Work Life Balance

Actively Seeking Joy as a Patriotic Habit

A Refreshing Dose of Friendship Intimacy

I had a refreshingly intimate conversation with a woman who was born in the Middle East and is now raising her family in the United States. While we’ve spoken…

Novel Experiences Lead to Discovery & Learning

Sometimes we experience a mental jolt, an ‘ah-ha!’ simply by being shaken out of our routine. Novelty and change, whether where we are or in our routines, can make us step back and see things in a new light. This can be fun and provide benefits for…

Stop Publicly Griping about the Normal Effects of Being a Parent

A Short Backstory

Once upon a time, I had a home office that was just the way I wanted it. I had walls painted a pale shade of blue with white trim. A purple lamp and other purple…

Stand Tall, Read Fiction, & Accept That While Today Might Suck, You’ll Get Through It

Self-doubt can make us question who we are. We can recognize and revel in these lows, accept where we are, and change our mindset with things as simple as how we stand and what we…

Recovering the Spirit: Robert Francis’s “Nothing is Far”

When the body is tired, there is coffee and raw sleep. When the spirit is more tired, the prescription seems more tricky. Sometimes there can be recovery in mindless activities like watching television, though for me at least…

Indulging in the Ridiculous

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Picky Eaters and Not Apologizing for How I Feed My Family

Toddlers won’t starve themselves. I have to keep telling myself that. Especially at dinner my daughter seems to eat so little, despite the variety that I try to put in front of her. I know that the variety is not as diverse as it…

Easy Homemade Baby Food

When my daughter was six months old, I started introducing her to solid food. It’s been very entertaining. It’s also been interesting to see what companies charge for baby food. One little jar can easily cost more than a dollar. Instead of buying everything that she eats, I’ve…

Stressed? Read Something Fantastic!

Sometimes we need to not be ourselves. We can escape temporarily by reading books or watching movies. Fiction lets us imagine that we are other people, perhaps having powers to let us overcome evil like superheroes. Non-magical characters can just let us imagine what…