[HAPPY NEW YEAR! I allow myself one re-post each year, around now. I offer it as a reminder to us all – myself included – of the need to become/stay comfortable with saying no when people or obligations tip the scale and become toxic. Please consider. Also, while I have you, we’ve just switched to the domain savvylife.net, and doing so meant we lost social media data on the posts. Please know how much we appreciate the tweets, “likes” and “shares”. – Thanks, Alicia.] Could you organize the group gift? Could you babysit this weekend? Could you lend me some… [Read More]

A new year stretches out before us, fresh and crisp. I appreciate we arrive at the end of the year with feelings as individual as we are. Some of us will be eager to wave goodbye to 2014, replete as it may have been with sadness or loss. My wish for you is that gentle, loving healing be ushered in. Others carry forward hopes for new jobs, or for someone special to arrive in their lives. My wish for you is for new people and opportunities to cross your path. Whatever wishes you carry in your heart for the New… [Read More]

It’s that time of year when we reflect on the previous twelve months. My Year at a Glance – 2014 by numbers: 46 individual flights (final round trip starts tomorrow) 90+ days in hotels 1 home renovation kick-started 4 new member organizations 8 speaker exhibits (conferences) 1 wedding vow renewal (not ours!) 2 new TMs (trademarks) Goals exceeded on speaker platform.(Thank you, God!) 1 new book idea (more news as it comes to hand) 1 grateful heart. I’d like to thank each of you for your support and encouragement this year. My wish for you this Festive season is joy… [Read More]

Hello! I’m overseas at the moment, with very patchy internet. Please forgive my not posting a photo, but I’d like to tell you about November’s nominee for the Savvy Girl Hall of Fame: Poet, Abigail Mott!   http://abigailmott.tumblr.com/ I had the real pleasure of meeting Abigail recently in Denver, CO. Picture this: a gorgeous, ceative and delightfully quirky girl in a knitted hat, sets herself up on the sidewalk. She sits at a little desk, atop which is perched an old fashioned typewriter. Snowflakes are falling gently and holiday lights are twinkling. Passers-by can provide any subject, and Abigail composes… [Read More]

We’re excited to announce The Savvy Girl’s Hall of Fame! At least once each month, we’ll be highlighting a Savvy Girl (or in this case, Girls). She could be in the headlines, or an unsung hero in her community. She could be a healthcare worker, an inventor, someone with a creative mind (across any and all platforms that encompasses). She could be YOU. In the meantime, please meet these truly inspiring women. Each suffered an acid attack: a crime breathtakingly heinous, agonizing and beyond cruel. Many victims retreat from their friends, their communities, their societies. The courage of the women here melts… [Read More]

[Thank you for your patience. My (northern) summer break went a little longer than planned on the blogging front!] You might have noticed: we’re a culture of makeovers. From people to homes to lifestyles, some of our highest rating TV shows, links and sites involve vivid transformations. A so-called “homely” girl emerges as a traffic-stopping beauty.  A dark and dank basement is re-purposed as a teen getaway or streamlined home office. And of course, those extreme weight loss programs milk our curiosity for the final unveiling. But what if we don’t have the time, inclination or resources to indulge in… [Read More]

Hello, and welcome to a blog hop – a post in which I answer a few Qs and then recommend other bloggers. I hope you’ll enjoy it. Why do I write what I do? I write about graceful living, civility, communication, and spirituality (while knowing it’s a work in progress—some days better than others!). Why do I write about it? Because I believe writing taps something in each of us, and by sharing it, we can plant seeds for change. And often I think through my fingers! There’s something meditative about typing. Give me a laptop, a pot of tea and… [Read More]

The Original Savvy Girl. Don’t you love her? La Hepburn was born May 4, 1929. And today, on the 85th anniversary of her birth, she continues to inspire a new generation, with her beautiful films, her genuinely timeless style and her generous heart. The graceful way she conducted herself resonates in this age of rage, speed and (ahem), me-itis. Audrey carried herself with dignity and poise, choosing not to succumb to pretension as many did (and do) under the glare of Hollywood lights. Take that, so-called “reality stars”! (cue: arched-eyebrow) . Allow me to share one of my favorite stories: … [Read More]