Sometimes you are quiet … (who me?) It’s true though, in your busyness and “life” it is just impossible to fit everything in!
So, I need a good detox …
I haven’t blogged in months, working out consistently has been impossible, been sick off and on 🤧 (back to school germs and not resting when sick, which have to REST when sick), inflammation off and on due to Covid long haulers (it’s a thing, look it up, especially if your smell and taste are still off) … This has been the Fall thus far, along with run, run, run, busy schedules, busy work schedules, busy hubby’s schedule, busy our girls’ schedules, etc.
So, today fighting off, another bug 🤧 … I am diffusing essential oils, did stretching/yoga, no make-up on, cut up lemons to put in my ice water, tea and honey and trying to feel better!!!
I am also going to try to detox, limiting sugar. I’ll stick to protein, veggies and some fruits, low carb, etc.
I know nothing about detoxing, but I am doing some research today too.
So, just paused … and I am now on day three (3) of detoxing somewhat, and woke up today, and finally on the mend. I believe and pray that is … NO MORE GERMS!!! 🙏🏼
My inflammation is calmer too, which has been an ongoing prayer of mine. 🙏🏼
I am going to stick with stretching/yoga. Low carb eating, lemon water, diffusing essential oils, herbal tea, etc. for @ least a week, maybe more and just see? …
So, my original plan with this blog was to blog about that “cozy” in your life or “that little something” that makes you smile. Maybe a cup of tea, a beach day, reading the bible, a diy or a how to, a latest project, the latest on fitness/health, a fashion find, self care, etc.
However, life is just busy. So, right now this is my “cozy” 😉 All of us can relate. Especially if you are raising a little family!!! 🥰
This weekend was jammed packed, we had a Soccer ⚽️ Tournament Weekend. All weekend too, Friday-Sunday. There were moments of frustration that’s for sure, but we pushed through and learned once again, to breathe, give it grace, drink water, talk things out, and ENJOY!!! 🙏🏼🥰😉
our little loves 💗💗💗
My husband is now the treasurer too, so that’s a whole other added “thing” to our busy (let me add) HOT weekend.
However, yesterday we got home and it was a success ☑️ over all! 🤗 All were exhausted, may have had a case of dehydration too 🤣 kidding, but not kidding. So, we drank water, ate, took ibprophen 🙋🏽♀️, showered, and basically hit the hey 🌾😴 early!!!
Once again, forgot to take a family picture, and to be honest 😝 had no real make up on. I mean if any, it melted off, hair FORGET ABOUT IT!!! 🤣 Yes, it’s the middle of a heatwave, but still took photos of their winnings!!!
This team ⬆️⚽️ 1st Place/Champions, thankful for this team she is now on. She worked hard and super proud of her. They welcomed her right in and she is back with some of her besties and already has made some new besties too!!! 💗
This team here ⬆️⚽️ and proud of our girl 💗 She is in a learning phase with much right now, and she takes things harder than most when it comes to athletics. However, she did good out there and kuddos to her for that!!! Very proud of her … MVP 2nd year in a row!!! Made her (and us) smile too!!! 🤗
I’ll get to the other “cozy things” at some point. I mean always doing something, even in the busyness, so stay tuned!!! 😉
Like I said, I am a girl who likes to stay busy (and my husband and I are similar with this), so we are always doing a little of this and a little of that 😉 …
So, why this blog, this post? Well, starting-up Etsy again and our first little love and I are the main designers, creators, Etsy Shop Owners. Where My Hubby and our other little loves will help out too!!! 💟
Yes, that’s right, we started up our “Cozy Styling” Etsy Shop once again.
It’s SUMMER ☀️🍉⛱ and as it is winding down, a new school year awaits!!! 🙏🏼 and yes, the nerves once again!!! 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
… so, with the new school year approaching and new beginnings. We decided to give Etsy another go! 🤗
So, here is the back story on Cozy Styling’s “Etsy Shop” … Our first little love wanted to start up an Etsy Shop/small business. She wanted and still wants to have a little side business as a family, so I said, “Okay, why not?”
(A few years back, I had the same idea ⬆️ and started my own little business called, “Cozy Styling” and never did “a THING” with it! 🤣)
So, clearly when she brought this up … I loved the idea. She didn’t want it to be all over the place though or a crazy busy type of thing. She wanted to focus on handmade items and keeping it simple. So, her 💗 and I became the founders of Cozy Styling.
(Her sisters 💗💗 and their Daddy will help out from time to time too.)
So, on the first try of business, we lasted about five (5) months 🤣 We were making clay earrings. It was fun and creative, but just sooo time consuming. As the busyness in life intensified, we ALL, were over it! So, Cozy Styling was placed on the back burner and we even changed the name of our business too because we just needed a pause!
We kept “it” in a stand still, for like nine (9) months, but now we are brainstorming and thinking of a different approach with ideas other than clay jewelry.
New designs, new ideas …
So, like I said, we are a family that’s always doing a little of this and a little of that … So, to be continued!!! 😉 and please follow us in this new journey. 💟
Many now know that I am gluten free/undiagnosed celiac … (as I order a side of garlic spinach or a salad, when all are eating pizza, hoagies, wings and fries.) 🤣
This is the norm these days! 🤷🏻♀️
Now, I will be honest … I “just” stopped ordering fries at non gluten free places. Listen, this girl loves her french fries, add cheese, even better!!! However, this Summer, after being “glutened”, sick, and a rash on my arms that lasted for weeks! I said, “no more!”
(Which means, the fryer needs to be strictly for just their fries and not a shared fryer with breaded wings, chicken fingers, mozzarella sticks, etc.)
So, here is the deal, I have been gluten free for about nine (9) years now, and I would say, “even more strict!” for the last six (6) years (only those who are gluten free understand what I mean by “more strict!”) ⬅️
Why am I now watching fryers and cross contamination? It’s simple really, not only am I sick of getting glutened. I am sick of being sick!!! Recently I have friends and family that are on certain diets to lose weight and to feel better over all. Some are on a keto diet, low carb, no carb, cutting calories, etc. So, it occurred to me, “you feel “better” during the week!” This is when my diet is home cooked, more clean, and more of a mediterranean type of diet. Then come weekends and in our busyness, on average I end up sick in some fashion due to being out and compromising. Could be while I am out at friends and family’s houses, at parties, eating out. I just am not as careful because I get HUNGRY!!! 🙄🤣
So, I said to myself … “If all of my friends and family are doing this and sticking with it, as in being careful, watching their food intake, bringing food with them … why aren’t you?” Especially, since I have had GI issues, ulcers, canker sores, skin rashes, tongue inflammation, brain fog, fatigue, anxiety, etc.
So, after this thinking, I have now been taking it even more serious (for about three (3) weeks now.) I think I will actually begin bringing food with me to parties and houses moving forward too. I also am super careful when eating out!
I often am asked, “What exactly does gluten free mean, no carbs? Oh so this is why you stay thin! lol 🤣” Thanks, you all are so kind! 💗 but, that’s not exactly it … I guess gluten free could be a low carb diet for some, if you don’t eat rice, or potatoes, or gluten free substitute food, like pasta. However, this girlie loves her rice and loves her potatoes too!!! … it’s the Idaho Summers in me 😉
Here’s my diet on average, and it changes up because I get tired of eating the same things. Currently I am liking vanilla yogurt with gluten free cinnamon granola. I love salads, so I keep it simple with greens, carrots, and pecans/almonds/craisins, and occasionally perdue gluten free chicken strips topped with Ranch dressing. Dinner is usually a protein, chicken/turkey or fish and occasionally I’ll eat sausage/pork, and rarely beef. Then sides are usually rice, baked french fries, or sweet potatoes. A veggie would be a salad, broccoli, corn, roasted veggies, mushrooms, etc.
Occasionally I’ll make avocado toast. (I actually try to eat an avocado daily or at least every other day! 🥑) I also like hummus on gluten free toast topped with english cucumber, tomato, and onions. Then sprinkle with everything bagel seasoning. I love making soups, gluten free of course too. I do enjoy canyon bakehouse bagels from time to time and O’doughs gluten free breads. Along with the gluten free Schar baguette. 🥖
You have to figure out what “gluten free breads you like” because we all are different. I rarely eat gluten free breads though, mainly because they’re just not the same. I remember eating one brand once, years ago and kid you not the taste was so bad. I ended up tossing it to the birds and they wouldn’t even eat it! 🤣 However, you do figure it out. The gluten free life is worlds better compared to when I first went gluten free. Like if you want a sandwich, or if you’re making bruschetta the schar baguette is the way to go. 😉
We have made the gluten free life, enjoyable and well liked. Our parties on average are always gluten free. (Just depends on how tired we are from our busyness.) Oh this adult life, parent life! 🤣
For holidays though, the menu is always gluten free. Many don’t even know what is gluten free, we have spent a lot of time cooking gluten free, learned what flours to use, breads, etc.
I’ll share more about the gluten free life from time to time, so stay tuned …
It’s interesting looking back, I had mostly all of these symptoms. Was put into categories like IBS, Lactose Intolerant, Interstitial Cystitis, etc.
My mom actually just said recently, “It’s crazy how this is a problem with so many in your age group!” She is certainly correct!!! She believes it was college and the food … 😬🙏🏼
Sometimes you just need moments of just “being!” I think I am realizing this more and more? No, I know that I am realizing this more and more. “Being” to me, is taking a moment to pause, to breathe, to relish, to pray 🙏🏼, and to enjoy. Like, live in the moment ENJOY!!! 🥰
I can honestly say that since becoming a mommy, a new person was created and my “on the go personality” that took off in college, intensified. Don’t get me wrong I am still me (as a mama) but my priorities changed and my focus became on my babies (who are now little girls 💗💗💗) and my husband.
Which, let’s be honest, that’s totally okay!
However, I realized that our girls 💗💗💗are watching us too. Watching us as parents, how we parent, watching us as a couple, watching us as friends, etc.
They’re watching us with our friends and how we are as people. Are we nice and kind to others? Are we leaders? Do we know when to take a step back and create healthy boundaries?
They are watching us in how we respond to situations and the choices or decisions we make when it comes to these situations. They are watching the priorities we make when it comes to “family!”
They are just watching …
So, we need to do things like hanging out with our friends more and do trips with them more. We, as a couple need to date again more too.
Well, My Hubby and I had a date night this SUMMER ☀️🍉⛱ already! 😉 and one of our besties just got a beach house. So, we all decided to get away for a long weekend and LET’S BE HONEST, we had the BEST time. No “group” picture was taken though 😉
Nevertheless, pictures of our kiddies and such were taken! Some of us went to the bay too and watched the sunset 🌅
Oh and the food, My Hubby cooked one (1) of his delish meals for all of us 😋 and we ordered seafood one night too, so lobster,🦞shrimp, 🍤 crab, 🦀 and More!!! …
It was all delish!!! 😋
Some of us have been friends for over twenty (20) years and some even longer. So, like the sign says ⬇️ “We are Framily!!!” 💗
I haven’t blogged in a bit. Truly, it just hasn’t been on my mind, Etsy either, or all the school stuff, etc. I think I just needed a moment to just “Pause, relax … breathe!”
I sometimes feel ahhh – 🤯, life just has it’s way at times. There are five (5) of us in this little family of ours 💗 and I absolutely love it, but it is indeed busy. As you have read I am a Stay-at-Home-Mommy, so we take on even more than we once did! Which, honestly I do love our schedules, our to-do’s, our roles, and our busyness, but I just get to a point, at times, where I am 🤯 … Where I need a minute, a minute to think, a minute to breathe, and a minute to pause!
and this last month I am over here thinking that I am almost forty (40) years old and I am truly shocked over this, like where did the last ten (10) years go? This is the first time (where my age), has me feeling a little down too. I am not sure why? I think it’s just because those new beginnings of all are now just in the next chapters in life (which is awesome too and such a blessing) but much that was new, like graduations, buying our first home, getting engaged, planning a wedding, then getting married, our friends’ weddings, getting pregnant, having babies, nursing them, promotions, buying our family home, promotions again, and so forth. All the “news” are now in the next phase of different “news,” (which as I am writing) that’s pretty darn exciting too!!! 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
All since, my early twenties (20’s), has just been super busy, exciting and like I said, “new.” It’s had its moments of stress too, but over all it’s been enjoyable. So, I want to do it again, and on repeat! HaHa! 🤣 I mean, I look back with the awe factor often …
Someone asked (family of course) why do you care about turning forty (40)? … I said, “It isn’t the number exactly, part of me is like WOW (in a good way), look where you are, at almost forty (40) years old, like my accomplishments, my family and their accomplishments, the goals that I have checked off ☑️, etc.
For me, it’s more about the aches and the pains, that take longer to heal at times. It’s the working out soreness that is just a bit different, lotions that are now needed, it’s the finding out all of this info. like don’t use that, don’t eat that bc it causes this or that, hydration is even more important now, it’s politics, and the opinions, the woes of adult life … and other not so great news of loved ones that we now hear too! 🙏🏼
I am just writing, but as I am writing I feel a little bit better (see blogging, helps ☑️) because “You’ll never be any younger than you are today!” and “Today is the first day of the rest of your life!”
So I am going to continue, continue in trying. I will try to read more and try to do my skincare more, and “try” to remember to schedule in self care, like nails or facials … do SOMETHING for me more!!! (I am sooo bad at this, especially since becoming a Mama.) I am going to try to continue in my runs, my work-outs and my over all healthy eating (I just feel better when eating better!) and working out (is for me I guess) but it is indeed “work!” 😉🤣😬 I am also going to try and give myself and others a little more grace!!! 🙏🏼😉💗
Also, love a “new beginning” on happier note that is … Not exactly a fan of change though, but starting new, starting fresh on a better path!
Have you ever seen a picture of yourself and said uh oh, time to change up some “stuff” … like seriously!
Well, that was me about a month ago. So, back to collagen, hydration, selfcare, stretching, more clean eating, running, fitness, etc.
Oh, and I went lighter for the summer too 😉
YES … it’s Summertime and I just needed to feel rejuvenated. Like vacation/spa like rejuvenated. (Like I have time for any of that, maybe a vacation though? 🤷🏻♀️😉)
You see, our little loves 💗💗💗 just finished up the school year, and this year was just 🤯 and although much has now calmed down. It’s still a little all over the place …
Like I know I am not that twenty (20) year old College girl anymore. With all that ENERGY!!! In college, I was always on the go (not much has changed), but I slept in often too, I was eating whatever and sometimes not eating at all 😬, but was living in the moment more so “I believe” because I paused more …
Now, as a Mama to three (3) little loves 💗💗💗 and a wifey. I want to feel my best and look my best too. 🙏🏼 Don’t get me wrong, since becoming a Mama, I have embraced the Hot Mess! That’s for sure! 🤣
However, I am still going to “try my best” and like I just said, “No longer that 20 year old college girl” Life is busy, and sometimes I just feel drained and weighted down in this world!
My focus more so, at the moment is on God 🙏🏼, self care, house projects and diy things too, new beginnings, fitness, skincare, tuning in on my hobbies, etc. … I’ll be honest as a busy Mama and wife, all isn’t as easy to do on the daily anymore. So, maybe a little of this and a little of that, here and there and giving myself a little more grace too in realizing, “You’re doing okay!”
We don’t get out much “like just us two (2)” on dates and things like that … but My Hubby surprised me with an early anniversary date night the other night.
July 4th is actually our Wedding Anniversary, so Happy Anniversary to us! 🎆
but, for our date night, he took us to this super fabulous restaurant. It was a roof top restaurant with yummo delish food and we watched the sunset too. 🌅
It was a beautiful night indeed. We dressed up. I put some make-up on, I did my hair, and it was nice for both of us to just “be” for a few hours.
We smiled and we laughed, we held hands, we talked about our girls 💗💗💗 (of course.) We also discussed that we both know we need to do this more. We truly have to find the time to pencil in date nights more … (maybe every couple of months.) 😉
My besties have been telling me this for years and most recently one of them had a discussion with me on, “You need to fill your cup, he needs to too, you both need to fill your cup!!!” 😉🥰
I mean, since having babies we still can count on one hand how many times we have been on a “date night!” Don’t get me wrong we have been to weddings and in quite a few too, in the last eleven (11) years. Yes, our oldest little love 💗 is ELEVEN (11) years old, WOW – man time flies when you’re having fun!!!
Again though, what a fun night …
So, possible goals – plan on “dating” more again soon, maybe? 😉 …
I am a girl, who’s mind is always going. This year like I have said, has been NONSTOP!!! Actually, we picked up even more so, on our “busyness” during Covid. Crazy right?
It’s true though, my husband got promoted during Covid. Our girls were in school remote and took on Soccer ⚽️ in a whole new fashion because it was their only outside outlet. I was insanely busy with Scentsy and so forth …
It’s crazy looking back. Things began to open up, the schools opened up fully too. My husband was now “in person” at work due to him being an essential employee and we were trying to go back to some sort of normalcy.
So now, it is SUMMER ☀️🍉⛱ time, so we are home 💗💗💗 and all the pile up to-do’s that have been piling up, and piling up all school year long. Well, it’s time to tackle them! I am going to pause as I write this and say, “Give yourself a little grace because there is a lot to do, so take your time and don’t rush it!”
That ⬆️ is not easy for this Mama, but here goes … one thing at a time!
First up, craft/school room and check ☑️ at least it’s now cleaned out, organized and much was donated!
and the pantry ☑️
one of the closets ☑️
(there’s two (2) sides to these closets ⬇️, but we want to change out the doors and add some lights! 💗 So closet change-up to follow 😉)
Okay, taking a break today … It is Friday and our little loves 💗💗💗 want a pool day and a day to just relax. So, penciling this in, along with some haircuts too.
I am making progress though and you get the idea of what my goal is … 😉
So many goals, not only for me, my husband, but for our little loves too! 💗💗💗
Firstly, can I just say, “We can breathe a little better too!” This school year was just insane … I mean NONSTOP! It actually has been insane since Covid! We tried though, we tried to keep on moving. We tried to stay positive. We tried to bring it back to normal and to be honest we did “okay!”
We prayed a lot too (still are praying 🙏🏼) …
I now, want to go on a vacay, somewhere with a beach and somewhere we can bring the pup 🐶 I want to just relax and breathe for a little. I want us ALL to relax and breathe a little! It’s just been a lot this year. No, wait, it’s been a lot for two (2) years …
With Covid, with school, remote school, social distancing, volunteering, hubby getting promoted, Soccer ⚽️, Coaching and a coach’s wife (that’s a thing, trust me), Events, running events, etc.
I am just happy we have a few months to just breathe, and attempt to work on us for a hot minute. Work on fitness, some runs, some soccer ⚽️ things, some pampering. For me, definitely some beauty things (that I never get to!) Maybe cook a little more, read a little more, photograph a little more, and blog a little more! 😉
So, Happy SUMMER ☀️🍉⛱ and Etsy Shop still to come with new designs! We are thinking anyways! 😉
Cozy Styling 