After losing my husband to cancer, I began a journey towards wellness. As a single Mom, it became very important to me to stay well for my kids, and I wanted to do everything I could to help my family thrive.
For years, I thought being healthy was eating well and exercising. And while that’s a big piece of it, I didn’t realize that there were hidden chemicals in products I used every day that burdened our bodies and made health and healing difficult. I had no idea the damage that can be done to our wellbeing from everyday cleaners, makeup and even our hand soap. What I thought was freshening the air and cleaning my house was being absorbed into our bodies through our skin and lungs and causing interruptions to hormones and other important bodily functions.
Have you ever thought about what’s really in the products you use every day? I certainly hadn't. From the lotion you put on your skin to the candles you burn in your home, many common items contain toxins that can harm your health. Understanding what toxins are and how to avoid them can make a huge difference in your well-being.
Read more...Being a widow can be messy. Grief is unpredictable and shows up at unexpected times. In late February I had a particularly difficult week.
I took a quick trip to Maine by myself to attend a Celebration of Life for a dear man who had a profound influence in Jon’s life. Jeff was a Godly man that poured his heart and soul into discipleship, and Jon benefited greatly from his ministry. The last time I saw Jeff was in November, and he knew he would not be around much longer. His cancer had spread to his brain, and he was ready. His joy was contagious as he looked forward to Heaven. We had the opportunity to chat, and he said to me, with tears in his eyes, “I can’t wait to pray with Jon again.” We hugged, and that was the last time I saw him.
Read more...Meal planning made such a difference in our finances when I was a single mom, and continues to as a family of four adults. It has eliminated much of the overwhelm that can come with needing to feed everyone, and we eat much healthier when there is a plan.
Here are some resources that I have found tremendously helpful in my meal planning journey.
DANIELLE WALKER COOKBOOKS - I love her cookbooks. All of her recipes that I have tried are delicious and healthy. She is a paleo cook, so each recipe is free of gluten, grains, dairy, legumes, and processed sugar (she uses maple syrup, coconut sugar and honey on occasion). I have never been disappointed in any of the recipes I have tried. I have 4 of her cookbooks, and I have linked my favorite one above. She is so gifted at creating delicious meals, and I know you’re going to love them!
These NOTEBOOKS are my go-to for my meal planning and grocery list. I am still old-school and prefer handwriting my lists. My grocery list goes on one page, and the meal plan is the following page, so I can keep it all together.
As a young widow with small kids, finances were often tight. There was usually more month at the end of the money, and I had to figure out how to make ends meet. I couldn’t understand where the money was going each month.
After talking with a trusted mentor, I took a hard look at my finances. There were many expenses I couldn’t do anything about - we had to have heat, we needed electricity and car insurance, but the category I knew I could do something about was food. I realized I needed to plan my grocery shopping better. I tended to buy food because it was on sale or it sounded good, but I didn’t necessarily have a plan for that particular item I was buying. I needed a better way of doing things. So I started dipping my toe into meal-planning.
Read more...I can’t tell you exactly how it all occurred, or when we became interested in each other, but we did. I knew Heath from church. We were both involved in the music at church, so we would see each other pretty regularly at rehearsals. We would talk at rehearsal and at church on Sunday mornings and once in a while we would chat on social media. The more we talked, the more I liked him.
And then it happened.
On Valentine’s Day, 2016, Heath asked me for my phone number. He called me a couple days later and asked me out on a date. My first date since Jon had passed. My stomach did flip flops, but of course I said yes!
I was feeling ALL the feelings. Excited, nervous, unsure, happy...it was overwhelming. I tried not to get too far ahead of myself, but I wondered what God was up to. When I told my kids that I had a date, Jillian said, “Is Mr. Bailey going to be our new Dad?” I explained to her that it didn’t quite work that way - it takes time and many dates before deciding on a big commitment like that.
