A Home That’s Happy…the center of happiness and the building block of your family, no matter where home is! VIEW THIS ISSUE [ in this issue ] 8 Difference Makers ~ The Stories of Four Chippewa Valley Attorneys 10 Funtabulous Families 12 Update & Upgrade your Home! 14 Friends and Fashion (& Frugality too) 16 Level Up Your Health! 18 Money Options to Home Improvement [ in every issue ] Editor’s Note – News from Jen Theisen Energize – Feed My People On the Scene – Out and About in the Valley Taking 5ive – Meet Women in the Valley …

May there always be work for your hands to do. May your purse always hold a coin or two. May the sun always shine on your windowpane. May a rainbow be certain to follow each rain. May the hand of a friend always be near you. May God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you. -An Irish Blessing Ladies, not sure about all of you, but our summer has cruised by so very fast. It has been a flurry of activity; summer is always a time to refresh. I planted a garden for the first time. Quinn and I …

Last week, I walked into my housemate Michelle’s room to, honestly, just complain about being exhausted. I felt like I was hit by a truck, but I had not done anything too extraneous. Starting at a new gym or picking up extra shifts at work could be the cause? But, then my sweet friend kindly reminded me that I am going through a lot of change – with school, family and just life in general – it’s exhausting. Change comes with a variety of emotions – it is hard and ugly, but also beautiful and encourages growth. I often push …

Ladies, enjoy our fantastic summer issue. I hope some of these lessons will help you to practice compassion with the ones around you—but, more importantly, compassion for yourself. This issue is full of fun summer things going on throughout the Chippewa Valley. We have lessons on friendships and yummy summer recipes. Enjoy every moment of summer, my beautiful mamas. The journey continues in Faith, Family, Friends, Fitness, and Finance. ~ Jen Theisen [in this issue] 8 Brainspotting 10 The 6-Pillars of Health and Wellness 12 Nine Fine Outdoors Activities for Families 14 Navigating friend “ships” Through a Pandemic Tsunami 16 …

Empathy has no script. There is no right way or wrong way to do it. It’s simply listening, holding space, withholding judgment, emotionally connecting, and communicating that incredibly healing message of “You’re not alone.” –Brené Brown Hello ladies. I am going to get right to the update: summer is here, and I have not done a Christmas card in two years. I consider you all my friends and family, so here we go. Joe, the eldest, has had enough of the Midwest and is taking the show on the road. He will still be working for the same company but …

SOOLEY By John Grisham Once again, I’ve picked a book by one of my favorite authors, John Grisham. This is his 36th novel and, believe it or not, I have read them all. However, this is not his usual courtroom story. The court he chooses to write about this time is a basketball court. The main character, Samuel (Sooley) Sooleymon, is a 17-year-old boy from South Sudan, who has been chosen to come to America to play basketball for a traveling team that showcases the skills of young Sudanese players for college coaches. The secondary tale is about Sooley’s family, …

Summer is the time for family fun in the Midwest. Time to get outside and enjoy some of our local traditions — including those centered around food. I remember the first time I took my Littles strawberry picking. Recently, we were at my mom’s, and she made them a simple dessert that they went crazy for: strawberries over angel food cake with homemade whipped cream. Such a simple dessert, and they loved it. Our family enjoys cooking together, and recently our middle daughter recreated something she had on a visit to Florida. Here are two summer-inspired recipes to share with …

Well, I guess I am a college graduate now. Weird, weird, weird. I don’t feel quite ready to be a full-fledged adult yet, so I will be starting Accelerated Nursing School at Creighton in August. I am excited to be pursuing a career in nursing with a background in psychology. The long-term goal is to become a psychiatric nurse practitioner in pediatrics. (We will see where life takes me…I am VERY indecisive ☺.) Before graduation, a few of my best girlfriends and I were curled up on my bed on a Sunday morning discussing the events from the night before. …

This issue is about celebrations and creativity. I hope you enjoy the beautiful stories that applaud our community and how we have found small ways to celebrate. The journey continues in faith, family, friends, fitness, and finance. ~ Jen [in this issue] Editor’s Note Rays of Grace Foodie Forum Bookmark [ in every issue ] Editor’s Note – News from Jen Theisen Energize – Feed My People On the Scene – Out and About in the Valley Taking 5ive – Meet Women in the Valley Fab Finds – Our Favorite Finds In Session…- Question for the Health Coach Foodie Forum – …

“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to get through this thing called life.” ~Prince Hello friends; the above quote is from one of my favorite songs, “Let’s Go Crazy.” It was an iconic song of the summer of ‘84. It takes me back to a time of innocence and a time of freedom from real worry. As I write, I have a fresh cup of coffee, and Prince is playing in the background. I am learning to enjoy the little gifts, and this moment of quiet and time to write is a gift. Collectively, we have all been through …