If you know me in real life then you know that I love all things “Real Housewives.” One of the reality television franchise’s biggest stars is Bethenny Frankel. The “Skinnygirl” brand CEO has a popular book called, “A Place of Yes.” Considering my fandom of Housewives and Frankel, I know it must seem really weird that one of my biggest tools in helping me maintain balance in my life is something I call “the filter of no.”

What is the filter of no? It goes something like this…

Q. Hey, can you help me plan my cousin’s baby shower?
A. No

Q. Hey, can you read this article and let me know your thoughts?
A. No

Q. Hey, can you edit this image for me? I know you’re good at this type of thing.
A. No

It’s really that easy! The filter of no is simply saying no to more things.

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Life Lessons From My Favorite Christmas Movies!

December 17, 2020April 29, 2021Leave a comment

Have you seen that post that says something along the lines of, “before you get married find out if your husband’s family is the type to have movie marathons during the holidays or the type to run actual marathons”? It’s a fair warning. I can totally see how the two categories of families might not be compatible. Funny enough, my husband’s family plays a football game every Thanksgiving and my family has a few movies we just HAVE to watch every Christmas. It seems to work for us!

Speaking of movies, today I want to share what I’ve learned from some of my favorite Christmas movies. One movie has been out since 2006 (The Holiday) while the other was just released last year (Little Women). Being that my family has four girls, it shouldn’t be a huge surprise that the Louisa May Alcott story of four sisters has a special place in our hearts. We watch the 1994 film every year. We were all pretty nervous about the remake, but it’s already become (almost) just as cherished.

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My Favorite Resale Shops!

November 15, 2020April 29, 20212 Comments

My family and I have worked hard this year to produce less day-to-day waste. We have eliminated all paper products from our kitchen and use significantly less plastic whenever we can. With sustainability a goal in mind, I was appalled to find out that Americans throw out something like 15 million tons of textiles a year, with most of that being clothing. While 100% of clothing is recyclable, only 15% of clothing is actually recycled. At the same time, Americans are buying an average of 60% new clothing every year. Simply put, we’re buying more but recycling less clothing than ever.

(Source: https://www.thebalancesmb.com/textile-recycling-facts-and-figures-2878122.)

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Family Vacation: Little Jerusalem State Park

October 16, 2020April 29, 2021Leave a comment

Several months ago I saw a news story about a brand new state park opening in Kansas. It had these amazing chalk formations and great walking trails. I sent that article to my husband Dean and asked if we could go sometime. He replied yes and then we went about our regular business as usual.

Here’s the thing about me: I am always planning a million trips to a million different locations. I keep a running list on my phone of places I’d like to travel to one day. Sometimes it kills me that I’ve seen the Eiffel Tower, but I’ve never seen Mount Rushmore or been to Washington D.C. I am determined to see all of this beautiful country before I die!

When we lived in Texas, we had a state parks pass and we camped at least once a month. Now that we actually have campsites on our farm, any time I mention going camping my husband just tells us to set up our tent out back. We’ve done that and it is lovely… but there’s just something about a family camping trip and a change of scenery!

After mentioning the new park to Dean, Covid happened. Churches closed. Museums closed. Airlines closed. You know the rest… In August we had a lovely socially distanced dinner for Dean’s birthday. He admitted to me how much my imaginary vacation planning actually stresses him out. It stresses him out because he actually wants to give me all those trips, but again, Covid had just happened.

I replied, “We don’t have to get in an airplane, but I do want us to prioritize smaller family trips together. You know, places we can go in the car and create new once-in-a-lifetime memories. Little Jerusalem, for example.”

From that moment on, Dean took my suggestion and ran with it. He planned our whole trip! It was a out of my comfort zone to let go of the reins, but I am so glad I did! So, keep reading to get a run down of our recent family vacation to Kansas’ newest state park, Little Jerusalem!

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Why I’m Still Obsessed With The 90s!

September 15, 2020November 13, 2020Leave a comment

Listen to Podcast Episode Here!

Whenever someone asks, “what kind of music do you like?” I used to give the old line, “oh you know, all kinds!”

Well that’s a total lie and I am here to admit the truth.

I pretty much exclusively listen to exactly two genres: 90s Boy Bands and Worship music.

In particular, my all time favorite boy band is Backstreet Boys. Or Backstreet Dads as I like to call them nowadays. I have seen them a total of three times so far: once in middle school in St. Louis, once in Las Vegas during their residency, and once just last year in Kansas City. I actually have plans to see them again here in Wichita in what is hopefully a post-covid 2021. I’ve also seen Britney Spears in Las Vegas during her residency and it was easily one of the best nights of my life!

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10 Life Lessons I Learned From “The Hills”

August 15, 2020April 29, 2021Leave a comment

Listen to Podcast Episode here!

If you are a girl in your early 30s like me, then you likely were at just the right age to watch “Laguna Beach” on MTV, which morphed into following Lauren Conrad on her coming of age journey to Los Angeles on “The Hills.” I used to watch the show on cable religiously. One time my sister heard me yelling at one of the main characters Heidi on screen and later asked me who this Heidi person was I hated so much. It was that real to me! Also, it’s no secret that Lauren Conrad is still a major inspiration to me. I recently re-watched “The Hills” on Hulu and wrote down all the life lessons that stuck with me and even some I didn’t pick up on when I was younger. I hope you enjoy reminiscing on this sweet time in T.V. history with me or that you pick up a few helpful tips to be successful in life!

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How To: Build Your Best Social Media Team Ever

July 15, 2020April 29, 2021Leave a comment

July Blog Cover

Listen to Podcast Episode here!

It has been a while since I have shared any marketing or entrepreneur advice, so this month I am sharing with you how to build your best social media team EVER! I have combined professional advice that I have given to three different organizations into one master plan for you. We will go over content planning as well as the main roles that I believe are important to a well run social media team. I have also put together a Google Slides presentation on this topic, available for a $1 one time download!

First, I believe that with any good content plan it is best to focus on creating original content whenever possible. The main types of original content to focus on are articles, videos, and graphics. You might think this sounds incredibly difficult, but we really have some awesome tools right at our fingertips that can help make this task surprisingly easy. For articles, almost any website can handle a blog feed that you can use on a regular basis to connect with your followers. For videos, most of you have phones in your pocket right now that are capable of capturing and posting great video. For graphics, I highly suggest using Canva. Canva has templates and elements already in place for you to customize, download, and post!

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My Thoughts On Social Media & The Bible

June 15, 2020November 13, 2020Leave a comment

SM & The Bible Blog Cover

Listen to Podcast Episode here!

I have to admit that one of my least favorite sermon topics is when the speaker talks about how inherently evil social media is. Reasons typically cited are how much social media distracts us from “real life,” or the amount of negativity typically being posted. While those things can be true, I simply don’t believe social media to be as evil as it is portrayed. I have been on Facebook since 2006 and have worked in social media since 2013. Since that time, I have seen just as many positive stories and outcomes because of social media as negative. I believe that social media is simply a communication tool that can be used for good or bad, depending on the user. I’ve seen social media work wonders as far as giving people a sense of community and connection. But I’ve also seen social media lend it’s hand to making people feel divided and isolated. It’s all in how you are using it. What are your posts cultivating?

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Everyone Loves A Good Character Arc: Rachel vs. Monica

May 15, 20201 Comment

Friends Blog Cover Image

This may come as no big surprise to you, but I am big fan of the tv show “Friends.” I remember waiting for and watching new episodes every Thursday night (back when weeknight tv show schedules were a big deal). When it was on Netflix, I watched all 10 seasons all the way through at least twice. I know it is the most basic millennial obsession, but it’s both entertaining and comforting to me (and a lot of other fans). My husband and I often talk about how if “Friends” were on television for the first time right now – instead of back in the 90s – that we don’t think it would be as widely accepted as it is. Certainly there are story lines, topics, catchphrases, and even whole characters that are problematic in our current society. That being said, I don’t like the show any less! I appreciate it for what it was and for the timeframe in society that it represents.

Today I want to share my thoughts on two of the main characters: Rachel Greene and Monica Gellar. We have a saying in my house that we use anytime we are watching a movie or a tv show and a main character has some sort of change of heart. One of us inevitably blurts out, “everyone loves a good character arc!” I am not exactly sure where it came from, but it’s true. It simply makes for a more entertaining story and a more endearing character when they go through some kind of transformation.

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