by kathilipp | Feb 22, 2010 | Uncategorized |
OK – I know I am going to get some comments on this post.
Let me be clear – while I am using the word “date” really what I am talking about is making time to connect with your spouse. I just happen to think dating is one of the best ways to do that.
With that being said, I am worried about the lack of dating among my friends (both flesh friends and webby buddies.)
In the survey results, the number one reason for people not dating was babysitting issues – not being able to afford said babysitter, or trust the ones you can afford. (Two of the people who commented were 1. My brother and 2. My neighbor Karyn. I love both of their kids so I guess it is time for Auntie Kathi to step up!)
But the second most popular reason was a lack of time in order to go out together. And that’s just a crying shame.
I have had several friends who have recently gone through empty nest syndrome. (No danger of that around here. Justen just told us he wanted to go for a master’s degree after college at San Jose State. Roger and I will never be alone…) But these moms have gone through the same pattern – gearing up to get the kids out of the house, then turning around and realizing the only one left is their hubby. Since she has spent so much of her life pouring into her kiddos, there hasn’t been a lot of time left over for bonding with her husband. Now – he is the only one left and she realizes that they haven’t talked about anything except the kids since 1995.
I know – at this point, you feel like the kids will never leave. But that is even more reason to date while the kiddos are at home.
It is so important that you not only be mom and dad, but that you be husband and wife first. Your kids will experience a deeper sense of security if they know that their parents are a cohesive team.
So if it is a choice between dating your spouse and one more activity for your kids, I vote for dating.
It is a great way to teach your kids:
1. Mom and dad are real people and really like hanging together – even without kids.
2. They are not the center of the earth.
by kathilipp | Feb 21, 2010 | Uncategorized |
Thanks to everyone who took the time here on the blog and on Facebook to answer why it is so hard to date your spouse. Here is the list of reasons from most popular to least:
1. Babysitting
2. Time
3. Money
4. Is it really worth the effort?
5. Kids Activities
6. Exhausted
7. Lack of Planning
Y’all feeling like you are in pretty good company?
Over the next two weeks, we are going to be brainstorming here on the blog about how to get that time, energy, and reliable babysitter in order to date your mate.
And here is my challenge: Would you date your mate once in the next two weeks?
If it has to be an at home date, that still counts. But I just want you to set aside some time to make it happen. I promise, we are going to give you tons of ideas and motivation, but it is up to you to make it happen.
So – can you- by Sunday March 7th – date your mate? If so, put your pledge in the comments and we will give you everything you need to make it happen.
by kathilipp | Feb 19, 2010 | Uncategorized |
I want to know why you don’t date your spouse.
Is it time, is it money?Is it that there hasn’t been a movie that the two of you have agreed on since Top Gun? Is it because it would take you away from your crops in Farmville?
We are going to be talking about this here on the blog for the next couple of weeks and I would love to hear what keeps you from romancing your sweetie.
by kathilipp | Feb 17, 2010 | Uncategorized |
First off – if you are visiting from Rachelle Gardner’s blog – welcome! So happy you stopped by to hang out…
As you regular readers know, I have had a very busy couple of weeks. But now, I want to tell you what is coming up.
I will be doing the down and dirty work of getting my third book – The Me Project – to the finish line. It is due April 1st (wow, I get little pangs of panic as I write that…) so much of the next few weeks will be focused on getting reader feedback (if you are interested in participating, you can join my book group here on Facebook to contribute to the upcoming book,) editing, and then dropping my baby into my editor’s waiting lap.
A lot of aspiring writers, (and sometimes just plain old nosey friends,) have asked me to share about my writing process.
Oh. If only I were organized enough to have something so formal as a writing process.
But, for those of you who insist there MUST be some method to my madness, or just want to know what will be going on in my home and my head over the next six weeks, here is a snapshot of what it will look like:
- Figure Out What the Book is About OK, so this is easier than it may seem. I write about what the good people at Harvest House Publishers pay me to write about. Months in advance, I have submitted proposals of books I would like to write – and then Harvest House’s Publisher’s Committee will discuss which ones will actually sell. I am blessed to have their wise council and feedback, because I don’t want to spend a year writing a book that no one will read.
- Figure Out the Chapters So far, each of my books have been based on 21 Day Projects, so it is up to me to come up with the Projects (I usually come up with 40 and eliminate a bunch until we get down to the best 21) plus all the front-of-the-book and back-of-the-book stuff. This part of the process looks much like the Unibomber took up residence in our bedroom for a couple of months. In our room, Roger and I have these giant floor to ceiling sliding white closet doors that are just a blank canvas waiting to be filled up with giant Post-it notes. I plot out my chapters, having one giant Post-it for each chapter, and then put antidotes, scripture verses, quotes and other ideas on smaller stickies to move around. And yes, Roger is a very tolerant man.
- Write the Chapters This is the BIC (Butt In Chair) part of writing that I have such a hard time with. Fortunately, when I’m not traveling for speaking, I get to write with a bunch of other creative people (including Cathy Armstrong, Katie Vorrieter, Shelley Bates, Camy Tang, Kristin Billerbeck, Dineen Miller, Chris Jassen and my son, Justen Hunter,) at Orchard Valley Coffee in Campbell CA twice a week. I try to get 1000 words in each time I am at the coffee shop.
- Get Some Feedback My books are very reader focused. I love having the input of my favorite readers, getting their experiences and ideas. It makes for a much richer book.
- Have Someone Smarter Than Me Edit the Book This has been at different times been my friend and speaker Teresa Drake, and at other points my son Justen ( don’t worry, he doesn’t have to edit the parts of the books about marital intimacy – he still has to be able to look me in the eye at the end of the day.)
- Send it to Harvest House
This is a very basic set of steps. At some point I will explore more of how I integrate my speaking and marketing into the books, but for now – this is the process I follow for each book. I know – probably more than you needed to know. However, I love to see the inner working of other people’s lives, and thought you might be interested in my particular brand of crazy!
What is Up Next and My Book Writing Process
First off – if you are visiting from Rachelle Gardner’s blog – welcome! So happy you stopped by to hang out…
As you regular readers know, I have had a very busy couple of weeks. But now, I want to tell you what is coming up.
I will be doing the down and dirty work of getting my third book – The Me Project – to the finish line. It is due April 1st (wow, I get little pangs of panic as I write that…) so much of the next few weeks will be focused on getting reader feedback (if you are interested in participating, you can join my book group here on Facebook to contribute to the upcoming book,) editing, and then dropping my baby into my editor’s waiting lap.
A lot of aspiring writers, (and sometimes just plain old nosey friends,) have asked me to share about my writing process is.
Oh. If only I were organized enough to have something so formal as a writing process.
But, for those of you who insist there MUST be some method to my madness, or just want to know what will be going on in my home and my head over the next six weeks, here is a snapshot of what it will look like:
1. Figure Out What the Book is About OK, so this is easier than it may seem. I write about what the good people at Harvest House Publishers pay me to write about. Months in advance, I have submitted proposals of books I would like to write – and then Harvest House’s Publisher’s Committee will discuss which ones will actually sell. I am blessed to have their wise council and feedback, because I don’t want to spend a year writing a book that no one will read.
2. Figure Out the Chapters So far, each of my books have been based on 21 Day Projects, so it is up to me to come up with the Projects (I usually come up with 40 and eliminate a bunch until we get down to the best 21) plus all the front-of-the-book and back-of-the-book stuff. This part of the process looks much like the Unibomber took up residence in our bedroom for a couple of months. In our room, Roger and I have these giant floor to ceiling sliding white closet doors that are just a blank canvas waiting to be filled up with giant Post-it notes. I plot out my chapters, having one giant Post-it for each chapter, and then put antidotes, scripture verses, quotes and other ideas on smaller stickies to move around. And yes, Roger is a very tolerant man.
3. Write the Chapters This is the BIC (Butt In Chair) part of writing that I have such a hard time with. Fortunately, when I’m not traveling for speaking, I get to write with a bunch of other creative people (including Cathy Armstrong, Katie Vorrieter, Shelley Bates, Camy Tang, Kristin Billerbeck, Dineen Miller, Chris Jassen and my son, Justen Hunter,) at Orchard Valley Coffee in Campbell CA twice a week. I try to get 1000 words in each time I am at the coffee shop.
4. Get Some Feedback My books are very reader focused. I love having the input of my favorite readers, getting their experiences and ideas. It makes for a much richer book.
5. Have Someone Smarter Than Me Edit the Book This has been at different times been my friend and speaker Teresa Drake, and at other points my son Justen ( don’t worry, he doesn’t have to edit the parts of the books about marital intimacy – he still has to be able to look me in the eye at the end of the day.)
6. Send it to Harvest House
This is a very basic set of steps. At some point I will explore more of how I integrate my speaking and marketing into the books, but for now – this is the process I follow for each book. I know – probably more than you needed to know. However, I love to see the inner working of other people’s lives, and thought you might be interested in my particular brand of crazy!
by kathilipp | Feb 16, 2010 | Uncategorized |
Um hello… If this picture didn’t get your attention, I don’t know what will.
So many of you have been kind enough to ask where I have been – here is part two of the scoop:
Before speaking in Georgetown TX, my friend Cindy let me crash at her kennel – I mean BEAUTIFUL home with her six new puppies (oh – and her husband Ed and daughter Becca…) I was THIS close to stuffing one of them in my overnight bag to take back to San Jose…
Then I was off to MOPS of Georgetown in TX to do The Husband Project. Love those girls!
Finally, the last leg of my journey was to go to Scottsdale AZ to speak at La Casa de Christo in Scottsdale AZ. My friends Kevin and Ruth Shave picked me up at my hotel and took me to the White Chocolate Grill (I am planning on opening a franchise in my kitchen.)
I spoke for the first of three events on Tuesday morning, and then spent the day resting, working in my hotel room, and going to Chick-Fil-A. That evening I went back to the church to speak. And that is where it happened.
As I was getting ready to go on stage, a woman in a green jacket made a beeline for me.
It was my friend Shannon.
But it couldn’t be my friend Shannon, because while we were both from California, she now lived in Colorado, and I was in Arizona. My brain could not figure any of this out.
Shannon had flown all the way from CO to surprise me. I almost passed out I was so surprised.
All in all it was a great – if exhausting- week. I was so blessed by all the new friends I made and all the old friends I connected with.
But dude – it’s good to be home.
by kathilipp | Feb 15, 2010 | Uncategorized |
I have been a busy, busy girl and I have the Southwest Rewards to prove it.
First, I was in Oregon for a few days visiting my friend Judy and then going to my publisher’s offices to have sit down meetings with them about what I want to do with my life (it was a lot like sitting down with my guidance counselor in high school, but a lot more fun and with better food.)
I actually have some news from that trip that I will be announcing very soon – but I have to wait for agents and other official people to sign stuff.
Then I went to Austin and taught a Marketing Bootcamp with awesome author Karen Porter (oh we have so much fun at those things!) Then it was off to Oklahoma City to do a huge women’s retreat.
But then, the entire state of Oklahoma shut down. Wind and ice and snow. It was more than this girl from N. CA could handle (actually, it was more than Southwest could handle…) so instead of OK I went to Oakland where Rog picked me up and I got to spend the weekend with him and Jake the puggle. (And I mean, come on – who wouldn’t want to do some snuggling with this boy.)
Then it was back to Texas to hang out with the wild and wonderful women of The Woodlands UMC. An amazing retreat on Mary and Martha called Woman Interrupted. We had a great time loving on each other, loving on God and talking about out own expectations for ourselves, others and God. Such sweet stuff.
Tomorrow- more on my trip – plus the cutest puppy pictures you have ever seen.
by kathilipp | Feb 8, 2010 | Uncategorized |
Whew, there were sure a lot of delicious sounding recipes posted last week! I can’t wait to try them all out. Below are the winners who were randomly selected from each of the days. If your name is on the list, please e-mail your name and address to Monica (asst at kathilipp dot com) to get your copy of The Frozen Gourmet.
Julie ::: Mu Shu Chicken Wraps
Janeen ::: BC’s Slow Cooker Family Favorite Chili
Helen ::: Low Carb Rum and Molasses Baby Back Ribs
Make sure to look through the comments from the previous days for recipes that you can add to your dinner rotation!
by kathilipp | Feb 4, 2010 | Uncategorized |
The crockpot contest has been extended a few more days since there was some technical difficulty with the blog in the past 24 hours. I apologize if you came here and got an error message. Thanks to Roger’s hard work, everything is back and working just great! If you posted a recipe on Facebook, the recipe will counted. The contest has been extended until Sunday afternoon at 4pm, so make sure you get your entries in!
Today is anything goes day. What’s your favorite crockpot recipe? Do you have an awesome appetizer that can be made in the crockpot (the Superbowl is Sunday and this would be a great time to share your favorite appetizer with all of us!) or a yummy dessert or delicious dinner? Leave your recipe in the comments and you’ll have a chance to enter a copy of the Frozen Gourmet.
Winners will be announced on Monday!
by kathilipp | Feb 2, 2010 | Uncategorized |
Today is the second day where the comments are open for you to submit your favorite crockpot recipes. I will be giving away a copy of The Frozen Gourmet to a lucky winner. In order to enter, all you have to do is post your favorite beef recipe for the crockpot in the comments.
All entries must be submitted by Thursday, February 4th at 6pm PST. Winners will be posted on Friday morning!
Don’t forget, if you have not already done so, to take the 1000 Dates Across the States Challenge!
by kathilipp | Feb 1, 2010 | Uncategorized |
Last week I highlighted some delicious crockpot recipes from my friend Kelly and she also shared ideas on how you can freeze crockpot meals to make your life even easier! In case you missed that post, you can find it here.
This week I have decided that a contest is in order. I will be giving away copies of The Frozen Gourmet. In order to enter, all you have to do is post your favorite chicken recipe for the crockpot in the comments. All entries must be submitted by Thursday, February 4th at 6pm PST. Winners will be posted on Friday morning!
