This day a year ago, I was with my mom and sister on Long Beach Island just trying to ride out what would have been my dad’s 63rd birthday. It had been less than a month since his passing, and we were all dealing with our grief in different ways. For me, that meant numbing out by throwing myself into work. I remember feeling really anxious because my book contract was still in negotiation, and I was just itching to be able to start writing so I could just focus on those 60,000 words I had to get out.

It’s astounding the difference a year makes. My book is coming out on January 14th and is already available for preorder on Amazon. Insane. I appreciate that the grieving process is called a “process,” but also, they weren’t fucking kidding. Sometimes the happy stuff guts me just as much as the sad stuff because I can’t just pick up my phone to call my dad and say, “Guess what.” Over the past year, though, I’ve gotten much more to a place where I can acknowledge that empty feeling but then reframe it into thinking about how excited my dad would be. I feel really lucky that I got my book offer just a few days before he died, so we were able to celebrate together in the hospital. I still remember the happy look on his face, and that’s a nice memory I get to old on to that’s kept me going and probably will continue to be one of those little touchstones I come back to when I need it.

Anyway, September’s back-to-school / back-to-work vibes can be at once exhilarating and overwhelming, motivating but also intimidating. To help simplify your life, all month I’ve been sharing my go-to tips and tricks for navigating schedule changes and streamlining your healthy eating routine on the blog and on my podcast. I’ve also got some new meditations on self-care during busy or stressful times up on Simple Habit.

As I mentioned, I’ve been having construction done on my kitchen so I’ve been taking a LOT of my own advice this month! It’s been all about baby steps and taking things one day at a time.

It’s also been a busy month for work. I’ve got some exciting new projects in the works, and I traveled to Arizona for a conference a few weeks ago to hear about some of the latest nutrition news. I’m also so excited to share a special free gift when you pre-order my book! Send a screenshot of your receipt or similar proof of purchase to [email protected] and get a free downloadable meditation that’s all about the power of small changes! Grab your copy here.

As I do every month, today I’m sharing a round-up of recent publications and media appearances.