Lifestyle

The 4th of July, in my family, has always been a big celebration. My whole family, which sometimes included 50 people or more, would gather at my grandmother’s house in Blue Island. The day started with breakfast on the driveway. My great uncles would fry bacon in a large pan on the grill and then fry eggs in the grease. Inside the great aunts would be making German potato salad, scrambled eggs and toast. It was a flurry of activity and energy with almost everything being don

You have to take that leap of faith toward a new idea or a new way of thinking and then lead through it.

I was recently on a long car trip to Nashville, TN for my son’s college day. I love listening to books to help pass the time. This trip I was excited to listen to a book by an author, Benjamin Hardy, who has really inspired me along my writing journey. Hardy writes books with strategies to encourage growth and transformational science. I was excited to listen to his newest book, Be Your Future Self Now. One of the interesting suggestions in this book was to write a letter to

My dad has given my mom the same Valentine card for the last twelve years. Some may think this isn’t very flattering, but I can assure you this is a gift of pure devotion. Have you ever tried to save a card for an entire year and remember where you put it? This card has become more than just a card, it’s a reminder of their love and a sort of time capsule of their years together. As my dad resurrects this card each year, they enjoy reading over past quotes and remembering tho

Fall is a great time to do more than lean in - Jump In - and scatter blessings everywhere you go!

There is something exciting about first things... like first dates, first day of the year and first pets (even if it’s only a goldfish). For me, nothing beats the excitement of the first day of school. As a student I enjoyed picking out new folders and just the right outfit. As a parent I obsessed over putting labels on school supplies and taking the obligatory first day photo. As a teacher, I loved setting up my classroom with anticipation of all the amazing students I would