Baseball has spring training, football has training camps, and golfers do… whatever golfers do (putt putt maybe?). In most sports, there’s a preseason. Why don’t we just get on with the games that matter? These practice games and matches are vitally important even though they don’t count toward player statistics or the tally of wins and losses. Why?  Because practice makes progress.  Perfect practice makes the best progress of all. So, you might say that: proper prior planning prevents poor performance. Whatever cute saying you choose the lesson is the same; it may not count, but it always matters. In theatre, before opening night in front of a live audience,…

by Courtney Carver Decluttering can feel like an impossible task but sometimes a big glass of water, a fun, let-it-go playlist and a very specific list of things to let go of can get things started. You get the water, I’ll give you the list! If you want to enjoy your favorite things, only own your favorite things. If you feel stuck, stop thinking about what you are getting rid of and instead consider what you are making space for. Make space for laughing, resting and connecting. Make space to show up for your life. Make space for what matters to you. ExtrasYou always use your favorites, but still have extras for a…

There is no easy answer to this question. Each destination, whether it be a state or country, has their own requirements and protocols. Adding to the confusion, everything is a moving landscape so what is true today could be different in a few weeks or months when you travel. We’ve had a fair number of clients travel recently and the way we navigate through all of this is by checking, checking, and checking again. Sometimes a special app or QR code is required, other places may require a printed test result. Yes, it can be a hassle, but by being organized and prepared you can move through the system easily.…

I know, I know, I just want to laze about too! But there are people who need our help—and ways you can safely be of assistance even during a pandemic.  I fully confess summer tends to be the time of year when I’m least likely to seek out opportunities to volunteer. During these precious warm and sunny days, there are hills to be hiked, iced coffees to be drunk, fluffy novels to be consumed. I just want to relax, enjoy and soak up a little sun (protected by SPF 30+ sunscreen of course).  But as I started dreaming about the lazy summer days ahead, I found myself thinking of the…

Living rooms aren’t what they used to be. It’s time to challenge the idea that “living space” is only contained within the walls of our homes. Our outdoor fireplaces make it easy to extend your living into the outdoors. Think of it as adding a whole new room to your home. No matter your style – whether traditional or linear, wood or gas – we have you covered with our many product options.  Transform your outdoor space today – Learn more Here! Fireside Hearth & Home6709 Watts Road | Madison, WI 53719(608) 276-6010

The country is getting back to work. We are getting back to work. And there is so much to do. It is easy to get distracted by the abundance of “little things” that have been piling up for a year. Our most important task is to stay on task, meaning: Keep the Main Thing the Main Thing – Always. Award-winning screenwriter and playwright James Goldman had to remind himself to keep the main thing the main thing. When he went out on the road with a play, he placed a piece of paper somewhere in his hotel room—on the dresser or the bathroom mirror—that would remind him of his purpose:…

Touch is the undisputed, most important sense for human survival.  It is the first sense to develop in a human fetus, the foundation for healthy human growth and development (Maslow’s Hierarchy of Human Needs), and helps us to perceive the environment around us through our skin, the largest organ of the human body.  Over the past year, humans around the world have had to refrain from this innate, pleasurable behavior that ultimately put our physical and mental health at grave risk of developing dis-ease. Feelings of loneliness (causing an epidemic, within a pandemic, of anxiety, depression) among all ages has sky-rocketed, 40% of new medication prescriptions were placed in pharmacies…

“Home” today is not what it was a few years ago.  Currently your “Home” is also a restaurant, hotel, spa, gym, classroom, office, and entertainment venue. With all the hours a family spends at home today one needs to ensure they’re protecting their family’s sanity. Popular now more than at any time prior, is improving or creating a Home Theater space for entertainment and/or gaming. Enjoy the ultimate cinema experience without leaving your house. There is nothing like the moment when the overheads dim, and brilliant images come to life on a screen before you and your loved ones…awash in light, music and sound…all in a beautiful, comfortable personal space…

I first began sharing Be Positively Contagious webinars right after the pandemic became “real” for us here in the United States – March 2020. There was so much fear in the world, and I wanted to show that there are other things even more contagious than that virus.  At the time, I had to explain I was talking about the emotion of positivity and not the pandemic!  What I didn’t realize was how many of us truly need support to boost our happiness in order to be prepared for this life changing event we are learning to navigate. Although I have always been a happy person, there was debate over…

Unity is our new word. And the best way to create that unity is to learn how to truly listen. As we put 2020 in our rearview mirror and turn our focus forward to our hopes and dreams for a great 2021, we are excited at the prospects of at long last stepping out of our homes and striding back to the friendly confines of our work offices. We will unlock the door and turn on the lights, crank open the windows, and shoo away the cobwebs from our tables, chairs, and computers, and finally, chisel out that half-a-cup of now petrified coffee from the bottom of our favorite mug.…