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Solo Dating The Art of Taking Yourself Out (And Loving Every Minute of It)

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  Solo Dating The Art of Taking Yourself Out (And Loving Every Minute of It) Let me ask you something. When did you last do something just for you? Not for your kids, not for work, not because someone invited you. Just because you wanted to. If you had to think about that for more than a few seconds, this post is for you. Since my divorce, I have had to relearn something that nobody really teaches us: how to enjoy my own company. And I want to be honest with you, it felt awkward at first. Going to dinner alone was one thing (and yes, I have written about that too, check out my post on solo dining if you missed it). But the idea of going to a concert, a museum, or even a movie by myself felt like announcing to the world that I had no one to go with. Spoiler alert: that feeling fades. And what replaces it is something pretty wonderful. First, Let's Change the Way We Think About This Going out alone does not mean you are lonely. It means you are living. There is a real difference be...
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The Joy Series: How to Reclaim Your Joy - The Battle Worth Fighting

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  The Joy Series: How to Reclaim Your Joy –  The Battle Worth Fighting Post 4 of the Joy Series We have been on quite a journey together. In Post 1, I told you my story. The day my husband of 37 years walked out and joy disappeared completely. The decade-long fight to find it again. The garden and the fog and the small, stubborn flicker that refused to go out. In Post 2, we explored what joy actually is. Not an emotion like happiness, but something deeper. A part of your being. The garden, not just the flower. In Post 3, we traveled the world and discovered that the cultures with the deepest relationship with joy are the ones that root it in something constant. Nature. Community. Simplicity. Presence. And now we are here. Post 4. The one I have been building toward from the very beginning. This is the practical roadmap. This is what I actually did, step by painful step, to reclaim my joy. And this is my promise to you: if I could do it, after everything I lost and everything I...
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Need Stress Relief? Try Spending Time Near the Water

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  Need Stress Relief? Try Spending Time Near the Water Let’s continue on with our series on stress relief and self-care. Today, let’s explore one of nature’s most powerful stress relievers — something that has been right in front of us all along. Whether it’s the ocean, a lake, or a gently flowing river, being near water has a way of making everything feel a little more manageable. Have you ever noticed how your shoulders seem to drop the moment you step near the water? There’s a reason for that, and it turns out science backs it up beautifully. What Is “Blue Space” and Why Does It Matter? Researchers have coined the term blue space to describe any environment that features a body of water — oceans, lakes, rivers, canals, and even urban fountains. And just like green space (parks, forests, and gardens), blue space has been shown to have real, measurable benefits for our mental health and well-being. According to blue space research published across multiple studies, spending just...
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Tell Your Story Through Journaling Your Old Neighborhood – The Place Where Childhood Lived

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Tell Your Story Through Journaling Your Old Neighborhood – The Place Where Childhood Lived A journal series for women who are ready to tell their story. Close your eyes for just a moment. Think back to the place where childhood actually happened. Not a vacation or a special occasion. The everyday place. The streets, the yards, the neighbors, the sounds that were so familiar you stopped hearing them. The place that shaped you before you even knew you were being shaped. That place lives in you still. And today we are going back. This Week’s Journal Prompt “Tell us about the neighborhood that raised you. The houses, the neighbors, the places you wandered, and the feeling of belonging to a place that was entirely your own.” Let It Unfold on the Page Take your time with this one. Let yourself wander back slowly. Here are a few gentle nudges to help you go deeper:   Describe the place itself. What did your street or community look like? What were the houses like? What did the air smell ...
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Eating My Way from A to Z in the Triangle: A is for Arby’s

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My Restaurant Adventure Series: The Letter A,  Fast Food Edition Arby’s If you read my first Restaurant Adventure post, you know I am working my way through local restaurants alphabetically, visiting two to four spots for each letter. Abbey Road Tavern & Grill kicked off the letter A in style, but no alphabetical restaurant adventure would be complete without a fast food stop. For the letter A, that stop was Arby’s, and I visited not once but twice. A Little History Before we get to the food, let me share something I found really inspiring about this brand. Arby’s was founded in 1964 by two brothers, Forrest “Fuzzy” and Leroy Raffel, born and raised in Zanesville, Ohio. Both brothers served in the military during World War II before going on to earn impressive degrees, Forrest from Cornell’s School of Hotel and Restaurant Administration and Leroy from the Wharton School of Finance. In the 1950s they purchased their uncle’s restaurant equipment business and built it into one of ...
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Monthly Motivation-Disconnected, But Never Alone

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  Disconnected, But Never Alone There is a photo I love of two gorillas sitting side by side, their backs to the camera, as though they are quietly looking out at the world together. A mother and her baby. Just the two of them, present with each other, needing nothing else in that moment. Underneath it I wrote two simple words: Better Together. I keep coming back to that image because it captures something I think so many of us are quietly longing for right now. Connection. Presence. The feeling that we are not doing this alone.   When the Connection Breaks The last two sermons I listened to both touched on the same theme, and it stopped me in my tracks. The message was this: many of us are walking around feeling deeply disconnected, and we may not even have the words for it. So what does disconnected actually mean? Disconnected: Having a connection broken. To feel separated, cut off, isolated, alone. When I read that definition I felt it in my bones, because I have lived it. ...
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Vacation Rental Meal Planning: A Practical Guide for Families on the Go

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  Vacation Rental Meal Planning: A Practical Guide for Families on the Go Fun Fridays: Finding Joy in the Journey One of the most beautiful parts of stepping into a new chapter of life is discovering that joy shows up in the most unexpected places, including a week away with the people you love most. If you have the opportunity to take a trip and stay in a vacation rental, whether it is with your kids, your grandkids, or a mix of the whole family, it can be one of the most healing and restorative experiences you give yourself. The laughter around the dinner table, the chaos of getting everyone fed and out the door for another adventure, the simple pleasure of a glass of wine at the end of a full day… that is joy, right there. I have personally traveled with Road Scholar and it was an absolute blast. One of my favorite things about it? All the food is included, so there is zero cooking, zero planning, and zero stress. Just show up, enjoy the company of incredible people, and let som...
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