Posts By: MJ Pullen

M.J. Pullen is a distracted writer and the mom of two boys in Roswell, Georgia, where she is absolutely late for something important right now. Her books include quirky romantic comedies and playful women's fiction. She blogs erratically with writing advice, random observations, and reflections on raising very loud kids and dogs. Join her Distracted Readers newsletter list for updates, free content, giveaways and more.

Manda’s Wine and Queso Diet (Sugar Detox Day Eight)

posted on 03/31/2014

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As I mentioned on Friday, I spent the weekend at a Bachelorette Party in the mountains. At the bride’s request, this was not a frilly limo-tour of bars with fruity cocktails and male dancers, or even an extravagant spa weekend; but two nights in a rustic cabin down a muddy road with a relaxed foray […]

Sugar Detox Day Four Plus – Pass the Whine

posted on 03/28/2014

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The sugar detox has been going on since Monday, and I started feeling some of the less pleasant effects Wednesday evening (post-blog). A headache, annoying but not severe, hovering around my temples. It felt like a dehydration or caffeine withdrawal headache, except I’d been pounding water and I’d had a couple of cups of coffee […]

Sugar Detox Day Three – Pantry of Doom

posted on 03/26/2014

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Passover is coming up in a few weeks, a time where Jewish households everywhere will scour their pantries, refrigerators and even freezers to root out all the chametz (usually defined as anything containing grain or leavening agents of any type, with the notable exception of matzah). It’s sort of a short, religiously-based Atkins diet. Whatever […]

Sugar Detox Day Two – Harder than it Sounds

posted on 03/25/2014

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First off, I want to thank everyone for the support on my Sugar Detox adventure. Since last night’s post, I’ve been amazed at all the kind comments and private messages you guys have sent me. SO many people, women in particular, seem to have had similar and scary chest pain/ER experiences. Some of these turned […]

Sugar Detox Day One – Why I’m Here (and Trying to Stay that Way)

posted on 03/24/2014

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My friend Meghan at Merge Into Health recently drugged me and forced me to sign up for convinced me to try her 10-Day sugar detox program. I’ve been trying off and on for years to eat better and lose weight, with only marginal success. Something always gets in the way: I slip and fall headfirst […]

Corned Beef, Consignment Sales and Working from Home

posted on 03/19/2014

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Happy St. Paddy’s – a couple of days late! This year I made corned beef and cabbage for the first time, and it was painfully delicious. Painful because, well, it’s not exactly health food, is it? But soooo good. I don’t know exactly where my ancestors are from (though I suspect many are from the […]

Graduating from Parenting Basic (a.k.a Officially Going Over the Edge)

posted on 03/12/2014

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Before you have kids, people will tell you that parenting will change your life, and push you to your limits. Especially the parents of young children, who will grab your arm in the grocery store or at parties and hiss out warnings, as though they’ve escaped temporarily from an institution and want to make sure […]

German Translation of The Marriage Pact Coming Soon!

posted on 03/11/2014

I got a note today from the translator of The Marriage Pact into German that the initial translation is finished, which is such a thrill! She said that she laughed a LOT while reading/translating the book, which made me enormously happy. [Incidentally: Best compliments you can give a writer: “I stayed up all night to […]

Name My Minivan

posted on 03/06/2014

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Does your car have a name? Mine usually do. Cars are important to me – they symbolize freedom and loud music, time to think and time to talk, and so much more. Whether it’s writer’s block or depression or a baby who refuses to nap, for me the answer can often be found in a […]

Vanity Wins in the End?

posted on 02/27/2014

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We have an enormous, steep staircase at our house that goes from the upstairs landing to the front door. It was one of the first things that attracted me to this house when we bought it a year ago, so lovely and open, with hardwood steps and iron rails. It didn’t occur to me then […]