Today I am eating soup, taking antibiotics, Tylenol and cuddling up in my cozy clothes and blankets. I am better, but still feeling like trash!        That is how I’ll be bringing in the new year!         I’m also playing some Crash Bandicoot with my sister and just trying to be thankful for all that this year has brought us.         I am desperately trying to hold on to the positives instead of the negatives. Something we all need to do more.         I’m alive, I’m somewhat healthy (on the mend for sure) my family is alive and well, I have everything I NEED and all is well.         That is what i’ll be focusing on this new year!         Here’s my half thought through list: Create more ART. SHARE more art.   Keep at my weight loss goals. Travel more. Sell, giveaway, donate things that don’t bring me joy. Stop buying unn...

     I feel like it ’s about time that I start concocting my new years resolutions.          There are three types of resolutioners:    1.  Resolutions be damned, this life is hard enough as it is!  2.  Makes all the resolutions, writes them down so they look pretty; but as soon as the momentum of the day is gone, so are resolutions.  3.  Makes them and refuses to break them, even if their mental health suffers because of it.         I was ALWAYS the girl in the MIDDLE! I made them, always! But never stuck to them. I guess they always just seemed like too far of a stretch for me.          Unrealistic goals and aspirations kill more opportunities than going for what you want every will.         What do I mean by that?         If you’re so stuck on the what ifs and the could be’s that you miss out on all the actual o...

     Another TMI Loading... so proceed with caution!        I can’t keep anything down...but not from vomiting...        N othing I eat sits well with me. I’ve tried various foods and they all send me into gallbladder attack mode.         Y es you can still have gallbladder attacks with no gallbladder... it’s wonderful.         I am cold and then burning up then back to cold.         I ’ve had a low grade fever for the last three days.         I’ve had a headache that I can’t shake for even longer.  I t’s dull and just annoying enough to make me feel nauseated.         T hank GOODNESS for Zofran.  B ecause if I didn’t have it, I think i’d be absolutely and positively f*cked!         I’ve taken 3 doses of antibiotics so far and I’m hoping that with a few more, i’ll start to fe...

💝 Soup and grilled cheese for dinner (The ultimate comfort food!) Antibiotics and nausea medication picked up and first dose administered!   Slept like crap.   Woke up hoarse and congested. Have a headache.        All in all, I’m okay. I just can’t wait to start feeling better!         I can’t wait for the new year to start so I can slowly ease my way back into my daily grind. I want to be more present in my art, my creativity, my life, body, mind and soul. I know that seems like a lot to be present for, but I am ready for the challenge.         I’m also ready to level up. I want to stop worrying about material things and start doing more of what I love: Traveling! Seeing the world, exploring and living the last of my 20’s like I should have been living my early 20’s! Bold and frivolous!         Then it’s time to focus on my home life. I am ready for an actual HOME! I am sick of pay...

       I am SICK! Being a girl is complicated and at times completely AWFUL! There is SO much that can go wrong with our bodies and SO much that we have to go through.     Menstrual cycle coupled with the pain that comes with them Child bearing and birth. (Enough said) UTi Yeast infection Endometriosis Polycystic ovarian syndrome        And a SHIT LOAD of other things.         I myself mark off a few of those things. But today, today I am down for the count with a UTI... See? I told you it was TMI but I feel like complete and utter shit!    Back is on FIRE I am nauseated as hell I feel like I have the flu I have a low grade fever I have a stupid headache that wont go away      I’m a mess. And with everything else going on in the world the suspicion of having C19 is RIDICULOUS!         BROOOO, I have a literal pile of rapid tests at my house. I have tested again an...

      After Christmas every year I go out the next day and buy everything I need for the next year at 50% off! wrapping paper, boxes, tissue paper, tape, etc! I love being prepared for the next year and without breaking the bank!       After some shopping around with my sister and parents we met up with my brother and his family for dinner! I had a Pecan salad on a bed of micro-greens, cherries, onions and a raspberry vinaigrette! Delicious!       I also bought a dress for the fancy, fancy night on the cruise! It's maroon and velvet...enough said!       On the way home we stopped at Starbucks and I got a sugar free chai-tea iced latte with cold foam (seriously, try it... it's delish!)      Then we drove around our little town and admired all of the beautiful lights everyone has up!       It's been a nice, relaxing day full of laughs, good food and some guilty pleasures!  ...

(My tree ^)      All of my siblings and their families, my parents and grandparents get together today at a designated house (this year it was at my brothers house!)         And we do a giant breakfast for dinner meal and then Christmas with everyone!         It’s nothing short of a miracle getting us all in one room; we’re a really close family but it’s so hard getting us all in the same room! So we make sure that Christmas is special every year! (except the year we had to have a zoom Christmas.....HARD EYE ROLL!)        Anyway, I didn’t take too many pictures but here are the ones that I did capture!       Needless to say, I am beyond blessed and so, so grateful for the time I got to spend with my family!       I hope you have all had a blessed holiday, no matter what you celebrate!  XOXO  

     Welcome back and it ’s Christmas Eve!          Every year I have my parents over on this day to have dinner and open gifts together!         This year, I have been sitting on a huge secret! You remember the one I told you guys about before but didn’t want to spill the beans here, “just in case” ?!        Well, I finally get to tell you all!         I am taking my parents on a cruise to the Keys and COZUMEL! This is something that i’ve never been able to do before! Going on vacation for yourself is sometimes a challenge but sending yourself AND your parents?! Then on top of that being able to pull it off as a huge surprise?!         I’m over the moon excited! And so were they, here’s a few snippets of how it went!           My mama cried and my dad just smiled from ear to ear! The best part is that we’ll be able to exper...

     I take great comfort in knowing that today is the only day that you can say, Merry Christmas eves, eve!          Yesterday I spent a lot of the day feeling like crap. Which is partly due to my lack of gallbladder, partly due to the fact that I ate an entire head of cabbage in two days and my body basically said, “fuck you!”         So today I am recovering. Because good lord, my life is a complete mess right now. I am taking full ownership of it!         I’m doing my best to keep my head above water! My anxiety and depression are always exacerbated by the holidays, large gatherings and when large quantities of money are being sent out.         I have been crying a little more, screaming a lot and my list of curse words could probably qualify me for the Guinness book of world records; but HEY, I’m getting through it one hour at a time!        I ...

     The Holiday scramble is beyond chaotic.          I feel chaotic. I’m spiraling. And my mental health is rocky.              Holidays ALWAYS make me feel this way. Family always makes me feel that way.         I am doing my absolute best to focus on my mental health.         It’s hard when there is so much going on and you feel like you don’t have control over anything! (which is how I often times feel when I’m in large groups of people!)         I HATE not feeling like I have any control. I don’t use hate a lot anymore. Because when I started my journey into self awareness, mindfulness, health and wellness and overall mental health, I stopped forcing myself to feel those negative feelings. I allowed myself to throw away all of the burdens of the cynical outlook of life I had before.         They didn’t ju...

     Happy first day of winter solstice! This only occurs twice a year and I think that it’s the coolest thing, ever!        If you’re unfamiliar with the occurrence, it  marks the onset of winter  on the shortest day!  W hich started today here in the northern hemisphere!  I t happens when the Earth’s North Pole is tilted the farthest from the sun!         D o you feel like there is a spiritual connection between the winter  solstice  and humans?      I n many cultures, religions and spiritual traditions people believe that during this time of great darkness it  encourages  humanity to gather together, surrounded by loved ones to celebrate the journey back into light.         C an the solstice disrupt us?        S ure! if you’re like me, living in Michigan, you already aren’t getting enough vitamin D, but since the sun is starti...

 Cabbage and Kale southwest chicken salad: kale cabbage carrots cheese southwest ranch corn black beans salsa flavored salad inclusions rice chicken Macarons:  100 g   egg whites  (usually between  3 – 4  large egg whites) 1/4 teaspoon  ( 1g )  cream of tartar 1/2 teaspoon   extract  such as vanilla, almond, coconut, etc (optional) 80g   superfine   sugar  (aka caster sugar, see note) 1 – 2  drops  gel food coloring (optional) 125g   almond flour 125g   confectioners’ sugar  desired macaron filling Yellow: Lemon Orange: Pumpkin White: Tiramisu  Brown: Chocolate Pink: Cranberry cheesecake Green: White chocolate mint

     Last minute Sunday-night grocery shopping trip and last minute gift purchases! After I pick up my grocery order, I’m officially done with Christmas! Thank the lord! Because I’m over it! I love Christmas, don’t get me wrong! But this year I’m over the stress of it all!          Q-doba for dinner because I don’t go into town without getting it! So freakin’ delicious! Fight me!         Now that I’m home! I’m going to get my groceries put away, eat some dinner and then wrap gifts! After that, i’m going to get in my comfy clothes and rot in my bed for the rest of the night! Because it’s cold and I enjoy rotting!         This is really all for the day! I hope that you are having the best weekend ever with your loved ones! This week, I’ll be preparing for a long Holiday alone!         So here’s the tea:         My sister also my bestie is the only one...

     Impromptu game night!            My brother in law made some Chinese, we laughed, ate all the snacks, played some games and just had a good old fashioned family night!         There’s something going on with my car still, so I’m going to have to have my dad take a look at that! (I thank the lord for that man every single day!)        But other than that, it was a low-key day with family and I feel so blessed that I am so close with my sister and brother in law!         I hope you all had a blessed Saturday!      XOXO 

Top questions I get asked as a 28 year old with no children: Q: Why don’t you have kids? A: well, there are lots of reasons. And since 99.9% of them aren’t your business, I’m going to go ahead and tell you the main reason anyway. I was when I was 18 that medically, having a successful pregnancy was very, very low. Q: We’ll aren’t you at least going to try? A: Uh, yeah… maybe eventually…why do you want to be in the room when that happens? Or? Q: is this your way of saying you don’t want kids? A: yeah, you know me so well…I hate kids. Q : (more of a statement) Well consider yourself lucky you don’t have to get up for 3 am diaper changes and feedings, worry about them every second of everyday and you know, BIRTH! A: yeah, I consider myself super lucky that I very well CAN’T have kids of my own. It’s definitely what I grew up wanting, you know, not to have little hearts wandering about. Q: (more of a statement) There’s always adoption, I’m sure that could be good too.. the process...

     You would have thought that God himself ate every single type of bean in the world and is having some major gas problems! BLOWING us ALL into OBLIVION!          This WIND is crazy, y'all!         I know, God jokes aren’t funny. But you know what IS funny? The fact that he’s up there probably laughing his proverbial ass off at my joke. I mean, God? Have gas? Doubt it! The thought of it, gives me a strange amount of hope that I’m not as serious as I try and be.         Today has been wild though, y'all! The wind, the power outages, the internet has been iffy. It’s a storm, I know. A wind storm. But like, why? Give me some snow and weather that hurts my face when I go outside, don’t force me to tie down my jolly Santa so he doesn’t blow away... that’s just wrong!         Now, I know what you guys are probably thinking, “what is with this girl today?” WELL, I feel better t...

     My nieces and nephews are currently obsessed with hot cocoa and if I ’m being honest, so am I. Not necessarily a cocoa bomb but cocoa in general.         But I always like to try and do something fun for Christmas morning. Usually I make homemade cinnamon rolls, this year I made 18 homemade hot cocoa bombs for the fam!         I went all in and did the cute little clear dessert boxes and everything. I am slightly extra. And when I say slightly...I mean I AM A LOT EXTRA.         I always try and go above and beyond for the people that I love. Do people go above and beyond where I’m concerned? No. Not usually. But i’m content with that. I don’t do anything to get anything back in return, I just enjoy being able to help others and contribute as much as I can.         Here’s how my cocoa bombs turned out:       Basically, they’re sugar on sugar on sugar...