Dying To Ask

Want to feel less stressed? Try cleaning out your junk drawer. Decluttering may be the simplest path to destressing. Research has shown eliminating unneeded or unused things and organizing is good for focus, self esteem and mood. You can actually lower your cortisol stress hormone by purging areas in your home, especially the places where you spend the most time. Professional organizer Kim Salisbury is the owner of Home Method Co. She studied psychology in college. And, she says she uses the psychology background every day in her work helping families clear the clutter. "When you are living in spaces that are calm and organized, it brings your blood pressure down, it brings your anxiety down. It brings your stress level down," says Kim. Kim says the goal is to make your home feel like a sanctuary and it doesn't have to take a lot of time or money to make it happen. Do you geek out on all things organization? Check out Kim's blog here. On this Dying to Ask: How Kim became a professional organizer. The mental health benefits of decluttering your space. How negative space impacts your mood. The room you need vertical space in. And the top five spaces you should declutter first. Other places to listen CLICK HERE to listen on iTunes CLICK HERE to listen on Stitcher

Need cash? Maybe you need a side hustle. Inflation has a lot of people looking for ways to bring in more money. Getting a raise in the job you have now is likely not an option. But adding a part time job might be. Small business startups aka "side hustles" tend to boom during very specific times. Tightening job markets, recessions, and inflation inspire fiscal creativity. But it's not always about the money. Sometimes people road-test a new career by starting a side hustle. Sometimes people just want something fun to do in their free time! But how do you maximize money while limiting the additional work hours? You need a plan and today's guest has some great advice. Frank Vella is the CEO of the marketing platform Constant Contact. Frank says new entrepreneurs often run into the same problem. "My advice to the small business owner is do what you do well and leverage tools to to get done what you don't have time or don't do well," says Vella. In other words, be realistic. On this Dying to Ask: How to find a side hustle. How to launch your new gig. Some Business 101 advice, the do's and don'ts of a small business. Why the greatest gift of your side And Frank and Fitz even talk parenting.

From big law to big adventure to big-time author. Jaclyn Goldis' new book is called "The Chateau" and the thriller is topping summer beach reads lists. But Jacyln's personal story has some interesting chapters too. And it starts with quitting a prestigious and lucrative job. She quit her job in Chicago as an estate planning lawyer right to travel the world. And, she quit that job after seven and a half years, right around the time most attorneys make partner. The decision was met with a 50/50 reaction from friends and colleagues. She brought two small backpacks and the hope that she could realize her dream of life as a fiction writer. It worked. The trip unlocked creativity and fueled her soul in a way her more linear career path was not. Seven years later, she's settled in Tel Aviv, Israel, lives two blocks from the beach and is living a lifelong dream because she took a chance. "I had so many fears of how it was going to work and where it was going to end up, and how the writing thing was going to go. And you know, there were a lot of stress in terms of that. But ultimately, I'm so happy I took that risk and I'm really happy where I ended up," Goldis said. On this Dying to Ask: How Jaclyn knew to trust her gut and quit her lawyer job. What her colleagues said when she left law right around the time she was about to make partner A reality check on what quitting a job and traveling the world as a single adult is really like. What did she pack in the two small backpacks on her trip around the world? Where Jaclyn ultimately ended up settling and what her new life as a buzzed-about author is like. The quote that guides her life.

How's that New Year's resolution going for you? Yeah, me too. Maybe we need a summer reset. It's like a resolution do-over so your future self doesn't have to be irritated by your past self and your current self can lose some anxiety. It's very meta. 80% of New Year's goals or resolutions are a memory by mid-February. Only one in 10 people will follow through for a solid year on a resolution. On this Dying to Ask: Why you might be able to blame the weather for tanking your New Year's goals 3 reasons why a summer reset makes a lot of sense How to re-frame how you look at the calendar in goal setting Need a new podcast to binge? Here's a link to Scamanda, which I mention on the show.

The "Dying to Ask" podcast is marking its 200th episode in a most luxurious way. We're talking about how simple luxuries can have a big impact on your mood and mindset. Think cheap and easy. This is not a heavy lift. My colleague and dear friend Edie Lambert joins me as co-host. Both Edie and I are huge fans of the Happier with Gretchen Rubin podcast. Rubin is the best-selling author of The Happiness Project. A few months ago, she published an episode highlighting the value small luxuries have in daily life. Edie and I loved it and did a deep dive into the little things we do to make a tough day feel a little less horrid. And we each asked our Facebook communities to weigh in too. The result is this episode. And this is the "Dying to Ask" podcast's 200th episode! This show starts with a quick discussion of how podcasting has changed since our debut and answers a few questions listeners have asked about the success of "Dying to Ask." Thinking about starting a podcast? You're not alone, and the info may give you insight into the podcasting industry before you get started. Back to luxuries..... On this 'Dying to Ask': The big impact of small luxuries. We share KCRA viewers' suggestions on little things that make their lives feel fancy. And Edie and I share 10 of our small luxuries.

Go read a book! It's like a summer anthem for parents but the dividends are worth the nagging. Research continues to prove that summer reading helps kids avoid the brain drain that often occurs during summer break. Summer reading improves reading skills. Reading fluency is key to academic success in all subjects. Kids + summer reading = a winning combo. That said, it's sometimes a tough sell with kids. That's why it's critical to find something that grabs a kid's interest and reflects their individuality. Tina Ferguson is the owner of Face in a Book bookstore and my co-host on our annual "Summer Beach Reads" show. In part 2, Tina suggests titles for kids that are rich in inclusivity and imagination. Have a reluctant reader in your home? Tins suggest parents be open to graphic novels, whose popularity has exploded. "There are things you can do with illustrations along with the vocabulary in the book that really works together to get a beginning reader to really keep going and to really enjoy what they're reading," says Tina. On this Dying to Ask: How the publishing world is meeting the need for more inclusive books Tips to get a reluctant reader hooked on books The number one thing parents can do to encourage reading Tina's top 10 pics for summer books for kids Tina's picks for kids: The Swifts: A Dictionary of Scoundrels/Beth Lincoln The Sour Grape/Jory John and Pete Oswald The Agathas/Kathleen Glasgow When You Trap a Tiger/Tae Keller Dog Man #11: 20,000 Fleas Under the Sea/Dave Pilkey Big Tree/Brian Selznick Where You See Yourself/Claire Forrest The Windeby Puzzle/Lois Lowry Judy Moody & Friends: Jessica Finch is in Trouble /Megan McDonald Once Upon a Book/Grace Lin illustrated by Kate Messner