Feel like you don’t have enough time to do what you really want to do? Read Off the Clock!
Off the Clock: Feel Less Busy While Getting More Done by Laura Vanderkam My rating: 5 of 5 stars I’ve been obsessively telling everyone about this quick read. If you, like me, feel a bit “at war” with time, feeling there’s “never enough” and you “don’t have time to relax,” then you’ll benefit from Vanderkam’s wisdom, too.…
Continue readingThe Wisdom of High School Girls
One highlight of my summer has been meeting with our oldest female campers to discuss relationships, goals, and life. These girls have so much wisdom to share with each other and with adults. We meet on the middle Sunday of their two-week camp session. We spend two hours doing activities together and sharing ideas about…
Continue reading4 Ways to Focus on our Kids’ Strengths
One of my highlights of last week was meeting with our Junior Counselors (17-year-olds heading into their senior year of high school) and talking about their strengths. After spending a morning sharing the strengths they saw in each other, reading about the strengths their parents see in them, and viewing their results of the VIA…
Continue readingEp. 40: Frientimacy with Shasta Nelson
We’re craving those few people who know us and love us no matter what. -Shasta Nelson In Episode 40, I talk with Shasta Nelson, M.Div. Shasta is a leading expert on friendship. Her spirited and soulful voice for strong female relationships can be found in her books Frientimacy: How to Deepen Friendships for Lifelong Health…
Continue readingEp. 36: Project Me for Busy Mothers with Kelly Pietrangeli
“It soon hit me that all of the best parenting classes in the world are not going to work if you – the mother – are feeling stressed out, unsupported, overwhelmed or aren’t taking care of yourself properly. When some parts of your life are not running smoothly, it has a knock on effect on everything…
Continue reading3 Reasons to Give Your Kid a “WOW” Today
Would you consider taking a few moments –less than ONE MINUTE — to say or write something positive to your kid? It can be just a quick verbal compliment, like “I noticed you helped your brother with his math problem. That was kind.” Or it could be a positive note left on her pillow…
Continue readingBeing Boss
“You have to build a life you love as if it’s your job. Because it is.” Kathleen Shannon & Emily Thompson, Being Boss When I was four years old, my pre-kindergarten teacher wrote on my report card that I was “bossy.” I didn’t see that comment until many years later – as an adult –…
Continue readingMy 24 Hours Unplugged
It was fitting that I finished reading The Village Effect: How Face-to-Face Contact Can Make Us Healthier and Happier(Susan Pinker) just a day before participating in the National Day of Unplugging, a day when thousands of people commit to going 24 hours without their phones. After reading Pinker’s book, I had a heightened awareness of…
Continue readingWhat did you love when you were 13? Rediscovering Your “Authentic” Self
For my thirteenth birthday, I received a Canon AE-1 camera. And while I’ve long-since moved on to a digital SLR, I still maintain my adolescent love for photography (and my daughter is still enjoying using that dependable AE-1 to take “artsy” film photos). What do I enjoy so much about photography? • I like composing…
Continue reading36 Questions to Get Closer to Someone You Love
The art of asking good questions, and listening carefully to the person’s response, is one important key to forming and maintaining positive, close relationships. Our social connections are the most important predictor of life-long happiness and health. Watch Susan Pinker’s TED Talk if you need convincing! Arthur Aron, a prominent social psychologist, discovered that he…
Continue reading#oneword
Dear Audrey, I am the early childhood/camp director at the Jewish Community Center of Dallas (and parent of 4) and I really enjoy everything that you put out! We use a lot of the same strategies, philosophy, training and readings/books with our families here at the J. I wanted to send a quick note to…
Continue reading5 Simple Year-End Reflection Activities
The end of one year and beginning of the next offers a unique opportunity to both reflect back and plan ahead. Because I’ve been a journaler and list-maker since I was very young, I’ve always loved this time of transition and chance to start fresh. If you read my life-changing books post, then you know…
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