Happiness Day

What makes you happy? Today, March 20, 2014, is International Day of Happiness! The United Nations have come together to reclaim happiness: Advertisers tell us that happiness comes from buying and consuming their products. Celebrities and the media pretend it comes with beauty & fame. And politicians claim that nothing matters more than growing the…

Find A Moment of “Ahhh”: Stress Management Tip

Take time to relax and let your body recover! When was the last time you allowed yourself to relax to the point you said, “Ahhhh…”? Hectic schedules, demands of work and home, and the never-ending barrage of information creates stress.  One of the best ways to reduce stress, and decrease the amount of cortisol in…

Happiness Makes The Heart Grow Stronger

Being happy makes your heart healthier!   Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) researchers found that positive psychological well-being appears to reduce the risk of heart attacks, strokes and other cardiovascular events. Which means an optimistic outlook could keep your heart healthy! “The absence of the negative is not the same thing as the presence…

Stop! I Wanna Get Off!

Everyday life is stressful, but how well do you handle it when life gets really crazy?  Maybe work is suddenly more busy.  Maybe your family life just got more complicated.  Or, maybe, like me, you invited the madness in? What do you do when life feels like a crazy carnival ride and you just want…

Do You Remember When…

When was the last time you made a memory? On Monday, our family made one. Our daughters are deep into the American Girl stage and received dolls from Santa this year. Monday marked our first pilgrimage to American Girl Place in Chicago. Quite the adventure. I know lunch with Mama, Daddy (yes, Clay bravely joined…

Embrace Your Heart: Make A Memory

My friends Kim and Jason Kotecki are exceptional examples of people who look for ways to enrich their lives.  On their most recent Escape Plan TV episode they encourage others to make a memory. How often during your busy week do you pause and try to experience something memorable with someone you love.  It doesn’t…

Enrich Your Life: Embrace Your Summer

Have you forgotten to leave time to recharge this Summer? Do you look at the calendar for June, July and August and wonder how you can possibly fit anything else? Shouldn’t Summer be a time to relax a bit and recover from the hustle and bustle of the rest of the year? If so, why…

Book Review: Your Heart’s Desire

Recently I spoke in Marinette, Wisconsin and was introduced to the work of Sonia Choquette.  The event directors were raving about the wonderful program Sonia had done for them in Green Bay and thought her book would fit so nicely in with my advice to slow down and focus on what is important in life.…

Open Letter to Mom on Mother’s Day

Dear Mom, Happy Mother’s Day! I can’t help thinking about all the things you do for us and how you always put us first. Somehow, you manage to get everything done and make it look easy. But, I wonder, are you doing as well taking care of yourself? Being treated well just one day a…