My husband and I get to celebrate our tenth wedding anniversary this year. It seems like just yesterday and yet, forever–in a good way. After ten years, raising three teenagers and launching them into adulthood, running a business, and pursuing higher education, it has been very easy for us to get sidelined into sleepwalking through life. At least a couple of times a year, I remind us that we “miss” each other, that we need to connect on a deeper level. One of those times is for our anniversary. I’ve put together a short reminder list for intentional anniversaries. It’s pretty simple. Prepare. Intention requires preparation. Make sure you have…

Most of us trudge through the grocery stores on a scant amount of time each week and throw things in our cart hoping for the best. Or, we find ourselves shopping by the scattered list in our purse or on our phones. There’s a handful of us that yearn for the yester years to plant a garden each year in hopes to source quality foods for our family. Yet in our hectic busy lives it seems that both of these are a challenge for most with either not enough time or too many weeds!  Therefore we wanted to take a moment to look at some alternate ways to source good…

This year marks my transition into an empty nest. And, I’ll be honest, I am ready in some ways, and, so not ready in others. As I write, one child will be officially moving out in less than ten days, and the other is making plans to leave before the end of the year. Contemplating the inevitableness of their departure, I have found myself thinking about some of the purposes of family traditions. Here are just a few: Family traditions convey values. As a family who tries to live grounded in our faith, the precepts and guidance provided in the Bible should always influence our traditions. These values support how…

There are many benefits of drinking water. Drinking water gets rid of toxins in our body, we feel better overall, and it improves our mood. I personally can attest that drinking enough water helps my muscles to not be as sore. Since our bodies are at least 80% water, we need to keep replenishing ourselves. Most experts indicate we should drink 8-10 glasses of water a day. Sounds like a lot! Here are a few helpful tips to drink more water are: Get yourself a really cool reusable water bottle that you like. Not only will you be helping the environment by reducing plastic bottle use, but you’ll save yourself…

In an age of information overload, one of the most difficult tasks entrepreneurs face is deciding the who, what, when, how, and where of communication with clients and customers. And, in our mad rush to utilize the newest and greatest forms of digital communication, we often forget the basics that support good communication across contexts. Below, I’ve outlined a few basics we should never forget in communicating with clients and customers, or really anyone!  Listen. Good communication starts with listening. As entrepreneurs, we need to listen to understand, rather than to respond. What do my clients or customers need or expect? How can I best serve them? Adjust. We live…

Twenty four hours in a day—how do you spend your time? A great number of our days are spent sleeping, working and running the household. Most days pass by without a moment spent outdoors other than getting from your vehicle into the next building. Statistics are staggering at the actual amount of time we spend indoors focusing on our phones, TV or games. In addition, new conditions are surfacing daily from the time spent on technology such as neck problems, hand issues and more. There is a whole big, beautiful world and we each are missing so much of it.  Finding time to get outdoors does wonders for a person’s…

When it comes to health during the heat of summer some logical things come to mind. I bet you’re all thinking: drink lots of water and wear sunscreen. Of course, this works best if we remember to drink and reapply sunscreen throughout the day. Both good ideas. However, along with that we also need to take breaks if working outdoors and try to maximize shade time. We can shade both our heads and eyes by wearing a hat or visor and sunglasses. If you’ve ever had a sunburn on your head it hurts!! Great reason to cover it!  Try wearing long sleeved shirts. And, no I’m not talking about the…

Is there anything better than sitting back on a hot afternoon and taking in the coolness of an iced drink? There might be, but this is one of life’s simple pleasures that we so often forget to relish. Not only that, these days it is hard to come by refreshing drinks that a person doesn’t feel guilty for enjoying. Why? SUGAR. What used to be our comfort food is now public enemy number one in the kitchen.  I’m not going to tell you how much sugar you should consume or argue that one type is better than the other. I’m not qualified and, to read the information I have seen,…

I have to admit that writing this post has been difficult for me. The events of the last six months have only intensified the divide among Americans as a tiny virus has created moral battles related to vaccines and personal choice in wearing masks and the death of yet another young black man brought violence to many of our streets and neighborhoods. As we move into the last few months before the 2020 Presidential election, I have witnessed many hate-filled confrontations between friends and family over who should and shouldn’t be elected. And, my heart breaks each time I witness it. Instead of coming together on what unites us, we…