Archive for the ‘Advice & Tips’ Category

Autopsy without Blame: How to Diagnose What Went Wrong in Your Latest Fight

Posted in Advice & Tips, Fighting, Happiness on April 10, 2013 | 2 Comments »

In my day job I often interview senior executives, the CEO, and front-line workers about a company’s culture and practices. The conversation is often inspiring, as it was not long ago at a Chicagoland catering company that I admire for its strong, positive, people-focused culture. In our interviews, various employees at this company used a more »

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Making it Through a Bad Week

Posted in Advice & Tips, Communication, Fighting, Happiness on November 6, 2012 | 2 Comments »

We had a long week, a few weeks ago. Nothing was wrong, or even bad. Just long. It started with me taking a red eye flight back to Chicago after a work trip in Phoenix. To this state of mind-numb tiredness, we added a weekend with family, runny noses, presidential campaign politics, ongoing potty training, more »

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What a Nun Taught Me About Marriage

Posted in Advice & Tips, Happiness on September 28, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

A few weeks back, I had the opportunity to visit Santa Catalina School on the Monterey Peninsula. I was supposed to be learning about educating the whole child, about the advantages of single sex education in adolescence, about empowering young women, about the power of community. Instead, I found myself learning about marriage…from a nun. more »

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R-E-S-P-E-C-T: How to Show it, How to Receive It

Posted in Advice & Tips, Books & Culture, Happiness on September 5, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

On Labor Day Cliff and I spent the afternoon getting ready for a small backyard party. At one point we heard a ruckus coming from our front yard, and simultaneously realized we hadn’t seen the kids in a while. We found Sam on the front porch, wearing his sunglasses and playing, loudly, his Paper Jamz more »

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A Spoonful of Sugar Makes the Chickpeas Go Down

Posted in Advice & Tips, Happiness on August 13, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

Last week was our family vacation. We had a great time, of course. And of course the 5:50 a.m. alarm this morning was a killer. Saturday, after spending the early part of the day eating deep fried Oreos (which I highly recommend) at the Wisconsin State Fair, my sister-in-law surprised us by making cookie dough more »

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How to Leave Your Wife (for the week). AKA: Surviving Your Spouse’s Work Travel

Posted in Advice & Tips, Happiness, Housework, Parenting on July 19, 2012 | 1 Comment »

A few years ago Cliff was stuck at an airport gate, waiting to board a delayed flight (again). He sat across from a group of women who were clearly headed to New York for a girls’ getaway. One mom appeared to need the trip the most. Every few moments her phone would ring, presumably her more »

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The NBA Finals: Two Marriages, One Champion

Posted in Advice & Tips, Fighting on June 19, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

You may or may not have noticed that the NBA Finals are taking place this week (I definitely noticed…see afore-mentioned posts about sharing the remote control) The Oklahoma City Thunder currently trail the Miami Heat 2-1 in a series that’s rife with stars, storylines and last second shots. Interestingly enough, both teams’ stars have occasionally more »

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The Daily Blues – Dealing with the Blahs

Posted in Advice & Tips, Communication, Happiness on May 15, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

Do you ever just feel blah?  You know that feeling, right? It’s the temporary feeling that nothing is distinctly wrong, and yet something, maybe almost everything, is vaguely dissatisfying. It may be a sunny spring day at the park with your healthy, happy children, and you still feel a little gray. The Blahs are different more »

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You Didn’t Marry a Mind Reader (#truish)

Posted in Advice & Tips, Communication, Truish on April 24, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

  You expect your best friend to finish your sentences, right? So shouldn’t your wife know that “Ohio State plays on Saturday,” means “Cancel plans with the babysitter, we’re going to watch the game”? Shouldn’t your husband know that “What do you want for supper?,” means “Isn’t it your turn to cook?” Direct communication is more »

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An Eighth Reason to Seek Marriage Counseling

Posted in Advice & Tips, Divorce, Fighting, Happiness on April 16, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

PsychCentral just ran a great article – Seven Reasons to Seek Marriage Counseling. You can find much more detailed content on their website, but here’s a high level summary of their reasons: 1. Communication has become negative.  2. When one or both partners consider having an affair, or one partner has had an affair.  3. more »

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