5SR - June 28, 2023

Olivia 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. After her own divorce in 2019, Olivia had an 'aha moment' when she realized that we celebrate weddings and babies with a registry, but in the moments we really need to restock our life, like divorce, job loss, or any brave decision and major life change, we need the support, both in the form of support items for your home and the experts who become our hype team. From there, Fresh Starts Registry was born, the first Support Registry and Divorce Registry - and the only platform which aggregates support experts for all life changes and supports the Fresh Starts Experts in their marketing, business, and public relations. Olivia is also the co-host of the top rated podcast, A Fresh Story, and the co-author of Simple Scripts to Support Your People: What to Say When You Don't Know What to Say.

Most Momfluencers Are Expected To Share Content About Their Children. Here’s What Happens When They Don’t (Yahoo! Life)

I've been in the mom influencer world for as long as I can remember. For many years I was the social media director of a baby registry company (shoutout to Gugu Guru), and then I managed 20 influencers on my own for some time. I have friends who have been large and very influential mom influencers for years and years...so when this piece by my friend and journalist Alexandra Frost came out, I was intrigued.

Many mom influencers are choosing to keep their children off of social media, and they're getting major backlash! This piece is about digital privacy, safety - and opening up the conversation about using children as a commodity and content to earn profit on the internet.

It's so fascinating to me because for years, Hollywood has had rules around children's labor rights, but the influencer world is the Wild Wild West when it comes to this - and there are no legalities about children as content. It's a very interesting article, talking to many influencers about their decision to keep their children off the internet and how that's impacted their career as an influencer and brand.

A Texas Real-Estate Investor Created A Tiny-Home Village Where Sites Rent For $700. Its Residents Get A Slice Of The American Dream, And Have Formed A Tight-Knit Community. (Insider)

I moved back home with my kids to live with my parents and save money while building a startup, so I often joke that I'm going to build a tiny house on their property - they don't think it's funny, but I do. However, when I came across this piece about a tiny house village, I was enthralled with this idea!

In 2002, Terry Lantrip purchased a North Texas farmhouse on an acre of land; after learning about the ecosystem of the area he was living, he decided to create a community for tiny homes on his Lake Dallas property without tearing down the farmhouse and disrupting the area's vegetation. He created a little village, that has 13 lots that cost renters, who bring their own tiny homes, around $700 each month.Residents of the community share common areas, including a garden, a fire pit, and a laundry room. How cool is that? Why don't more people do this? Would you ever live in a tiny house village?

It’s Okay Not To ‘Cherish Every Moment’ Of Parenting Small Children (Tiny Beans)

I hate the sound of a baby crying. Like, it's super triggering to me. Even my own children know to turn the TV on mute if a baby is crying. I don't miss my children as babies, I'm grateful they're growing up, and I certainly did not cherish every moment with them as babies, and even now...some moments are really hard!

So, why do we keep telling parents to "cherish every moment"? Where did that even come from, and how does it affect our mental health? I loved this piece by humor writer Julie Vick, which is a little bit expose, and a little but tongue in cheek.

As she writes, "When I look back at baby and toddler pictures of my kids now, I do think about how adorable they were, but I also remember that trying to parent kids who could not talk and acted like cornered animals when they were being buckled into their car seats was brutal." Yes, this. I think many of you will find this piece reassuring and comforting (and relatable!).

Managing The Mess: Creating Organizational Systems After An ADHD Diagnosis (Success)

I was diagnosed with ADHD at 37, and the unmasking from learning that I had a neurodivergence has been more impactful in my mental health and personal journey than any therapy I've ever had in my life. Don't get me wrong, it's really frustrating at times, but putting a name to the feeling I've always had about my internal self was also incredibly freeing.

Since being open about my own diagnosis, I'm find that many, many, MANY women are being diagnosed with ADHD in their mid-to-late 30s, which is why I loved this piece by Cheryl Maguire, about the emotional aspect of having ADHD - and why certain tasks are really just so tricky for people with ADHD.

Cheryl chatted with KC Davis, a licensed professional therapist and the author of How to Keep House While Drowning, about setting systems in place to make executive functioning a little easier - and I loved all of the tips she shared. I found this article very freeing and I felt better at the end of reading it!

Kelly Clarkson Wants You To Know Her New Record Isn’t Just A Sad Divorce Record (NPR)

I'm a huge fan of Kelly Clarkson, and have been for years - but, recently, I've felt extra protective of her - and like we could be BFF in real life, as she went through a pretty traumatic divorce and custody battle - and came out the other side STRONGER. (see what I did there?).

She's been releasing songs from her new album Chemistry, and as she says, it's not a sad divorce album, it's the story of everything in her marriage and divorce. Her song "me," from the album has become my new religious moment - I listen to it loudly while walking in nature. It has a gospel feel to it, and it just moves me.

I truly love the whole album, but the song "i hate love" features Steve Martin on banjo, and I can't help but giggle because I divorced a banjo player. But, what I loved about this NPR piece, was that Kelly said this isn't a sad divorce album - and guess what? It shouldn't be! Divorce is a celebration of life. Divorce is liberation - and I am SO proud of my girl, Kelly! Highly recommend Chemistry - you will feel all of the things!