Hi Reader,

Thank you for all of the kind responses to my email last week sharing that my mother had passed away. I heard from so many of you; it was a balm for this tough time. ❤️ I wrote about some lessons for managers at work to support employees experiencing grief here on LinkedIn, and my friend Thomas shared with me this beautiful video of Andrew Garland discussing grief as unexpressed love. The funeral home that supported my mom lets anyone sign up for one year of grief messages via email that I've found helpful (you can get those here if that sounds valuable to you).

Let's get to your Friday Five, shall we?

1. Teacher Appreciation Week: This is coming up soon in the US (the week of May 6), so if you've got some teachers in your life, it's a good time to plan to appreciate them. I'm a former classroom teacher, and I can say that a kind note or email is deeply meaningful to teachers. If you'd like to give a physical gift, gift cards go a long way. A few ideas I've seen recently and noted were these cute baked goods and, of course, all of these excellent teacher gifts on Etsy.
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2. TripIt: I've used this app for years and years (over a decade!), and it's so helpful. They have a pro version, but I've never found a need to upgrade from the free version. Basically, you can just forward any travel-related emails (flight itineraries, car rental confirmations, hotel receipts) to plans@tripit.com, and they'll organize all that into a great travel itinerary all in one place that you can share with travel partners. Super helpful.
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3. Mother's Day: Mother's Day is also coming soon (May 12), so if you've got moms in your life, it's time to think about celebrating them. A few ideas: last year, my husband and kids got me a towel warmer, and OMG, this thing is so lovely. Buy them a color consult to determine their best colors (use my code JOYFULLYMANAGED for a discount). Get them a nice bag or jean jacket from Able that will last forever (I have both of those things, and they're amazing). Pair any of those with a kind note, and you'll make a day.
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4. Tom Holland on Lip Sync Battle: This is a must-watch YouTube video. It's not new, but if you've never seen it you need to go ahead and click over right now. Even if you've seen it, it's always a good time to watch it again. I have stopped meetings in progress to show this to attendees upon learning that some had not yet seen it. Watch to the end. Go ahead right now, don't wait. Then text it to a friend or your favorite group chat.
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5. Joyfully Managed Worklife Late Summer Cohort: My group program for getting more organized at work was a big success in its first cohort, and I'd love to have you join the next group! I just planned out some dates, and I am anticipating the next group will open up for registration in late July to the waitlist, and then if spots remain, I'll share them here in this newsletter. Add yourself to the waitlist here (this page also has more on the topics we cover, the pricing, etc.).

P.S. If the name I addressed you with at the top of this email is missing or incorrect in some way, you can quickly fix it here! Names matter to me. I'm glad you're here.

There may be affiliate links in this email which means I may receive a commission if you purchase something through a link. However, please be assured that I only recommend products I have personally used and love!