I turned 41 on December 22 (after being up all night with a sick kiddo. Hellllooo 40s!). Continuing a nine year tradition, here are my favorite things from my year of being 40. 1. Thanksgiving family photo. (Which also made my 38 favorites list!) 2. Apica CD11 notebooks. A long-time favorite notebook of mine to use as my journals. I tried something different when I needed a new journal this year, and almost immediately could not wait to return to my favorite. I stock up on these when I’m at BookPeople in Austin, or order them online. 3. Sleeping with... Read more →

On December 31 I completed the fourth year in my line-a-day journal. The next day I flipped to the front of the book to start the year again, and this year will complete my second five-year line-a-day journal. In keeping these little journals, a couple short sentences can take me back in time, and I can see past seasons with perspective. I remember starting last January feeling a bit worn out. Looking back over my line-a-day journal from last year it's no wonder. We were incredibly social over the holiday break, plus one kid had a sports practice (just no... Read more →

Every year I marvel at how fast a year goes but how much it holds. Before I look ahead to 2025 I'm reflecting on 2024, all that it held, and what I learned. I hope you're finding some time to reflect on that past year, and to set some intentions for the new year. If you'd like to reflect and set intentions with guidance in an encouraging workshop setting, Your Year to Shine is still open for registration. All the workshop content is available now and we'll have our first workshop meeting on Sunday, January 5. And now to reflect... Read more →

It's one of my favorite mornings of the year: coffee + pie for breakfast day! Chris even gifted me a quiet house by taking the kids out to a mall to shop for each other. (! have they ever even been to a mall??) On Black Friday! What a hero. November was a month with highs and lows. Since we last met for coffee, the big things in my life have been: + Getting a follow-up all clear ultrasound and mammogram (my first one) for which I'm very thankful. + Living through and processing a lot of feelings around the... Read more →

Friends, I'm thrilled to share with you that I'll be hosting Your Year to Shine: A Goals Workshop again for 2025! This workshop is a culmination of my many years of practicing and studying goal-setting, and having informal goal setting summits with friends. Your Year to Shine brings you everything I’ve learned about intentional goal setting in an encouraging, flexible, and cheerful way! Your Year to Shine registration is open and costs $159. After registration, you will be added to the private Substack group for the workshop and have access to all content when it becomes available. This year Your... Read more →

I'm so so happy to say hello to November. The weight of the long, hot summer (and fall) has lifted, and I'm glad the election is almost over. We are opening doors and windows, spending time outside, and I don't mind the early Christmas decor that has already popped up at the stores. A few life updates to share...one is hard, one is good, and one is exciting. In hard things lately, my dear friend was diagnosed with breast cancer, and she did a beautiful job sharing honestly on our podcast about what she is going through. If you are... Read more →

Hi, friends! I said "hello" to you in September and then was immediately subsumed by the very full season we've been living in. For the most part it's all been good things! For that I am thankful and keep reminding myself of that. But I'm also ready to catch my breath a bit, which I think I'm getting a chance to do. Just in time for Halloween and then the holiday gauntlet, right? In September and the first two weeks of October I dedicated a lot of time to my first Everyday Habits, Routines, and Rituals workshop -- and it... Read more →

Friends, the weather is really getting me down this year! It's been so hot. Even when the heat drags on at least we are usually in the low 100s or high 90s by this point. This year it's just a string of numbers over 105º week after week after week. Last week it was 112º. (Maybe it's going to break next week?) Although summer is stubbornly holding on, Maeve and Cedric saw the first geese of fall during the last week of August. The evenings are getting darker a little earlier and the mornings are at least less hot. For... Read more →

Hi, friends! This coffee date is brought to you by a pumpkin cream cold brew and a quiet early morning writing session, courtesy of our kids sleeping over with family (thank youuuu!). August was chock full, and also so so hot. Let's catch up a bit... Settling into routine We're over a month into our school year and I've started to notice that we're settling into routine. Our mornings are going smoothly and I'm really enjoying being back in a work routine. Our days are not without parenting challenges but I always really notice how good the routine of school... Read more →

We sailed past the year's half-way point in early July. At the time, I was too immersed in summer and preparing for my new workshop to reflect on my 2024 goals. But I don't want to miss the chance to check in. At the year's halfway point (or thereabouts) I can see where I'm making progress, and where I'm not. For goals I'm not making progress on I can decide if I'll commit to making them happen, perhaps with a different approach than I've tried before, or if it's time to let something go. So, let's check in! Here's an... Read more →