Real Connections

Give flowers to people in a nursing home (fake or real and notes).  So many elderly people are lonely and LOVE seeing little kids at any time of year, but especially during holidays this can be the perfect thing to cheer them up.  I plan on dressing in our Sunday best and buying several bouquets of roses to hand out to the residents at a retirement home during their meal time.  I know it’s going to mean so much to many of them.Valentines Day kits to refugees.  Many refugees coming to America don’t know about American holidays and it can feel very isolating - especially for kids to go to a public school.  There are refugee organizations that will take Valentine’s Day kits (no candy) and hand them out to kids so that they can celebrate Valentine’s Day along with their classmates.  You can check out the Utah location @serverefugees.  They are only taking donations this year on Feb.3 & 5.Personalize sugar cookies with peoples name on them and give them to special people in your life.  Sugar cookies are nice, but it means that much more when someone goes out of their way to put a little extra thought and write your name on something.  It doesn’t have to be perfect, it’s the thought that is important.Make Ronald McDonald house mom kits.  There are many moms who are far away and who are spending this time of year worried and stressed out about their child who is sick or terminally ill in a hospital.  I saw this great idea @whitneystotesadorbs where she made kits that included a few little hard candies, a target gift card and little charm in a cute makeup bag.  I’m sure the recipients would be so touched to receive  it.Love Restaurant family mystery dinner.  My kids loved doing this last year so it’s something we are going to continue.  Basically, you create a nice “restaurant” in your living room and you’re the server.  When it’s time to eat, you give them each a menu that has words on it - but not the actual food name.  They write down what they would like and for every word they write, there is a corresponding food or drink associated with it.  So one menu item may be “Lucky to Have You” which is really pizza.  Another menu item might say “Together” which is really hot fudge.  They also get to pick a color for every course (red, pink or white) corresponds with a different utensil.  It’s so fun to see how into it all of the kids get.  You can grab the menus, food list, and instructions for FREE here https://mailchi.mp/5bc23a357e4d/valentinepackKeep your valentines day hearts you write for your kids on their door and string them and use as garland.  I know many people do this, but how fun if you kept them from year to year to reminisce and double them as decor.Write love notes to kids and spouse.  I love doing this and if you don’t do it, it’s the perfect time of year to start.  It’s important to not only write love notes to your kids and spouse for them to read later or in case of something happening to you, but to read them now.  Don’t you love getting love notes from others?  Me too!Call or leave little gifts to your extended family to let them know you’re thinking about them.  You may think that this one is really simple, but when was the last time you did it?  Every year on Valentine’s Day I get a phone call (usually a voice mail) telling me how much he loves me and is thinking of me.  He has a wife and is focused on her as well, but has made sure that we know how much he loves us.Play the “I love you because…” game with your kids the week of Valentine’s Day.  This is a game that I  made up for my kids to do this year and I can’t wait.  In this game, you write down someone’s name in your family that you love and why and roll up the paper and hide it.  Explain the game to your kids and that whoever finds the rolled up paper gets to read what was written, write down someone else’s name in the family they love, and hide it.  There is little to no work for you, but your kids will be so excited to find the special paper and write ...

To understand better the context of this episode, it may be helpful to understand my whole story. You can listen to part 1 here -http://realconnectionspodcast.com/dads-sudden-death-encore-episode-part-1-episode-58/ and part 2 here - http://realconnectionspodcast.com/dads-sudden-death-encore-episode-part-2-episode-59/ Here's the short of it. My dad was killed in a plane crash when I was 9 years old. He was with 7 other men who all lost their lives that day. Last week we celebrated his 24th angel anniversary and this week I've been reflecting on the things I've learned. My dad's death really shaped so much of who I am and what I think is important in life and I wanted to share some of those things with you. Life is about all of the little things.Writing Letters to my kids is important.Keeping a journal is important.Tell people you love that you love them early and often.Being mad at God sometimes is ok. He can handle it.Beauty can come from ash.Its' important to tell kids the truthGrief is a part of my story, but it doesn't define me.Relationships, experiences, and memories with loved ones are the most important things in life.Faith is a choice.Going to therapy doesn't mean you're weak.Allow yourself to feel all emotions.This life is temporary.Being a listening and validating ear can heal so much.It's ok to be happy again.Living in gratitude is much better than living in fear.I deserved to marry someone like my dad.Some people live a whole lifetime in 36 years.You'll never regret being prepared.Many angels appear in human form.Grief can show up years later and look totally different.Exercise is a great form of secondary therapy.We all handle life differently, and that's ok.Angels are for real. Also, I'd love to meet you in person and we totally can!!! I'm speaking at the Seek Retreat that will be happening on March 28, 2020 in Farmington, UT and I'd LOVE to see you there! You can use my coupon code "CAMI" until January 31 to get $8 off your ticket. If you're coming, let me know so we can meet up :)

I don’t know about you, but I always have big and grand goals and by the second week of January I’ve already forgotten about my goals and am right back in the same habits I’ve always had.  This year I said “no more” and have started implementing strategies that are helping me to really go after the goals that I have to make 2020 the best year ever! So I found this incredibly powerful exercise by Dan Sullivan which has helped me to figure out how to actually stick to the big goals I have.  He said that the first question you need to ask is “What do I not want in my life?’  It’s interesting that this question is something that most people can answer with ease.  They can tell you who they don’t want to work for, what car they don’t want to still be driving, how they don’t want their body to be, etc.  Now the next question is a bit harder but definitely well worth the effort. The question is  “Imagine it’s one year from today and when looking back over the past year, you realize that it was the best year of your life.  What does that look like for you?” Is it hard to answer?  It is much more difficult for most people to articulate what they DO want as opposed to what they DON’T want.   A few things to keep in mind as you do this is to put yourself in the moment that 2020 is over and you totally had the best year ever.  What are the emotions you’d feel?  What are the specific things you did?How do you act on the day to day?What did your relationships look like?What were your finances like?What did your marriage look like?How was your relationship with your kids? Feel how this feels and don’t let your current situation sabotage what you want 2020 to look like. Also, don’t overthink it or write down what you think others expect of you or what would look pretty on paper.  This is just for your eyes and you can write whatever comes from your heart. After you do the exercise, then it gets that much easier to break down these things into their own separate goals and habits that you can begin to change. Once you extract the goals out of your paragraph you wrote, you can start to break it down into actionable steps that you can plug into your calendar - even right now. I hope this was helpful! I want to cheer you on and help you however I can!   As always, feel free to reach out to me [email protected]

So many of us struggle to find out purpose and I am so excited to have Kristin Brown on to share a few ways that can jump start you in that process. Uncover your gifts - Some suggestions to do this are to write down what you enjoyed doing as a child. You can also asked those close to you like your spouse, sibling, or parent what gifts and talents they see in you. You could also try asking close friends or relatives what talents you have that they would actually pay for. Be open to others suggestions and own your gifts and talents as part of your purpose.Decide what you want. Lots of times we can become paralyzed and not do anything because we think there is something we are meant for and want to find it. That may be true, but the best way to discover what that is, is to start looking and to begin moving in a direction. Write down and ponder what your ideal life would look like if it could be anything.Write your purpose statement. Write down the things that really matter to you in your life. When everything is stripped down to the bare bones, what do you want your purpose to be. What things do you want to cultivate in areas of spirituality and relationships, contributing to others and the world. Those things together become your mission statement. For more guided help, you can download Kristin's FREE guide to help you do this at www.theprogressproject.comSet a goal that aligns with your purpose. Sometimes we can get distracted and caught up in things that don't really matter to us in the long run. When you set a goal, see if it is in line with what your purpose statement is in order to figure out if that is where your time is the best spent. If you'd like even more help, Kristin and Laura have designed a workbook to guide you and hold your hand throughout the whole process. Full disclosure, I am an affiliate of "The Progress Project" and will get a small kick back if you purchase. http://www.jointheprogressproject.com/purpose?aff=8 Kristin Brown @jointheprogressproject

I am so excited to share with you an interview I did with Catrina Gandara from the Create Joy podcast. I am so honored that I was able to be on her show. She's so similar in her mission and her passion as far as life and podcasting go, so we are amazing friends now and I couldn't be happier about it. In this interview, I share how vulnerability has changed me in my life and why I do it, as well as tips and tricks on how I do it. I feel so strongly about vulnerability and living an authentic life and I shared my best thoughts, tips and tricks. I hope you pick an area of your life where you could live more vulnerably and chase it. I promise it will change your life. Want more from Create Joy podcast - Head on over to www.createjoypodcast.com or @createjoypodcast

Traditions for YOU Pick a theme for your life and pick something for this year that supports that (word, phrase, picture, song, scripture, etc.)Create a vision boardWrite a "Not to do" list for this year which could include things like Examples are Stop trying to please everyone. Stop being a perfectionist. Stop trying to do everything. Stop worrying about things that are out of your control. Stop beating yourself up for making mistakes. Stop trying to change other people. Stope spending time with people who don’t build you up. For your FAMILY Pick special meals for New Year’s Eve and New Years Day - We do cheese and chocolate fondue for New Year’s Eve and black eye soup with monkey bread for New Year’s Day.  Every bowl of black eye soup brings you luck and for you get a piece of monkey bread for every bowl you eat.Janis the dragon - take a sheet of paper and fold it in half and write the previous year on the top of the left side and write the new year on the top of the right side of the sheet of paper.  Everyone in the family should have their own sheet.  On the left side, you draw all of the things that happened that year (vacations, special events, achievements) and then write all of the things that are going to happen or goals that you have for the new year.  Let everyone have about 20 - 30 min. to draw theirs and then share.Do a Year in Review - collect all the photos you’ve taken this year and put the special ones that you love into a folder in iphoto and then set it to music and watch it as a family.Make a “family to do” list for the new year and get many of those items on the calendarPick a theme for your family.  If you didn’t do this at the beginning of the school year, this is the perfect time to start.  It could be a quote, phrase, scripture, etc.

Many people struggle with grief during the holidays. It can be hard when others are excited by the hustle and bustle of the season and you are grieving loved ones who have been around for the holidays past but who no longer are. How do you celebrate still? How can you cope with wanting to remember them but also creating new traditions? It can also be very tricky to know what to do or say if you aren't grieving, but someone close to you is. How do you help them during this time of year? What can you say or do to be helpful? These situations are real and hard and Karen Papin is here today to answer all of those questions you may be having surrounding grief and the holidays. She has some incredible tips during this episode for those grieving which include... Hang up a special ornament that is specifically for the person you have lost 2. Keep the traditions that you had with them to help you feel like they are still with you. 3. Remember that tradition is the spark that keeps you connected to the loved ones you still have. 4. Share about your loved one. Her tips for helping those you love who are grieving this season are ... Give a plate of cookies or a “thinking of you” card to let them know you are aware of them. 2. Invite them to join with you in your holiday traditions so they aren’t alone in their grief with the understanding that they may decline. 3. Create a safe place for them to talk and show them you are ok to sit with them in their grief. 4. Invite them to share photos and memories of those who they’ve lost. 5. Share your memories of their loved one that you remember. Resources she mentioned (so cool that her mom is the author of this one) "The Act of Ministering: From Heartache to Hope for Latter-Day Saints" https://www.amazon.com/Act-Ministering-Heartache-Latter-Day-Saints/dp/1718646569/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=from+heartache+to+hope&qid=1576216106&sr=8-1 Be sure to sign up on my website for all the SECRET family recipes my guests have given me. They would all be the perfect thing to bring to your holiday party this season. In this email I will send out tomorrow, you will get the recipes for pumpkin waffles and buttermilk syrup, peanut butter fudge, creme brule french toast, and many more. Sign up today because I'm sending out the email tomorrow!

It can be hard to come up with traditions that simple and meaningful. Today Tasha talks about 4 traditions that she does with her family that are both meaningful and fun. Find an organization in your area and serve. (Her family decorates and donates trees to the Ronald McDonald house) or www.justserve.org is an excellent resource.Have a Christmas bucket list day.See the lights somewhere and add a service element to it.Do the 12 days of service. Look for people who generally get overlooked. I will be implementing many of her traditions because they are easy to do and are so meaningful.

It can be hard to come up with traditions that simple and meaningful. Today Tasha talks about 4 traditions that she does with her family that are both meaningful and fun. Find an organization in your area and serve. (Her family decorates and donates trees to the Ronald McDonald house) or www.justserve.org is an excellent resource.Have a Christmas bucket list day.See the lights somewhere and add a service element to it.Do the 12 days of service. Look for people who generally get overlooked. I will be implementing many of her traditions because they are easy to do and are so meaningful.

Do you ever find yourself feeling overwhelmed during the holidays? Running everywhere to get the perfect gift for your kids, sending Christmas cards, making neighbor gifts and you end up just wanting to not do any of it but just enjoy the holidays. Well today I am talking all about what we are doing this year to simplify the holidays. Figure out what traditions you love and do those. 2. Revise the "Elf on the Shelf" 3. Donate the money you would use on neighbor gifts and don't worry about them. 4. Don't send Christmas cards. Instead send Valentine cards. 5. Make a secret code for your gifts so you don't have to try to write the "Santa" tags. 6. Create simple expectations. 7. Give your kids 1 gift from Santa, 1 gift from you and then give them a set amount to choose and budget for experiences they want to buy.