Thank Your Sir… May I Have Another?

“Gratitude activates the part of the brain linked to happiness and contentment. Just a few minutes can greatly shift your mood.” ~ per my Gratitude Plus App. (So that has to have scientific backing right?)

Yep… in my efforts to better myself and simplify my mind, I decided I needed to go back to intentional daily gratitude. Somehow, META has mind-reading capabilities and low and behold, a gratitude app popped up on my social media feed. (Zuckerberg… you are getting TOO good…. I didn’t even say it aloud…. or google it… and you STILL knew… probably because of my podcast history for my boy Shetty… but honestly – get out of my head.) I, of course, had to try the free trial for the app. Because, let’s be real…. A notebook and pen just isn’t gonna do it… and I am obviously a SUCKER. 

Anywho, it turns out expressing gratitude really does do something to your noggin’. According to The American Brain Foundation, “gratitude triggers the brain’s reward system, releasing hormones and neurotransmitters that have tangible physical and mental health benefits.” I know. I know….  I can trigger the reward system of my brain with a good workout… or a piece of peanut butter pie. So what’s the big deal behind gratitude? 

Well, it turns out that expressing gratitude physically changes how your brain functions. Regular gratitude is like a workout for your brain… by activating brain regions responsible for decision-making, emotional awareness, motivation and higher-order thinking, it strengthens your pre-frontal cortex. 

Additionally, gratitude calms the brain’s stress response by activating the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) and lowering cortisol levels – you know… that stuff responsible for my Pillsbury Dough-Boy mid-section – promoting relaxation resulting in better sleep, stronger immunity and improved digestion. SOLD! Sign me up! 

Not only does expressing gratitude regularly impact you physically, but it can actually rewire your brain by strengthening neural pathways… and maybe even increase gray matter – the stuff that supports learning, memory, speech, movement & other cognitive functions. We all know how important gray matter is as we round second and head for third in the game of life. 

So…. Here I am, completely bought in… hook, line & sinker. I am a true believer that what you put out in the universe, you get back in return. (Too woo-woo?? Maybe. But, ehhhh… I believe it none-the-less.) So, not only will I be putting kindness and acknowledgement of value out into the universe… but gratitude is like a GLP-1… right? I mean… come on… better digestion, lower cortisol… releasing those feel-good chemicals so I don’t eat that piece of peanut butter pie….

Even though I probably won’t lose 25 pounds by practicing daily gratitude… I’m gonna give it a go…. and, use this nifty app I just downloaded. If you want to practice with me I believe you can join my private circle .. just shoot me a message or leave me a comment and I will shoot you the invite code. It tells me anyone can join for free. Who knows…. 

I’m trying to decide if this is Shetty’s #3: Today I Direct My Attention… or #7: I Measure Today by Who I Am, Not Just What I Achieve. Either way… today, I am grateful for …

  1. My hubby (who puts up with all my randomness and has learned to just go with the flow and not point out every time I shift with the wind)
  2. Time with my adult-ish children (who I just spent a week with confined to a tiny cabin in Northern Michigan…oooooh boy…. Really need to focus on that gratitude) 
  3. Sunshine. Yes. Just good ol’s sunshine. There is something about how a clear sky can just make my mood a million times better. 

So, since you’re here, take a moment and think of a couple things you are grateful for today. Leave a comment, write them down in your journal, or just take 30 seconds out of your day to identify them. Here’s to working out our brains!

Morning Intentions

I was recently challenged to set daily intentions each morning. To which I shared… I have… many times. I just can’t say they manifested. I intend to get the house cleaned up. I intend to organize the junk drawer. (Seriously… everyone has one of these right? How is it my kitchen has three… “mail/coupon and instructions junk,” “junk, note paper & pens,” “extra screws & manly junk”?) I intend to be nice to everyone I come in contact with… even that grumpy friend tailing me on the way to work.

However, after a few days of getting up 10 minutes early to set these intentions, I decide that hitting the snooze button is an easier intention… and one I can keep on a daily basis. So…. as I do with every challenge that is thrown my way… I over think it. I try to find someone to give me the easy answer while trying to understand the neurobiology of why intention setting works. Well… leave it to Jay Shetty to give me the answers I didn’t even know I was looking for.

According to neurobiology, some ancient yogis, a bunch of monks… and, of course, sweet Jay… the morning is not just the start of your day, it’s the start of your body’s operating system. “What runs in those first minutes doesn’t just affect your mood, it architecturally shapes how your brain will process every single event, conversation and decision for the next 16 hours”, according to, my close friend – even though he may not know it yet, Jay.

Ever wake up thinking about the unfinished business from yesterday… the bag that has to be returned to TJ Max but is still sitting in your car because you were too tired to stop on the way home… or the odd question that your boss asked you as you were walking out of the office last night and you are trying to figure out what it meant… or maybe just the fact that you are out of strawberry jam and little Bobby won’t eat grape on his PB&J and you have nothing else to pack for lunch? Well…. that’s because these little problems that haven’t been solved, or tasks that haven’t been completed, are like an open loop in your operating system. Your brain doesn’t like open loops…. so it immediately brings them to the front of your attention so that you can close them and make your brain happy. … or something really scientific like that.

Once those thoughts hit your brain in the first few minutes, they set the tone for the day. You are already behind the 8-ball… and I’ve truly never understood that. Don’t you want to be behind the 8-ball? Or maybe not… maybe it means that you have to hit the 8-ball with the cue ball to get to your ball. I mean, that’s not too bad as long as you can avoid the pockets on the table. Obviously, I’m no pool shark… but… oh, sorry… I digress….

Anywho… Jay highlights 7 things you need to tell your conscious mind as soon as you wake up. In an effort to be more intentional… and yes… I now realize I was being challenged with the how I show up… not the what gets accomplished…. I am going to try to implement these things into my morning wake up routine.

  1. I Am Awake Before My Problems – Am I though? It usually takes me a couple cups of coffee… but okay… we’ll give it the ol’ college try.
  2. I Am Not Yesterday – Obviously. I am also not tomorrow. But that has never stopped me from overthinking both.
  3. Today I Direct My Attention – That one is just plain lofty.. let’s be real.
  4. I Wont Try to Solve Problems That Haven’t Happened Yet – I feel like we should refer back to #2.
  5. My Body Isn’t a Vehicle For My Head – I’m super confused
  6. I Focus on What Matters Most, Not What Feels Urgent – Ooo! Ooo! I like this one. However, I really suck at it.
  7. I Measure Today by Who I Am, Not Just What I Achieve – Now that’s deep.

So… here we go. I am going to start digging into these 7 concepts and see if I can’t help my operating system operate a little bit better. Wish me luck as I try to implement these 7 concepts into my morning routine. I will obviously need to listen to this podcast a few more (hundred) times.

In case you want to learn more about open loops, setting intentional ways of being…. or just listen to Jay’s amazing accent, go to where you listen to your podcasts, find Jay Shetty, and click on 7 Things to Tell Yourself Every Morning (April 3). Or you can continue to follow me for updates… but I make no promises. I am no Jay Shetty… or a Buddhist Monk – even though they FASCINATE me. But that’s a whole separate blog post……

If You Give Mindy a Bag to Pack…

If you have kiddos, you have read the book If You Give a Mouse a Cookie… of If You Give a Pig a Pancake… or maybe even If You Give a Moose a Muffin. If you haven’t had the joy of reading these books… welcome to this post!

The woman’s brain (I say woman’s because these stats definitely don’t jive with the men in my house) processes 35-48 conscious thoughts per minute, roughly 2,900 thoughts per hour and approximately 70,000 thoughts per day. However, in the background the brain is processing 10 bits of information per second. (Don’t ask me what a bit is … but it sounds like a lot. And don’t ask me what study this was… Google is my (not-so) credible source here.)

The female brain excels at rapid task switching, shifting focus between different mental processes seamlessly… again… per Google. Google obviously hasn’t studied my brain. I definitely excel at RAPID task switching. What I don’t excel at … is task completion in a succinct amount of time.

Yes friends… I have a list of to-dos and love nothing more than to reward myself with a cute check mark upon completion. It’s sooo satisfying.. and in true transparency… I like to start my list with things I have already accomplished for the day… I get a self-esteem booster and pride beams from my face like a 3-yr old who just went potty on the big-boy potty. But after a few hours of solidly working, I am defeated because I can’t add any checks to my list. Why you ask? Well…..

I need to start preparing to pack for an upcoming trip. Mommas you know the drill. Laundry has to be washed so you can grab specific items of each child out as you fold so that when packing day comes up in a 72 hours, those items are not miraculously dirty again. You need to make sure you have the tiny sample-sized hygiene items so that you don’t have to check luggage at the airport. Snacks have to be sorted and put in the correct bags so that they are easily accessible while in the car or on the plane traveling to said destination.

Sounds simple enough! Right? Oh friends… it goes something like this….

Put a load of laundry in the washer. Realize a kiddo needs a specific shirt for work this afternoon. Go on a hunt for the shirt. Walk into said child’s room to find that a dumpster exploded and you can’t walk through the room to retrieve said shirt because you can’t see the carpet. Go downstairs to get a trashbag so that you can go up to that perfect little angel’s room and throw everything in sight away. Open the pantry to grab the trash bag to go clean said child’s room, only to become overwhelmed by the chaos of the pantry. Who in the world puts spaghetti sauce next to pancake mix?!

Start emptying the pantry so that you can organize it so as to easily find what you are looking for without having a panic attack. Where did those trash bags go? Realize that there are three open boxes of the SAME cereal and decide to combine them. Open the cabinet to grab a cereal container or to realize you forgot to grab more dishwasher pods at the store this weekend. Grab a paper out of the junk drawer to make yourself a note to grab some while you are out later today. Where the heck is a pen in this house? Side note… add clean junk drawer to your list.

Ugh! Find a highlighter to use to make the reminder note about the dishwasher pods.. and now some pens… and see a piece of mail on the counter that needs put out in the mailbox. Walk said piece of mail out to your mailbox. Find an Amazon package on the porch. Who ordered something off of Amazon? Oh… I did.

Open package to find a pair of sunglasses that you ordered for your trip. Oh crap! Your trip. You need to get laundry started! Wait… why did you walk away from the laundry? Were you out of laundry detergent? Dryer sheets? Ugh! No… you need your kiddo’s shirt. Wait… there is no way I am venturing into that room again. It spiked my blood pressure! Speaking of blood pressure, did I schedule that dentist appointment that had to get rescheduled? And why we are scheduling appointments, I need to get the truck in for an oil change.

Let’s check the calendar. Oh look! It’s my brother’s birthday in a couple days. I better not forget to wish him a happy birthday. Hold on… did I get that father’s day card in the mail? Uhhhh… yep. Just walked it out to the mailbox. So it’s a couple weeks late…. who would expect me to be on time with anything? Why start now?

Okay… why was I looking at the calendar? Graduation party? Hair appointment? Oh, yes! Oil change! I can’t schedule that right now anyway… we are down a car at the moment. Wait… car. I need to make sure we have everything we need to pack the car for our 8-hour trip. I need to run to the store to grab some snacks for the ride and make sure we have Advil. Lord knows I am gonna need it at some point during our trip. I really need a tea. I’ll stop while I am out. Where did that list of things go that I need to get? I swear I just had it.

Wait… why isn’t the washer running? Oh that DAMN shirt! EMMA!!!!!

And this my friends is called motherhood….or adult-ADD… or mid-life insanity. Or in my case…. probably all three. Maybe I should just blog about it. Hold on… why AM I doing a blog anyway? Oh yeah… for shits and giggles…..

Okay.. to find my daughter so she can get me her shirt…. and I can FINALLY start this load of laundry.

A Life Lesson From a Game

The sound of screaming from mommas, siblings, some grandparents … and most likely a loudmouth auntie or two. The sight of a group of dads lined up on the wall standing with their arms crossed and talking out of the side of their mouths to the guys next to them – a couple of them with munchkins hanging onto their legs. The smell of sweat, popcorn and gym shoes. You guessed it… there is nothing like a middle-school basketball tourney!

This weekend Spooky Nook Champion Mill hosted an Under Armor Future Finals. I love the Under Armor tourneys. (My fave being the UAA finals when the 7+ foot 16 year-olds walk around town and I am in utter amazement every single time….. How DO we grow them that big?? And what is their poor momma’s weekly grocery bill!? I shutter to think about it.)

So, while the sights and sounds of these tourneys make me want to break out my gym shoes and go running out on the court… to coach or play…. a little piece of me gets super sad. Not because I sprain an ankle and pull a hammy just thinking about being back on a court, but because there is a piece of me that never got to realize her potential (or maybe lack there of)… so she always wonders. And wondering is worse than knowing.

Basketball is in my DNA. I grew up worshiping old school basketball. Larry Bird (big ol’ guy who wasn’t super slick… but dang he could play ball), Isaiah Thomas (so cute… and so little for the NBA), Dr. J, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar… and the icon, my hero… Michael Jordan. I mean, that Sports Illustrated VHS… 1989 NBA Superstars… my brothers and I wore that thing OUT! I still think of it every time I hear John Mellencamp’s song Small Town.

I grew up hearing all about the legend my dad was in high school… that full court shot that made it, but didn’t count because he was throwing the ball in from the baseline and no one else touched it before it hit the net. (Yeah… he’s a local legend. lol!) I grew up chasing that basketball dream. I LOVED the game. I LOVED to not only watch it… but play it as well. I LOVED being driven, pushed, coached… I LOVED the after-game or after-practice talk that occurred every time my shoes touched the court – well, tolerated the after-practice talk. A 12-year old only can only listen for so long before she starts thinking about the phone call she needs to make at 7:30 on the one landline phone in the house.

I was so pumped for high school ball, that I decided to “run” cross country. (And that experience my friends is a whole different post. Let’s just say, I bonded closely with some friends and had my fair share of ice cream that season.) However, I was also gifted with extremely flat feet, so “running” (and I use that term very lightly) long distance caused me a lot of pain. Well-intentioned coaches taped my feet every day… and to make a long story short, once basketball season conditioning started we realized I had grade four stress fractures on both shins – requiring 3-4 months of no running, no jumping, limited time on my feet and lots of ice.

Devastated. Broken. Crushed. But… determined, resolute and dedicated…. I attended every practice & game, studied the plays, shot a million and one free-throws, would give my friends feedback on their footwork, their body position, and their follow through. My sophomore year, the coach put me on varsity and had me float to JV for two quarters each game to get court experience. However, the JV coach had her team picked out – so I sat. I didn’t have court experience at the high school level, so during the varsity games – I sat. By the end of the season my spirit was broken. That season took a huge emotional toll on me. When I turned in my uniforms at the end of my sophomore year, I walked away and never looked back. Basketball was over for me.

See, it wasn’t the debilitating injury that took me out. I bounced back from that. That I could fight through. It was when I broke inside – when I felt like everyone gave up on me. That is what took me out. When I felt like no one believed in me anymore… I no longer believed in myself. I couldn’t rebound.

Fast-forward to the 47-year old me that still thinks she’s 20…. As I watch these extremely-skilled players I can’t help but think about the amount of money that has been invested in their development. I am sure many of them are naturally gifted athletes, but I wonder how many out there aren’t gifted. How many of them have had that one person that believed so much in them that it took them to the next level? I mean this is club…. select… AAU…UAA… not just your ordinary school team. What about those kiddos who parents can’t, or won’t, dedicate the time, the money, the travel – to get their kiddos to the next level? What about the kiddos who want to learn, love the feeling of the sport, want to be better, want to put in the work, but maybe aren’t naturally talented? What about the Michael Jordans? (I mean he got cut from his high school team, remember.)

I have three AMAZING kiddos. Three kiddos I never put in club or select for many reasons… mainly they never had the drive for sports. They loved sports as recreation and time with friends. (Obviously they get their lack of competition from their father… lol! Just kidding, honey.) There is something beautiful in recreational sports.. but I feel like recreational sports are dying. Everyone is chasing the championship, the title, the glory…. and that’s okay too as long as we have a balance. (Kind of like when I eat chocolate… it’s fine until I try to be the champion of eating the entire Costco-sized bag of Dubai Chocolate in one sitting.)

Where was I? Chocolate…. competition… oh yes… recreational sports. Let’s bring them back. Grade-school coaches, don’t forget about the recreational kiddos or the Michael Jordans on the team. Don’t get so caught up in winning that we forget to teach them, coach them…believe in them. Grade school teams (in my humble opinion) should be about growth, instilling a love for movement, a love for the game, a love of teamwork, and self-discipline to push through discomfort. Because if we can build a great foundation for a kiddo, they could become the next Michael Jordan… or even the next Caitlyn Clark. Don’t forget, it’s not about natural skill, but spirit, dedication, love, growth, determination and resilience.

Never forget you can break the body… but when you break the spirit… you kill the dream. Let’s focus on building the spirit in our kiddos… no matter what their passion. Let’s build great humans… and if they love basketball and Dubai Chocolate… all the better.

BINGO!

Those pesky new year’s resolutions! Yes, it’s June and I am talking about new year’s resolutions because that is what got me into this mix.

In 2025, I stopped making resolutions and started a bingo card instead. Instead of numbers in the boxes, you write down and intention, activity, goal… whatever you would like. Then as you complete the activities, you get to check them off your card… working towards a “BINGO!” Let’s just say, it was a great intention… but I forgot about it after about three months.

So, for 2026, I am attempting the bingo card idea again. This time, I had an accountability partner (we’ll call her Stacey… because that’s her name). Stacey and I met at a local coffee house with markers, stickers and all the fun stuff in hand. We spent a hour or two chatting, sipping coffee and coloring. Two grown-ass women in a coffee shop coloring & playing with stickers. To say we were a distraction to the kiddos walking through is an understatement.

Anywho… a couple hours later, I had in hand my goals for the year. Things like, “Monthly Coffee Date”, and “Save $200 Each Month”, and things that I can easily schedule and check off were many of my boxes. But then I got a little crazy (probably too much coffee) and wrote down “Do Something That Scares Me” and “Do Something Spontaneous.” These… not so easy to check off. I mean, if it’s not planned, scheduled, an already formed habit, or a medical emergency… it’s probably not happening.

So…. fast forward 5 months and it was time to look at that bingo card again. Staring me right in the face was “Do Something That Scares Me.” So, I could let a spider crawl on my arm, let someone throw knives at me, swim with alligators, or do something for me. It was a grueling few hours as I debated where the closest alligator-filled lake was located or if the local axe-throwing facility would allow me to stand in front of the target boards… but I landed on do something for me.

Ugh… the though of spending time and energy on myself… it’s the most terrifying thing on the list of things I could think of… add my big mouth making a public commitment to it on social media… oh sweet angels above. To say I have had second and third.. and even fourth thoughts over the past 7 days is a gross understatement.

So here I am… doing something that terrifies me… letting people in (a little bit further at least). But in a safe way I guess… I mean… I don’t actually have to talk to anyone, right? (Thank heavens! Talking to people is a a whole different therapy session… I mean post.) And… bonus! I’m not getting charged by the hour to think out loud.

However, if you think I don’t read your comments and internalize them to value my self-worth… notice I have changed platforms… because the smartest tech guy I know (we’ll call him Zach… because that’s his name) told me I should be on WordPress to have a blog. So here I am … on WordPress….not only doing something that scares me… but using tech I have no idea how to use. LOL! Oh the gifts just keep on coming.

Stay tuned… or not…. as I learn to navigate technology, share my thoughts on things you really don’t care about, and ramble on and on about ideas and thoughts that I probably haven’t fully developed. And… maybe go make your own bingo card… start a “Mid-Year’s Resolution”… who knows… you may just amaze yourself.

Welcome! You may wanna run…

People have told me for years… “You need to write a book. I’d buy it in a heartbeat.” 

Well… let me let you in on a secret… I have no idea how to write a book. My grammar is atrocious… and spelling… HA! I can’t imagine anyone would pay to read about the crap that goes through this head. I can hardly complete a three-step task without getting side-tracked…. And, well, honestly… I’m not sure where to start. The day I was born? Today,  and work backwards? And really…. I don’t have great advice. I don’t know how to cook. I am not a super successful self-made millionaire. 

I’m a mom. A wife. A daughter. An employee. A teacher at heart. A storyteller.  An ever-striving-to-be-enough woman-child who wants to be everything to everyone in every situation. And guess what… I never am. I always come up short. I never quite hit the mark. I’m a walking cluster-f*ck. (Sorry… should have giving a warning about language.) I’m scattered… always moving in 23 directions at one time. I over-think. I over-share. I’m reactive. I’m inappropriate. I’m emotionally defunct. I’m a whole-hearted kinda girl. I can’t half-ass it. I take on more than I can chew. I get overwhelmed. I’m exhausted. I’m always striving to be more. And I never quite get to the imaginary finish line. 

Social media came into my life once I was already a momma. I had two young kiddos, a police officer hubby with a crazy schedule and was trying to climb up my own career ladder. I never tried to sugar coat my life in posts. I shared snapshots of reality. Kids with mismatching shoes. All the outtakes of getting the one perfect Christmas photo. The behind the scenes reality that you just have to embrace and laugh at. That’s me. I am the behind the scenes reality. 

But am I really? I still only show others the picture I want them to see – as imperfect as it is. I don’t ever let people all the way in. So while I pride myself on being authentic… am I? (See, here’s the overthinking and oversharing.)

I find writing therapeutic. And since I don’t know how to write a book…. I figured I’d start a blog. I don’t expect anyone to read it. But…. Maybe putting pen to paper… or in this case finger to keyboard… well…. Let’s just call it an experiment… a journey… a replacement for those baby books I never put together. Sorry kids! You’re never gonna know when you got your first tooth. You were probably between 6-12 months old (according to Google). What can I say? Mom of the year. 

So anyway… stop in… stay a while… or scroll on by. Either way…. I’ll be here. Polishing my soapbox. Trying to remember what I ate for breakfast so I can log it for the day. 😉