Earlier this week, I was woken in the middle of the night by my earthquake early-warning app. If you're in California, Oregon, or Washington, MyShake is a helpful app that gives you a few seconds of notice before shaking begins, allowing you to take protective action for earthquakes of 4.5+ in magnitude (or, perhaps, maybe it just gets your adrenaline flowing sooner to help you react more quickly). Luckily, this one didn't cause much damage, but it was quite the jolt for my friends close to the epicenter. Let's get to your Friday Five!
Clean up your systems from 30,000 feet: Last week in Joyfully Managed Worklife, we discussed how to find time to freshen up your work and personal systems. Participants shared some excellent ideas. Pat mentioned that she spends her flight time going through emails to clear out her inbox, and Katie said she uses that time to clean up her camera roll. I'd love to know about any other ways you utilize airplane time to your advantage - please hit reply and let me know. I'll share back what I hear!
Cook a lasagna for someone in need: If you live in the US, Canada, Australia, or the UK and enjoy cooking (at least occasionally), consider signing up to be a Lasagna Love volunteer. People who need a lasagna sign up to request one, and they're matched with someone nearby who can make a lasagna to bring to them. You can do as much or as little as you're able (I am signed up to make one lasagna per month, but others do more or less than that). Whenever I'm making lasagna for one of these neighbors who could use it, I typically make two, and my family has lasagna that night for dinner as well. All the details are at https://lasagnalove.org/. Know another way folks can be kind? Send my way so I can share in a future Friday Five.
Question to ask kids: I was asked a few weeks ago by a reporter about tips for questions to ask children in your life to engage them in a better conversation than asking what they did at school and hearing, "Nothing". Here's one of the suggested questions I shared: "If you could relive one moment of your day again, which one would you pick?" This question is my go-to because it gets kids thinking about their day through the lens of what brought them joy or satisfaction. Unlike asking "What was your favorite part?" (which can feel too much like a test), this question invites them to mentally revisit their entire day and choose something worth experiencing twice. It often reveals what is truly important to them at the moment in their life (enjoying funny things, feeling proud about sports success, being interested in class, etc.).If they choose a positive moment without a lot of detail, I follow up with curiosity: "What made that moment so good that you'd want to live it again?"
Food + Mood Connection: Ever wonder why you crave certain foods when stressed? Or why some days your mood and energy feel more balanced than others? The connection between what you eat and how you feel runs deeper than most realize. I’m excited to introduce you to Jenny Eden Berk, MSEd, who teaches mindful eating, cooking, and meal planning to cultivate a more joyful and balanced relationship with food. I've been following her and recently got her Nourish Your Mind guide (it's free). I learned a great deal about the connections between the brain and food and am considering trying that incredible meal plan for a week to shake up my current food routine and discover a few new/meal ideas that are also beneficial for my brain. If you’re ready to consider foods that support your mental health and mood consciously, then be sure to grab Jenny’s guide today!
Bonus Sponsor Resource: Uber for Business. Last month, my team and I were coordinating rides for a client's retreat workshop, and we were texting back and forth, trying to manage who needed what car when - it was a mess. Turns out, there's a much easier way to handle this situation. With Uber for Business, you can book rides for your team (or clients) from one dashboard, set spending limits, and everything flows into your expense system automatically. No more forwarding receipts or playing coordinator via text. I wish I'd had this when I was a nonprofit executive director supporting volunteers to get to and from shifts. Plus, there are no signup fees, so you can just try it when you need it. And the best part, for customers who are new to Uber for Business, you can get up to 10% off eligible business rides by signing up through my link. Terms apply.This resource is from one of our Friday Five sponsors - thank you to them for keeping this newsletter free for readers!
Last Friday's Most-Clicked Link:TheCraftsy 1-year Premium Membership for only $0.99 (if you stay on the site for just a few seconds, the price drops to $0.49). It looks like the deal will go through this Sunday.