PFO Newsletter - 07.25.24

You know what’s absolutely wild to me? My kids go back to school NEXT WEEK. You read that right…they’re back on August 1st. I can’t believe it, honestly.

Does it make me a bad mother for wanting them to go back to school? Back to the routine, back to their schedules, away from screens, away from idle time and all the temptations that come with it. God be with all of us who have teens/tweens.

Here’s a photo of me and the kids in summer mode :)

How about you? How do you feel when your kids go back to school?

How do you feel when your kids go back to school?

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This isn’t a “back to school” edition, because that just feels awful and wrong talking about it in July. So, I’ll refrain. 

In light of the historical political news in the last few weeks, I’d like to share with you some of my recommended and trusted news sources. 

I worked in TV News for 25+ years and quickly learned one thing: WE ALL HAVE A BIAS. 

I have a bias. You have a bias. Our bias is informed by many things, including our upbringing, our friends, our circumstances, etc. My bias was informed by growing up in a very strict, conservative and Christian home. So, I really tried to acknowledge that in my reporting and be even more cognizant of how I was covering other viewpoints. 

Recognizing we all have a bias is the first step. If we want to tone down the rhetoric and divisiveness in our country, we must be committed to a few things: 

  1. Cross-reference all your sourcing. Don’t just get your information from one source. If you lean left, make sure you’re seeing what the right has to say about it. And vice versa. Look to GROUND NEWS, the Associated Press, Reuters and the BBC to supplement what you’re hearing, especially from your echo chamber (and yes, I have one, too). 

  2. Be committed to seeing people for PEOPLE, not just their policies. Whoopi Goldberg and I talked a lot about this in one of my podcasts –how we became friends, despite our many differences. Do we agree about a lot? We do not. But, learning to respect people as people, rather than reducing them to their politics is something we desperately need to get back to in this country.

  3. Our differences aren’t a bad thing. We were never meant to agree about everything. Differences make us unique! Don’t try to change people – be curious, ask them about what they believe and why. Listen more. Talk less. Disagree without being disagreeable. 

And for those of you who continue asking whether I’ll ever return to TV… I honestly don’t know what the future holds. But, I’m extremely content and passionate about the work I’m doing as the founder of CARRY™ Media, advocating for moms and families. My DMs are always open, as I love to hear what you’re talking about in your homes. 

I see you and respect you…even when we don’t agree. 

XO, Paula

FARIS FAVORITES 🤎

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We’ll never not use this stuff. So, what is it? ARMRA is colostrum, from a cow, but for those of us who are lactose intolerant (yep, that would be me), they’ve removed the casein, which is the protein most people with a true dairy allergy react to.

Use my code PAULAFARIS for 30% off your subscription!

2. Summer Family Flick ☀️

My teens (and tween) loved watching The Family Plan with Mark Wahlberg. It was so…much…fun.

If you’re looking for something motivational, make sure you check out The Boys In The Boat, just in time for the Olympics. It’s the real-life story about the University of Washington rowing team and their unbelievable journey to the 1936 Olympics.

3. Grilling Hack!

We live for the grill in the summer and I’ll never grill hamburgers without ice cubes, again! To learn how to make the best burgers, fish and how to clean your grill with an ONION, check out these grilling tips!

Too Good Not to Share 😘

In honor of the Olympics and Friday’s opening ceremony… did you know that the Olympic Village will be home to its FIRST EVER nursery this year? Bravo to Allyson Felix for her advocacy making this happen!

THE PAULA FARIS SHOW 🎙️

JESSE PALMER: SCHOOL’S OUT FOR PARENTS – How Jesse Palmer Has Prepped For Fatherhood

John has been a Jesse Palmer fan for a long time and can testify to what a great human being he is. I worked with Jesse during one of his many TV stints, and he’s genuinely one of a kind…he’s also a new dad. We’re bringing you our favorite part of this Season One episode, where Jesse talks about those first-time dad jitters, plus how he’s become one of the most versatile hosts on TV.

JAMES CLEAR: SCHOOL’S OUT FOR PARENTS – James Clear’s Top Habit For Raising Kids

One of John’s all-time favorite books is Atomic Habits by James Clear. And, he says it wasn’t until my conversation with James from Season Two that he realized how those principles translate to parenting. Want your kids to be on fewer screens this summer? We’re bringing you our favorite parts of that episode and how you can build strong habits (and mindsets) in your kids this summer.

Your feedback from last newsletter’s poll…

In our last poll, 68% of you said you were going/went on vacation this summer. Here are some of your destinations!

➡️ My husband and I just returned from a week at Cape Cod. I used to go there as a child with my mom and sister. It’s the first time my husband was able to go with me. He was excited to go there as his ancestors landed in that area on the boat after the Mayflower! We really enjoyed ourselves.

➡️ We took a cruise of the Greek Isles. It was gorgeous! We are also planning to take our camper to Acadia Nat’l Park in Maine. Can’t wait!

➡️ Visiting Taylors, South Carolina!! Will make a trip to Greenville but looking at that lake (Lake Jocassee)!!! Beautiful!

➡️ Several #PureMichigan camping trips already in the books, a couple more to come, plus some other trips in and out of state.

➡️ We just got home from Atlantic City, NJ.

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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