PFO Newsletter- 02.13.2025

Love is in the air…and so is the flu, right?

Happy Valentine's Week, friends! Hope you’re staying healthy, despite the string of viruses and influenza going around. 

My youngest and oldest have both been hit hard. Enjoy the photos below of Caroline covered by a blanket in the hammock and Landon balled up on the couch-–notice the bucket in the bottom of Landon’s photo. Yep. It’s been a fun couple of weeks. 

So far, the rest of us have been fine. (I swear by the Vitamin C I’ve been taking…check it out in my favorites below)

It is Valentine's week, but not all of us are spending Valentines with a loved one–that’s because 40% of Americans are single–-either divorced, widowed or never married. I was truly shocked by that stat! 

Relationships are the #1 thing you’ve asked me to tackle on the podcast, so I’ve been looking at it from all different angles–dating after divorce, navigating teen dating and keeping it spicy with your partner. 

Kaitlyn Nilles, a single mom of two, shared with me this week why love isn’t enough, what it’s like to date when you’re a single mom and…the plot twist…she’s dating her EX, again. It’s a fascinating episode about the importance of connection and how vital it is in a relationship. 

Patrice Washington joined me to talk about dating after divorce, which I’m aware is something that many of you in this community are navigating, not knowing where to start.

Here are a couple of your comments in last week’s poll that really resonated. 

“In March I'll be divorced for three years. I want to start dating but feel completely overwhelmed, not knowing where to go/what to do. ”

“It’s been a while since my divorce and don’t know how to start dating. Last time I dated was when I was a teenager. ”

“How can we keep the love blazing as we age and our hormones desert us. ”

It’s my hope that you’ll be encouraged during this relationship series and for those of you who are trying to keep it spicy with your partner, or maybe you’re navigating your teenager dating, those episodes are coming up. 

Regardless of whether we’re in a relationship, I’ll leave you with this wonderful quote from Aristotle about the importance of loving yourself and a reminder that no one person completes you. 

“The most important relationship we can all have is the one you have with yourself. The most important journey you can take is one of self-discovery. To know yourself, you must spend time with yourself, you must not be afraid to be alone. Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.” – Aristotle

If you’re having a hard time loving yourself, or believing you’re special, let me remind you there’s only one you. Only YOU have your DNA…that’s 3 billion characters! If you were to read one character per second each night/day, it would take 96 years just to read the description of you. 

There is only ONE you, my friend. You are special. 

-Paula xo

FARIS FAVORITES 🤎

1. My Favorite Supplement - Keeping Me Healthy!

I’ve been taking this Vitamin C for over 18 months and the only time I got sick was when my Amazon subscription had run out. I’ll never NOT take it again.  I swear by it. Knock on wood, I’ve been totally fine despite all the sickness around me and my community. It ends up being approximately $5 a month, so it’s affordable, too

2. BACK IN ACTION: Our New Favorite Movie!

Because the kids have been sick, we’ve had plenty of down time to watch movies. And, let me tell you, finding a movie that we all like is like finding a needle in a haystack. If you haven’t watched Cameron Diaz and Jamie Foxx’s new NETFLIX movie, BACK IN ACTION, add it to your MUST WATCH list. I’ll be honest, the reviews aren’t great. But, I don’t put a ton of stock in reviews.

3. GIVEAWAY: Relationship-Saving Cards

One of the greatest sources of tension in relationships is the domestic load and the inequities in who’s doing what. Often, one partner (usually the woman) disproportionately ends up doing the large majority and that’s when bitterness and resentment start to creep in. I’ve long been a fan of these FAIRPLAY cards, which help couples to discuss all the household tasks in a respectful way, with the goal of dividing the labor and tasks. John and I have done them. Kaitlyn Nilles, this week’s podcast guest, did these cards with her EX and says it’s a big reason why they’re trying to work things out. I’m giving three decks away to the first 3 people that DM me on Instagram with your mailing address.!

In our last poll, over half of you want to know how to keep it spicy with our partners. Here are some of your comments about relationships and dating: 

“My husband and I got married when we were 20 years old. We are in our mid 50s now. Definitely need some spice😄”

“My husband left me and our 3 daughters over 20 years ago. My priority was raising my girls, who are now all married, have wonderful careers and having babies of their own. Dating after divorce with younger children was just not possible. I feel like now that I have "time", I don't even know how to approach it. There are so many terrible people in this world that it frightens me. ”

“Well, I’m actually nearing 65, and I am starting to be open up to the possibility of dating again after a looong time of not dating. Just need to hear what these young 40 year olds have to say about being single in their 40s.”

“It’s been a while since my divorce and don’t know how you start dating. I turned 60 this year. The last date I had, I was a teenager.”

“In March I'll be divorced for three years. I want to start dating but feel completely overwhelmed, not knowing where to go/what to do. ”

“I’m in my 40’s and single! Can’t wait for this episode!”

“How can we keep the love blazing as we age and our hormones desert us.”

THE PAULA FARIS SHOW 🎙️

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