stephanie fonda 5/24/21 stephanie fonda 5/24/21

Why I Quit Taking Anti-Depressants After 20 years

I was 15 the first time I reached out for help. I wrote a note to my parents on a piece of lined school paper, and hurriedly thrust it into their hands with the instructions not to read it until I was upstairs in my room. I knew what I was feeling didn’t seem “normal”. I was so sad, and I was so ashamed. I also knew that I couldn’t handle it on my own.

stephanie fonda 5/14/21 stephanie fonda 5/14/21

Divorce Anniversary

Today is my one year divorce anniversary. This time last year, I opened my email to the subject ‘Final Orders’ and ‘The Commissioner has reviewed and signed your orders for divorce.’ in the body of the email. A tidy pdf attachment rounded out the technical and unceremonious dissolution of our marriage.

stephanie fonda 4/29/21 stephanie fonda 4/29/21

My 40 Before 40 List

Many years ago when I was a year and change away from turning 30, I compiled a 30 before 30 list. I found it was a great exercise in reminding myself to explore and stay curious. Now that I am within spitting distance of turning 40 (Summer ‘22), I feel the urge to draw up a list again.

stephanie fonda 4/26/21 stephanie fonda 4/26/21

Mother’s Day Gift Guide 2021

Here’s a list of items, experiences and ideas to make it abundantly clear how much we appreciate the Moms in our lives.

stephanie fonda 3/25/21 stephanie fonda 3/25/21

Land Your Dream Job / My Interview With Career Coach Nic Frick

The pandemic has disrupted the careers of so many people the world over, but women in particular have been hit hard. Whether you’re looking to get back into the workforce after a hiatus spent caring for family, navigating the choppy waters of resume building and interviewing after a layoff or seeking a position that leaves you fulfilled instead of burnt out, read on for valuable insights from my interview with career coach Nic Frick.

stephanie fonda 3/12/21 stephanie fonda 3/12/21

10 Reasons Being an Adult is Awesome

When I was a kid I dreamed of being an adult. Adult life seemed glamorous and cool and full of really fulfilling responsibilities.

I was mostly wrong, but you know what? I was kind of right too…read on for validation that becoming an adult was the right decision.

stephanie fonda 3/5/21 stephanie fonda 3/5/21

Stuck in a Rut?Here are 5 Ways to Climb Out

I have been stuck in a creative and motivational rut for the last month, and there are many reasons I can point to that have drained me of creative and motivational energy. I have been accepting of my plateau and given myself grace, which is a mindset I’ve only recently adopted in the last year, but…

This plateau has become a wall.

stephanie fonda 2/12/21 stephanie fonda 2/12/21

A Love Letter to Love

This Valentine’s Day I’m rolling single having just gone through a breakup a month ago, and readers, it was a doozy. Going through a divorce last year and then putting my heart back out there was a leap of faith, or maybe insane. It started off innocently enough- a rebound to get me through the most destabilizing time in my life- and I ended up falling in love and gaining a best friend.

stephanie fonda 1/18/21 stephanie fonda 1/18/21

MLK Jr. Day / Resources, Activities + Recipes

If you’re stuck on ways to honor MLK Jr. and want to learn more about his legacy, read on for kid friendly activities + education, organizations that support civil rights, media to consume and recipes to enjoy.

stephanie fonda 1/15/21 stephanie fonda 1/15/21

A New Approach to Winter Blues // Strategies + Products I’m Trying Now

I am a card carrying member of the winter blues club; otherwise known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). How’s that for an uplifting opening sentence? After years of battling it, I’ve come up with some strategies that work for me, as well as a new approach to it this year.

stephanie fonda 1/12/21 stephanie fonda 1/12/21

Is Hiring a Life Coach Right For You? My Interview With Jenna Starkey

If you had asked me a couple of years ago if I thought life coaches were a valid profession, I would have had some snarky comments lined up. The funny thing about dragging things you know nothing about, is they are often the exact thing you need in your life.

stephanie fonda 1/4/21 stephanie fonda 1/4/21

Life After Divorce - How It’s Going One Year Later

This time last year, the pile of moving boxes accumulating in the corner of the living room signaled the end of my marriage. The pile grew over the course of a week, and one day they were gone. Artwork that we had chosen together, towels we had dried our kids off with, kitchen supplies we had cooked holiday meals with along with the personal belongings identifying the fourth member of our family.

stephanie fonda 12/28/20 stephanie fonda 12/28/20

See You in the New Year!

I will be taking the week off to spend time with my kiddos over their winter break, do some behind the scenes work on the blog and refocus my commitment on a few things I’ve let slide in the self-care department.

I am so excited to bring you fresh content in January with topics that I hope will inspire you.

stephanie fonda 12/14/20 stephanie fonda 12/14/20

Telling my Kids About Divorce + How we Survived the First Year

One year ago today, the day after my daughter’s third birthday, I sat down with my kids and their Dad and told them that we were getting a divorce.

We planned our conversation with them carefully, read as many articles as we could get our hands on and prepared for the most heartbreaking response.

What they actually said wasn’t in any article I read, and I had a hard time wrapping my head around it for a long time. It was a reminder that every single part of a divorce story is unique for everyone who goes through it.

stephanie fonda 12/4/20 stephanie fonda 12/4/20

Why I Got my First Tattoo at Age 38

In the fall semester of my 8th grade year, I began writing in a diary for the first time.

The best part is…I kept it.

In my very first entry, littered amongst an update on the OJ Simpson trial, a twitter patted description of my crush Evan Lindsey (“He’s really cute and has gorgeous eyes.”) and the business plan for a line of clothing called “Forever Young” was the pre-teen yearning for body modification.