Standing at my kitchen window, I noticed tiny buds forming on the apple trees. The grass is finally greening up, birds are making their way back from their winter homes, and the sun is shining again with that unmistakable promise of Spring.

This is our favorite time of year.

Was...

You know those days where everything is set up to go smoothly—and then somehow, nothing does? Yeah. I just had another one of those mornings.

I had my water bottle prepped. I had my essential oils right there on the kitchen counter—Peppermint for focus, Citrus Fresh for a mood lift. My to-do list was written out the night before (a rare win!). But instead of starting my day with intention and clarity, I stood in the kitchen watching videos about productivity hacks while the diffuser sat there... bone dry.

I knew exactly what would help me feel better. So why couldn’t I just do the thing? And how does one little deviation from my morning routine throw me so totally off track for the rest of the day?

Well, I didn’t plan on breaking my right wrist in several places, but here we are. If life is about learning, then let’s just say I’ve been given a crash course in left-handed survival. 

How's it going, you ask? Let’s just say Stress Away and Valor have been in heavy diffuser rotation in recent days—especially when I drop the peanut butter jar trying to open it one-handed. But as much as I’d love to sit here and complain to you about how hard it is to apply peanut butter to toast with my non-dominant hand, I’ve decided instead to take this as an unexpected opportunity to grow—because apparently, forcing your brain to do things differently has some serious perks. Who knew?

When I was younger, I had this vision of what life would look like by now. I’d be effortlessly successful, totally put-together, and somehow still look 25—but better. My house would belong in a magazine, my life plan would be rock solid, and I’d be one of those people who just knew what they were doing all the time.

Fast-forward to today, and… well, let’s just say reality had other plans. Turns out, some of the things I thought would be important don’t actually matter at all. And the things that do? Yeah, I never saw those coming...

Since Eric passed away last November, I’ve been navigating grief and personal growth, learning how creative self-care and mindfulness can help with healing. Taking better care of myself—physically, mentally, and emotionally—has become a priority, and I’ve discovered that midlife reinvention often starts with small, intentional changes.

Writing about all of this in my blog has been a big piece of the puzzle for me and I don't see myself stopping anytime soon... so I hope you enjoy! Recently, my friend Jennifer and I decided to dive into another project that feels like a breath of fresh air for both of us: we started a podcast called "Folklore & Facts: Grandmas Getting to the Bottom of It."