Good morning. Gosh, my husband and I had a sobering conversation over coffee this morning. Our daughter is living under our roof for two more weeks and then she is off. We are so excited for her and all that’s to come but it’s impossible not to marvel at how we got here so quickly. Today I wanted to share a little bit of what goes into my weekly newsletter and also ask for your thoughts.
A few of you have reached out asking about my newsletter and very much thought it was the same as the blog. While there are similarities, my newsletter is something I pour into each Thursday. It’s a separate email that gets sent to your inbox and opens with a short essay from the heart. I also include words of wisdom, a recipe we have been enjoying, something that I find beautiful and either a podcast episode or something I’ve stumbled upon that I think is really poignant. I have always loved writing and this is a platform to do more of that.
I wanted to share a couple of excerpts from past newsletters so you can get an idea. Your are always welcome to join us. I love getting emails from you in response to what I have shared. For some reason, it just feels more intimate in this format and a nice break from social media.
For those of you that have been receiving my newsletter, I would love a little bit of feedback. I have head from some of you via email which has been wonderful. I love Flodesk (what I use for my newsletter) for so many reasons. It’s clean, easy to read and goes straight to your email. The big drawback is that it does not archive any past newsletters and I have had requests for that. Essentially, you can only see the current newsletter.
The other option would be switching to Substack where things are archived and the newsletter would still go to your inbox. Because this newsletter is for you, I would love to know if you have a preference. And if you would like to join the list, please do so below.
I really enjoy the newsletter! I can tell it comes from the heart and that is what makes it so special. Enjoy your time with your girl! Our girl went away last year as a freshman but she is back at our local campus now. I’m just so proud of all the kids including the ones I’ve watched grow up on blogs. 🙂
I also like your newsletter. It is so authentic. Life is full of so many challenges. It’s good to share them with others. Life does change when your children “leave the nest” but more good times will come. My three daughters are all in their 40’s now and I have 5 grandchildren with a baby via surrogate to come hopefully next year. This has been a long and arduous process, not to mention extremely expensive. My daughter just turned 40 and has two teenagers. She has a new husband of two years and they want a new baby together. I so hope she is ready to be an older mother. I know lots of people do it, but I worry for her. Has anyone else been through this in their family? Perhaps, Courtney, you have some thoughts to share…..
I have a few girlfriends who had babies 38-40 years old and they are thriving mamas! A lot of women are waiting longer to have kids so so won’t be the odd woman out. My daughter is 3 and I’d say most moms at her school are mid-late 30/early 40s!
I love your newsletter and always look forward to it. I’ve been reading your blog for many years and your kind and genuine personality is what makes your blog and newsletter my favorite. Your Instagram stories with your mom in particular always touched my heart. I don’t have a preference for how you decide to share your newsletter, please just keep doing it. Thank you for being a positive light for all these years and sharing your story.
I remember when my oldest son left for college, I went through all those emotions you described. I was excited for him, but I couldn’t stop replaying the previous 18 years and what I could have done better. I even apologized for my shortcomings, but I didn’t remind him of the rough times I was thinking of. I was a mess. But I got through it, and he had the time of his life in college. You will, too! 😉
I love your newsletter and especially love the format. It’s so aesthetically pleasing! If you don’t have a ton of requests for archived editions, I would be inclined to leave it as is. It’s beautiful, both the style AND the content!
I love your newsletter! I found myself trying to go back to find a past issue as I love the recipes you share. Would be great to have them archived. Thank you!
I definitely find myself referencing things you’ve mentioned in previous posts. Offering the archived format would be a definite plus! I don’t comment often but I love and appreciate your hard work!!
I love the goodness and honesty of this blog and newsletter. Have you looked at https://www.beehiiv.com/comparisons/substack?via=iv
Archiving is a wonderful feature. I’ve created a folder in my email where your newsletter goes and it’s been helpful when I want to refer to recipes. 😊
I love the newsletter but also loving Substack recently too… and love that I can go back into the archives in Substack x