by Marie Burns | Dec 28, 2023 | Grandparents, Parents
What better time than the holidays, when hopefully we are seeing our grandchildren even more, to continue our focus on maximizing our playtime with the young ones. How about a fun time together AND nurturing better brain development? To that end, I continue...
by Marie Burns | Dec 23, 2023 | Mindset
As you can see, I wore another one of my grandmother’s hats to our annual Christmas Tea for the women at my church this year. I’m not an expert but I think my black 100% wool felt hat was a version of a fedora. It also had scarf-like material stitched into the inner...
by Marie Burns | Nov 29, 2023 | Suddenly Single
As the holiday season approaches, I often think about those who are Suddenly Single – and have recently experienced life-altering events such as divorce, widowhood, or separation. Especially during the holidays, overwhelming feelings of loneliness and isolation can be...
by Marie Burns | Nov 15, 2023 | Grandparents, Retirees
Children Learn Through Play As a grandma, or an aunt, or a grandma figure to someone else’s children, you may already be aware that child play is how children learn. But have you ever wondered about the best ways to enhance that child’s play time for better...
by Marie Burns | Nov 2, 2023 | Financial Wellness, Financially Organized, Retirees
I don’t remember what age it started, but, at one point, the grandma I visited the most started ending each visit, phone conversation or otherwise, with a comment like, “Well, if I’m still around, I will see you next time.” At first, I didn’t give it much thought but...
by Marie Burns | Oct 19, 2023 | Parents, Youth
This year, our daughter got us started on writing the answers to some questions about our lives through a program called “Storyworth.” I know there are several versions of this service out there but basically, you get email questions weekly about various aspects of...
by Marie Burns | Sep 26, 2023 | Empty Nesters
“Don’t let the door hit you in the #@!& (rear end)!” This was the comment one father made to me when sharing that his son was graduating from high school and moving out. My first reaction hearing that was “How sad!” Of course, I didn’t know his whole story. And...
by Marie Burns | Sep 7, 2023 | Empty Nesters
Oh, if we had only known then what we know now! We can say that about many things in life. August is Wellness Month so I want to share some thoughts on exercising your money muscles and a challenge for you about financial wellness. It’s a topic we have yet to embrace...
by Marie Burns | Aug 14, 2023 | Estate Planning, Vacation Planning
Summer is the season for travel and vacations, or I understand it’s referred to as the time for “going on holiday” in some parts of Europe. It’s a time full of fun, seeing new things, slowing down and relaxing as well as connecting with friends/family or making new...
by Marie Burns | Jul 27, 2023 | Financial Advocate, Mindset
I am curious what caught your eye on this article, the picture or the title? We’ve heard that a picture is worth a thousand words, and I think that applies here. When I first saw this sign, my brain did one of those fill-in-the-blank tricks. You know when your brain...
by Marie Burns | Jul 12, 2023 | Suddenly Single, Widow
Life is Short I don’t feel like there is a magic age but eventually, we realise how short life really is. Maybe it’s just more of an awareness as we keep journeying through these milestone “new decade” birthdays, like turning 60. Recent Widows We are halfway through...
by Marie Burns | Jun 15, 2023 | Marriage
Wedding Season In my mind, Spring marks the beginning of wedding season. Although realistically I know weddings can be any month of the year. I remember in 2020, I was talking to a wedding venue owner here in Arizona and asking how he could possibly reschedule 67...
