If you follow the book blogger, The Modern Mrs. Darcy, you have been anticipating her annual “What’s Saving My Life Right Now” post as much as I have. For those who are not as familiar with this tradition, she encourages her readers to think about things – both big and small – that are saving us all right now in our daily lives. Not only do I look forward to her list, but also to the hundreds of readers who post their own lists in the comments section.

I didn’t want to miss out on the fun, so I’ve created my own list. These are in no particular order of priority, but they are all of great importance to me.

1. Lou & Grey for LOFT – This clothing line is perfect for the casual, work-from-home professional who wants to look cute on Zoom and remain comfortable. I can’t say enough about their leggings. I recently splurged for the softest, lime green hoodie that I’ve decided to be buried in when I die. The other reason I love these clothes is that I am currently at my pandemic weight. In the past, I’ve managed to shed the baby weight and the holiday weight, but this pandemic weight gain is so much harder to lose. Therefore, jeans – or hard pants – are not fitting my body so well these days. Enter Lou & Grey, which is saving my life right now.
2. Fleece blankets – For Hanukkah, I asked for a blanket that I could comfortably throw over my legs while sitting on the couch, reading a book, and drinking my coffee. Apparently, it was inferred that I wanted a weighted blanket. While I know there are plenty of benefits to this kind of blanket, I was thinking of something more soft and cozy. I now own three of them.
3. Trader Joe’s – I am a little anxious about going to the grocery store, mainly because of the shopping carts. Everybody is touching them and breathing on them. The big supermarkets are not doing enough to protect their clientele (in my opinion), and they aren’t very generous with the wipes and spray bottles. I appreciate Trader Joe’s for their commitment to keeping us all healthy – not only with their food but also their service. At my local store, someone stands outside and wipes down each cart well. They also keep track of how many people are in the store at a time so that social distancing can be adhered to. Of course, I also love TJ for their amazing food and low point Weight Watchers items. And, they have a fantastic display of the fourth thing that is saving me right now…
4. Fresh flowers – As soon as I walk into my Trader Joe’s, there is a wall of fresh flowers welcoming me and beckoning me to take them home. I love having fresh flowers in the house. They brighten up the room and my mood. The ones I buy are not ridiculously expensive and have lasted for up to two weeks.
5. Reading – There will be a longer post about my reading habits in the near future, but for the purpose of this list, I’ll say that getting away from my cell phone, laptop, desktop, and television with an excellent book is soothing to me. I used to worry about my kids and their screen time, but now I am concerned about my own.
6. Honorable mentions – My family. My dog. Hello Fresh. Jigsaw puzzles. Cozy pajamas. Coffee (and all hot beverages). Joe Biden. Randy Rainbow. The Holderness Family videos. And, the NYT Tiles game.

Ok, it’s your turn. Please tell me what things are saving your life right now. And don’t forget to check out Modern Mrs. Darcy’s “What’s Saving Your Life Right Now?” post to see where this all began.

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It wasn’t too long ago when I was a mom of two young children who I loved to talk about constantly. In my community, this is known as “kvelling” – a Yiddish word meaning bursting with pride.

I even had a blog called Kvell Corner hosted on BlogSpot, where my children were the stars of the show. I talked about my daughter coming home from overnight camp as a newly-minted vegetarian and how I knew nothing about cooking for her. And I documented my kids’ first solo bike rides to school with me following them in my minivan to make sure they arrived safely. I may have told a few embarrassing stories about temper tantrums in the middle of Sears and birthday parties gone bad.

And then, two things happened almost simultaneously. First, my kids became aware of my blog and started to read it. I didn’t think there was anything questionable in my posts, but they asked – no demanded – to read what I wrote before sharing with a broader audience. That was fair. While they rarely censored my writing, they did begin to say, “Mom, you can’t write about this!” when something happened that would have made for a great story to share.

The other thing that happened is that I wanted to change the name and the theme of my blog. Unless you are Jewish, you wouldn’t know what Kvell Corner means without my explaining it to you. I desired a more all-encompassing name that spoke to the masses and reflected other parts of my life besides parenthood.

Around this time, I participated in a weekly writing group where we literally workshopped my new name in class. I was delighted when someone came up with the concept of a manual. We discussed how we are never born with or given a guidebook for life and that my blog could fill this need. Let me be clear. I am no expert in the ways of the world and what works best for everyone. Far from it! But, we are all in the same boat. We have to figure things out for ourselves as we go along. My stories and posts are a way for me to jump in the boat with you and enjoy the ride.

Hence, the name of this blog was born. Before launching the blog, I had to sit with the name and live with it to see if it felt right. And then, as if the stars were aligned in my favor, a bad parenting moment presented itself and ultimately sealed the deal. You can read that story here.

Now my kids tell me they love when I write about them. They even joke about it by saying – “well, I guess this is one for the blog.”  I still ask their permission, and it is almost always granted. I am grateful to them for giving me that gift. But, I also have stories to tell that have nothing to do with them. I’ve had a rewarding career in non-profit communications for nearly 20 years. Working in the non-profit world has a way of teaching me lessons I never thought I needed to learn. This makes for some terrific blog content.

Also, I’m turning 50 later this month, and I’m pretty excited about it. I’ve never been one to stress about starting a new decade. It is typically the next birthday that I gasp and realize I’m closing in on the next one. I loved my 40s, and as this time in my life ends, I realize that my tolerance for bullshit is waning and my confidence to shine a light on it grows exponentially. I know I’m on the brink of an entirely new chapter in my life. My daughter is in college, and my son is a junior in high school. It is now my job to support their transitions into adulthood. I’m already noticing more time on my hands to pay attention to my dreams yet to come to fruition.

It’s an exciting time. And, I promise to share it all with you.

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