afghanistan. They soon got pregnant again, and learned their newest addition would have an extra chromosome! Wyatt was born in 2012 with Down syndrome, with Matt watching proudly from Afghanistan. Ivy (2013), Clara (2015), and Felicity (2017) rounded out the brood, until Lilly (2007) completed their big family through adoption.
From Toddlers to Teenagers, the Struggle is Real
From the earliest stages of motherhood, we all survive on the promise that it gets better. When we're home with a newborn, sleep-deprived and in pain, we dream about when that screaming baby will...
Picky Eaters, Be Gone! How to Raise Kids With Adventurous Taste
I have a confession: I am a reformed picky eater. When I was a kid, there were so many things I refused to eat: cabbage, squash, onions, asparagus, sour cream, broccoli, cauliflower... on and...
Holiday Parades and Events In and Around South Central PA
There is no shortage of fun things to do during the holiday season, and South Central PA is a great place to celebrate. But finding out what to do, when to do it, and...
You Actually Can’t Have It All: Accepting Reality in Motherhood
You know how the common culture tells us that we can have it all? We can take on motherhood, a career, marriage, great friendships, a perfect house, hobbies, pets... and still somehow be together...
Kids Eat Free (Or Cheap!) Guide in South Central PA
Let's face it: eating out as a family is... well, expensive. It's bad enough when there are only the two of you on date night, but when you're adding in a bunch of kids,...
Christmas Tree Farms in South Central Pennsylvania
Real vs. artificial debate aside, visiting Christmas tree farms across the South Central Pennsylvania area can be a fun holiday tradition for the entire family. But whether you're going for a family day trip,...
Taylor Swift’s ‘Midnights’ Saw Right Into My Middle-Aged Soul
I am not, and have never been, what anyone would consider a Swiftie. While I've always been a casual fan of Taylor Swift, it wasn't until the COVID-19 pandemic, and the twin releases of...