Mid-week, my husband went to Best Buy. When he got there, he was surprised to see lines of tents outside. He discovered that some individuals had been camping out since Sunday in order to be first in line for Black Friday deals. He and I were both a bit stunned. We’re not Black Friday shoppers, as...

I wrote this silly and fun poem last year for my blog and thought it was worth a re-share this year as a simple nudge and reminder to save a bit of cash this Holiday season for “Giving Tuesday,” too.   Yes, I have a Black Friday confession, and my confession is not that I have a Black Friday...

Last year, on Small Business Saturday, I wrote a piece about “Appreciation and I Wants” and discussed the value of focusing on gratitude during the holiday season to avoid getting caught up in “I Wants.” That includes focusing on gratitude with our children and collectively as a family, because...

One of the most rewarding – and just plain coolest – things about the type of work I’ve done professionally is seeing past students and youth grow up and come into their own, particularly when those individuals choose to do something meaningful. My company, Think Ten Media Group, has a...

Runners will descend on Santa Clarita this weekend. Some will have traveled far to be here and run in the Santa Clarita Marathon, while others already live here, particularly participants of the 5K and half-Marathon. Many of them, especially those running 26.2 miles beginning early on a Sunday morning,...

Somehow, although I felt October just began, Halloween is just around the corner, which means so is November and before you know it, Thanksgiving. I’m starting to understand how to relate to something I heard before I had kids, but didn’t quite get, which was the idea that time seemed to move faster...

A year and a half ago, a friend shared this blog post: “20 Things to Stop Doing to Others.” The list resonated with me, and I proactively engaged and focused on four of the top 20. I recently revisited the list and my engagements with those first four, realizing I could use a little reminder. So,...

I have a confession. I’m not a big Halloween person. I don’t even get excited about dressing up my kids, and I think basically all parents get excited about that. I don’t have anything against the holiday, either (beyond my annoyance that every holiday in the U.S. is over-commercialized and marketed...

The United Nations selected October 11 last year as the first International Day of the Girl. Next Friday will be the 2nd Annual Day of the Girl. The Day of the Girl website states: “In reserving a day for advocacy and action by and for girls, the UN has signaled its commitment to end gender stereotypes,...

I’m a sports fan. I really am. I grew up playing sports, and I always loved watching sports, especially football. I grew up in Texas, so football was a big part of my life because it was a big part of everyone’s life, particularly in the town I where I lived. I have two sons who, at least right now,...