As soon as school ended, I packed up the kids and went north to a family wedding on the coast of Massachusetts. We stayed a week in a beautiful home on a rocky coastline where we watched boats go in and out of the harbor, caught crabs and explored winding lanes of seaside cottages. I wanted to move into each and every one. And then there was the lovely wedding, seeing a couple joined in marriage and visiting with family. It was the best kind of vacation - easy, memorable, comfortable. I … [Read more...] about coming home: recovering from vacation brain
My Blog
on my nightstand
From World War I love stories to memoirs of minimalists to the prairie obsesesed, here's what I've been reading in June. Somewhere in France: A Novel of the Great War, Jennifer Robson: Class, war, love - think Downton Abbey Season Two The Book. This was a somewhat predictable love story about an upper class woman joining the war effort which was exactly what I was looking to read on a recent weekend getaway. Lost Lake, Sarah Addison Allen: A young widow returns to a childhood vacation spot … [Read more...] about on my nightstand
wedding advice you didn’t ask for
Now that I have children, the thought of planning a wedding makes me want to curl up in a ball on the floor. Wedding? Who needs a wedding? Park me by a pool (in the shade of course) in a tropical location with a never-ending line of frozen beverages. How many nights at the Four Season Punta Mita and $17 daiquiris could I have bought with the bill from my wedding? Don't answer that. But there is a reason that we celebrate weddings with so much hoopla. Weddings are magical because they are the … [Read more...] about wedding advice you didn’t ask for
i’m on board for summer
Today is the last day of school. I kind of went off about summer back in May about how much I dread it. But today, I'm feeling confident. Better. Like I might actually be able to have some fun. Like I might actually enjoy it. Like I might actually get into it. Where is this coming from? A month ago I was sarcastically listing off summer projects that will never happen, and now I think summer might have some magic in it after all? Well, I listened to a podcast this morning that really … [Read more...] about i’m on board for summer
five quotes i stole from yoga that apply to everything
Since I started going to yoga a few times a week, I've been collecting quotes from yoga teachers. They'll say something in class that hits me a certain way, usually right between the eyes, and I'm thinking, has this teacher been talking to my mom? Have they been secretly private messaging my husband on Facebook? That's really weird. How do they know that is exactly what I'm dealing with right now? Oh wait, there are these things called universal truths which basically mean that I'm not as … [Read more...] about five quotes i stole from yoga that apply to everything
the end of a nutella era
Back in April, I shared that I gave up wine for Lent and what I had learned about my relationship with alcohol by stepping away for a few days (40 to be exact). After my wine experiment, I realized that while I had been able to weather the no-wine challenge, I had allowed myself to be more lenient in other areas. Basically, I replaced wine with Nutella. Aren't you supposed to be low sugar? Or something like that? And yes, I try to be. But during this time, I put down wine and picked up the … [Read more...] about the end of a nutella era
i am a writer
I was in a webinar earlier this week about building your audience. And the first step to becoming a writer is to own your identity as a writer (Thanks Jeff Goins!). For over the past year, I have been writing nearly every day. I've written over 136 blog posts, thousands and thousands of words strung together in various degrees of success, and as of last Thursday, I can officially say I've completed a draft of a book that will be published this fall. But I don't call myself a writer. I haven't … [Read more...] about i am a writer
the email ping
Recently I was in a yoga class, and we had reached the final pose - shavasana. If you aren't familiar, it's the last three to five minutes of class where you lay on the ground perfectly still and do nothing, like a corpse. After 110 minutes of work, you get five minutes of rest, letting go, and receiving your practice. It's kind of the whole reason you go to yoga. I'm splayed out like a corpse and someone must have forgotten to turn their phone off, because I can hear the distant ping of their … [Read more...] about the email ping