I've been buried in boxes...

Plus, our fav new family show!

September 02, 2025

Hi friends-

I’ve been silent…not intentionally, but because I’ve been buried under moving boxes. We decided to move closer to town to be near our kids’ schools and to do life with our community. 

We’re currently sleeping on a bed that’s too small for us, using moving boxes as “nightstands” and unpacking. But, as has been my motto of late: “but did you die?” No. I didn’t. I haven’t died. Not to say I haven’t been stressed to the max recently.

Here’s what we’re using for nightstands :) 

In other news, I just wrapped a month-long podcast series on TEENAGERS, with last week’s episode focusing on Teen Dating & Friendship, including why we’re seeing more “mean girl” behavior than ever, plus why teen dating relationships are so intense. I encourage you to share this entire series with anyone who has teens or tweens. 

If you’re up to date on the podcast, you probably saw today’s episode drop about PERIMENOPAUSE and how this is when the MOST change happens for women. It’s part of a month-long series on perimenopause with Dr. Jen Ashton (Founder, Ajenda) and Aarti Sequiera (Food Network). LISTEN HERE

I’ve been in perimenopause for over 10 years and it started in my late 30’s. How about you?

Are you in perimenopause?

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Also, I’d love to hear from you as I’m recording an upcoming series on Grief + Loss. Whether it’s the loss of a loved one, a relationship, a job, a dream, a life you loved, I want to hear from you. I’ve mentioned that I’m stuck in my grief over losing my mother, so it’s my hope that we can find our way through our grief and loss together. DM me on Instagram or reply to this email with your stories of grief + loss. I want to know what you’re grieving…the more we share, the more we’ll be able to heal and move forward in a healthy way. 

Sending you hugs, friends! Now…back to unpacking all those boxes LOL

-Paula xoxo

FARIS FAVORITES 🤎

1. The BEST Sheets Ever!

Because we’re talking about perimenopause, I finally found bed sheets that are temperature regulating and guaranteed to give you a comfy night’s sleep! Cozy Earth’s Bamboo Sheets are made from viscose from bamboo. I’m not a scientist, but they help you sleep several degrees cooler because they naturally wick away heat and moisture from your body. Go to cozyearth.com and use my code PAULA for 40% off! If you don’t love them, return them hassle-free. P.S. They have a 10-year warranty.

2. My Favorite Tool For Building Mid-Life Muscle!

I’m not trying to shame you into getting a weighted vest…BUUUUT, what are you waiting for? We need to be building muscle and bone density in midlife and beyond. My favorite vest is on sale at Amazon right now. Pro Tip: use one that’s approximately 10% of your body weight.

3. Building The Band - The Show My Family’s Been BINGING

Our fave new family show is Building The Band on Netflix. If you haven’t checked it out, yet, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND. In a nutshell, 50 singers compete to build their band. The catch? They can’t see what their potential band members look like. So, they’re picking their band off chemistry (they’re allowed to talk on the phone) and the sound of their voices together. I’m not a huge fan of reality tv, but we LOVE this. There’s something about choosing people regardless of their appearance that fills my soul.

THE PAULA FARIS SHOW 🎙️

TEENAGERS: Are We Raising Soft Kids?

Are we raising soft kids? In Episode 3 of our TEENAGERS series, therapists Sissy Goff and Niro Feliciano are back, along with my husband John, to call out the rescue culture that’s stripping our teens of their grit. We dive deep into why failure is essential for building resilience—and how stepping in too soon tells our kids they’re not capable.

You’ll learn:

➡️ Why kids need to struggle

➡️ How failure builds grit

➡️ What it looks like to parent with empathy without stepping in to fix everything.

If you want to raise strong, confident teens who can handle life’s hard knocks, this episode is a must-listen.

PERIMENOPAUSE: The Real Change

Did you know that most of the upheaval doesn’t happen at menopause? It happens DURING perimenopause. Not before. Not after. In this episode, I’m talking to Dr. Jen Ashton (Founder, Ajenda) and Aarti Sequeira (Food Network)  to unpack why perimenopause is the true turning point for women. Essentially, it’s the storm before the calm. We’ll discuss new research finally focused on women’s health, the cultural silence that treats it as negotiable, plus why this stage is often called the “coming of rage” — and how it can also be the moment we step into our Midlife Wonder Woman years. This conversation is part of our month-long series on PERIMENOPAUSE and women’s health.

In our last poll, I asked when you return to school. 40% of you went back in mid to late August. 20% of you are starting this week and some of you are year-round. Here are some of your comments: 

 ➡️ “Here in NJ (across the bridge from Philadelphia), my grandchildren start the Wednesday after Labor Day. My oldest daughter is a teacher, and she will get her class ready a week before. ”

 ➡️ “It's WAY too hot to return to school ANY TIME IN AUGUST-especially in the south!! Plus teenagers don't get more time to work a part-time job in the summer. Also, folks CAN'T plan a vacation in August!!! ”

 ➡️ “Mid-July in a modified year round schedule. Starkville, MS”

 ➡️ “Year round calendar, started 3 weeks ago :)”

Join the Conversation!

If you’ve made it this far, I invite you to join (or start) the conversation in our comments section. What would you like to share? -Paula

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