For years I have stood by the belief that to find true wellness, it is necessary to approach the journey with a multi-faceted plan. In honor of Women’s History Month, let’s discuss some herbs that have been passed down through the ages as helpful for all things female. Many herbs, foods, teas, etc can support women’s health. Today we’ll cover a few of my favorites. I am obligated to tell you, I do not prescribe or diagnose. This information is purely educational. It is up to you to do your own research and/or discuss with your providers before starting any new supplement regimen. With that out of the way, let’s get to it! 

One of my personal favorites is an herb called Vitex (aka chaste berry). As early as 450 BC it was suggested by Hippocrates, and it is still recommended today for PMS and menopausal symptoms. Some research suggests that vitex helps to regulate the pituitary gland, so the signals it sends to the other glands allow the...

From the time we are little tikes the question is asked, ‘who do you want to be when you grow up?’ For most people, the answer changes and shifts as they grow, evolve and become young adults. For some folks, the answer changes a few times in adulthood too. There’s nothing wrong with that, there is never any judgment here. As long as the way you spend your life brings you joy and peace. 

One of the biggest challenges in life that this causes is the way you identify after having “grown up.” You become your vocation and somehow your worth gets tied to that. While the way you spend your life certainly shapes who you are, that is not the only reason you are on this earth. 

When I was young, I said I wanted to be a nurse because I like to help people. That is as true today as it was 20 years ago. The thing is, I do not have to be a nurse to help people. I could be a customer service rep or a bank teller and still be helping people. I...

Today is International Women’s Day. Can you believe we have an entire day that the whole world has devoted to celebrating women? Stop and think about that for a minute. In the United States, it was barely 100 years ago that women were finally respected enough to be allowed to vote. Following that came the ability to go to college, be the sole owner of property and be the only name on a bank account or credit card. 

These changes did not happen THAT LONG AGO but for many, they are still just events of the past, not anything we truly experienced. No today, we experience a whole new variety of self-worth deterioration. Social Media. 

The ability to compare your life to someone else's right now is as easy as picking up your phone. Videos, photos, podcasts, blogs, books, magazines, etc are all readily available with a few taps on your device. That means we have constant exposure to people’s opinions, stories, and lives. Albeit very short looks into...

Have you ever had a young child run across a room to hug you? Or maybe gifted a dandelion bouquet? Possibly you’ve received an extra wet kiss from a baby, or a half-eaten cookie as a gesture of sharing. And you have likely experienced a moment when a child just wanted your undivided attention. Sometimes these experiences are endearing. Sometimes they make you giggle internally and sometimes your very exhausted self is a little worn out by the behavior. But each of those behaviors is that child's way of loving you. Remember that each child is just a small adult. They create their communication styles early. The child who offers you a dandelion bouquet communicates their love through the language of gifts. The child who offers you wet kisses is communicating through physical touch and the one asking for your undivided attention is asking for quality time. 

This concept is likely over the head of these children, but you will grasp it easily. To recap the five love...

Have you ever considered how mind-boggling it is that you even exist on this planet at this moment in time? That out of all the billions of cells that collide every day in the Universe, the perfect two met up and created you? And you were born to your specific parents, in a home that was exactly what you needed it to be, in a country that was exactly what you needed it to be, in an era that was exactly what you needed it to be. Your soul just as easily could have been born to a family on the other side of the world. Imagine how different your life would be then! 

It’s kind of trippy, huh? 

It’s REALLY trippy when you realize not just how blessed you are for having been brought into this moment in time, but that your kids were too. They chose you, Mama. They chose this life. They chose to be born to you and your partner when you were that exact age because they needed that version of you to learn their lessons on this trip to Earth. 

...

So often my clients have opinions about how another mom is being a better mom than they are. She's doing this or that. She's better at this. She never does that—Etc etc etc. 

I get it. 

But I hate it. 

For 3 reasons.  

1. The shame game does not support anyone's growth or wellness.  
2. We never know what happens in the other 23 hours and 50 minutes of the day that you don't interact with this mother.  
3. You are not the mother of her kids and she is not the mother of yours.  

Let's Talk about this for a minute. 

What does it take to be a good mom? Is a working mom a good mom? Is a stay-at-home mom a good mom? Is the one who slaves in the kitchen making fully organic meals, who doesn't have time for board games as good as the mom who makes a frozen pizza and wins tonight's round of Uno? Is it the mom who has a girls' night once a week to refill her cup or the mom who...

Trying something new is hard. It can be exciting, exhilarating even, but taking that first step is downright difficult. We tend to be creatures of habit and don’t often veer from our routines and normalcy. When we do finally take that leap, there is a whole world of possibilities out there. 

I always find it is easier to do something different when I know as much as possible about what is coming next. Like having a roadmap to my new destination. I know where I am now and where I want to be later, and I use the map to get me there. So here’s your map to Purely You! 

You have a few different options for finding your purest self. Which one you choose is up to you. Since you’re here reading this, then you’ve already taken the first step! You’re consuming content that helps you to grow, change your mindset and explore strategies to become the best version of yourself that you can be. Another easy way to do this is with Wednesday...

I am a nurse and a Women’s Wellness Coach. 

When I tell people that I usually get one of three replies. 

1. What’s a coach? 
2. Why do I need one? 
3. And my favorite… “Do you have your own life together?” 

It seems that the term coach is being used for anything and everything these days. For many years we have recognized coaches for sports of all kinds, and even voice and speech coaches. It is in more recent years that coaches for every other aspect of life have started to emerge in droves. Nutrition, finances, mindset, meditation, lifting, running, you name it, they’re hireable. Other terms used for these people have been guide, mentor, and advisor. A rose by any other name… right? In this instance, coach, guide, mentor, advisor, etc, are basically the same. To coach, by definition is to train or instruct. As a Women’s Wellness Coach, I help coach you to find wellness, in your mind, body, and soul....

I just love the holiday season. I love being surrounded by family, the energy of giving, the increased compassion and joy. There are two things about the season that I really don’t love though. 1. The stress people put on themselves to be perfect. And 2. How it all stops the day after Christmas. 

In my church service on Christmas morning, we heard the priest discuss how the Christmas holiday is celebrated for eight days. He encouraged us to say Merry Christmas through the New Year because Christmas isn’t over yet… the general public doesn’t totally agree though. If you walk into the store the day after Christmas (usually even before), you’ll find Valentine’s candy in place of that Christmas Spirit among the patrons. It seems as if Christmas leaves us faster than it sneaks up on us from year to year.  

Those that are stressed by the need for Christmas perfection are grateful when it's over and life can "get back to...

As you reflect on the past year, have you accomplished your goals? Have your goals changed over the last 12 months? How have YOU changed? Sometimes it's hard to look back at the year and realize we didn't get anything done we had planned to do.  On the other hand, sometimes we look back and think,  man,  look at everything I accomplished this year.

There is not one result better than the other… the concern is when either one of those thoughts is still surrounded by feelings of emptiness, frustration, or sadness. We all set goals, dream dreams,  and find motivation as the unique person we are on the first of the year. 

But life happens. And that changes us. 

Maybe you lost a loved one. Maybe you gained a family member.  Maybe a new job. Maybe a house project that turned into a major renovation. Maybe there's a global pandemic and it disrupts everything. 

Whatever the circumstances of the time that passes, it...