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I am slowly re-entering my reading era and it feels so good.

If you find yourself in a reading rut, I highly recommend investing in a Kindle. I bought one a few years ago and literally sped through so many books right after getting it. It was also amazing postpartum as I could use it while baby was napping or during the many hours of nursing/pumping.

Now, I like to switch between my Kindle and physical copies depending on what I’m reading. For the ACOTAR series, I had both and I ended up reading it mostly on my Kindle because it was so easy, especially at night while everyone else was sleeping. But for quicker reads, I love a good physical copy.

In terms of what genres I like to read, for non-fiction, it’s a lot of slow living, spiritually and parenting and then fiction is historical, thriller, or fantasy-romance.

I have big hopes for these next few months of summer in terms of reading, and I have so many books currently downloaded or sitting on my bookshelf that I want to dive into, so I thought I’d share them here with you for inspiration, or if you want to tell me you liked/disliked any. And I’d love to hear what’s on your reading list! Okay, let’s dive in.

• Tomorrow, And Tomorrow, And Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

  I feel like everyone had good things to say about this book. I saw it floating around on BookTok for awhile with rave reviews. It’s not a book I would typically reach for with the whole gaming elements, but I do love a good love story so that’s why it’s on my list.

• Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane

  I just finished this book and I absolutely loved it. I read it in like two days which is quick for a mom to a two-year-old. It definitely had it’s slow moments, but I was mostly just so enthralled by the writing and how Mary Beth can write such realistic voices of each of the characters and a relatable storyline that also isn’t relatable at all (IYKYK). It wasn’t something I would typically read but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I loved it and how it’s stuck with me.

• The Women by Kristin Hannah

  One of my favorite books of all time is The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah. It broke me to my core and stuck with me for MONTHS after finishing it. I’ve never been interested in the back covers of her other books but this one caught my eye and I bought it right after it came out. I might read it next.

• A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas

  The Queen herself. I first read ACOTAR in 2020 but didn’t finish the final two books, so I re-read it earlier this year after finishing Fourth Wing and am finally getting around to ACOSF. I have to admit, ACOTAR in general is not my favorite series. I could never get fully immersed in it and while there are some moments I absolutely love, it didn’t engross me like some other series have (ahem, Fourth Wing & Iron Flame). I’ve dragged my feet over this book but am determined to finish it by the end of summer.

• Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

  People are obsessed with Sarah’s work, and so I really want to give another one of her series a go. My friend, who is a massive fan, suggested I start at the beginning with Throne of Glass, so I’m going to give it a try once I (if I ever) finish Silver Flames.

• You Shouldn’t Have Come Here by Jeneva Rose

  Someone left this book on a random shelf in Target and the cover caught my eye, so I picked it up and really liked how the blurb was laid out. I haven’t read a thriller in a while so this seems like a good one to dive into.

• Simplicity Parenting by Kim John Payne

  I’m taking a bit of a break from non-fiction writing lately (unless it’s on Substack, of course) just because I tend to compare myself a bit too hard when I read these kinds of books, and then will just go on a negative self-talk spiral. But I really liked how this book seemed approachable with parenting and follows similar veins of what I like with slow living, so I’m excited to read more.

• The Way of the Fearless Writer by Beth Kempton

  My husband got me this book late last year and I’ve been absolutely loving just picking it up when I need it and doing some of the suggested writing exercises. I’ve been really gentle with myself reading it and it’s been such a fun journey for me and my own creative writing.

• Weyward by Emilia Hart

  You guys know I love anything witch-related, so I’ve had this book on my reading list for a long time but just bought the physical copy last week. I’m not typically a fan of jumping times and characters, but I’m hoping this one will make it worth it.

• Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah

  Another Kristin Hannah book, I know, but when I saw that this one was about sisters I couldn’t help myself and had to get it. I remember calling my sister sobbing after reading The Nightingale and going on a tangent about how much I love her and how much she means to me (I tear up just thinking about how amazing she is), so for some reason, I’ve decided to set myself up for another good teary sister read with Winter Garden.

• The Light We Lost by Jill Santopolo

  I started this book right after finished Ask Again, Yes and I’m about 1/3 of the way through and just not loving it so far. I feel like I want more to happen, more excitement, and right now it’s just depressing me a little bit. I haven’t decided if I’m going to just not finish it or keep powering through. If you’ve read it please tell me if it’s worth it. I’m very much a mood reader so I have to be in the right space to read a book like this, and I don’t think I’m in that headspace right now.

And there we have it! It feels like a lot having them all written out, but some of these books I’ve had on my TBR list for YEARS so it feels like a good time to power through and get it done.

I have a GoodReads if you want to follow along with me. Disclaimer: I really need to update it because it’s a bit outdated, but it’s connected to my Kindle so that helps with sharing things.

Have you read any of these books? What’s on your reading list currently?

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T W O. It’s been emotional, it’s been real, and there have been many days of counting down to October when she will be three.

I swear it’s like a whole new bossy human woke up one day right around 18 months old, and she’s just now starting to rejoin society again. This year has been a wild ride, but in the midst of all the hard, I don’t want to forget how much GOODNESS and joy she’s brought to our life throughout this year, too.

Toddlers are so funny and filled with so much emotion. My sister says, “It’s like they act on every intrusive thought they have.” And that couldn’t be more true. The random things I’ve had to say, “don’t eat!” for or the number of times she’s thrown something that was breakable, or I found her practically swimming in the dog bowl, or close to jumping off the dining room table. Toddlers will keep you on your toes. But they are so full of love too, the deeply nourishing kind that hits you right in your heart. Their eyes say everything they mean, and they care so deeply about it all that it makes you excited to show them the world.

I don’t want to forget the magic amidst the mundane, and chaotic, year that toddlerhood has been so far. So I wrote a list of some of the things I love about having a two-year-old. Maybe if you’re also in the throes of it, you can remember the joyful bits too.

1. The way she gasps constantly over anything exciting or new.

2. Her love for dinosaurs and screaming “ROAR” at the most inopportune yet funny times.

3. How she can do every sign and noise for every animal ever, even if she isn’t fully talking yet.

4. The way her little voice says “Dad” or “help me”.

5. How she points to go to the living rooom in the morning after she’s had enough snuggles.

6. Her preference for potato chips and french fries, and the excitement she feels when she gets to use the “dippy” sauce.

7. How she runs around in her diaper all day, happy as can be.

8. How she flaps her arms and squeals when she realizes we’re about to go to the pool or beach.

9. The way she kisses my hand over and over again when she’s grateful I’m listening to her and doing something she’s asked for.

10. Her reaction when I say, “smile!” is throwing her arms up in the air and standing on one hip, smiling profusely.

11. The passionate love she has for pacifiers (ignoring my own panic over taking them away soon).

12. How she comes running when I say, “want to brush your teeth?”

13. The little finger shushing anything she thinks is asleep.

14. How she “hurts” herself and immediately comes over to me to kiss whatever spot she just bumped or touched.

15. The way her eyes seem so round and bright when she looks at me first thing in the morning.

16. How darn FUNNY she is, and how she keeps us laughing all the time with her silly antics.

17. Her obsession with play dough and also eating (probably too much of) it.

18. The love she has for her stuffed animal, Bunny, and how she won’t go anywhere without her.

19. The way she gently pets the dogs when they sit near her.

20. How much she loves fruit, especially watermelon and apples, and would live off of orange juice if we allowed it.

21. How she mirrors everything we do and loves to mimic us in so many ways.

22. The way she grabs my face with her hands when we’re cuddling together, just so she can look me right in the eyes.

23. How she screams, “mama!” and comes running for me if her feelings are ever hurt or she gets scared by a random noise.

What’s something your toddler does that you want to bottle up and keep forever? I’d love it if you shared in the comments.

Toddlerhood has been a challenge, but I’m learning that hard doesn’t mean bad, hard can also be insanely beautiful and GOOD. Toddlerhood is hard, but it’s hilarious, and sweet, and fun, and exciting, and all the extremes wrapped up into one perfect tiny human who you get to witness growing and learning and changing everyday, and I couldn’t be more honored to be this one’s mama.

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Oh, summer. You’re full of expansion, and outwardness, and so much energy. While I personally love the more inward time of autumn and winter, summer has it’s place and I am fully in it currently.

Last year, I began to gently advertise my photography services and this year things have taken off. (I feel like I should write a gentle business style post, let me know if that would be something you’re interested in!) While I am so grateful, I have had to let so many other things slide away to embrace almost every day of photography shoots mixed with raising a two-year-old.

The late evenings of shooting at sunset, missing putting Maverick to bed, then editing even later into the night have been so full on. But it’s also been deeply rewarding getting to document sweet families on their vacations here at the beach. I couldn’t be more grateful. So while I am in go, go, go mode there are a few simple rhythms I am trying to keep attached to to keep some sense of slowness in our family, even when we’re in this busy season.

• Morning cup of coffee/tea - this is my non-negotiable. I live for that first sip of coffee or tea in the morning (mostly tea, but some days coffee calls for me). I always make sure to eat something before I “reward” myself with caffeine to help balance my blood sugar a bit more, so it’s helped me stay consistent with eating breakfast too. Bonus points if I drink it out on the back porch while watching the sunrise.

• Reading - I have been focusing on keeping up with my reading habit because I know it makes me happy, and keeps me off my phone less which is an extra plus. I just finished Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane and really enjoyed it.

• Watching the sunset - Okay this has been a routine that’s come easy for me because I find myself at the beach doing a photoshoot most nights, but it’s been so magical watching the sunset and connecting to nature in that way. I always try to grab a couple photos of the water and sky after the shoot and it brings me so much joy.

• Evening baths - Have I told you that in our new house, we have a bathtub?! After 6+ years without a bath, it feels AMAZING to be able to take a bath whenever I want to again. After getting home from a shoot, or if I’m home, putting Maverick to bed, I will go get in a bath and decompress from the day.

• Backyard grounding - I find when I’m at my computer editing for many hours of the day or just focused on getting shiz done, it helps to close the devices and go outside for a few minutes to ground myself. I’ll stand barefoot on the grass and watch the water go by, and the birds fly all around (and we’ve had a couple alligator sightings in our pond!) and it instantly calms and re-centers me.

• Nourishing myself - it is SO easy to forget to eat or not eat well when you’re in a busier season. I’ve tried to remember to nourish myself as needed and focus on getting enough protein each day to sustain the extra energy I’m spending. I also don’t sweat it when we run through the drive-through every once in a while, I’d rather be full than have an empty stomach (if I don’t eat well, it quickly leads to anxiety for me). It’s like that saying, you can’t pour from an empty cup, and so when there’s a lot going on, I find it even more important to make sure I’m well-fed and nourished so that I can serve my photography clients and my own family. When I know I’m going to have a busy morning, I’ll make this green smoothie (that Maverick LOVES too!)…

  • 1 banana

  • 1/4 cup frozen mango

  • 1/4 cup frozen pineapple

  • 1/2 cup spinach

  • 2 scoops grass-fed collagen

  • 1 tablespoon peanut butter

  • 1/3 cup orange juice

  • 1/4 cup raw milk or oat milk

  Sometimes I’ll add chia seeds or a fresh date, or flax seed oil or some greens powder, and I basically just fill most of the cup up to the fill line with orange juice (you can dilute it with some water too!) and then finish it off with milk of choice. It’s soo yummy and Maverick devours it! If we have any extras I’ll keep it in the fridge too for an afternoon snack.

• Minimizing blue light at night - I am the first to say this is a bad habit of mine and I am horrible as minimizing my blue light time at night, but something I definitely strive to get better at. Swapping watching TV before bed for reading is a great way to start, or utilizing red light with glasses or using night shift mode on my computer/phone or changing the color filters to red. These are some simple ways you can optimize your evening so you can get better sleep and function at your best the next day (can you tell I’m talking to myself here? Ha).

• Remember to PLAY! - I find myself getting very serious during these busy seasons. I have a to-do list a mile long and rush through the day trying to accomplish as much as I can, but it’s SO important to remember to have fun too! Especially if you have kids, I love to get on the ground with my daughter throughout the day and just play. Walk away from the computer when she grabs my hand and remind myself that life is short, and I can always make a few minutes to have fun with her throughout the day.

While these things seem like simple habits to implement, they make for big changes in being able to function at a higher energy level. While I don’t think hustling is a positive thing in general, and can really mess with your cortisol levels and hormones long-term, life is all about seasons and sometimes we can embrace a busier season with joy and contentment as long as we focus on keeping our grounded practices going to support ourselves as best as possible.

I’d love to know what you do to keep yourself centered during a time of hustle.

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Hi friends, today I wanted to share this short essay I wrote a little while back about writing in the cracks of motherhood and just being a creative mother in general. I hope you like it!

We’re playing with toys when a new idea pops into my head.

We’re driving to the playground as I craft it out in my mind.

I jump out of the shower early to write down an aha moment.

I write the post in the hushed two hours of nap time.

I press post early in the morning before the rest of the house is awake.

I write in the midst of it all.

I write in the middle of motherhood, through cracks in the moments and seams in the days.

I create because I have to, because it calls to me in the middle of the night when I’m supposed to be getting that precious sleep I so desperately need, because even when I’m resting I’m thinking of new ideas.

I write around the edges and sometimes I write smack dab in the middle of it all, with the tv blaring and loud shrieks of toddlerhood & fatherhood just outside my eyesight.

I write in our little house that we are outgrowing by the minute, never truly getting silence or alone time.

What even is alone time? Other than when I’m in the car headed to a photoshoot or sneak out long enough to take a bath at my parent’s house.

I write & I create & I photograph & I mother because it’s all one and the same, there is no beginning and end to these pieces of me.

And I hope that when my daughter is grown, she will know that I devoted myself to her just as deeply as I devoted myself to art. Because to create is to know God, and to birth is to trust in the power of the Universe.

So I write in between lines, in-between moments, and I mother because it’s the greatest honor I’ve ever received.

It all happens in the midst. In the mist. And I reach my arms out, hoping to find my own way along the way.

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You should have seen me standing there, in that aisle, deeply surveying all the different kinds of carboard boxes (who knew there could be so many options?!). I laughed to myself as I tried to load up 8 large boxes, 10 medium boxes, and 6 small boxes into my dingy cart. I almost took out a few ankles just getting to the checkout counter.

“Are you moving away from here?” The checkout lady asked.

I smiled, “just 10 minutes down the road.”

It’s felt like such a long few years of uncertainty. We’ve talked about every possible idea for where we want to plant roots and make our lives. We’ve gone from Nashville, to Salt Lake City, to Birmingham, or to just pile everything up and move to Northeast England where my husband is from. But along the way, I was taught an important lesson in waiting, in that life continues to move forward. We built stronger roots here in Florida. My photography business started to take off, and we realized that for the time being, staying here feels like the right choice for us.

The deep sigh of relief I feel to have signed that 2-year lease and know what our life will look like for the next little while feels amazing.

As I walked out of the store, my many carboard boxes piled up, I loudly proclaimed to the worker chuckling at me as I navigated driving a cart I couldn’t see around, “We’re only moving down the road.”

I am thrilled to share that my little family is moving! And I hope I don’t let you down when I say, it’s a whopping total of a 13-minute drive from where we currently live.

But it’s our own space! With a backyard! And a patio! And a bathtub in the master bedroom! (A master bedroom!) And a room for Maverick! An entryway! And a garage!

We’ve been living in a house that sits above my parent’s garage behind their house for the past 4 years together, and I’ve been living here off and on for 9 years now. We have been BEYOND grateful for this space and for my parents to let us call it home for all these years. It’s also in such an incredible area and it has been the biggest gift for us. But, we have been craving a bit more room and space to call our own.

Everything happened so quickly. The market here is insane (and we are renting, not yet buying) so when something pops up, you have to move on it. It’s a one-story 4-bedroom home in our dream neighborhood and sits on the corner of a lake (Matt insists it’s a pond, but I say lake). It’s also a brand-new build. We are waiting to move in until the fence is put up for safety reasons (we have a two-year-old and a dog) but our current uhaul rental is planned for the 8th. Thankfully, we don’t have to be out of this house immediately so we can take a little time to move, and we’ve already started putting some boxes and random things over there.

This home we’ve been in for the past 9 years has been so incredibly special to me. When I moved in, I was 21-years-old and felt like life was only beginning. Now I’m 30, a mother and a wife, and life feels like we’re right in the most special chapter. We brought our daughter home here, and that will always make it a sentimental home for me.

If you know me at all, you know I detest change. It’s always been “my thing” I’ve struggled with (ask my best friends about the time I bawled my eyes out in a zumba dance studio parking lot because they were leaving for college). So this feels hard, but I’ve learned with age that hard doesn’t have to mean bad. Sometimes the hardest things yield the greatest results, and I’m thrilled that we get to take this step into our next chapter as a family and grow more.

But what I’m even more excited about is sharing this process with you!

I want to document the whole dang moving process and how we are decorating our new home renter-friendly and on a budget (because the price of renting in our area is astronomical). Blending my style with my husband’s style is definitely going to be interesting (he likes more classic/modern/clean lines and I like more cottage chic and florals) as well as decorating Maverick’s first official room!

I think what will make the most sense is doing some video of the process mixed in with posts, but I’d love to know, would you rather see more short-form TikTok style videos or long-form YouTube style videos?

I like the idea of longer videos, but my capacity with a two-year-old seems to be better suited to quick little vlogs where I can just throw my phone up and start recording. Either way, I’d still love to get your thoughts on it!

To me, making a home is along the same lines as slow living because so much of slow living (at least in my experience) has to do with the energy of our home and how we set up our days around our space. While I have practiced slow living now for many years, I’ve never had a space that I can truly pour all my energy into and this feels like the most incredible next step in that journey.

Chapters are such funny things, but it truly feels like this is the next one in our book of life. A new decade (I turned 30!), a new home (just down the street), a new career (photography!), it’s all happening. And I’m so grateful I get to bring you along with me. Thank you for being here.

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I opened the Substack app today for the first time in at least a month (probably closer to two) and had 83 notifications. It felt like a nice warm hug as I was greeted with comments, mentions, and friendly names saying hi.

I didn’t intend to stop writing here, but a weekend turned into a week which turned into a few months, and somewhere in the middle I decided to stop feeling guilty for it and instead pause my paid subscriptions and take a breather.

There isn’t one big thing that happened to make me stop, I simply ran out of words.

I started writing in this space when my daughter turned one and I was wholeheartedly invested in the process of slowing down and being a mother. It felt like everything was going so well, and life felt, dare I say, easy. As the year went on and my daughter neared two, I suddenly became very humbled by motherhood and the challenges that come with raising a toddler. We had a lot of personal turmoil happen that required a lot from me, physically and mentally. Our family was going through a bit of a rough patch as a result, and life suddenly felt hard.

I kept writing until there was an empty well within me, and the words simply wouldn’t come. I don’t believe in only sharing & creating when things are good, but there hit a point where showing up here and writing felt like a burden rather than a gift and the passion project it had been for the past year. I didn’t want to resent it for the sake of consistency and growth, so I stopped.

Over the past few months, I’ve done a ton of reading (mostly faerie fiction, or parenting books). I’ve tried to make a return to Instagram multiple times and subsequently realized that I definitely have an addiction to Instagram. I’ve even forayed in the whole “digital marketing” thing to try and make a quick buck because all I’ve been thinking about lately is, “We need more money. If we just made more money then life would be easy again and we’d be happier.” Newsflash, it didn’t work. I realized that those people who promise “passive income” and “only work 2-3 hours a day” most definitely do not work only 2-3 hours a day and there is nothing passive about it. I even went so far as to get a mentor in that space to help me grow, and turned out she offered me a 30-minute 1:1 with positive vibes and then answered every question I had with, “That sounds great, do that.”

Over this time, I ended up feeling completely burnt out, got into arguments with my husband about how un-present I was being and deeply disconnected from my daughter, and finally had this moment of, “I can figure out how to make meaningful money for us in a way that feels good for me, too.”

Throughout the whole process, I watched as the thing I put the least amount of effort into, photography, grew and grew. I realized that sometimes it’s those things we least expect that bring us the biggest rewards, and photography has become that for me.

But that’s not what brought me back to Substack. In truth, what made me open up this app today and begin writing again was that the words were bubbling out of me. I went from no words at all to feeling like I was going to burst if I didn’t put them somewhere. That’s what told me where I needed to be.

I watched this video recently from Madisun Gray where she talked about eliminating constant overstimulation from our lives. In it, she discussed a 30-day digital detox she did, where she completely eliminated everything, and how her world got so quiet, and she could finally think again. I realized that I’ve been so heavily influenced by what I’ve been seeing online or caught up in the reality that we aren’t quite where we want to be in certain ways (do we ever get there? What even is there?) that I forgot what it meant to live my own life, and how it felt to be present. I definitely want to try to do a 30-day reset as she did, but I’ve noticed in the past few days of being aware of what she said, I’ve gotten more present, less tense and stressed out, and not so snappy with family members thinking they were overstimulating me when really it was too much doom scrolling, or trying to force myself to hustle when that is so not me.

I feel like in the pursuit of focusing on myself over these past few months, I actually got further away from who I am meant to be. I lost my potency, rather than gaining more power.

There’s this concept around business, or just following your path in general, that talks about how when it’s right, it feels easy.

Nothing ever felt easy for me, except for writing this Substack.

Blogging was hard.

Making YouTube videos was hard.

Showing up on Instagram every day was hard.

But writing for Substack? It felt effortless.

It truly came easy to me, and so when it no longer didn’t, I knew it wasn’t about the writing itself but about everything happening around it that made showing up on the metaphorical page difficult.

I’m grateful that I took the time away because I truly crave writing here again, being in this space and sharing my ideas that are bubbling away.

I think the other thing I struggled with was that I made it too complicated. I stopped writing for me and started thinking about the 1500+ people reading. I made my simple things series, which was supposed to be simple, more complex. It required a lot of time from me each week and at the already depleted state I was in, I couldn’t hold space for it. Sure, I have dreams and big ideas for my series and such, but I’m not in the season to be spending a ton of time executing them. I’m still in the thick of “newish” motherhood (how long are you allowed to say it’s new?) and most of my day is spent making playdough statues and endless plates of food that mostly go uneaten. I’m also actively building a photography business and am grateful to say it’s gotten very busy. So, when I sit down at my computer to write, it needs to feel fun. Feel effortless. Feel easy again.

So that’s what I’m doing. I’m making writing fun again. I’m making my space here something I feel called to that fills me up versus another thing to check off my to-do list. It’s a return to me, and I missed this.

But, you know what I missed the most during this time away?

I missed you. This little corner of the Internet that makes me feel seen, heard, and deeply supported. I missed reading others’ writing and the insights they give into my own life. I missed serving those who have a desire to slow down but in a way that feels good for them. I missed real connection that often goes unanswered on regular social media platforms but is found in abundance here. I missed the wholesomeness of this space, and the people in it.

I’m grateful to all of you who stuck around, and I’m excited to be back again, sharing in a way that feels good. Thank you so much for being here with me.

I wanted to sign off here by sharing some of what I’ve been up to these past few months. I would love to get a little life update from you as well!

• I re-read the whole ACOTAR series and am finally at Silver Flames (which I didn’t read the first time). I also have to admit that after reading this series twice now, I like the Fourth Wing (Empyrean) series by Rebecca Yarros more. I know, don’t come for me Sarah J. Maas stans.

• My daughter has learned the signs & sounds of every animal possibly ever. We spend our days singing Baby Shark over and over again and talking like cows or horses for hours on end.

• I have a steady stream of photography work, which is exciting considering this is my second year of offering it beyond just family/friends. I’ve had a few return clients too which I am SO excited about. It’s filled my cup in so many ways.

• It’s getting hot here in North Florida, so we are trying to make it to the pool or beach at some point most days. It’s nice because it typically tires the toddler out so she sleeps a little bit better (she’s still an awful sleeper, send help and coffee).

• My sister is getting married in September in Colorado, and I’m the Matron of Honor, so we have had many calls about all things wedding and it’s been so fun helping her plan.

• Speaking of the wedding, my husband and I have decided we want to look good for our photos so we’re on a big health kick and it’s been so good for both of us. I’ve been doing The Pilates Class religiously and loving it.

P.S., I have a pretty exciting announcement coming very soon that is definitely going to steer my content for a bit, and I have a feeling you’ll be excited about it too! Stay tuned.

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Hello, my sweet friends! Spring is in the air here in Florida and it feels glorious. It’s been a few weeks since I’ve shared a ‘Simple Things’ and I’ve missed updating you on all the things I’ve been enjoying. I felt generally grumpy and not much like sharing, but if you saw my post on Tuesday, I’ve decided to shift my perspective and remind myself why I love the magic in the mundane in the first place. Even just making that choice has affected my mentality so much, and it’s a good reminder that we lead with our minds first.

S - Sharing - a spring wardrobe refresh, a parenting book, and a skincare chat.

L - Loving - my new kitchen item, a YouTube channel I’m loving, and a book I can’t put down.

O - Observations - the change in seasons here at the beach, hide and seek, and self-care through the nap season.

W - Wisdom - a video on parenting focus, a podcast about German New Medicine, a share about seasonal living and a post about living unhurried.

I’ve decided to make this week’s Simple Things available to all readers, but just a reminder that most of the posts in this series moving forward are now for paid subscribers only (after the ‘SHARING’ section). For $6/a month, you can become a paid subscriber and instantly get access to my mini-course, Sacred & Slow as well as all previously paywalled posts. I would be so grateful to have you as part of the deeper community here!

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SHARING //

• Last summer, I ordered a few pieces from Neuflora and absolutely loved them. They became my summer staples and will definitely be in the rotation again this summer. They are doing a spring cleaning sale if you’d like to try any of their pieces, these are all 50% off right now.

• I was listening to this podcast (which is incredible and all about slow living) the other day and Madi brought up a book called Simplicity Parenting. I loved the way she described it and downloaded it on my Kindle immediately. I will definitely update you on how I like it, but I figured it might be something you’d be into as well.

• Now that I’m in my 30’s, I want to prioritize taking better care of my skin. For the past decade, I’ve only been using tea tree oil face wash for the majority of the time and while it’s helped me get rid of my acne, I feel like my skin is a bit lifeless and lackluster these days. I’ve been looking into Ela Skin Co., Primally Pure (which I’ve used before but it’s been years), and Toups & Co. If you’ve used any of these products (they are all tallow-based skincare) and recommend them, I’d love to hear it!

LOVING //

• Maverick loves gummy bears but anytime I make gummies at home she won’t eat them cut into little squares. So I bought these gummy molds and am excited to give them a try! This is the gelatin I use as well and love.

• I’ve been watching more YouTube lately and recently discovered this slow living account called Kokohome. She lives in Australia with her husband and toddler. All of her videos are silent and the cinematography is beautiful. She posts a ton in her 5AM Diaries series, and I just love how peaceful they are to watch or have playing in the background.

• I recently started reading Essentialism and cannot put it down. I’ve been putting so many quotes from the book in my notes already and am having a ton of aha moments. I definitely recommend if you’re on the slow, simple living journey like me. One of the quotes that I love is, “If you don’t prioritize your life, someone else will.”

OBSERVATIONS //

• Our quiet little beach town is no longer quiet as spring breakers have returned this week. I have to admit I get really annoyed at first because I have to add an extra half-hour to basically anything I do, but it’s so sweet getting to see families make memories together. All day long we hear laughter and see everyone do the daily trip down to the beach. It brings in such good spring energy and makes me excited for the next season.

• Maverick has become obsessed with us “hiding” from her and then her finding us. She’ll put her finger over her mouth and go “shhh” when she wants us to hide, and then will laugh hysterically until she “finds” us. It’s so sweet and has become one of my favorite parts of the day.

• We’re in between dropping Maverick’s last nap, so a few days a week she’s been going to bed much earlier than usual. Normally she takes a long nap and is a night owl with us until we all go to bed, but it’s been nice to have a few nights where she’s asleep and I know I have an unrestricted amount of time to work or read and just devote to some self-care. Last night I did a bowspring class (from the Rooted Families course) and I can tell that my nervous system is so much calmer today and I’m much more clear-headed. Even though I’m sad we’re ditching naps, I’m excited for this new season of cozy evenings too.

WISDOM //

• I absolutely loved this video from Ellen Fisher. Not only is her filmmaking so beautiful, but seeing the evolution of her family over the years (I’ve been following her since she had her first two children) has been magical to watch. I loved her take on being in the moment with her kids and focusing less on work. It’s such an interesting balance to make sure we’re taken care of financially but also be as present as possible when our kids are little. I loved her take on it all.

• You guys know I am a massive Kori Meloy fan. She was recently on a podcast about German New Medicine which has fascinated me for the past few years. I loved her perspective on it and the incredible stories she shared.

• This post from on living seasonally during the climate crisis was so enlightening and also beautiful to read. I think we can be worried about the future and also enjoy the present, and finding that balance is what it’s all about.

• I loved reading ’s thoughts on being unhurried. It was such a beautiful perspective and her post is filled with incredible action tips and takeaways on living a less hurried life.

And there you have it, this week’s Simple Things. I’d love to know what magically mundane thing you’ve experienced this week that has brought you joy.

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I have decided that I am tired of listening to myself complain. Life is hard, for all of us, and after a particularly grueling week where I hurled around quite a few complaints, I was done with it. I’d had enough of my own shadow, so to speak. I miss the magic that can be found in romanticizing life. And for me, it was easy when life felt easy. But then, I had a difficult week (month, year, let’s be honest) and my whole notion of making those simple days extraordinary by being ordinary became a distant memory.

Through that process, I forgot what it means to find magical moments in the every day. To be grateful for what is right in front of us rather than what’s behind or ahead. I stopped appreciating the little things, like the sound my tea kettle makes right before it reaches a boil. The little footsteps I hear and knowing that I’m about to get a leg hug from my toddler. The tender way it feels to brush my own hair, and be grateful for how long it’s been able to get. The intimacy with my husband when we lock eyes across the room and are totally thinking the same thing. The sound of the birds outside our window each morning. The way my daughter looks at the world around her for at least thirty minutes after she wakes up from her nap each day. The excitement I feel getting into the car knowing I’ll have a good twenty minutes to listen to my podcast. The joy when spending time with my mom and there’s nowhere to be but with each other. The long talks on the phone with my sister who lives in another state. The sound of the waves when I take time to walk down to the gulf. The laughter from the house next door when I’m letting our dog out back. The way my husband can make my daughter’s eyes light up in a way no one else ever can, or will. The warmth I feel when she’s snuggled up against me, safely asleep in my arms.

It’s so easy to spend our days going through the motions and living in survival mode. It feels simpler even to dwell on the hard stuff. To find more things we’re unhappy with to focus on. It feels much more difficult to look for the good. To search for the joy, the little magic moments, the mundane yet extraordinary experiences. That feels challenging, impossible even. But what I’m learning is that once I get through the hard part of refocusing myself, I feel so much better. I’m clearer, open-minded, ready for whatever comes next. It’s like I’m building an invisible armor where I can handle more thrown at me because my insides are strong. Whereas when I’m expecting the next bad thing to happen, I have nothing to shield myself from when it hits.

It can be addictive, even, to focus on the bad. I got really obsessed with the law of attraction when I was younger, the concept that everything I focused on would expand. I was so scared to think of any negative thoughts, or if something difficult happened to me, I would blame it on myself, like I caused it. Over the years, I’ve begun to reframe that mindset and realize that both good and bad things are happening all the time. It’s what we choose to focus on in the moment that we create more of. It’s not that the bad things aren’t there, but they feel a lot easier to handle when we are in the right headspace and searching for the good. I’ve also learned that hard doesn’t mean bad, and things that have been hard in my life have yielded the most growth and joy (hello, childbirth).

The easiest and most simple way I’ve found to start is by romanticizing my daily life. Finding joy in the little things, those things you normally take advantage of. I can be the first person to raise my hand here and say it’s easier said than done, but I know that when I consciously focus on finding those tiny moments, they make a massive difference in the quality of my life.

The best way to start doing this is by just taking note. Open up the notes app on your phone and write at the top, “Romantic Moments” then begin writing each down. It could be something as simple as the way the light streams in through your bedroom window when you first wake up to something big like getting a raise at work or celebrating a loved one in some way. But really focus on the little ones, because those are the ones that are hardest to see yet make the biggest impact. Maybe someone smiled at you from their car, or a ladybug landed on your hand, or you felt accomplished because you remembered to water your flowers, or your latte tasted really good this morning, or your kid asked you to read the same book for the hundredth time but you found a little drawing in the corner that you hadn’t noticed before, or you decided to walk somewhere instead of drive because the weather was nice, or the weather was rainy and you loved the sound of the thunder.

The goal is to begin noticing. That’s all. And after time, see how it shifts your perspective on life.

I’m going to try to shift my perspective and remember that life is happening whether I’m happy or sad, frustrated or patient, excited or scared. It’s all about how I meet the moments, and which lens of my life I choose to see them through.

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Listen, I get it. You dream of those easy-going mornings when life moves at a snail’s pace. You listen to the animals wake outside your window, immersed in nature, and living your days in tune with a simple, grounded existence.

But maybe, right now, that dream feels very distant.

I’ve felt like a fraud lately. And it’s affected me wanting to show up here in this space and write about this little thing called slow living. The truth is, I don’t feel like I’m living slowly currently at all. Life has been kicking my butt (as you can probably tell from my more recent letters) and it’s felt anything but slow, simple, grounded, calm.

I have that dream, the one mentioned above, and yet right now it feels like something that may never come. Right now it feels like I’m living in the opposite of it. I feel a lot of guilt for that, if I’m being honest. I’m not being a good enough mother, or spouse, or sister, or daughter or friend. Even deeper than that, I just don’t feel like a good enough ‘me’. I’m clawing at the surface trying to get somewhere that feels different but right now I can only see all the space I still have left to climb.

And I’m supposed to come on here and write about slow living?

When I go to type, my fingers freeze up and I’m unsure of what to say. I don’t want to complain or paint a negative picture here. When I started this Substack, it felt like such a safe haven for me. Such a special place to write about the pure magic of becoming a mother, and of my journey into living a slower life. But it feels like these last few months, I’ve just been hurtling backward. The words that used to pour out of me have seemed to dry up. I’ve been wondering lately, is it better to step away? Or do I keep showing up, real and raw, and see what comes of it?

I don’t know the answer. But I do know that I’m trying. Something I’ve preached about since the very beginning is that slow living is a mindset more than anything. It’s the way you approach your life and how you shift your thinking more than an outward appearance in the way your home, or day, looks. Yet, why is it so hard for me to take my own advice? For me to realize that I can still incorporate slow living when I’m in a season of busy, of hard?

I wish I could shake myself and say, “snap out of it lady, you’re doing the best you can.” So this is my way of doing that. It’s showing up and writing even when it feels deeply personal and imperfect.

I wanted to remind myself of some ways I can embrace the mindset of slow living, so I’ve written out a few things I’m trying to do each day to bring joy and mindfulness back into my life. I figured you might find it helpful, too.

Take a big, deep breath first thing in the morning.

I love to lift my arms high up in the sky and do an audible sigh, letting out any tension and welcoming the day ahead. I used to do sun salutations each morning and now I’m feeling like I might need to bring that back for myself to set myself up for a more positive day.

Get outside as often as possible.

When I was in the trenches of depression years ago, the only thing I forced myself to do each day was walk my dog. And every day, without fail, that dog walk made me feel a little bit better. It might have been only 1%, or 10%, but it was something. Now whenever we go on our morning walks, I always think of how important the time outside is and how grateful I am for those walks. Nature is more healing than we give it credit for, and taking the time to regulate our nervous systems outside can do wonders for our mental health, especially when we’re not feeling our best.

Be intentional with your food or drink.

Watching the water in my cup swirl or the froth dissolve in my coffee, taking longer to chew my food or giving a quick thanks before I eat. I find that when I sit down for a meal or to have a drink, it’s a great time for me to re-align with the day, slow things down, and be more present.

Find something that you can do just for you.

I know, the last thing you feel like you need when your life is super full is a hobby. But lately, I’ve been trading the time I usually scroll on my phone to ‘chill out’ with reading and it’s brought me so much joy. I also feel a difference in the way I talk to myself, and it’s helped me quell the comparison game I’ve been struggling with for a while. For years, I would only read non-fiction books and it honestly began to feel more like work than fun. Over the past few months, I’ve been reading lots of fiction again and it’s been such a needed change for me.

Remind yourself that those small moments of every day are what make life magical.

It’s so easy to go on autopilot with life and just try to get through the motions. I feel like I’ve been in survival mode for the past few weeks but I’ve been trying to intersect that thinking with a reminder that life is happening and I can either be in the driver’s seat or just a passenger (cheesy, but true). When I am feeling overwhelmed, I’ll step away from what I’m doing and go for a walk with my daughter. I’ll notice the spring blooms and the bugs coming back out. If I’m only going through the motions, before I go to bed I’ll think back through the day and find those simple moments of gratitude. I heard about lucid dreaming on a podcast the other day and it absolutely blew my mind, so I asked myself to remember my dreams and it’s been so cool to see myself play out certain scenarios while I’m asleep that help me process what I’m going through when awake. It’s these little things that add up and become our life, and by noticing them, we can make our days more rich and fulfilling.

These small changes can make a big difference, even when it feels like life might swallow you up. I’m still holding out for that dream of a perfect day of slow living, but I’m beginning to realize that maybe slow living is about adopting a way of life that isn’t swayed by the hustle and bustle that we can so easily get sucked into, but remembering there is calm within us and we can tap into it whenever we need. Maybe it’s less about what it looks like and more about what it feels like. Maybe slow living isn’t a destination to reach but a journey to revel in. It might be unconventional, but it’s what slow living means to me.

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For the first two years of being a mother, it felt easy.

Sure, I didn’t sleep very much (and still don’t) and I focused entirely on my child, but the ‘rearing her’ part felt simple. Now that she’s growing and changing and her needs are getting bigger, it feels like life is happening so fast. Not only is she progressing, but I’m also expected to officially leave the “postpartum” world and return to the life of a fully functioning, working, woman who is now also a mother. Gone are the days when I can say, “Oh I’m a new mom” to excuse anything and everything. And hello to the real world, of life as a parent. I have responsibilities and commitments, and honestly feel like most days I’m barely keeping my head above water.

There is this crushing weight put on me to deliver again, in my work and in my life, while also having this insanely busy schedule of mothering. We wake up, we eat breakfast, we play, we go on a long walk, she naps and I try to cram every single thing into a two-hour time period, she wakes up and we’re back to playing, then there’s dinner and bath time and bed and I’m so exhausted I can hardly keep my own eyes open long enough to wash my face, brush my teeth, and crawl in next to her. Then there’s the guilt in those moments when she’s awake and I have to get more work done, so I can’t devote my entire attention to her.

It’s a balancing act that constantly is unbalanced. I feel like I’m juggling all these glass plates and doing my best not to let one fall, but every day one does and I’m left to clean up the broken pieces.

Then you add in all the extras. The time with people you love, the fact that we’ve been dealing with some really hard health crises’ in our family that require all hands on deck at all times, when seasonal work is picking up, and the weather is getting nicer so we want to be outside more.

It’s easy to feel like you’re drowning, I believe, when you become a mother and also have to stay a functioning member of society.

It’s all so much. And it’s hard. But then I remember that it’s all a choice.

That while I have to work to bring in an income for our family, it’s (mostly) work I absolutely love and makes me feel whole. While I want to give my daughter the world, I have the privilege of being with her so much and seeing life through her eyes as she’s rapidly growing. I am honored that I get to help care for my family member in a time of deep need, and that I’m someone they get to rely on.

My choice isn’t in what I’m doing or not doing, but my choice is in finding the sacred magic behind it all. I recognize that there are seasons where life is hard and shit hits the fan, but there are still moments of immense joy and fulfillment.

I’m currently working on taking the guilt off my plate. On ending that intense comparison game in my head of if I’m being a good enough mother, or wife, or daughter, or friend. And just doing me. Focusing on what makes us feel good each day, and doing what we need to get by. Some days it’s 10 hours outside and a meal cooked from scratch while I answer emails intermittently on my phone. On other days, it’s many hours of TV while playing with the same toys we’ve owned forever, and me at the dining room table working away on my computer, and dino chicken nuggets for dinner.

God, I used to feel so much guilt in that (and still do if I let myself sit with it for too long). But lately, I’ve been trying to just trust that this is a season. And that this one season doesn’t make up our entire lives. It’s only a small part of it.

My husband came in the other day and announced, “We’re going to Disney World!”

We have annual passes that are running out in March and I’ve been itching to go once more before they do. But life has been happening, and the timing just didn’t line up. I had let it go, and then he surprised us by telling me we were going for a few days.

So I will pause this life, for a moment. And remember that that’s exactly what life is about. No, it’s not all Disney World and magic, but it’s about finding those tiny crevices of light even amidst the darkness. It’s about remembering to dream when those daily responsibilities feel like they’re going to swallow you up.

I think that’s one of the biggest lessons that becoming a mother has taught me. It’s to remember how short and fleeting these years are, and while they may only be a season, they still add up to become a part of life. I want my daughter to remember her parents making memories with her, no matter how big or small, and to know that I did all I could to be the best person I could be. But to also remember that life now is different, I’ll always be dropping the ball in some way or another, and that’s okay too.

It’s a juggle, this thing called life. I hope I can still figure out how to live it well.

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Mmm, hello friend. I feel like we all need one big collective sigh for this week. Shake out our shoulders and let life loose a bit. I always think I’m okay with winter until we start to get to small signs of spring and I realize I’ve been showing some seasonal depression symptoms, so really exploring that and focusing on going easy on myself.

How are you feeling? Are you enjoying this winter, or ready for spring to arrive?

On this week’s simple things…

S - Sharing - an exciting new personal discovery, the best blanket, and something for your sourdough.

L - Loving - my newest digital obsession & something to keep your drinks warm.

O - Observations - the wonder of being a kid, rainy days, & book talks.

W - Wisdom - a very specific tour guide of one of my favorite cities & how to grow your membership space here.

SHARING //

• Okay this isn’t technically a link to share but I’m sharing that we have a new Barnes & Noble going in at my local shopping center. I repeat, A NEW BARNES & NOBLE and I’m so excited this Kindle girl might turn into a physical copy reader again. We used to have a giant Borders, which is where I went to the midnight premiere of Twilight (yes, I went to midnight premieres for books, I was a cool kid) and when it closed I legit cried. Our closest larger bookstore is 45 minutes away, so the fact that this one is going in and is only 10 minutes away makes me SO excited. They are doing a grand opening and I think I might go, even though none of my book friends are going to be in town. Is it weird to go to a bookstore's grand opening by yourself? Hmm.

• I practically live in my fleece blanket in the winter months. The one I have isn’t sold anymore but I came across this one recently that looks equally cozy and warm, so I might have to order it.

• You guys know how much I love my sourdough, and while it’s so easy to make using kitchen items you already have, it’s also fun to sometimes get some things specifically for your bread. This bread warmer & basket is SO cute, and is from a beautiful sustainable brand.

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I had my first panic attack when I was 15. I remember it like it was yesterday. I thought I was going to die. I thought my life was over, and that nothing would ever be the same. That same year, I delved into depression for the first time, even though my brain had dabbled in it for most of my life.

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I swore I wouldn’t do it, that I was impenetrable. I would only follow my instincts, I wouldn’t worry about how other people were living, and parenting.

That worked exceptionally well when motherhood was “easy” and when all I had to worry about was my own self in the experience. Then, my easy-going baby became a toddler, and my world shifted.

Toddlerhood has been so much fun, but also the most exhausting time for me. The emotions are high for everyone involved, there are boundaries to be learned and subsequently broken repeatedly, there are many very public displays of intense emotion (again, from all parties), and I quickly found myself questioning every decision I made, every thought I had, every opinion I shared.

Having a toddler has humbled me, and while it is such a beautiful time it’s also been incredibly hard. So I did the thing I said I would not do, and I fell deep into the trap.

The trap of living in the digital age of motherhood.

I’d be spending my mornings in battle with my very vibrant little one, and then spend a good chunk of her nap time scrolling on that app that shall not be named. I’d see mamas who had no screen time, or who fed their child only the highest-quality foods of grass-fed liver and sourdough discard crackers. I’d watch as they went on hours-long hikes each day and connected with their community of homeschool families that all thought the same as them. I’d see them share about the perils of having too many toys in the home and be told I either need to become a minimalist and purge or rotate weekly. While all of these things are great and wonderful, they are not my reality.

And instead of pulling myself out of the fog and saying, “Great for them! Our life looks a bit different, and it’s great for us!” I would spend hours of my day nitpicking all the ways I am parenting wrong. And blaming myself for literally everything.

“I don’t make healthy enough food all the time.”

“I’m not engaged enough.”

“I’m not teaching her enough.”

“I’m failing her by doing this or that.”

Even though I do a damn good job (if I do say so myself) of raising my sweet little girl, I suddenly questioned myself for everything. I need to try harder, I need to do more, I need to be more. And therefore, be someone I’m not.

All this led me to feel depressed and inadequate.

It’s only been the past couple of days that I’ve realized I was even in said trap. I had this moment where I looked at our life and saw things I’d like to improve upon (more time outside, always more time outside) but then also snapped out of it and realized, “Wait, we have a really wonderful life and my daughter is experiencing a really beautiful childhood.” We have fun, we laugh, we watch movies together, we walk to the park (usually multiple times a day), we go out for mini-adventures, we eat takeout and we make smoothies. She’s healthy, she’s happy (for the most part), and she feels seen and loved.

I got so caught up in the perfectionism of someone else’s parenthood that is portrayed through a screen, that I forgot about the magic held within my own motherhood journey. And I reminded myself that they too have imperfect moments. Their little ones most likely have tantrums, and they have hard days as moms. They experience guilt in their own ways, they don’t make the right choices 100% of the time, they just choose to not show it online.

Their babies chose them, and mine chose me. And in the end, that’s all that matters.

I find that it’s so easy to get caught up in someone else’s life and instantly put them on a pedestal for how they are living, and immediately compare myself as not living up to my own potential. But I’m trying to remember that I am only seeing maybe 5% of their day, and who in the world knows what the rest is made up of?

I met up with a friend last night and she was telling me about her trip to visit her nephews. She talked about how much energy they had and a lot of our conversations centered around how much alike they were to where mine is right now in the toddler stage. Then, she told me that her sister has a screen-free, all-natural home. I instantly laughed because I was blaming myself for the “lazy” ways I parent, but our kids sounded like they were experiencing so much of the same, and yet they were living in two very different homes. She smiled at me and said, “All toddlers go through the same things.”

I realized then that I had become so disconnected from the reality of raising little ones. And that maybe we’re all just doing the best we can to make these tiny humans feel loved, and seen, and accepted. We’re making choices that feel good for us, and the problem isn’t necessarily what those choices are, but is more about the energy with which we make these choices.

I began to understand that the damage isn’t in how I choose to parent, but that damage can actually come from when I step out of what is authentic to me and my own child’s experience and try to force us into a life that isn’t ours. Sure, I can have things I want to strive for and ways I want to be a better mom, but I also have to hold onto the belief that I am doing right by us, first and foremost.

So I closed out the app, I turned off the phone, and I took my sweet, spirited, incredible toddler to the park. I looked into her eyes while she sat down across from me in the grass, and she instinctively came and sat in my lap, and I held onto my entire world in one person. I know that we’re meant to be, she and I. And there’s no other girl in the world I’d rather raise than this one, in this life, just as we are now.

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Hello friend, and welcome to this week’s Simple Things. It’s been one of those weeks where I feel like I’m behind on everything, even though I’m really not. I’m just procrastinating and struggling to stay focused, so I was worried for a minute that I wouldn’t get it together enough to write out this series, especially since I made more work for myself by having it be a bigger feature 😂 But then I started thinking and realized I have a lot of fun things to share with you, so here we go.

This week’s Simple Things includes:

S - Sharing - Something to protect my eyes, a new pair of shoes from my favorite brand, a great season transitional piece, thoughts on planning my life better, and a very deep discussion on sippy cups.
L - Loving - My newest wellness obsession, the greatest drink ever, and a book I’ve been enjoying!
O - Observations - Thoughts on long-distance friendships, the magic of movies, moving plans, and the endless guilt of screentime and what I’m doing about it.
W - Wisdom - My current favorite YouTuber, what to do about unsubscribing, and a self-discovery journey into winter.

Oh! Before we start, I wanted to remind you that this week Simple Things is going to be mostly for paid subscribers. I will be including the S for everyone, but the rest of the shares will be behind a paywall. If you’re currently a free subscriber, first off, THANK YOU! I have so many free posts for you to peruse and dive into around the topics of slow living, intentional motherhood, personal essays, etc.

But for 2024, I’m switching things up a bit and going to do more for my paid subscribers each week as a thank you and to really get clear on what my readers, YOU, are desiring from this space.

Why subscribe to paid, you ask?

• You are supporting me & my small business, and allowing me to spend more time here, deep-diving into all things slow living & motherhood.

• You get immediate access to my entire vault of paid posts (past & present) as well as access to my 4-week mini-course, Sacred & Slow, where you can immediately discover and uncover your own why for living slowly, and what that looks like for you and your family in an individualized way.

• You’ll be able to offer me detailed feedback on what works for you and what doesn’t, what you want more or less of, etc. It’s almost like you’re a co-author in a way. Maybe a co-curator of The Magically Mundane experience?

• What you can expect: a weekly or bi-weekly offering of Simple Things filled to the brim with my recommendations, opinions, links, reads, and more. Basically everything I’m interested in that’s part of my slow lived life currently. You will also get 2+ posts a month that are specifically for paid subscribers, as well as 2+ posts per month that are free to everyone.

• You also get access to the community of 1400+ in The Magically Mundane so we can all vibe out on slow living together!

If this sounds like something you’d want to be a part of, I’d LOVE for you to join my paid subscription for $6/month or $65/year. You can also become a founding member for $100/year where you will get a 1:1 session with me to chat all things slow & sacred living. So many options!!

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Okay, that’s enough from my soapbox on all things paid, let’s jump into this week’s Simple Things…

SHARING //

• I’ve been looking into buying some blue light glasses since a lot of times I’ll do my work at night, and I can tell that it’s affecting my sleep being on my computer or phone that late. I’ve been looking into these but they are pretty expensive, so if you have a pair you like I’m all ears (or eyes)!

• I am a long-time fan of Vejas. I had a pair of the velcro ones in all white a few years ago and absolutely loved them, but once they wore out I just never got a new pair. I’ve been looking at these and might have to take the plunge soon. They are so cute and go with everything.

• I’m slowlyyy starting to think about spring/summer and what to add to my wardrobe, and I really love this dress (and all the clothes on their site!). It seems like the perfect transitional piece and the green design is so cute.

• My photography sessions are starting to book up for the year and I’m feeling like I might need a physical planner. I’m normally a digital gal with planners, but it might be nice to have everything written out. I had this one last year and really liked it but hardly ever used it. This one is my go-to because it’s so easy and the pages are undated so I can skip days and not worry about it, but I felt like it was hard for an overall date view. I’ve heard good things about this planner so maybe I’ll try it. Do you have any suggestions?

• I swear Maverick turns into a furnace every night she gets so hot when she’s sleeping. That also means she drinks a lotttt of liquid throughout the night. I’ve been trying to find a good sippy cup that we can keep in the bed that doesn’t leak but so far no luck. I’ve heard good things about this one and like the brand, so I’m thinking about trying it, but dang it feels expensive for a sippy cup. Do you have a tried & true cup that your kiddos sleep with at night?

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You know when you were a kid, and it’s summer, and you’re having the absolute best day? You’re playing outside with your friends, hopscotching or running through sprinklers, and it feels like the sun is never going to set. Time feels infinite because life feels so good.

Time is such a fascinating concept to me because I think so much of it is about our perception and relationship to it. I noticed that when I began to implement slow living and literally slow down in my days, those moments that I wanted to last forever started to feel like they went on longer, and I could enjoy them more fully. We can get so caught up in the hustle of life that we forget about the beauty of a mundane day. We forget about the magic we’ve experienced in childhood, or we completely forget that kind of joy & presence is even possible for us anymore. We want so bad to get to the next thing that we miss out on the happiness of what is happening right in front of us.

Society & culture tell us we need more to be happy, we need more to get to where we want to be, and we forget to be in the now. I found that when I slowed down, I began to notice all these unnecessary habits or things I had filled my life with that were no longer serving me, and never really felt good from the beginning. I learned that when I started saying no to certain things, I could make room for all the big yeses in my life that truly mattered. And that’s the beginning of making these little tiny micro-movements towards living the life we actually want to be living in the here and now, and not as some “if, then” world. We stop trying to let life pass us by and not even notice the beauty in the everyday. We can bend and shape time to support us in making our days magical and find contentment in the process of living.

So, here are ten things I naturally quit when I started to embrace slow living, and how they supported me to create the life I dreamed of versus what I thought the world wanted from me. I found that when I stopped giving time to these things, I learned about time as the valuable currency that it’s truly meant to be.

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FRIENDS! Hi, and welcome back to my weekly series called Simple Things. Up until this week, I have been sharing 5 simple things I’ve noticed, enjoyed, been inspired by, or loved throughout the week. It’s been such a fun roundup where I can share my favorite magically mundane moments (You can see all the past Simple Things here). But, lately, I’ve been feeling like there needs to be MORE.

I really want to turn this series into a weekly rundown of what I love, but also what I recommend and want to share with you so that you feel like you’re coming away with the juicy first-page news of my life, if you will.

These weekly roundups are far from revolutionary, but I wanted to create my own twist around it. I am so inspired by how does her Weekly R.E.S.E.T posts by using each letter as an acronym for each section, so I got to thinking and decided to set up my own acronym for the word SLOW since we’re all about slowing life down over here. How does that sound?!

So each week, Simple Things is going to follow this structure:

S - Sharing - Something I want to share with you, whether a concept, a link to something I want to purchase, or a topic I’m interested in
L - Loving - Things (or a specific item/topic) I’ve been enjoying in my own life
O - Observations - The simple thing(s) I’ve noticed throughout the week
W - Wisdom - Podcasts/articles/videos I find inspiring

Another big update is that this is going to be the *final* FREE Simple Things, at least consistently. From next week on, it is going to be a series offered to paid subscribers only. I am toying around with the idea of making one free a month, but am definitely open to suggestions or feedback if you have any ideas!

I would love your thoughts in the comments on what you think of this new layout, if you like it (or don’t), and your feedback on anything and everything. As always, this community is what matters most to me and I want you to feel like you have a say in the content I’m sharing. So, speaking of sharing, here’s this week’s Simple Things…

SHARING //

• One of my favorite artists is Jamie Beck. My husband tracked down her first book when it came out and got a signed copy sent from Texas sent to here for my birthday. So, when she released a set of journals with her flower prints on them, I ordered them instantly. They’ve just arrived and I can’t wait to start writing in them. They are also unlined which makes me love them even more.

• How do we feel about shawls these days? I saw this one from Rudy Jude and fell in love. It definitely seems a bit prairie-chic, but I think I could work with it.

LOVING //

• GUYS. I cannot stop thinking about Fourth Wing. I binge-read it and Iron Flame while in Colorado last week and I am low-key depressed it’s over. From what I read online, there doesn’t seem to be a new book coming out until December 24’ and I am SO SAD about it. I got the same feeling when I read Twilight for the first time, or Divergent, Harry Potter, and more recently, ACOTAR. Mmm, there’s just something so MAGICAL about getting sucked into a great book series and not being able to put it down. Are there any romance/fantasy style series you’re loving lately? I’m thinking about starting Crescent City next since a new one is coming out at the end of this month. But Violet is still very present and stuck in my head.

• Matt and I started watching On The Roam last night. It’s Jason Momoa’s new show on MAX. The second episode is all about photography and he follows his favorite photographer, Todd Hido, around. I found it so inspiring to hear from them both on the art form. One of the reasons I loved living in England so much is because of all the fog. Todd uses fog a lot in his photos, and it reminded me of photographing in England which felt so special. I definitely recommend the series.

OBSERVATIONS //

• Hands down the worst part of traveling is that our dog, Charlotte, can’t come with us. She’s been SO happy since we returned home. She’s snuggling up with us every night and tolerating the toddler being all over her more than usual. We missed her a ton.

• While in Colorado, we had trouble getting Maverick out every day because it was snowing a ton. So since getting home, we’ve been going on long walks every morning and it’s been so nice getting outside more again. She thrives when she’s outside, and I always notice it helps with her sleep a lot, too.

• You know the quiet when everyone is asleep in the home? I love that sound. You can hear the house creak, the lights flicker, and the sound of your breathing. It’s just magic. I don’t get up early often enough, but I live for these little moments of everyday magic.

WISDOM //

I’ve been really enjoyed ’s publication, for a while now. She recently did an introduction to herself and I loved learning more about her, and her why for getting on this platform. Definitely subscribe to her if you haven’t already!

This post from on “When Spring Doesn’t Spring” was SO good when learning about our cyclical nature and offering up a few reasons why we may not be moving in tune with our bodies in certain seasons.

I loved this post from on collecting books like how we collect a fine wine, and reading more seasonally. I’ve pretty much transitioned over to my Kindle for all my reading, but my husband still loves to collect books and they pile up in corners all over our house. The other day I told him that he needs to stop buying them if he’s not going to read them and he responded with, “I didn’t realize books expired.” He then went on to say that he is getting them to read when he has the time, and even if that’s when he’s 70, that’s okay. I loved his perspective and Liz’s is the same. It was a beautiful post about trusting in reading the right books at the right time.

And there you have it, this week’s Simple Things. I’d love to know… do you like this new format? Is there enough in here or does it feel like too much? I obviously want to keep it simple (hence the title) but wanted it to be valuable to you as well. I’m going to include a poll here so I can gauge the response.

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This is a long post, so if you’re reading this on your email server, please press ‘download entire message’ in the email as it may be truncated (cut off for reading). Or, you can read the post on my Substack directly here.

Exactly a year ago today I published my first article/post/newsletter here on Substack (if you’re reading this in your email, you may be confused, but Substack is the platform I use to send these emails and it’s a mix of a blog & newsletter in one). When I started, I remember having this overwhelming feeling of, “I need to be in this space and write” and not much else. Normally when I start things it’s because I have this whole plan around it. How it will go, what my goals will be, etc. But for Substack, I just wanted to write and share my voice in a way that I can remember what being a new mom was like and where I was in our life at this time. And now, a year on, I have published 90 posts (this is 91), I have found such a like-minded community here, and I have gotten to do something I absolutely love which is to write. This post is laid out with my story, talking about the substack landscape as a whole, my stats, going paid, what I’ve learned this year, my favorite posts from the year, and what’s to come in 2024.

So make a cup of tea, light a candle, grab your coziest blanket and settle in as we recap my first full year on Substack.

My Story

I remember it like it was yesterday (cliché, I know, but it’s true). I was sitting in the bathtub at my parent’s house in that magical time between Christmas and New Year’s when it felt like the world was asleep. I was searching through my library of podcast episodes I hadn’t had the time for, because I was a mom to a freshly turned 1-year-old daughter, and I stumbled upon one of ’s podcast episodes called, “Why You Need To Join Substack” with . As I listened, I felt myself nodding aggressively to every word they said and thinking, “Hmm, this Substack world sounds like my kind of internet home.”

I’d been trying to lean into my human design more and one of the main things my 4/6 profile tells me to do is to sit on decisions and not make one immediately, so I sat on it. But I couldn’t get this idea of starting a Substack out of my head.

A few years before, I was doing a guided journey with my shaman and he asked us, “What would your dream life look like for you?” And I swear all I could think of was, how amazing would it be to be able to sit on the couch all day, write, and make a great living from it? That was my dream. Over the years, I have come and gone with my writing, I have abandoned it and seen it return, I have college degrees in screenwriting & songwriting, have written copious amounts in journals and long captions on Instagram, and worked for various companies by writing for their social media. When I think of my dream life, it involves being a writer. It’s the only thing I’ve ever truly, deeply, known that I am meant to do.

But I hadn’t yet figured out just how to share my writing in a way that made sense to me. It wasn’t until I reached this big one-year postpartum milestone that I looked back and thought, I need to start writing again. I had experienced so much insight and processing within my first year of being a mother that I knew I wanted to share it, whether just for myself somewhere or with a larger community.

Substack is one of the only things I ever started with no intention of where it would go. When I started blogging, made my Instagram, or started a YouTube channel, I always had these big lofty goals. With Substack, I just wanted to write for me and for my daughter to be able to read about my experiences when she was older. And that’s exactly what I did. Over the past year, I have published 90 posts all about slow living, motherhood, & creativity. Along with personal essays and informative posts, I also created a mini-course called Sacred & Slow and a weekly (sometimes bi-weekly) series all about noticing the magic in the mundane called Simple Things.

Substack As A Blog?

When I joined Substack, I viewed it as a fancy newsletter platform with a social element. This was also before Notes launched, so I began to grow from exclusively liking, commenting, and recommending fellow writers here. I followed and immediately, then I quickly began to meet some incredible people like , , and . One of my favorite people on Instagram, joined around the same time, and then another Instagram favorite, a few months later. Over the last 12 months, I’ve begun to see some of my favorite bloggers migrate parts of their blog or the entire thing over to Substack. , , , and were all people with blogs I read religiously and now find them on Substack.

So, what’s changed? I believe that Substack is bringing back blogging. Not that blogging is dead, but it’s offering a place where blogging can co-exist with social media in a more seamless way. Over the years, blogging has gone from having a simple WordPress page to creating these intricate, custom websites that the regular Joe can’t even figure out how to post. While I love having a beautifully designed website, I found myself not logging in very often and barely posting because 1) I wasn’t getting good reach without promoting on other platforms and 2) I had so many updates and changes that had to be made with each post that it made everything too complicated.

Substack offers a simple platform with 3 choices on how to layout your page, a few custom color options, a small list of font choices, and that’s all you need to get started. Substack has made long-form writing fun again, and I believe that’s why so many people are moving their blogs to this space. The other great part about Substack is that people can come and read your posts as they wish directly on your page (like a blog), but they can also subscribe to receive posts directly into their email (like a newsletter). The thing that sets Substack apart from other social media platforms is that you own your email list. This means that if Substack was to end tomorrow, or you decided you no longer wanted to be on the platform, you can simply download the emails you’ve received and move them to a new platform. It puts the ownership back into the creative’s hands, and I love that.

What You’re Here For: The Stats

Okay, okay, you wanna know the stats right? I started my Substack by publishing my first post on January 22nd, 2023 with 0 subscribers. I wrote four posts before importing my email list from my regular newsletter that I’d been slowly growing with literally zero effort for the past four or so years. On February 26th, 2023, I imported that list of exactly 130 subscribers and wrote an intro post welcoming those subscribers to this space. Most of those people had subscribed when I was blogging about food and fashion, so it was natural that I ended up losing a big chunk of them while I transitioned over to chatting mostly about slow living & motherhood. Over the next month, I ended up gaining and losing subscribers pretty consistently. By March 23rd, I had 140 subscribers.

It wasn’t until April 25th that I had my first jump from 178 to 192 subscribers overnight. By then I had been writing 2-3 times a week consistently as well as networking within Substack’s ecosystem.

At this time, I’d mostly just read others’ articles, comment, subscribe, and recommend them. Notes also started at the beginning of April so I was diving into utilizing that offering slowly, too. I looked back at my posts and there isn’t a specific one that went “viral” at this time, I think I just had a good amount of posts for people to read and they were “buying into” my brand/writing voice as a whole. Around this time, these posts were my most popular…

I began to notice that informative articles on Slow Living were what brought me the most reach and began to dial that in even more. I also weaved a lot of motherhood posts in as well since that was my initial draw to return to writing and what I felt called to share most.

The thing about my growth here is that is has always been slow & steady. There wasn’t a moment over the past year where I went viral or a post just blew up, it has always been consistently growing at a steady pace. June-September was where I saw the most amount of growth, going from 268 on June 1st to 446 by July 1st, then 577 by August 1st and 711 by September 1st.

During this time I traveled and wrote about it, stayed very active in the community, and felt inspired with everything I was writing about. I was in the flow and it felt really good. Once September hit, I continued growing but noticed that I was losing people as I was gaining them too. I had some writer’s block from September-November which I definitely felt played into things, and really wanted to hit 1,000 subscribers by the end of the year. I stumbled a bit during these months, posting a lot of times only once a week, and felt like I was uninspired for the first time since starting The Magically Mundane.

There were times when I wanted to give up, and in the past of starting things, this would be a typical time for me to stop. But I loved writing and the community I’d begun to grow here so much that I kept with it. I began to write about a few different topics to switch things up and introduced my first offering to paid subscribers, my mini-course Sacred & Slow.

It was really cool to see how things kept flowing even if I felt a bit stagnant, and on October 31st, 2023 I hit 1,000 subscribers. Now, at the time of writing this, I have 1300+ subscribers.

What About Paid?

In terms of paid subscribers, it’s been a bit all over the place! I had a couple of friends pay yearly subscriptions almost immediately just to support me, which felt amazing. That’s a big reason why I believe you should turn on your paid option from the get-go because you never know who will want to support you and even if it’s just one or two friends or family members, it gives you a big boost in confidence from the start. I only published one paid post, which was My Birth Story, back in March and then one paid post about sourdough starter in May, so the people who were paid subscribers were really just supporting my writing in general. By September 3rd, I was making $220 a year which works out to 4 paid subscriptions and 2 comps (meaning I gave them a paid subscription for free). It wasn’t until I launched my mini-course on October 1st that I saw the number jump dramatically to 24 paid subscribers, 4 comps, and 3 free trials. After the 4-week course ended, I noticed a dip in paid subscriptions getting canceled and now, in January 2024, I am sitting at 20 paid, 4 comps, and 1 free trial with a current gross annualized revenue of $1,182.

I am definitely far from making this a sustainable source of income. But in fairness, I have done a pretty bad job at promoting my paid subscription as well as nurturing those within it, and it’s something I plan to commit to way more in the coming months (you can read about my plan at the end of this post).

What I’ve Learned This Year

I feel like I’ve gathered some tips & tricks throughout the year that may be helpful for you. Just some little tidbits of what writing and posting consistently has been like, and if you’re someone who wants to write and potentially grow your own publication, you may find some of these useful for yourself.

1. Consistency IS the key, unfortunately. I used to spend hours reading blog posts about how to grow blogs, websites, social media, you name it and I would get SO annoyed when everyone said, “It’s all about consistency.” It drove me crazy that they would say that it takes time to grow and it requires dedication through consistency, there has to be some other way, right?! But, they all were right. I have grown my Substack in a way that feels authentic to me and nurtured a beautiful community because I was dedicated and consistent. There was only one week when I experienced a death in the family that I didn’t post, otherwise, I’ve posted at least once per week (but more often 2-3 times) over the entire year. I typically do my Simple Things series on Thursdays, a personal essay on Sundays, and a post on Slow Living on Tuesdays. This has definitely changed and adjusted but I really try to keep to these days as post days, and it’s been really supportive for me so far. I also know that my subscribers appreciate knowing when to expect an email from me.

2. Don’t overanalyze your writing. Of course, we want our posts to have correct grammar and proper spelling, but you can drive yourself crazy doing edits. I found in the first few months of posting that I would write the post the morning of and share it almost immediately so I would take the guesswork out of it. Once it was out in the world, I let go of the perfectionism around it. But when it was sitting in my drafts, I would read through it over and over again to make sure it was perfect. The truth is, no post will ever be perfect, it just needs to be from the heart.

3. Pick a few topics to focus on, but don’t box yourself in too much. At the end of the day, we are creating for ourselves first. So it’s important that we love what we are sharing. I have found that “niching down” into slow living & motherhood have been really great topics for me to always return to when I feel blocked on what to write, but I have also made space for sharing about other topics such as creative business, sacred spirituality, and the woo-woo side of my life. I believe that people buy into other people and we are all multi-faceted, so I want my readers to see me as a whole person rather than just a specific topic. That way, if I ever change niches, I (hopefully) will still be supported because they bought into *me* before the content.

4. Series’ will keep you afloat when you inevitably run out of steam. There were quite a few weeks where I struggled to write and just didn’t feel like the words were coming. Instead of forcing myself to share something I wasn’t entirely proud of, I relied on my series Simple Things to keep the consistency going. Seasonally, I also wrote a series about Slow Living Activities based on each season. So between those two series, I had a good amount of content always at the ready that was easy for me to write even when I wasn’t feeling particularly inspired. Having a series that you can return to again and again isn’t only helpful for you, but it brings a sense of stability to your readers and allows them to know what to expect from you. This builds trust and is what, I believe, fosters real growth and community.

5. Don’t wait until you’re ready. You will never have the perfect logo, the right amount of posts already written, the email list to import, or any of those things that you think require you to begin. All you need is courage, passion, and a love for sharing what you know and believe with others. When I was pregnant with my daughter, so many people told me, “You will never be ready” and it was so comforting for me to know that everyone is just figuring out life as they go. Writing here is no different, so just begin.

6. Always remember why you started. When I get too into my head about my writing or where I want my content to go, I always return to why I started. For me, it was to document life as a new mom who implements slow living. Whenever I get overwhelmed, I return to that thought and follow that rabbit hole once again. I also started it to connect with other moms because I don’t have many mom friends, as well as share my writing so that I can have something I’m passionate about outside of just raising my kiddo. It’s important to find what your reason is and dig deep into it when you feel a bit lost because it will always return you to where you need to be.

7. Find the balance between planning ahead and writing when inspiration strikes. I am the queen of having to be “in the flow” when I write, but it’s important as you start to grow your community and publication that you strike a balance between leaning into your inspiration and sticking to your post schedule (remember, consistency is key!). For the first few months of writing, I published whenever and wrote quite a bit. But then I realized that inspiration comes and goes, and to make something stick you have to put grit behind it by showing up even when you don’t feel like it. That’s where having a post schedule and a big list of drafts already half written helped me to keep the momentum going.

8. Remember that growth is about community, so support and champion others as much as you promote yourself. When I first started on Substack, I would spend any free time in my day (mostly when the baby napped) reading others posts, commenting on them, recommending them, and sharing on Notes. Just genuinely connecting with people and championing their own writing. After a while, I would get the same love and support back tenfold. So if you’re feeling like you aren’t growing or you’re stuck or unsure, just focus on connection.

9. Think of your readers as more than just an email on a list. They are real people who take the time to read what you have to say. Be grateful for them spending these moments with you. Every once in a while, I’ll just scroll through my emails and say thank you out loud to each email subscriber coming through, knowing that they care about what I have to say enough to give me something of theirs (their email). A little gratitude can go a long way.

10. Trust that what you have to say is important and valuable, but also not the end all be all. There is this fine line between believing in ourselves above all else and also not putting too much pressure on a goal or dream. Remember that you have a unique voice, and a unique life, and somewhere out there you are going to speak to someone who truly needs what you have to say. But also, if you write something and it bombs or you don’t feel like the words are coming out right, then remember that it’s just words on a page and nothing revolutionary. Hold both truths at the same time that your work is incredibly important and it’s also not everything in your life. At the end of the day, you are doing it to nourish your soul first.

My Favorite Posts From The Year

Of course, I had to include a section where I share with you my personal favorite posts from this year. Here they are…

This was my first overview of slow living, and I loved sharing about it in a way that speaks to my own experience with the lifestyle.

This was my first post that I made paid, mostly because it has a lot of personal information and felt deeply personal, so I wanted to keep it for a smaller group of people and ones that I knew were “in my corner.” It felt really special to share my birth story here and to have it in written form.

This post was the first one to really get shared in other people’s publications and socially, and it felt so good to feel like I was starting to understand what people wanted from my words and the specific topics to touch on.

Motherhood ripped me open in so many beautiful & hard ways, and I loved sharing about it as a sacred experience here.

This was my favorite post I wrote throughout the entire year. It felt like such a connection point for me when talking about slow living and is really rooted in the truth of the way I live and why I live this way.

Over the summer we traveled to Europe, and I really enjoyed sharing this diary of our trip. It felt like old blogging days, which was so much fun.

This post on writer’s block & perfectionism really resonated with a lot of people, and I enjoyed all the conversations we got into over Notes and comments.

Writing this post felt like a huge wake-up call for me in my life, and I began to truly understand how I want to move forward in terms of my energy and what I focus on. I’m glad it resonated with so many others too.

This one kind of builds on the last post, and I kept revisiting it as I wrote it to add changes. I had it in my drafts for probably two months before publishing, but I’m really pleased with how it turned out.

I was sooo nervous to share this one because it felt contradictory to what I claim I want my life to be. Slow living is typically touted as a “small” life, in a way, but I really do want a big life in the midst of slow. I was so grateful to see others share my sentiment, and even those who have a slow, simple, “small” life feel similar in ways to what I was saying.

My Plan for 2024…

If you’ve come this far, THANK YOU! Truly. I am so grateful for each and every one of you who chose to subscribe to me and read the words I write. It feels like the biggest gift. I have been in hibernation mode the past month or so, really trying to figure out where I want to go from here, and I think it comes back to the original thought I had which is that Substack is like the new blogging platform. Blogging was my first love, and I am excited to return to a similar format in 2024. I want to write more informative posts and really offer you value, especially as a paid subscriber if you choose or are able to be one in the coming year. My plan is to always have personal essays but to allow them to be written when I feel inspired and not as the basis for my week. That way they can be as authentic as possible, but then still have posts around specific topics with information you can glean throughout the week.

Most importantly, I would love to know what kind of content YOU want to see from me. At the end of the day, I want this publication to serve you as much as it fuels me.

Is it more tangible tips on slow living? More lifestyle-related things? Sustainable fashion & beauty? Motherhood essays? Creative business? Spirituality? It would mean the WORLD to me if you could share what you would find inspiring, helpful, and impactful for you from The Magically Mundane.

And there you have it friends, my first full year on Substack, recapped. I hope you enjoyed reading about my process and found something within this post helpful for your own journey! I would love to see more people join the Substack train in 2024 and find their voice through long-form writing. It’s been absolutely transformational for me, and I’m so excited to see where the next year leads. I can’t thank you enough for being here with me, cheering me on, and supporting me every step of the way. Here’s to an equally wonderful/exciting/heartfelt/authentic/fun next year of writing, and more importantly, living (slowly)!

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The snowflakes fall in a steady stream outside the window as I walk towards the big brown door that feels almost too heavy to open. Inside, I sit down and reach for the all-too-familiar black boots I’ve come to know in my past 17 years as a snowboarder. I begin to lace up and can feel the heat engulfing my body as a result of wearing three layers of pants, two layers of sweaters, and my snow pants and jacket on top. I huff as I tug and pull, and as soon as the boots are on, I rush back through the heavy door and into the front yard. I let the snowflakes fall all over my face and feel the cold breeze cool me down.

My husband walks by and pauses, “I’m glad I chose a sport with fewer layers.”

He grew up playing football (or American soccer) and his beat-up knees keep him from trying to ski or snowboard himself. I cast him my best side eye and go back to counting the snowflakes on my jacket. After a few minutes, I head back inside, grab my snowboard, and go towards the mountain.

It’s a humbling experience, doing a sport after a four-year hiatus, having a baby, and turning 30. The simplicity of just showing up and “doing the thing” is gone, and instead, there’s a strategy involved. Can I sit this way? Can I get up this way? Can I lock my feet in this way?

I started snowboarding while on a trip with friends in Montana when I was 12 or 13 (I can’t remember exactly) and one of my best friends at the time challenged me to learn with him. I also definitely had a crush on him so that motivated me too. I told him I’d do it, but only if my mom came with us. So, while all the other adults and kids were learning how to ski, we spent our days falling on our butts over and over again until we figured out how to go down a hill with snow on a single board. My mom was 40 at the time. I was always so proud of her for taking the chance and learning with me, but I also gave her a hard time about it. “You’re not that old, you can do it!” I’d always tell her.

Now that I’m 30 and still a decade off from her even beginning to learn, I feel so much admiration and awe that she took on a sport in her midlife with such zest, always trailing after us kids. She never gave up, and I will never forget the year we spent five months in Colorado snowboarding almost every day, culminating in going down our first extreme black run together. My mom is a badass, and I know now how much work and determination that took.

Everything about doing a winter sport is hard. It’s just plain work. When I was 17, I’d complain about it all. Of course, I loved going down the runs and feeling the rush of the icy cold wind and my heart race as I went faster, faster, faster. But the unclipping and strapping back in for every run, the hiking and cold weather and snow in my pants too many times to count, the sore legs, and the exhaustion I felt at the end of every day? That part I wasn’t a fan of. I think everyone around me knew it too considering how much I’d complain about it all. But the mountain always called me back.

Cut to this time around, and it’s probably a thousand times worse. I’m out of shape, I feel like I’m just now getting out of the postpartum period two years later, and I’m four years older than the last time I snowboarded. Everything hurts. Everything is hard. But, this time there’s something different about it. There was a joy in the hard that I hadn’t experienced before. I was almost even grateful for the throbbing pain in my feet as my muscles fought to remember how to turn, and the burn that caused shaking in my thighs after only two runs. When I decided I was done for the day, there was only a smile on my face as I hauled my board back down the path that led from the ski runs to our house, and I collapsed with a deep sense of accomplishment I hadn’t felt before.

I spent a lot of time thinking about what the difference was, between all those years when I was younger and the version of me now, and the thought that came to mind was that through motherhood I have become resilient.

Growing up, I always thought of myself as weak physically. I have this memory of running one mile in high school health class getting the slowest time and feeling like a failure. When something got too hard physically, I’d just quit. I realize now that the feeling of failure through these experiences also bled into every other aspect of my life subconsciously. I never felt strong.

Then, I went through pregnancy where I threw up multiple times a day for 28 weeks straight. I birthed my child into this world with a second-degree tear and spent almost a year feeling the suture scar burn, and my pubic bone ache. I felt the physical pain of walking after birth. I pumped for 13 months to feed my child, and would wake up at 12am, 2am, 4am, and 6am around the clock to make sure my milk supply stayed up. When everything in my body wanted to give up, I chose to continue on and prove to myself just how damn strong I can be.

There is a resiliency that motherhood teaches you, and it became a gift I never knew I needed. I realize now that my own mother had that same experience when she was 40, barreling down a mountain after her 13-year-old daughter just to show her what she was capable of. I see it in myself now, wanting to prove to my own daughter that she can do anything she wants and that life is full of endless possibilities.

Snowboarding taught me that I had a fire within me I never knew, but motherhood taught me how to fan the flames.

Whether we’re going through a particularly tough day of parenting, experiencing suffering in some way, or doing something fun like snowboarding, I hope all mothers know that we wield magic through our veins and that our experience of literally birthing humans earthside is more powerful than we could ever imagine.

We’re resilient, us mothers. And I’m so proud of the woman I have become as a result.

Here’s to trying new things, here’s to returning to old things, and here’s to realizing that sometimes the most beautiful things come out of our hardest moments.

So I’ll lace up, I’ll throw all the layers back on, and I’ll take my snowboard back out, to try again, and to remind myself that I am, in fact, strong. I hope through seeing me doing something I love, even when it’s hard, that my daughter knows how strong and capable she is, too.

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Hello to you from the snowy town of Telluride, Colorado. We are currently enjoying a week in the snow, and it’s Maverick’s first time seeing it. I still think she might get it confused with our white sand at home, but she’s having a blast. It’s been so nice to take some time in a different environment, away from the usual day-to-day, and spend quality time with family. I hope you’ve been able to do something special during this new year energy, even if it’s just diving into a good book to transport you somewhere new. Speaking of books… here’s this week’s Simple Things.

1. I have finally gotten sucked into Fourth Wing after seeing so many good reviews about it but struggling to really get into it until about 20% of the way through. Now, I can’t even put it down. I am someone who religiously falls asleep early each night, but it’s so good I’ve been staying up past my bedtime (who is she?!) to read. I am about 70% done now and am so happy there’s a second book I can dive into straight away. Have you read Fourth Wing? I might get chastised for this, but I think I like it better than ACOTAR. I know, I know. My fellow reading buddy said, “those are fighting words!” when I texted her about it last night.

2. Maverick turned two in October and still isn’t saying many words, but this week we’ve started to see some huge progress with her speech. She loves to say, “moo” for cow and that’s pretty much been the extent of it until now. But over the last few days, she’s started saying, “help,” “mama,” “dada,” and even said “Blue!” when I turned on the TV this morning and Blue’s Clues popped up. It’s such a reminder to me that every person is unique and my beautiful, smart daughter is no exception. She’s on her own time frame and we are absolutely loving seeing the growth in her while also celebrating her for exactly who she is.

3. I watched the snowflakes fall for what felt like hours yesterday, and I loved seeing the unique intricacies of each one. Did you know that no two snowflakes have the same design? Such a beautiful reminder of how unique we all are, just as I mentioned about Maverick. The snow here is just stunning to watch, and seeing the mountains and trees covered in it feels like we’re in our own beautiful snow globe.

4. When I was living in England, my husband taught me about magpies for the first time. He told me, “one for sorrow, two for joy” and how seeing two magpies together brought good luck because they mate for life. I’ve never noticed before but there are magpies here in Telluride, and I keep seeing two fly around together. It feels like we’re piling on the good luck these days.

5. I really enjoyed reading this educational article from on the roots of where the “pro-metabolic diet” came from and the inaccuracies represented. I’ve personally fallen into the whole pro-metabolic world coming from a very restrictive diet to embracing more whole foods again, and not all of them healthy habits. So reading this and seeing the whole picture has been a really beautiful process for me. I’ve also been exploring this through the Rooted Families course Kori Meloy teaches (ironically, her first course I took was on the pro-metabolic diet) and learning about taking sovereign responsibility for my own health & family. It’s been super eye-opening for me and this share from Kaya was another key to unlocking more.

And there you have it! I’d love to know what magically mundane thing you’ve experienced this week that has brought you joy.

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It’s January 4th, and as I’m writing this I have spent the past few days only receiving “ins and outs,” “resolutions,” and “jump-start new year” posts, shares, and emails, and I am about to combust.

In the past, I have loved the energy that the new year brings. But for some reason, this year, it has felt like an anxiety-inducing dredge I’m just trying to survive through. No, I don’t want to make a list of goals for 2024. No, I don’t want to talk about what I want more of or less of in the upcoming year. I honestly just want to sleep. And maybe journal a bit. Reflect on 2023 and sit with the big feelings I’ve had throughout the past year.

I am hibernating, feeling disconnected, and not desiring to “show up” in the world right now. This has to do with a lot of things, I’m sure. My grandfather died a few weeks ago, it’s been a hard six months of mothering for me, work has been a rollercoaster, and life is a bit all over the place. So I got to the end of the year and instead of saying, “hell yes bring on 2024!” I cried, “I need quiet space.”

And I realized something in that moment, that if I tried to push through as I probably would have in the past, I’d be living out of alignment with the person I say I am today.

In January 2023, I started this Substack publication and posted almost every single week (usually multiple times a week) for almost a year now. (Speaking of, my first year on Substack post will be up at the end of the month!) I have written about slow living, intentional motherhood, sacred spirituality, and creativity for almost 12 months. I have been embodying most of these concepts actively since 2018.

There’s a power that comes when you speak your values aloud, and it’s that you can no longer hide behind someone that you are not. I can’t preach about intentional living and then not be intentional with the way I’m living. I can’t talk about seasonal shifts and not embrace the seasons within myself. I can no longer live a life that isn’t true to my soul. That’s what happens when you speak your truth, is that you are called to live up to that truth, and sometimes it feels like a heavy burden to bear.

So when I see all the Instagram posts and Substack shares about New Year, New Me, or all the holiday things and feel the imposter syndrome kick in my inner voice screams at me saying, “You aren’t keeping up! You’re going to get left behind! You’re going to miss out on an opportunity!” Then, I can dig deep and remember that if I don’t listen to what my body is telling me, which is to slow the f*ck down, then I am not actually living authentically. And I believe that even in this world called the Internet, people can pick up on who is real and who isn’t.

By the way, I love that everyone is sharing so much blank slate/goals-oriented content right now if that’s in alignment with them! It’s so inspiring to see. It’s just also been triggering for me and my own process of slowing down and I thought I would share that real & raw with you.

Through the new year’s haze, I did see a post (actually three) about recognizing that winter is a time for hibernation, for quiet space to reflect, and that the “new year” doesn’t really start until the spring equinox in March. So I’ve been trying to take the pressure off and lean into the grounding energy that winter brings, and when I allowed that truth to be my truth for this year, I felt a giant weight lift off my shoulders and an inner knowing that I am doing the right thing.

Sometimes, what is right for us goes against the grain of what everyone else is doing. I know for most of my own life I’ve beat myself up over doing things differently, or feeling left out and behind. But I’m beginning to realize that life actually starts when we do what is best for our individual selves. In the midst of hard things, I’ve also accomplished a lot of beautiful things in the past year, and choosing to sit with that for a while longer is absolutely okay, even great for me.

So, if you’re feeling like you need to “keep up” or “push through,” let this be your permission slip to stop. Slow down. Sit with your own thoughts for awhile, and trust that wherever you are and whatever energy you are feeling is exactly right for you. I love to picture my slowing down times as a slingshot. I’m pulling back, inward, and getting stronger so that I can release and shoot off in the perfectly right direction at the perfectly right time.

Go slow to go fast, and watch as life unfolds exactly as it’s meant to.

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