Happy New Year Reader! Last week I ended my email to you with a PS that I wouldn't be sending more emails because I was lying on the couch, reading books and eating Christmas cookies. THAT WAS A LIE. I didn't mean for it to be. I had every intention of parking my rear under our new, faux Minky blanket and tearing through my new Louise Penney. But, then I started thinking about the returns I needed to make, and the fact I hadn't checked my email in a week, and that we had visitors coming and I...
3 months ago • 4 min read
Hey Reader! When I was in my 20s, I wrote a resolutions list that, no joke, included the following. No boyfriend -> Find soul mate. No job -> Find fulfilling job. In debt -> Get out of debt and start saving. Too big -> Lose 25 pounds. Living at home -> Find place of own. No friends -> Make new friends. First, oh, my love. ❤️ I'm sending this past Kara so much grace because it was a seriously hard time in my life - I was living with my parents after traveling the world for a year and re-entry...
3 months ago • 1 min read
Hey Reader! I've bought a lot of great things this year (this pair of jeans, this line of make up, this vacuum), but, hands down, the best money I spent was on our Brick. If this is new to you, a Brick is a small, square technological wonder you can mount on your fridge (or hide in a drawer) to block apps on your phone. I am not exaggerating when I say my social media scrolling is down to almost zero. NADA. ZILCH. NOTHING. And, I've tried a lot of different apps, but there was always an easy...
3 months ago • 2 min read
Hey Reader! I say this a lot, but it's especially important at this time of year: You are a human being, not a robot. I know, I know! It feels so damn good to tick all the boxes and hit your Martha Stewart marks. That is, until you fall apart in the grocery aisle at Trader Joe's because they're out of Kringle and now what are you supposed to feed everyone on Christmas morning?!?! Well, I'm here to make you feel better about your non-droid status and share just a few of the ways I'm woefully...
4 months ago • 2 min read
Hey Reader, A couple of years ago, right before the holidays, I found myself at a gas station, SCREAMING at a guy in a pick up truck because he'd cut me off to get to the pump first. Now, listen, it was a dick move. Everyone around me agreed, he'd taken the spot that was RIGHTLY MINE. #vindication Did he deserve a freak out lecture on how his BLATANT INSENSITIVITY meant I would, most likely, never feel Christmas Magic or enjoy a gingerbread latte again? Probably not. But, at that point, my...
4 months ago • 3 min read
Hey Reader! I've been so grumpy about the holidays coming. Normally, by this point in the season, I'd be fully decked in jingle bells with Michael Bublé Christmas music oozing from my pores. Instead, I've been like Grumpy Elf over here, downing Peppermint Jojos and grumbling about the price of Scotch tape. Well, this weekend I had a remarkable turnaround and it's all due to...The Jonas Brothers. Now, in the spirit of full disclosure, I should tell you "Summer Baby" was my #1 most listened to...
4 months ago • 1 min read
Hey Reader! In a twist of events, for the first time in maybe ever, I actually had an email scheduled ahead of time to go out. 🤪 And then the past week and a half happened. Suddenly, talking about how much my joy levels have increased because of my recent digital organization spree felt trite, irrelevant, and grossly inappropriate. There’s been so much pain, grief, terror, and heartache to process that it has felt irresponsible to do anything other than bear witness, mourn, and try to...
over 2 years ago • 5 min read
Hey Reader! This past weekend, Chris and I went to a farm dinner with a couple of our besties, which was ridiculously fun and over-the-top. Basically, you show up to a farm where they serve you (literal) farm-fresh drinks while the farmer gives you a tour of where your dinner is coming from. Then a chef makes a ridiculously delish dinner while you sit at a table, chatting with 40 other guests. It's totally bougie-y and kind of ridiculous (what do you wear to dinner in a field?), but was a...
over 2 years ago • 4 min read
Hey Reader! I feel like all I’ve been doing is walking around and saying how fast this summer has gone by. But, it has! And I’ve been feeling guilty because we “haven’t done enough”, never mind the various trips, pool days, Uno matches and play dates with friends. My brain keeps going back to the fact we haven’t checked off everything on our Summer List. What’s that? Well, every season, the kids and I make a list of what we want to be sure to fit in. Some of them are bigger - see...
over 2 years ago • 2 min read