It’s February. How do I know? Suddenly my inbox and mailbox are filled with ads encouraging me to save money on flowers, get a deal on chocolates or reserve a table for a special Valentine’s dinner. The pressure is on. And that tends to turn me off. I’m a bit of a rebel, but all…
Relationships
Family Bonding Through Bucket Lists – Introducing a New Video Course
“Gail Carson Levine is coming to Naperville,” my middle daughter Katherine said. “Can we go?” She’d read Ella Enchanted and The Princess Tales. I knew she liked Levine’s books, but when I saw the $25 ticket price, I flinched. It was too much, even with two autographed copies of Levine’s newest book and a chance…
Round the World Adventures: An Interview with Kathrin Spaccarelli
Imagine taking your family on a year-long trip around the world. Kathrin Spaccarelli and her husband Nathan did just that with their two boys from September 2013 to September 2014. A longtime love of traveling, plus a desire to introduce their boys to friends and familiar places in Japan (where both Kathrin & Nathan lived…
The One Where We Sat on the Roof and Ate Ice Cream
In July I dared readers to step out and conquer a bucket list goal that required them to let go. To be wildly free. Something like dancing in the rain. For me that expression of whimsical freedom came in the form of sitting out on my roof eating ice cream sandwiches with my kids –…
Lighthouse Bucket List Adventure: An Interview with Cheryl Lynn Cain
I have always admired Cheryl Lynn Cain for being a mom with a passion for making a difference. From hosting refugee families, to organizing a fair trade bazaar, to directing the compassion ministry at her church, Cheryl Lynn is a woman of compassion in action. The same is certainly true for her family bucket list –…
July Bucket List Life Dare: Be Wildly Free
Recently I was talking with a group of moms when the topic of dancing in the rain came up. “I have always wished I could do that,” one mom said. “But I just can’t seem to bring myself to go ahead.” Everyone agreed. We all yearned to be so carefree. But we all had to admit that…
What We Can Learn About Bucket Lists from the Blackhawks’ Stanley Cup Win
If you don’t follow hockey, then you might not know that a big win happened here in Chicago this week. For the third time in six years and the first time in over 70 years on home ice, the Chicago Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup championship trophy. Of course winning your sport’s highest honor is on every…
Life Dreams, Work & Discovering Your Calling: An Interview with Jeff Goins
Last week I had the privilege of interviewing Jeff Goins, author of the new book The Art of Work, about work, calling and bucket lists. I have followed Jeff since his first e-book The Writer’s Manifesto in which he sets forth the mindset for embracing the calling of being a writer. His other (awesome) books…
Talk About It: Post-Adventure Family Conversations
What kind of conversations do you have with your kids after you’ve reached a bucket list goal? What does your “debriefing” look like? Over Spring Break our family took a few bucket list adventures. Our eldest daughter spent three weeks on a school-sponsored exchange trip to Spain. The rest of us visited the LEGO Discovery…
Abundance: Bucket List Goals in Community
I recently had the opportunity to gather with more than 30 other members of the writer’s guild I belong to for our bi-annual retreat. We held workshops, learned from industry professionals, and heard the stories of published members about their road to publication. But more than that, we shared our lives – our hopes, our…