Today we've got seven ways to make your day better, and the science behind why they work.

In our busy lives it can be easy to forget to make time to do the things that will actually make us feel alive, and happy about it - connecting with our communities, getting a breath of fresh air, creating, problem solving, and making room for serendipity.

Today Michelle interviews her friend, Marcela, a teacher on special assignment who is also pursuing her doctorate in education while raising her two young girls and juggling family life with grace alongside her husband. She shares her unique experience on raising a multi-lingual and multi-cultural family all while claiming a life of abundance and every day luxury for herself. She offers a great perspective on co-parenting while both parents work full-time, as well as insights on how she feeds her busy family and takes time every day to soak in life’s beauty.

After the first few weeks of a new school year shake out, we have the opportunity to sync up our schedules and iron out any wrinkles in our systems for a smooth school year. Whether you've got pre-k or high school students, we're bringing our best tips for calendar maintenance, meal prep, after-school activities and more. Plus, when to acknowledge it's too much and how to let go, so you can actually enjoy and embrace the chaos of this time of life.

Creating a signature style is a great way to show off your personality and passions before even speaking. Let’s dive into assessing and determining a personal, timeless style by first going through the building blocks we already own, then adding accessories and defining our style!

“Find out who you are, and do it on purpose.”

We’re taking Dolly Parton’s words to heart and determining the first part of our personal brand - which develops over time to help inform us as to where and how to spend our limited time and energy.

We’re diving into questions like:

“What is your purpose and your passions (long term and short term).”
“What are you known for?”
“What do you want to be known for?”
“How are your spending your time lately?”
“What are you up to/listening to/ interested in/ excited by?”
“What’s on your list for your life?”
“What’s on your list for this season?”

Have you ever heard of a philosophical razor? It’s a rule of thumb or principle used to shave off unnecessary thoughts or explanations or to determine the next best course of action. There are a whole bunch of interesting razors we can use every day to let the little things go, seek simple solutions, give people the benefit of the doubt and build our own luck. Listen as we discuss razors high and low, as well as our own personal razors we’ve developed to help us make quick decisions and live according to our own principles.

For more on razors, check out this article and this one, too.

Minimalism is a philosophy we’re all familiar with - but it’s tenets can be used far beyond household possessions. It’s not just about stripping down what is not worth keeping, but also about letting the things that matter most to us take up the majority of our time and attention. O

In this episode we’re exploring what minimalism can teach us about our wardrobes, mindless consumption, constant influx of ideas, never-ending to-do lists, long-term storage and nighttime routines.

Check out this episode for more on curating a wardrobe you love!

From sleep training to screen time, there are so many ideas out there for parents. We review some of the ideas that have worked well for us, as well as ideas we’ve changed our minds about. Parenting is a constant challenge to grow and learn alongside our kids, and learning means we don’t always do things right the first (or second or third) times. Thankfully, it’s a long term game, so we get to make adjustments as we go.

Michelle recommends the book The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt for a call to action regarding kids and screens, as well as many helpful ideas about how to give our kids the play-based childhoods they need in order to thrive.