A Clean Desk
Today is Day 3 of my 31 Days of Happiness Hacks! Today’s a quick one, friends. I’ve learned through my research, reading, and personal experience that cleaning up one counter, drawer or shelf is a great little happiness boost. Gretchen Rubin (of The Happiness Project and Better Than Before – two of my favorite happiness books)…
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Run Happy
Today is Day 2 of my Happiness Hacks series. Today’s Happiness Hack may sound strange to non-runners. I decided to “Run Happy.” A lot of research has shown that exercise can help us feel better – all those endorphins and what not. But for me, exercise, specifically running, became yet another place to strive and achieve.…
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Hop on The Energy Bus!
One of our treasured camp traditions is reading to campers each evening at bedtime. We adopted the tradition more than a decade ago, because we realized how calming it is and how much even our oldest campers enjoy it. I also know from my own experience how a love of reading comes from being read to…
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7 Reasons to Get Outside
Next to unplugging, one of my favorite things to talk about is spending time outside. In fact, I believe the combination of unplugging AND spending time outside may be the answer to many of life’s ills. I know that combination works for me. During the summer, I spend most of my time outdoors. As a…
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Questions for Connection
When the calendar turns to spring, my mind turns full steam into counselor training mode. I can’t help it. After 31 years of preparing counselors for their summer working with kids at camp, I can’t help but be über-focused on gathering tools to help prepare them to be engaged with campers, thrive at camp, and…
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The Perils of Perfectionism
When we can let go of what other people think and own our story, we gain access to our worthiness — the feeling that we are enough just as we are and that we are worthy of love and belonging. -Brene Brown, The Gifts of Imperfection Several months ago I was having coffee with a…
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Surviving and Thriving (in High School and Life)
Many kids struggle with their sense of worth and forget who they really are during high school. For high achieving kids, some get so caught up in the tests and grades that they start believing that they are not good enough if they don’t get accolades from their teachers. Many adults. I would argue, get caught up…
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5 Ways to Teach Kids to Live Life Well
As I started writing this, I realized that my title is inaccurate: “5 Ways to Live Life Well” would be more appropriate. As an adult, I still need these reminders to help me live my own life better. And, as with all things parenting-related, our kids do not learn from what we tell them or…
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3 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 about my life-changing books, then you know…
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7 Ways to Foster Relationships Using Social Media
No human on the internet can miss the flood of articles about how bad all of our screen time is for our kids and for us. I’ve added to the “unplugged” conversation myself and am a big proponent of the benefits of unplugging and focusing on real connections with real people. However, I have also…
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Screen Overload: 5 New Family Rules
I have a love-hate relationship with my screens. I know how important it is to get unplugged, and I enjoy many outdoor, non-tech activities, yet I love texting with my kids who are away at college, reading news and seeing pictures on social media, perusing Pinterest, and writing, all of which happen on screens. My husband is…
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5 Reasons to UNPLUG
Oh, how I love my nightly Pinterest sessions. I look forward to that mindless scrolling and pinning of recipes I’ll never make and quotes that inspire. And I love seeing pictures friends have posted and what everybody’s doing on Facebook. And, of course, I love the great articles I link to from Twitter. The downside…
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