Adventures

FindingFifty1stDraftDear readers,

I love writing so much that this year I have taking on the biggest writing project yet. A memoir about my adventures of when I turned 50. Turns out though, that I only have so much time to fit in writing so some of the articles that I would like to put together will have to wait.

If you want to connect, please feel free to email me at annie@practicehow.com. Hopefully you are out there finding your own adventures and living the life you were meant to live.

Take care ~ Annie

p.s. If you want to be one of the first to hear about the release date for Finding Fifty: What I learned from 50 women, walking 50 miles, in 50 pairs of shoes - please sign up on the right side of this page ------>

What_Makes_You_Happier

According to the book Connected: The Surprising Power of Our Social Networks and How They Shape Our Lives your odds of being happy increase 15% when friends in your immediate circle are happy.

Not only that but the happiness of your friends' friends (people you may not even know) increases your happiness potential by 10%. And perhaps most surprising, the friends of your friends' friends still impacts your happiness by 6%! In contrast increasing your income by $10,000, according to author Nicholas Christakis only increases your chance of being happy by 2%. ...continue reading

girls_and_puberty

Viewer-submitted question from theDear GMA Advice Guru Contest.

Dear Annie: I am the mother of twin pre-teens and I am ready to start navigating the mine field of inevitable puberty. I am amazed that some of their friends have hit puberty at such a young age. How do I best prepare my girls for the changes they will soon see in their bodies? At what age should they first see a gynecologist? ~ Wondering Mom

Dear Wondering Mom, ...continue reading

5050_AdventureDear Reader,

In case you've been wondering why I haven't posted lately here's what's going on. Without going into detail, this year has had a few too many setbacks, sadnesses and life stresses. Not all bad of course but just a lot crammed into a short period of time.

Now I am big on living life with purpose but I found that trying to keep it all together was not working. So I went the other route and let a lot of it go.

Fortunately, this has made room for me to create my latest, greatest adventure... ...continue reading

Dear Friends, Family and Fans,

I just wanted to post this quickly to update you on the fact that my bid for the Advice Guru Job at Good Morning America is over. They announced 7 of the 20 to continue on and I was not among them.

It has been an awesome ride - though it ended before I wanted to get off. The best parts involved getting to answer questions, learning to have more faith in myself and all of you - the people who stepped up and made me feel extremely cared about. ...continue reading

ABCGMA_logoOK - So I am looking to start my own little Good Morning America Challenge and YOU are invited to participate.

Below is a question that I must answer for the next round of GMA's Advice Guru contest. But I know many people would have Guru-worthy answers and would love to make that point. So I invite you to do the same:

What do you think is the secret to living a good life? (Change it to a GREAT life for bonus points!)

Here is the criteria: ...continue reading

ABCGMA_logoHere are my answers to the first two GMA Guru Questions. If you think I give good advice, please Vote on, Comment on, or Facebook 'like' them. And even if the subjects don't appeal to you, if you are open - I can GUARANTEE you will learn something for yourself in each of them.

Answer #3: Aging, Guilt & Family Tradition

Answer #2: Preparing Girls for Puberty

Answer #1: Mom & ME Time and taking time for you

(Votes are cumulative over all the questions. Vote box is at the end of the article.) ...continue reading

ABCGMA_logoIt's official! Out of 15,000 applicants, amazingly, I am one of 20 finalists in Good Morning America's new Advice Guru!

This is an amazing opportunity and one that I think I would be wonderful at! But here is where I need your help for a change.

So if you believe in me and my work and want to help, here are some ways to do that:

Read, Vote on, Comment on, FB Like, and/or Share my GMA Advice (See above for links). ...continue reading

ABCGMA_logoWell, it's official!

As of Monday morning - I am one of 20 finalists in Good Morning America's search for an Advice Guru!

Not sure what happens next but I am feeling pretty happy to have made it through over 15,000 applications to the top 20.

Want to know more? Here are 3 things to do if you're interested:

  1. Check out my application at GMA, feel free to leave a comment or 'like' it.
  2. You can also ask a question at GMA here.

Oh - and wish me luck!

ABCGMA_logo#1: The following is the first of 3 questions for the ABC Good Morning America Advice Guru Challenge. I applied for the position. What do you think of my 150-word-or-less answer?

Whenever there is an issue between my mother-in-law and me, my husband refuses to stand up for me. How do I get him to value our relationship more than the one with his mother?

Annie Answers: Do you and your husband agree that marriage is about having each other's backs? If not - I think I've found the real challenge. But if so then you need to ask him to have yours. In order to grow in your relationship as opposed to grow apart - he will need to set the record straight with his mom that you matter. ...continue reading