Curating Life: Healing, Growing, and Finding What Works

Things Everyone Is Obsessed With Right Now—And Why I’m Not

Things Everyone Is Obsessed With Right Now—And Why I’m Not
Every once in a while, something becomes so popular that it’s impossible to avoid. It’s everywhere—online, in stores, in conversations—and people genuinely love it.

And then there’s me, standing off to the side thinking… am I missing something?
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The Best Relationships Aren’t Equal… They’re Complementary

The Best Relationships Aren’t Equal… They’re Complementary
Last week I was sitting at my laptop with headphones on, editing audio for an upcoming podcast episode. If you’ve ever edited audio, you already know it’s about as glamorous as filing receipts in your pajamas — but I genuinely enjoy it. Somewhere between...
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How Needing to Pee Became My Best Strategy for Reprioritizing Life

How Needing to Pee Became My Best Strategy for Reprioritizing Life
I was in the kitchen the other day, staring down a pile of dishes, reminding myself of three emails I hadn’t answered yet, and trying to remember where I put the shopping list… when suddenly my bladder chimed in with:

“Hi... yeah... Whatever we were doing here? Cancel it. We have a new plan.”

And just like that...
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One Small Move Today Makes January Way Easier

One Small Move Today Makes January Way Easier
Don’t Wait for January

Every year, it’s the same routine: January 1st rolls around, and we all make these bold, shiny promises to ourselves. This is the year. New habits. New routines. New me.

And then by February? Most of those grand declarations are already gathering dust.

But here’s the thing nobody tells you:
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Teach Your Children… and Let Them Teach You Back

Teach Your Children… and Let Them Teach You Back
I heard an old song the other day... one I’ve heard a hundred times without ever really paying attention to the lyrics. But this time, I actually listened. I had one of those "Oh! So THAT'S what I've been singing about all along," moments. It was one of those times that the meaning of the lyrics actually landed.

I’ve actually had a few of those moments. They sneak up on you—not with fanfare, just with a soft tap on the shoulder—reminding you that your perspective changes over time. What didn’t make much sense in your thirties lands differently at sixty. And the older you get, the more you realize how much of life is something you learn as you go, not something you arrive at a certain age just magically knowing.
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✨ My blog exists because I know what it feels like to keep everything jumbled in your head — like a messy pile of clothes you can’t sort through.

 Writing it all down brings clarity, calm, and sometimes even healing answers I didn’t know I was looking for.


Honestly, that’s why I keep showing up to write — it helps me make sense of things. 

 Even if you have no intentions of ever publishing your work, I highly recommend writing stuff down. It doesn't have to be a literary masterpiece or even full, grammatically correct sentences... just dump those random thoughts onto paper... you'll see what I mean.

Hi! I'm AJ Flanagan.

 
Hey there — I’m AJ.

I’m an empty-nester and a widow who had a wake-up call about the hidden toxins in everyday products most of us grew up using. Our parents didn’t know. We didn’t know either. But once you start paying attention, it’s hard to ignore.

Life shifted in 2018 when my husband, Eric, was diagnosed with leukemia — and again in 2023 when we faced a second cancer diagnosis. Supporting him through treatment changed how we looked at just about everything, including how we cared for our home, our bodies, and our day-to-day routines.
We didn’t aim for perfection or extremes. We focused on simple, meaningful changes — reducing toxic load in our home, choosing better ingredients, prioritizing nourishing food, and building calmer rhythms into daily life. Tools like aromatherapy, music, meditation, and intentional rest became part of how we coped and stayed grounded.

Caring for Eric deepened my commitment to living well — not as a trend, but as a way of showing up with intention and grace, even in the hard seasons.

Now I share our story, the lessons we learned, the small changes that made a big difference, and how I'm moving forward. My hope is to make wellness feel more approachable, less overwhelming, and rooted in real life — especially for anyone who wants healthier options without pressure or perfection.

If you’re here to find what actually works for you, you’re in the right place.

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