Emily
Emily Corak has spent the last three decades in the Pacific Northwest and prefers to live in Vancouver because parking in Portland terrifies her. A mom to two kids, ages 3 and 7, Emily has been an educator for the past decade and she currently works with middle school English language learners. She wasn't planning on becoming a mother, but she's glad she was so careless because it turns out she really likes being a mom. Most days.
Emily is now going back to school for her MFA in creative writing after deciding she had more to offer the world than breast milk and unsolicited grammar advice. When the world allows, she spends any spare cash on plane tickets, and she lives for books, tea, and all things Top Chef.
She occasionally writes about anything and everything that comes to mind, and you can find her work here: https://offbrandmusings.blogspot.com/
6 Things Saving This Vancouver Mom’s Sanity This Summer
We’re closing in on the last weeks of summer. The novelty is gone, everyone is home ALL THE TIME. The constant requests for snacks and my new role as referee have grown a little...
Surviving the End of the School Year
I just mapped out my calendar for the remainder of the school year, and holy jam-packed schedule, Batman! Is it the holidays all over again!? I have no tricks or tips to offer -...
8 Takeaways From My New Role as Stay-At-Home Mom
I left my job this year. After more than a decade’s worth of teaching high school and middle school, I took a leave of absence to make up for lost time with my kids....
The Winter Shift
I’ve felt a shift this season, one that’s been desperately needed for a long time. I don’t know whether it’s the upheaval of the pandemic, Glennon Doyle’s podcast, or maybe I’m finally old enough...
Look for the Helpers: Motherhood Edition
The year after my daughter came into the world was one of the loneliest years of my life. Not only did I feel isolated from my normal activities, but I was shrouded in postpartum...
The Lost Art of Fun
There’s a man standing in line just ahead my family and me at Skyzone. He looks to be maybe mid-fifties, patiently waiting, and he doesn’t appear to be with any children. Why, I wonder,...
Keep Learning Fun This Summer!
I know, I know. I can already hear the cries of protest that our kids need a break after the year that has felt like twelve years in one. But hear me out. My...
Screen Time Makeover: Adult Edition
Most parents I know have stressed over the amount of screen time our kids have logged this year. With online school and no playgrounds or friends for reprieve, TV and iPads helped fill the...
Can We Stop Talking About The Quarantine 15?
As the weather turns from gray and frigid and vaccinations are becoming more abundant, we are starting to emerge from our homes. Some of us are putting on real pants for the first time...
Burnout and Black Screens: Being a Teacher and Parent in a Pandemic
I spent a leisurely hour shopping at Trader Joe’s tonight while my husband puts our kids to bed. I’m not sure at what point a trek to the grocery store became “me time,” but...