On our annual podcast retreat this past weekend, Erica and I took a walk through the woodsy neighborhood where we stayed. During the walk I asked, "So what's the rock in your shoe lately?" We had a good conversation, each answering the question and brainstorming solutions to our own rocks. I liked the question so much I wanted to share it here. Here's the thing about a metaphorical rock in your shoe: it's not an emergency but it causes just a bit of friction or discomfort on a daily basis. You can get by with a rock in your shoe... Read more →

It's time to say goodbye to 2022. I'm in an end-of-year contemplative mood and am enjoying listening to podcast episodes and reading blog posts reflecting on the year. There are so many highlights and changes to celebrate from this past year. Some of the good changes brought challenges too, like relocating to a new city for a month and being out of our routines, living through a whole-home renovation, and keeping up with an ever-changing toddler and our big boys. Reflecting on the past year helps me to see and celebrate growth and accomplishments, big and small. This practice also... Read more →

(My blog host, Typepad, is having some issues and photos aren't loading. Hopefully I can add photos soon!) It's cloudy, blustery, and chilly today – delightful! Hello, November indeed! We had a fun Halloween on Monday night with the cutest little kitty and two deathly ghoul boys. Chris and I dressed up as a PB&J! We trick or treated with neighbor friends for part of the evening. Then, winding our way home, the boys I did a long loop by ourselves. There had been some big emotions and costume frustration just before we left the house as there always is... Read more →

September 2016 / April 2020 / September 2022 Chris and I love to plan for and talk about the future. But whenever we talk about a certain year and what we might be doing then I'm always asking, "So what grades will the kids be in then?" or "How old will we be?" Knowing those things gives me an anchor when peering into the future. Because otherwise all I can see are my 9, 7, and 2 year olds and I just picture myself older but still in the same season of parenting: playground sand dumped from shoes onto the... Read more →

Hello from the other side of a two-week fall break for the boys and from the downhill side of October! Just this week we can open the doors in the morning to let the cool air in and I pulled my favorite golden yellow cardigan from the closet. Instead of trying to catch up on October goals I thought I'd write a post in the style of the coffee date posts that Lindsay on Pinch of Yum shares occasionally and which I always enjoy. A coffee date is best started with coffee. Currently I'm brewing about 6 cups of coffee... Read more →

This post is also available in podcast format in which I read the post. Search for "rising shining" on most podcast platforms and subscribe! Around June I remember thinking that I should write one last pandemic check-in post since it seemed that life was heading back to normal. All the adults in my family and many friends were fully vaccinated. New cases numbers for our county seemed to be holding steady in the low hundreds, which was a significant improvement from making headlines in the New York Times as a hot spot months earlier. Mask requirements were significantly eased in... Read more →

Here's a fun perk of having a blog and podcast: when I want to ask lots of people for advice I have a way to do that! The title of the post says it all. We are seriously considering buying a second home in the Midwest. We are in the early stages of researching where that might be and I would love input from my readers and listeners who live in the Midwest or have spent enough time there to give advice. But first let me give you some more context: for a few years Chris and I have talked... Read more →

I'm sitting alone in a quiet, empty house. It is a revelation. The revelation is not only the fact of these hours today but that this will happen again later this week. And again next week. For the first time since early March 2020 my weeks will have some predictability, routine, and, most importantly, consistent time to myself. I think it's the beginning of a new season. I don't think I've ever experienced such a long stretch of time with so little dependable time to myself. Simultaneously I've been navigating demanding emotional and physical challenges. There's been the anxiety over... Read more →

Usually I'm a glass half-full kind of gal but lately it's been easier for me to see what's not working rather than what's going really well. A recent post by Sarah reflecting on what's great versus what's hard inspired me to write my own reflection. When one or a few things are hard in life I can use that paintbrush to color everything. Taking a step back to be more precise about what's hard and, importantly, what's not hard helps me to stop globalizing. Challenging + Very limited time to work or "time off." Essentially I feel like I'm trying... Read more →

Inspired by... creating content for my RISING*SHINING audioblog and the lovely comments I've received from listeners. Thank you! My goal this year was to produce audioblog content for the months of April and October but now I'm wondering if I can keep it up regularly. I'm not ready to fully commit to that but I'm percolating the idea. Purchased... summer capsule wardrobe items like another pair of my favorite Patagonia quick-dry shorts, two tank tops, and swim shorts. I also bought the percale sheets from Brooklinen I've been eyeing for awhile. I am obsessed with them! They're soft yet cool... Read more →