Melissa Pharo

This sweet niece of mine is over in NYC having her very first piece of cake celebrating her very 1st birthday! And this aunt of hers is over here in WI crying because she’s missing it! Happy Birthday my darling Elle Alexander, you mean so much to me and I promise I think about you every day! I miss you, Harper & your daddy and Mumma soooo much. You are already stealing hearts baby girl but I promise to always protect yours. Mackenzie and Blake - cheers to you both! You’re amazing parents, lovers, uncles, aunties, sisters and friends. Celebrate Elle tonight of course but don’t forget to celebrate the two of you! It’s hard work and your doing it! 💗 @ Sun Prairie, Wisconsin

You will never look back and think, I spent too much time with my kids.
This sweet girl did so good during family pictures last night! I can’t believe how grown up she is and that in a few days she starts Kindergarten. Taking off work and spending this week with her has been so good for my soul 💗

Thanks Courtney once again for your patience and talent!

Happy Birthday Granny! We visited the zoo today and while we had fun, we wish we could have been walking through the Naples zoo with you celebrating! We miss you sooooooo much and are praying we will be able to visit over Christmas this year! We hope you enjoy your day off work and get a chance to go shelling and relax with the sound of the ocean. We love you to the moon! xoxoxo

Dear Country Creek
We will forever be grateful for your roof that kept our daughter dry. Your grass for her little feet to run in. Your dirt for her tiny hands to dig in discovering worms, frogs & the like. Your trees that provided her shade. Your animals for nurturing her soul.

We will forever be grateful for your classrooms. A place she learned was a safe space. A place because of consistency she developed a routine she loved. A place she could be herself on good days and on bad. A place where she made friends and learned how to nurture and respect those friendships.

We will forever be grateful for your teachers. You were there for Mila but you were also there for our family. Passing off our entire world to you each morning wasn’t hard because of you. Your willingness to get to know her. The experiences, the laughter, the love you gave her day in and day out while we weren’t with her is irreplaceable and unforgettable.

I couldn’t walk away today after picking her up for the last time without honoring this beautiful place they call Country Creek. It’s so much more then a daycare. It’s part of our village. I know its never been easy, but please know we are forever grateful for your hard work.

These past 5 months were more difficult then we all could have ever imagined. Your first priority was your families and your teachers. You acted with integrity and respect trying to make sure you helped everyone else first and put yourself last. I’m sure I speak for so many other families when saying so but we couldn’t have done it with out you. Thank you Sara Bishop (and staff). The children you teach may not remember you specifically when they get older but they will always have a part of you inside them. The part that gave them hope and love and taught them to believe in themselves.

The Pharos

Mila: Mom, are you afraid of anything?

What I wanted to say: I’m afraid that you aren’t going to like school because your entering Kindergarten during a pandemic and while you don’t know differently yet, it will not look like it should. I’m afraid that me sending you to school might be me putting you and our family in harms way of this virus. I’m afraid I would not be able to keep my job if I keep you home and try to teach you virtually. I’m afraid you will suffer without the structure of school and the social interaction with your school teachers and friends. I’m afraid of the stress both of these options have on my mental and physical health, on my marriage and on us sweetheart. I’m afraid that I won’t be able to concentrate while your at school because I’m going to worry about if you’re scared, if you’re having fun, or if your getting to move around enough or getting in trouble for getting too close to your friends. Afraid because I don’t know if your teacher will be able to make you feel safe. I’m afraid you’re going to come home after your first day crying because of the stress you felt that day.

What I said: Thats a hard question Mila but of course, I’m afraid of a lot of things. I try to focus on what I can control. Like the way I react. Like bees for example. I am afraid of bees. Usually if you leave bees alone, they’ll leave you alone.

Mila: Yes, that’s exactly what I was asking. But usually you run mom.

Me: Yes, that’s true. I’m still working on that. It takes a lot of practice.

Mila: I am afraid of alligators, spiders, bears, lions & tigers.

Me: I have no idea what I’m doing....I should just tell her to run, right?!

Happy birthday to my beautiful goddaughter .rylee ! I can’t believe you’re 16!!!! How did that happen?! I feel so lucky to be your auntie and love you so much! Enjoy your bday dinner tonight (but be safe). Love you and can’t wait to find a time to celebrate you! 💗

Tomorrow’s the BIG day! Brow defining boost is available to purchase! You’ll get instant results but this will also help to create the appearance of fuller brows overtime! There is nothing like this on the market! Taking pre-orders today! @ Madison, Wisconsin

I saw this and it has flipped a much needed switch.

I turn 40 in 4 months & I promised myself I would be on my way to the very best version of me. I was on on pace but these last 5 months have thrown me way off course. Not anymore.

This is going on my bathroom mirror, on my computer screen, in my car, by my bedside, and in my daughters room. There is no time to wish away our lives. What we make of it is completely within our control.

It’s not what you look at that matters. It’s what you see.
Challenge accepted. Behind every successful woman is a tribe of other successful women who have her back.

I couldn’t do it without my tribe. You know who you are. thank you for thinking of me.

Being a good father can easily go unnoticed, yet it is one if the most valuable assets to a family. I know we don’t tell you enough and you often feel outnumbered by us girls but we appreciate all you do for us! While we celebrate you today we also remember your Dad. There is no doubt he is looking down on you and Mila, laughing every time she tests your patience but also smiles as he watches you build such a special bond with her. You’ll always be Mila’s first love and her forever hero. We love you!

If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more. You are a leader....

Meagan Simpson. You are a leader. It has truly been an honor to work our businesses side by side. As sisters, we’ve always been each other’s cheerleaders but as business partners, we have grown together in ways I never knew were possible. Thank you for taking a chance on yourself and on me and saying yes. Your unwavering commitment to work towards your goals, the excitement you radiate from how these products and this business has changed your life is inspiring to say the least. It’s been 2 years and with the ups and downs you have still always managed to hit your goal. Every single month. And last month was your best month to date. You guys, please join me in congratulating her. While this job is simple, it takes consistency and grit. She has proved both.

If you haven’t heard, Rodan + Fields is the # 1 skincare brand in North America. And recently we’ve expanded into Japan! We are already in the US, Canada & Australia. We continue to grow & next month we are launching a new product! We have been told it’s as big or BIGGER then LASHBOOST!! What?! I know. That’s a big deal.

If you’ve been looking for a change. A plan B. A side hustle. The best skin of your life and a community like no other. A leader you can trust. Reach out to this girl right here. Take a chance on yourself like she did. Join her. Join us. We can promise you won’t look back.

She is a force not to be reckoned with and as long as you promise to do the work alongside her, she’ll pour every ounce of her contagious energy into you and your success.

Now is the time. Don’t wait for the perfect moment. We all know those don’t exist.

About a year ago we created something called a “calm corner”
for Mila. Time outs never worked with her personality and for us this was a good way to help her through her big feelings (i.e. tantrums). We now take “time-in’s” instead and it’s been such a beautiful thing for us. Naming her feelings then focusing on things she can do to calm down has been so rewarding. We have seen that drawing is her passion but what we’ve learned is that it’s also her outlet. After we’ve worked through these steps with her, it’s much easier to talk about what made her angry, sad, etc. and how to better handle that type of situation next time. She responds so much better to this and now we have moments that I will cherish forever and beautiful artwork to remind me.
@ Sun Prairie, Wisconsin