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Freedom Clipped

Tue, 24 Feb 2026 23:35:14 GMT

I took this photo this weekend. This one picture kept drawing me in and I couldn't help but think about how it seems like a bird whose wings have been clipped. That practice feels cruel in itself, but with this being an airplane with the word "freedom" directly over this missing wing...it feels like a very accurate depiction of today's political climate.

But that's not quite right is it?

Because it's never TRULY been free has it?

People came and stole land, lied, made promises they never intended to keep, and just continued to do all of these things and more. They just got really good at hiding it, covering it up, and erasing history. So now we come to a place where SO MANY terrible things are coming out into the light and it feels like the world is so terrible, and it is. But the thing is that it's always been happening. These bad things have been here all along. This feels terrible right now because it's all coming out, but it's actually a good thing. As difficult as it is to hear about it and read about it, and see how awful people actually are...it's important for us to KEEP MOVING FORWARD. We have to keep pushing through. We can NOT close our eyes. We can NOT turn away. We MUST keep our eyes OPEN and process the information.

We must protect children, listen to women, listen to survivors, listen to first peoples and indigenous peoples, protect immigrants, love our neighbors BECAUSE THEY ARE PEOPLE. (I'm so freaking TIRED of "Christians" using Jesus to hate people, but that's a subject for another day)

We must fight for justice.

We must fight for the truth to come out.

We must fight for a better world.

We must make things right.

I agree that the Patriarchy has failed. I think that is quite clear. I think it's time for a return to a Matriarchal society. A return to the land. A return to the Mothers. They know the way.

How I'm Healing Through Homemaking

Fri, 31 Jan 2025 17:16:19 GMT

I know that title sounds weird and far fetched, but let me explain.

First, a little bit of back story: I was a stay at home mom for 13 years before I began kind of working outside the home. Even when I was a SAHM, I did little side things. I cleaned houses and offices. I babysat. I worked from home as a nutritional therapist after I got my certification, but let that go after I realized people were really only interested in weight loss and I wasn't interested in doing that professionally long term. My first "outside" of the home job after becoming a mom was in 2018, after I graduated from my yoga teacher training. I taught multiple styles of yoga. I taught a class almost every day of the week, but was only gone for like 2 hrs. Through all of this, I still considered myself a homemaker.

I'm sharing that because I really do believe that you are a homemaker no matter if you get paid to work in or out of the home. A homemaker is someone who makes a "house" a "home". You can be a full time or a part time homemaker. The amount and variety of things you're able to do within your homemaking may be determined by whether you're full time or part time...but anyone can be a homemaker. That's just a little soap box of mine I guess. Okay, moving on....

In 2020, I almost died of sepsis after a simple gallbladder removal surgery. I was in ICU and then was diagnosed with Post Sepsis Syndrome after returning home. Later, it was discovered that I had a stroke while I was septic and they had bombed my body with life saving antibiotics. Later still, I was diagnosed with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome or POTS. I also have a handful of other chronic things, but that's not really the focus of this post. All of this is to say that I could no longer live up to my own expectations of being a homemaker- or anything else for that matter. I couldn't even walk without passing out.

I had to go to speech therapy, occupational therapy, and physical therapy to recover.

When I became a SAHM it was a choice. So, when I couldn't afford to go get my nails done or pay for a gym membership, it was okay. It actually felt empowering because I reminded myself that I was choosing to not have/do those things because I wanted to be home with my babies instead. (NOT judging anyone who makes the opposite choice though. We all have different personalities and some of us find joy in being home while others feel trapped by that idea. Both are fine. Choice is important.)

After becoming chronically ill and having that CHOICE removed, it no longer felt empowering.

Now, I can't work. I don't have a bachelor's degree, so it's extremely difficult to find a job. The jobs that are available to those without a degree are mostly physical. I can't teach yoga anymore because no one will hire a teacher that could pass out in front of a class. (believe me, I've tried. One interviewer literally ghosted me after an interview lol). I can't serve tables or be a cashier. My physical limitations and mental limitations (aphasia post stroke and brain fog etc with POTS) held me back from finding a job. It wasn't for not trying. No one would hire me.

I even tried finding remote work, but those all turned out to either be a scam (people just data fishing- even when found on reputable sources like indeed and zip recruiter)...or, again, I got ghosted. One lady interviewed me 3 different times and even had me go through some training for HIPPA and then I never heard from her again.

You can say I was discouraged lol.

Then, after a lot of prayer and a long walk & talk with my husband, we made the decision that I would "just" be a full-time homemaker.

My daughter just graduated and will be going to SCAD in the fall, and my son only has 3 more years until he graduates. I may try to find something remote after he graduates so that Matt and I can travel and stuff...but until then, my focus is my family. I'm homeschooling and I'm homemaking.

So it is my CHOICE again. I got the power back.

Now, when I can't afford to do something extra...it feels empowering again.

And ya know what? After focusing on my homemaking, and having time and energy to put towards working on our budget, cooking meals from scratch, and saving money on DIY cleaning supplies etc... we were able to move money over to our savings account for the first time in over 4 years. So, while I didn't "make" any money; I "saved" money...which I feel is basically how full-time homemakers make money lol.

Letting go of the self imposed pressures of figuring out how to make side money and all of that stress allowed me to not only save money but also slow down and enjoy life.

Here's where the healing comes in: when I was bed ridden, I COULDN'T wash dishes, do laundry, vacuum, or garden. I couldn't bake or sew. I was only surviving- and not really even doing that well.

Now that I'm ABLE to be upright and walk around without fear of passing out most of the time, I understand the PRIVILEGE it is to be able to do all of those things.

Yes, I still have flare ups and am unable to do things, but I know they're more short lived now.

Without the pressure to "perform", to "earn money" and always "produce"...I've become more able to actually do more things.

I can slowly and mindfully hand wash dishes. I can enjoy the process of laundry. I chat with the bees while I pull weeds from my garden beds. I can take the time to actually DO those things that help me heal, like castor oil packs, rebounding, and different therapies.

I'm present.

I'm able.

I'm HEALING.

I am hopeful that you can too, if that is your desire.

Jenny

What is a Homemaker?

Fri, 17 Jan 2025 16:46:51 GMT

What is a Homemaker? The Unsung Heroes of Domestic Bliss

Let’s talk about homemakers. You know, those mystical beings who can juggle laundry, dinner, and the emotional needs of a family...all without breaking a sweat or letting their coffee go cold. (I use the term mystical here because I can assure you that version of a homemaker is right up there with mermaids and fairies. At the VERY least, there's no way our coffee isn't cold.) We often hear the term “homemaker” tossed around, but have you ever stopped to wonder: What does that even mean?

The Short Answer: A Homemaker is a person, traditionally, but not exclusively, a stay-at-home spouse...who takes care of the home. They’re the person who makes sure the laundry gets done, the groceries are stocked, and everyone remembers to wear pants (preferably clean ones). But this simple description doesn’t even begin to cover the layers of complexity, creativity, and yes, superhuman powers that homemakers possess.

1. The Chief Household Engineer

Ever seen a sink full of dishes and thought, I can’t deal with this today? Well, a homemaker’s superpower is the ability to always deal with it. They are like domestic engineers, constructing order from chaos. The living room is suddenly organized, the fridge is stocked, and somehow, the toilet paper is always replaced. They’ve mastered the fine art of solving problems before you even notice they exist. Oh, you were out of clean socks? That’s already been fixed.

2. The Personal Chef (and Family Nutritionist)

Imagine cooking three meals a day, every single day, for years. Doesn’t that sound like a reality show challenge? But homemakers? They’re like top-tier chefs facing picky eaters, random dietary restrictions, and the daily “What’s for dinner?” interrogation. A homemaker doesn’t just throw together any meal. No, no. They meticulously craft meals that’ll make everyone’s taste buds do a happy dance… even if those taste buds occasionally beg for mac and cheese again .

Bonus Points for meal planning, grocery lists, and somehow turning last night’s leftovers into an Insta-worthy new dish.

3. The Emotional Support Guru

Not only does a homemaker manage the physical space of the home, but they are often the emotional backbone, too. Have a bad day at work? Well, here’s a cup of tea, a sympathetic ear, and a hug that probably has some sort of magical healing powers. Homemakers excel at being a shoulder to cry on, an advisor in times of crisis, and, at times, a "human stress ball." They can feel when something’s off, like a sixth sense that goes beyond the state of the laundry basket. Is it about the kids' report cards, a forgotten anniversary, or just that inexplicable "I need chocolate" feeling? They’ll know.

4. The Professional Negotiator

Homemakers are also skilled diplomats. They resolve sibling squabbles with the precision of a UN peacekeeper and negotiate bedtimes that are both acceptable to the child and to the time-space continuum. Whether it's convincing the family that eating breakfast at 11:30 a.m. is "totally fine" or that no, you cannot eat candy for dinner, the homemaker can smooth things over with a mix of logic and charm.

5. The Household CFO

Did you think a homemaker only dealt with laundry and emotions? Think again. Managing the budget, paying bills, and making sure there’s enough money for both groceries and the surprise dentist visit is no small feat. They’re like CFOs with a master’s degree in stretching every dollar until it begs for mercy. A good homemaker can make a dollar feel like a hundred, and if they don’t have it, they will find a way to make it happen.

6. The Life Coach and Time Management Specialist

A homemaker is like the world’s most patient life coach. From organizing your calendar to reminding you about that dentist appointment you forgot about three months ago, they’ve got the skills to keep things on track. They know exactly when to offer a pep talk and when to give you that look that says, “Please don’t make me remind you again.”

They also somehow manage to keep their own personal calendars full, with zero time to themselves. It’s like a magic trick. How do they do it? They’re multitasking at a level so high, it’s practically an Olympic event. It’s not uncommon for them to accomplish a week’s worth of tasks in a single day, all while making sure everyone else’s needs are met.

Now, to be very clear here...when I say time management specialist...I'm definitely referring to OTHER homemakers. I, myself, am far from that. I have total time blindness. Where my ADHD homemakers at? Tell me in the comments lol

7. The Cheerleader of the House

Whether you’re getting ready for a big presentation or just attempting to put your shoes on the right feet, homemakers are your #1 fans. They cheer you on through every victory, no matter how small, and offer encouragement when you’re about to throw in the towel (or in this case, the laundry). They turn every success into a family-wide celebration and make you feel like the champion you truly are.

So, Is Being a Homemaker Really That Hard?

Well, yes. And no. On the surface, it might seem like just cooking, cleaning, and reminding people to wear pants. But when you dig deeper, being a homemaker is an intricate balance of skills, patience, and maybe just a bit of wizardry. It’s about keeping a household running like a well-oiled machine, while simultaneously making sure everyone feels loved, cared for, and somehow encouraged to do their own laundry.

Homemakers are the silent warriors, the unsung heroes who don’t always get the recognition they deserve. They’re working hard behind the scenes to make life smoother for everyone else, and let’s face it, that deserves a standing ovation.

So next time you see a homemaker in action, give them a high five. Or better yet, throw in a load of laundry and ask if there’s anything you can do to help. Because the truth is, if they didn’t exist, the rest of us might just be… living in piles of dirty socks and cereal bowls.

To the homemakers out there...we see you. We appreciate you. And we promise, next time we ask, “What’s for dinner?” we’ll try to sound more enthusiastic.

FREE Ways to Support Our Bodies

Fri, 26 May 2023 12:00:00 GMT

There are so many ways to support our bodies that don't have to cost us anything. In my last post, I shared products I'm using to support our bodies while detoxing mold. It was feel difficult when we're trying to heal, but it keeps costing us more and more for all of the protocols.

Today I'm sharing ways you can support your body without having to purchase expensive supplements and equipment:

Sunshine- Get outside and enjoy 20 minutes of unfiltered sunshine. The sun helps to literally dry up mold because mold thrives in damp darkness. So if you have any fungal situations on your skin, the sun will help dry it up. Just practice sun safety by not going out during the brightest/hottest part of the day. A bonus tip: Getting morning sun helps regulate your circadian rhythm which will help you sleep better...which means your body has more time for recovery during sleep!
Grounding- yes, you can purchase special products to help with grounding (like grounding mats, bracelets and sheets) but you can also ground (also called earthing-there's a whole documentary on it for free too!) by just going outside and standing barefoot on the ground. The best is supposedly wet grass, like first thing in the morning when the dew is still out.
Lemon water or water with apple cider vinegar- yes, you'll have to purchase lemons or apple cider vinegar, and water isn't actually free either, but I'm still counting it because its almost free. You're probably already buying these things anyway as just part of your groceries.

How We're Eliminating Mold in Our Bodies

Fri, 19 May 2023 12:00:15 GMT

Last week I shared our mold story, and the process we're going through to eliminate it from our home. This week, we're chatting about what I'm doing to support our bodies while we eliminate it from our physical bodies.

I am using a few different brands of supplements including one brand (CellCore Biotics) that can only be purchased through a practitioner. This isn't a post about sales or anything like that, so I won't be linking directly to specific products. I will be sharing the types of supplements etc so you can do your own research and find what is best within your own budget. (I do share the specific products I''m using in my Mold Highlight in my stories on instagram, so you can see them that way if you just want to know what I'm using.

Here are the types of products I'm using:

Binders- you need some kind of binder to literally "bind" the mold spores and mycotoxins so you can safely eliminate them without it recirculating.
Detox Baths- I chose a clay one that helps draw out heavy metals as well
Bath filters- either a whole house filter, or at least one for your shower head and one for your bath faucet. We want to reduce how much our bodies are having to work through, so we want to reduce chemicals from being absorbed in the bath.
Dry Brushing- this assists our body's lymphatic system, allowing it to do it's job better
Castor Oil Liver Packs- placing castor oil over the abdomen (over the liver space) supports the liver so it can do it's job better.
Milk Thistle- either a tincture or supplement to support the liver.
Modified Citrus Pectin and Alginate- to support gut and circulatory detoxification (also helps bind heavy metals that play along with mold, and prevent recirculation)
Mimosa Pudica Seed Supplement- helps digestive health and bacterial environment, helps with elimination.
Lemon water to help with hydration
Sunshine!

The Mold Debacle-Finding it and Cleaning

Fri, 12 May 2023 12:00:05 GMT

Mold is something I have been concerned about for several years, but people kept downplaying it's importance. When we moved to NC in a tiny apartment, mold kept growing on the window sills due to condensation. I informed the apartment office and the maintenance guy came and "cleaned" it up with commercial grade bleach. Hint- bleach does NOT actually kill and eliminate mold. It just bleaches the color away and it continues to grow back...because it was never actually dealt with. When I asked about that, they said they've been doing this for years and it always works. Do you sense the irony too? Maybe you've had to continue doing this for years because it isn't actually working. He came back and did this 6 different times while we lived there.

Anyway, I began to get sick and I began research on the effects of mold. It seemed to answer several things for me, but there wasn't anything we could actually do about it, so I tried to let it go. It was also causing anxiety because of feeling like it's everywhere and no one was really listening to me. So I let it go. Then we moved a couple of years later into a brand new townhouse so I assumed we'd be fine now that were away from it. We were on a health journey, and ended up deciding to try floor sleeping to help with back health and mobility etc. When we lifted my daughter's mattress we found mold on the underside of it. This mattress is the same one we had in that apartment. There were no signs of it anywhere else, so we just "cleaned" her space and replaced it with a new floor pad thing.

Fast forward a few years and we move again, into our "forever" home. It's old and later we found out it has humidity issues. I'm dealing with chronic illnesses, and noticing strange symptoms and personality changes etc in my kids- especially my daughter. I keep trying to avoid the subject because it causes me so much anxiety. We can't just move. We own this house. Even if we wanted to move, we'd have to remediate in order to even sell to someone else. But one day, the curiosity was too strong (or you could say it was a Spirit prompting).

I lifted my daughter's mattress, and found mold again.

Then we found it under my son's mattress too.

This time, I didn't feel anxiety though. I felt peace, because I felt CONFIRMED. No one could deny what was going on. It was in plain sight. They symptoms in my kids, my body resisting healing, my husband had a chronic cough that was worsening.

But I didn't feel defeated. I felt brave. I did my research. I bought the products that will ACTUALLY kill mold, and remove it. We're still in the process of continually cleaning to prevent it coming back. We have specially cleaners, laundry additives, and even candles that help kill spores in the air. We completely got rid of my daughter's bed, mattress etc. We rebuilt my son's bed with new wood slats and got rid of his mattress. We deep cleaned everything and replaced everything that needed replacing. We had people come out and fix our HVAC system, addressing the humidity issues. Now we have a giant dehumidifier to keep it from happening again.

In a matter of DAYS symptoms were lessening. My daughter's ADHD was even better. I'm beginning to wonder if it's just been mold illness all along. Learning difficulties, concentration and focus, mood etc are all improving. I'll share in another post what I am doing to support our bodies in eliminating the mold as well.

If you take anything away from this blog post, let it be this:

Listen to your gut.

Even if you're afraid of what the outcome may be, it's still worth investigating. It is already making a huge difference in our lives.

Healing Season

Fri, 05 May 2023 14:22:02 GMT

I saw a reel on instagram a few weeks back that said "when you begin to heal, you're also going to get sad."

My initial thought was, "WRONG! I'm gonna be SO HAPPY! What on earth could make me SAD that I'm healing?!"

It went on to say something about how you begin to feel sad because you'll remember all the things you couldn't do that you can do again now that you're healing etc.

Maybe that part just hasn't fully hit me yet. I do feel that sadness creeping in sometimes when I think about the time missed playing and adventuring, and I do allow that emotion, but I like to treat it like a wave rather than letting it settle in and take root. Acknowledging the sadness and allowing it to gently crash over me...and then let it pass. As it passes, or to assist it in passing, I remind myself that there's nothing I can really do about it and I choose to focus on what I can do now.

Here are some things that I am able to do again now that I am in my healing season:

Drive
Go to the grocery store by myself
Shower-standing/unassisted-with warmer water! (full hot still makes my heart rate jump too high and is risking passing out)
Cook
Clean
Play
Dance (just being careful not to overdo it and avoid hands over head)
Go to the GYM!
Gardening
Cut the grass
Pressure washing

Here are some things that I haven't officially tested yet, but I fully anticipate I'll be able to do once I get the opportunity:

Get out of the pool unassisted
Hike
Drive further distances (beach trip coming soon!)

And here are some things I'm working/training towards:

Training towards being able to get my arms over head, even if only slightly-and quickly, so I can teach yoga classes in different studios. (I applied to a couple, but (understandably) studio owners are hesitant to hire a teacher that can't put her arms overhead (a common element of yoga flows) without passing out in front of students.
Relaunching my own virtual yoga and wellness studio

I find that making a list so I can turn back to the list of goals and met goals helps me remember how far I'm come. Maybe this will be helpful for you as well.

Healing Broth

jenniferdlundy@gmail.com (Jennifer Lundy) — Tue, 10 Jan 2023 22:59:37 GMT

I'm sure you've already heard about bone broth. This isn't anything new. Actually, it's quite old. I'd be willing to assume all of our grandparents, or at least great grandparents made bone broth. They ate real food. Even though the modern "health food industry" is continually expanding, so are our waistbands. We need to get back to real food; food that our bodies know how to use. Eating out occasionally, or using convenient options wisely is okay. This isn't a post about "demonizing" foods or labeling foods as good or bad as if a food product holds a moral value. No, this is about learning to view food as digestable or not. Usable or not. Do our bodies recognize GMO potato chips, skittles full of chemical dyes, or an almost neon cupcake as food? What happens when it doesn't know what to do with it? Our bodies store things it's unsure of in our fat for safe keeping. Too much sugar? Stored in fat. Chemical dyes? Stored in fat. Basically anything synthetic? Stored in fat. On and on it goes. Even if it's "low calorie" or marketed as "healthy"...if it's not real food, you can assume it's getting stored in your fat. This is one reason it's so important to sweat, so we can get these toxins out of our bodies!

But this post isn't about sweating or assisting your detox systems; unless you consider nourishing your body as a way of fueling your detox systems so they can do their job better.

So let's talk about how broth can be healing. It contains minerals and amino acids that are easily recognized by our bodies. It also contains collagen. You know that super trendy, but sometimes expensive thing you've seen everywhere lately? Yeah, it's right there in your bone broth. Regular consumption of bone broth has been known to reduce inflammation, improve digestion, reduce blood pressure, and improve mood. If you do a quick google search, you'd find many benefits to bone broth. Some of them seem wild, but I like to only share things that can be sited and proven, so I'll leave it at that. It also helps hydrate our bodies. We all can use better hydration, right?

A major perk to making your own bone broth is that it's basically FREE. You buy your meat to stew, roast, poach etc. Then you save the bones, add them to your slow cooker or pressure cooker (or stock pot on the stove top) with some water and apple cider vinegar. Let it cook all day (or night in your slow cooker/instantPot) then strain the liquid out.

Practical Ways to Use Your Broth:

-Salt to taste and sip it as is

-Make soup

-Use it in place of water to cook rice

-Make "bone broth hot cocoa"

Yeah, I know that last one sounds crazy. I thought so too, but it's actually one of Sally Fallon's (of Nourishing Traditions) most famous recipes. Everyone has their own take on the recipe now, but it's basically a mild flavored bone broth blended with heavy cream or raw cream if you have it available to you, maple syrup, cocoa powder, vanilla, and a pinch of salt; all to taste.

Be sure to tag me on instagram

( @NurturingLegacy ) if you try making your own!

Laughter

jenniferdlundy@gmail.com (Jennifer Lundy) — Tue, 10 Jan 2023 22:01:12 GMT

Laughter. Is it really the best medicine?

We've all heard the saying, "laughter is the best medicine", but is it true? I'm not sure I'd say it's the BEST medicine, but I would definitely say it is powerful medicine. Our mood can give insight into how our nervous system is doing. Our nervous system plays a major role in how our body is able to function at any given moment. If our nervous system is stuck in sympathetic mode (fight/flight/freeze) then we are not functioning optimally. The parasympathetic nervous system controls the body's response during times of rest (rest/digest).

Why am I talking about the nervous system? Because if we're laughing and feeling happy, we're able to shift into the parasympathetic nervous system control. When the parasympathetic nervous system is driving, our body can focus on resting, digesting, and recovering. The heart rate slows, blood pressure lowers, and we come into a calm state. This is important for anyone, but especially if you're dealing with any autonomic nervous system conditions. (like I am with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome and Dysautonomia.)

If you are on a healing journey; whether that is physical or emotional, tapping into the parasympathetic nervous system will be a top priority. It's natural to shift into the sympathetic nervous system. The difficulty comes in when we aren't able to shift back into parasympathetic mode. We don't want to be stuck in sympathetic mode. I will discuss this further as we dive into different ways to stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system, but today we will focus on laughter.

Laughter brightens our mood. A good laugh can turn our day around. Even if it starts off as a fake laugh, it usually stimulates a real laugh. Laughter is contagious too. Have you ever heard a few people laughing and you start to feel a little chuckle rising even though you have no idea what they're laughing about? Yeah, me too.

So if your'e having a bad day, watch something silly. Have a good laugh. Shift into rest and digest mode.

Practical Steps:

- Create a playlist on YouTube with funny videos (animals, giggling babies, and general happy things that make you smile and laugh.

-Save funny memes to a file on your phone that you can turn to when you need a laugh.

-Add funny tv shows to your Watch Now list on Netflix etc

-Look up funny books and either order them online or request them to borrow at your library.

Slowing Down

jenniferdlundy@gmail.com (Jennifer Lundy) — Thu, 01 Dec 2022 17:54:34 GMT

We live in a fast paced culture. We know this. We also know we "should" slow down sometimes. You know, smell the roses and all. But we have things to do. We have errands to run, kids to raise, healing modalities to try. It's been said that if we don't listen to our body's whispers, then it will scream to get our attention. In other words, if we don't take time to rest when our bodies send small messages, then we will be forced to rest when louder messages- like migraines or flare days etc- will stop us in our tracks.

So, what if we chose to slow down and live more intentionally? What if we took such tender care of ourselves that our bodies no longer felt the need to scream to get our attention?

I'm not saying you have to quit your job and move to the beach so you can just lounge in a hammock between two palm trees for the rest of your days. I mean...while that sounds amazing... eventually, even that would become boring.

What I am saying is we can schedule more time for rest. Like, literally put it on your daily schedule. This can look like scheduling a 20 minute power nap. It could be choosing to soak in the tub for 30 minutes instead of just taking a 5 minute shower.

Maybe it's choosing mindfulness.

There will still be meals to cook, dishes to wash, weeds to pull, and kids to get to bed. Life doesn't stop, but we can choose to be more mindful while doing our daily tasks. Set aside an hour to cook even if the recipe should only take 20 minutes. The trendy term for this idea is "romanticizing your life".

Clean the kitchen counter, light a candle, turn on some music, measure out all of your ingredients and place them in little bowls. Get everything ready. Print off the recipe so you won't need your phone, or use an actual cook book! Slowly follow the recipe, stirring and noticing the smells and textures. Really enjoy the process. It will take longer, but it will be worth it. You don't have to do this for every meal, of course, but maybe try it once a week and see how it feels to slow down. I'll share some breakdowns of other ways to slow down and be more mindful in different tasks in separate posts because I like to keep my blog posts short and not overwhelming. It's my little way of helping you take small steps...while learning in small bites too.

Guasha and Rollers

jenniferdlundy@gmail.com (Jennifer Lundy) — Fri, 19 Aug 2022 16:54:18 GMT

Guasha (pronounced gwa-sha) and face rollers are an ancient form of self care originating from Chinese culture. Traditionally they are made from jade, but they can be found in a variety of stones today. I have pairs in jade and rose quartz. A couple of them were actually gifted to me by one of my best friends, so every time I use them there's just that little bit of extra happiness associated with my practice. So, if you're looking for a great gift idea for a friend, I'd highly recommend these. It's so nice that every time I practice my self care routine with these pieces it reminds me of their love for me too.

Face rollers are great for de-puffing the face and eyes. For an added benefit you can store one in the fridge so it's extra cold in the morning to help with the super puffy eye situation that many of us deal with. I would recommend wrapping it in a clean wash cloth and then putting it in a container for storage in the fridge to protect it.

Guasha can be used for de-puffing the face too, but they are useful for encouraging lymphatic drainage. They are useful in massage to help break down fascia and relax tight muscles. My Physical therapist usually begins our sessions with a little bit of massage to help release tightness in my chest (left over from CPR when I was in ICU when I first got sick) to ensure that I can breathe well while we exercise. She utilizes a guasha during her massages as well. You can use the guasha to really target small spaces.

Lymphtic drainage is important for every body, but especially sick bodies...and even more so if you've been immobile for a time. Our lymphatic system depends on body movement in order for it to flow, so if you're not moving...niether is your lymph. That means toxins and waste products are just sitting still in your lymph nodes. Massaging with a guasha can help it drain out and move on. Not to bad for a pretty little stone, huh?

Socializing

jenniferdlundy@gmail.com (Jennifer Lundy) — Sun, 01 May 2022 23:10:33 GMT

It may not seem like an actual “healing tool” but spending time with loved ones can sometimes be the best medicine. One of the worst parts about chronic illness is the loneliness.

See if a friend can come over and just sit and laugh. Pack a picnic and make it special. Go for a hike if you’re able. The time in nature will heighten the experience. If you’re not at a point that you can go for a full hike, see if your friend can just push you in your wheelchair. Remember, we’re not being embarrassed by needing mobility aids.

If you can’t meet up in person, schedule a FaceTime or Zoom date to just see each other’s faces. Chat. Giggle. Be silly. Be real and honest too. Don't be afraid to open up and let them know how you're really doing.

Cupping Therapy

jenniferdlundy@gmail.com (Jennifer Lundy) — Sun, 01 May 2022 23:03:26 GMT

This one is really interesting to me. It originates from Eastern medicine. The traditional method involves lighting a match, blowing it out and immediately placing it under a small glass cup above the bare skin. The heat causes a suction effect, and the cup suctions onto the bare skin.

Professionals still utilize this method, but since I was going to be attempting to do this for myself, the kind I have is silicone. It’s a more mild suction, but it gets the job done and I don’t have to worry about burning myself or glass domes falling off and breaking.

A massage therapist can slide the cups around, while keeping the suction. This can be intense, but it’s a great way to release the fascia. Otherwise, you may choose to leave the cups static for 30 minutes or so. For the silicone style, you will need to apply some kind of massage oil before you begin. This can be a nice part of the massage experience too.

There may be bruising after the cups are removed. This is normal and it’s said to be a sign of how many toxins were drawn out.

Regardless, be sure to drink PLENTY of water to effectively flush out all the toxins you worked out in the session.

This healing modality is great for moving and decongesting stagnant lymph.

Lemon Water

jenniferdlundy@gmail.com (Jennifer Lundy) — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 02:46:47 GMT

I know, I know. Hear me out lol.

Lemon water is not the cure for the world…but it does help hydrate our bodies. Even if it’s only because it gives water some more flavor, it encourages us to drink more.

Dehydrated bodies are sick bodies.

Dehydration will exasperate symptoms and can trigger more symptoms.

Is drinking lemon water going to make your symptoms just go away? No…but being hydrated may lessen their severity.

Want extra points? Add a good pinch of Celtic salt or Redmond’s Real Salt to your lemon water for a “whole food” electrolyte drink to hydrate your cells.

Mobility Aids

jenniferdlundy@gmail.com (Jennifer Lundy) — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 02:44:38 GMT

H ere’s the thing: sometimes we just need mobility aids.

We aren’t lazy.
We aren’t faking it.
It’s not for attention.

It just makes our lives better.

Using a mobility aid can be the difference between getting to leave the house or not. It can mean time with friends. It can mean independence. It can mean saving energy for later in the day.

Each day can be unpredictable when you have chronic illnesses. You may be able to get around without an aid at all one day, and be fully dependent on a wheelchair the next day. I have a wheelchair, a rollator (like a walker with a seat for when you need it), and a cane.

I was hesitant to get them at first. I had a few reasons for this.

First, I had preconceived ideas that I had to get over. I would never think anyone else using a wheelchair was just being “lazy” so why was I allowing myself to feel that judgment??

Second, I was “too young” to be needing canes and walkers. Friends, if you’re not “too young” to have a debilitating illness…then you’re not too young to need mobility aids. (Heads up: you’re not too young to be sick either.)

Lastly, I just honestly didn’t know how bad I truly needed them. I was causing myself a lot of grief and pain by being too stubborn (proud) to accept the assistance of mobility aids. If you’re unsure, ask around. See if anyone has one you can borrow before you buy your own. That way you can see if it helps you or not .

Baths

jenniferdlundy@gmail.com (Jennifer Lundy) — Sat, 19 Feb 2022 02:42:02 GMT

D etox bath, anyone? These kind of became a trend a few years ago. I’m not here to tell you that if you’ll just throw some salts into your tub it will heal all your ailments. I would like to suggest that you consider what you’re adding to your baths though.

There’s a big difference between a hot bubble bath by cheap candle light with a glass of wine…and a bath with magnesium salts, herbs, maybe some essential oils, and a glass of water. (Or an electrolyte drink! Liquid IV is my personal favorite-especially strawberry or watermelon)

We all want to support our bodies, but when you have chronic illness this becomes even more important. Many dealing with chronic illnesses are triggered by things like perfumes and fragrance oils. I even react to plain water when I’m in a flare, so fragrance is just out of the question.

A simple bath can include water (filtered if possible), magnesium flakes or even Epsom salts, and sea salt. Baking soda is said to help neutralize the chlorine in city water so you could try that. Adding a teaspoon or so of a gentle oil that your skin tolerates well can be soothing for dry skin. You can add some herbs to a tea ball and allow them to steep in the water, or add a few drops (10 max) of a gentle essential oil to your salts before swirling into the water. Lavender works well here, but use what works well for your body. We all have our own likes, dislikes, and sensitivities, so use your own judgment here. Just water, magnesium, salt and baking soda are fine. Sometimes simple is best.

In case you need measurements, here’s what I do:

1 cup Magnesium Flakes or Epsom Salt
1/4 cup baking soda
1/4 cup sea salt
1 tsp oil of choice (coconut, jojoba, liquid shea)
1 tea ball of dried herbs (rose petals, peppermint leaves, chamomile or lavender)
10 drops lavender EO

Add dry ingredients to a glass jar, add the oils, cover with a lid and shake to mix. Allow to settle before opening the jar and sprinkle into bath water. Swirl to combine.

Generally, people say to stay in a “detox” bath for 40 minutes. They say it’s 20 minutes to sweat and release toxins and 20 minutes to absorb the minerals through your skin. They also say it’s supposed to be a hot bath. I have POTS so a hot bath triggers more symptoms for me. I do miss hot baths, but a warm bath is still nice. I’ve learned that drinking a Liquid IV helps minimize post bath dizziness.

I have a full body bath pillow that makes baths much more comfortable too. I find that I can actually stay in the bath longer with the pillow because my joints aren’t pressed into the hard tub. Anyone with chronic pain will appreciate a full body length bath pillow.

So gather your things and try implementing baths 1-2 times a week to support your body .

Bible and Prayer

jenniferdlundy@gmail.com (Jennifer Lundy) — Fri, 18 Feb 2022 22:06:25 GMT

O f course this is the first subject I’m going to discuss, right? It can be a tricky subject, though, because we want to just believe that God will heal all of us completely. Sometimes that does happen. But how do we reconcile things when it doesn’t? I’m still working through this, so I don’t really have the right answer for you here. Sorry, friend.

What I do have, though, is hope. Maybe it’s a hope that we will heal completely. Maybe it’s a hope that tomorrow will be better. Maybe it’s a hope that one symptom will be milder. Maybe it’s hope for just enough strength for today.

Whatever it is that you need, Jesus knows pain. He knows heart ache. He’s been there, and he will sit with you in it. He will comfort you and give you peace.

He can also handle your anger, hurt, and sadness. However you feel, whatever it is that you want to say…or cry…or scream…he can handle it. He’s strong enough to listen and gentle enough to soothe your soul .

Kitchen Reveal

Tue, 16 Jul 2019 17:51:32 GMT

I'm loving my new kitchen!

Today, I'm sharing my new kitchen! Yayyyy!

This was a long and difficult process. It's not so much that the actual kitchen renovations were extremely difficult, but all of the other projects that were revealed in the process of launching the kitchen project. Matt measured (again and again and again lol) the kitchen and designed the new set up on Ikea's website. We went to Charlotte to pick everything up. That was it's own adventure in itself. The next week, we had friends come over to the house and help us tear out (quite literally) the old kitchen. We ended up finding bugs, mold, evidence of mice, dangerous electrical situations, flooring issues, etc.

We finally got it all taken care of, put up the drywall, mudded, sanded, painted, and began to build the new kitchen pieces. We put in the cabinets, then had friends come help us cut and set up the new counters, and tiles. Friends helped us with the hood vent, roof stuff (due to the hood vent), and got the new fancy dishwasher set up.

After the help of many friends, what felt like thousands of trips to Home Depot, many tears and much laughter...

we finally have a complete kitchen! It's so bright and comforting. It feels peaceful. It's beautiful. It's literally my dream kitchen and I love it.

Check out the video below to see the entire process!

Coming Together

Mon, 01 Jul 2019 16:44:05 GMT

It's all coming together now.

The kitchen has become a pivoting point for us. It's destruction lead us to finding most of the problems in the house. It was what lead to the darkest moments in the house. Then it started turning around. The deconstruction, then the rebuilding opened us up to being loved by friends. It taught us to allow people in.

We used to watch shows about people building tiny houses or yurts, eco homes etc. They would talk about the budget for the project, and we were always skeptical about how low the cost of the project was because they just had all their windows donated, or they had friends all come help them build their house etc. We always said, "well, yeah that worked out for them...but that's not realistic for most people." They're usually millennials who are open to bartering for projects etc and are bold enough to ask for something to be donated or for help. We are millennials, but we're not brave/bold enough to ask things like that.

But then, we didn't really even have to ask. Friends just asked how they could help and we admitted to not knowing what we were doing. In the last post, I shared how so many people have stepped in and continued to show up and help walk with us through this season. Because of this, we're at a turning point. The kitchen is sooo close to being complete.

We've fixed and moved the electrical stuff, put up dry wall, mudded/sanded, painted, put in the cabinets, counters, shelves, a new sink and dishwasher. Today, the tile back splash is going up. We'll put the new lights up and get the stove hooked up soon. I'm just excited because I have a sink again, so I can make smoothies again!

We're starting to put the kitchen dishes etc into the cabinets and on to the shelves. All of our bedrooms are finished minus a few projects we want to do to personalize the rooms over time. Once all of these tools are out of the living/family room it will be done. I'm just going to buy a rug for this room and hang the hammock chair. We are still thinking through what we're going to do with the tv because I want it to be able to move out of the way/sight when it's not in use. I just feel like a tv changes the vibe of the room, so I'd love to be able to camouflage it somehow. The only space left to really "figure out" is the front room. It's kind of a dining room/classroom/yoga room/sun room/vintage room lol. It will probably be an adventure defining it, and will most likely have it's own blog post.

So this house is starting to look like and feel like home.

We're excited because the kids come home from their summer Georgia grandparents trip TODAY! We're excited to have them home and back in our arms. We are also excited to welcome them home to what FEELS like home, because it didn't feel like home when they left a couple of weeks ago.

There's still work to be done, (we know there always will be) but it feels like everything has turned around now. We're in a better place emotionally...and literally. You guys...I can NOT wait to reveal the new kitchen and do home tours for you all on instagram. It's beautiful.

Seeing The Light

Fri, 21 Jun 2019 18:48:23 GMT

There's a faint light at the end of this tunnel.

We have had to rely on peace from God and help from friends. We have been showered with love and support from so many this past week that I keep finding myself at a loss for words. Last week I was feeling negatively overwhelmed by the amount of work to be done. This week, I'm feeling positively overwhelmed by the amount of help we've received... and it just keeps happening. Friends keep showing up.

I tend to think when things are going well, it's only for a season. If friends are helping, cool..but it's only today. I'd be on my own tomorrow. I wish I didn't feel this way, but it's an emotional response I formed a long time ago. I became used to being the one that showed up to help people, cook for people, clean for people, etc without it really being returned. Over time, I realized that...but chose to not let it bother me. I wanted to be the person that showed up either way. Even if the help may never be returned, I was going to help because it was my way of showing love.

But, apparently, I was projecting that mentality into this phase of my life. Being helped, especially at this level, is new for me. I don't really know how to accept help without thinking it may end soon. So, this is a learning phase for me.

To all of my friends that have shown up to help, checked in, and/or prayed for us...even just thought of us or read my blog posts...we are forever grateful. Thank you.

We're hoping to have a kitchen by next week. I will never look at a kitchen sink or running water the same. We don't even have a microwave (because I don't plan to have one) I'm realizing maybe I should have just asked if I could borrow one from someone just until the kitchen is done because we've been eating out or eating cold leftovers. That's just not good for your heart. I'm mostly kidding...but it does feel depressing eating cold leftovers straight from the fridge and using paper products.

I'm ready to get back to my #zerowaste goals, and eating whole plant foods. I'm ready to have this beautiful kitchen. I'm ready to finish unpacking. I'm ready to feel like this is home...and it feels like we're beginning to get closer to that now.

It has to go up from here

Fri, 21 Jun 2019 02:29:38 GMT

When you've hit a new low, it can only get better.

We have no kitchen. We have black mold. Do we have mice? Do we have roaches? The wood rot repairs cost more than anticipated. The pool won't regulate and we don't know what we're doing. The termite control people had to put bait stations inside one of my raised bed gardens.
What were we thinking? We can't just change our minds.

We've brought our kids into this.

We gave up a perfectly beautiful home in a good neighborhood with good neighbors, for this?

Right now, it feels like we would have been better off staying there. Quickly transitioning to the Schoolie Life could have been easier than this.

There was one point when I walked in to what will eventually be a dining room/class room/yoga room (?) but is currently just full of the boxes that we can't/ don't know what to do with yet. The sun was flowing into the large windows. I wasn't particularly stressed or overwhelmed by anything in that moment (aside from the constant wondering of regret in the back of my mind) but as I looked down at the floor admiring the glow from the sun, I felt myself breaking. Silently, I mouthed the words, "What have we done?" and realized my trembling hands were holding my face. I quickly pulled myself back together, walked back in to the other room and got back to work. "Keep busy", I thought. Eventually it has to get better.

Just keep going.

What Have We Done?!

Wed, 19 Jun 2019 21:26:40 GMT

Wake up calls and near break downs.

Have you ever jumped in to something with high hopes only to wake up feeling like you're drowning?

We have. Last week.

We were so excited to buy this house. Everything had worked out and we had the money to fix the problems, plus update it...
We were up for the challenge of a home with some projects. We were prepared to pay the contractor to come fix the stuff we knew about. We had a team coming in to ensure that termites would not actually make it to the house itself. Everything was working out.

Then we woke up to the mess around us.

It was more than just the mess of boxes. We learned that there was more damage than we thought. Most of the outlets did not work. We saw some roaches. We bought a whole kitchen from Ikea, but had no idea how we were going to do any of this.

We were overwhelmed.

But.

We had friends surround us and support us. They showed up and we had the old kitchen completely undone and removed in just a couple of hours. It was incredible.

Except for the part where they discovered black mold.

Remember in my last post I said asbestos and/or black mold would be the scariest things that would make me want to walk away?

Yeah.

Matt and I individually had our own emotional break downs, but at least it couldn't get worse...?!

Closing The Deal

Tue, 18 Jun 2019 19:56:53 GMT

Closing on the houses and the drama that came along with it.

We had a little scare after the inspector came to look at the house because there was some wood rot, drainage issues, signs of termites, some electrical issues that seemed minor, and the potential of asbestos. We were sad and nervous at that time, but felt like if it was supposed to be the house for us then we would hear good news from the test results for the asbestos and from the sellers in regards to the cost of repairs.

The asbestos was the scariest part for me. Asbestos and black mold are big scares for me personally because I have friends that have literally moved out of houses due to black mold and asbestos because it's terrible. I remember thinking at least there were no signs of black mold.

We got good news back. The sellers had a contractor come out and give a quote for what it would take to do the repairs and they were going to give us the money for the cost to fix it! Annnd the asbestos testing came back NEGATIVE! We felt confident in the house and moved forward with the process of purchasing it.

When it came down to closing day, we got news that the people buying our townhouse needed extra time to get their loan approved. This was nerve wracking and confusing for us because we weren't sure how they made it that far without that being in place.

Then we got to the official closing day (after the extra time), annnd they still didn't have everything ready. We were there ready to sign papers and it wasn't ready. I also forgot my wallet because I wasn't driving, so I didn't have my ID...which turned out to be okay with me because it gave us a good reason to not sign papers yet. I was NOT going to sign our townhouse over to people without knowing for sure they were going to be able to follow through. We left to go get my ID and drove around listening to worship music.

It was an insane day, but it all ended up working out. We closed on our townhouse, closed on this "new to us" house, and had the keys!

We had a group of awesome friends show up to help us unload the Uhaul into the house.

It was all going to be okay now, right?

Right??

Packing Up

Mon, 17 Jun 2019 16:34:02 GMT

Preparing to move on with your life. What stays? What goes?

Packing up your life really has a way of illuminating some things doesn't it? It exposes the things in your home...and in your heart...that have been hidden away. Suddenly you find yourself digging things up, pulling things out of the back of that closet that you've avoided. Maybe you find yourself dealing with emotions you didn't even know you'd been hiding deep within your heart.

That's where I am right now. Our family is moving. It's only one town over this time, but it's still a pretty big move for us. We mulled over sooo many different housing options for a while. We waited. We struggled emotionally over which route was best for our family. We considered converting a school bus into an RV (lovingly called a Schoolie. I mean, how amazingly adorable is that?) AND unschooling/lifeschooling is such a big part of our lifestyle that literally living in a school bus would be PERFECT, right? But where would we live while we converted the bus? We went back and forth so many times. We finally settled on a small 1960's brick ranch in a town that we love. It's definitely a "fixer upper", but it also already has raised bed gardens, a green house, grape vines, peach trees, a mimosa tree (one of my favorite trees!), AND an in ground swimming pool. It has a perfect space in the back yard where we could park our school bus (eventually) and work on it as we go along. It will serve as a "pool house", "guest house", and "RV" for traveling first, and then MAYBE Matt and I will just move permanently in to it when we retire.

Sounds amazing, right? It's not without issues though. It requires that we let go of some things, both literally and mentally/emotionally. We have to let go of some stuff that just won't fit and doesn't really "match" our lifestyle anymore. What's more difficult, though, is letting go of a larger space... and ease. Our townhouse wasn't huge, but it was bigger than this. It was also all brand new. Now we're transitioning to something where everything is old...sometimes really small, kind of smelly, and there's a lot of work to be done.

Emotionally, we have to let go of a house that we had built specifically for us. We picked out every little detail and it was beautiful. We went in and wrote scriptures on the lumber before the sheetrock went up. It feels like we're letting go of a piece of ourselves.

We're not naive. We're fully aware (as much as we an be at least) that this isn't going to be easy...but we're up for the challenge.

What are some things that you've had to let go of in order to reach your dreams?

Who Is God? Who am I?

Fri, 26 Apr 2019 00:11:20 GMT

A journey of self discovery.

I’m in another season of transition.

First, we’re in the middle of moving again. We found a house, put in an offer, it was accepted, then we put our town house on the market, got an offer, accepted it, and will close everything out on June 3rd.

But I’m in another transition. It’s more than physical and more than literal.

As much uncertainty as there is in the midst of a physical move, I feel even more uncertainty in this emotional/spiritual shift.

I’m not sure what all of this is or what it means. I’m also not sure exactly how to share this with all of you.

I’ve come to the realization that I don’t know who I am.

It’s that level of uncertainty.

In the beginning of the year, I reluctantly chose my “one word”. It was “ENOUGH”. Remember how I didn’t want that to be the word? Yeah. Because I don’t believe I am enough.

Well, here I am still struggling with it.

Here I am still striving to be ________enough.

I’m still trying to please people. Still striving for approval. Still feeling like I’m not good enough. Not strong enough. Not peaceful enough. Not bold enough. Not pretty enough. Not confident enough.

Do you ever just wake up realizing you have no idea what you’re doing? That’s me today.

I went to my Bible app and literally read through an entire 7 day devotional looking for answers. Then I went to the one that I’m already in the middle of. The one scheduled for today. Guess what it was about? Here’s a clip:

“Maybe you spent your whole life searching for who you are. Your identity is found only in Christ. He is our Creator and the way you find who you are, is by learning who God is.”

But I’ve known God my whole life.

What I’m learning though, is maybe I’ve allowed other people’s ideas of who God is AND who I am taint the reality of who God really is and who I really am.

So who is God? What is God’s character?

Love. Unrelenting. Ever pursuing. Always forgiving. Caring. Knowing. Gentle. Strong. Brave. Capable. Full. Protective. Incomprehensible love.

Who am I?

Who can I be once all of the layers of forced striving have been peeled away?

I’m terrified to initiate the process to find her.

But.

I am. Today.

Rest and Healing

Tue, 12 Feb 2019 20:47:44 GMT

August 2018 Rest and Healing

Our lives are full of “yang”: striving, pursuing, and/or working for something. We have to balance that with “yin”: rest, calm, peaceful restoration.

I’ve been in Yoga Teacher Training this year, and it’s crazy how different it’s been than what I expected. Of course, I can’t really tell you what I expected it to be either. I think maybe I thought I would be getting stronger and learning super awesome poses while learning to teach others how to do yoga poses. However, it has turned out to be much more difficult than what I could have imagined.

First of all, it’s a LOT more emotionally/ introspectively intense than I would have guessed. There’s SO much personal, emotional/spiritual life work being done through this process. It’s been amazing peeling away layers of myself; finding who I am- who I’ve been all along…just underneath all of the “expectations” I’ve placed on myself or allowed others to place on me.

Add to this the part where I injured myself multiple times. I tore my rotator cuff and had to take the time to heal it. I hurt my back and knee at different times. Now I’ve twisted my pelvis and am forced to take time to heal it. It’s forced me to focus less on the physical side of teacher training and more on the spiritual and emotional. Less on the outside/more on the inside.

I’ve honestly had a difficult time with this because I want to do all the things…but with only a couple of months left of the training, I’m having to accept that this is just the way it’s going to be.

So I could be disappointed and let down that I won’t be physically stronger or do all the cool things… but I’m choosing to be content with where I am. I’m not going to just settle for not ever doing “all the things” either. I’m working on not longing to be able to do the things I used to do, or for the things I can’t do yet. I’m working on just being happy with where I am right now.

Just like I want to be fully present in my parenting and teaching, I want to be fully present with myself; and through my practice. The rest will come on it’s own.

This Is Your Life part 5

Tue, 12 Feb 2019 20:43:59 GMT

May 2018 This Is Your Life series part 5/5

I’m going to wrap this series up today. I know there are still a few more quotes left on the mat, but I want to go ahead and sum it all up.

I feel like it can be condensed down into this:

If you don’t like who you are right now, change.

You are in control of your own being. You can choose to become organized. You can choose to become kind. You can choose to become a morning person. (believe me, this has been something I’ve worked on and its slowwwwwwwly happening lol.) You can choose to become more peaceful. You can choose to become more assertive. You can choose to become less pessimistic. You can choose to be less hard on yourself. You can choose to love.

The first step is just ask to yourself who you want to be.

If you know someone who is similar to what you want to be like, seek them out. Become friends. Spend time with them. Learn from them.

If you’re overstressed, re-prioritize your life. Let go of the things that don’t line up with who you want to be, or how you want to live your life. Take the first step. You won’t just change over night. Your life won’t change over night. Your situation won’t change over night…but you can take the first steps.

You can take a look in the mirror and allow yourself to see where you are vs where you want to be. Maybe this is a physical thing for you. Maybe it’s an emotional or spiritual thing for you.

You can choose to stop the hatred.

You can choose to love yourself right where you are.

You can choose to see the true potential within you.

The second step is to forgive. (maybe this is for someone else….or maybe this is to forgive yourself- for the hate and shame that you’ve put on yourself)

Then, you can strip away the things that don’t make you feel whole.

If you want to be a more positive person, find positive affirmations and post them everywhere. Read them to yourself and allow yourself to believe them. Over time, you will begin to naturally think this way.

If you want to be less hurried, allow yourself to slow down. Cancel things that can be cancelled. Don’t schedule new things. “Schedule” down time. Literally put it on your calendar. Tell yourself that you can’t plan a meeting etc during that time. MAKE TIME FOR YOURSELF.

Allow yourself to just “be”.

Talk to your kids about this if they’re old enough to be a part of the busy-ness already. Are they in 5 different sports and activities? Tell them they get to choose one next season. Maybe take a complete break from all sports/activities for a season; then they can choose one at the next season. I know it’s difficult for the parents because we want our kids to do all the things we did…or maybe get to do all the things we didn’t get to do…but it’s important for them to learn the value of slowing down as well.

Mama’s, it’s okay to slow down. It’s okay to need to slow down. It’s okay to ask for help. It’s okay to be imperfect. Our kids need to see our flaws in order to see how they can gracefully wade through their own imperfections as they grow.

It’s been said over and over, but I’ll say it again. It’s OKAY to not be okay. Just don’t stay there. Take the steps to change what needs to be changed. Give yourself the same level of grace and mercy that you would give your children. Allow yourself the space to feel what you feel. Ask yourself what needs to be made new. Pray. Linger in prayer. Allow yourself to find what you want your priorities to be, what you want your life to look like…and then stand up and simply begin.

I would love to hear from you and pray with/for you as you wade through these waters. I am not where I want to be yet either. I believe it’s a long journey- possibly a lifetime of pruning, watering, love and care…but we can travel it together.

This Is Your Life part 4

Tue, 12 Feb 2019 20:38:49 GMT

May 2018 This Is Your Life series part 4/5

“Stop over analyzing, life is simple.”

And

“All emotions are beautiful”

We tend to over think things, don’t we? We think of the worst case scenarios and end up never doing things because of fear. We worry and replay words that we said and what we wish we said. We worry and fret over things, but life is usually so much more simple than we make it out to be. If you regret something you said, just apologize. If the person is still mad or not ready to forgive, you’ve done your part. Hopefully they will work through things in their own time…but at least you are working towards recovery on your own.

Don’t let fear control you.

I know, it’s easier said than done. But your worries are probably false anyway. We build up these scenarios that will most likely never happen. It’s almost always easier, gentler, and more peaceful than we expect.

“All emotions are beautiful.”

I know I just said not to let fear control you and fear is an emotion. I don’t mean to sound contradictory, but I’m not saying to never allow yourself to feel fear (or any other emotion)…I’m just saying not to allow it to control you.

Happiness is our favorite emotion. Our goal is to always be happy. Everything we do, whether it’s concourse or subconscious, is seeking happiness.

But.

Happiness is not the only acceptable emotion.

If we- or our kids- are feeling sad, angry, guilty, nervous, afraid etc… we need to leave room to fully feel it. Don’t linger. Don’t stay. But, feel it. Let it rush over you. Cry. Give it words.

Then rise up. Find your way back to happiness.

This Is Your Life part 3

Tue, 12 Feb 2019 20:36:47 GMT

May 2018 This Is Your Life series part 3/5

“If you don’t like your job, quit”

This is the hardest one to swallow isn’t it? Oh it sounds like an easy fix, just walk in one day and quit. Find something you love to do instead. Yeahhh… except I still have bills to pay, and a family to feed.

I get it. But at some point we really do have to ask ourselves what our priorities are…and what we want our priorities to be.

I had too much going on and I felt like I was failing at all of them. We had to sit down and really process our priorities. We had to realllly adjust our budget in order to make room for me to not have to work anymore…AND pay for my 200 hr Yoga Teacher Training.

I’m not saying you have to quit your job out of the blue. I’m just saying to be open to asking yourself if you can make changes.

Maybe let go of some things in your budget/lifestyle so that you can switch to part time, or switch to a different job. Maybe it’s not what you went to school for. Maybe it’s not a glamorous job with a big pay check…but maybe it will be something that you actually look forward to doing every day. Maybe it will be something that brings you joy and fulfillment.

It was difficult for us to keep changing our budget. It was difficult for me to let go of my business. But I’m honestly so glad I did it. Sometimes letting go is difficult, but it’s also freeing.

This Is Your Life part 2

Tue, 12 Feb 2019 20:35:30 GMT

May 2018 This Is Your Life series part 2/5

“If you don’t like your job, quit”

I get it. But at some point we really do have to ask ourselves what our priorities are…and what we want our priorities to be.

I’m not saying you have to quit your job out of the blue. I’m just saying to be open to asking yourself if you can make changes.

It was difficult for us to keep changing our budget. It was difficult for me to let go of my business. But I’m honestly so glad I did it. Sometimes letting go is difficult, but it’s also freeing.

This Is Your Life part one

Tue, 12 Feb 2019 20:33:34 GMT

May 2018 This Is Your Life series, part 1/5

I’ve titled this post to match the first statement on this yoga mat.

It resonates so well with me. I actually gave it to a sweet friend a few months ago, but recently asked her if she would just send me a picture of it. I’m random and weird like that, but she knows and loves me so she didn’t even act like it was weird lol.

I got this yoga mat a few years ago really just because it was on sale. It was rolled up and wrapped in packaging, so I didn’t really even know what all it said on it when I bought it. I took it home and unrolled it. I stood there stunned. It wasn’t really a happy emotion I was feeling-more of a disappointment. I loved the words…but I couldn’t believe the words. I felt like they were so far from me that those statements were unattainable. It was rough. When I used that mat, I flipped it upside down because I couldn’t focus and do yoga with those impractical words “shouting” at me. Isn’t it interesting how we perceive things as shouting sometimes? Because, at that time, I couldn’t agree with the words I perceived them as shouting. Now that my own mindset has changed, they seem gentle and kind.

I was originally going to try to fit this all in one post…but as I was typing it, the words keep flowing from my heart, and it’s way too much for one post. I’ve decided I’m going to turn it into a “series” instead.

For today’s thought, let’s just prepare ourselves to be open to new ideas. Prepare to feel challenged. Prepare to be freed.

A Time For New Life

Tue, 12 Feb 2019 20:30:37 GMT

April 2018 A Time for New Life

Who doesn’t love spring? I realize some people truly suffer in an extreme way from the pollen, but if that weren’t the case…I believe even they would love spring. Spring is such a beautiful time. Everything is new. If you follow me on Instagram, I apologize for bombing your feed with flowers. I’m obsessed.

Spring is special to me because while I really do genuinely love snow, it gets old. In the end of winter, it just feels bitter cold and dark. Everyone is huddled up in their homes and the wind cuts through us. Then, one day…the sun peaks through the clouds and bright green shoots up through the ground. Tiny green buds pop out on the trees. Bees begin to buzz and the temperatures slowly rise.

Here in NC, we have to watch the weather closely to know if we need a jacket or shorts. Most days it varies by the hour: jacket in the morning, shorts in the afternoon. This morning I literally had a fire in the fireplace, but we’ll be sipping iced tea in flip flops by 4:00pm.

We went for a short spring hike last week and saw a mother duck snuggling her ducklings. I was so happy just to see a duck…I didn’t even notice her ducklings at first! I love that everywhere you turn, there is new life. It was extra special to me because the next day was going to be baptism Sunday at our church, and baptism is all about new life.

In the vein of everything being fresh and new, I’m excited about the changes coming to the blog. In my last post I talked about how I was in a season of letting go of things that were no longer serving me. Now I’m ready to move forward. I’m really happy with the changes my family has made, and that will be reflected here on the blog as well.

Take your shoes off, grab some iced herbal tea, go outside and join me in this beautiful new season!

Season Of Letting Go

Tue, 12 Feb 2019 20:27:43 GMT

March 2018 Season of Letting Go

I am currently in a season of letting go. Have you ever been there?

Some things are easy to let go of. It’s easy to let go of things that we didn’t “really” want to do in the first place. Maybe we over committed, and while it’s difficult to feel like we may disappoint someone, we feel relieved when we know we no longer have to do it.

However, some things are extremely difficult to let go of. Sometimes we have to let go of things that we really do enjoy. Maybe it honestly brings us joy, but we don’t need that for the season we’re in.

I am in that season. The season of letting go of so many things that I love as well as some things that I won’t miss all that much.

I had wayyy too many things on my plate. I am learning to let go of most of it. I deleted the Facebook app from my phone so that I won’t get stuck scrolling through things that stress me out. I let go of some things that were how I earned money, meaning that we had to adjust our budget (yet again) in order for our finances to align with our needs during this season.

One big thing? I have let go of my nutrition business. I created this business. I built it. I poured my life into it. I genuinely enjoyed it. But then I didn’t. I began to struggle personally. I love the people that came to me through it. I love that I was able to help so many people through it. I am glad I did it. I am sad that I had to let it go for now…but I am also so glad that I listened and let it go.

I was overwhelmed.

Now my focus is my family. My relationship with Jesus. My husband. My kids. My self. Our homeschool journey. My yoga training.

We lost a friend to a car accident. He was young. He was healthy. It was sudden.

In the days that followed, as we mourned, we decided that we didn’t want to waste our time here doing things that didn’t truly feel like “living”.

Matt is living his dream. He is overjoyed with his job. He looks forward to waking up to go to his job everyday. Are there hard days? He’s a pastor. Read: YES. But the good days make up for the hard days. The church that we work for is amazing. Their heart, their passion, the way they care for the staff…it’s inspiring.

I loved being a nutritional therapist, and essential oils distributor, and nanny, and worship leader, and volunteer, and homeschool teacher, and breastfeeding mentor, and cleaning lady, and yoga teacher trainee, and and and..do you see why I was overwhelmed? One day I wrote down all the things I had “on my plate”. It was way too much. No wonder I felt like I couldn’t do it all. No one could!

So with prayer, and long conversations with Matt..I decided to let go of most of it.

That didn’t feel like living. That felt like busy; and “busy” isn’t “living”. Not for me. I want to have the time to live. I want to play with the kids. I want to learn with the kids rather than give them an assignment and work beside them. Now, I only clean one office. I babysit here and there when I’m needed for a friend.

Most importantly, I get to feel fulfillment leading worship at our church. I get to feel fulfillment teaching and learning beside my kids; finding our passion for learning again. I get to rest. I get to just be. I get to focus on my yoga teacher training. I get to focus on my relationships: with Jesus, my husband, my kids, and my friends.

Letting go is difficult. Letting go is freeing.

If you feel overwhelmed, re evaluate your life. How can you adjust your lifestyle to line up with your passions? I encourage you to try. While some things are hard, it is so worth it.

Discipline Defined

Tue, 12 Feb 2019 20:25:08 GMT

January 2018 Discipline Defined

Okay, so I was actually reallllly terrified to post anything about discipline for so long because it seems to be such a sensitive subject. Everyone gets so uptight and offensive over it. But, my word for this year is “fearlessness” soooo….here goes…

First, allow me to literally DEFINE “discipline”.

Discipline, in it’s simplest form, just means “to teach”.

Along the way, the word has gathered new meanings and methods. We associate discipline with punishment or as a means of re-training children.

I’d like to encourage us all to get back to the simplest form. Jesus had disciples. He taught them. Did he spank them when they got it wrong or did he allow them to learn through natural consequences?

I have a pet peeve. A problem that I see is that people seem to believe that discipline = spanking or not. I am not here to tell you how to discipline (teach) your kids. I’m not here to say to spank or not to spank. I just want to be sure that you realize it’s not punish or not. It’s not “spank the kid or they get away with everything”. There are many many many forms of discipline.

Spanking is not the only way. Spanking is not even the “best” way.

I realize this is going to come across as controversial…but spanking is just the “easiest” way. If you just spank a child for everything they do, then you don’t have to think about anything. You only have one tool in your parenting tool box.

Does a handyman get everything done with only a hammer?

I would love to encourage you to ask yourself about your child’s personality. How do they learn best? How do YOU learn best?

If your boss needs something done ASAP…what will get them the best results? Should they come into your office yelling and demanding that you drop whatever you’re doing right now and get to it? Or…would they get better results by asking you to join them for lunch so you can discuss a plan to get this job done…maybe even together?

Adults are often given more grace and understanding than children…and we adults at least have all of the words needed to communicate our needs.

Maybe step one should be ensuring that our children are able to find the words to express their feelings and needs. If they can’t find the words, help them.

Next? Listen to them. It takes vulnerability to use our words, so we must respect our children and encourage them when they do use their words.

Once the lines of communication have been established, be sure you are using your words as well. If you mess up…if you lose your temper…if you don’t use your words in the heat of the moment…apologize. Go back to them and let them know that you’re sorry. I know this may be super difficult. It may feel like pouring salt on a wound…but doing this will help them to see you as human. We all mess up. It’s important for our kids to grow up knowing that it’s okay to be human. It’s okay to mess up. We don’t have to be perfect…but we do need to treat each other with respect. We do need to use our words. We do need to apologize when we’re wrong. Teach by example.

I know there are various forms of discipline. Some choose to spank, some choose time out, some choose time in, some take things away. I’m not going to say which way is best. I’m just asking you to realize that their are different methods…and what works for one family won’t work for every family. What works for one child may not work for another child even in the same family. This is why there are so many parenting books! This is why I would never tell someone exactly how to parent their child. But…it’s not one way or nothing. Find what works for YOUR child.

I strongly believe that by keeping open lines of communication, respecting our children as humans, and admitting when WE mess up..are the keys to getting on a path to peace.

Worry Less, Pray More

Tue, 12 Feb 2019 20:23:01 GMT

December 2017 Worry Less, Pray More

I grew up in the church. I grew up hearing these verses…just not the same way that I read them now.

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Then, the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus. Finally, whatever is true, whatever is noble, pure, lovely, and admirable…if anything is praise worthy- think about those things.” Phillipians 4:4-8

Growing up, these verses were always quoted separately. They were used individually. They left out what I feel are vital verses.

Rejoice in the Lord always. This was often used in a way to say you should never question, but always rejoice. If you are saved, you should always be happy. Always. Except I wasn’t. I must not be a good enough Christian.

Do not be anxious about anything. Ever. Just don’t. If you’re anxious, you must have doubt. You must not believe God is enough. But I have anxiety. I must not be a good enough Christian.

I never heard these all quoted together until recently. I went home and re-read through it. I repeated it over and over. It finally made sense.

Before, when they were used individually, they brought shame because I was still anxious and I didn’t always feel like rejoicing. Now, with all of it presented together (you know, how it was intended!) it’s an entirely different message.

Now, broken down into my own words…

-Worry less.

-Pray more.

-Let His peace in.

-Think about happy things.

-Look for the positives.

-Thank God for it all.

You don’t have to always be happy but, when you’re having a hard day, try to look for the positive things to help you find joy again. If you are worried or feeling anxious, pray. Remember that God is always with you and cares for you. Try to look for the positive side of things even when things aren’t going how you planned. Then, be thankful…even if things haven’t changed yet. I know that’s hard, but it really does help. We don’t see the whole picture, so what seems like a storm right now may end up being even for our own good.

It’s not about being good enough. Hint: you can’t. That’s why he saved us in the first place. It’s not about shaming you for being upset or grieved, or worried, or anything other than happy. Happiness is not the only acceptable human emotion. Jesus Himself experienced so much anxiety that he sweat blood. The message was never supposed to be about never experiencing a bad day or worry or fear. The message was supposed to show us how to get through it. I don’t know why people just pick out the parts almost as if to say, “Just don’t feel. Just don’t worry. How dare you worry or doubt!?” Now, I hope that’s not truly what they were meaning by it…but it’s certainly how it was perceived by many.

I knew when I read this I had to share. I had to clarify. I want to make it clear that Jesus is gentle. He doesn’t shake His finger at you tisking you to shame. He knows the feeling of concern. He knows. He was human. He lived here. He knows. It’s okay to not be happy 100% of the time. Just don’t stay there.

Listen And Be Present

Tue, 12 Feb 2019 20:20:43 GMT

December 2017 Listen and be Present

Here’s the thing… no one is really present anymore.

We all seem to be physically present but emotionally absent. We are constantly “on”. Constantly going, moving, thinking, doing. Even when we are still, our minds race to the next thought.

You know I want to discuss how poor nutrition and food dyes can exaggerate this…but today I’m going to let that simmer. Instead, I want to talk about phones and social media.

Phones are great. They’re an excellent tool for communication, broadening our horizons, useful tools for searching the internet to find the answers we need etc. Social media is fantastic. It connects us and presents opportunities that would otherwise be impossible.

But…they also can be counterproductive to the very thing they’re supposed to be used for.

Communication. Connection.

If we aren’t careful, our phones distract us from what’s in front of us. If we aren’t careful, social media will disconnect us from the lives we’re physically in.

Let me be clear. I’m not saying your phone is bad. I’m not saying social media is bad.

Here’s what I want you to hear:

Real life is happening in front of you, beside you, and behind you. You’re in it. Allow yourself to be FULLY in it. Allow yourself to become aware of the warmth or coolness of the room, the sound of chatter and laughter, the scent of your space. What’s happening around you? Who is there?

Now, what is the emotional atmosphere of the room? Does everyone seem happy? Does anyone seem disconnected? Anyone in need of cheering up? Listen to the tones in your family/friends/coworkers’ voices.

The other night, I had tucked the kids in bed and settled down on the sofa next to Matt. I was ready to relax and enjoy some down time before bed. That’s when I heard Gavin call my name. He came down and said he couldn’t sleep. I talked to him for a bit and sent him back up. A few minutes later, he came down again. Matt talked with him this time. We prayed and sent him on his way again. A third time, I heard him coming down the stairs. I had to decide in that moment: annoyance or grace?

I wanted to be annoyed. This was disrupting my plans. I wanted to just relax. I didn’t want it to be a back and forth dance all night that would inevitably end in tears.

I heard his quivering voice, “I just can’t sleep. I don’t know why.” He was as annoyed by his feelings of uneasiness as I was of not being able to unwind.

In that moment, I chose to listen fully. He did not want to be downstairs again either. I chose to take it as a “win” that although he knew it was a risk of just being sent up yet again…he still felt that I was a “safe place” for him to come to. Again.

I took his hand and we walked up the stairs to his room together this time. I snuggled up beside him. We prayed again. I sang. I allowed myself to become aware of the temperature of his room, the scent of lavender wafting from his diffuser, the orange scent of his hair, the smooth texture of his face, and the sound of his breath as he drifted off to sleep. It was so peaceful. What he needed in that moment was simply my presence, and that’s okay.

I am totally fine with that. It won’t always be like this. One day he will be a grown man, and I can feel confident that I will never wish I had held him more, snuggled him more, sat and sang him to sleep more. I may wish that I could still do it, or go back to these moments…but I will know that I didn’t allow the moments to pass when they were here.

I choose to listen now. I choose to be present now.

Won’t you join me?

Emotions Are Not Bad

Tue, 12 Feb 2019 20:18:51 GMT

December 2017 Emotions Are Not Bad

We spend a lot of time teaching our kids to use their words. The majority of the focus on this is spent on emotions. Growing up, most of us were not really allowed to fully express our emotions. Due to this, we learned to not “feel” our emotions. We all learned to bury them.

Then we were told that burying our emotions is not a good idea. “It will all come bursting out eventually, so it’s better to deal with them a little at a time”, our teachers and school counselors said. So there we were with these conflicting messages.

On one hand…it’s bad to bottle it all up. On the other hand…don’t express it that way.

It’s like when people say, “be yourself”…but then when you “be yourself”, they don’t like it. It’s okay to be weird; just not THAT weird. So we learned to walk this balancing act of saying some of what we feel, but not fully expressing it all.

How’s that working for you? lol

What I want to teach my kids is that emotions are not dangerous. They can feel small sometimes. They can feel HUGE and overwhelming sometimes. They can be abundantly happy. They can be dark and scary. But they are safe. An emotion, in itself, can not hurt you.

Happiness is not the only acceptable emotion.

We don’t have to float through life plastering a smile over our pain. If your heart hurts, if you’re sad, if you’re mad…allow yourself to feel it in it’s fullness. Sit in it for some time. Be fully present in that moment; in that emotion. Explore it. How do you feel physically? Does your heart race? Do you feel hot or clammy? Steep in it for a moment.

Just don’t stay there. Once you’ve explored the fullness of this intense emotion, practice some deep breathing. This is especially important if your heart is racing. Think of what you would say to your child if they were experiencing this moment. What level of grace would you show? What words would you find? Say them, out loud, to yourself.

If you are going through a difficult time, allow yourself to feel your emotions and write them out. What happened? Have you brought this on yourself? Is it due to someone else’s actions or words? Where can you go from here? Writing it all down, and saying it out loud in third person helps you to mentally remove yourself from the situation. Now you may be able to see a broader picture of it all. How would you help your child or friend through this? Practice this for yourself.

Seek help. Pray. If it is more than you can handle on your own, find a trustworthy person to talk to. This may be a therapist. This may be a spouse. This may be a good friend. Talk it out. Let it out. As most children would gladly chime in here with their best Elsa voice…”LET IT GO!”

Change what needs to be changed, do what needs to be done….but don’t be afraid to feel what you feel and say what you feel. Hint: God is not shocked by your words.

This is what I want my children to grow up learning. This is what I’m learning. You can too.