Give Thanks
What are you giving thanks for this year? Giving thanks should be a daily habit, not just a once a year table talk. Let’s cultivate thanksgiving, give thanks, well before we sit down at the tables or prepare to serve up a meal to those less fortunate or don our scrubs for a day at work. The pandemic gave ample opportunity to renew our list of things to be thankful for. For many of us, people and relationships got elevated to the top of the list. The definition of “framily” grew out of our Covid bubbles. In a houseful of “things” we most missed our friends and family. We became especially thankful for opportunities to travel and see loved ones. This year, let’s not only make a list of things to be thankful for, but let’s give thanks with grateful hearts. Let’s spread joy and cheer to all we meet. Let’s cultivate thanksgiving and motivate others to do the same! Here’s a free Thanksgiving printable to help you remember to give thanks with a grateful heart. The pdf download is an 8×10 so you can print it on your home printers. I am so thankful for how my business and…
Product Review: Esteamed Coffee
How do you choose your coffee shops? The title wasn’t a typo. It wasn’t a mistake. The mission of Esteamed Coffee is to “build esteem and employment for adults with differing abilities.” This delightful coffee shop is in the heart of downtown Cary, NC, and employs several friends of mine. The concept of the shop came together after the stroke and long recovery of an 18 year old friend of ours. Did you know that there’s an over 70% unemployment rate for adults with disabilities? Esteamed Coffee hopes to lower that rate and show other businesses that it’s possible and meaningful to employ people with differing abilities. They want businesses to steal their employees! Along with their coffee for a cause, they showcase local artwork and have space for small meetings and events. If you have not visited this coffee shop, grab a friend and go see why Esteamed Coffee was nominated as one of the top 5 finalists for “Most Innovative Local Startups in 2021.” Or pack up your laptop and work for a few hours inside or outside the shop while sipping on one of the specialty lattes. The staff is happy to make drink recommendations! The hardest…
Pie and Praise
When was the last time you asked guests to bring pies, with a slice missing? When you ask the hostess what to bring, rarely do you get told to bring a pie with a slice missing. (And rarely do ALL the guests comply.) “Pie and Praise” night is an opportunity to gather with friends before the start of the busy holiday season and to reflect on all you have to be thankful for in the past year. It is so easy to complain about how much work you have to do to get ready for the holidays, and in doing so, miss out on the joy of the season. That’s why I created “Pie and Praise” nights. I wanted to gather with my friends and family BEFORE Thanksgiving and Christmas and to count our blessings together. I also wanted to try out some new pie recipes! This was the winning combination! A night with friends spent catching up, eating pie, and reflecting on all you have to be thankful for. Cultivating gratitude is a great way to begin the busy holiday season. Why do you leave a piece of pie at home? To show some love and appreciation for your…
Happy 50th Birthday
Is it nifty to be fifty? 1971 was a good year! Happy 50th birthday to my handsome husband and quite a few other amazing icons that have helped shape the American culture of the last half century! Starbucks Email Amtrak FedEx Nike Swoosh Soft Contact Lenses Disney World Fruity Pebbles Floppy Discs Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory (movie) NASDAQ Laffy Taffy The Oregon Trail Game Liberty University Southwest Airlines (and $20 flights!) Uno Apollo 14 Mission (golf on the moon!) Arcade Games Turning 50 is a milestone and an opportunity to celebrate! Both my husband and I chose spending time with family and friends as our 50th birthday celebrations this year. No need for anything fancy, just time together. With the uncertainty in the pandemic the past 2 years, time together seems like an amazing gift. Happy 50th birthday! Travel+Leisure magazine also turns 50 and shares 50 best places in the US to travel this year. Guess what? The Triangle made it on the list! Come visit us! We can grab a cup of coffee at Starbucks and catch up or play a game of Uno! Table Talk: What’s a creative way to celebrate a milestone birthday? Who else…
Christmas Shopping and Saturdays
How many shopping Saturdays are there until Christmas? Christmas seems to arrive in the stores just after the July 4th holiday so it’s easy to think you have plenty of time left to Christmas shop. At the original posting of this blog, there are only 8 Saturdays left to shop! If you are like me, your Saturdays are already filling up with other fun fall activities (like my husband’s 50th birthday!). Next weekend I’ll be selling my art at the 7 Billion Reasons fundraiser tea and vendor fair in Cary, NC. It’s a great time to Christmas shop for frameable art, card sets, and conversation starters, plus support a great cause! I rarely sell my art and cards preprinted so get them while they last. Free water bottle sticker (pictured below) with a $20 purchase, too! If you are unable to attend, you can shop at my Etsy shop for digital downloads that you can print at home and frame. The “Family Rules” or “Classroom Rules” art are great for parents and teachers. “Adjective Art” is perfect for friends, family, coworkers, and kids rooms. You don’t even have to wait until a free Saturday. Get your shopping done now! 50%…
Product Review: ASANA
How many sticky notes are on your counter or desktop on any given day? Asana is an application designed to help you organize, track, and manage your work. It’s a game changer for teams! If you are unfamiliar with ASANA, it’s a work management tool. I love the project and task features where I can see what I need to do and check it off when I complete it. I use Asana for home and for work. I LOVE it! All my EVENTS go on my Google Calendar and all my TASKS go in Asana. There’s a free version (called the Personal version) that you can begin using today, plus lots of tutorials such as this one from Louise Henry or these from the Asana Academy. When a friend shared an Asana board with me a few years ago, I was instantly intrigued. We used Asana to manage event planning for a church conference. I felt a bit overwhelmed by all I didn’t know about Asana. After the event, I took some time to watch tutorials and become an Asana Ambassador. Even now, there’s so much more I could be using Asana for. I just keep adding to my knowledge…
A Roadmap for the Launching Years
What was your roadmap for your teenage years? I bet every parent wishes there was a roadmap to give their teens in the launching years. God’s Word is a map for us. As a graduation gift for my oldest daughter and her friends, I made the MAP art piece and printed them on magnets as a visual reminder that God did not leave us without an instruction book for life. The verse on the art is Psalm 119:9-10. This is an excellent roadmap for teens in the launching years. How can a young person live a clean life? By carefully reading the map of your Word. I’m single-minded in pursuit of you; don’t let me miss the road signs you’ve posted. Psalm 119:9-10 The Message Recently I gave a tribute and read some of Psalm 119 at my father-in-law’s funeral. Before I married into the family, I had dad for a couple of my education and geography classes at Liberty University. Dad taught through Psalm 119 one year in the daily devotions he did at the beginning of his classes. With 176 verses, there was plenty to talk about! As his student I appreciated the consistency of this. He was…
Teach Kids to Advocate for Themselves
What are some reasons you should teach your child to advocate for themselves? No matter your parenting style, teach your kids to advocate for themselves. It will nurture their independence and give them ownership of their problems. In the younger years, you can give children language for asking. Teach them to politely ask for something they need or want and encourage them to tell why they need it. In the middle years, role play difficult situations and how to self-advocate. This gives kids empowering strategies and the language to express themselves. With my tutoring clients, we often talk about how and when to ask a teacher for help or a parent for project supplies. This is a good age to allow real-world experiences like ordering in a restaurant or paying for something at the store. Provide support for critical thinking and problem-solving. Successful self-advocacy boosts self-esteem, especially during the launching years. I remember my daughters disliked having to go into restaurants for a takeout menu or call the doctor’s office to schedule an appointment, but they felt pretty proud of themselves once they had done it. It would have been easy for me to do it myself, but they needed…
Carry-On Bag Adventures
Are you more like a carry-on bag or a checked bag? Traveling the world with just a carry-on bag and collecting sim cards as souvenirs is one of my life goals that I’m slowly fulfilling one adventure at a time. It IS possible to live several weeks out of a carry-on bag and a personal item like a purse or backpack. Smart packing on my recent trip to Bulgaria and Albania proved it true once again. Most airlines have a size or weight limit to the carry-on bags so check before you go. Use a capsule wardrobe; take multi-tasking items; and take a few thank you gifts which will leave room for a souvenir or two. Add my bathroom bag, my tablet or laptop, and my coffee thermos, and I’m ready for my next adventure! Capsule wardrobes are a small collection of essential items and accessories that can mix and match and allow you to pack less clothes overall. For most trips, I try to take 4 or 5 tops, 3 bottoms, 2 shoes, 1coat/sweater, and 1 accessory like a necklace or scarf. All of the tops and bottoms should be able to be worn together so choose a…
Product Review: CLEP Exams
What are some ways you can save money on college? Testing out of required college courses is one way to save money on college and earn credit toward a college degree. AP (Advanced Placement) exams are sometimes offered to high school students upon completion of an advanced level high school course and award college credits for passing. However, CLEP exams (College Level Examination Program) are available to just about everyone anytime with 34 tests in 5 subject areas. These 1- 2 hour computer based multiple choice exams cost approximately $90 per test and can award 3-6 college credits. There are even testing sites in countries other than the US. Anyone who excels at a particular topic and is planning to go to college should consider taking a CLEP exam as many colleges and universities accept passing scores as college credit. College Board, creator of the SAT test, offers AP and CLEP exams and a wide variety of test and college prep materials. By taking AP and/or CLEP exams, students may be able to save significant time and money on college or free up their schedule to take other courses. With some careful planning and research, some students have even shaved…