​I’m sure we’ve all been seeing the “back to school” displays in stores and posts on social media. 

In past years, I’d see them and cringe/laugh knowingly, remembering that my summer was skidding to a sudden halt. I’d resign myself to the oncoming chaos and grit my teeth at the avalanche of work I’d face for 10 months straight. But at least I didn’t have to struggle alone. I had fellow teachers going through it with me, sharing the struggle from the trenches. 

But that’s not happening this year. This year, I’m not going back to school. This year, I’m on my own uncharted path. And that realization has got me feeling some type of way. Kinda twisty and sad. Kinda relieved. Definitely shook. Definitely unsure. 

This is real. I made a “big girl” decision and I’m sitting with my big girl feelings now. I understand that these emotions are normal when facing a big change. Rest assured: I’ll work through those in time, and if I need a stronger outlet, maybe I’ll get myself a pinata when the going gets tough. 

Sanity Corner:
Speaking of big feelings, I’ve been trying to meditate more to help myself keep calm. Lately, I’ve been using a meditation app (Headspace) to do that. 

I appreciate the menu of options for whichever state of mind you find yourself in. I’ve even introduced it to my family to help us pause and have mindful breaks. Since life is so busy, I tend to go for the shorter ones, but they still feel helpful.

Campaign Updates: 
The campaign is in its last few days--what a whirlwind! 

We mentioned earlier that Three Bee Honey will feature guest artists. Here are the talented illustrators featured in your copy of the book. 

As we head toward the finish line, we are pushing ahead to try to reach our second and final stretch goal: $4,500, which will allow us to expand the story. 

What’s in it for you? More world-building, more story, and more of the adventure. 

We know it’s within reach, so spread the word to people you know who would enjoy this book. If you haven’t had a chance to order your book, be sure to do it asap! 

Also, because we met our first goal, those who purchase a physical copy of the book will receive a FREE Three Bee Honey bookmark set! 

This offer expires at 12am on Monday, 8/21 at so don’t miss out! 

Whew…that’s all for now, but I will get in touch again right before the campaign ends to send last minute reminders. Feel free to share this newsletter (or the campaign) to anyone you think would enjoy it. :)

Take care,
Desi 

Ever notice how angry people seem nowadays? Like big mad. Triggered by the smallest provocation, raging on the road, even cursing out service workers for making a mistake on an order. I could go on and on. It’s all hit a tipping point. But in addition to some serious therapy, I think what the world needs is a piñata. 

Yes, a piñata.

I know it’s a bit strange, but hear me out. 

Over the past few months, I’ve attended parties that included piñatas. And these weren’t all kids’ birthday parties either. But these gatherings all had one thing in common: a big, colorful piñata. A colorful piñata we were not just gonna hit, but absolutely destroy. 

And I must say, the act of taking a swing at one is immensely satisfying. 

Then I thought about a podcast I recently heard about this festival in Italy called The Battle of the Oranges. The citizens of Ivrea gather oranges, and each winter for three days, they throw the oranges at each other. Like a water balloon fight, but more bruise-inducing. And why do they do this? The villagers seek catharsis, which means “the process of releasing.” 

This is a way for everyone to let out all pent up negative emotions, angst, and resentments. The local leaders plan around this event, including clean ups after the fact, making this well-organized chaos. And people can decide not to partake if they choose. 

As author Jon Mooallem describes, the residents “would throw the oranges very hard, very viciously, often while screaming profanities at their targets or yowling like Braveheart, and they would throw the oranges for hours, until their eyebrows were matted with pulp and their shirts soaked through.” 

At the same time, this battle was healing, as “they would also keep smiling as they threw the oranges, embracing and joking and cheering one another on, exhibiting with their total beings a deranged-seeming but euphoric sense of abandon and belonging — a freedom that was easy to envy but difficult to understand.”

I think this tradition is brilliant. We all need our version of The Battle of the Oranges. While throwing citrus fruit can get a bit sticky or even cause real damage, hitting a piñata is way, way more manageable. But it still gives us that much-needed release. 

Feeling in a funk? Frustrated with someone in your life? Fed up with the indignities of adulthood? Take a bat or a stick, hang that piñata, and as it swings in the wind, give it a good, hard whack!

​I also think piñata companies need to get on this and market to adults. There’s a whole bunch of us ready to let out a lot of repressed energy, especially after these past few years.

So next time you hit up a piñata shop (there are a bunch near me in Santa Ana), get yourself a “just because” piñata. Get yourself a “just in case” piñata for the tougher weeks. It’s calming. It’s cheaper than therapy. 

And the best part? There’s no birthday party required.

Campaign Update:
We’ve officially reached our stretch goal! Yay! 

That means everyone who has ordered a book (Worker Bee Package or higher) will get a free bookmark set with their shipment when the book comes out. 

Barney Smith from Story Comic interviewed Jon and me about our campaign. You can click here to listen to us talk about how we made it happen and the process of developing Three Bee Honey.

Also, our stickers came in. You can check out our unboxing video here. They are super cute! ​

If you want a sticker set and a print, be sure to put in your order before August 19th, the day our campaign ends! 
​
Pet Pics: 

Top: Finn likes to lay down right in the middle of my younger son’s army guy set up. 
Middle and Bottom: In this heat, the pets like to sleep under or near the fan to stay cool. 

Sanity Corner:
The Brooklyn Public Library, in partnership with the Seattle Public Library, is combatting the recent wave of book censorship with a program called Books Unbanned. This program will grant access to audiobooks and eBooks to teens and young adults living anywhere in the U.S. 

Sadly, books are being banned all over the country, even in California. 

But we have the tools to push back on this rampant censorship and protect everyone’s right to read. If you know a teen or young adult who would like a Books Unbanned card, please share this resource with them. 

That’s all for now, but I will get in touch again as the campaign winds down with last minute updates. We greatly appreciate your support! 

Feel free to share or forward this newsletter (or the campaign link) to anyone you think would enjoy it. :)

Take care,
Desi 

​Hey friends! The Three Bee Honey Campaign has launched and is already at 82% (!!!!) as of this afternoon. We are blown away by the support and encouragement we’ve received.

^^Jon and me when I pressed the “Launch Campaign” button on Friday morning. Lot’s of nervous energy in the house that day lol. 

Here’s what’s inside the book:

​Our son even stepped in to help us edit the launch video. It was an all-hands-on-deck week, and we are so grateful for his editing skills! Here he is, concentrating on the project:

We will be updating campaign donors with regular updates. And we have some awesome things in store. This week, we have a podcast interview scheduled, and we’re hosting a free Balancing Life vs. Art Workshop for the Kids Comics Unite Community. 

​We'll also preview our sticker sets, prints, and spotlight the amazing guest artists who will be featured in the book. In addition to posting silly memes, we’ll share behind the scenes moments on our TikTok account, so stay tuned! 

 Also, those who purchase a physical copy of the book will receive a FREE Three Bee Honey Print! This offer expires on Sunday (7/23) at 9am PST, so don’t miss out!  

Whew…what a whirlwind! That’s all for now, but I will get in touch again in August with some more updates. We truly appreciate your support! Feel free to share or forward this newsletter (or the campaign link) to anyone you think would enjoy it. :)

Take care,
Desi 

To commemorate this event, I thought I’d try a different angle in summarizing our experience preparing for a Crowdfundr. We are so excited to get Three Bee Honey out into the world, but it’s definitely been a LOT of work. But we’re making progress, and that alone is worth celebrating.

The ABCs of Crowdfunding

Anticipation building as you countdown the days 
Believing in yourself when the doubts get loud
Cross the Rubicon and announce your campaign
D​on’t forget to take a shower!
Endless edits on the story and the website
Fall, but then get back up
Go get some sleep, kiddo
Have to complete way too much math to figure out a budget 
Infinite to-do lists
Just keep swimming, even when life gets in the way
Know that you’ll be okay, regardless
Learning how to make TikToks, Reels, and Stories
Manifest your daily goals #bossbabes
Noticing that one mistake after it’s posted-gah! 
Optimize your network and make the ask
Parent the kids and be generous with screens 
Quality videos take time--learn how to edit
Remember to draft a few newsletters along the way
Scrambling the week before launch 
Take breaks and laugh or watch a show
Update your fans--even if it’s just your best friend
Visit other campaigns to learn and offer support
Whenever you can, update your subscribers
Xtra rewards are always a good idea for your big spenders
You can do it ALL--sike! Just kidding!
Zen feeling that hits after it’s all done.
​
The campaign hasn’t even launched yet, but I’m stoked at the level of encouragement and support we’ve gotten. Here are some cool things we have in store for you: 

• A free print for early bird contributors who commit within the first 48 hours. This offer expires on Sunday, 7/23 at 9am PST. ​

In addition, we have: 

• Back matter with fan art by some amazing, talented artists.
• Five reward packages, including stickers, prints, and opportunities for custom art.

Subscribe to our campaign for updates. Thank you so much for joining us on this journey! ​

​It’s Thursday, so I thought I’d throw in a few throwback pictures of our four-legged friends. Aren’t they the cutest?? *Squeeee!*

Sanity Corner:
Since the kids are on summer break, we have a chance to spend more time together, which has its pluses and minuses, for sure. To break up the long summer days, we have family game nights. One of our favorite games is Catan. It is a game of strategy, and the object is to use your resources to build as many settlements and cities as possible. 

That’s all for today, but I will get in touch again soon when the campaign goes live. We truly appreciate your support through this process! :)

Take care,
Desi 

It always tickles that thrill seeking part of our brains, but it can inspire some anxiety as well. We know the drop is coming. We even stood in line for this ride. Voluntarily. Maybe even for hours. 

But when we inch closer, that realization of “Oh crap, here we go!” flashes through our minds. 

Life is like that sometimes. We anticipate a drop coming, and maybe we panic and wonder if we can go back. But like the wise Miley Cyrus once said, “We can’t stop, won’t stop.” And this applies to life changes and facing our call to action. 

Here are some moments I’ve recently experienced that required a little momentum and a whole bunch of courage: 

• Changing Careers (enough said)
• Admitting when things weren’t okay and getting professional help 
• Attending networking events at work
• Launching a Crowdfundr Campaign with Jon in just over a week (!!!)

​We’ve been working on this story for YEARS. Pitching it. Fixing it. Pitching it again. All the while, keeping our faith in it alive. We could have let this go when no publisher made an offer. But we just can’t. 

So here we are, determined to bring this story out into the world. 

You can help make this happen by checking out our campaign and subscribing to it for updates. I’m developing some TikTok videos to show the behind-the-scenes fun stuff we do. We also have some awesome add-ons in the works, such as various rewards packages, featured guest artists, and freebies for the first contributors. 

Does this little book about bees require bravery? Sure thing. But we’re ready. 

Current Read: Wizard of Ads, by Roy H. Williams 

One of the teachers in my copywriting class suggested this book, The Wizard of Ads, by Roy H. Williams. I thought it would be a dry book about advertising, full of pedantic writing. However, I was pleasantly surprised by how entertaining and engaging this book is. In its essence, this book is about the way people think. I attached a picture to show a sample piece. I appreciated the short, thought-provoking essays, which would each end with a delightful and clever insight or punchline. This book isn’t just for advertising--it’s great for better understanding people and what motivates them. 

Sanity Corner:
I recently started working for RPA, an advertising and marketing agency. I had the pleasure of participating in their recent PRIDE Promo Video. It was my first time being a puppeteer, and it was so fun! I was surprised by how much of an arm workout it was, but I developed a deeper appreciation for this artform. 

Garden Updates: 
Our tomatoes are coming in, and we are excited to pick the first ripe ones for our salads and sandwiches. We also added more plants around the yard that pollinators would enjoy. 

T​hank you so much for reading this newsletter! I’ll be sending you more updates for the next month as the campaign launches. 

This month’s question: how have YOU been brave lately? I’d love to hear about your journey doing something courageous--no action is too small. Feel free to comment on my blog or reach out and share. 

If you have any friends who’d like this newsletter, feel free to share this with them. :) 

Take care,
Desi

It was my dream job. The one I was set to do for 30+ years until retirement. And I chose to walk away.

Why?

There are so many reasons--more than I can actually explain well in a single newsletter post. Maybe I’ll write a memoir about it someday, lol. Honestly, I'm still processing this transition, and I feel like I will be for some time. 

However, if I had to boil my rationale down to a single word it would be this:

Changes. 

Changes in teaching--pretty much all aspects of the job. 
Changes in my priorities.
Changes in me. 

This decision to leave did not come easily or impulsively. It was one I agonized over for years. It was scary. It was filled with unknowns compared to the relative predictability of teaching. It was uncomfortable. 

But last year, I decided to make an exit plan. I started freelancing as a copywriter for advertising and marketing, and I took classes to develop my portfolio. All while teaching English full-time. And being a baseball mom and a wife.

Needless to say, it was the most grueling 18 months of my life.

Now, I’m working as a copywriter at an advertising agency. This world feels so different (in good ways) from the world I just left, and it sometimes feels a little…unreal. Like I’m going to wake up and be back to my old “normal”: sitting in my classroom, grading tests and essays, and hearing the bells ring every 55 minutes.

This process reminds me of a David Bowie song--also called “Changes”--which has these lyrics that really resonated with me: 

Chorus: 
Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes (Turn and face the strange)
Ch-ch-changes, don't want to be a richer man
Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes (Turn and face the strange)
Ch-ch-changes, just gonna have to be a different man
Time may change me
But I can't trace time

One of my students this year wrote an essay, and in their piece, they asserted the importance of being comfortable with discomfort. In that space, we can discover our potential and find the most growth. 

That idea really stuck with me, so much so that I read the essay to my own kids because I wanted them to understand that healthy discomfort shouldn’t be avoided. It is a stepping stone into a better, stronger, wiser version of ourselves. 

Packing up my classroom, saying tearful goodbyes to my beloved students and colleagues, and starting a brand new job in a brand new industry has definitely been uncomfortable. 

In fact, saying goodbye to this part of my life was one of the hardest things I’ve done in a long, long time. 

But I’m embracing the hard things. The discomfort. The unknown. All of it. 

Instead of dwelling on the “what was,” I’m going to allow myself to lean on the “what could be.” 

Here’s the David Bowie song if you’d like to listen:

       ^^Our cats and pup are always on the lookout from their favorite spots around the house. 

Current Read: Raymie Nightingale by Kate DiCamillo 

I just started reading Raymie Nightingale, a middle grade book by Kate DiCamillo. It centers the story of a 10 year-old girl reeling from the sudden and unexpected abandonment from her father. Raymie constructs an elaborate plan to win him back, but it is clear from the start that the plan will not work. In the meantime, she develops an unlikely friendship with two other girls dealing with their own heartbreaks. DiCamillo puts a lot of heart and energy into this story without making it overly tragic. With short chapters and an engaging pace, DiCamillo is able to help us navigate through these characters’ genuine and sometimes messy emotions while keeping us hopeful that they will find some healing. 

                                          Topics: Grief, Loss, Friendship, Coming of Age, Family 

Writing Update: 
Jon and I are hard at work in preparation for the launch of our Crowfundr Campaign later this summer. I will be announcing the official date soon. 

​This story is one we have enjoyed developing, and we are so excited to bring it out into the world!

Here is a new version of our book cover:

I’m loving Jon’s character re-designs! Can you spot which cartoon and children’s book characters inspired this design? Hint: look at the faces and legs/feet. 
​
Sanity Corner:
I’m a big fan of Lo-Fi music, especially when I’m working on anything having to do with writing, editing, or revising. 

I’ve recently discovered this station, which plays Lo-Fi versions of alternative/rock music from the 90s. 

I can’t work in silence, so instrument music is soothing and gets my creative juices flowing. 

What music do you like to listen to while working? I’d love to hear your recommendations!

Also, Jon recently bought us coffee from a local Yemeni Coffee Shop, called Qamaria. It was delicious! I love that it’s a hot spot just a short walk away. Because of Qamaria, I realized that adding a small pinch of spices like the ones pictured below is a game changer for coffee. 

​I strongly recommend trying this if you’re a coffee drinker. 

That’s it for June. I will definitely be reaching out in July with more updates, so stay tuned!

Thank you for reading! If you have any friends who’d like this newsletter, feel free to share this with them. :) 

Take care,
Desi