The Ups, The Downs, and Everything in Between
An excerpt from: Wring out your sponge. There is a metaphor for life. It’s often been said that we are sponges to the things that are around us in our daily life and the people that are closest to us. You absorb what’s around you. You’re a sponge. But you also have choices! You can wring some of it out so you don’t absorb it! What do you do with the days that are more like spilled milk than glitter? Wring them out! Treat the …
When’s the last time you learned something new and thought “where have you been my whole life?” That is how I feel about Hygge (pronounced hoo-guh)! This lifestyle comes from Denmark, often labeled the happiest country on Earth. What excites me about discovering Hygge is I try to live by its tenets already, without knowing this word existed. I’m looking forward to now putting more of it into practice and furthering my Hygge-fied environment. So what is Hygge? It’s contentment. Living in the moment. Simplicity with …
Get to know me: Where do I begin … well, I’m married to my high school sweetheart Mark, and together we have four incredible kids, 2 girls and 2 boys. My parents immigrated from Ireland to San Francisco then settled in Chicago. I was born and raised on the Northwest side of the city. My Dad worked incredibly hard to provide a good life for our family, and my Mom, a true saint, taking care of my Dad in the most traditional sense, making a …
Get to know me Who am I? I think this is going to be the hardest post I have to write! I hate getting my picture taken. I don’t like being in the spotlight. Thinking and writing about who I am makes me feel so exposed! But here goes . . . . I am loyal to a fault. To people and products. I had three Toyotas in a row. This past spring we bought a Chevy, and I felt terribly guilty! When it comes …
The question that seems so simple but has layers and layers of defining moments. And not just the moments, but the people. The people surrounding us mold us to the person we are today and I am so proud of that person today. I am a mom, a sister, a daughter, a really good friend and so proud of each of these areas of my life. I am so lucky to have my community, my family, my friends, my neighbors, my co-workers. My girls …
There are many directions my pen can take. There are so many things to document and share. Who am I? That’s not an easy question to answer. I am many different things. I am driven, passionate, and complex. I think the most honest word is complex. I always say I have lived 9 lives. And those 9 lives have created one very complex person. There were moments of dysfunction and abuse. These things created a survivor. There were moments of fairy tales and bliss. These …
Hello From The Outside Don’t worry, I’m not about to go on a diatribe about how to get back in touch with an ex; I’m just absolutely in love with Adele, and also my husband for that matter. When I listen to that song, it makes me think about reconnecting with myself, rather than someone else. One challenge I think most people can relate to is maintaining focus. This problem was pointed out to me while my boss was going over some upcoming events with …
Of all the things I’ve been called in the last 30 some years three are now the most important: Professional. Wife. Mother. While being each carries its own weight the three combined wouldn’t be possible without the love and support from my husband C and the giggle that lights my world on fire from little J. I became a mom in 2016 and every day continues to bring an exciting challenge, mystery (what’s that smell) and proud moment. I graduated from Marquette with a degree …
Get to know me: I’m a SVP of Client Services for Dealer Inspire, an award-winning website platform and digital marketing company in Chicago. We were even on the Crain’s Fastest 50 growing companies last year. Can you tell I love my job and am proud of where I work? I thrive on being challenged by my job and it is something I’ve worked very hard for. Four years ago I took a leap of faith and landed a Vice President role at Dealer Inspire/LDM, a …