Lisa Endlich's Blog, page 29

My Friend and I Made a Pact: Just Tell Our Grown Kids We’re Sorry

It was heartbreaking to witness. My friend sat on my living room sofa, sobbing. I had never seen her cry before. She choked out, through tears, “Why can’t she just f***ing say she’s sorry?”

This sweet, gentle woman whom I’d rarely heard utter a mild swear word, much less the harshest of them all, was desperate for some kind of explanation. She was frustrated to the point of fury, and so sad. Why couldn’t her mother, after all these years, just say she was sorry? Our parents can break us to p...

Decluttering: What to Let Go and What Truly Matters?

A good day these days is one during which I have tossed at least one garbage bag of “stuff” away (read: donated, recycled or re-homed). Our new, smaller home will not have the capacity to contain all of the things that, without great thought, we stowed away over the years.

It feels good, freeing, liberating to get rid of the “stuff.” 

The first pass through the “stuff” is easy. In our home the “one thing in, one thing out” rule quickly morphed into “one thing in, one thing stowed in a sto...

How to Decorate a Guy’s Dorm Room: 20 Simple and Easy Ideas (2024)

Many of these guy dorm room ideas can be modified differently (with colors and throw pillows) to create options that suit any space or taste. As you think about living in a dorm room in the fall, begin to make a packing list with some of the things we’ve listed below.

Note: We are a reader-supported site and receive compensation from purchases made through some of the links in this post. 

Guy’s dorm room decor



Wall Decor





Flags (Amazon and Fanatics)







...

College Move-In Day: 11 Things That Will Save Your Life!

College move-in day is approaching, and the best way to prepare is to be ready. Every school has its own rules and traditions surrounding move-in day, and you will soon learn what those are. But some things are universal.

So, whether your whole family is going or just your teen is moving into a dorm or apartment, there are 11 things that thousands of experienced Grown and Flown parents told us were THE essential items they felt they needed for this intense and highly emotional day. 

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The 19 Best Wayfair Way Day Deals on Dorm Furniture and Outdoor Entertaining

Credit: Wayfair

If you’re in need of updating pretty much any room in your home, you’re in luck. Wayfair is having its massive annual Way Day Sale featuring up to 80% off rugs, outdoor furniture, home decor, and so much more! We’ve also spotted great deals on cookware (like this KitchenAid stand mixer) and storage and small-space furniture that would be great for dorm rooms or first apartments! 

Plus, the Way Day sale also includes all of Wayfair’s brands, including AllModern, Joss & Main,...

Five Financial Values I Want My Teens to Learn Before They Leave Home

Before sending my kids out of the nest, I want them to understand some basic financial principles that will put them in good stead for life. 

My own financial journey included years of missteps and feelings of fear and overwhelm about money. No one had ever taught me how to think about or manage my personal finances, and I want my kids to have an easier road.

Here are the financial lessons I want my teens to know before they leave home. (Shutterstock goodluz)Money is the last taboo

I...

How to Be a Great Wedding Guest: 6 Essential Tips For Young Adults

It’s wedding season again and that means your young adult child may have gotten or will soon be getting an invitation to a friend’s or colleague’s wedding celebration. Maybe they’ve been to a number of weddings before, but those have been family events, where they’ve been under your watchful eye or surrounded by extended family members.

As the parent, you probably responded for the family and bought the gift, and maybe even picked out what they were going to wear. Now that they are about to,...

The Biggest Difference Between College In the 90s and Today

I found my people in college, but I’m pretty sure everything has changed. Yale, New Paltz, University of Colorado, Syracuse, U Mass: The universities my family and I visited were vastly different, but alike in one way. 

The campuses were quiet. Students were plugged in to their phones.

One of our first college visits was to Yale last fall. During our tour of the school, one student carrying an instrument case stopped another and asked if she was going to rehearsal that night. That question...

Military Academy: Tips from a Mom Who Went Through Admissions With Her Son

Last night I sat with my son as he signed his commitment paperwork for the United States Coast Guard Academy. What a ride it has been as a parent helping him navigate this process.

If your teen is considering service to country, I am offering tips and timelines to help you on this journey. This is the document I wish I had a few years ago. There are so many ways to serve our country! All these options are GREAT options make sure you and your child do your research.

My son chose the Coast ...

I’ve Changed Mother’s Day Completely: It’s About Being Grateful that My Kids Made Me a Mom

As a parenting coach with three children, I’ve come to realize it’s up to me to honor myself. Years ago, I started telling my family what I wanted for Mother’s Day to avoid (the multiple years of) disappointment, resentment, and self-pity.

It crushed me and made me envious when friends told me that their children served them breakfast in bed, gave them flowers, wrote poems, or gave them a spa treatment courtesy of their husbands. I wondered how I had failed to teach my husband and children h...