Balancing holiday commitments each year is a challenge most of us face.  However, this year there’s an unexpected elephant in the room that accompanies all holiday decisions: COVID.  Recently, I’ve had several people communicate an added layer of stress around annual holiday traditions.  The days where we fought [...]

Yesterday I went shopping at Kendra Scott with my friend Jodi. Her daughter wanted a specific necklace for Christmas, and I went along for the field trip. Kendra Scott is a well-known jewelry store located in a suburb near us. As I walked into Kendra Scott, I was [...]

I’ve been wanting to buy an air fryer for a while now. One of my favorite things to bake is homemade donuts.  I’m increasingly excited about the potential of frying my donuts to see how they turn out. This week, I mentioned this wish list item to my [...]

I have a hard time asking for what I need in relationships.  I am a helper at heart and get energy from supporting other people.  Unfortunately, the support I provide can become too much.  Often, I give until I’m depleted.  I frequently forget to prioritize my needs and [...]

In the self-development world, we often focus on toxic people instead of toxic behavior.  We create robust descriptions, categories and labels to identify these difficult personalities. While I love a good label, most people aren't purely toxic at the core (personality disorders excluded and they're rare). Most people [...]

I remember sitting in my therapist’s office talking through some of my most recent struggles. As I went through a list of my current challenges, I suddenly felt guilty for complaining. At the end of my monologue, I quickly recovered by saying, “My life is pretty great overall.  [...]

This next few weeks, I'm focusing on living your best life during a difficult time. "Living your best life" doesn't mean you have to constantly be crushing all your goals.  Your bucket list items aren't meant to be lived every day; only some days. During difficult times, living [...]