“What is going on in Kansas, anyways?” is a question I’ve gotten a lot over the past several months. I’ve wanted to share about my stance on the primary election back in August, but in order to do that I feel I have to go back even further than that, so bear with me.

It’s been a while since I shared about a good vacation so for this month I am going to highlight my recent trip down to New Orleans! NOLA is a place I have been wanting to visit for YEARS! I have had at least two other trips to NOLA that have fallen through, so this time I was not going to cancel it for ANY reason. I told my friend we were going to pick a weekend and see it through and that’s exactly what we did. As busy moms with a new school year looming, it was so important to get some time away while we could. The trip was slated to be a whirlwind: we were flying in midday Friday and leaving late Sunday evening.

You know that I love the internet and social media. You know that I believe in its power to connect us all and activate us on causes we have in common. Not just for the big causes but also for the little moments we all have had but maybe never said out loud. For example, just this morning I shared this in my Instagram stories: “Girls be like I have so much anxiety and then drink a third iced coffee and turn on a murder podcast.” Almost immediately I had messages from other girls replying SAME! It’s little moments like that that I thoroughly enjoy and I’m sure you do too.

That being said, there are a handful of popular mom complaints that make their rounds on social media that I just simply cannot relate to. I’ve been keeping a list and I’m sharing it today not to brag, but because if there’s even one other mom out there who also can’t relate, then I want to know you and I want you to know you’re not alone!

It’s no secret that I am a fan of social media. I’ve written about it, talked about it, and made a career out of it. I believe it’s a powerful tool and should be treated as such, but not that it is inherently evil. I have closely followed Mark Zuckerberg’s career including each time he appeared in Washington, as well as the most recent whistleblower hearing. I almost always end up siding with Zuckerberg and am even called a “Zuckerberg groupie” among my friends.

Last year, I had so many people tell me to watch the Netflix docu-drama, “The Social Dilemma.” More than one friend told me, “it will totally change how you feel about social media.” Well, I watched the movie and I hate to break it to you, but I did not learn anything I didn’t already know.

Listen to podcast episode here.

As I sat down to write this blog post, I found myself wanting to skip it. I just went on a fun vacation with a friend, couldn’t I just write about that? Surely it’d be more fun to write about a vacation or shopping than to write about demonic oppression? Still though, I have a rule that once a topic is put on my list, it must be explored. I simply couldn’t skip this topic for another month. So, I set out to do some research and quickly found the following verse in 1 Timothy 4:16, “Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.” So, here I am being obedient and sharing how learning about demons in the bible has helped improve my overall mental health.

When I first started my marketing firm, I was advised about the importance of not only networking, but of giving back to the community by volunteering. With my specific skillset, volunteering for me normally looked like giving my time or expertise; as opposed to giving supplies or financially. I learned quickly that almost every non-profit needs help with marketing, as they typically do not have big marketing budgets. I had so many requests for non-profits needing in-kind marketing help, that I eventually had to give myself a rule. My rule was I had to pick only one non-profit at a time to work with, otherwise I was liable to have more in-kind work than paid work. Between the non-profits who actually hired me and the non-profits I voluntarily gave my time to, I feel like I’ve seen it all. I am going to share some of the biggest lessons I’ve learned about volunteering, in hopes that it helps you be a better volunteer in your community!

The leaves are falling and the air is getting crispier. We’ve already processed our final batch of chickens for the year and gotten our pigs back from the butcher. Life on the farm is transitioning into winter mode, where the outdoor responsibilities are slightly less. Truthfully, this is exactly the spot you want to be in come Fall as a farmer. Even though winter is knocking, just beyond that will be Spring. Every Spring at least a couple friends reach out to me wanting to know my tips and tricks for getting started with chickens. So, with the help of some You Tube videos from my husband Dean, here you go!