New Year, Same Me — Just With a Better Vibe
I've reached the stage of life where I don’t want ‘more’ — I want to be able to put something down without knocking over three other things. 
That's it. 
That's the dream.

So that’s my vibe for the year ahead: less juggling, less clutter (in my house and in my head), and a life that feels calm and doable. I’m not reinventing myself. I’m just quietly upgrading the operating system so everyday life runs a little smoother — ideally without random error messages.


And instead of resolutions, I’m going with a vibe. A default setting. Make things simpler when possible. I’m curating my life the way some people curate playlists: the annoying noise goes, the meaningful stuff stays. Even the random objects that migrated into my desk and cupboard drawers sometime around 2009 are officially being questioned. Kindly. But firmly. No squatters rights given.

And while I’m clearing out the extra “stuff,” I’m also hoping to gently declutter a few pounds — strictly in the name of comfort and feeling better in my own skin. Nothing extreme. No boot-camp energy. Just a nudge in the right direction. I’m going to be trying Young Living’s new Balance & Burn to help support that process and see if it gives me a little extra momentum. Metabolic support + weight loss is one of those areas where I’m extra picky. This new system is plant-powered, focused on balance, and actually aligns with how I approach supplements and everyday wellness... natural and simple.



This is not the year I become one of those minimalist people with three mix and match outfits and one fork. I like my things. I just don’t need them staging a coordinated takeover of every flat surface in my home. 

I also don’t need to outrun anyone, impress anyone, or turn my life into a boot camp.
Movement? Yes. Pressure? Hard pass. 
I’d just like my body to stop filing complaint forms every time I stand up.

Mostly, I’m making a bit of space — in my house, in my brain, and in my day. If I can think one thought at a time and set something down without triggering a landslide, we’re calling that success. If that sounds like your speed, you’re welcome to come along while I figure it out — messy, honest, sarcastic, and definitely not perfect.


If your theme is also "make life easier where you can," pull up a chair. We’ll keep it simple. We’ll keep it real. And yes, we’ll laugh about it — because otherwise… yeah, no, we’re just going to laugh.








If you’ve made it to the bottom of this post, I’m guessing something here resonated—whether it’s navigating grief and growth, diving into natural wellness, or just trying to live a more intentional life in a fast-paced world.

This space is where I share what I’m learning (and unlearning), the tools that are helping me along the way, and the little things that bring joy, healing, and clarity—even on the hard days.


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This isn’t about perfection or pressure. It’s about finding what supports us, what lights us up, and what brings us back to ourselves—together.

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Have a question or something to share?

✨ 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.

*This blog centers the GenX experience, simply because that’s the lens I live through—but anyone looking for connection, natural wellness, grief support, or a little real-talk in this messy stage of life is more than welcome.

2 Comments

  1. Dawn Provost Fleming  12/28/2025 09:22 AM Central
    I am with you on the decluttering journey. I started to purge several months back after reading The Swedish Art of Death Cleaning and helping my husband’s family clean out his mother’s house. The weight of too much is not a burden I want to leave for our children. Along with stuff, I am also working on losing a few pounds of weight too. I look forward to reading your blog and seeing how this next year progresses for us both.
  2. Dawn Provost Fleming  12/28/2025 09:22 AM Central
    I am with you on the decluttering journey. I started to purge several months back after reading The Swedish Art of Death Cleaning and helping my husband’s family clean out his mother’s house. The weight of too much is not a burden I want to leave for our children. Along with stuff, I am also working on losing a few pounds of weight too. I look forward to reading your blog and seeing how this next year progresses for us both.

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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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