Karen Fancher

Karen Fancher
21 POSTS 28 COMMENTS
Karen Fancher is a “relapsed Pittsburgher.” Raised near Latrobe, PA, she studied pharmacy at Duquesne University but was lured away by the sunny skies of Florida shortly after graduation. She spent 10 years in Tampa, and during that time acquired an insightful daughter, a kindhearted son, a Midwestern husband and a spoiled cat (but not in that order). In 2010, the entire crowd relocated home to Pittsburgh. She is currently a professor in Duquesne University’s School of Pharmacy, where she teaches oncology. When she’s not on an adventure with her family, you can find her cooking, reading or daydreaming about musical legend Sting.

The Rise of the Lawnmower Parent

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It happened again this week. Several times, in fact. I’m a professor at a well-known local university, and my office is located directly across from the elevators. Because I maintain a literal “open-door” policy for my students,...

Things I Will Not Accomplish in 2018

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It’s time for my annual review at my job, which means I need to give some serious thought to setting realistic career goals for the next year.  I also set some personal goals at...

Family Movie Night with Tweens

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I’ve previously written about why I think it’s important to take kids to concerts, shows and public events.  This concept has carried over into our family movie nights as well – my husband and...

After Having Breast Cancer, October is Hard

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Last October, I wrote about being diagnosed with breast cancer.  I confessed that one of cancer's dirty little secrets is that many of us are not grateful that this disease happened to us and...

To the Parents of My Kids’ Friends

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And suddenly I find myself here again: at the beginning of another school year.  I’m not sure exactly when or how it happened, but I now have a daughter in eighth grade and a son...

Summer Reading: Great Library Activities

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I've previously written about some great kids' book series as well as some of our family's favorite single books for kids.  Still need some ideas to get your kids interested in reading?  Here are...

Summer Reading: Great Single Books

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My previous post detailed 4 great book series to get kids interested in summer reading.  What if your child isn't ready for or interested in an entire series?  Here are some of my family's...

Summer Reading: Great Book Series

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Summer is quickly approaching, but many school-age kids are already dreading the "summer reading" concept.  Why not introduce some great book series to get them hooked on reading for the entire summer break?  My kids (ages 13...

On Being a Groupie

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At Thanksgiving, the Pittsburgh Moms Blog contributors were asked to write what they were thankful for in a Facebook post. Most contributors wrote about their families, but I took the opportunity to turn in...

Why We Take Our Kids to Concerts and Shows

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Last fall, the popular all-male a capella singing group Straight No Chaser announced a Christmas show at the Benedum Center in December.  I had been eagerly awaiting the announcement, and happily circled the date...