Curating Life: Healing, Growing, and Finding What Works

Simple Swaps, Real Conversations, and a Side of Income

Simple Swaps, Real Conversations, and a Side of Income
If you had told me years ago that I’d be sharing about natural wellness products and mentoring others through it, I probably would’ve side-eyed you over my cup of tea.

I mean… I didn’t exactly plan on doing this. I just started using a few things from Young Living—swapped out some household cleaners, tried a supplement or two, added oils to my bedtime routine—and realized I felt better. 
Healthier. 
More me.

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10 Things I Thought Were Woo-Woo—Until They Actually Helped

10 Things I Thought Were Woo-Woo—Until They Actually Helped
I used to roll my eyes at a lot of things.
Putting oils on your feet? Tapping your face to feel better? Standing barefoot in the yard to “absorb the Earth’s energy”? Yeah, okay. I was polite about it, but internally? I was side-eyeing hard.

But somewhere between real-life stress, adulting, and trying to feel better without living at the doctor’s office, I got curious enough to try a few of those “woo-woo” wellness things. And to my surprise... a bunch of them actually helped. 

Like, really helped.

So here’s my very honest list of wellness stuff I once thought was weird, but now I swear by. Maybe a few will click for you too...
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10 Weirdly Specific Things That Make Me Feel Better (And Might Work for You Too)

10 Weirdly Specific Things That Make Me Feel Better (And Might Work for You Too)
You know those days when you’re overwhelmed, under-caffeinated, and about one dumb comment away from losing it? Yeah. I’ve had some of those lately. And while deep breathing, journaling, and drinking water are technically helpful… sometimes what I really need is to wipe down my counters and cabinets with Thieves Cleaner while listening to some 80s power ballads. Odd? Probably. Helpful? Definitely. 

So today, I’m sharing a list of 10 weirdly specific things that make me feel better—tiny, random things that bring a little joy, calm, or just make me feel more like myself. Maybe one or two of them will work for you, too. Bonus points if they inspire you to come up with your own little reset rituals.
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Cast Life Chronicles: Laughing Through the One-Handed Life

Cast Life Chronicles: Laughing Through the One-Handed Life
Sometimes life throws you a curveball—or in my case, a hard landing that ends in a wrist fracture. What I didn’t realize at the time was that the cast life comes with its own unique set of challenges and (surprisingly funny) lessons. So I decided to keep a mental list of all the ridiculous, humbling, and oddly enlightening moments along the way. 
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From Fracture to Function: My Liver’s Unexpected Role in Recovery

From Fracture to Function: My Liver’s Unexpected Role in Recovery
Two weeks after my wrist fracture was surgically repaired, I got my post‑op labs back—and honestly, I was expecting to see my bone markers doing a victory lap. Instead, my liver enzymes were flirting with the danger zone. 

Who knew that anesthesia, pain meds, and healing byproducts could turn your liver into the unsung hero (or unexpected overachiever) of recovery? It was my wake‑up call: healing isn’t just about bones knitting back together—it’s a full‑body production, and my liver deserves a standing ovation...
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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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