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1 month ago | 
celesteyvonne.substack.com | Celeste Yvonne
This year, in preparation for winter, I got a fancy snowblower for our driveway. Although it was a hefty investment, I assured myself that the hours it would save us from shoveling the driveway would make it well worth it. While we had a few light flurries this winter, the snow on our driveway never stuck. The snow blower sits in our garage as new as the day we unboxed it, albeit with a gentle coating of dust, and I can’t help but think about where that money could have gone instead.
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1 month ago | 
celesteyvonne.substack.com | Celeste Yvonne
Our kids are listening. They hear you talk about what you really think about their school teacher. They know what you say about their aunt when you leave the family gathering. The Sober Mom Challenge is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. They know what you think about someone who looks or acts differently because they heard the way you giggled or sneered about that person in the grocery store.
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1 month ago | 
celesteyvonne.substack.com | Celeste Yvonne
Great news! My audiobook is now available! This process took a year and a half, and so many of you asked for an audio version; I’m thrilled to finally share the news. Order now!Is it just me, or does life feel like the final scene of Thelma & Louise right now… minus the happy hoots and hollers? The Sober Mom Challenge is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
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2 months ago | 
celesteyvonne.substack.com | Celeste Yvonne
I have INCREDIBLE news! My audiobook will be available on February 18th! This process took a year and a half, and so many of you asked for an audio version; I’m thrilled to finally share the news. Preorder now!The other day, I was chatting with my friend Amy, who started a new job about six months ago.
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2 months ago | 
celesteyvonne.substack.com | Celeste Yvonne
(Written on Dec. 19, 2017. Day 1)I'm a wino mom, for sure. A glass of Merlot as soon as the clock strikes five. By bedtime, the bottle's empty and I'm either drunk or damn close. Some nights are better than others. If I have a big day scheduled for tomorrow, I'll take it slow or hold off altogether. But other nights, the goal is to get drunk. Period. Don't play that "glass of wine or two" shit on me. I don't even want to drink if that's all I can have. This booze thing...
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Jan 14, 2025 | 
celesteyvonne.substack.com | Celeste Yvonne
Is there a feeling more violent and manipulative than mom guilt? The guilt of never feeling like I am enough for my children. It is the hardest weight to carry. No mother is immune to this feeling. Working moms feel it. Stay-at-home mothers feel it. Many moms drink to numb it, but it always comes back and with a vengeance. Keep reading with a 7-day free trialSubscribe to The Sober Mom Challenge to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.
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Dec 31, 2024 | 
celesteyvonne.substack.com | Celeste Yvonne
Earlier this month, I traveled to Las Vegas to record the audiobook for my reflective nonfiction book, It’s Not About the Wine: The Loaded Truth Behind Mommy Wine Culture (better late than never). My book came out over a year ago, and it’s been even longer since I read it cover to cover. Reading it again in a short three-day span was enlightening, especially as my sobriety continues to help me heal. The Sober Mom Challenge is a reader-supported publication.
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Dec 17, 2024 | 
celesteyvonne.substack.com | Celeste Yvonne
The holiday season seems like the worst time of year to quit drinking alcohol, and yet that is exactly what I did a week before Christmas seven years ago. We were attending 1-2 holiday parties a week that year, and that third weekend before Christmas, we managed to fit in three. The Sober Mom Challenge is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
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Dec 3, 2024 | 
celesteyvonne.substack.com | Celeste Yvonne
It is not even 6 AM, and as I scroll through social media on Thanksgiving morning, I already see a post showing a tray full of Mimosas, a TikTok of a flowing mimosa fountain, and a meme about using alcohol to survive a day with extended family. Sometimes, I get stuck here, in this visceral pang somewhere between nostalgia and defeat. That fickle feeling of deprivation tickles my chest with visions of what could have been, mulling the possibilities. But I don’t stay here.
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Nov 19, 2024 | 
celesteyvonne.substack.com | Celeste Yvonne
“I wonder if this is how normal feels.”Several drinks in, I remember the feeling of warmth, the confidence oozing from me. My anxiety melted away and I felt like the most beautiful, capable girl in the room. I wish I could say this is how it felt the first time I drank. But in fact, this is how I felt every time I drank. I felt like a different person – a better person, dare I say.
