• 🧠 Trivia Challenge: Spotlight Hook
• 💪 Wellness Tip: 5 Books to Help You Build Better Habits in 2026
• ⚠️ Aging & Caregiving: How Gramp Became a Landmark in Elder Care
• 😄 Meme of the Day – Just for laughs
• ❤️ Communities need strong connections: Show Your Support
• 📅 Events: Upcoming Events (Top Picks)

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“Dr. Estelle is an absolute sunbeam — a brilliant blend of warmth, wisdom, and energy. Through her work, she helps people reconnect with balance and wellbeing in a way that feels empowering, approachable, and real.” - WBON Triangle

If you’re thinking about the habits you want to carry into 2026, your reading list can be a powerful place to start. This time of year invites reflection.

What worked. What didn’t. What you want to feel more consistent with as life stays full and demanding.

These five books offer practical, science backed insights into habit formation, from starting small to creating flexibility when life inevitably gets busy. Each one approaches behavior change a little differently, which is often exactly what we need as midlife women juggling work, family, and our own well being.

1. Atomic Habits by James Clear A clear and practical guide to how tiny, consistent actions compound over time. This book is a favorite for a reason. It helps you focus on identity based habits and sustainable change rather than quick fixes.

2. Tiny Habits by BJ Fogg If big goals tend to stall you, this one is refreshing. Fogg shows how starting incredibly small makes habits easier to stick with and builds momentum without relying on motivation.

3. The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg This book dives into the science behind why habits exist and how they’re formed. It’s especially helpful if you like understanding the “why” behind your patterns before trying to change them.

4. How to Change by Katy Milkman Milkman blends research with real world examples to explore why change is hard and how to make it more realistic. It’s practical, compassionate, and especially relevant when motivation fluctuates.

5. Elastic Habits by Stephen Guise A great reminder that consistency does not have to mean perfection. This book focuses on flexible habits that adapt to your day, making it easier to stay engaged even when life throws curveballs.

Bonus Read: Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin Rubin’s framework helps you understand your personal tendencies so you can build habits that actually fit your personality and lifestyle. These books aren’t about doing more or pushing harder.

They’re about creating habits that support the life you want to live, one small step at a time.

👉 Want a personalized plan to simplify your vitamin and supplement routine so you can confidently create a foundation of lifelong wellness?

Book your free wellness chat with Dr. Estelle and map out the simple shifts that will make the biggest difference for you.

n 1974, 23-year-old Dan Jury made a decision that would quietly reshape the national conversation around aging and end-of-life care. He brought his 81-year-old grandfather, Frank Tugend, out of a nursing home and into his own apartment, determined to provide full-time care.

Over the next three years, Dan not only supported Frank through daily life and declining health but also documented their journey in a series of photographs that would later become the book Gramp.

Published in 1978 and co-authored with his brother Mark Jury, Gramp offered an unflinching, deeply human look at elder care. The book sold over 100,000 copies and became a touchstone for the emerging hospice movement, illustrating how dying at home with compassion and dignity could be a humane alternative to institutional care.

Dan’s decision was especially striking in the context of the 1970s, when most young men were focused on careers and social lives, not caregiving. While others questioned his choice and worried he was sacrificing his youth, Dan described those years with Frank as the most meaningful of his life.

Frank Tugend, a Ukrainian Jewish immigrant who arrived in America in 1906, had lived through the Great Depression and built a life of resilience. In his final years, he shared stories, endured illness with quiet strength, and allowed himself to be cared for with grace. Through Dan’s lens, caregiving became a reciprocal act—one that affirmed the dignity of the aging and offered younger generations a deeper understanding of life, love, and mortality.

Transitions LifeCare (250 Hospice Circle, Raleigh | 919-828-0890) Founded in 1979 as Hospice of Wake County, provides hospice care, palliative care, home health, caregiver support, and grief counseling throughout Wake County. Services provided regardless of financial circumstances.

Duke HomeCare & Hospice (serves Wake County) Comprehensive home health and hospice services, including bereavement support, palliative care teams, and an inpatient facility in Durham.

Comfort Keepers (1616 Evans Rd #103, Cary | 984-646-5347) Provides in-home care services including end-of-life care, helping patients manage illness at home with dignity.

AARP Caregiving Resources (www.aarp.org/caregiving) Expert advice, downloadable planning guides, and the free Prepare to Care kit. Includes information about respite care, financial assistance, and work-life balance for caregivers.

Caregiver Action Network (www.caregiveraction.org) The nation's leading family caregiver organization, offering education, peer support, webinars, and resources completely free of charge.

CaringBridge (www.caringbridge.org) Free personalized websites that help families stay connected during serious illness, featuring care journals, photo galleries, and guestbook messages.

NC Area Agencies on Aging (www.nc4a.org) Statewide network providing family caregiver support programs, respite care vouchers, home-delivered meals, transportation, and information counseling. Contact them to find your local Area Agency on Aging.

NC Division of Aging and Adult Services State resources including adult protective services, long-term care ombudsman, legal assistance for older adults, and family caregiver support programs.

Eldercare Locator (1-800-677-1116 | eldercare.acl.gov) National public service connecting North Carolina families to local aging resources and Area Agencies on Aging.

PREPARE (prepareforyourcare.org) Free website designed to help patients and loved ones prepare for medical decision-making conversations.

Aging Life Care Association (www.aginglifecare.org) Professional care managers who help families navigate complex health and aging challenges.

Just curious…

We’re exploring how caregiving shapes lives and families. Tell us which of the following best describes your experience:

What’s faster than word of mouth? Cary Spotlight! Keeps you updated on what is going on locally and connects businesses to our vibrant community.

Outdoor events may be changed due to weather, so click the links to see latest event information. Here are a few ideas for the week, so plan ahead:

• Wednesday: NC Chinese Lantern Festival 6PM
• Thursday: HAPPY NEW YEAR!
• Thursday: NC Chinese Lantern Festival 6PM
• Friday: NC Chinese Lantern Festival 6PM

But wait! There’s more. To save space in your inbox, we’ve moved the full list of events online — now you can plan ahead: See Full 2-Week Calendar