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2026!
Happy 2026, friends! On my birthday I took time to reflect on the past year and started to set goals. And then Chris and I were gifted an overnight date by my in-laws (thank youuu!) and we had our annual summit which is one of our favorite things every year. So I’m feeling ready to…
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On feeling beautiful at 40
When I was growing up in the 90s, and reading the teen magazines of the times, I had a narrow definition of beauty for women: very thin, trendy clothes, clear, wrinkle-free skin, and perfectly styled clothes. All of it was very visual and one dimensional. What I’ve found is that as I get older, and…
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How to have an annual summit
Every year around the new year, Chris and I have an annual summit. We reflect on life currently, deep dive into our budget, project finances for the year ahead, and set couple and personal goals. To us, this ritual is emblematic of what makes our marriage strong and happy. During and after these conversations we…
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Hello, October
We’re about halfway through October and I’m wearing a sweatshirt for the first time this season. Fall-elujah! We’re also about two-thirds through the kids’ two-week fall break. To be honest, I’m feeling a bit frayed. All my best laid plans to plan fall break with the perfect mix of kid activities with time for myself…
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September Coffee Date
In the past week, our parched and sun-weary spirits were treated to rain and clouds. I can feel the summer weight lift. We still have many days of 90º+ ahead but we’ve made it, once again, through the worst of the long tail of a desert summer. Good Things This Month + The kids are…
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What’s Your Rich Life?
In his books and podcast, Ramit Sethi encourages people to live their “rich life” by aligning their spending and saving with their values. This is a concept I find myself thinking about often and love talking about. I love how the concept of a rich life can look completely different from person to person. At…
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Currently: September
Reading Agony Hill and really enjoying it. I would recommend it for fans of literary crime novels a la Tana French and Jane Harper. Listening to Whistler and loving it. I don’t have as much time for audiobooks lately but when I do this book is such a nice place to dwell. I am ever-impressed…
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Hello, September
September kicks off the last third of the year and if not cooler temps does bring me fall vibes. I’m going to switch our soaps to Mrs. Meyer Fall Leaves scent this week and restock my apple cider counter spray. Fall feels so nostalgic to me. Even more so as I get older? Perhaps it’s…
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August Coffee Date
Hi, friends! August has been so long and I’m about ready to move on. It’s a transition month as we settle into school and school-year commitments. I’ve felt overwhelmed at times getting back into the swing of things. It’s also very, VERY hot. But there were plenty of good things in August too, and good…
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Try A Money Minute
Sometime last year, as a way to remind myself to quickly check in on our money most days, I started doing a “money minute.” This includes: looking at Monarch to categorize transactions and see where we were in our various budgets. Looking at my credit card balance (since we put everything on credit cards and…
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Small Wins and Tiny Joys Lately
This week feels nuts, like everything all at once. Kid activities are ramping up, but with emerging schedules and sometimes inadequate communication. I have evening commitments three nights in a row which is definitely not my favorite. There are a couple of mildly stressful things that are out of my hands but lurking in the…
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Back to School Season Again
Last week we flew home from Wisconsin which included a six hour delay in Denver that everyone handled surprisingly well. At the time, I didn’t feel ready to leave the northeast Wisconsin weather and our Eau Claire home away from home. But then as soon as we got home to Gilbert I felt ready to…
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July Coffee Date
This morning I’m sitting at a Starbucks for the first time this summer with my usual misto with oat milk and a Perfect Bar. The music is too loud (#midlifelady) so I’m slightly regretting my decision, alas! Soon we’ll be packing our bags and heading back to Arizona. I’m not ready to leave! I’ll miss…
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June Coffee Date
Friends! Hi! We are back in Eau Claire and it’s wonderful. Let’s meet at Shift for coffee and a goat cheese-rosemary scone (which I dream about all year until I have one again) and catch up. May recap As happens every year, life and work and all the things consumed me in April and May.…
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April Coffee Date
There are four weeks of school left. !!!! This time of year is always busy, and with Easter falling on Maeve’s birthday this year it has felt especially so. I feel like I’m getting to catch my breath a bit here and hope to keep some margins to the school year finish line. We’ll see…
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March Coffee Date
Since my last post in February (!) life has been a whoosh: Girl Scout cookie season, teaching a writing heavy (and so grading heavy) college course, sports Saturdays, podcast recording, and managing our house in Eau Claire. Plus Chris has been super duper busy at work. I’m finding some quiet time with my hot coffee…
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Let’s Talk About Finances
Recently I’ve been loving the Money For Couples podcast (also on YouTube if that’s your jam). Have you listened to it? I love talking and thinking about personal finances so it’s fascinating to be a fly on the wall while another couples bares it all financially. Plus, listening to the challenges of other couples motivates…
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Connecting With My Tween Boys
Parents of tweens and teens, let’s talk about connecting with our kids! After being in the little kid years for over a decade, parenting tweens (and soon a teen) has felt both like uncharted waters and a mostly fun new adventure. I’ve told friends that I think teens deserve a re-brand because they can be…
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What are your best travel packing tips?
I’m an optimizer by nature. I want systems, routines, and situations to be the best that they can be. It’s a trait that often serves me well and also provides many opportunities for growth! For a while I’ve been thinking about how to optimize one of my favorite things: travel, and specifically packing for travel.…
