KARI KAMPAKIS
Life Actually: Don’t discount the quiet guys
I’ve noticed when teenage girls discuss teenage boys, they tend to group them into three categories: Read more
Life Actually: Give friends room to have a bad day
My friend texted me at 5 a.m. — then followed up with an email. Read more
Life Actually: An encouraging word for new moms
Congratulations, momma. You did it. You’ve ushered a miracle into this world. That newborn baby in your arms is a game changer, a tiny slice of heaven and the purest thing you’ll ever know on this side of eternity. Read more
Life Actually: The AA way, lessons we all need
I’m not a member of Alcoholics Anonymous, but through random events I’ve met some amazing people who are. Read more
Life Actually: Raising a strong, kind child
I remember the incident clearly, doing cheer stunts in my family’s front yard with a baby sitter from my brother’s grade. Read more
Life Actually: Social filters - Think it or say it?
It’s a really exciting day when your child begins to speak. Read more
Life Actually: Would you rather be ‘liked’ online – or loved in person?
It was five months after my first book was released when the exhaustion hit me. I began waking up in the mornings feeling drained, burned out and lonely. Read more
Life Actually: Make the most of being their driver
The vehicle I drive is white, but it might as well be yellow because most days of the week, I am a taxi. Read more
Life Actually: From destruction, God makes art
When my daughter was 6 years old, she showed an interest in art. Because I’m not artsy person, I did what non-artsy moms do: I signed her up for art lessons. Read more
Life Actually: It’s never too late to say ‘I’m sorry’
While driving my kids to school one day, I told them it was almost time for an annual lake trip our family takes with friends we see once a year. Read more
Life Actually: Embracing humility and the unexpected
There are certain moments in parenting where you want to hang your head in disgrace and immediately disappear. Read more
2 words to enrich your school year
A friend of mine once had jury duty and didn’t know a soul. When it came time to choose her seat, she did what most of us do: She scanned the faces of potential jurors, saw a woman who reminded her of herself and sat down by her. Read more
Life Actually | Be real and know who’s good for you
I’ve never been a fan of pretense. Even as a little girl, if I sensed that a person was acting fake or a little hoity-toity for my taste, it made me want to run the other way. Read more
Life Actually | The gift of Christmas grace
"It was a simple task, really, and one that many families had successfully carried out before us." Read more
Life Actually: Your choices matter to many people
It takes a thousand choices to get where you want to be in life. Read more
Life Actually: What will your recovery be?
A mom of five kids (all teenagers) once told me that something they discuss a lot in their home is recovery. Read more
Life Actually: As our kids grow up, we parents need a life
“My daughter told me I need to get a life,” my friend said, and we laughed because her daughter is in sixth grade. Read more
Life Actually: Trust yourself and your intuition
Of the many lessons I try to teach my children, one of the most essential lessons is to trust their gut instincts and funny feelings. Read more
Life Actually: Impact teenagers by speaking life
Right now, if you are raising or influencing teenagers, you have a window of opportunity that won’t always exist. Read more
Life Actually: Taking a genuine interest in people
Our world needs more people who take a genuine interest in others. Read more
Life Actually: Is affluence hurting today’s children?
We are raising kids in a competitive culture with more upper-middle class families who enjoy higher standards of living and more disposable income than previous generations. Read more
Life Actually: Boys compete, girls compare
Comparison is never helpful. It makes us feel inferior or superior, less-than someone else or better-than them. Read more
Life Actually: Being mean is not being funny
Humor is king in today’s society, and people can get away with voicing any remark as long as it’s funny. Read more
Life Actually: 5 thoughts on dealing with rejection
Oftentimes, what hurts most with rejection isn’t the event itself, but the emotions that are triggered. Read more
Life Actually: Helping your daughter find real friends
Your vibe attracts your tribe, and the way to attract real friends is to be a real friend first. Read more
Life Actually: Don’t discount the quiet guys
I’ve noticed when teenage girls discuss teenage boys, they tend to group them into three categories: Read more
Life Actually: Give friends room to have a bad day
My friend texted me at 5 a.m. — then followed up with an email. Read more
Life Actually: An encouraging word for new moms
Congratulations, momma. You did it. You’ve ushered a miracle into this world. That newborn baby in your arms is a game changer, a tiny slice of heaven and the purest thing you’ll ever know on this side of eternity. Read more
Life Actually: The AA way, lessons we all need
I’m not a member of Alcoholics Anonymous, but through random events I’ve met some amazing people who are. Read more
Life Actually: Raising a strong, kind child
I remember the incident clearly, doing cheer stunts in my family’s front yard with a baby sitter from my brother’s grade. Read more
Life Actually: Social filters - Think it or say it?
It’s a really exciting day when your child begins to speak. Read more
Life Actually: Would you rather be ‘liked’ online – or loved in person?
It was five months after my first book was released when the exhaustion hit me. I began waking up in the mornings feeling drained, burned out and lonely. Read more
Life Actually: Make the most of being their driver
The vehicle I drive is white, but it might as well be yellow because most days of the week, I am a taxi. Read more
Life Actually: From destruction, God makes art
When my daughter was 6 years old, she showed an interest in art. Because I’m not artsy person, I did what non-artsy moms do: I signed her up for art lessons. Read more
