Thanksgiving is right around the corner and for many of us, that means we’re gearing up to host Thanksgiving dinner. Given that, I thought it’d be a perfect time to share my step-by-step approach to hosting incredible dinner parties. I hope that this is a helpful guide that you can come back to time and time again, whether it’s the holiday season or just a random gathering of friends.

It's been almost 9 months since my last post and I figured it was time for a life update! I've been practicing what I preach and ruthlessly eliminating anything in my life that did not help me take care of what is most important to me. Over the past 9 months, that has meant that the Elegant Balance podcast and blog had to take a break. But... I'm back!

In this episode, I’m chatting with my guest, Ruthie Sterrett from the Consistency Corner about the power of choosing a word of the year. If you’re ready to live intentionally in 2024, you won’t want to miss it!

In this episode, I’m visiting with my friend, Dr. Stephanie Kunst. She is sharing her experiences as an Elegant Balance Academy student with you! We discuss the challenges she faced and the way the Elegant Balance Academy helped her create a work-life balance she loves - leaving her feeling more present and patient than ever before!

I wanted this episode to be a part two to the last episode because I took my own advice and did some of the things that I recommended there and wanted to share with you what that looks like for our family and just how truly simple creating holiday magic can be.

Around the holidays we are bombarded with demands on our schedules – your own holiday work parties, invitations from friends and family, and then your kids’ Christmas class parties and concerts. All of this on top of shopping for gifts, planning menus, cleaning your home, attending church, and trying to squeeze in as many family traditions as possible. A time that should be filled with joy quickly becomes overwhelming.

As I walked and let my mind wander, I came to the conclusion that the mantra “quality over quantity” could apply to so many aspects of working women’s lives. And when truly embraced, help us along on our journey towards an elegantly balanced life.

So, call it what you want – “soft girl summer”, intentional summer, a summer slowdown… in this post I want to share 25 simple activities that you can do to slow down this summer, be present with your kids, and squeeze as much joy out of this season as you do those lemons in your fresh lemonade.

If spring cleaning my home makes me feel this good, what else could I “spring clean?” Where in my life could I use a fresh start? Some decluttering? Some renewal? I decided to look at my daily routines. Seeing as they are daily, they literally impact my life each and every day. And if you’re like me, you may have fallen into some not-so-great habits with regards to your routines.

Sunday is also the perfect day to set yourself up for a successful week. With a little bit of planning and a few small actions, you can ensure that your week goes smoothly. Here are five things that I do (and that you can do too) on Sunday to prepare for a better week ahead.

Think about your favorite dress – the one that fits you like a glove, hugging you in all the right places, and makes you feel confident and powerful, ready to conquer world. Now, imagine having that same feeling, but with your job. What if your job could be tailor-made for you? What if it was designed to align with your strengths, interests, and values? That's what job crafting is all about.

Not only had I not read the book, but I had also never even heard of hygge. I’m sure my expression was one of complete confusion as I turned to her and said “What in the world is hygge?!” Being the researcher that I am, I immediately checked out every hygge book I could find at the library. I loved the concept so much that I slowly started incorporating more and more hygge into my family’s everyday lives. It didn’t take long before my kids started requesting hygge (sitting by the fire each evening with dimmed lights, soft music, and board games) and it has now become a Hackney family evening routine.

Since this time of year is one for dreaming, goal-setting, and planning and because my guess is that many of you would love to have a better work-life balance in 2023, I thought I’d share three simple steps to creating a better work-life balance; an elegant balance. These three steps are the framework around which the entire Elegant Balance Academy (my new online course that launches soon) is built.

The new year is right around the corner, brimming with potential and opportunities. It’s a chance for a fresh start, new beginning, and pursuit of our wildest dreams. I know you have dreams. Maybe it’s been a while since you’ve allowed yourself to think about them… it feels selfish or indulgent, but if you dig way deep down, I know you have desires that you would love to see come to fruition in the next 12 months. We all do.

However, now that I’m a mother, the mere idea of orchestrating a Christmas Eve dinner for 30 people, refereeing board games between siblings, and trying to put cranky but excited children to bed at midnight only to be woken up at 5:00am to open gifts that “Santa” had left leaves me stressed out and exhausted.

We want to put work back in its place. Yes, your work can be enjoyable and meaningful but it’s not the only part of your life. You’re so much more multi-faceted than that! By adding luxury to our daily lives, we can elevate our experiences in each of the roles we play. Making life more fun!

Playing multiple roles comes with a lot of challenges. One of them being transitioning between roles. This has become even more difficult as more people have begun working remotely. That natural separation between work and home is no longer present, so we have to create it for ourselves.

I’ll be the first to admit that I am a fair-weather girl, so each spring I find myself doing everything I can possibly do to embrace the mildness and gentleness of spring. Honestly, we can learn a lot about elegant living through this concept. Embrace the season you’re in right here and right now. Don’t resist it. Instead, look for the beauty and the joy in it.

The birds have been singing, the flowers are blooming and I am overwhelmed and awestruck by the beauty of it all. I've been reflecting on this spring season and what we can really learn from it.

Time. We all have the same amount of it – 168 hours each week to be exact – and yet so often we feel like we don’t have enough. So, let’s talk about how you can manage your time well. And by manage your time, I mean learning to spend it on the right things.