I don’t think people really read blogs anymore, do they? I don’t know. I do know that I love reading old posts here and remembering times from when my boys were smaller. I love it so much. So this is for me. And for you, if you’ve found yourself here and you care to read. xo

We are in full shelter-in-place mode in California and to varying degrees around the world. For some of us this creates an opening that we feel we need to fill with all of the pursuits we have sidelined in our normal schedules. Writing, reading, art. I personally feel pressure to be writing but I have been feeling that same pressure for quite some time. I am in the familiar and uncomfortable place of wanting badly to write but talking myself out of every idea, story, and plan. I know that the only way to write is to write. Words beget words. Stories lead to more stories. So here we are. Let’s see what comes of this.

I read a post from Amelia Boone (a Spartan athlete and lovely human) this morning where she said she feels like there is something magical and unifying about the entire world focussing on a single problem. I couldn’t agree more. While this is a crazy and uncertain time, I also feel like it will be very healing for every single one of us. We have been gradually coming to a boil over so many things the past several years. So much has torn us apart and turned us against one another. This pandemic has us all focused on protecting ourselves and protecting one another. It insists on healthy habits and empathy, community and solidarity. While nothing has changed the problems of the world and you could argue that more have been created (I’m looking at you toilet paper hoarders), I truly believe this is a transformative time. 

A former version of me would feel invincible in a situation like this. Hearing how it has impacted other areas would be like reading about something in a history book- you know it is true but you don’t feel the weight of it. Time and maturity create new perspectives and fill our arms with more to lose. I guess you could say I feel “vincible” now. Not that I’ll succumb to this virus but that the tracks it is leaving in its wake are very real. Our businesses our economy and our mental and physical health are all impacted. Our present and our future. 

We all have our own way of approaching this time. Some of us are very organized and productive, some of us have settled into passing time by the moment. For me, I choose to take good care of myself and my people and use the spaces that have opened to create newness that is exciting and nourishing. It is spring, after all, so let’s begin again. 

Here is what I am doing:

• Feeding myself and my family healthy, nourishing foods and drinking lots of water. We still have access to fresh fruits and veggies and I’m very thankful for that. For the record, my definition of nourishing is sometimes “full of healthy micro and macronutrients” or sometimes just “yum.” My personal belief is that homemade things (vs. processed/packaged/pre-made) are the most nourishing whether they are hearty soups or dark chocolate brownies.
• Moving. There are tons of resources online (many free) for all kinds of workouts. This is one place where I keep a little more rigor- I believe it is very important for all of us to move every day. I am mixing it up between strength training, yoga, pilates, trail running, and walking.
• Getting some sunshine. This isn’t always in the cards and we do have more rain coming to Northern California in a couple of days, but I’m going to soak up some sun while I can. 

As for homeschooling, my kids have been logging in to their teacher sites each day and completing the assignments asked of them. We are going to be a tiny bit more structured next week as daily class meetings begin. I won’t have a super-rigorous schedule but we’ll attend to what we need to for school and spend time pursuing other learning through many different channels. This time is a gift in this way.

Early November always has me thinking about ways to take good care of myself during the hurry-scurry that is coming. Like everyone else, I want to soak up the magical moments of the holidays and avoid rushing around and feeling overwhelmed. It seems appropriate to repeat things from pretty Instagram posts…like, “do more of what makes you happy!”


There is something almost irresistible about all things “self-care”. I’ve mentioned before that I don’t love this term because it has come to mean that we need to drink “moon juice” adaptogen “elixirs" and dry brush and bathe in CBD oil and spend time “earthing” every day and drink rosé in the south of France and have a month-long spa vacation in Bali and through-hike the PCT.

Those things might be helpful or they might just be expensive and exhausting. Either way, if we build a to-do list of what we should do under the guise of "self-care" we’ll freak the f$&@ out at the enormous number of things we now have to do every day to stay buoyant.

What I know for sure is that we all need to take good care of ourselves and our people. Tend to the basics like eating well and exercising and sleeping, but feed your heart too. The pursuit of happiness is different than the pursuit of pleasure. I believe that happiness or, maybe contentment is a better word, is found when we are present in experiencing the moment we are in. When we aren’t thinking about what we should be doing instead of what we are doing. This is a practice. Yoga helps.

We can only live our days from moment to moment but in hindsight we experience them as a whole. That means how you spend your moments is how you spend your days and how you spend your days is how you spend your life. Let that sink in before you pick up your phone to scroll your way to an online rabbit hole.

So as we move into and through the season of overeating and over-doing, go easy on yourself. Be in the moment you are in and be intentional about what you choose to take onboard. I don’t mean just what you eat and drink; make conscious choices about what you watch, listen to, and read as well. Also be purposeful about where you spend your energy. We use the word “should” a lot; listen for that. Make a promise to yourself about what you’ll allow in and what you’ll spend energy on and keep your promise.

Not every moment of this season is going to be blissful. We still have to do the things that keep our lives afloat. But you can be good to yourself without adding extra things to your to-do list. Try some new combos of foods with dinner (a favorite of mine is roasted butternut squash with sautéed shiitake mushrooms, toasted pecans, and crispy sage leaves cooked in butter). Take your dog for a walk in the sunshine instead of hammering out miles on a treadmill. Read a good book instead of scrolling online. Take a yoga class at lunchtime instead of sitting in a break room. Replace your defaults with consciously joyful choices and cross things off your list that only serve a “should”. Save your energy for the people you love and the activities that feed your heart.



Yesterday I needed some time outside, preferably near water. I needed peace and quiet and a long walk with my friend who is a dog. I made a couple of adjustments to my morning routine and managed to pull this off after school drop-off.

Every little bit of goodness like this adds up. No happy times are wasted.