Get Up and Try Again.
Hiya, Starshines!
We’re small town girls from Minot, North Dakota, and Virginia, Minnesota. We’re moms, teachers, friends, sisters, and neighbors who now live in the ‘burbs of Minneapolis/St. Paul.
We work hard, we laugh hard, and yes—we cry hard, too. We’re not afraid to stand up and speak our minds, especially when it comes to fighting for and protecting others.
We’re about as far from perfect as can be—and that’s okay. We know that life is for living and growing, and we are on a mission of LOVE to listen to and amplify the stories of Women in the Middle—just like us. Thank you for joining us!
BFF,
Lisa and Carleen
Yep, We Wrote a Book. What’s It About?
#EXTRAOrdinary: Ride the Waves and Share Your Story is a love letter to our fellow Women in the Middle of Life—our sisters who find themselves wondering what’s up with the brain fog, the ten extra pounds, and the ornery grey hairs that seemed to show up overnight.
This book is one part stories, one part personal journal, and one part girlfriend advice. It is organized around a fun metaphor Carleen’s brother taught her when she was young: Life is like waterskiing, and there are Four Rules:
1. Don’t panic.
2. If you fall, fall gracefully.
3. When you fall, let go of the rope.
4. Get up and try again.
While it has a cheeky-fun personality, #EXTRAOrdinary: Ride the Waves and Share Your Story also addresses serious topics such as loss, anxiety, and relationships. It is honest and authentic at its core with a mission of reminding Women in the Middle (and all humans!) that they are loved and they matter—just the way they are.
P.S. If you want to hear about how this book came to be, you can read about its genesis on the “About” page. 🙂
Praise for #EXTRAOrdinary
These ladies write their stories with such depth of feeling and heart. I found myself feeling all the feels… the deep seated ones that grab you by your DNA, give you a good shake, then whisper in your ear “remember…” Reading this book reminded me of so many good things from growing up, and I found myself processing through some things I hadn’t thought about in a long time. I can’t recommend this book highly enough! —Kara G.
Hitting the big 5-0 is a major milestone for women. It can be scary for some and welcoming for others. The authors have done a fabulous job of seeing how our stories at this stage of life are important for us to tell. They draw on reflection as a method of growth and understanding of our ourselves and our place in the world. —Angela M.
This book is touching, funny, and so relatable. There’s inspiration, encouragement, and most importantly for me, validation. It’s an easy read but covers a lot of ground, from childhood insecurities to adulting through the inevitable curve balls life throws our way, I’m sure you’ll see something of yourself in their stories. By the end of the book, the authors have reminded us that have we have value at every age and stage of life, and that it’s important to be kind to each other and build each other up……now more than ever. —Amy G.
I am so impressed with the heartfelt personal stories of the authors. It gives all of us food for thought in our own lives. We all have ups and downs in our lives, but what the authors state is that what is important is to let go of the rope and then get up and try again. This book is well written and has a special message for all people. —Amazon Customer
The time has come for you to step out of the darkness and into the light. Fear has gotten us nowhere good. it has stolen some of our best moments and experiences. It has broken our relationships and made us do ugly-ish things. Let’s believe in our hearts that we can do better.
#EXTRAOrdinary: Ride the Waves and Share Your Story (p. 183)
#EXTRAOrdinary Fuzzy Faces
As a bonus, we’d like to introduce you to these dear souls—they bring us endless joy and oversee our operations. 🙂
LUCY
Lucy is our emotional support puppers who protects her humans and keeps watch at the window.
BUDDY
Buddy is a very good boy who needs a Thunder Shirt for fireworks and storms. Sweetie!
ROMEO
Romeo is quite the character who supervises all bling operations at Lisa’s house. He has RBF. 🙂
CALLIE
Callie is proud and pretty. She adopted the rest of them after living on her own for ten years!
You can come visit us on social media. We do most of our stuff on the Facebook.
We’ll get back to Insta when they let us back in (we’re not sure what’s going on there).
Someday, we may have a YouTube Channel, so we left the button there for now. 🙂
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