Happy almost Summer Reader! If that greeting strikes a little terror into your heart, you're not alone. My kiddos have finals this week and have been home every afternoon. That means fielding emails and writing docs with them asking for snacks and telling me they're ALREADY BORED every 5 minutes! To say that my little introverted heart is panicking already is an understatement. I'm not actually worried about what to do with them. I'm secretly glad they're already bored. That's where the magic...
8 days agoΒ β’Β 5 min read
Hello Reader! This week's newsletter is for anyone feeling the rage right now. Someone pushed my buttons. I knew going in they were going to push my buttons. I tried to stay calm, I really did. I reframed, I breathed, I gave it my best shot. It didn't work. I came home, vented to my family, got the validation I was looking for. And then something else went wrong, directly related to the same person, and I found an outlet for my frustration and I used it. Without thinking about the human on...
22 days agoΒ β’Β 7 min read
Hello Reader! One of the thing I hate most about being sick is the break in our routine, including any good streaks we have going: 10,000 steps, eating fresh fruit, showering - just kidding π But we're sick again - yay! We actually dodged the spring break bullet most of my friends took but with one of my kiddos finishing up a big school project and the other in dress rehearsal this week for one play and auditioning for the next, it's been a LONG week already... So I decided to spend some of...
about 1 month agoΒ β’Β 7 min read
Hello Reader! I spent Easter weekend with extended family. There was so much love in the house: food being shared, kids playing, and stories being told. And underneath all that love? Fear. Fear dressed up as opinions about how others should live. Fear disguised as "concern" about choices family members were making. Fear hiding behind jokes and subtle digs and "to say the least..." Judgment was everywhere. And judgment is just fear with a mask on. Fear that someone else's different choice...
about 2 months agoΒ β’Β 8 min read
Hello Reader! Are some of us just born more negative than others? Or is it part of the protective patterns we learn to survive in today's world? Being negative can be a good thing. It kept our ancestors worried and safe enough to procreate down to us. It probably still keeps us safe today when we constantly assess risk and make the safe choice. But how much negativity is enough? Is it when it stops us from experiencing joy? Or pushes our loved ones away? Trying to find the balance on...
2 months agoΒ β’Β 8 min read
Hello Reader! Last week, we discussed how much agency we have and don't use. Now you're ready to do something but what do you do? I've noticed my kiddos really struggling with decisions lately. I don't remember obnoxiously-opinionated middle-school Kate having the same problem. (Apologies to my MS besties on this list! I'm probably less snarky and funny now but a lot nicer π) I think it's because we have sooo many more choices today. What to eat, what to listen to, what to watch - all day...
2 months agoΒ β’Β 10 min read
Hello Reader! My daughter recently did a report on Eleanor of Aquitaine and my historical fiction-loving heart was in hog heaven: research, costumes, and tiaras, oh my! Eleanor has always been one of my favorite women in history and I couldn't wait to share her story with my daughter: queen of England and France, literal crusader, and governing regent in multiple territories while her husband and son were away. A woman who wasn't afraid to go after what she wanted and apologized to no one for...
3 months agoΒ β’Β 9 min read
Hello Reader! I don't know if you all have noticed but everyone feels more stressed lately. If you're thinking, "Duh, Kate, have you not been paying attention to the world?" Then this week's newsletter is for you. We're exploring stress and all the bad and good things about it! Good Stress vs. Bad Stress: How to Tell the Difference The Truth About Stress Here's what nobody tells you: Not all stress is created equal. You've been told to "reduce stress" as if all stress is the enemy. But...
3 months agoΒ β’Β 8 min read
Hello Reader! Change is happening whether you consent or not. Your body regenerates cells. Your kids grow up. Technology evolves. The climate shifts. The question isn't whether things will change; it's whether you'll build the capacity to flow with it or fight against it until you break. I've been thinking about change a lot lately and the benefits of learning to accept it. Here are some ways to train your change muscle: Feel Stop avoiding the discomfort of change. Instead, lean into it for...
4 months agoΒ β’Β 5 min read