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January 23, 2025

January 23, 2025

January 24, 2025

I’ve been scrolling through old friends’ stories in Panama City Beach (where I’m from) and still can’t believe what I’m seeing: snow on the sand. Four inches, to be exact. It’s a scene straight out of Taylor Swift’s “Snow on the Beach.” “It’s like snow at the beach, weird but it’s beautiful.” While I’m down here in central Florida now, watching my hometown get hit with a winter wonderland feels totally surreal.

Small Shifts, Big Joy: Unexpected little ways to improve your mental health
Raising Confident Kids: Breaking Free from Diet Culture
Screen Time S.O.S.: How to Reel in Your Tween’s Tech Habits

MENTAL HEALTH

Mood boosts.

Let’s be real—January is basically the Monday of months. We enter with big goals (hello, dry January and that new Peloton) but sometimes end up overwhelmed, stressed, or just meh. Good news? You don’t have to overhaul your life to feel better. Small shifts can pack a punch for your mental health. Here are seven unexpected ideas to try:

1. Celebrate the little stuff
Finished your kid’s diorama without a glue gun meltdown? That’s a win. Treat yourself—whether it’s a latte, a long bath, or a victory dance in the kitchen. Celebrating small victories keeps you motivated and reminds you that progress is worth pausing for.

2. Plan joy like it’s a dentist appointment
Remember how exciting vacations felt as a kid? Recreate that joy by always having something on the calendar. A friend date, a family game night, or even a solo movie marathon—anticipation is a mood booster, no passport required.

3. Declutter a corner (or a drawer)
Marie Kondo your way to a clearer mind. Studies show a tidy space can actually reduce stress. Start small (hello, junk drawer), and let the satisfaction snowball.

4. Go on a social media detox
Spoiler alert: Instagram highlight reels aren’t real life. Take a break from the scroll and watch your stress levels drop faster than a toddler’s patience at bedtime.

5. Try “positive news journaling”
Log those little joys—a silly joke, a compliment, or your kid’s newfound obsession with knock-knock jokes. Bonus: Reading back through these moments is a guaranteed mood lift.

6. Be kind, just because
Hold the door, compliment a stranger’s coat, or drop off cookies for a neighbor. Random acts of kindness feel good for them—and you. Science agrees.

7. Befriend someone of a different age
Whether it’s swapping wisdom with your grandma or joining a multigenerational book club, connecting across ages expands your world in the best way.

Mental health isn’t one-size-fits-all, but these tiny tweaks can help you feel a little lighter. Go ahead, pick one—and let the good vibes roll.

PARENTING

Body positive kids.

It’s that time of year when “new year, new you” messaging hits a little too close to home—especially for kids and teens navigating their own body image. Here’s how to help them grow up with a healthy sense of self in a world that loves to talk about size.

Diet Culture 101 (and Why It Matters)
Diet culture is the idea that thinness equals worth. It sneaks in through social media, comments on celebrity bodies, and even casual “jokes” about food. Kids as young as six start picking up these messages, which can lead to unhealthy relationships with food and their bodies. The antidote? An open, ongoing dialogue at home.

Talk the Talk
Make discussions about body image a regular thing—don’t wait for your teen to ask, “Do I look fat?” Experts suggest focusing on what the body does (“Your legs are so strong from soccer!”) rather than how it looks. Skip food labels like “good” or “bad,” and instead talk about what nourishes and energizes their bodies.

Walk the Walk
Kids notice everything—including how you talk about your own body. Complaining about your jeans being “too tight” can send mixed messages. Instead, model self-acceptance, and if you’re working on your own relationship with body image, that’s okay—just be honest and kind about it.

Put Screens in Perspective
Social media is a breeding ground for comparison. Watch TikToks or scroll Instagram with your kids, and call out edited images or unrealistic portrayals. Help them see that what’s online isn’t always real life.

Celebrate What Bodies Can Do
Encourage activities that highlight strength and ability, like dancing, hiking, or playing team sports. When kids focus on what their bodies can do, they’re less likely to obsess over how they look.

Small steps today can help your kids feel confident and strong for years to come.

AND ALSO

Scroll less.

We all know that too much screen time isn't ideal, but a new study sheds light on how we (parents) impact our tweens' tech habits. Researchers surveyed over 10,000 kids and parents, exploring everything from device usage at dinner to screen time as a reward (spoiler: don’t do it). Here are three research-backed tips to help manage your kid’s screen time without the drama:

Ditch Devices at Mealtime & Bedtime: Screens during meals = overeating and distracted eating. And bedtime screens? Say hello to sleep disruptions. Keep devices out of these key times to reduce screen addiction.
Don’t Use Screens as Punishment: As tempting as it is to take away a device when your tween misbehaves, using screen time as leverage can actually make things worse. It leads to even more screen time and gaming issues.

Involve Your Kids in the Rules: Create a family media plan together. When your kids have a say in the rules, they’re more likely to follow them.

Meet Carson, the 33-pound 5-month-old who’s breaking the internet with his adorable size and charm. His mom gained 734,000 TikTok followers in just three days, while NFL scouts are jokingly keeping an eye on his "potential." Rest assured, Carson’s pediatrician says he’s perfectly healthy and just takes after his dad’s big genes.

SNIPPETS

Fastest-Growing Job Titles, According to LinkedIn: LinkedIn's latest analysis reveals the fastest-growing jobs for 2025, with artificial intelligence roles leading the charge. AI engineers and consultants top the list, followed by physical therapists, workforce development managers, and travel advisors, showing a surge in demand for tech and hospitality jobs.

Meta's New Translation AI: Meta has developed an AI system called SeamlessM4T that can translate speech and text in up to 101 languages. This real-time, speech-to-speech translation technology could be a game-changer for communication and is already being used to automatically dub videos and enable translation through special Ray-Ban glasses.

The National Archives Wants Your Cursive Skills: The National Archives is recruiting volunteers to help transcribe historical documents, particularly those written in cursive from the Revolutionary War era. If you can read old-fashioned handwriting, the Archives could use your help in preserving over 200 years of history.

Looking for fun ways to spend chilly evenings? Here are some of our favorite games for an adult game night or time with older kids:

🎭 Codenames
Put your spy skills to the test as you and your team decipher code names to uncover secret agents. It's a clever mix of deduction and word association. Check it out on Amazon.

🌡 Wavelength
Hot or cold? Wizard or not? This telepathic party game challenges you to place clues on a spectrum and get your team on the same wavelength. Grab your copy here.

🦎 Chameleon
Blend in or call out the impostor in this social deduction game where the goal is to unmask the Chameleon before they escape. Shop the game here.

🖼 Dixit
Unleash your creativity with beautifully illustrated cards. Players give imaginative clues to match their card in this storytelling game. Discover it on Amazon.

🤣 Monikers
Like Fishbowl but better, this hilarious guessing game features 440 quirky and fun names to keep your group laughing all night. Get it here.

🧠 The Mind
A unique team-based card game where silence is golden. Work together to play cards in order—no talking allowed. Can your team sync up? Find it on Amazon.