It seems from the inception of parenting itself (well, at least since the Renaissance), we as humans have been ruminating on the manner in which our children behave.  I don't know a single mom or dad today who hasn't put forth some effort in developing their children’s good behavior; often embarking on some level of self-improvement if not for themselves, then for the sake of their kids.  We hope that with healthy behavior, we’ll have healthy outcomes; ultimately, that our children will sustain happy, productive, and yes, healthy lives [...]

It's December Friends! And it just got real for all us mamas who just realized it is less than ONE WEEK ‘til Christmas. I know. We are but days away from holiday break and if you haven’t started buying gifts yet, let me take this moment to hold your virtual hand and tell you “It’s all going to be ok.”  Really, my sister.  Walk with me . . . .             You are not alone. This time of year is a crazy one.  No bones [...]

After a whirlwind month of milestone birthday celebrations, new business endeavors, a child with pneumonia and visiting out-of-towners, I have much to be resting over but also much to be thankful for.  It’s a struggle, sometimes, to see the grace in the chaos.  After all, who wants to say “Ahhh, thank you!” when you’re at the hospital with a sick child and you’re hosting 30 people within the next 36 hours? And often we need to see the real evidence behind something in order to fully buy-in and engage in [...]

I watched the presidential debate on Sunday night while simultaneously constructing “motivation badges” for my daughter’s Kindergarten class. As instructed by her teacher, I was charged with carefully creating, in the shape of ghosts for Halloween, little paper badges that read “Bucket Filler”.  The focus in her classroom is to remind the children to fill UP each other’s figurative buckets (to not be a bucket “dipper”) and in so doing, fill up their own emotional bucket.  The badges are a reward when the children are recognized for being kind, thoughtful, and [...]

Right now I am laid up in bed, nursing some kind of virus that is making its way through our family.  I was given just enough time to get Gracie back to health before my number came up – for which I am thankful.  It’s never fun to parent a sick Little when you’re the sick Biggie.  But now here I am, with aches and throbs and the tingling tips of toes – remnant battle scars from a bout of frostbite during a cold winter on Michigan State’s campus years [...]

Breathing. It’s something we do naturally and easily every second of the day, right? Well, actually research has shown that while the respiratory center of our brain is taking care of the messages and muscle contractions necessary to deliver oxygen to our entire body, most of us are actually not getting sufficient breaths – the kind required for optimal health and well-being. So let’s take a look at what’s going on here. Breathing is the intricate dance our bodies engage in, moving air by way of the diaphragm and other [...]

It’s officially fall around these parts. I’ve just loaded my children onto the school bus for the first time this school year and walked back into the house which feels like it too is heaving a complicated sigh of emotions: exhilaration (man, 3 kids + friends running around for 3 solid summer months is a lot and now there’s. . . quiet), sadness (our fun summer went so quickly and are they really all this old??), anticipation (but there’s so much we’re looking forward to and I know it’s going [...]

Carl Jung said, “Your vision will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.” I love this quote because as a coach, I believe all answers are within and when we take the time to see/feel/listen to what we truly desire then we open up to incredible potential. We all have stories we tell about ourselves, to ourselves and I believe if we’re going to tell ourselves a story, it should be a good one. Unfortunately the vision we [...]