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On Christmas Eve, December 24, 2025, at 41 years old, I found myself in bed, lying to men about where I lived.Well, sort of.Earlier that night, while my teenage kids were getting ready for bed, I scrolled through TikTok, pausing on a video from a woman who manually changed her…
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Brian “Rusty” Russino, Area Kitchen Operations Manager for The Cheesecake Factory. He oversees nine busy Southern California restaurants across Orange County and San Diego. It has been edited for length and clarity.I’ve spent more than 35 years in the restaurant industry…
As a working mom of four, life is often stressful. I balance multiple jobs, and it seems like someone in the family is either sick, has a school project due, or is going through teenage travails, which makes it difficult to find a cadence that provides balance and calm. I…
While working at Disneyland as a VIP tour guide for five years, I watched a lot of parkgoers have amazing experiences. However, I also watched visitors regret parts of their trip or wish they’d made different choices or better plans.Here are a few common mistakes I saw parkgoers make when…
I’ve never been much of a numbers guy. Until recently, my approach to money was what I’d call vibes-based accounting: save a bit each month, contribute to my 401(k), try to cook at home instead of ordering in, and occasionally ignore my better judgment in favor of martinis and Cos…
Shortly after getting married, my husband and I had the idea to rent out the spare room in our two-bedroom apartment to help rebuild our savings. Loading audio narration… We’d just spent a lot on our wedding and honeymoon, and reducing our biggest living expense meant we’d have more money…
