One year. It's wild to say that out loud. When I started Connected Through Play, I had a simple belief: that play real, genuine, joyful play is how we actually connect. Not through perfect moments or polished highlight reels, but through showing up, trying things, laughing at the mess, and doing it all together. This past year, you've proven that belief right a thousand times over. You've shared your wins and your learning curves. You've cheered each other on. You've built something that actually *feels* like community not because we forced it, but because you chose to be here and to be real. We've learned that connection isn't complicated. It's a game night. It's a question asked without hesitation. It's someone saying "me too" when it matters. You've given that to each other, and we're grateful for it. To everyone who's been part of this, whether you've been here since day one or you just found us, thank you. This space exists because of you. Here's to another year of play, growth, and showing up together. Stick around. Bring a friend. Let's see what we build next.

It’s the first Saturday of the month and that means it’s time to share what YOU do. If you have a Skool community, share the link and tell us about the community. If you’re an author, tell us about your book(s) and share a link. If you’re in Direct Sales, have an online course, or hobby you’d like to share with the community, here’s your opportunity. 3 Simple Rules: 1. All shares must go in the comments of this post! Why? First it makes it easy to find someone and second it keeps our community uncluttered. 2. Reply to anyone who has something you find interesting, you may not be their ideal person but the goal is curiosity. 3. Have fun, don’t be spammy and if you have multiple options, create a separate comment. Now, let’s have some fun. Tagging some folks I know who have some cool stuff but don’t post often. @Betty Jo Winters, @Dale Cox, @Henry Hunter, @Karen Gibson, @Elizabeth Raum, @Cam Parkes, @Nat Carey, @John Futch, @Paula Artis, @Ramona Zihlke, @Beth Hanning, @Lani Carey, @Sakthivel M, @Cristal Vancarson, @Patrick Taylor, @Mayelice Castro

I’ve shared some of my coloring book pages and now, I’d love your feedback on a coloring book cover. I’ve mocked up two ideas and as a parent, grandparent, aunt/uncle, teacher, etc. I’m curious if one or the other calls to you. If you have time, and feel comfortable leaving why or why not, even better. I prefer I added one more option. Oops.

Here’s another great idea I’ve borrowed. Using only three gifs, tell us about your weekend using zero words. The Good — the best thing that happened this week. The Bad — the thing that didn't go to plan. The Ugly — the moment you'd rather forget ever happened. Drop all three in the comments. Try and guess what someone else did. Use this with the kids in your life, instead of gifs, have them act it out. Start with just one theme and as appropriate, add others.

Introduce change to your kids? One thing I don’t think we talk about enough as a society is how to introduce change. Some kids seem to adapt well while others struggle. Depending on age, change will also mean different things to the child. I’m in one of those deep thought modes as I ponder an unplanned trip to Grand Rapids, MI next week on behalf of a client. Do you flex with change or dig in? Do you see your kids adopt your behavior or are they opposite? What types of games or activities could help in teaching how to navigate change?