The following is a real-life account of a girl who almost got in major trouble with SeaTac airport security. I'm what most people would call a "good girl." I like pleasing people and maintaining order. But, below the surface of me, lies my fear of doing something wrong. I wasn't afraid when I sent my carry-on backpack through the airport X-ray. That's because I didn't know the…
Some of you have heard the news that I just had my first pro-level article published through SheKnows Magazine. I sent them an article about ideas to keep a married couple's date night fun and interesting, and they loved it. Then they invited me to write for them on a monthly basis! *excited squeal* See my first SheKnows article here. The Importance of Date Night for…
Please join me in welcoming the beautiful and talented Mary Katherine. Mary Katherine is one of my friends I've known from birth. She was in my wedding and I was in hers. Throughout our teens her, her sister and I were known to write dramatic fantasy stories, as well as tape-record our renditions of such strange things as an interviews with all nine main characters of…
During a recent bout of summer-like weather, I decided to barefoot run. I suggest trying it at least once in your life (find smooth, clean asphalt). The firmness of the ground pounding against your bare feet is incredible. I brushed up against more than asphalt on my run around Green Lake; I got the reminder that sometimes the fastest and easiest way isn't 100% of the…
This post comes from someone very special to me. Adriel has known me since I was born. She was the older sister I never had. Our mothers were sisters who lived in the same city, so Adriel and I, the cousins, grew up with a very tight relationship. I cried with despair when she left for college and I wailed in the bathroom after her wedding…
Every time I stay in my house for a long time in isolation and start gobbling huge quantities of chocolate to deal with my stir-craziness, I'm reminded that the hermit lifestyle was not designed to be a life-long gig. The human condition comes with a hardwired need of others. I need companionship, affection, feedback, encouragement, teamwork, as well as.... I discovered, based on an assessment, that I…
I'm very happy to introduce you today to Heather Huffman! Heather and I first connected on Twitter (and also through our publisher, Booktrope) when I caught her talking about home schooling tricks that her kids were trying to play on her. My first tweet to her read something like "We tried to tell our mom that playing the piano counted for math lessons because we'd read…
I grew up on fairy tales. Consequently, I’m a dreamer and an optimist. I’ve always been more outrageously shocked by scandal or crude humor than most of my friends. To this day, people will say things that upset me just to watch my expression. Apparently I put on a good show. I knew by the time I went to college that I’d been raised in a…
You are in for a treat. This post is penned by my friend David, who I met through a swing dance club at the University of Washington. I watched him learn to dance and get really awesome at it. Since then, David and I have taken The Artist's Way course together and from the deeper friendship that formed, chatted lengthily on life, faith, creativity, love, and dreams. …
Relationships are multi-faceted and they certainly don't exist on a solely emotional plain. Sometimes the topic of physical health becomes a roadblock in discussions. Although it's not always this case, many women find themselves the ones who are more interested in staying in good shape, and having a conversation about health with their less-excited man is challenging. I am reposting an article I wrote on this subject of…