Let’s talk a minute about love |
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When I got married, my grandma* told me: “Love is a choice, not an emotion.” That’s not to say that love never has emotion connected to it - but long, lasting love - requires the choice to forgive, show mercy, ignore pet peeves and focus on the good in someone. A naive love believes you’ll always feel like showing love. A mature love recognizes the fleeting nature of emotion-fueled love. *A quick Google search shows that maybe this isn’t a grandma original - but borrowed from Chinese philosophy. |
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Last minute Valentine’s Day ideas |
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Here are a few ideas to bail you out if you’re on the struggle bus - or (like me) are just bad at planning ahead. - Heart-shaped V-day Card: Take a stack of post-it notes. Write one thing you love about your spouse on each note - and keep going until you have like 30-40. Have your kids join in. Then, stick each note to form a heart shape on the bathroom mirror - so they can see when they get up in the morning. Who doesn’t want reminded of 40 things you love about them?
- Carry-out-date-night-in: Put the kids to bed early (or send your kids to the basement) and order carry-out for a date night in. Pay your older kids to ‘babysit’ to make it more real for everyone.
- Tacky V-day family dinner: Light candles on the table, use valentine’s tableware, and make a simple meal with red or heart-shaped things. Tomato soup with heart-shaped grilled cheese. Pasta and heart-shaped garlic bread. Mini heart-shaped pizzas. End the dinner with a fun valentine dessert - Trader Joe’s always has a million heart-shaped treats. And, you can grab some flowers for yourself while you’re there. Win-win!
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Beat the winter blues for less than $20 bucks |
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If you’re struggling for some new family late-winter-indoor fun, here are two games we’ve been loving. - Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza never gets old. It’s easy enough for everyone to play but challenging enough that my middle schoolers don’t get bored.
- Beat That Party Game is new to us, and the girls can’t get enough. It’s fast moving, fun for everyone, and hilarious to play. Also a good one to pull out when the girls have friends over. My 7yo went to bed crying the first night we played it - so probably more of a 10+ game. Some of the challenges are a little hard for elementary-aged kids.
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I put a question on LinkedIn and asked: What advice would you give your 20ish year-old self? Here was my fav: - Never let a lack of money keep you from taking vacations. Find a cheap way to unplug and recharge.
- Take chances following your passions. Better to have some failures than regrets.
- Never say ‘no’ to invitations from friends. No one knows which is your last opportunity to share with a friend.
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🎙 On the pod: The myth of control |
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A couple weeks ago I had an amazing conversation with Aunthenticx founder and CEO, Amy Brown. She is a mom of 4 who started Authenticx in 2018 (they just closed $20M Series B). As I’ve learned, if you do something big, everyone around you pays a price. It’s impossible to not have your big dreams touch their lives. And, they are also blessed by the impact of living with a parent (or spouse) who is challenged and alive. Her story is incredible, and I know you’ll be inspired to chase your own dreams. |
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