Author: nicole

Have you felt it? That overwhelming need to dispose of all clutter now that the holidays are over?

I’ve cleaned out one closet and have about seven more to go. I’m clearly not the only one feeling it, because I got a letter from a woman in Wisconsin whose need to downsize meant an upswing in kindness.

“I was in purge mode ... Read More


I don’t like stressy things which is why it’s God’s hysterical joke that I am a Division I basketball coach’s wife.

Saul and I knew each other as kids and we reconnected as young adults. As I sat across from him in that Italian restaurant on our first real date, he told me he was never going to get married because ... Read More


My friend lost her dad just days after Christmas. I’ve never been in a situation where I needed to console a friend after a parent’s death, so I was on new ground.

Am I talking too much or too little? Am I loving her in the way she needs to be loved or in the way I would want to be ... Read More


This little blog post isn’t about exercising. It’s not about conquering your New Year’s Resolutionor creating a healthy living routine. This little blog post is about what happens when you do the next right thing.

I’ve mentioned before that I’ve suffered from depression. I still vividly remember what it feels like to need my bed. People in the know prescribed exercise. ... Read More


Have you tired of your New Year’s resolution yet?

Maybe you hoped to avoid the feeling of failure by not declaring one. That’s sort of the route I take.

While I’m not big into resolutions, I did set an intention for 2019. I learned this practice from some friends who come up with a special word at the beginning of each year. ... Read More


I know kindness is contagious because I’ve witnessed it in action time and time again. Hundreds of stories from readers like you have solidified my belief that kindness goes around and comes around much more frequently than we could imagine.

Sometimes, we do an act of kindness that prompts someone else to “pay it forward.” We never know where the kindness ... Read More


I am staring down six weeks of calendar chaos. Ever been there?

It’s the middle of the basketball season, which is its own beast when you’re a coach’s wife. We’ve been doing this for 18 years now, so I sort of know what to expect — which is, you never know what to expect.

It’s not basketball, it’s actually the other ... Read More


My brother and sister-in-law love to snowmobile. I’ve never really gotten the whole winter sports culture, but I’ve heard you can’t mock what you haven’t tried, so I’ll assume there is something awesome about it.

They tell me on a good day, the restaurant parking lots in northern Wisconsin are empty of cars but full of snowmobiles. It all just sounds ... Read More


Ever had Lasik surgery? It’s a total trip. They put you in a room and have you watch a video about the 40 million ways you could go blind. After the video, when you’re thoroughly convinced this is something you should NOT do, they give you a valium and begin!

At least that’s how it went for me. I had it ... Read More