humble, quiet, and meek

Last week in Florida, Ellie and I were wandering around a bookstore when a man got really close to me and made a weird comment about my body. I was immediately uncomfortable with how close he got, how familiar he acted toward me. As I continued to browse, I watched him wander around the store … [Read More...]

Book Club Ideas & Lists…
By Mary 2 Comments
I've lost count of the number of great things to come out of my time with my friend Jessi at the Front Room Studio, but one of them is my book club. I started hosting a monthly book club because we had the space, the time, and the desire to talk books with fellow readers. No longer being in a … [Read More...]

2022 Travel Highlights…
By Mary 2 Comments
2022 was a busy year. Here's where we went and how we got there. FebruaryEllie, my brother, and I took a surprised trip to New York City for Ellie's 13th birthday. A snowstorm tried to stop us—and it did delay our trip by half a day—but we made it in time for Hamilton on Broadway and a few days … [Read More...]

Favorite Books of 2022…
I read a little over 120 books this year. I only know this because I like to share reviews on Instagram, and I just went back and counted all of them. Don't suggest something logical or easy like GoodReads, I'm not going to use it. I have an account I haven't looked at in years. Sorry not … [Read More...]

Boyne Mountain in December…
We just can't quit Michigan. We're supposed to be knocking off more states in our quest to visit all 50, but Michigan keeps calling us back. The week before Christmas we headed north to Boyne City, Michigan, for a week of skiing, playing, shopping, and relaxing. We began the week by staying … [Read More...]

Recipe: Bold Chex Mix…
I've shared this recipe before, but it's hidden on a post with other stuff, so I felt it was time to give it its own time to shine. There are a lot of things I look forward to during the holiday season, and one of those things is this Chex Mix. Could I make it anytime? Yes. Do I? Nope. … [Read More...]

2022 Partner Gift Guide…
Here's a very specific thing Chris Graham likes to do every day: shop the clearance section of his favorite stores. He rarely buys anything, but if he receives an email about a deal, he will diligently check the links and read all the details on every item. He is an email marketers worse … [Read More...]

2022 Favorite Things…
By Mary 4 Comments
I always laugh when I make these shopping guides because they are so very specific. Do you like to garden while listening to murder podcasts and then at night turn on a lamp while wearing old man pajamas? Well then, do I have some gift ideas for you. Disclosure: affiliate links … [Read More...]

Honduras & Mexico…
I would not call myself a cruise person. It's just not really my style. But I took a cruise a few weeks ago, and I had such a good time. Maybe it was the company. Maybe it was the lack of parenting responsibilities. Maybe it was the sunshine. Maybe it was the afternoon naps. Maybe it was all … [Read More...]

what is real…
One of my favorite memories with Chris Graham is of a date we had. I think it was 2016. We went out to dinner, a wings place near our house in the city, and had the best time. We had been missing each other, busy with life and kids and catching up felt exciting. We didn't run out of things to say … [Read More...]

addiction in five stories…
By Mary 6 Comments
"Shawn met a woman, and she sobered him up," my dad said. My aunt said. Everyone said. "That's not normally how that works," I said, as gently as possible. I understand the desperate desire for this to be true. The sudden death of his mom in a car accident, years of addiction, the loss of … [Read More...]