All of these announcements are effective as of Saturday, November 1, 2014.

Here goes!

Start Date Change For All Challenges

All of my writing and freelance challenges will begin on the first Monday after the first of the month.

Therefore, the November 2014 challenges will begin on Monday, November 3rd at 12:15 am because this is the first Monday of the month.

ALL of my challenges that I administrate (21 Moments and all of my Freelance Writing Challenges) will start on the first Monday of each month from now on. They will no longer begin on the 1st of the month, unless the first happens to fall on a Monday. (That’s going to happen next in June 2015…just FYI.)

So instead of every challenge starting on the first, every challenge will begin on the first Monday and then run for 21 or 20 days thereafter.

The Last Day To Register For Challenges Will Be the Sunday Prior To The Start Date By 9 pm

So, for example, you have until this Sunday at 9 pm to register for the first three rounds of 21 Moments and all four of my Freelance Writing Challenges.

This means all of my challenges will now start on Mondays, rather than over weekend, which I know people will appreciate.

I will appreciate it too, come to think about it.

All Of My Active Challenges Will Run 12 Months Out Of The Year

Now that I have the start dates and the administration for challenges under better control, I can run them all year-long rather than just certain months. This means, I will offer my challenges during December and over the summer from here on out.

Yay!

All Five Levels Of 21 Moments Will Be Active As Of January 2015

As of January 2015, I will have all five rounds of my 21 Moments challenge restored and available for participation. This is good news for those who did not finish all five levels yet.

A Couple Suggestions

Please note, I do not recommend taking more than one challenge at the same time.

My suggestion is to take one challenge per month to help you pace out your writing career progress.

If you have not taken a challenge in a while, register now for a creative boost that will help you become more prolific and successful in the long run!

And always remember to provide me with your e-mail address if it is different from your Paypal e-mail.

Thank you! And thank you for all of your suggestions over the past two years that I have been offering challenges.

In November and December 2014, you can sign up for the following challenges

Receive 21 excellent examples of great writing in your inbox daily for 21 days. Click on the badge to learn more and register:

 Receive 21 more excellent examples of great writing in your inbox daily for 21 days:

 Receive 21 more excellent examples of great writing in your inbox daily for 21 days:

Anyone who is looking to become a more facile and joyful parenting article writer should take my Article Writing Challenge.

Anyone who is looking to become a more thoughtful and skillful parenting essay writer should take my Essay Writing Challenge.

Anyone who is looking to become a more thoughtful rewriter and polisher of her own words should take my Grammar & Punctuation Challenge.

Anyone who is looking to become more brave about selling work should sign up for my Sell Your Writing Challenge.

December 5th is my birthday.

And Cheryl Strayed is an awesome writer.

And Reese Witherspoon is trying to wake up Hollywood.

And whether we are famous or completely unknown, we all co-create the future by voting with the dollars we spend today…whether we think about it or not.

So let’s think about it for a moment.

We need to create a world that is more interested in the lives, experiences, and points of views of women.

If not for our own sakes, then for our daughters’ sakes.

We have so far to go in this endeavor. Most days I can’t even believe how far behind we are.

Where is the world of equality between the sexes I was promised when I was a girl?

We sure have not achieved it yet.

But sometimes there are days, hours, and minutes, when we can do small things that have the potential to make big differences in the long run.

December 5th is one of those days this year.

On this day the major motion picture, Wild, comes out.

You may know that I am a big Cheryl Strayed fan.

You may know that I maintain a list of movies about writers and the writing life.

You may know that I led a book discussion about the book, Wild, when it came out.

You may know that I have tirelessly shared my enthusiasm for the book and for Cheryl, and now I do the same for the film.

But, when I invite you to go to the movies with me to celebrate the release of Wild on my birthday on December 5th, I am really asking you to support all women, all women’s point’s of view, and all women’s stories.

It’s so rare for women to have a champion for our voices being heard in the world in such a big way. And now we have not just a champion, but champions!

Cheryl Strayed is one woman, but her story is going to be witnessed all over the world, and we need to support this so that we can amplify the necessity of it.

And we need to thank Reese Witherspoon for seeing the promise in Cheryl’s story and getting behind it the way only a huge celebrity can.

I am really impressed with her professional advocacy for women in an industry where they do not get the respect they deserve.

And so…

…if you are a woman or a mother or a grown-up daughter, or all of the above, I hope you will meet me at the movies on December 5th.

And when you buy your ticket, tell the ticket-seller that you are there because you support stories about women in film.

And then thank the theater for showing the film.

And then thank yourself for showing up.

Because with that one small act, you just supported every woman producer, director, actress, and writer of the future.

You just supported every girl in the world by voting for future films, books, and stories about women.

Hope to “see” you on social media on December 5th for the opening day of Wild.

If you go, please post evidence on social media with the hashtag #yougogirls so I can find you.

That’s “You go, girls” as the hashtag #yougogirls

Hope you can make it. I’m looking forward to it!

I can’t imagine a better birthday present.

And if you have not read Wild, the book, yet. Oh my goodness! You are so lucky there is still time.

I highly recommend it!

NOTE: It’s possible that Wild will not be open in your area on December 5th. This does not matter! Just go see the film on it’s release weekend and I’ll be a happy camper! I’ve included the list of outlets that Cheryl shared on her Facebook page below:

Friday, December 5th:
LA
NYC
Chicago
Phoenix
San Francisco/Berkeley/San Jose
Washington, DC
Toronto

Friday, December 12th:
Pasadena
Austin
Dallas/Ft. Worth
St. Louis
Boston
Detroit
Philadelphia
San Diego
Denver
Seattle
Oakland
Monterey
Santa Cruz
Portland, OR***
Baltimore

Friday, December 19th:
Indianapolis
Madison
Milwaukee
Houston
Minneapolis
Kansas City
Memphis
Albany, NY
Hartford/New Haven
Cincinnati
Buffalo
Rochester
Ann Arbor
Stamford
Santa Barbara
Las Vegas
Long Beach
Salt Lake City
Sacramento
Cleveland
Columbus
Charlotte, NC
Raleigh/Durham, NC
Richmond, VA

***Looks like I will be seeing the film on December 12th.

 

Two years ago, I wrote an article with the same title as this Halloween post. The article has appeared in past Halloween issues multiple times in New York City, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Calgary, Alberta, and more.

Today, I noticed the idea is popping up on media outlets everywhere!

So, I thought I would go ahead and share my original article here, just for the record.

Who knows? Maybe I started a trend.

13 Not-Too-Scary Halloween Movies The Whole Family Can Enjoy Together
By Christina Katz

Feeling haunted by the sugar surges of Halloweens past? Why not gather up your little brood of goblins for a sweet movie marathon sure to get you in the hallowed mood—no candy required.

These not-too-spooky flicks are a festive way to build up to a big night of “Trick or Treat!” without terrifying anyone in the family. The films range in appropriateness from toddler to teen, with age recommendations that should satisfy even the most cinema-selective parents.

So, what are you waiting for? Whip up a big bowl of your favorite popcorn, grab some 100% fruit juice, and cuddle up close on the couch for a night of lightweight Halloween chills:

The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown (Not Rated, For ages 4 and up)

For Linus, it’s not Halloween without the Great Pumpkin. For some of the rest of us, it’s not Halloween without an animated 1966 Charles Schultz cartoon accompanied by Vince Guaraldi piano music. Share the annual tradition with your kids so they can meet Charlie Brown, Lucy, Sally, Pigpen, Violet, Schroeder and the whole gang. Remember, never jump into a pile of leaves with a wet sucker. And never miss an opportunity to introduce your kids to Peanuts.

Sleeping Beauty (Not Rated, ages 5 and up)

While we are introducing our kids to things, why not also introduce them to a classic 1959 Walt Disney film? This artfully created adaptation of the fairytale, “La Belle au bois dormant” by Charles Perrault with music by the Berlin Symphony Orchestra will have you all humming “Once Upon A Dream,” for days afterwards. But brace yourselves for the entrances of the Maleficent, she may strike a few poses more wicked than you recollect. Luckily, her evil plans will be met by the efforts of three hilarious good fairies, Flora, Fauna & Merryweather, who help Aurora realize her dreams by the tale’s end.

Beauty and the Beast (Rated G, ages 6 and up)

This 1991 Disney tale as old as time is also based on a fairy tale—this time La Belle et la Bête by Jeanne-Marie Le Prince de Beaumont. Belle is a bookish girl, who is not satisfied with life in her provincial French town, nor the advances of Gaston, her conceited suitor. She adores her eccentric inventor father, though, and unwittingly follows him into the clutches of a hideous beast, who teaches her, with a little help from his enchanted servants, how appearances can be deceiving.

Escape to Witch Mountain (Rated G, ages 7 and up)

They just don’t make Disney movies like this any longer. A brother and sister with curious psychic powers and a “star box” are the central focus of unraveling this 1975 sci-fi mystery. Tia and Tony don’t know whom they can trust beyond each other, but thanks to an unlikely ally played by Eddie Albert, the orphans reunite with their kin eventually.

Shrek (Rated PG, ages 7 and up)

This film combines the ogre from William Steig’s original book with storylines borrowed from many well-known fairy tales to create a buddy adventure meets romance with a twist. The all-star voices of Mike Meyers, Cameron Diaz, Eddie Murphy, and John Lithgow up the funny factor for Dreamwork’s first animated hit. Heavy on the laughs and light on the scary, this 2001 film is sure to amuse the whole family.

The Wizard of Oz (Not rated, ages 8 and up)

This masterful 1939 film may be scarier than you remember, making it the perfect Halloween family fare. When I was a kid, it was mean old Miss Gulch and what she was going to do to Toto, not to mention the sight of Dorothy’s house twirling in the tornado that frightened me. Forget, lions and tigers and bears. Remember, flying monkeys and witches and Winkies? Fortunately, the darker aspects of the story are balanced out by lighter characters like Dorothy, Glinda, and Munchkins making this a one-of-a-kind heroine’s journey your family will want to watch again and again.

Pinocchio (Rated G, ages 8 and up)

Based on the The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi, this 1940 animated film won two academy awards for it’s inspiring music. But don’t worry, Pinocchio, gets himself into plenty of tight spots to merit the need for all of this musical genius. In fact, he gets himself into so many tricky situations—skipping school, becoming part donkey, landing in the belly of a whale—that this film can serve as a kind of cautionary tale for kids who fond of telling tall tales of their own. Some great lessons about the perils of peer pressure in this timeless movie, as well.

ET (Rated PG, ages 8 and up)

Science fiction is a mysterious genre to many of us already, and the addition of a strange but sweet alien may up the fear factor in young children. Literal-minded thinkers may also need some coaching to appreciate this artful 1982 blockbuster film from Steven Spielberg. Compelling performances by movie siblings Henry Thomas, Drew Barrymore, and Robert MacNaughton may even convince you to break out some Reese’s Pieces before the 31st. A heartfelt film every family should see together.

Harry Potter and The Sorcerer’s Stone (Rated PG, ages 9 and up)

I don’t know too many kids who would mind being selected to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Unfortunately for Harry Potter a mortal enemy comes part and parcel with his invitation. But Harry has got plenty of pals to help him make it through not just this movie, released in 2001, but also the next seven in the series. Why not urge your kids to finish reading the first book before viewing the movie? You might set a precedent that will have them reading all seven books as fast as they can just to get to each movie reward.

The Corpse Bride (Rated PG, ages 9 and up) 2005

This film is stop-motion animation at it’s best. If your kids can handle the corpse bride’s eyeball popping out a few times, they will likely enjoy Tim Burton’s Goth gambol between two worlds. Johnny Depp is Victor, the indecisive bridegroom, trying to navigate the chasm between true love and good manners. A film that just might teach kids to commit more decisively to who and what they adore.

Star Wars (Rated PG, ages 9 and up) 1977

Long ago in a galaxy far, far away, generations of kids have revered this blockbuster George Lucas sci-fi buddy adventure. Though the film can hardly be classified as horror, there a several scenes with the potential to rattle the psyches of sensitive souls. Consider the trash compactor drama, the alien bar episode, and the introduction of one of the most terrifying half-man, half-machine villains of all time. Try some heavy breathing in advance of the film to prepare the kids for the Lord Vader’s entrance, and they will probably do just fine. They will likely even be quoting the movie for days afterward.

Ghostbusters (Rated PG, ages 10 and up) 1984

Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, and Harold Ramis are not afraid of ghosts and your kids won’t be either after watching this silly, slimy 1984 comedy caper. A trio of unemployed university professors start their own ghost-busting business and become the guys everyone calls to solve their pesky poltergeist problems. Your kids will be singing the theme song as they pretend to use your vacuum to rid the world of ghosts. Don’t miss this all-in-good-fun opportunity to introduce your kids to Bill Murray and a giant, supernatural Stay Puft Marshmallow Man.

Beetlejuice (Rated PG, ages 10 and up) 1988

Sometimes ghosts need a little help from their friends. Adam and Barbara are not very good at haunting the home they once owned, which has recently been infiltrated by new owners. So they call in a sketchy mortal-buster named Beetlejuice to get their house exterminated, only to realize too late whose side they would rather be on. Michael Keaton is unforgettable as “the ghost with the most” in this boisterously creepy Tim Burton film.

Happy Halloween movie season, everyone!

For Older Kids: Family Movies to Watch With Teens
The Goonies (Rated PG, ages 11 and up) 1985
Hocus Pocus (Rated PG, ages 11 and up) 1993
Edward Scissorhands (PG-13, ages 13 and up) 1990
The Addams Family (Rated PG-13, ages 13 and up) 1991

Author and freelance journalist Christina Katz loves Halloween movie marathons that don’t keep her up at night. Her latest book is The Art of Making Time for Yourself, A Collection of Advice for Moms.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have three classes starting this week!

And this is that lovely fall stretch of time that is so perfect for writing, before the holiday chaos swoops in.

Would you like to enjoy some time writing articles for publication? Learn more.

Are you launching a book or an e-book and your website needs a launch or a makeover? Learn more.

Or are you already a former student, who could use some help cranking out ideas and turning them into saleable articles? Learn more.

All of the classes that accomplish these things begin this week on Wednesday and Thursday. I hope you will join in!

Looking for feedback from recent students? Here it is:

From Writing & Publishing The Short Stuff:

I really don’t think there is a better class for new freelancers or a better class for folks getting back to writing after taking time off.

Christina is a caring and knowledgeable instructor. Her feedback and encouragement have allowed me to gain the confidence I need to submit my work.  ~ Patricia B.

Writing and Publishing the Short Stuff gave me the know-how and confidence I have been looking for in my writing life for years.   ~ Janeen L.

Writing & Publishing The Short Stuff is truly a wonderful class and Christina is building many successful writing careers in the process.  ~ Kerry M.

Christina’s targeted feedback on my pieces really helped me understand what I should do next and how to apply what I learned.  ~ Marianne P.

I found Christina Katz’s Writing the Short Stuff class to be very informative. She is knowledgeable in the freelance field and it shows.  ~ Rebbecca J.

Christina’s WPSS class provided me with a practical, step-by-step path to publication. Christina gave me just the right encouragement, personal feedback and direction I needed to actually walk on that path myself.  ~ Janelle B.

This is a meticulously designed class that provides extraordinary value in its six short weeks. Worth every penny. Christina Katz gives 100%.  ~ Karen B.

From 60 Ways To Flex Your Writing & Prosper In Your Niche:

This class has tons of instructor feedback on writing-in-progress in ways most courses don’t. You can learn more in six weeks from a seasoned freelancer than you could learn in six years of trial-and-error.

60 Ways helped me gain confidence in my own ideas and productivity. I didn’t know that I could produce so much in so little time, even being 8 months pregnant. Now, instead of feeling like my writing will be going on the back burner when my baby comes, I have tons of articles already started that I can come back to when I’m ready.  ~ Sandi H.

This class gave me the wings I needed to keep the writing momentum after Writing & Publishing The Short Stuff!  ~ Ruth H.

I am a busy, homeschooling mom trying to write whenever I can find snatches of time in my day. The lessons in this class helped me generate many ideas that I can turn into articles later and the feedback was the best part.  ~ Janeen L.

The 60 Ways class with Christina Katz helps writers stretch and structure their creativity more ways than they could have perhaps thought of themselves. The detailed feedback she provides each of her students is an ideal launch point for shaping up ideas and drafts and catapulting article and essay ideas into editors’ inboxes.  ~ Rhonda F.

Christina has been the lifeguard during this class as I swam through the current to generate content and fill the forms for publication. I have emerged with a bounty of articles ready to be culled and honed for the publishing market. ~ Diane T.

This class was the push I needed to start outlining story ideas and testing various formats for articles. It was a great way to learn to work on the fly and do a lot of preparation in my head. This class will help you stretch yourself to try so many different formats.  ~ Sarah Y.

Discover Your Specialty & Launch Your Platform:

Going the platform route alone would be a daunting task. It’s such a help to have the resources, expertise, and guidance of someone who lives and breathes instructing writers on the best next steps to take for writing and publishing success.  ~ Rhonda F.

This class helped me discover more than my platform – it also helped me discover my writer-self again. The lessons push you to dig deep for your ideas and passion and the feedback gives you new perspective and keeps you on track. I recommend DYS-LYP to anyone who wants to step up in her writing career.  ~ Tiffani H.

Before I took Christina’s class I knew I wanted to write professionally, but I was missing focus. Developing my specialty has been a great motivator. Christina encouraged me to think critically about my expertise, background and interests in order to zero in on a topic. I’m excited to write now that I’m equipped with a clear and versatile specialty as well as a renewed sense of direction and determination. Look out writing world – here I come!  ~ Garen G.

This class challenged me to really look at myself as a writer and figure out what I’m about. It also helped me become less confused about the promotion side of things, as I had gotten overwhelmed by the information out there and didn’t know where to start. Thank you for giving me direction!  ~ Renee D.

This is the last round of six-week classes I am offering in 2014! And these types of classes are the only way to work with me and get individual feedback. So if you feel like feedback about your writing or your platform is what is missing in your career, don’t miss this change to get on track!

 

 

 

Over the years, I have taught hundreds of writers, I have written thousands of words, and I have encouraged and inspired thousands of people, not all of them writers.

I can tell you what the worst days felt like and what the best days felt like.

The worst days were the days that I was fixated on the results of my efforts and trying to control those results.

And on the best days I was simply immersed in the joy of doing what I love and expressing who I am.

I have noticed that the results are always better on the days I am immersed in joy than on the days I am obsessed with trying to control the outcome.

If you are a writer and you want the key to professional happiness and professional satisfaction, look no further.

Give yourself an attitude adjustment, develop your skills, and focus on the next most important step for you.

That’s your job.

The secret sauce of a joyful writing career is being the best you can be, spreading that good stuff to others, and ignoring all the things that are not your job.

If you want to be happy in your writing career for just one day: put your cynicism down, turn off your mind, and just take the next step.

Dive into your latest current project and give it everything you’ve got.

Time will fly, stress will evaporate, results will accumulate, and the next thing you know magic will have happened.

You will have moved your writing career forward and enjoyed the process.

In this distracted, neurotic, cynical day and age THAT is a miracle every time it happens.

Every single writer I currently work with knows how to do this. They know how to focus, they know how to let go of the outcome, and they know how to enjoy the process of getting work done.

Do they forget sometimes that it’s supposed to be enjoyable?

Sure. Of course. Life is not going to just politely pause for you every time you snap your fingers.

But the more you tread the calm, sane path to success, the more clear the path becomes.

My students succeed at taming life so that it allows them to do what they love, too. There is no either-or.

Either-or is not necessary. Swap that “or” out for an “and.”

They succeed consistently. They break their own records. They keep calmly pushing themselves to accomplish the next goal.

I do the same things I teach my students day after day, week after week, month after month. I am not immune even though I have been doing this work for fifteen years.

So, if you want to write, embrace the process, be process-oriented, and enjoy the process.

There may be some disappointments along the way — since we can’t control outcomes — but as with everything else, suffering is optional.

If you love writing and you love your career, they will both love you back.

So what are we waiting for? Let’s get to work!

It’s selling, of course.

If I had to guesstimate, I would say 90% of writers don’t merely dislike selling, they hate it.

Often writers loathe selling simply because it’s unfamiliar.

Selling is so…capricious. So mysterious. So darned hard to get a handle on that it’s easier to just reject selling out of hand in order to ally ourselves with the more lofty aspects of writing like creativity, inspiration, and artfulness.

Ah, we like those words.

Yeah, we want more of that and less of that stuff that gets our hands dirty, like that disgusting salesy stuff.

Ew.

Ick.

Get it away from us.

We are way too good for selling. How dare you even associate us with that word.

Harumph.

Okay, okay, that’s enough. It’s time to get over your resistance to selling, writers.

You may think it sets you apart, but you know what? It doesn’t. Your resistance to selling is all too common.

So if you don’t want to be just another dime-a-dozen writer who gets all up in her ego about selling, take my 20-day Sell Your Writing freelance challenge.

You might even decide to step down off your selling high-horse and join the rest of us, who prosper by selling our words.

And if you are not on your high-horse about selling, great!

It will be that much easier to train you to be enthusiastic to get your words into print without any reluctance.

And for those of you who already sell, could you stand to sell even more? Then you should probably join us, too.

Selling is easy — it’s even fun — once you get out of your own way.

This brand new challenge begins Wednesday, October 1st and runs for 20 days.

I hope you can join us!

Two of my students are launching e-books this week and they are rock stars.

But they are rock stars who serve the world; not rock stars who expect the world to fawn all over them.

Today, real rock stars don’t just write music, play music, and tour the world playing in giant stadiums.

Real rock stars can do anything. They don’t merely only sing and perform. They are also authors.

Real rock stars care. They want to give back. They want to make the world a better place.

Rock stars create works that serve the world.

And when you create works that serve the world, the outcome is already destined for success. That’s how you become a rock star author.

As long as the world needs your type of service, you are going to be a busy rock star all day, every day for as long as you want to be busy.

This is called writing what the world needs.

If you want to write anything, not just a book, but anything, you need to think about what the world wants and needs and write that.

You may think, “I know what I want to write but I am not sure that the world wants it or needs it.”

You might be right, but then again, you have to consider how to present your ideas and which audience you will target.

And remember, the world does not need old, worn-out ideas from twenty or thirty years ago.

No. Why would we? We have evolved so much in the past three decades.

We need your freshest and most helpful ideas. And we need them now.

Why in the world would you write anything else?

We have evolved. So authors need to write books for evolved minds.

Then make those books timeless and you will stay busy for a very long time.

Want to meet a couple of rock stars? I would love to introduce you to two people who do very important work in the world.

The first person is Christa Melnyk Hines and you can learn more about her at her website, ChristaMelnykHines.com.

The second person is Lara Krupicka and you can learn more about her at her website, LaraKrupicka.com.

Today, I am excited to announce that Lara Krupicka is launching her new book, Bucket List Living For Moms, Become A More Adventurous Parent. LINK

Like me, you may be a bit of a bucket list skeptic. You may think, as I did, “Yes, bucket lists are nice and fun and all that, but I certainly don’t think that having a bucket list is going to change my life or anything like that.”

Then I started working with Lara Krupicka on her first bucket list living book, Family Bucket Lists, Bring More Fun, Adventure & Camaraderie Into Every Day. LINK

Lara has a good head on her shoulders and her heart is in the right place. Her books are not about spending your day on Pinterest competing with other moms to create the best Pinterest boards. These books are about examining the contents of your own heart and articulating what you find there — first to yourself and then to others in your family.

After Lara launched her first book on family buckets lists, I sat down with my own family, and put us all through the simple Q & A process that Lara created. In less than an hour, we created three colorful lists of all the things we longed to do, to see, to be, as well as a list of folks we wanted to meet.

I immediately gained a whole new appreciation of my husband and daughter as soon as I could see the world through the lens of their hopes and dreams.

Here we were, three people in one family, and you would think that we were oh, so much alike. But in reality, this family and any family is composed of unique individuals. And our individuality came shining through in each of our lists.

The story could end there. We could have used the book and gained appreciation for each other and then moved on. But nope. We decided to post our lists on the fridge. Then this summer, an opportunity came up for Samantha and I to realize one of the goals that was on both our lists — attending a Katy Perry concert.

The concert was Friday, and we got to spend the whole summer looking forward to the event and getting excited about going together. A bunch of my daughters’ friends from school and dance were at the concert with each other, but Samantha did not seem to mind going with her old mom at all.

The concert was unforgettable. I will never forget the incredible amount of creativity that Katy Perry exploded out into that stadium. I will never forget the way she was an electronic fountain of positivity and color and grace and humility and girlpower.

Attending the Katy Perry concert with my daughter was one of the most memorable experiences of my life. And I owe it all to working with the tools provided by Lara Krupicka for bucket list living.

You might think, bucket list living is no big deal. That’s it’s just a trend, a fad, a passing media fancy.

But you know what, you might be, as I was, underestimating the way the bucket list living might change your life for the better.

You might be missing out on ways to connect with the most important people in your life through the hopes and dreams that make them unique.

I will never forget seeing my daughter’s face at her very first concert. I will never forget rocking out with her to the opening song, to the songs in the middle, and to the finalé.

And I hope, when it comes to your personal and family bucket list dreams, you will too.

Head on over to Lara Krupicka’s website this week to register for a chance to win a Kindle, both of her books and a slew of other prizes.

Or better yet, buy both of her books right now, and start using her bucket list living exercises for yourself and for your family as soon as you can.

Learn more about Lara and all of her awesome offerings and resources at LaraKrupicka.com.

And definitely check out the Katy Perry concert if you get the chance!