“Happiness and victory and fulfillment are nice little things that happen to us, but they don’t teach us much.  Wholeness is what we ought to be striving for, and part of that is sadness, disappointment, frustration, failure; all of those things which make us who we are.” ~ Hugh MacKay  Posts from HealthyExpatParent.com/Facebook Happy Monday!  Whether you are looking for a reason to be grateful you’re a human, need to impress your kiddo, or in need of interesting factoids to

Do you feel as though you and your teen are from different planets, speaking different languages and your responses rarely if ever align?  Ever wonder why you can be ever-so-efficient and your child is oh-so-not?  Listen, it isn't you, and also there is nothing wrong with your teenager.  Most likely their bizarre-to-you response — or lack there of — is due to the completely normal and expected developmental processes of their executive function (read: brain development).   Le

Happy Monday!  Whether you are looking for a reason to be grateful you’re a human, need to impress your kiddo, or in need of interesting factoids to drop at the next dinner party, this is for you.   https://www.fatherly.com/health/weird-facts-about-human-body ?

"Most people need love and acceptance a lot more than they need advice.” ~ Bob Goff   Posts from HealthyExpatParent.com/Facebook Happy Monday! Social media is such a beast. Not only can we not tell if something written was AI-generated, but also we can't tell what someone really looks like. What's real, what's not? No wonder young people are struggling with mental health!    https://lilydiamond.substack.com/p/women-being-seen-desire-dating-and New recipe: a non-gloppy slaw th

My mornings begin the same. Get up, fix myself some coffee, gaze out the window at the birds at my feeders, watch the sun rise. Here, I know the rain will never fall, but other places I have lived, this has been an option. This is followed by quietly talking with my spouse, my kitties. All of these things root and center me so that no matter what chaos comes that day, it began in beauty. To step out of my house and be greeted by the smell of trees and flowers in bloom. My go

Happy Monday! Social media is such a beast. Not only can we not tell if something written was AI-generated, but also we can't tell what someone really looks like. What's real, what's not? No wonder young people are struggling with mental health!    https://lilydiamond.substack.com/p/women-being-seen-desire-dating-and

Kindness isn’t about the things we do.  It’s about how we make others feel. Posts from HealthyExpatParent.com/Facebook Happy Monday! Happy November! How much candy did your kids haul in last weekend? Ever wonder how some of those candy bars got named?   https://www.mentalfloss.com/food/candy/how-5-popular-candy-bars-got-their-names New recipe: The great thing about cherry tomatoes is that they are always available. Here's a great way to ramp up their flavor with minimal effor

You did your best. You told your truth. You have your version of enough. You understand wealth -- freedom, people, purpose -- is more important than money. Slow down and let the extraordinary things emerge from the ordinary. To live content with small means. To seek elegance rather than luxury, and refinement rather than fashion. To be worthy not respectable, and wealthy not rich. To study hard, think quietly, talk gently, act frankly, to listen to stars, birds, babes, an

Happy November!  The Big Purple Blobbers are feeling the pain from this current government situation, so we are sharing our experiences and bringing hope to our community. We are in this together! Please see below for episodes posted in the last few weeks.   191: Downsizing: What to do (and what NOT to do), Foreign Service https://tinyurl.com/24uukv37 192: Foreign Service Without Pay?- Financial Hardship 2025 https://tinyurl.com/2p4m8nww You can also check out our main Audio

Happy Monday! #Happy November! Did your kiddos haul in a good amount of candy over the weekend? Ever wonder how some popular candy bars got named? https://www.mentalfloss.com/food/candy/how-5-popular-candy-bars-got-their-names

"Doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will." ~ Suzy Kassem It's not the sheer difficulty of achieving something that stops you.  It's the ease of  continuing to tell yourself the story that you can't . Posts from HealthyExpatParent.com/Facebook Happy Monday! It’s that time of (school) year where we have some papers due, Ami right? For you: how to not make your writing sound like AI: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Signs_of_AI_writing New recipe: Leaning into tahi

Thoughts about designing (“designing”) an ideal life: From Alice in Wonderland “Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?” “That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,” said the Cat. “I don’t much care where—” said Alice. “Then it doesn’t matter which way you go,” said the Cat. A truth: If you aren’t clear on where you want to go, any road will take you there. In an attempt to design an ideal life, ask yourself this: What do you actually want you

There comes a point where our foreign service journey ends, and we find ourselves leaving this space, this label, this persona for ... who knows what to expect?  Finding yourself facing this as your next move?  Listen to Sharoya share her wisdom, and Lisa shares some of her concerns and solutions.  Join us for the chat. Listen here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2304981/episodes/18062301-moving-out-of-the-fs-heading-to-the-u-s

A link for you Happy Monday! It’s that time of (school) year where we have some papers due, Ami right? For you: how to not make your writing sound like AI: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Signs_of_AI_writing

Don't plan it all.  Let life surprise you a little." ~Julia Alvarez Posts from HealthyExpatParent.com/Facebook New podcast: Unexpectedly, for many government employees, the financial situation is difficult. We hear you. https://www.healthyexpatparent.com/post/unexpected-financial-hardships Happy Monday! Sometimes the only response you get from your kiddos after school is “fine”. Let’s see if asking the question in a different way yields more info! https://time.com/7315031/wha

(ha! See what I did there? No? Read on, you'll get why that's funny!) You've all heard about osteoporosis.  Like almost all ailments...

New podcast: It used to be that employment with the government was a stable option. Now, it feels like we are in an in-between place, where job certainty is iffy and now, no paychecks thanks to the government shut-down. What to do? Angi and I talk about the situation, and offer empathy and support. I wish we could offer jobs and funds, too, but we are in the same boat as everyone else. Listen here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2304981/episodes/18027629-unexpected-financial

"If it's not a hell yes, it's a hell no."  ~ Saeed Jones Posts from HealthyExpatParent.com/Facebook Happy Monday!  Let me ask you this: when was the last time you wondered about something and then turned and talked to another person about it? And you did not google it.  Try it.  Just once.  Today.  See where you end up. https://www.swiss-miss.com/2025/10/sit-and-wonder.html Dinner time! Take ingredients you probably have on hand for this fun Thai-inspired bowl, meat optional.

Sharoya, Angi and I talk about different aspects of kids leaving the house, having fewer family members around, and what happens when they come back home?  Some great suggestions for keeping the peace, making the most out of the new additional space ... and making sure you have beds for everyone when/if they come back home! We all know that our kids are supposed to grow up, go to uni, and then go off on their own. This is our primary goal as parents: help foster independence

Willpower is overrated. If you want to eat healthier, don’t work hard to avoid stopping at the cookie jar when you walk into the kitchen....