Dawn Downes
Hey, y’all! I’m Dawn – a native Tennessean who could not wait to escape the small town for the big city. After attending a women’s college in Atlanta, I took root there and stayed. One marriage, two homes, two kids, and 25 years later, here I am, back in Tennessee. My husband moved here in January of 2016 to start a new job while our two boys, Brendan (born 2003) and Beckett (born 2006), and I stayed behind to finish the school year and sell our house. We arrived in July 2016 and have been working to make a happy new home here since then. We love living on the North Shore and I am enjoying finding unexpected beauty and little joys throughout our new city. I am also mama to fur babies, Josie the Rhodesian Ridgeback/Lab mix, and Miller, a sweet orange and white tabby cat. I'm into art, movies, music, TV, pop culture, nerdy stuff like Doctor Who and Game of Thrones and I know more than my share about the DC Universe, Pokemon, Minecraft, Battlefield, and all things LEGO thanks to having two boys.
So Your Teenager Wants a Car: Some Things to Keep in Mind
There’s nothing quite as simultaneously exciting and nerve-wracking as having a new teen driver in the family. The only thing I can think of to compare it to is that period when your baby...
Secrets of Successfully Raising a Responsible Teenager
With two teenage boys living under my roof, I’ve been thinking a lot about how prepared they are to go out into the world. It has especially been on my mind as my husband...
Dear Girl: A Letter to My Younger Self as I Look at 50
In a mere 10 days, I will celebrate my 50th birthday.
Back when I thought I knew everything, I believed I’d never shy away from my age or sharing it with others. But now?...
It’s Almost Halloween! Have You Boo’ed Your Neighbors Yet?
It's late October! Just a week left until Halloween! Have you boo'ed your neighbors yet? No...I don't mean have you shouted guttural sounds of disapproval and uttered disparaging remarks about their mamas. I'm asking if...
Don’t Forget the Single Mamas: 5 Ways to Support Single Moms
I have a confession.
My husband used to travel a lot. He’d sometimes be gone for nearly a month at a time. More than once I found myself saying to friends that I was “single...
Diversify Your Self-Worth
Becoming a mother takes a toll on a woman’s self-worth.
From anecdotal evidence to a 2017 Norwegian study that analyzed information gathered from 85,000 women, it’s clear that many women experience a hit to their...
To the Kindergarten Mama
Hey there, Mama! I bet you're excited. Maybe a little nervous, too, if you're being honest. That's okay. Your little one is about to start Kindergarten in a few weeks and be at school...
Blue Mind: Chattanooga’s Gift to the Muddled Mama
Most mothers carry a tremendous burden around with them constantly – the weight of mental labor. Mental labor, or invisible labor, is the burden of the unseen, unrecognized tasks, thought processes, and effort of...
Letting Your Kids Find Their Faith
A few months ago I began working in a church. I love it. I love it, in large part, because it gives me an opportunity to see faith in action, and because it exposes...
Why Didn’t Anyone Tell Me? I’ll Tell You Why…
This is not a post I wanted to write, but one I feel obligated to write. Trust me when I tell you that much of what I share here and my candor – or...