What I’m Thankful for & My Favorite Things!

by | November 24, 2021 | 1 comment

What I’m Thankful for & My Favorite Things!

by | November 24, 2021 | 1 comment

There’s a lot I’m thankful for this year, but here’s what’s been particularly awesome lately.

***Please know each & every one of you who reads my blog, listens to our podcast, or takes part in my programs … is at the top of my gratitude list! I love you all so much & am so grateful to have you as part of the Fresh Start Family Community.


I’ve taken some time to also list out my favorite things that are adding joy to my life and / or the lives of my students, incase some of you will be doing some holiday shopping this upcoming weekend.


MY HEALTH:

I was recently diagnosed with Hashimoto’s Disease so I’ve been navigating this new reality with a strong intention to heal naturally. Even though I have this challenge before me, I’m so grateful for the breath in my lungs each day & my overall general health.

I just finished The Book Burnout (which reminded me just how important it is to “complete the stress cycle”) and I’ve also started to juice & drink celery juice each morning.

If you’re on a healing journey too, I pray you do everything you can to honor your body this holiday season, it’s so wise & if it’s screaming at you to slow down … listen.

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I’ve always lived life mostly gluten & dairy free, but with this recent diagnosis, I’ve upped my game big time to try and hit 100%. I’ve been making my own cashew milk & cream (which is ridiculously easy) with my vitamix (that I’ve had for a decade!) so I can still enjoy creamy/frothy Mudwtr lattes & white sauce on my tacos!

Oh & speaking of tacos, these jicama wraps from traders joe’s are the absolute BEST if you’re trying to eliminate corn & grains from your diet too!

Honoring my body through exercise & adequate time in nature has never been more important to me, so I’ve been doing Peloton rides daily & getting out for hikes in the hills with the puppies as often as possible.

I love to pop in my apple noise cancelling airpods (that I’m obsessed with) to enjoy an audible book (Brain Wash is my current read & I’m going to try Will Smith’s new book next – click HERE for a free month trial to audible) or listen to one of my favorite podcasts (Brene Brown’s show is my fave lately).

When I’m not in the mood for a huge sweat & just need to move my body & breathe … I do a 15-30 min. matt pilates workout with my pal Robin Long’s The Balanced Life Program, which I’ve been a member of for 8 years now & can’t recommend enough!

My faith is always something I’m grateful for too. The ability to worship Jesus Christ freely without fear of persecution is such a gift. My favorite “life application Bible” makes reading scripture daily easy because almost every single verse has an easy to understand “layman’s terms” breakdown of what it means in real “modern day” life.

MY FAMILY:

As I talk about in this podcast episode, man am I just so darn thankful for my children, even the challenges they place before me.

My kids are at the sweetest stage of life right now, Terrin is 11 & Stella is 14 … and we’ve been enjoying quality time each night when we binge watch The Office together with serious belly laughs!

Terrin and I have been playing ping pong lots & throwing the football together now that his wrist is healed (amen!) while Stella and I enjoy mini-dates to her favorite juicery “Pressed” & getting any kind of takeout! (I swear anything besides ‘dinner made by mom’ is a legit love language for teens 😂).

Squeezing in small pockets of focused time & giving GEMS (a strategy I teach inside The Foundations Course) to my kids whenever I can really helps keep us connected even though our life is crazy busy!

We also welcomed a new new puppy Yuki into our home so she is bringing us SO much joy.

Terry continues to love his career at Blender’s Eyewear (use code TERRY50 for 1/2 off!) & we feel so grateful to have secure employment in this weird year of unknowns.

We recently celebrated 20 years of marriage with a vow renewal in Kauaii, HI & it was magical.

MY HOME:

We are home for the holidays this year and I couldn’t be more happy.

I’ve been enjoying using my Breville Juicer each morning & also snuggling with this weighted blanket when we watch TV or a movie as a family & burn this candle non-stop (it’s the snyder home’s signature scent!).

Terrin enjoys building KiwiKits any chance he can get (we have a monthly membership – such a great gift for kids) & also is in love with his Toniebox (an audible toy for kids that tells stories & reads books – another GREAT gift for kids).

Stella has been having lots of sleepovers which makes me so happy to have a house full of teenagers. Drifting off to sleep to the sound of giggles downstairs in the playroom makes me so happy, no matter how loud they are!

Terry is obsessed in the best way with our new Peloton bike & squeezes in a workout almost daily, we seriously love this new bike!

MY STUDENTS / COMMUNITY:

Gratitude overflows from my heart for my students & Bonfire community families.

Having the honor of serving & supporting parents all over the world with positive parenting education & family life coaching support is something I truly do not take lightly. What an honor!

Some things that have been adding joy to my students’ homes & lives include:

The Foundations Course – Our signature 4 module online positive parenting class that empowers parents to expand your heart, learn new tools & strengthen their family, all from the comfort of home! On sale for 1/2 off on Friday November 26th only. Use code FRESHFRIDAY50 (one day only)

Breathe Ball – The BEST way to SHOW your kids how to self-calm through breath (not just tell them!)

Jesus the Gentle Parenting Book – for families of christian faith, this book is a total game changer

The Bonfire Support Community – An incredibly supportive community & support program that includes weekly coaching plus a “netflix” of positive parenting lessons to get answers quick “on demand” about every parenting subject under the sun! Click HERE to join the waitlist.

Redirecting Children’s Behavior Downloadable Workbook – this printable resource is chock full of worksheets, charts to help understand misbehavior & tips to meet the middle ground between TOO firm & TOO kind.

Emotional Literacy Playset – using play to discipline & teach emotional literacy to your kids is incredibly effective. This fun toy set makes it easy!

The Firm & Kind Parenting Blueprint – our most affordable, easy to finish, yet powerful program that teaches parents our four step process to setting firm limits & sticking to them with consistency!

The Mask You Live In Documentary – I’ve reccomended this movie to 4 dads in the last 3 weeks alone. Must watch documentary if you’re raising sons or if your husband wants to become more open to encourging healthy emotional development in your home.

Text & Voice Only Phones – My students are loving Gabb Devices & Troomi Wireless Phones. I am so passionate about helping families stay “iphone free” for as long as humanly possible! Gab watches are my favorite for younger kids & the Troomi phones are awesome if you have older kids like mine!

You Are Special Book – I recently read this book to my Freedom to Be Personal Development Course students & tears were flowing. It’s a beautiful story to teach your kids (and yourself) that God is who decides our worth, not other people & that when you love yourself, what other’s think matters less.

Dinner Table Art Activities – if you’re having family meals with extended family this holiday season, do yourself a favor & bring a few of these to the table for your littles. Save them for the special day so they’re new & I promise you’ll get atleast 20-30 min. to actually enjoy a hot meal!

FSF Lesson Bundles – Parents are loving these educational lesson packs that make learning fast & easy. Each bundle comes with 2-4 easy to finish lessons as well as worksheets, recipes for success & family activities.

Little Soul & the Sun Book – I spoke about this beautiful story in this podcast episode. It’s an incredible way to teach kids about compassion, forgiveness & grace.


That’s just some of what I’m thankful for this holiday season & what has been adding joy to my life (and the lives of the families I serve).

Your turn, tell me below in the comments what you’re thankful for or things that have made life easier for you lately. I’d love to hear form you!

Learn more about how Positive Parenting Curriculum can transform your life through the Fresh Start Family Expereince.

1 Comment

  1. Janae Klavano

    I’m thankful for you Wendy, for being my positive parenting and life skills coach. Thank you for continuously showing up as a leader. Thank you for shining brightness and giving countless tools and ideas for learning new ways to parent and live life to its fullest. You encourage and remind me to trust myself and it’s appreciated beyond words.

    Reply

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