Renton|Neighbor News|
Daily Hacks To Improve Your Day
Sometimes it’s the small, almost invisible hacks that quietly lift your mood and help you move through the day with more ease.

Swannee Rivers is a nationally credentialed Early Childhood Educator, author, mother, teacher, wife, motivational speaker, and community showcase developer whose work has inspired readers across the Pacific Northwest and beyond. A graduate of the University of Washington, she brings heart, advocacy, and authenticity to every project she touches.
Her published works span more than two decades and multiple genres—from investigative nonfiction to uplifting children’s literature. Her groundbreaking book Healthcare Under Duress (2003) gained international recognition for its bold stance against fraud in the healthcare industry and continues to be used in training programs for insurance institutions and community colleges throughout the Pacific Northwest. She is also the author of Hidden Treasures (2007), Cancer Journal for the Survivor in You (2003), Cancer Journal for the Survivor in You II (2009), and Parents Don’t Know Everything (2003).
Swannee’s storytelling has reached national audiences through her contributions to The Renton Reporter, The Seattle Times, Northwest Baby & Child, Campfire Girls National Campaign, and the Chicken Soup for the Soul series, where she also helped select incoming story submissions. Her work has appeared on Soap Opera Central, ConsumerReview.com, and in creative media collaborations such as New Play Media’s online Soap Opera Trivia Game. She has been featured in the documentary The Last Swing (2017) and appeared in a 2019 episode of Oxygen’s Criminal Confessions.
Her children’s book collection continues to grow with beloved titles including Fuzzy Ears and the Grocery Store Adventure (2020), Zack the Yak’s Mountaintop Adventure (2022), There’s a Purple Jelly Monster in My Tummy! (2022), Jake Robinson: The Smallest Hero (2024), Bobby Sue’s Hats (2025), and My Big Simple & Fabulous Coloring Book Series (2026).
Today, Swannee Rivers lives in Renton, Washington, where she continues creating stories that celebrate courage, curiosity, and the extraordinary beauty found in everyday life.
Sometimes it’s the small, almost invisible hacks that quietly lift your mood and help you move through the day with more ease.

There’s a moment in every long stretch of work when your mind whispers, I’m done. What to do when you have no more energy.
There are days when the weight of work settles on your shoulders a little heavier than usual. What now?
When the world feels chaotic, losing motivation isn’t a personal failure.
March often feels like a mirror reflecting both our exhaustion and our resilience.
March has always felt like a quiet turning point — a month that doesn’t shout for attention but still manages to shift everything.
Some days don’t arrive with any particular promise. They’re not dramatic or emotional or inspiring — they’re just… dull. Learn how to change
Even on those hard days, joy isn’t gone — it’s just quieter.
When spring is close enough to taste but not close enough to touch, it can feel like a quiet kind of torture.
Every author dreams of writing daily, but the reality of life — work, family, exhaustion, unexpected chaos — often gets in the way.
Every author has heard the advice: build a routine and stick to it. But for writers raising youngsters, that advice often feels unrealistic.
Finding time to write with youngsters in the house isn’t just a challenge — it’s an art form. Learn how to find extra minutes daily.
There’s something underrated about simply showing up. Not perfectly. Not dramatically. Not with a grand plan, just being present.
Every year, there comes a point in late winter when the days feel just a little too gray, a little too long, and a little too repetitive.
There’s a quiet magic in watching people come together in the name of love.
[Swannee Bruner] was awarded a national Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential™ from the Council of Professional Recognition.
February often gets overshadowed—tucked between the excitement of the new year and the slow approach of spring.
There’s a special kind of joy sweeping across the Pacific Northwest right now—it feels bigger than football, brighter than winter skies.
Love isn’t limited to romance, and you don’t have to sit on the sidelines just because your life looks different right now.
Not every Valentine’s Day arrives wrapped in pink ribbons and warm feelings. Some years, the holiday lands differently, and you feel sad.