Getting to the good stuff

Soooo, confession: I have wanted to start writing for years. I have been doing so, so much thinking, observing, learning, mothering, wife-ing. But now is the time for writing, sharing, educating, transmuting experiences, building community. I love community! Whether it’s in person, online, it’s basically all the same to me. Human connection with like-minded folks is everything! I used to spend too much time on a scrapbooking website chat room - but scrapbooking was a passion for a time, and I didn’t have that in-person connection. Those conversations gave me life.

If you know me well, you’ll know that 2020 really turned my life and world upside down for many, many reasons. 1 - I will probably never get over the ramifications of having my personal business shut down and deemed non-essential. That is a deep subconscious wound that I am continuing to heal. 2 - my kids got turned out from school, and I dropped everything to manage my family’s emotions and make sure everyone was ok. 3 - my husband learned about a neurological condition and a spinal cord injury and had to have life-saving/emergency surgery at UPMC. Thankfully, that turned out really well. However, it did permanently affect our family’s needs, and how I show up for everyone. Maybe it’s one of those bad things that happen for a good reason or lesson. 4 - I sat around observing the world, at home and at large thinking, “this ain’t right.” About so, so many things. It’s like I watched our healthcare system transform overnight (not really, more like over 9 months). I didn’t think it was right for so much public propaganda to affect people’s lives, livelihoods, and health. Literally, think of the people in YOUR CIRCLE whose lives, livelihoods, and health have been affected by what happened in 2020. I don’t think anyone made it through unscathed.

I believe that collectively, it is time for everyone to start unpacking this - emotionally, mentally, physically, subconsciously. For me, to begin to do that is to write through it. So, I’m going to start sharing my heart, my thoughts, things I pray about, that keep me up at night, that made me change career paths, that have me speaking out more, despite knowing that not everyone agrees with me. And you know what, that’s ok. I’ve decided that I really want people to know where I stand. And know that, as a whole, I love people. If you believe differently than me, that’s ok! I love that people can think differently, have different experiences, and hold true to their values and beliefs and traditions.

I will start sharing some blog posts about some health topics that I’m really passionate about, and as I am connecting so many dots between working at Integrative Wellness and being in homeopathy school, I want to share in hopes that it helps you connect some dots too. I am working on several projects and courses at once, and I pray that as I start sharing, I have the encouragement to continue to share and teach and show up for people - even if it’s just in my niche of like-minded people. It would mean so much to me if you ever read anything to let me know your thoughts too.

Let me take you back to when Jonah was a baby, circa 2004…actually, scratch that – because believe it or not, my mom was the one who introduced me to natural health when I was a TEENAGER! 

I love this story….my mom (I hope she doesn’t mind me telling you this) always struggled with digestion and her bowels.  Well, she was always in sales, so when she found this herbal product, Bio Cleanse, she offered to host classes for groups of people to come and learn about herbs and supplements.  So, one of the founders of that company came to our home in Boone County, WV.  He appeared to be a Caucasian man, but he dressed a little funny, and his name was Bear; this was circa 1993. He gave the  funniest presentation!  He was standing up in front of everyone, explaining about caramel coloring in soda was actually DEAD BUGS, and explaining the process of how if you have diarrhea, don’t take Imodium – because it will just plug you up, but your body NEEDS to get rid of something and that is the natural way.  So, you get diarrhea and you take Imodium…..then you wear anti-perspirant/deodorant and that just plugs up your armpits when your lymph nodes are located RIGHT THERE to get rid of toxins (which, yes, may be stinky, but don’t use the anti-perspirant because it could have aluminum AND be clogging and you don’t want your lymphatic system clogged).  So basically, when you treat and suppress all of your body’s natural detox symptoms, it drives problems deeper within the body and you start getting disease.

So anyway, even back then when I was probably 13 or 14, all of this made complete and perfect sense to me!  I stopped drinking pop (soda).  And I probably didn’t change my deodorant then, but as soon as I started seeing natural alternatives in my small town, I gradually switched over.  I took Bio Cleanse with my mom, but the real kicker came when I got really bad PMS, and me and my mom were fighting all of the time – and in sync with my periods – and the company had an herbal supplement for women’s hormones called Full Moon – needless to say, she made me take it.

Now, fast forward to when Jonah was a baby, circa 2004.  Mom had yet another presentation from a different company (Melaleuca) in her home, and they were talking about formaldehyde in Johnson & Johnson baby shampoo.  I was completely appalled – and they were completely right.  I hadn’t been reading labels; I took for granted that products were safe to use.  I just didn’t KNOW.  That presentation changed EVERYTHING!  I found urea in my shampoo, and learned about phthalates, sodium laurel sulfates, and maybe the worst – parabens.  From that moment on, and over the course of a few years when I had babies and only wanted the best for THEM, and then eventually for ME - that is when I really made the switch - from convenience foods to whole foods, clean-eating style (it honestly took me FOREVER to even figure out what clean eating was - I was trying to make it way too hard and complicated); making homemade chicken nuggets coated in almond flour, growing kale in my front flower beds and making kale chips with Norah, switching from Pro-Activ skincare for my acne to organic skincare (noticed an immediate improvement when I stopped using harsh chemicals), and one of my favorite changes - stopped using Clorox bathtub cleaner, Scrubbing Bubbles, and Soft Scrub! My respiratory system is still thanking me for that one!

I was reading about how these chemical/synthetic preservatives and ingredients were added to almost ALL products you’d use in your home – body care products, makeup & beauty, haircare, cleaning, some even as food and toothpaste additives.  I was outraged!  Parabens were found in breast cancer tissue – meaning, your products are absorbed in your body and the ingredients migrate into cells!  I started learning about how to swap out products in my home.  I had dealt with hormonal acne, terrible sinus infections and bronchitis multiple times a year that were worse when I cleaned my bathroom and shower or used bleach.  I didn’t realize that I was desperate for an alternative. 

I feel like I’ve been using cleaner healthier products for so long that I do take it for granted.  I used to try to educate people about it – but 1) it’s exhausting to say the same thing over and over….like, COME ON PEOPLE, you have to know it’s terrible for you.  Don’t buy your beauty and body and cleaning supplies at the dollar store or at Wal-Mart – there maybe be better options at those stores now, but I recommend learning how to read an ingredients label.  And 2) I don’t like to fear-monger.  I love education and exposure, but I hate making people feel bad about their choices.  Know better, do better.  Keep it light.

If you made it this far, thank you. I’m going to keep sharing about ingredients, body systems, health concerns, and why I do what I do. While I owned the spa, I got to try out soooooo many clean and organic products, and I’m to a point now, where I really want to simplify the amount of items I use and have in my home. I do want to educate and share some of my favorite products of all the things - food, pantry items, recipes, gluten-free/dairy-free tips, supplements, homeopathy, cleaning supplies, beauty supplies, body care, haircare. It can be overwhelming! I want to keep it simple - for me and for you.