Introducing 38 Minutes with Christi aka The Long Distance Mimi You know all those conversations we've been having in the comments? I've been thinking we need to get together and actually TALK about this stuff. Live. Face to face (if you want). With actual humans. 😂 Real conversations. Real questions. Real, actionable ideas. And the goal? To figure out how to make our relationships and our lives EASIER, BETTER, and a whole lot more FUN. HERE'S OUR FIRST FOUR TUESDAYS: 🏡 NOV 3: Moving Closer or Moving Away? What Nobody Tells You... Should you stay? Should you go? Will moving closer actually make you closer? Let's talk BEFORE somebody buys a house. 😂 🎄 NOV 10: The Holidays: Whose Turn Is It Anyway? Whose house? Whose year? Who's disappointed? And how do we stop making assumptions nobody agreed to? ❤️ NOV 17: Can You Build a Life You Love AND Stay Close to Your Family? Your adult kids are busy building their lives. You're allowed to have one, too. Let's figure out what that actually looks like. 💌 NOV 24: Long-Distance Grandparenting: The Hard Parts AND the Good Stuff The missed moments, the visits, the airport goodbyes, the laughs, and creative ways to stay connected without living down the street. SO WHAT AM I BRINGING TO THE PARTY? I'm fascinated by human behavior. Why we think what we think. Why we say things we probably shouldn't. Why we get our feelings hurt over something nobody actually promised us. And YES, that includes my own behavior. I've given myself plenty of material to study. 😂 🧠 Brain science nerd with 25+ years of experience in adult learning and behavior change. 💍 16 years as a mother-in-law. And yes, I've learned a thing or two. ❤️ 14 years as a Mimi. Best gig ever. 👩‍❤️‍👩 Navigating the mother-in-law/daughter-in-law relationship. Made mistakes. Learned plenty. 👯‍♀️ Friends with the OTHER grandma. Yep, it can happen. 😂 🏡 Lived close to my adult kids and grandkids. Been there. 🚐 Moved 1,800 miles away. Done that, too. So yeah, I've got a few things to contribute to these conversations. 😂

Hi GrandFriends! 💛 Something has been on my mind lately. I’ve noticed more women reaching out to me privately to share things they’re uncomfortable posting publicly. And a big reason? They’re worried their adult kids or other family members might see what they’ve said. I get it! Family relationships can be complicated, and sometimes you just want to talk things through with women who understand, without worrying about who’s reading it. And it got me thinking about our community here. What if we made it private? 🔒 Right now, our community is public, meaning people can see our posts and conversations without joining. If we switch to private, only approved members would be able to see what’s shared inside. People would need to join to read our conversations. It wouldn’t guarantee complete confidentiality, but it would give us more privacy and hopefully make everyone feel more comfortable speaking openly. I’d love to know what you think! I’ll leave this poll open through Friday, November 6. Then I’ll review your responses, make a decision, and let everyone know what we’re doing before anything changes. Your comfort matters to me, and I want this to be a place where we can have the conversations that matter. ❤️

It’s been a minute… Some of you know me as the Long Distance Mimi, but there’s a little more to my story! I’m 67, married to Mike, mom to Mikey and my daughter Janelle, whom we lost to cancer in 2001 when she was just 17. I’m also Mimi to Carter and Chloe, who live in Nebraska while we’re in beautiful Washington State. I love traveling, learning, trying new things, and figuring out what I want to be when I grow up. Still working on that one! A little about my professional background. I’ve spent more than 25 years working in adult learning, personal development, and behavior change. I’m certified in Tiny Habits, CliftonStrengths, coaching, and change management. I also graduated summa cum laude from Arizona State University at 53. Yep, I’m a lifelong learner! Here’s what I believe. We can keep growing, changing, making friends, and having adventures at ANY age. And I know a thing or two about helping people turn good intentions into action. I’m not a therapist. I’m a guide on the side who believes we learn by DOING. We try things, see what works, and adjust. Because failure is data! That’s what I want Reignite Your Life to be. A place for friendship, fun, adventure, new ideas, and women who aren’t done living their lives! You can love your family deeply AND build a life of your own that you love. ❤️ Now, let’s hear about YOU! What’s something you’d love to try, do, or experience in this chapter of your life? Christi ❤️ Your Long Distance Mimi

🎃 LONG-DISTANCE GRANDMAS! 3 fun ways to connect with your grandkids! 🕵️ 1. Send a mystery! Give them 5 clues to guess a favorite movie. 🎃 2. Play with their interests! Love animals? Guess the animal from 3 silly facts. 💌 3. Start a text challenge! Send a photo and ask them to find something that matches! I just sent my granddaughter a TOP SECRET Halloween mystery! Steal my idea! . 🎃 🎃 TOP SECRET: DETECTIVE CHLOE Agent Mimi has a Halloween mystery for you. Five clues. One animated movie. How many clues will you need? 👻 CLUE 1: This place welcomes some unusual guests. Humans aren’t usually invited. 🦇 CLUE 2: The owner is a dad who is WAY too protective of his daughter. 🧟 CLUE 3: Some of the guests include a mummy, a werewolf, an invisible man, and a giant green monster. 🧛 CLUE 4: A human boy accidentally shows up and turns everyone’s world upside down. 🏨 CLUE 5: The owner is Count Dracula, and he runs a hotel for monsters. What movie am I? Send Me your answer and tell me which clue gave it away. Love, Agent Mimi 🎃

🎃 Mimi’s Halloween Mystery 🕵️‍♀️ I have a Halloween mystery for you When I was a kid, we didn’t always use those cute little pumpkin buckets to collect candy. We grabbed something from our bedrooms instead! Your clues: 🔎 It was soft. 🔎 It was usually on our beds. 🔎 It could hold a TON of candy. 🔎 By the end of the night, it was so heavy we could barely carry it! Your mission: Figure out what we used to collect our Halloween candy. Bonus question: Why do you think we picked THAT instead of a little bucket? Love, Mimi 🎃💕