Your SAFEty pin is on its way to you! Thank you so much for standing in love and spreading unity, caring and kindness. If your community is in need of the money raised by these pins, please let us know by filling out the form below. Select “My Community”. We’ll get in contact with you as soon as we’re able and get you the proceeds as quickly as possible. Thank you! First Name E Mail: Subject: Contact SarahMy CommunitySubmit a StorySend us your FeedbackRequest Technical SupportSpeaking EngagementsPress InquiriesOther...
Read MoreHere’s what I know: We’re in the middle of a massive call for love. I will raise my hand first and say that I didn’t always listen. I haven’t sought to understand before being understood. I promise to stop that now, and start to get curious and give up convincing. I’m committed to doing my part to help us heal, help us become more united and help us learn from this experience so we can truly become our United States again. And part of that healing is understanding that many of our fellow citizens are scared. My daughter came home from school scared because a friend told her that all of the kids with “brown skin” are now going to have to go “bye-bye”. This is not in any way to shame anyone who voted one way or another. Not even for a second. This post is to talk about how much we are a kind, loving and caring nation. There is a fear pulsing through the veins of our beautiful country, and I would like to do what I can to help honor that fear and comfort those who are experiencing it. After Brexit, people would wear safety pins to let immigrants and minorities know that they were safe with them. Without saying a word, people knew they were safe. It’s beautiful. The second I heard that I couldn’t wait to tell my daughter. “Look for those wearing safety pins. You’re safe with them.” Instant comfort. And as we see each other wearing pins, we can stop with the accusations, the hurt, the anger and recognize the goodness in each other. There will be more work to do to heal, and we’ll do that. But for now, this is a great first step. So with that, I would like to offer these gold safety pins. They’re gold so we remember the Golden Rule. But their symbolism to our frightened fellow citizens is, “I’m safe. I’m a source of love. I’ve got you.” The money raised by the pins purchased on this site will go directly into communities who are experiencing vandalism, so the vandalism can be removed, windows can be repaired and churches can open their doors again. Every single penny. So feel free to order your pin and we’ll get this movement of love and “safe”ty going! With all my love,...
Read MoreBack to school is back. Again. I started to think of all the ways to prepare for the new school year, and I quickly realized that the typical checklist was not what we needed to hear this year. I listed all the things that have been said on hundreds, actually thousands of blogs. Sure, I could add my own twist, but I trust that you already know most of these tips and probably implement many of them into your own family routine. Suggestions that go something like this: Organize: clothes, food, supplies, home Plan homework time Do your best to not over schedule Plan your meals Create a family calendar Develop routine for mornings Get proper sleep, for everyone involved Checklists and checklists for your checklists And yes, I agree, all of these will help you. With that being said, I would love to offer a new tip for preparing for back to school: Focus on what our children want the most: To feel heard, acknowledged, validated, and to know that they matter. It all boils down to one thing: Authentic communication. How do we prepare to communicate authentically? Well, the answer recently came to me from a group of high school students enrolled in a child development class. I was asked by a dear friend to come into her class and test out a new game I developed for families focusing on communication and connection between parent and child. It was initially targeted for children 3-12 years old. The opportunity to test the game out with high school students was terrifying for me. Would they think it was stupid? Would they even participate? Would I be transported back to my own high school years and be bullied and ridiculed by these students? I was scared. And I did it anyway. I had a heart to heart talk with the students before I introduced the game. I let them know my own story about my experience in high school, how I was bullied, and made fun of every day, every year. I went on to explain how I created a successful preschool at 21 years old, opened a wellness center at 29 years old, and founded my current company shortly thereafter. I explained how my classmates that made fun of me had not experienced much success in life both personally and professionally. I reminded them of their greatness and...
Read MoreI know that many of you know how important managing money is to me. I wish there had been someone to teach me a little bit more about the importance of saving (treat it like a tax – you’d put the money in that account if it was a tax!), and what a difference it can make in our peace of mind. So with that in mind, I wanted to let you know about something amazing going on at Boiling Springs Savings Bank for Garden State Grads right now! This is so great, and I’m thrilled to see a bank reaching out to students and rewarding them not only for their achievements, but also helping them get off to a healthy financial start. From May 18 through June 30 (hurry!) Boiling Springs Savings Bank, BSSB, is going to give $20.15 (cute, right? 2015 grads, listen up!) to every student ages 14-23 who opens up a Student Checking Account with $20.15 or more! I love that! [Tweet “@BSSBankNJ is giving $20.15 to #GardenStateGrads through June 30! Go open up a Student Checking Acct!”] Why on earth are they doing this? Because the BSSB Student Checking Account is a great first checking account for high-school students eager to learn how to manage their money, for students heading off to college, and for recent graduates beginning a new career. It’s a great way for parents to start their kids off right, and teach them independence when it comes to money. And in addition to the extra $20.15 that BSSB will add to your child’s brand new account, here are some details on the Student Checking Account: No monthly fees Interest earned on all balances Free specialty checks or a discount on custom checks Free online banking Free online bill payment Free 24-hour telephone banking Minimum deposit to open account is $1.00 (no seriously, just one dollar!) Free transactions at Boiling Springs ATMs with Boiling Springs ATM card or Debit MasterCard Direct deposit Overdraft protection transfer service available At age 23, account will convert to a regular NOW account Boiling Springs Savings Bank will make an interest bonus deposit of $20.15 into all Student Checking Accounts opened with $20.15 or more during the promotion period. I know, you’re ready to run right out now and open up an account for your kids, right? So here’s a list of local locations for you to...
Read MoreI had the great pleasure of stopping by the elegant and warm Lilly’s Blow Dry & Makeup Lounge this May! They’ve just opened up and I highly recommend stopping by! Now, I have to be honest, I don’t usually get my hair blown out. I have that fun challenge of a 1/2 wavy, 1/4 curly and 1/4 straight hair combination. No really…it’s fun. (Not.) But it does usually keep me out of a chair, as I always feel like I can do my own hair like no one else. So I was a little apprehensive as I walked into Lilly’s as I wasn’t sure how it was going to go! But I was immediately put at ease by the beautiful atmosphere, the friendly and down-to-earth women in lounge and the gorgeous ethic and purpose behind the business. Founded by the inspiring and accessible Lauren Haber, the entire lounge pulses with conscious energy that you can feel right when you walk in. As a vegan, I was thrilled to see that they use KEVIN.MURPHY cruelty-free products. And for those that care about chemicals and parabens (very important!), you can rest assured knowing that KEVIN.MURPHY is also completely chemical and paraben-free as well. After learning all of this and booking my appointment, I was happy to learn that Lilly’s uses Freestyle blow dryers that hang from the ceiling, which makes it so easy for the stylist to work with your hair, and frees you up from that awkward “chord in the face” moment. But the best part? The dryers turn off immediately when the stylist lets go of them. Love that! So much more environmentally friendly. Yes please. I had the best experience at Lilly’s that day, and I received a lot of compliments on my hair! It felt like such a luxury to have someone else take care of me while I got to just sit back and relax. I loved it. You can book an appointment for yourself today and try it out! You won’t be sorry! Click here for a complete list of hair services, and makeup services are here! So much fun. Lilly’s Blowdry and Makeup Lounge 400 Ramapo Valley Road Oakland, New Jersey 07436...
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