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In Heal

I found my word

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Ooooo…I have so much to say. This has been a wild, busy, enlightening and beautiful handful of weeks. In that regard, I’m writing down what habits I’m doing, who I’m talking to, my morning routine, what I read, etc. to see if that has something to do with my happy. This is going to be a very powerful year, I can just feel it!

I’ve landed on two words for this year. Some people do resolutions, goals, etc. I have some BIG goals this year too, but I love to have a reminder of a word or phrase that speaks to me and reminds me of who and what I want to be. I made a board this year with multiple quotes and sayings and I read a few EVERY morning. Plus I have 2 big goals that I will accomplish this year. The image below is just the top half of my board…my goals are personal and I can’t wait to watch them unravel and share with you along the way. Instead of trying to set these big lofty daily goals, I am 3 weeks in on my morning routine (small daily habits) and I LOVE IT! Wake up at 5 AM (this happens about 90% of the time and I don’t beat myself up about it), make my bed, meditate (I love the Insight Timer app for guided meditation), Journal (I will elaborate on this in another post), 10 push-up’s, 50 sit-up’s and 5 minutes of mindful reading (5 minutes before bed too). This is 100% attainable and doesn’t take long at all…AND such a positive way to start the day!

My words this year are LISTEN and PERSPECTIVE (I couldn’t settle on just one). I’ve been leaning toward listen for a week or so, but as I keep getting hit, what feels like daily, with SO much perspective, it was a no brainer. Perspective and listen go hand in hand for me. I want to be a better listener. I want to HEAR and understand what people are saying. I want to slow down and listen to God, the Universe, my body and my own thoughts. I want to dive into perspectives, as when I look at things through a different lens, through someone else’s perspective…WOW…eyes wide open and in such a beautiful way.

I wrote about my rough deep dive into sadness during the holidays. I had quite a few of you reach out to me and share your situations – I SO appreciate your messages and perspectives. I was hit with perspective left and right, which is what helped pull my head back into a better space. I had a VERY big ah-ha moment with my situation and someone else’s very close to me. It’s funny, when you talk about your situation out loud, you gain a different perspective then when you just sit with your thoughts. Does that make sense? I’ve had so many recent epiphanies (Epiphanies from Tiffany) simply from vocalizing my thoughts and feelings, rather then keeping them to myself. Words are powerful.

I’ve said this for so long and will continue to do so…you cannot force ANYONE to see things YOUR way. We will all see and feel things when WE are ready. It’s my brick to the head theory – you can hear something 20 times from all different people, but you don’t truly HEAR it until you are ready, the right person says it or the way it is said to you. So, be open, my friends…be open to magic, miracles and the beauties of life, I promise they are there. There are rainbows on the other side of the sh!t storms, if you are open to see them and learn the lessons.

Lastly, please don’t forget about gratitude. I will ALWAYS write about the power of gratitude. I read in my book this week about giving gratitude to your former spouse that you have children with that has wronged you. It said to look at your children and have gratitude for that person, for without them, you wouldn’t have your beautiful and amazing children. Wowzer – common sense, but the way it was written hit me upside the head. There is SO much healing in the simple practice of GRATITUDE.

Did you claim a word, phrase or a goal for the year? I’d love to hear from you. Go ahead and leave it in the comments or shoot me a message. I’d love to cheer you on!

Leaving you with a song – I just love Andy Grammer, his music speaks to me. Give JOY a listen (if you click on the word ‘JOY’, it will take you to the song)…and go find that joy in your life, it’s there, I promise! Don’t forget about those flowers – you deserve them. Much love!

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In Love

Love Letters

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I want to take you back in time for a minute. For some of you, you will have to use your imagination, as you didn’t have the pleasure of growing up in the 80’s/90’s. This was our form of texting and I want to bring it back!

Who didn’t love getting a note passed to them in Jr. High or High School? The anticipation, the response, all the feelings that go into both writing and receiving a note/letter. At one point in high school, I had a small group of girlfriends, I think there was 3 of us and we had a straight-up screenplay going on. One would write and then the next person would pick-up where they left off and so on. I’m not kidding. We had a cast of characters (of course, we were the main stars) and scenarios playing out – it was like real live 90210 episodes. If any of you girls are reading this, I will still never tell what we spoke of. Ha! Gosh, I wish I could find these – what gems! We wrote our deepest darkest thoughts in some of these notes. Those truly were the days!

I had a good friend in high school that was a grade older than me and he went off to the military after high school. I enjoyed sending him letters and packages with treats in them, as I know he liked receiving them. One day he either called or wrote me and said to please not put anything but his name and address on the packages, as he had to do push-up’s for every LETTER that wasn’t supposed to be on there. Oopsy! I may or may not have done just one more with extra letters to be funny. I honestly can’t remember, but that would be something I would do – funny not funny. My very late apologies if that is what I did.

I mean, when has a letter or sending notes back and forth ever gone wrong? (insert slight sarcasm here) Well, a text can sure go wrong too, but you can put so much more thought into a note/letter. I know I entitled this ‘Love Letters’, but it’s not just love letters…it’s letters of friendship, it’s letters to let someone know you are thinking of them, it’s doing something different to bring someone else in your life joy, it’s a pleasant surprise…and for goodness sake, it’s stepping away from your phone for a moment and what a great way to spend that time.

Quiz time: Do you know what movie this note is from above? Well, if you don’t, I’m sorry for you. Also, just google Jake Ryan and watch that movie. No person should go through life without seeing that movie.

Let’s give this a shot guys! I put on my weekly challenge board to send ONE letter per week and my first one just went out. That is $.73 for a stamp and you can use a piece of printer paper, binder paper…or whatever you think your recipient might like. Perhaps it’s Strawberry Shortcake stationary. My point, it will cost a little bit of your time and $.73 to make someone smile and I guarantee you will smile as you are writing it. It doesn’t have to be elaborate, just let someone know you are thinking of them. Put the shoe on the other foot, how nice is it to get something in the mail that isn’t junk, a bill or Publisher’s Clearing House (does that still exist?).

I’d like to take more time this year to slow down, get off my phone and truly focus on what matters in life. TIME! It’s something we don’t get back, so let’s make the best use of it. Shoot, start your own screenplay – I double dog dare you, how fun! One thing our children are robbed of is waiting…the anticipation of waiting for a response. With texting or email, it is almost immediate. Imagine starting off a screenplay with your friends and sending it to one of them, or better yet, the same note to all of them and wait for a response. Hmmm…I just might do this myself. Have fun with it, but try it…just once. I’m challenging you to send ONE letter to a friend or loved one.

A good letter is a little bit of magic.

As always, take time for YOU, whatever that looks like. You are never alone in your journey and that is the space I want to continue to create. Hey, if you want to up my thoughts on buying yourself flowers…randomly send someone flowers, just because (that up’s the game a bit). Go pick a flower or two for yourself and smile at yourself in the mirror. You are on this earth for a reason and the world is a better place with you in it!

Lastly, if you are enjoying my blog, please share it with others and don’t forget to subscribe. Cheers!

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In Cook

What’s Cookin’ Good Lookin’

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Happy New Year ya’ll – it is 2025! That time of year when people are looking to set goals, resolutions, etc. I typically connect with a word or phrase for the year…I’m still settling in on the perfect word for me. I created a board with some things I’d like to accomplish and a slew of quotes that spoke to me. This one really stood out…

Now read it one more time (especially if you just skimmed through it – ya, I know how we all can be) – READ IT! What resonates with you? For me, nothing changes if nothing changes. And I love the last line ‘…leveling up something you do every single day’. I pinned this to a board in my room for a reason. I WANT to eat healthier and exercise regularly…I just need reminders to do so. I need to remind myself that I FEEL better after a walk or a workout and I FEEL better if I eat better (fuel my body properly).

I am choosing to eat more whole foods and less processed. I heard about the health benefits of adding kiwi and pomegranate seeds to my diet, those were an easy add. Let’s be honest, I will never 100% cut Reese’s Peanut Butter cups out of my life, but I just won’t have them as often. They are clearly not going anywhere. I’ve been roasting vegetables and I also made my own Elderberry syrup. I won’t post the recipe I used, as I wasn’t a huge fan, but you can google recipes and find one that you like. The process of squishing the berries is a bit tedious, but the health benefits are GREAT! It’s worth it – YOU ARE WORTH IT!

I got a bread maker for Christmas and finally made my first loaf. Ummm…where has this been all my life. I’ve only made two loaves of the basic French bread, and it is delicious. 4 ingredients, smells amazing and tastes so fresh and yummy! I’m a fan and so are the kids! I made some ‘bussin’ (as my daughter would say – that means really good, by the way) avocado toast with this fresh bread. My secret is a little balsamic glaze on the top – trust me!

So here we are with a whole new year. Are you ready to start planning your meals yet? I just posted my latest menu and I’m ready to commit to sticking to my plan. I’m also adopting more of a mindset of cooking what I have, instead of running to the store all the time (which I definitely have a tenancy to do – I’m weird, I like the grocery store). I’m going to cook with ingredients I have on hand. It’s a bit of a challenge but…Challenge Accepted!

I almost forgot, I made these amazing Crispy Bang Bang Salmon Bowls. These are a MUST make, all the way down to the cucumber salad. Please put this on your menu this week. Click HERE for the recipe. Let me know what you think, I promise you won’t be disappointed. I already want to make it again!

You can now purchase my meal planning pads right HERE – I’m so excited to share these with you! Set yourself a mantra for the week and plan out your meals. This will save you time and the headache of others in your house asking ‘What’s for Dinner’.

Lastly, I am no longer selling Tastefully Simple and/or Beachbody (Bodi) products. It’s not an interesting story, so I will leave it at that. I still use and love both products, but I’m choosing to focus my efforts in other area – this blog being one of them. I want to be a positive influence in your life and shed light on some tough topics…and I want to keep writing and creating in the kitchen.

Remember…2025 won’t be much different unless we are much different. I love this reminder! Let’s work together to be the best versions of ourselves and let’s put good and nutritious fuel in our bodies. Don’t forget to buy yourself flowers – you deserve to look at beautiful flowers when you wake up in the morning. Cheers to a magical start to the year.

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In Heal

Yes, I struggle too

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Yep, the strong one completely crumbled. Remember when I said healing isn’t linear, well, I’m living proof of that. So, let me preface this post by saying…please read until the end. I debated on posting this multiple times, but again, the purpose of this blog is to be real, raw and honest with the hopes of helping others not feel alone. Feeling alone is a real crappy feeling…and I just had that awful alone feeling again, its been a while.

I’m not looking for sympathy or I’m sorry. Please don’t feel bad for me. I’m blessed and grateful…and I’m human. I felt awful just a handful of days ago and looking back at the things I wrote and said, I don’t recognize that person. You know when you say to someone, ‘I’m so sorry, I can’t imagine how you feel’. There is so much truth to that, you truly don’t know what something feels like until you experience it. I felt gut punched on Christmas Day and I felt so much hurt not only for myself but for others. Then I started going down a rabbit hole of sadness. I say that I don’t have depression, but that has to have been what that was. I was sad for my situation and then I started feeling guilty for feeling sad and mad at myself for not having more empathy for those that have lost loved ones, those that are spending Christmas alone, those that can’t afford the Christmas they want…the list goes on, and so did my tears. I was in deep.

So, here goes…a few days leading up to Christmas my daughter moved home (happy Mom heart) and we had a fun day together. Presents were wrapped, baking was done and all was good. I knew my ex was coming into town and kept telling myself I was fine. The last thing I wanted was to run into him in my small town. I still have quite a bit of anger toward that man. I’m a work in progress, and working on releasing that (Yes, I’m making a therapy appointment). So, flash forward to Christmas Eve and my kids, my daughter’s boyfriend and I all headed to my brothers for a beautiful celebration. Surrounded by so much family, friends, love…and food. Gosh, the food was amazing. It was truly a great night (although I was really bummed my Mom, Dad and boyfriend weren’t there).

My niece really outdid herself with this beautiful spread

The kids and I get home and we decided to open presents at midnight on Christmas Eve. I thought, what a fun new tradition. We played games, laughed and made it to about 11:45 and opened our presents. My heart was so full. We woke up (very early – it’s payback time) to be with my cousin and his sweet family on Christmas morning. So fun to be around little ones on Christmas – makes it a little more magical. When we all got back home, we were pooped and all took naps. My kids were heading to celebrate with their Dad and his family in the afternoon (where I have celebrated every Christmas for the last 23 years). I literally thought I was fine and as soon as the door shut, I burst into tears. Like ugly, uncontrollable tears. It was kind of like being on a super high and knocked down to a super low, like the rug being pulled out from under you.

I proceeded to stay in bed from 1 PM (when they left) until the evening, when I got out of bed to say Hi when they got home, made a little plate of food and went right back to bed. I was drowning in my own sorrows. I wasn’t ‘fine’. I wouldn’t respond to text messages, I was my own worst enemy. I woke up the next morning and took Christmas down immediately (pretty sure that was the first time ever I took Christmas down so early). I couldn’t stop crying, I was a mess. Every time I thought it was my turn to hang out with my kids, they were off to hang out with him. Whether this was perception or reality, it was my reality and it was cutting me deep.

I was my own worst enemy.

I cried myself to sleep AGAIN and woke up in the morning and thought that I needed to do something for me and stop waiting for others to ask me to do something. I showered, packed a lunch (I made the yummiest sandwich) and just started driving. I was first led to the airport and sat in the waiting area and ate part of my sandwich in the car. Still tears at any given moment. I thought, what could I do that is completely mindless where I don’t think about anything. My first thought was honey walnut prawns at Cache Creek Casino. I hadn’t been there in over 10 years. The rain started to clear and the sky was beautiful by the time I got there. I chatted with the little old ladies at the machines, won some money (I was on a lucky streak) and got my fried rice and shrimp.

When I got home, I was still in a bit of a funk. I chatted with my boyfriend (so grateful for him) and decided to pack and go see him the next morning. I did exactly that. I texted my kids that I was leaving and wasn’t sure when I was coming back (that I have since apologized for profusely – what a terrible text). No excuses, but I’ve read that text multiple times and truly don’t recognize that person. I was ready to talk and had a great chat with my boyfriend and the veil started to lift. I was being dished perspective left and right over those last handful of days. I was choosing to drown in my tears. What was I so upset about?

I kept asking myself – why does the person that treated me so poorly get all the attention? Why does everything get dropped when he comes to town? Why does everyone just forget about what he’s done to me? It’s MY holiday week too and I don’t get to hang with my kids. In retrospect, it doesn’t matter what HE gets, or how others choose to treat him, it’s not about HIM…its about my kids. I want the world for my kids and I want them to be happy, I was making it worse.

Here is where my gratitude lies, I was able to pull myself out. I know that is NOT easy for some and you aren’t alone. I have a saying that you can have a bad day or two, you just can’t stay there. Perhaps write down the things that can help pull you out, then you can refer to it when you are feeling down again. It will happen, not all days are good days. It’s what we do with those bad days that gives us more tools…more power. Please, PLEASE, if you are struggling, as now I know firsthand how hard the holidays especially can be – reach out to someone…anyone! Write about it, voice clip about it (this is powerful to hear the tone in your voice later), please do what works for you but remember YOU need to do SOMETHING. No one can pull you out but YOU!

Lastly, perspective! You are here, you woke up this morning – that is reason enough to keep pushing and to keep fighting for the life you want. Ironically, on Christmas morning, we were driving and the sky on one side was completely dreary and grey and the picture below is what the other side of the sky looked like. SO gorgeous. It’s all in the way you look at things, what lens do you want to see things? I was CHOOSING the grey, when there was so much beauty right in front of me – SO much to be grateful for. We need to CHOOSE BEAUTY!

A few things…again, please reach out to someone if you are feeling alone and in a dark space. My heart goes out to those of you that struggle during the holidays, you aren’t alone. I LOVED looking at all of the pictures of my family and friends celebrating, please don’t feel bad for having a beautiful holiday…however, I ask that you move forward with empathy toward others – perspective. I will be reaching out to others more myself. A reminder that you can have a bad day, please don’t stay there. AND, who cares how other people treat someone that has wronged you…that’s their story, not yours. Permission to buy yourself flowers and permission to do something JUST FOR YOU – YOU MATTER! By the way, this book I’m reading ‘The Secret to Love, Health, and Money’ is a powerful one. Excited to finish and move on to ‘Let Them’ by Mel Robbins. 2025 is going to be amazing – claim it! Much love!

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In Cook

Baking Time

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As I’ve said previously, I’d like to think that I’m a pretty good cook…but baking is another story. So, if you are like me, you are in luck. My holiday baking doesn’t get much easier AND everyone loves these tasty treats. I also may need to re-type my recipes one day. They sure have plenty of butter, oil and who knows what else spilled all over them. I guess that gives them character…they are tried and true!

I switch up my rice crispy treats from time to time. The salted caramel are ridiculous, but the log is amazing too. The Scooby Snacks, some people refer to as haystacks…not us, they will always be Scooby Snacks to us. I’ve had various neighbors with nut allergies, so I typically make a batch of rocky road without nuts and multiple other batches with nuts. It’s ridiculous how easy these are (thank you Betty Crocker). The lemon cookies should be called cloud cookies. They are light and delicious. You can use any variation of cake mix to change up the flavor. These are great to add with the nut free Rocky Road for those with nut allergies!

I know not everyone loves time in the kitchen as much as I do. I am SO looking forward to my daughter coming home. She is officially a college graduate and I couldn’t be more proud…I’m sure I will say this multiple times leading up to her walking in May. What an accomplishment! We will touch a little deeper on that later, but for now…Baking! I’m waiting for her arrival to do our Christmas baking together. My baking has changed through the years, but I’ve made Scooby Snacks with my kids in the kitchen since they were tiny. I wanted things they could help with and I don’t think I will ever re-write that recipe…I mean, look at…it LOOKS 20 years old!

I couldn’t resist and my apologies to my kids…but THIS is how long they have been in the kitchen with me. Clearly my son loved his powdered sugar…although I think Scooby Snacks will forever be his favorite. If you look in the deep dark depths of the frig during Christmas, I’m sure you will find some hidden just for him. This sweet picture of my girl is at one of her Grandma’s. At that age, you could always find her in a princess nightgown and princess heels…and always a contagious smile on her face willing to help in the kitchen. I love these memories!

Happy holiday season to you and your family and Happy Baking! Should you have a recipe that is a favorite of yours, please send it to me, as I LOVE new recipes. Is there a story behind it…even better! Share in the comments or shoot me a message. Don’t forget to buy yourself some flowers – you deserve it!

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In Heal

Overthinking about being an Overthinker

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First of all, I realize that my last blog could have been triggering for some. Please know that I do NOT take healing lightly. Healing looks different for everyone and I am 100% not here to judge. I’m not telling anyone to ‘just get over it’. Childhood traumas, present obstacles, abusive relationships…all of it, these are NOT light topics and not something you can heal from overnight. My point I was trying to make is to please take the steps to heal from those things so they don’t become a built-in excuse for you to not live your best life. You are the only one that can heal YOU…and YOU owe that to yourself! I’m not saying it’s an easy road either, but DO THE WORK – it’s worth it! Perhaps I didn’t express that properly in my previous post, but I wanted to make sure to get my point across. I would like to help you in your healing journey, not hinder it!

You are the only one that can heal YOU…and YOU owe that to yourself!

Which brings me to my thoughts for today…and how ironic – OVERTHINKING! After I posted that last blog, I felt like I came across harsh. I mean, I know my intentions and they are always from a good place, as I would love to help heal everyone everywhere, but I didn’t want people to think I was being insensitive. What a wild hamster wheel. I feel like I overthink darn near everything. Anyone else feel this?

A great example of my lovely overthinking mind is a good friend of mine and I ran into each other one night and we talk darn near every day, multiple times a day. I didn’t hear from her the next morning, as I normally would and I instantly started replaying our previous interaction (that was literally minutes). Did I do something to upset her? Was she mad at me? Long story longer…as the day went on, she thought the exact same thing. Seriously, what is wrong with us as humans? Can we all please make a vow to just BE and STOP overthinking EVERYTHING! I could have simply said – did I do something? Are you upset with me? Nope, instead I stewed over it, stared at my phone and made up all of these silly conclusions.

This quote is so spot on! Overthinking, future tripping, guessing an outcome…whatever you want to call it, it all turns into anxiety. We get worked up over a hypothetical. What a vicious circle. Why do we do this to ourselves? It’s so self-inflicted. Why not DO YOU with the best of intentions and confidence and stop there. We live in this crazy immediate world and oh dear, if someone doesn’t respond to us within a few minutes, a few hours or good Lord, wait for it…an entire DAY, we think the absolute worst. Let’s just make a promise to each other. Stop making trouble for yourself. It will eat you up inside, please take my word for it. Have a question to ask someone, just rip off the band-aid and do it. Wondering why someone didn’t call you back, call them. Can we find strength in numbers and do this together. Catch yourself while you are creating a scenario in your head and stop yourself. Instead of thinking the worst case scenario…

What if you FLY?

I’ve already been drafting my next post, as it is a COOK topic and it’s baking season. I love to cook and am pretty good at it, baking…let’s just say, I do my best. I’m going to share what I bake every year. All of my recipes are super easy and have become favorites of so many. Can’t wait to share with you!

Have a magical weekend, don’t forget to buy yourself flowers (or hint to someone that you’d really enjoy some flowers) and go easy on yourself. This can be a crazy emotional time of year too. Lean into what you are grateful for and surround yourself with love and support!

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In Love

L-O-V-E

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I am getting constant validation that THIS IS SO RIGHT. Creating this safe place, talking about our journeys, our successes, our failures…it’s truly beautiful and so dang inspiring. I have so many conversations with friends, family and even strangers and there is such a common theme that I feel I need to keep repeating…LOVE YOURSELF…ALL OF YOU! Even the messy stuff, even your past or possibly your present that may be tough.

Love yourself enough to take your power back! You can’t continue to blame others for the way they treated you or for your crappy childhood or for things that didn’t turn out the way you wanted. Yes, I’m talking to myself too. If you are blaming someone else for treating you crappy, take a look in the mirror. WHY are YOU allowing them to do this? Why do you allow anyone to have that kind of power over you? Did someone wrong you? That is their cross to bear, not yours. Have you had a rough upbringing? You were a child, please don’t blame yourself and don’t repeat the behavior. Please envision that person or child you were and give them some extra love. It all circles back to LOVE. Break your cycle, you are in the drivers seat. No more blaming your past or circumstances – change your future. You deserve to be the absolute best version of yourself!

Thank you to my beautiful friend for sharing this with me. This blog isn’t just for women…please use her/him interchangeably. Let’s crush 2025 together!

At the end of the day (and even when you wake up) PLEASE, look yourself in the mirror and tell yourself what a badass you are! Tell yourself how very proud you are of yourself for pushing through barriers and pushing forward…and believe it! I was talking to some friends and had the realization that I’ve been through things (and so have most of you) that would break others. PLEASE DON’T GIVE UP ON YOU! You have a purpose in this life, go find it. Go on a quest for inner peace. The grace and forgiveness that you give to others – permission to give yourself that same gift. YOU ARE A GIFT!

Ahhh, that quote. Read it over and over until it sinks in. Shift your mindset, and watch your life change. Let’s continue to heal together. Thank YOU for sharing your thoughts and journeys with me – I am SO incredibly inspired! I am working hard to get my merchandise up and my menu posted today. Life is as beautiful as YOU make it guys – go have a beautiful week. Permission to buy yourself flowers!

Thank you to my boyfriend for the beautiful flowers!

Two new recommendations…Elton John radio is SO good. Hall & Oates, John Lennon, Journey – just take my word for it. I also cracked open a new book (I added it to ‘Currently Reading’). I needed a change from those Housemaid books, although very good, I needed something good for my soul. We started reading excerpts on our drive to Oregon last week and wow – powerful stuff. Be careful how you talk to the universe.

Love yourself enough to take your power back!

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In Cook

Feasts, Thanks and Simplicity

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My Aunt started a tradition years ago to have a crab feast the night before Thanksgiving…because why not stuff ourselves multiple days in a row? I’ve carried that tradition on, even when we couldn’t all be together. This year was extra special, as my daughter was home from school and my boyfriend was able to join us too. Over the years, I’ve grabbed whatever I can get my hands on at Costco, for the seafood. The lobster is always delicious and I typically love the King crab legs, but they just had clusters this year. I’m not complaining, they were just a little more work, although the flavor still very good. This was our pre-Thanksgiving seafood feast…

For Thanksgiving, my responsibility was to bring the Mississippi Mud. This is always a crowd pleaser!

Thanksgiving is over and now it’s time to prepare for the holidays. I wanted to take this time to officially introduce you to Tastefully Simple. As you come into the holiday season, Tastefully Simple is not only great for you to use on a daily basis to save you time with delicious quality meals, but we also have great gifts. From homemade gifts (give the gift of baked beer bread) to kits or seasonings. Tastefully Simple is a great solution.

Our meal kits (pictured above) take the guess work out of meal planning. These come with recipes to make the meals, seasonings and sauces…and plenty left over for other meals. Below are some of my top picks, our Dips to Dinner is one of my favorite gifts to give. You get 10 seasoning samplers to either make a dip or a flavorful dinner. Our One Pan and One Pot kits are perfect to have on hand when you just don’t know what to make for dinner.

Who doesn’t love to have some bread or a little something sweet? We have plenty of variety. If you haven’t tried our beer bread, you are missing out. If you have been the lucky recipient of my beer bread, my secret is out. Just add your favorite beer and butter…sometimes I add some of our bacon bacon seasoning and cheddar cheese to kick it up a notch. You can’t go wrong with any of our breads, cakes or cookie mixes!

Lastly, here are some of our essential seasonings. The days of having jars of marinara sauce and taco seasoning packets are over. I always have our seasonings on hand, as they pack a punch with flavor. All of our products are so versatile, you can go to my website and type in a product and click on recipe and you have a slew of different ways to use our products (check out different ways to use our pumpkin spice cheese ball mix below). It’s tough for me to pick a favorite seasoning…I’d say my top 3 are onion onion, garlic garlic and bacon bacon. Our products are exactly that – full of flavor and very simple!

So very thankful for your support in this little journey of mine. I’m thankful for my wild roller coaster of a life, as it has made me the strong woman I am today. I’m thankful for my family and friends for being who they are. Should you feel compelled to support my small business, check out my Tastefully Simple site. I also have some great Heal Cook Love merchandise that I cannot wait to share with you VERY soon – stay tuned and subscribe to my blog so you can be in the know.

As I was typing this blog, my boyfriend and I decided to take a quick post-Thanksgiving trip to visit his family. We did a 48-hour trip to Oregon and it was amazing. Sunsets are just so stunning, as no two are the same. I took this photo from the car. I am just so thankful for this crazy beautiful life I’m blessed to live…and where ever you are in your life, even if you have to dig a little deeper, please count your blessings. You are on this earth for a reason and I’m happy you are here! Enjoy this time of year, go easy on yourself and simplify things a bit. Don’t forget to buy yourself flowers!

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In Heal

Always Healing

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Why did I even create this blog? Well, I realized a year and a half later, I am still healing…shoot, make that 10-20 years later. We are constantly evolving and changing, meeting new people and removing people from our lives. By the way, it’s OK to remove people from your life that do not contribute to your happiness or well-being. To me, it is important to always be on a healing journey. You never know how your words or actions may affect someone else and who may be watching. I encourage you to check on your family and friends. The majority of people are not ‘fine’. People need people. People need to feel loved and that they have a place in this world. Hence, the birth of my blog. In sharing my experiences and perspective, perhaps it will help in someone else’s healing journey…and it sure is helping with my own.

I went to dinner with a few of my girlfriends this week and this was my fortune – coincidence, I think not!

Through my journey, I’ve realized what an over compensator I am. Previously, if someone didn’t like me, I felt it was my mission to win them over. If I wasn’t feeling loved by someone, I would try to love a little harder. I think you get the idea. Please stop doing this. Stop seeking validation in others. As I write this, I too continue to make a concentrated effort not to go down this path. YOU ARE ENOUGH! If you aren’t happy with YOU, then change for YOU and no one else. I do know when you have traumatic experiences in your life that little things could trigger you and set your mind back to those traumatic memories. Dive in and find the tools to help soften that blow of those triggers and be able to pull yourself back into a good space. I’ve probably already said this before, as it is a motto I try to live by – you can have a bad day or two, but do not stay there!

You are enough!

Please have some empathy for those around you. Healing is not linear and is definitely not one size fits all. It’s so incredible to me, the more people I connect with, the more I’ve become aware of the fact that we, as humans, carry a tremendous amount on our shoulders. I told a friend the other day that we have been through things that would break most people. Perhaps you don’t give yourself enough credit for what you have survived. Permission to give yourself a pat on the back – you are HERE and the world is grateful to have you!

As we approach Thanksgiving this week, be mindful that the holidays can be especially tough for some and trigger some unwanted memories. I would love to help to try to assist you in flipping that script. Don’t dwell on the past, if those memories no longer serve you, start a new tradition, make a new memory and make the best of what you have. To those of you that don’t know what it’s like to experience loss or trauma in your life, please know that when you drive down the street or walk through a crowded mall…the majority of people in your presence are dealing with something heavy either presently or in their past. I’m not giving excuses to those that have gone through insurmountable things to act in an unkind manner, I’m just saying that we should go through life a little lighter. Spread a little more love, be more giving to those around you and have a little grace (yourself included).

Again, why did I set out to create this blog? I wanted to raise awareness that it’s OK to not be OK. I want to open the conversation that we all need help in some sort of way. One day, I hope that my words can help pave a path for someone else to live a healthier and stronger life. Please don’t judge people that are in a situation that you think they should remove themselves from. Gaslighting is real. Feeling like you are stuck and alone is real. I lived that life. Listen to people and be there for them, with boundaries, of course. If someone isn’t willing to even explore an option to better themselves, then sometimes you’ve done all you can, and it’s OK to close that door. If you look back on your life or even your present life…do you want someone else to judge how you live your life? There is no such thing as a perfect life (should I repeat that for the folks in the back?). Shoot, I’m throwing my life out there to be judged like crazy and I’m OK with that. If I can help alleviate a little bit of pain for someone else…it’s all worth it. Peace is GOLD…if you are striving for anything, strive for Peace!

Don’t forget to vocalize your gratitude this week. I’m truly grateful that you take the time to read my blog. I am in a space where I’m grateful for my messy journey. Some days, my gratitude lies in the fact that I opened my eyes that morning…and that’s OK! Permission to get yourself some flowers this week – celebrate YOU!

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In Cook

Football, Food & a Full Heart

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I’ve been trying to post blogs with somewhat of a topic of ‘Heal Cook Love’ and in that order. This one really falls into all of the above.

When the stars align, my son doesn’t work and I’m in town – my son and I get to have Football Sunday. It’s truly become one of my favorite things this last year. We watch Red Zone pretty much all day, chat and I make all sorts of yummy food throughout the day. This last Sunday was extra special to my Mama Heart. I absolutely loved our conversation throughout the day – we truly talked about EVERYTHING under the sun. And I mean everything. My biggest take away was that he expressed he is the happiest he’s ever been. Boom – my heart instantly exploded. That’s all I ever want for my children…for them to find and savor their own happiness. Not MY definition of what I think might make them happy, but their very own form of happiness. Of course, you pray they are safe, find the career they align with, a home, etc., but above all, just happiness. It’s so important to know what that feels like. This boy sure has a special place in my heart!

I made some yummy food throughout the day. I don’t typically make the same things for each of us. I typically make us a little menu for the day and cook on/off all day – I love it! For breakfast, I made him some French Toast and his favorite protein muffins. Do you ever make these? I use butterscotch chips as my ‘stir in’.

I made him a steak sandwich (thank you leftovers) and made myself this tasty little protein bowl for lunch. Cottage cheese, rotisserie chicken, apples and Dill Pickle Dip Mix (I use this stuff all the time – SO good!). This was really flavorful, something great to prep for weekday lunches. You can get your own pickle dip mix HERE.

Pizza was for dinner. We love doing pizza at home…so does my wallet! Costco and Sam’s have these packs, (Boboli or other brands), they are a great price and they come with the pizza sauce. I sold one when I was there – ha! He’s a pepperoni guy and I love a good veggie or Canadian bacon and pineapple. Who doesn’t love pizza!

Truly such an awesome day and what a cool kid. Not that I didn’t already know what a great guy he is, but don’t you have moments with your children (in all phases of their life) when you just fall in love with them all over again? I can’t quite find the right words to explain it – it’s like the definition of pure joy. I’ve really tried to just say YES in these later years…wish I would have learned this sooner. The work will always be there, you can call people back and the laundry isn’t going anywhere. If your kids want you to go on a walk, go play a game with you, play a video game, watch a movie…you get the idea – DO IT! I promise you won’t regret it. Collect those moments!

If you look up Pure Joy in the dictionary

It’s moments like last Sunday when you truly gain a deeper understanding of happiness and gratitude. I brought this amazing human into this world and I couldn’t be more proud. It’s an overwhelming emotional feeling. For all those times you’ve wanted to wring your kids’ neck (don’t go crazy, I’ve never strangled my kids), know that having adult conversations with your adult children is so dang awesome! Listen to them, you might learn something. It’s been a wild year of change and adjustment, but most of all PEACE. You can’t put a price tag on that!

As always, if you haven’t picked or bought yourself flowers this week – permission to treat yourself to some flowers. Thanks for being here in this space with me. Oh, and don’t judge…but GO CLEVELAND BROWNS!

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