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Welcome to the Winter edition of the Bloom Where You Are Planted Wellness Newsletter!

I hope this season finds you staying warm and enjoying the comforts of winter. Some of my favorites include:

• An afternoon reading break in my favorite chair

• A walk on a cold day to grab some sunshine

• Carving out time for a mini-spa treatment

There are still some cold days ahead, my friends. Make sure you take some time to enjoy your favorite winter activities (even if they involve not leaving the comforts of your own home!)

Be well,
Christine

Wellness Wisdom:
The 2025 “In and Out List”

“If you’re brave enough to say goodbye, life will reward you with a new hello.”
—Paulo Coelho

When you get to a certain point in life, you realize there are things you’d like to do and see more of, and things you can leave by the side of the road (preferably without the guilt and second-guessing). When I saw a motivational coach post her “In and Out List” for 2025, I was inspired to do the same. Here’s my list. I hope it will inspire you to create your own!

My Latest Obsession:
Bethlehem Bars from The Granola Factory

I’m always looking for a tasty snack that’s easy to tote around, whether I’ve got a morning full of errands or I’m on a plane. Enter Bethlehem Bars, made by The Granola Factory here in the Lehigh Valley area of Pennsylvania. According to TGF’s website, they start with their secret recipe “for the perfect oatmeal shortbread cookie crust,” top it with salted caramel, and then add either roasted pecans and chocolate, or white chocolate, raspberry and almonds. While the bars are not certified gluten-free, they do not have any gluten-containing ingredients (good enough for me!). They’re also individually wrapped for tossing in your bag, not to mention delicious.
Be sure to check out their granola, too! Order here:  The Granola Factory

New for Me, Shared with You:
The Wind Phone

If you’ve watched the Netflix series, “No Good Deed,” then you’ve seen Lisa Kudrow’s character, Lydia Morgan, leave voicemails for her teenage son, who—SPOILER ALERT—died a few years earlier. In a book I read recently, one of the characters continues to call her deceased best friend’s cell phone just so she can hear her voice on the outgoing message. Calling a loved one’s phone after their death offers a way to continue to connect with that person, as well as provide comfort during the grieving process.

Recently, I learned of another way for people to connect with their loved ones, and that’s through what’s called a “wind phone,” which is a disconnected phone booth that provides a symbolic way for people to grieve by “calling” their loved ones. Apparently, more than 150 wind phones exist in the United States. Read here about how a Pennsylvania Girl Scout Ambassador built a wind phone with her dad as part of her Gold Award project:  Local Girl Scout Builds Wind Phone

On the Nightstand

A Quiet Life
By Ethan Joella

I was grieving the loss of a new friend and looking for a comforting read when I plucked Ethan’s latest novel out of my TBR pile. I couldn’t have chosen better. Ethan’s second novel (published in 2022) follows three people struggling with loss whose lives interconnect in ways that they did not expect: Chuck, who is middle-aged and newly widowed; Ella, who’s awaiting word about her missing daughter; and Kirsten, who is grieving the death of her father. What I love about Ethan is that he is a skillful storyteller who creates characters who are not afraid to show readers who they are, flaws and all; honestly, they could be your neighbors. A Quiet Life is more than a story about grief; it’s about connection and the yearning we all have for compassion, forgiveness, and hope.

I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Ethan on more than one occasion. Here’s a pic from our meetup at last summer’s Barnes and Noble Bethlehem book signing:

Modern Friendship: How to Nurture Our Most Valued Connections
By Anna Goldfarb

Remember when you were a kid and making friends was as easy as showing up on the playground? As we get older, though, and go through life’s various stages, (college, work, moving away, marriage and children, etc.) life gets more complex, and so do our relationships. If you’re struggling with the current state of your friendships, you’re not alone.

Goldfarb, who I’ve come to call the “friendship guru,” turns friendship on its head with her realistic approach and practical advice in chapters like “Six Hard Truths About Friendship” and “Why We Crave Friendships Even Though People Are Baffling” and “How to Say No Without Crumpling into a Ball of Self-Hatred.” Newsflash: “You don’t always need an unimpeachable reason to refuse plans with a friend,” Goldfarb says.

Reading this book was like taking a college course in friendship, only way more fun and without the term paper. It includes a “14-Day Wholehearted Friendship Cleanse” but don’t let that intimidate you: Goldfarb is not asking you to give up your most meaningful connections but rather showing you how to navigate friendships in a world that doesn’t make sustaining in-person relationships easy (see, it’s not all your fault!). If you’re going to read only one book on friendship in your life, trust me, this is the one.

Banayan Moon
By Thao Thai

I gave my mom a subscription to Book of the Month for her birthday last year, and it truly has been the gift that keeps on giving. It’s given us the opportunity to have our own mini-book club, and has introduced us to books we might not have learned about elsewhere, such as this one by Thao Thai. In Thai’s debut novel, you’ll meet Minh, her daughter, Huong, and her granddaughter, Ann, tied together by family, of course, but by long-buried secrets as well. While Huong is mourning the loss of her mother, she’s also simultaneously resenting her for having the relationship with Ann that she never did. With passages like “The shame of motherhood is that your instincts never leave, even as everyone decides they aren’t needed anymore,” and “One does not keep a photograph for fifty years without a reason,” Thai’s storytelling will not only keep you turning the pages but it will get you thinking about how sometimes the decisions we make in our youth affect the rest of our life. A perfect book club read.

Let’s Call Her Barbie
By Reneé Rosen

I truly believe my lifelong obsession with townhouses was born out of receiving a  Barbie Dreamhouse for Christmas back in the early ‘70s, so obtaining an Advanced Reader Copy of Let’s Call Her Barbie was quite a treat. Having enjoyed Rosen’s Fifth Avenue Glamour Girl, I was all-in for her next book. Whatever your feelings might be about this iconic doll, there’s no denying the captivating story behind her debut. In 1956, the only dolls on the market for little girls were ones that let them pretend to be mothers. And while there’s nothing wrong with that, Ruth Handler—Barbie’s creator—had a vision for a doll that would give girls a chance to dream that they could be anything. In Let’s Call Her Barbie, Rosen introduces readers to the dream team behind the most beloved doll in history, led by Handler, who was as much of a trailblazer as the doll she created.

Balancing caregiving responsibilities while trying to care for yourself is not always easy, but it is essential for a healthy well-being.

In “Mindfulness and Meditation for Caregivers,” we talk about the importance of mindfulness, the myths surrounding meditation, and how to realistically weave short meditations into our day. You’ll leave this program with three simple meditation techniques that you can call upon during stressful times, or anytime. A fun, mindful eating exercise is also included!

While this program is ideal for groups, it can also be presented one-on-one. This program can be presented in-person or virtually. For more information, or to bring this program to your organization or group setting, email Christine.Krahling@gmail.com.

“Thank you for changing me.”

This is just one of the comments I received from a participant after she attended this workshop.

During our time together in this introspective program, participants will:

• Discover the benefits of journaling

• Learn what emotional resilience is, and how to cultivate a resilient spirit

• Use simple journaling prompts to write about and move through a particular life experience

(Sharing among participants is encouraged but not required.)

Other journaling topics/workshops can be tailored toward your group or organization. Workshops can be presented in-person or virtually. One-on-one sessions are also available.

For more information, or to bring this program to your organization or group setting, email Christine.Krahling@gmail.com.

 Other Ways to Work with Me

I’m a developmental editor who also happens to be a kick-ass proofreader and copyeditor. Have you written a book and need someone to polish up your manuscript and provide feedback? Click here.

Interested in hosting an author for a moderated discussion for your organization’s next meeting or event? Click here.  How about someone to present a session on mindfulness? Click here.