A trip to Kansas, what I'm reading, my attempt at homemade bagels, and the easiest bread recipe ever!

Plus, two podcast episodes, and lots of photos! Hi, Friend! I’ll never forget 2015. I was traveling and speaking across the country multiple times per month, launching physical and digital products, releasing a new book, and achieving all these things that most people in the author/speaker world would consider big success: I was a New York Times Bestselling author, I was getting paid good money to travel and speak, my online business was making 7 figures, and I was getting asked to do national TV/radio/media regularly. And yet… I was exhausted. I was burnt out. And I was rushing through my days just trying to accomplish all the tasks and to-do’s. I remember some days barely being able to get out of bed because I was so bone-tired. But I’d rally and pull it together for the next event, the next opportunity, the next big thing. One big thing I remember from that year: I never even saw the fall foliage. September through November 2015 were such a blur that all of a sudden I looked outside and the leaves had all fallen off the trees… and I never even saw them turn colors!! I had completely missed the beauty of fall because I was too busy to even slow down enough to look out the window!!! At the end of 2015, I realized I just didn’t want to keep living life this way. And so I did something radical: I declared 2016 my Year of Rest and I started saying no to everything that wasn’t an absolute necessity. It was so hard to untether myself from the shackles of finding my worth in my work and my value in what I accomplished and produced. But it forever changed my life in the best of ways and I’m not the same person today as I was in 2015… all because I learned that I don’t want to live life missing things because I’m so busy *doing* things. In the spirit of not living life at breakneck speed, you may have noticed I didn't send a personal enewsletter last Saturday and this one is being sent on Sunday. There's a very good reason for that! Last week, I was in Kansas with my parents all weekend (Micah got to come, too) and I decided to go to bed early instead of staying up on Saturday night to finish the newsletter. And then this week, I was offline for a full 24 hours Saturday-Sunday because my core team (Gretchen, Meg, and Sarah) came into town and we spent all day brainstorming and dreaming up better ways to serve you this coming year! See a pic of all four of us below! When I was in Kansas, I got to help my parents and some others put on the annual Valentine's Banquet they do. There were 50 couples there and it was so much fun to get to be part of it! Here are a few pictures from the evening... All of the servers/kitchen helpers... minus a few who went home before this picture was taken. I was about 15+ years older than all of them, but I had the best time helping out! I got to help make the dessert, too, which was this decadent cheesecake served in chocolate bowls! Micah loved getting to hang out with some of his cousins! And we finally got to introduce Micah to my 95-year-old Grandpa!! It was so special to get to visit him! Two Podcast Episodes You Don't Want to Miss! Jesse and I recorded and released two different podcast episodes the past two weeks. The first one was [an Update on Our 2024 Goals + all the details on the Strides app and why we are loving it to track our goals this year.](=) From hitting 47 hours of outdoor time in chilly January and making a habit of getting 90 grams of protein almost every day to struggling with turning off screens by 8:30 p.m., we dive into it and share honestly. The second episode was on [Losing and Rebuilding Trust With Your Teens.](=) We touch on the significance of conversations around privileges vs. rights and fostering a culture of trust from a young age. We give you some practical tools for how to approach those difficult discussions and encourage you to stop, take a breath, and ask the Holy Spirit for wisdom before you begin. Knee-jerk reactions driven by fear, pride, or selfishness can lead to us building a wedge, being a bit ridiculous in doling out consequences, or just shutting down communication lines with our kids. [I hope this encourages those of you walking with pre-teens and teens.](=) Kaitlynn had her senior pictures this past week! She chose the setting, the outfits, the props, and the photographer and I think they are going to be amazing! She had them taken at Centennial Park, so Kierstyn and I had fun exploring the Parthenon since she'd never been there before! It's hard to believe we have another senior!! It feels like we just recovered from Kathrynne graduating and moving out last year and now we're doing it again! But we're so thrilled for Kaitlyn and can't wait to see what the future holds for her! I made sourdough bagels, homemade tortillas, sourdough pancakes twice, and orange water kefir twice in the past two weeks. Plus, I did my second ferment on my kombucha I'd been brewing and was so happy with how it turned out. I made four different flavors! I'd tried making homemade bagels years ago and they were pretty much a flop. But with all my sourdough success, I decide to try again and I was pleasantly surprised with how mine turned out. I sprinkled them with Cinnamon Sugar. The kids and Jesse were very impressed with them and with how delicious they were. I'm excited to try making them again with some different add-ins or other things sprinkled on top. Also, if you are wanting to try your hand at sourdough bread, but the thought of feeding a starter feels like too much (it's really so simple, but I know it can feel like a lot at first!), I made this [No Knead Artisan Bread]() twice in the past two weeks and it was a HIT! Links You Might Be Interested In: - If you love deals, don’t miss the [Top 10 Deals From This Past Week post!](=) There’s a hot deal on Brooks running shoes, a great deal on toilet paper, a cute Spring dress that's just $14.99, and a good deal on jeans, plus more! - Feeling overwhelmed and hopeless today? [This post might be for you.]() - [10 Aldi Deals That Are Hard to Beat](=) -- Thinking of giving Aldi a try? Wonder if the prices are worth it? [This post will inspire you with some of the best deals to be found at Aldi!]( [This reel](=)went viral this past week and has almost 850K views already!! If you are in a place where life feels hard or doesn't make sense or it just feels like too much, I hope [the caption](=)might encourage you! Books I Finished The Past Two Weeks [If I Were You]( -- I felt like this book wasn't bad, it just wasn't my favorite by this author. It felt slow moving and then it seemed like it got tied up too quickly and beautifully into a bow at the end... which I just don't feel like is usually how life works! [The Gift of Limitations]( -- This book was SO good!! And I got to interview the author this past week for a podcast episode that drops next week. So I'll share more in next week's newsletter. I haven't resonated so deeply with a book in a long time! What I'm Currently Reading: [Becoming Elisabeth Elliot]() -- I've read a few chapters of this book so far and am not sure what I think yet! [Only the Beautiful](-- My sister said I must read this book! And she knows me well, so if she says that, then I do what she says! I'm over halfway through and it's really good. I will say that this is a rape scene that goes into a bit more detail that I prefer and could be triggering to some, but otherwise, I'm really enjoying it. Really Very Crunchy -- I get to interview Emily for an upcoming podcast this week, so I'm loving getting to read her book beforehand. While some people might feel like some of her crunchy conclusions are a little on the extreme side, I appreciate her non-judgmental, baby step approach that factors in families who are on really tight budgets. Have a wonderful Sunday evening! Jesse and I are off to prep for the week and then watch [All the Light We Cannot See.]() (Not an endorsement! We haven't seen it or started it yet.) -Crystal P.S. If you love deals, don’t miss the [Top 10 Deals From This Past Week post!]() There’s a hot deal on Brooks running shoes, a great deal on toilet paper, a cute Spring dress that's just $14.99, and a good deal on jeans, plus more! 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