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Hey, y’all! I’m sorry that I went dark for a while.

I had the book release for and then started a health and wellness coaching certification course. I overestimated how much I could get done while taking a three-morning-a-week class, coaching authors in the afternoons, and then doing life and other work stuff in between. The newsletter had to hang out on the back burner for a few weeks. But I do have some things that are making me happy for now to share!

Being a lifelong learner

My number one strength on the Clifton Strengthsfinder assessment is Learner. Nothing brings me more joy than learning something new and feeling like I’m growing. So joining the has been giving me so much fresh energy. (Random, but for those curious, mindbodygreen gave me a referral code for $750 off if you or someone you know might be interested. Click the link above and use code: HCCSTUDENT575 for the discount.*)

I know it’s a weird side quest for an author to go on, but health and wellness have been deep areas of interest for me for a long time, particularly healthy cooking. Plus, I already coach authors as a Gallup Strengths coach, and health/wellness is an area a lot of writers struggle with (ask me how I know! lol) because it’s such a sedentary and deadline-driven career that’s prone to burnout, so this extra training will help me help my coaching clients even more.

But the reason I’m sharing this is because if you’re looking for a boost, consider signing up for a class or learning a new craft or picking up a new hobby. It really can be a huge happiness booster to learn something new.

Sidenote: This course also has a very in-depth functional nutrition class included. My poor husband has now stopped asking what else I’ve added to his cold brew coffee this week (collagen and creatine if you’re wondering, lol.)

True Crime Documentaries for Anxiety Reduction (feel free to judge me)

The world is a crazy place right now. I’ve talked before about how horror movies can soothe me when I’m anxious. (There’s science behind why that works for some people—processing anxious feelings through the movie while knowing you’re safe and not actually in the movie.)

Well, I think true crime documentaries, for some reason, have a similar effect on me. I think part of it is seeing bad guys/girls get caught. It reminds me that sometimes there is justice in the world, that not all villains get away with their crimes.

I went on an absolute true crime binge in March. So here are some of the ones that stood out for me.

Devil in the Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke (Hulu)

This one is both scary and sad. It really speaks to the dark side of internet influencing and where things can go when someone with dark intentions meets a susceptible mind (hey there, cult leader.) I a few months ago, so that’s what made me want to watch this doc. I thought it was well done and put faces to the names of the people in the book.

Check trigger warnings if you’re concerned. That’s a blanket warning for all of these docs.

Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal (Netflix)

This one is two seasons long and has one unbelievable occurrence after another. It spoke to the power of money and influence to keep things quiet, but also how you can’t hide forever.

Anatomy of Lies (Peacock)

I went on a bender of documentaries/shows about people lying about having cancer. How are there so many of these??? This is the first one that set off the marathon.

This doc follows the story of Grey’s Anatomy writer Elisabeth Finch who lied about having cancer for a LONG ASS TIME and leveraged it to get prime writing opportunities on Grey’s, awards, and accolades.

This one was fascinating because this woman would have to LIVE the thing she was going to write about on the show or straight up steal someone else’s life experience without their consent. I’m a writer. I understand needing inspiration or writing about things you’ve personally experienced. But Finch couldn’t seem to create any stories without faking it in her own life or finding out someone else’s story of trauma and then using it for an episode. She literally checks herself into a mental hospital and…well, you need to watch. It’s unbelievable where this story goes.

The Search for Instagram’s Worst Con Artist (Netflix) & Apple Cider Vinegar (Netflix)

This is the story of Belle Gibson, a young Australian influencer, who pretended she had cured her (fake) cancer with a healthy eating diet. She ran this con so effectively that at one point, her app was going to be one of the few launched on the first Apple Watch.

I think one of the things that I never realized until watching these documentaries is how easy it is to lie about a medical diagnosis. People can’t fact-check you because of medical record privacy laws. Plus, who wants to question someone who says they’re dying of cancer?

Follow this one up with the Netflix show based on this case�

This show was bananas and dramatic, but I couldn’t stop watching. I think watching this one after the documentary was a good order to view them in.

And rounding out the lying-about-cancer scammers�

Scamanda (Hulu)

This is a story of yet another woman faking cancer and getting loads of attention and donation money because of it. This story started out , and I actually liked the podcast more than the doc because it went more in-depth, but the two together were a good pairing.

Watching these women get caught was very satisfying. I’ve lost people in my family to cancer (as I would guess most of us have.) Thinking that someone would fake it to milk sympathy or money out of people pushes all of my buttons.

Something a little lighter: A musical and some stand-up!

Waitress: The Musical

To cleanse your palate after all that true crime, I wanted to share what a delight it was to finally see Sara Bareilles’s Broadway performance in Waitress: The Musical. I’ve had the song “She Used to Be Mine� on repeat for years, but I’d never gotten the chance to see the musical.

So I was thrilled when I saw that Max was streaming the recording of it. The show was fantastic and the music is great. If you’re looking for something to make you smile, check this one out!

Iliza Shlesinger: A Different Animal

I have enjoyed all of Iliza’s stand-up specials, so when my friend Dawn let me know that there was a new one out, I watched it immediately.

Iliza is smart and feminist and a just an overall badass. This isn’t one to watch with the kids in the room and her outfit is distracting, but I had a great time watching it. I particularly love her humor about the differences in the generations. (She’s an “elder millennial�.)

Here’s a sample if you want an idea of her humor:

Alright, that was a lot today! I’ve been storing it up, lol. Hope you found something that might make you a little happier this week.

I’d love to hear what’s been making you happy for now. Let me know in the comments or hit reply if you got this in your inbox. :)

*Disclaimer: My referral code means that I would get compensation if someone uses that code.