#5SmartReads - January 11, 2023

Olivia on Blues Clues' hosts, organizing small spaces, and divorce registries

January 11, 2023

Olivia Dreizen Howell is the co-founder and CEO of Fresh Starts Registry, the first and only platform for everything you need to begin again, including divorce or breakup, moving, career changes, stepping into your truth, or starting again after grief. Her background is in social media marketing, and she is also the founder and CEO of March Lion Media. She's a single mom of two amazing boys on Long Island (born and bred!), and in her spare time, she loves to watercolor, make handmade cards, read about generational trauma, listen to 90s music, and collect crystals I know nothing about, but love the way they feel.

I was a little old for Blue's Clues as a child, but I watched a lot of Blue's Clues when I was a babysitter and certainly with my own kids.

I love the music and the mystery of the show (lol), but mostly? I love the super supportive and encouraging messages from the men who helped Blue with her mysteries - Steve, Josh, and Joe. And, from a marketing perspective, we all know that nostalgia is everything (especially to millennials), so I deeply love that these men are back to support their fans through adulthood.

I follow Steve on TikTok and he's basically become a motivational speaker in his "Steve" voice. It's brilliant marketing and warms my heart.

In March of 2022, I sold my 3 bedroom house and moved my sons and I back into the house I grew up in with my parents.

We occupy the upstairs, and I'm back in a much smaller space - so, I decided to upgrade my teenage bedroom to make it look and feel more like a little (tiny) studio apartment. I love this article (featuring Fresh Starts Expert Professional Organizer Shantae-ize Your Space) from Real Homes, with practical tips on how you can organize a small apartment (without compromising on your stuff).

Honestly, I like having a small space and being intentional about my organization and what I bring into the space!

I'm a huge fan of the history and sociology behind toys! Maybe it's my background in classical studies, but I've always loved learning what children play with throughout history.

I never played with Hot Wheels as child, but my younger son is obsessed with them, so I was fascinated reading this piece on why Hot Wheels are one of the most inflation proof toys in American history. I find it truly fascinating that most of the cars are still only $1, and I loved digging into this piece from NPR and finding out more about the marketing, history, and reasoning behind the thought process of selling Hot Wheels.

Is divorce worthy of a celebration?

I think so, and Forbes agreed! My co-founder (and sister) and I were profiled in this Forbes piece about why we believe that brave decisions in life are worthy of a celebration and why divorce is a gift.

Did you know we don't call the items on our registries 'gifts'? We call them support items, because that's what they are - when you can support someone going through a life change by getting them new sheets or a toothbrush holder, what you're really saying is 'I support your decisions and I encourage your fresh start.' Imagine for a second how different the world would be if we supported people through big life changes instead of saddling them with a sense of shame?

Fresh Starts is here to help you shake the shackle of shame and celebrate new beginnings.

I was sucked into this NPR piece on time and couldn't stop talking about it for weeks. I've long felt that time has the ability to slow down and speed up, and I guess - according to this piece - I'm not wrong!

This article takes a deep dive into the science behind time, and why time can feel a certain way, energetically speaking. As the piece says, "True time is actually much more flexible than most people realize." What do you think about time? I'd love to know!

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