Ready to Change Seasons?

Recently, I bought a box of Ticonderoga® pencils—my all-time favorites. Not long before that, I picked up a fresh pack of highlighters. I’m constantly underlining things I want to remember and look back on!

Maybe it’s the nostalgia of “back-to-school” time, or the memories of reuniting with friends after summer, but I still feel a certain excitement when September rolls around.

It’s been a minute (well over 22 million of them!) since I was last in a classroom as a student, but my love of learning never faded. That’s why I believe this time of year offers a unique—and powerful—reset opportunity, no matter your age or stage of life.

Labor Day and Back-to-School—A Time for Celebration and Reset

The end of August reminds me to take a moment to pause and reflect. Some years I look back and regret not taking more time off or I find myself a bit disappointed about unfinished projects I thought I’d get done while there was more time because of cancelled meetings...

Celebrate! Community Voices: 

How We Press Pause for Summer Fun & Travel!

Remember those simple joys of summer—the ones that make you want to press pause on your to-do list and dive right in? Turns out, our Celebrate! Work from Home Community knows a thing or two about making the most of their time!

As we shared in our recent blog, “Press Pause for Play,” fun isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s a must for our well-being, creativity, and sense of connection—especially when we’re working remotely. But what does “fun” mean to you? We invited Celebrate! Members to share their Summer Fun and Travel Favs, and their responses are sure to inspire your next joyful moment or adventure!

How Our Community Has Fun

From peaceful hammock days to joyful family time, here’s how Celebrate! Members savor summer:

☀️ “My favorite summer spots are my hammock on a mild day or the beach with my feet in the sand.” 

☀️ “Weekend road trips” and “driving with the windows open while listening to my favorite s...

Rediscover the magic of fun—no matter your age or schedule!

What memories of summer fun bring a smile to your face?

For me, it’s blowing bubbles or licking my ice cream cone to stop the ice cream from trickling down my hand. I also remember the cold chill of the Atlantic Ocean waves splashing me in the face, as I shrieked, then giggled, with my dad on the Jersey shore.

As fun as they are for me to remember, those memories may also decrease my stress levels, acting as a natural stress reliever, according to Soulaime Gourani, in her Forbes article “Elevating Leadership Through the Science of Fun”. In her article, Gourani references The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) findings on moments of joy being associated with stress relief and creative thinking.

Why is fun so important?

Turns out plugging along non-stop may not be the best way to proceed.

Our brains need a break to process and reset. Fun, lighthearted moments may help our brains recharge, helping us be more prod...

Having a great morning routine will make all the difference between a good morning and a great morning!

Ever have one of those mornings when you feel like you are running slow and behind from the start? And it seemed to follow you all day long?  Wanna change that? How can you go from frazzled to fantastic?

Have routines in place!!  A routine is a specific set of things you do on a consistent basis.  These things should include personal hygiene, quiet time to focus your thoughts, stretch / exercise and having specific times to wake, go to bed, and have self-care.  By setting these up, you are creating boundaries around the way you spend your time and this puts you in control! 

Where to begin:  Tomorrow begins the night before! 

A good place to start is by having an after-dinner routine to help the morning routine. It's a huge win in getting to your destination on time without being frazzled!!

After dinner:

• Clean the kitchen (who’s turn is it?)
• Load and run the dishwasher
• Befor
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Consider your workspace. Is it a place where you are able to concentrate away from distractions such as television, the refrigerator, or something at home that will pull your attention away from your task?

Location, location, location!

 A dedicated area is important when working from home. If you don’t have an office in your home, or an extra bedroom, then create a room divider to provide a dedicated workspace.  Along with the room divider, have a work bag for you to define the start for your workday (walk into you workspace, unpack, plug in and look at the daily tasks).

Allow for coffee / lunch breaks but be disciplined to get right back to your workspace. 

Working with a schedule to allow for a couple of breaks, lunch and quitting time will help you to be more productive. Use an electronic calendar and designate specific colors for appointments and set alarms for reminding when an appointment is to start and when you need to get back to work after lunch.

Scheduled appointments...