THE PILE HIGH CLUB by Alison Lebovitz Hello, my name is Alison, and I am a pile-oholic. It has been twenty-one days since my last pile and I truly believe that I am finally on a path towards a clutter-free life. When I was twenty-four and living in Chicago, my best friend took me to [...]

Balancing Act by Alison Lebovitz My closet has become a veritable three-ring circus. Every morning as I enter my not-so-big tent to get dressed, I wave to the animal print garments and faux-fur accessories surrounding me, nod approvingly at the crowd of shoes below me and then begin my daily high wire act. This precarious [...]

The Acne of Defeat by Alison Lebovitz They say with age comes a clearer understanding of the world around you. This may be true, but at this point I would settle for a clearer complexion of the skin around me. As a teenager I never had more than the occasional pimple, so I just don’t [...]

Dear Tooth Fairy by Alison Lebovitz Now that I am officially in my forties (okay, so I just turned forty-one), I am desperately hanging on to all of the things I took for granted when I was in my twenties and thirties – my wrinkle-free skin, my ability to function on less than seven hours [...]

Only the Lonely by Alison Lebovitz The third-born child had been living like a second-class citizen in his own home.  It was finally his chance to make a few decisions for himself and by himself without anyone interfering. This past summer, while our two oldest boys spent four weeks at overnight camp, our youngest son [...]

“AIM HIGHER” by Alison Lebovitz When it comes to my own children, instead of offering them a spoonful of sugar, I inject them with a healthy dose of reality. They want Mary Poppins, and I give them Dirty Harry. Our ten-year-old son, Arthur, is really into basketball these days. Actually, he is really into sports [...]

Nothing but the truth One of the best things about my husband, Alan, is that he is the most truthful person I know. And this has proven to be quite an asset in our marriage…most of the time. That’s because as much as I love an honest man, any honest woman will tell you that [...]

In praise of the gentle hygienist Something unusual happened at my last dental appointment—I cried. This might be a typical reaction for a lot of people when they go to the dentist, but it was definitely a first for me. And it happened before I even sat in the chair. The receptionist greeted me with [...]