Hi Friends,

Mother's Day is THIS week and I have some exciting ways for you to prepare…keep reading. 

But first, I’m back in my hometown (Jackson, Michigan) this week, visiting my mom and moving the last items out of her home before the new owners move in next week. 

This is me, sitting on the floor of my childhood bedroom…the only home I’d ever known. The one my mom and dad bought over 50 years ago for less than $30k. Yes, I said THIRTY. Crazy, right?

The house is almost empty. And I have to tell you, it’s so weird. I’ve been preparing myself emotionally for this moment…to walk through the home and say goodbye because my ENTIRE CHILDHOOD happened in this house — I remember sneaking out my bedroom window to meet up with my friends, throwing the softball around on the lawn with my dad, mowing that SAME LAWN, smoking cigarettes in my backyard fort that my dad built for my 12th birthday (LOL), frying eggrolls in the kitchen with my mom, etc.

I really thought I’d be a weeping mess saying goodbye. But, as I walked through it, I was surprised. No tears. It didn’t feel like home, anymore. Again, so weird. Why? Because my mom isn’t there. I guess home truly is wherever your loved ones are. Mom is in her new apartment at her assisted living facility and strangely, THAT feels like home, now.

However, I did do something I learned from Marie Kondo (the decluttering queen). She suggests saying goodbye to whatever it is you’re parting with and thanking it for the memories…it feels a little woo-woo, but it really helps. So, I touched the walls of my childhood home, said goodbye, thanked it for the memories and then prayed over the home, that it would bless the next family with warm memories. 

Next time you’re saying goodbye to something sentimental or something you have great nostalgia for, try Kondo’s method. Thank it for the memories and then, let it go. 

I'm grateful for every single one of you and I do NOT take this time we spend together for granted. Would you do me a favor? I’ll be sending out a very short survey later this week, in the hopes you’ll tell me what I can do better through this newsletter. One of you will win a $100 gift card to Walmart just for filling it out! I want to get better and value your insight in pushing me toward it.

FARIS FAVORITES

1. Mother’s Day is THIS SUNDAY!!!!! Would you like to win a custom bracelet from ABLE worth $65? All you have to do is this:

• Go to your local Walmart and grab a copy of my book: "You Don't Have To CARRY It All". 

• Take a photo with the book at Walmart, then post it on Instagram stories, tagging ME and Walmart.  

I’ll be selecting 25 (TWENTY-FIVE!!!!) of you to win this custom #YDHTICA bracelet. BTW, #YDHTCIA is the abbreviation for my book’s title.

2. What I’m Watching: You know I’m always on the prowl to find entertainment that’s suitable for my entire family, which is so stinking challenging! Ugh. But, we came across a really cool show about collectibles called “King of Collectibles” on Netflix. It’s clean and really informative. My kids and I are riveted and we learn something every time we watch. Bravo, Netflix!!!! Photo via Netflix

3. Speaking of Mother's Day and ABLE, we all know a mom that deserves to be celebrated 

— 

including yourself! Our friends at 

ABLE

put together the ultimate Mother’s Day Gift Guide to help you shower the mom in your life, whether she's a boss mom, dog mom, stay-at-home or grandmom. (And p.s. - everyyyyyyything is 25% off right now!!) Make sure you use

THIS

link!

Here's what you missed this week in The CARRY™ ALL, the weekly newsletter BY working moms, for working moms (and the Media company birthed out of my own Called Out story!)

1. 10 tasks you should consider hiring out if you aren’t already

 🛒

2. A Mother’s Day Gift Guide to treat mom

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3. A letter to the mom giving her absolute best

 💗

...and more!