The Dirty on the Whole 30
Mid-January, my youngest daughter came to me and told me she wanted to do the Whole 30. Some people at school were doing it and she thought it would be good for her. I did some research and told her I would also do it so I could support her on this journey. There is...
A Monthly Experiment on the Compound Effect of Gratitude
Like many of you, I am the President and CEO of my household. It's not a role I was particularly interested in and not one I formally applied for, but I am certainly the most qualified one to hold the title. With me in the corner office, there is always toilet paper...
From Presence to Alchemy: My 2017 Word of the Year
This is my 10th year picking a Word of the Year (#OneLittleWord) as opposed to setting resolutions. I started off with buoyant in 2008, then flowed into courage ('09), be ('10), discipline ('11), impact ('12), transcend ('13), nourish ('14), strengthen ('15), and...
A Post-Election Letter to My Daughters About Not Being an A-hole and Keeping the Faith
Dear Daughters, You saw me cry the morning after the presidential election, and since I don’t often cry in front of you, I am sure that left you feeling at least a bit confused and helpless. While you were in school that day, I pulled myself together and worked to...
A Peace Treaty Between My Thighs and Me
These are my thighs. 99.8% of the time, they are covered up by shorts when I am at the beach. I don't really like wearing shorts at the beach—it's just something I've done since having...
This One’s For ALL the Daughters
I spent some time in DC this past week for my oldest daughter's basketball tournament. Let me tell you, it was both enlightening and also quite difficult to be in our nation's capitol during this election year. I spent a lot of time listening and not a lot of time...
A Note on World Events and Taking Things That Don’t Belong To You
When I was a little girl (little enough that I have no personal recollection of this story), I apparently stole a Weeble from a local store. I don't know what was going through my head at that time. I don't know if I asked for it and, after hearing "no," took it...
PRESENCE: My 2016 Word of the Year
There are few growth processes I enjoy as much as I enjoy picking out a word for the year. This was a tradition I started in 2008 and every year I go a little deeper and think a bit broader. Resolutions come and go (and most go unfulfilled)—these words become part of...
How I Dealt With a Personal Maelstrom—and You Can, Too
You guys, I haven't had a good, old-fashioned vulnerability post in a while, so here it is. Please read on and know that whatever you are going through at the moment—you can make it to the other side. I believe in you. I was writing this morning, as I have every day...
Helping Faith Grow Bigger and Fears Grow Smaller: Notes From the Studio
I taught an after-school class yesterday, as I do on a regular basis. In this class sat 13 fabulous girls in a small suburb outside of one of the most well-known cities in a mid-sized state in the northeastern part of the country. This time around, these girls range...
Some Quick Thoughts on Teenage Drinking and Parental Responsibility
I want to spend a few minutes today talking about teenagers, and maybe a little bit about parents. This post has been on my mind since last Friday, when we hosted approximately 24 freshmen boys and girls at our house. Honestly, I am going at this from a...
When Interior Design Makes You Feel All the Feels
If you know me, or have been following me on social media, you know that our house was ravaged by ice dams last winter and the majority of our time between May—September was spent repairing and renovating our home. It was a really trying time for all of us. Our house...