Blog (and Life) Update Spring 2022 – What I’m Granting Myself Permission to Do

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You know when you say you’re going to do something, and then never get to it? And that goes on and on for like… a month?

While that may also apply to house cleaning, it’s definitely been the case for this blog!

It’s been over a month since I last wrote.

Why?

Well, for those of you curious, there are a lot of changes on my horizon. And I thought I’d share some of them with you because how this blog progresses will coincide with these life events.

Here’s what’s happening…

Before we begin, I want to sincerely say thank you to everyone who reads and follows along. You’re a big part of why I keep on writing! 

So let’s get to it, huh? And start with this… 👇

Time

My kids don’t nap anymore. 

And while some may think that’s a blessing because their afternoon schedules no longer revolve around getting their kids to bed, I’m inclined to disagree. 

You see, I excelled at nap time. It’s when I exercised, worked (when I freelance edit), painted, cleaned, and, my favorite: wrote for this blog. 

And while we still have a “rest” or “quiet” time at our house, it’s much shorter and filled with all the interruptions you’d imagine from kids who are, well, awake! As a result, I haven’t found a solid chunk of time to delve into all that my blog requires.

Of course, I occasionally stay up late to write or wake up early to start at the crack of dawn, but that leaves me exhausted, and frankly, short-tempered. 

And with only 5 short months left with my youngest home with me, that leads me to my next point. 👇

Presence

My youngest will start elementary school in August. So while he’s home with me, I want to be present for it. Because I’m acutely aware I won’t get a second chance at this time together.

And one thing COVID taught us was how valuable our time is together. When the world started again, our family wasn’t ready to jump back into our pre-pandemic, fast-paced life. 

We’ve made conscious choices to do less where possible.

So we can be present as much as possible.

Therefore, when my youngest and I are together, we’re exploring, learning, playing, and most importantly, snuggling. 

Will we be able to do that after he starts school in August? Or course. But this one-on-one time won’t be guaranteed.

And I’ll have plenty of time in August to catch up on all the other stuff. This leads me to my next point…👇

Transition

In August, after almost 12 years of being a stay-at-home mom with young ones home with me, I’ll be flying solo during the day. 

The ball of feelings in my chest is so mixed, it’s hard to contain. Fear, excitement, worry, apprehension, longing, curiosity… are the tip of the iceberg. 

What I’ve known for over a decade will change.

My routines will change. My availability will change. The freedom to dedicate time to my goals and dreams will be a reality. 

And it’s during that time that I plan on ramping up this blog. Posting more frequently, creating additional resources for plant-based and mindful living, and more. 

But although I see that on the horizon, I also see the end of an era I’ve cherished. So while it still surrounds me, I’m granting myself permission to be present for it.

And there’s another transition on the way too…👇

I see the end of an era I’ve cherished. So while it still surrounds me, I’m granting myself permission to be present for it.

Health

When this blog turns 2 in June, I’ll turn 40. And as we age, our mortality moves closer to the front of our minds. Especially when you’re responsible for three little ones and the best husband in the world. 

With the pandemic, my husband and I put our health on hold. It was hard to access health care for routine things like labs, physicals, etc. So we mainly visited only when our kids needed something. 

Until recently. 

I made my first physical since the pandemic. And like many, I gained that COVID-19, everyone jokes about. (Yes, even on a vegan diet you can gain weight!) The anxiety of life over the last two years definitely caused some emotional eating. And my depression made another appearance, which led to inactivity. 

So to get back on track, my husband and I are dedicating ourselves to a whole-food, plant-based diet like we did when we went vegan almost three years ago. I’m also taking strides to care for my mental health, with some increased exercise, medical yoga, and other suggestions from my doctor.

My plan is to chronicle our whole-food, plant-based journey here on the blog. But how often, I’m not sure yet due to the reasons listed above! 😉

What’s to come then?

Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere permanently! I love writing here too much! While I can’t promise weekly posting as usual for the next 5 months, I can promise posts about:

• This blog’s anniversary: With the blog’s second anniversary coming up, I’m planning to share all the stats as I did on my blog’s first anniversary. 
• Our veganniversary: We’ve been vegan for almost three years now! So you can expect some info on that front.
• Our whole-food, plant-based journey: This may be a series of posts, meal plans, recipes, calendars, etc. starting with a post about week 1’s results next week!
• Bilateral music: Can you believe the bilateral music playlist I created to reduce anxiety has almost 500 likes!? Definitely expect more info on this topic!

And then once August rolls around (and I stop sobbing that my kids are gone and I’ve adjusted to this new lifestyle), you can expect more movement on posts, new digital resources, maaaaybe videos, and more!

Again, thank you so much for reading. 

I know it’s been a while since we interacted, and I’d love to hear from you! So please drop a comment below or reach out on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn!

And remember: Stay mindful, even when your mind’s full,
💗 Chelsea