Mom Behind the Curtain

every mom wants to be an all-powerful wizard

Where should I go to college?

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Where should I go to college? Thousands of seniors across the United States are asking that question right now. And one of them is in my house! Our youngest child is in the process of applying to college. Since this is our third round, I’ve learned a few things going through this process. If you’re as old as I am, you might be shocked to learn that most kids these days apply to between 6 – 12 colleges. If you don’t know where to begin, through my research and experience I’ve got a few guidelines to help get started with a college application list that won’t end up with your kid living in your basement after graduation.Where should you go to college? Some guidelines to point you in the right direction.

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Why does a university or college cost so much?

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There’s no other way to look at it, the cost of a university or college education is high! Even though we knew it was high and getting higher, we were still shocked by how much tuition increased in just the two years between when our oldest started college and our second child started the same college. Why does college or a university education cost so much? Where does all that money go?illustration of the high cost of college - piggy bank with graduation cap…

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The New York Times is to blame for the increase in college anxiety

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You probably expect me to say something about how reading the New York Times is bad for our children. Maybe you think it’s too liberal when it should be unbiased. But what I’m concerned about is their hiring practices. In this, they share the blame with other companies that try to prove how great they are because they like to brag that they hire graduates of elite universities. So what’s the problem? Why do I care where the New York Times looks to hire if I don’t want a job with them? Whey should you care?New York Times hiring practices perpetuate the myth of elite universities and increase college anxiety. Yet another company that builds up its own reputation at the expense of our children, according to research at Harvard and Stanford.

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Best drugstore mascara for length and volume – an expert’s real review

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Looking for the perfect mascara that won’t break the bank? The best mascara for length and volume? Your teen might have the idea that she needs to shop at Ulta or Sephora to get the best mascara. But my teens and I have tried expensive luxury mascaras and haven’t been impressed by them. Unfortunately, even trying different brands and types of “drugstore brand” mascara – mascaras at Target, the grocery store, or the drugstore – is expensive too! A few months ago, Target had a beauty box of several full size mascaras, so one of my teen daughters tried all of them at a fraction of the cost. Here, you can get her real reviews of all the best drugstore mascaras – the best to lengthen, to volumize, and the best waterproof mascara.

Best Drugstore Mascara - No need to shop at Ulta or Sephora to get the best masacara. My teen says the best drugstore mascara is better for length and volume! She reviews Maybelline Falsies Volum' Express mascara, Covergirl Lash Blast Volume, Neutrogena Healthy Volume Waterproof, L'Oreal Voluminous Original, Maybelline Great Lash, and L'Oreal Lash Paradise. Find out which is best!#mascara #makeupWhere can you find the best mascara

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Frozen 2 official trailer – Let it Go! There’s a new Frozen movie to sing about

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There’s a new official preview for Disney’s Frozen 2! Are you looking forward to it’s release? Have you caught the Frozen Fever? Or maybe you still hear the refrain in your head “Let it go! Let it go!…” and you just want to “LET IT GO!” BUT – the first teaser trailer completely changed my mind. The graphics are A-mazing. And the newest official trailer has given us more to look forward to. Plus, find out about the cast! And a new Frozen 2 poster is out!

Frozen 2 Poster and official trailer. Elsa and Anna standing in a misty woods.

Image from Disney Studios

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What the college admission scandal reveals – secrets colleges don’t want you to know

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The ongoing legal proceedings of celebrities like Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman are keeping  the college admissions scandal. and college admissions in general, in the news. It spotlights practices in the college admissions process that elite schools don’t want you to know. But their secrets are out! And they don’t just affect students applying to elite colleges. You might be thinking (or hoping) that the college admissions scandal has no affect on your child, but it does. The college admission practices of elite schools affect just about every child in school – every child in America.

Admissions scandal reveals secrets colleges don't want you to know. How does it affect your child and how can you protect them?…

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Is homework beneficial?

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Is your family on the hamster wheel of school, endless homework, and sports, sport, sports? Are you having a hard time keeping up? Are your worried your kids aren’t getting enough sleep? Are you wondering if there could be such a thing as too much homework? But are you worried that if you don’t your kids won’t get into a “good” college without all the AP classes? Does your kid feel like the little hamster on the wheel, running and running and running – but getting no where but tired? Get some answers in this post!

Is your kid on the homework hamster wheel? What are the effects of too much homework? The emotional effects of too much homework? Sleep deprivation in students The pros and cons of AP classes How many AP classes should you take?…

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How the college admissions scandal affects the rest of us

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I’m still following the college admissions scandal. I can’t look away. Not because I’m interested in the personal tragedies of the celebrity families of Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman, but because of what it reveals about the college admission and selection process. You might be thinking (or hoping) that the college admissions scandal has no affect on your child, but it does. And it doesn’t just affect those students planning on applying to elite colleges. The college admission practices of elite schools affect just about every child in school – every child in America.

You might be thinking (or hoping) that the college admissions scandal has no affect on your child, but it reveals a process that affects every child. - Main Building on the University of Texas at Austin campus

Main Building (or The Tower) on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin against a cloudy sky. This clock tower was completed in 1937 and is a main focal point of the campus.

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What are you willing to do to get into your dream college?

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Georgetown University - one of the universities connected to college admissions fraud. How far would you go to get into your dream college?How far are you willing to go to get into your dream college? What would you do for your kids to get them into their dream college? Pretty far, is the answer for parents charged in a nation-wide federal probe that was exposed yesterday. What does it mean for you?…

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Is Disney’s 2019 Aladdin movie scary for kids?

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Will Disney's live action 2019 Aladdin be a great family movie or too scary for kids? See the official trailer! Disney Aladdin Poster #Aladdin

Photo from Disney Studios

Aladdin is joining the ranks of Disney movies adapted to live action in 2019. I’ve got mixed feelings about the the trend of adapting beloved animated movies to live action. On one hand, it takes away from the story-book quality of the animated originals. And will it be too scary for children? But on the other, oh my goodness! The gorgeousness! (My first thought after writing that sentence is that “gorgeousness” must not be a word. But spell-check allowed it. Then thinking some more, of course it’s a word! But I probably didn’t use it in an entirely grammatically correct way. The editor in me isn’t really happy with that. But I’m going to leave that way.)…

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