Have you ever taken time for some rest and relaxation and had it go terribly awry? Like many of you, we took some time this weekend to unwind and ended up spending it very differently than we had originally planned. As a start to the weekend, my hubby and I entered our first 5K. While […]
Overwhelmed? 6 Steps to more peace-of-mind
August 20, 2012 By 69 Comments
The race is on again for a new week, and you and your mind are running at top speed, full out, and it’s not even 9:00am on Monday morning. Hubbie. House. Job. Laundry. Clean clothes. Ironed clothes. Lunches. Kids. Backpacks. Missing homework. Missing sports equipment. Get in the car. Let’s GO. We’re going to be […]
5 Secret Paths to the Heart of Your Family
August 13, 2012 By 24 Comments
Have you showered your family with expressions of your love, only to be left gasping in surprise after they’ve responded with an upended bucket of cold water? Welcome home, honey! I did the laundry, cleaned the house, and we’re having your favorite dinner. Go sit and relax for a bit, and I’ll hold the kids […]
Hearts and homes made new
July 23, 2012 By 29 Comments
You just had the MOST. AMAZING. EXPERIENCE. EVER. And you just can’t wait to tell your friends and family about it, because you know they will want to join you next time, once they hear how AWESOME it was. As you enthusiastically explain, they look at you as though you are crazy, that there can’t […]
An important lesson from a toe-curling adventure
July 16, 2012 By 17 Comments
I could tell you our lives have been in minor upheaval for months and we are just beginning to see normal again. You might nod your head in understanding, as you’ve been through those seasons, too, where routines just fall by the wayside. As a consequence, we often find ourselves dealing with something more time-consuming after […]
When there’s a fork in the road, eat croissants
July 9, 2012 By 50 Comments
Don’t you just delight in the sweet, sweet taste of summer family vacations, where joy and laughter are generously slathered over every moment of the day and sprinkled with children playing happily together, their delightful voices adding perfectly delectable notes to each and every deeply satisfying day? What’s that? Are you saying that […]
“I saw the lake first!”
and other treasured family traditions
July 2, 2012 By 17 Comments
“I see the lake, I see the lake!” Every year, my six siblings and I would crowd and elbow one another as we jockeyed for the coveted spot in the Volkswagon bus so we would be the first to see Shadow Lake as we drove the final stretch of narrow, winding road to my grandparent’s summer […]
3 Simple changes to grow a happier family
June 25, 2012 By 36 Comments
You carefully prepare the soil and plant two identical gardens. In the first, the little seedlings are nurtured, fertilized, mulched and weeded with an abundance of love, patience and attention. The other plot gets nothing from you except for an occasional condemnation: “Why can’t you grow up big and strong like your sibling?” Oh, fine. […]
10 Lessons in happiness from a yard sale
June 18, 2012 By 39 Comments
Have you ever thought that your idea of happiness would be to spend a week’s vacation preparing for and holding a yard sale? That you would be just beside yourself with delight at digging through boxes that hold years of foolish purchases, projects you were going to do, and clothes you bought and never wore? […]
When little is big
June 11, 2012 By 22 Comments
It’s a conundrum, really. How can something little actually be bigger than it initially appears? Well, consider this: Have you ever helped a friend with something simple, perhaps picking up something at the grocery store, and they gushed with appreciation? Have you ever given a small gift that the recipient treasured more than it’s actual […]
