Finding Gratitude In Work | Even When It Sucks

I had a few moments during my last vacation where I found myself thinking, I’m so excited to get home so I can get back to work. Normally, I still work during “vacations” but this one had me totally disconnected from internet access. 

And each time after I found myself having this wishful thoughts about being back home, sitting, working away, I would stop myself and fully appreciate the gratitude I felt for being so excited by “work”. 

I mean, how incredible is it that while on vacation the thought of getting back to work excites me so much. It has the same feeling as the anticipation for going on a big trip. 

This sensation has been years in the making, and that’s something I want to talk about today. Because even if you have a job that you aren’t totally in love with, yet aren’t quite in the position of quitting just yet, I guarantee there is at least one or two aspects of it that you can look at and say, yeah that right there, I’m grateful for that part of my job. 

For some people this is benefits, or maybe the consistent structure of 9 - 5, or even for others the flexibility to stay home with a sick child if need be. While the mundanity of day to day tasks can cause us to slip into a fog of, "bleh this sucks" I challenge you to once a day pull yourself out of this, stop for a moment and find one thing to be thankful for. 

We’ve all had jobs that we didn’t enjoy or detested all together, and just going to work gave us that pit of anxiety in our chest and stomachs. But we’ve also had jobs that we’ve loved, and still found ourselves in moments of “I really don’t want to do this today.” 

Even now, in the midst of something I could only dream about for many years I find myself every now and then unmotivated to do the tasks set out for myself, by myself, for the day ahead. 

But I have gotten really good at recognizing these moments almost as soon as they happen. And I quickly stop myself from whatever it is I’m doing, and place myself smack in the reality of it. Why am I feeling these negative feelings in that moment, and what can I do to change my attitude about the situation. And often just the act of stopping and thinking is enough to realize, “Hey, this whole set up you’ve got going for yourself right here is pretty freaking amazing.” 

But sometimes I will recognize a reoccurring feeling that arises from these moments of thought. Recently there was a lot of feeling lonely. And guess what? I have complete control of that. What could I do, what could I add to change that feeling. And the answer was simple — social interaction. This is a common complaint of those working from home. While we love the freedom and flexibility of it, we often crave having someone around to talk to, whether that’s to bounce our ideas off of or to sit and have a conversation about something totally unrelated. 

So, I’ve made it a point to schedule weekly coffee dates, “co-worker” days with two of my friends who also work from home, as well as to plan a girls night every other week or so. Another easy way I’ve found to relieve some of this feeling of being lonely is to simple head out to a coffee shop to work for a few hours. The sensation you get from being around people, having a chat with the person who takes your order or makes your coffee, and the probability to see a friendly familiar face is enough to make the $5 cup of coffee worth it to me every now and then. 

I think the biggest lesson I want you to take away from reading this is that if you are unhappy in a situation don’t just sit there and continue on with it. Take the time to step away and really ask yourself what it is that you are lacking? What do you need? And at the same time asking yourself to find something positive, even in the midst of feeling so crummy about the day. 

This can seem like a steep task when you find yourself in the same routine day after day, doing the same things day after day. 

I actually find that there are certain aspects of a daily routine I crave, and will find myself missing if I don’t make time for them. 

The biggest being my morning journaling routine. I always feel a little off kilter if I don’t have time in the morning do sit down and write. 

I also feel a positive impact when I make time for an afternoon break (usually around 2 p.m.) for a bit of yoga, stretching and meditation. 

So, first identify those elements of day to day life that you enjoy. It’s as simple as a cup of coffee and reading the newspaper or a early morning workout routine. Whatever it may be, get clear on what it is you want to keep. 

Next, look at maybe something you could eliminate from your routine that doesn’t really bring you any added benefit or joy. 

And then you can look at what elements you want to add to your day. What is something you can start doing that will brighten your day. For me it was more time with those I love and enjoy spending time with. For you it might be a 20 minute walk in the park, or taking the time to read a good book for an hour in the afternoon. 

Can you apply this same frame of thinking to your responsibilities at work. Yes, there’s probably certain daily tasks that you can’t get out of, but maybe there are some that you can, and maybe there’s others that you can add. 

Ask for more responsibility, propose a new project, whatever it may be. 

And don’t forget to find the happy bits each day. What aspect of your job are you grateful for today? 

How to Keep From Feeling Like a "Tourist"

It probably sounds a little dumb, but when I travel, regardless if it’s just to another city in Iowa or if it’s halfway around the world I don’t want to scream “tourist”. I like blending in as much as possible. 

And most of the time, depending on where in the world I am, I can pass off as a local. Well, until I start talking that is. 

When I went to Rome a few years ago, I was a bit uneasy as I was traveling abroad solo for the first time, and I had heart a few horror stories (or myths) about people mugging tourists. 

So, I didn’t want to walk around looking like a helpless foreigner. 

This meant, not having my camera out and around my neck, but at certain times this meant I taking photos on my phone because this was an easier way to snap a few pictures without digging into my bag for my big camera. 

This also means not grabbing a big old paper map of whatever city I’m visiting. Google maps has come a long way over the years, and I always use that to get around. 

I always wear the same exact clothes that I would normally wear at home. And you might think, well why wouldn’t you? But there are plenty of people who go out and buy “vacation” clothes. You know the dads that wear the Hawaiian floral shirts, the people who look like they’re going on a hike, but they're in a city, and the mom’s who wear the big, floppy sun hats. 

Now, I have nothing against any of this. If you want to wear it, wear it, own it. I’m just saying that I like blending in, and there are certain things that scream, “I’m on vacation.” 

This is probably the introvert in me but beyond sticking out like a sore thumb, I prefer to make myself at home wherever it is that I’m visiting. This means foregoing a lot of the touristy spots, and finding a few local haunts to hang out at. I like to get a taste of what it is about that place that people who live there enjoy. 

I do like to pick a few of the must-see’s. Whether that’s a walk past the Eiffel Tower, down along the River Thames, or through the ruins of Sukhothai and Ayutthaya. But there are certain areas I choose to avoid, and that’s usually the party scene. 

And another added perk of avoiding the busier travel spots, besides the possibility of getting robbed is that there are certain countries or cities where tourists are more likely to get stopped by police, things usually cost more in the touristy areas, and there’s just a lot more people out and about. 

You see, I’m at the point with traveling where I want to get into a routine where I am, and somewhat pretend I live there. Whether I’m there for a week or for a month, I want to find my spots to work, to eat, and to hang out. 

In the end it’s all personal preference. There is no wrong way to travel. While you may enjoy filling your days with every great sight there is to see, I enjoy hunkering down for a few hours of work over a delicious cup of coffee before setting off to get out for a bit of adventure. 

When You Don’t Have Time to Slow Down on Your Period

I’m a big advocate of letting yourself slow down leading up to your period and during your period. So much so that if you follow FemmeHead pretty closely you know I really never shut up about it. 

And that’s because I have seen the importance of it month after month in my own life, and in my own cycle. 

Every month I preach the same message “Just Slow Down”, and after each period I come back with a sigh of relief and say, “Gah, that felt good. I feel refreshed and renewed for the month ahead.” 

And I do. If I just take a step back during the few days leading up to, and the first few days of my period, I get a huge burst of energy, motivation and positivity at the end of my period. And this little burst of “I can do anything!” carries on through the rest of my cycle. Right up until the last few days before my next period. 

Just thinking about that type of energy gets me excited as I sit here writing this. 

And that’s because I wasn’t able to slow down during last month’s period. It was right when we were coming back from Bali, which meant around 30 hours of travel, hurtling myself across 14 time zones, and trying to play catch up in the two days I had at home before getting back on another plane to head to California for a few days. 

It was a lot, and that combined with trying to beat jet lag and get back on a normal sleep schedule threw me for a loop and kept me from being able to do my usual slow down, breathe, you’re on your period, routine. 

So, what do you do when this happens? Well, I’ll tell you from my current experience. 

Now if you’ve never been able to slow down on your period, I bet you have no idea what I’m even talking about. But I promise you, and challenge you to try it out. 

If you don’t, or can't take the much needed break during you period you’ll have to take this past month just a smidgen slower and accept that there’s not going to be that usual burst of renewed energy. 

Instead of finding time during your period to breath and relax. You’re going to have to find those moments when you can here and there throughout that following cycle. 

One example for my own cycle, right before ovulation I had been just absolutely pooped for a few days, but couldn’t slow down. 

Then I found myself almost nodding off I was so knackered, and I stepped back and thought, you know what if I just stop for an hour the world will keep spinning. 

So I took a nap, a glorious hour long nap at 2 o’ clock in the afternoon. 

I don’t know about you, but I’m not a napper. I feel guilty when I take naps. I lay down, close my eyes, and all I can think about is everything I should be doing instead. 

But that day I let myself have a nap, and I woke up. And how did I feel? 

It felt like coming too after a really delicious Shavasana after a difficult yoga practice. You feel refreshed, renewed and completely zenned out. 

It’s one of my favorite feelings in the world. 

And that’s what coming off of the end of your period kind of feels like when you let yourself slow down and rest. 

So, if you don’t do it already try, just try to find a few minutes here and there during your period to just take a deep breath and just stop moving for awhile. 

I know, I know. We think, “I can’t slow down. I don’t even have enough time to keep up with everything as it is.” But I promise you that you can find ten minutes a day, you’ll reap the rewards throughout the rest of your cycle. 

As I sit here putting the finishing touches on this I’m currently on day 3 of my cycle, and I don’t know if it’s because we’ve just gotten home (yesterday) from another trip, or because I didn’t get my rest last time ‘round, but I’m feeling completely out of sorts and exhausted today. 

But you better believe I learned my lesson last time around, and today my goal is to just finish what I have to get done. And you can find me doing all of that either curled up on the couch or from one of our big red comfy chairs, in a sweater and leggings, sipping on some hot lemon water. 

While I’m trying to enjoy this phase, I’m craving the energy I know will come. 

[If you want to learn more about your cycle, consider taking my Chart Your Cycle course to learn all the basics of the symptom-thermal method of FAM, and whether it’s a good fit for you — hint: it is.]

My Not So Minimal Skincare Routine

So my skincare was pretty basic the last time I update you guys. 

It consisted of:

+ Pacifica Sea Foam complete face wash (use at night)

+ Acure CGF repair serum (one pump in the morning, two at night)

+ Alaffia Day Cream (morning and night)

+ Amara Organics Aloe Vera Gel (morning and night)

But it wasn’t quite cutting it this winter. My skin was dehydrated, crying out for more moisture, and I was struggling with how to give it what it needed. 

Then one of my best friends started talking about how she had been looking into the whole Korean skincare craze. 

It seemed like a lot, and I’m all about less is more. But I was intrigued. Very intrigued. 

So, I started looking into it for myself. And the main thing that came across for me was the focus on nourishing your skin, about getting the moisture back in your skin. Eureka! I thought, exactly what I was looking for. And I must admit I was green with envy by all the dewy skinned girls sharing their 10 step routines on YouTube. 

The ten steps include:

One — oil cleanser 

Two — water-based cleanser 

Three — exfoliator 

Four — toner 

Five — essence

Six — serum 

Seven — mask

Eight — Eye Cream 

Nine — moisturizer 

Ten — SPF or overnight mask

I took a look at what products I already had, that I liked, and really thought through how I wanted to go about it. 

I realized I could nix the first step for now because I don’t wear anywhere as much makeup needed to need a double cleanse. I do eventually want to get one, but I was trying to not kill my bank account or overwhelm my skin at first. 

My Pacifica cleanser counted for Step Two. 

I’ve always struggled with finding an exfoliator I like, so while I research to find the perfect one I’ve stuck to baking soda or coffee grounds to exfoliate a few times a week. 

Steps four and five were what I was most excited about. I haven’t used a toner for years (beyond apple cider vinegar) because I find astringents to be too harsh for my skin. After a lot of research and a lot of reviews read I settled on these two: 

+ Son & Park Beauty Water (toner) 

+ Missha Time Revolution (essence)  

And I must say I love these two products. Plus, if I’m feeling a little extra parched like I did when I first came home from Bali I’ll put a few layers of each on for extra hydration. 

I actually just finished up my Acure CGF repair serum, which I’ll be replacing with Klairs’ Vitamin C Serum. 

While the dewy skin I saw girls reveal after using a sheet mask was almost mouth watering (I’m a total dewy/hydrated skin addict) I didn’t like the amount of waste that was produced with the single use sheet masks. 

Instead I have been using and loving two masks from Lush over the past few months. The Rosy Cheeks mask for irritated skin, and the Oatfix mask when I need that hydration. But I am going to look into making my own DIY reusable sheet masks from muslin this month so stay tuned for that. 

For step eight, my Kiehls eye cream has served me well, but is getting to the end of it’s life so I’ll have to look into a replacement for that one. 

My Alaffia day cream moisturizer worked for step nine. 

And finally SPF. I got a sensitive skin SPF 50 from Neutrogena for my trip, but that leaves a white cast on my face so I’m looking for a sunscreen that isn’t full of terrible ingredients. 

Oh, and you better believe I’m intrigued by the hydrating overnight masks. I have a couple I’ve got my eye on, but for now I’ve just been taking a tiny dime sized amount of primrose oil and patting that on my face to soak in while I sleep. 

So, this sounds like a lot, but is it worth it? 

You bet your sweet behind I think it is. My skin has done a complete turn around from where it was before. 

And while I give a lot of credit to slashing my addiction to sugar, I also can tell the difference that just giving some extra love (and moisture) has done for my skin. It has been looking fan-freakin-tastic. 

But while what we put on our skin is important, I’ve also been focusing on staying hydrated with good old water, as well as keeping my diet full of nutritious, delicious whole foods. 

Phew, lots of info, I know. Share your favorite beauty products, whether you’ve tried the Korean skincare routine and what other skin tips you have below. 

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I'm Learning About Libido + You Should Too

I’ve come to the realization, from research and reflection that I let my libido slip away without questioning it, disconnecting myself from that aspect of my body. Female libido is quite taboo to talk about, even among friends.

We don’t discuss what we enjoy, what we don’t, our orgasms or lack thereof, and heaven forbid we mention the word masturbation. 

We think it’s just something we’re supposed to know about, but not talk about. 

And we do this all subconsciously. Or at least I did. None of this even crossed my mind until I started looking into the connection of hormonal birth control and libido. But it was then that I was like, girl you have a lot of work to do on yourself. 

So, today I’m going to share three books I’ve been working my way through and a website that every women should spend some time with. 

+ Pussy — The book that started all of this. It opened to my eyes to the issue at hand in my personal life, but also broadened my horizons to the fact that there are plenty of resources out there for education, and enlightenment. 

+ Extended Massive Orgasm — An overwhelming, somewhat cringeworthy title when you first say it out loud, but I think it’s a staple read for those exploring their sensuality. And depending on your level of comfort with this topic I suggest keeping this book for an at home read (unless of course you’d like to have a conversation starter on hand). 

+ She Comes First — This one I worked my way through in a matter of days. I found myself laughing, with happiness, at the information I was learning. Mostly how much more involved the clitoris is in the female anatomy then I ever knew before.  

+ Come As You Are — I’m still working my way through this one, but it’s worth sharing. It’s a book based on cutting edge research which shines a light on to female sensuality/sexuality, and what factors play a role into it. 

+ OMGyes — This is one of my favorite discoveries. It’s one thing to read about it, but entirely another thing to here real women discuss masturbation, orgasms and what gives them pleasure. I have heard about this site before but never felt compelled to check it out. The other day though I saw Emma Watson talking about it in my newsfeed, which led me to type it into my search bar. (Ah, the power of marketing). It is such a refreshing discussion, and done in such an amazing way. It doesn’t feel pornographic at all. 

I think that something else that comes along with education is discovery. And while yes this means putting it to practice (I promise it’s a lot more fun than you think at first), this also means sitting with your thoughts, feelings and preconceived notions about your sexuality, sensuality and libido. It’s not always fun to dig into the past, but it helps to pull out a journal, and word vomit your thoughts. 

Ask yourself questions like:

+ What was your first sensual/sexual experience? Was it solo or with a partner? Was it wanted, or done because you felt pressured? 

+ How was female masturbation viewed and talked about around you growing up? Did anyone even talk about it? 

+ When you first started partaking in sexual activities with a partner, how did you approach it? Did you hand over the reins, or did you direct because you knew what you liked? 

+ How did your view of your own body effect how you approached and enjoyed sexual encounters? Did you worry about what your vagina looked like, your pubic hair, how your stomach looked in certain positions? 

+ What was your first orgasm like? What do you remember about this experience? 

+ When did you start to find your confidence in your sexuality? 

+ Did you ever notice your libido disappear? What do you think caused this? What did you do, if anything, to get it back? 

+ Where is your relationship with all of this at today? 

I could go on and on with questions. Just start writing without any goal in mind. I just want you to get as much of it as possible out of your head and onto paper. You’ll be surprised with what bubbles to the surface. 

[If you want to connect to your body in another way, you could look into learning how to chart your menstrual cycle. I offer an easy, insightful course for newbies, as well as one to help those of you struggling with making that leap to get off hormonal birth control. — Affiliate links included in this article.]

What I Packed for Bali + What I Could Have Left Home

Here’s how this is going to go— I’m going to write out my entire packing list from Bali below. But I’m going to annotate it as I go. Because I always think I’ve narrowed it down to the bare minimum, but there’s always a few things that I end up bringing that I don't need or use.

Clothes

+ 1 bikini (the top doubled as a sports bra for yoga, win win)

+ 2 one-piece swim suits (I only wore one)

+ 2 pairs of denim shorts (I would have been just fine with one pair)

+ black leggings (So hot and sticky. I wish I would have had spandex shorts and thin jogging pants)

+ 1 pair of jeans (wore these quite a bit actually) 

+ 6 shirts (only wore three, yes I could have made it a month on three shirts)

+ black t-shirt dress

+ green dress (didn’t wear it)

+ 14 pairs of underwear (seemed excessive when I was packing, but I’m grateful for every single pair) 

+ rain jacket (I’m shocked with this $4 thrift store find. Held up great and came everywhere with me)

+ 2 sweaters (while they both came in handy in Chicago, I only needed one once in Bali)

+ keens (wore these more than I expected)

+ black sandals (hardly wore these, weren’t comfortable enough to walk around much in)

+ van high tops (knew I wouldn’t wear these)

Bathroom

+ minimal makeup (will keep it to concealer, highlighter, cheek tint and brow gel next time)

+ skincare (happy to have it all)

+ razor (shaved once probably, but it was good to have that one time)

+ straightener (leave it home)

+ RubyCup (lifesaver on the plane)

+ toothbrush, toothpaste, floss (gotta have it, duh)

Electronics

+ Daysy + cord (necessity — use code "FEMME" at checkout for discount)

+ MacBook Pro + charger (necessity)

+ Canon t5i (filmed a few things, but wish I had a more compact camera)

+ GoPro (this was the MVP camera, ended up using it instead of my Canon)

+ small tripod (used it when I filmed those few videos)

+ batteries + charger

+ SD cards

+ headphones (necessity)

+ external hard drive +cord (didn’t need it, but brought it as backup)

+ converter (necessity)

Misc

+ Rhodia dot journal (normally my lifeline, but I didn’t stick to it as much as I do back home)

+ 2 black felt pens (only needed one)

+ ruler (used it but could have probably done without)

+ red journal (necessity)

+ yellow journal (had to bring it)

+ morning pages notebook (necessity)

+ orange + blue pens (necessity) 

+ cartridge refills (yup, needed them)

+ ukulele (played it a bit in the beginning, but let’s be real, I should have left it home)

+ pretzels + chocolate (must remember more snacks next time!)

+ passport (duh)

+ wallet (also, duh)

+ phone (necessity) 

+ 2 books (almost packed 4, glad I didn’t. I hardly read at all)

+ blue Jansport backpack (never leave home without her!)

+ Northface Terra45 pack (must have when traveling via motorbike)

+ packing cubes (I’m obsessed. Don’t think I’ll travel without them ever again, even for just weekend trips)

Phew, sounds like a lot of crap, but all said and done it wasn’t much. I don’t have any month long trips coming up soon, but I’m in Texas, Florida and on a cruise ship for the next week and a half. You better believe I’ll be taking my lessons learned with me. 

What are some packing lessons you’ve learned over the years, or just in the recent months? Share them below.

[Post includes affiliate links as well as just regular links to products recently purchased for those curious.]

Dear Victoria | A Letter to My Teenage Self

Hey Victoria,

Ok, where to even start. I feel like I have so much to say, but don’t want to overwhelm you. So, I’ll try to stay concise. Keep to the important bits, right?

Learn about your body. Knowledge is power, and don’t hand that power over to a guy. Go figure out what’s happening in there, and why. Explore, question, don’t be ashamed. 

Your body is normal. The skin. The hair. All of it. Yes you’ll look back on photos and wonder what you were thinking when you plucked your eyebrows into near extinction, but you’ve got to try it out for yourself. Do it for you, and no one else. But maybe just leave your eyebrows alone, pretty pretty please. 

Remember when you couldn’t wait to get your period, but then quickly fell into the trap of negativity when it finally came? Yeah, having a period is not annoying or unfair. Your cycle is this amazing thing that you can use to connect to yourself, to other females, and the world in general. 

What you put into and onto your body matters. Learn about nutrition. And just know the more natural, the better when it comes to food and beauty products. 

Let go of the material things. It’s never going to be about what you own. What matters is how you treat other people, and what impact you leave in your wake. Collect memories, not things. 

There’s going to be so much beyond high school, college even. You’ll get a taste of your future self there, but you won’t really start to discover her until you’re out. 

Write. I know it seems like such a big task when you have to write a two-page paper, but writing is going to become like therapy to you. Get a journal and make a date with it each day. 

And finally, listen to that nagging voice in the back of your head. Let it guide you, it knows where it’s going. 

Oh, and don’t forget to smile, hug, laugh, cry, scream. Emotions are healthy. All of them. Don’t be afraid to feel them. 

Keep pushing girl, 

Victoria 

[If you found yourself thinking, "Geesh I really want to learn more about my body and my menstrual cycle" then go check out my Chart Your Cycle course. Take a chance to learn more about a part of your body you've been told to be ashamed of and annoyed by for so long.]

I Tried A Few Pressure Points + Wasn't Disappointed

Boy oh boy how a few pressure points saved me on my flight over to Bali. 

If you keep up with me on social media or get my weekly emails you’ll already know that I was suffering from a pretty gnarly head cold for two days before flying out of Chicago. 

The week leading up to our departure I had been getting 3-4 hours of sleep each night, which is next to nothing for a girl who needs a solid 8 hours to flourish. 

I knew I was in for a world of hurt if I didn’t start finding some remedies. 

Personally, I’m not a fan of medication. Yes, it has its time and place, but I knew I was still OK without it. 

The morning we were supposed to drive to Chicago I woke up at 3 a.m. feeling pretty rotten. I decided to quit tossing and turning in bed, and to get up and do something about how I was feeling. 

The first step was boiling some water. I put some of it in a mug with a teabag, and the rest in a big pot on the stove, where sweet heavenly steam began to rise rise. 

Very carefully I would lean my head over, inhaling the sweet sweet steam which helped soothe the pressure, and a bit of the congestion as well. At the same time I started sipping on my tea, and gargling some salt water. 

I also did a smidgen of yoga, focusing mostly on the legs up the wall pose, which doesn’t sound like it would help congestion, but it sure does. 

But the biggest discovery was pressure points. No, I’m not saying I discovered them, but I found a few to try out online. I think I Googled "pressure points for congestion and headaches”. 

The first is right below your eyebrows, where they stop in the middle of you face. Push up on your brow bones to help relieve some of that sinus pressure. 

The next spot is to either side of your nose, you can feel right under your cheek bones, push there. This helped with my congestion. 

Another one that helped relieve some of the pressure in my head was on the back of my neck, at the base of my head, about where my hairline starts. At either side of your spine if you feel around you can find two, roundish lumps, about two inches apart. 

Throughout my flights I would use these three pressure points to help relieve some of the pain and discomfort, and at certain points it would help clear the congestion. 

But on our final descent into Denpasar, the pressure built up to an almost unbearable amount. I was able to get my right ear to pop, but the left side remained very pressured for a few hours to come. 

Thankfully after a day of being in Ubud, surrounded by warmth and nutrition food, I was back to feeling better than ever.  

Learning to Say "No"

Just as important as it is to say “Yes!" to exciting, new opportunities, it is also important to learn how to say “No". 

Saying no doesn’t have to be negative. It doesn’t have to be hurtful or seen as you letting other people down. 

It’s about cutting out the unnecessary, the bad, the things you don’t enjoy or don’t serve you. It's like taking a minimalistic approach to your daily activities. Saying "no thank you" to certain things will allow you to say "Yes, please!" to more good things. 

It might sound a little selfish to some, but learning to say no is important. 

I don’t know about you, but I’m the sort of person who wants to please everyone, make everyone else happy and I HATE when people are mad at me or dislike me. 

But when you’re busy running around trying to make everyone else happy, who do you think gets left behind? Yup, you and your needs. 

Whether it’s your period week and you don’t have it in you to go out, or it’s on vacation and you don’t want to go do an activity on a particular day. It’s OK to say no. 

When I was able to do that during my menstrual phase, it helped my periods go by smoother. And when I started doing it on this trip I was finally able to make time for a few habits and tasks that had been getting behind when I was trying to do everything that everyone else wanted to do. 

I’ve been able to start back up on my morning journaling routine. Some may think it’s overkill, but I get so much from my different journals each and every day. I can see the difference, and I can feel the difference. 

I was also able to miss out on activities and adventures I wasn't interested in at that time in order to sit down and do some much needed work. And it amazed me how much joy I got from just being able to work. I made sure to stop and send my gratitude out into the universe for this fact. 

While yes, I’m technically on a “vacation” I’m also at the very beginning of FemmeHead being my full-time job, that means my main source of income. And while I’m setting it up to run itself most days, I still need to show up and put in a few hours of work here and there. 

So, while I very much so believe in the power of yes, I also believe in the power of no. There is a balance between the two that you have to find for yourself. And what works for me may not work for you, but just realizing you can say no to people is something that a lot of people don’t think they can do.  

Stop Counting Calories | A Better Use of Food Journaling

I have tried to count calories on maybe two separate occasions, and both times I failed at whatever restrictive goal I had set for myself. 

I don’t know about you but I finally realized that counting calories just isn’t something I’m interested in. When I hear about people tracking what they eat, the majority seems to be using it to keep track of the caloric aspect of food. 

But today I wanted to share an alternative benefit I have found from tracking what you eat, and it has nothing to do with losing weight or restricting yourself. 

The first time I discovered the power of tracking what I ate was back in 2012. I had suffered from never ending stomach pain that I just sort of wrote off as normal for the longest time. I was uncomfortable, groggy, and constipated. 

But it finally clicked, pain and discomfort should not be the norm. Not to mention that I thought one bowel movement a week was perfectly normal. 

I decided to track what I ate for a week, and how I felt after that meal. A pretty simple task. I knew it must be something I was eating that was causing me so much pain, but I couldn’t figure it out before recording my meals. 

So I would write down what I ate, the ingredients involved, and then how I felt after. Was there pain, discomfort, bloating, and when was I going to the bathroom. Things like that. 

From this I discovered that meat, especially red meat was a big trigger for the stomach pain. I was a pretty typical Iowa girl. I love potatoes and bread, but I decided what’s the harm in giving up meat for a week just to see if anything happened? 

And if you’ve heard any of my story before you know the answer. I felt so so much better after that week. But just to make sure, I decided to eat meat once more to see if I could tell a difference. And I could. The stomach pain, bloating, etc. returned quickly after eating that meal containing meat. 

I thought, ok what’s the big deal with giving up meat. I can do that. So I started in on my vegetarian journey in October 2012. I felt so much better after that switch that in the following April I decided to go 100% vegan as well as cut out gluten. And that summer was a definite peak in life on how I felt. I had no more stomach pain, bloating, I lost 5 - 10 pounds, and started having daily bowel movements, which I’ve learned is the norm.

I have done it on a smaller scale since then. Sometimes while traveling abroad I will experience some digestive issues. By tracking what I am consuming, and how I feel after I am able to see what foods I need to cut out while my stomach heals itself. 

Another time I’ve done it is when I started breaking out again this past summer through this winter. I started paying attention, and discovered the culprit, sugar. Because of this I challenged myself to take a month long break from added refined sugar, and have been pleasantly pleased with the results. No longer is my forehead broken out. Yes, I still get the occasional pimple or two around ovulation, but that cluster of ever lingering acne on my forehead is almost gone. I have also noticed renewed energy as well as less of an afternoon fog, and sudden drops in energy throughout the day. 

What in your life is currently ailing you? Is there a chance it could be related to your diet or fixed by food? Start tracking your meals, not restricting anything, but just noting how you feel after each meal. What are your food triggers? Maybe you don’t have any, but maybe you do. 

Keeping a food journal is a great first step into starting to pay attention to what you put in your body, next you can start noticing environmental factors. Quality of sleep, daily activities, exercise, relationships, work, etc. 

Feel free to share anything you’ve noticed through food journaling.  

Creating Routine In a New Place | Working In Bali

Everyone craves the lifestyle of the freedom to work from anywhere. I’ve traveled and work plenty of times before, but coming to Bali with the sole purpose of transplanting myself to a warmer climate and continue working was a bit of a challenge at first. 

I’m sure it all depends on who you’re traveling with, and where you’re going, but I really struggled during the first week with creating a new routine here. 

I had a pretty rock solid schedule back home. But I realized that I couldn’t keep up with the exact one I had in Iowa, obviously, and therefore needed to create a new one while I’m here. 

At first when it was just four of us, I found it hard to say no to activities and adventure to stay back and work. Because of this I found myself maybe working an hour at first each day. 

I’m sure if you were surrounded by a group of other online entreprenuers it would be a different story. But everyone I’m traveling with is in their “off season” of work so they don’t have to do anything work related while they’re here. Because of this they are much more in vacation mode than I want to be. Which is fine. We don’t always have to be doing the same thing as the person next to us. 

I just needed to learn to say no. It was a good lesson for me. And a good challenge to find the balance between work and fun. 

My first breakthrough came when the group wanted to go to Monkey Forest in Ubud, and I had zero interest in that activity. So, I looked up a cool little spot, Clear Cafe, mopeded my way over there, and fell in love. The atmosphere, the food, the juice, the coffee, the music….everything was perfect. I was finally able to sit for more than an hour and really focus on work without distractions. 

I only made it to Clear Cafe once more, but I’m really finding my groove now that we’re on the North coast. 

The pace is much slower up here. The setting is serene and calm — perfect for sitting down and pounding out some work. 

The first day here I decided to start my day with a cup of coffee on our balcony, my stack of journals and plenty of inspiration to surround myself with.

I sat there and wrote my morning pages, in my two other journals, and planned out my day in my bullet journal. I then continued to work until around 3:30 p.m. and do you know what? It felt great. 

I missed out on a pretty awesome looking waterfall, but everyone in our group is eager to get back again so I might get my chance to do some cliff jumping still! 

Today, was much the same. I started my day out on the balcony and realized that my simple habit of journaling in the morning really set me up to feel much better about my days. We went to the only Buddhist Temple in Bali, came back, jumped in the pool, started working, got a massage, continued working, and I’m feeling great about the pace of the days here. 

So, if you’re flailing a bit, outside of your normal routine, first you need to take a step back. Everything is going to be ok. The world is going to continue to spin. Realize that you may not be able to keep up with everything you were doing at home. Take the time to really look at those habits you miss and know make a difference in your day. Where can you fit those into your new schedule? Mornings work best for me. And learn to say no to activities you don’t want to do, even if the rest of the group is participating. 

While I don’t plan to be a digital nomad with FemmeHead, I do desire the ability to continue working while traveling at the same time, because if I can continue to master this skill I can say yes to spur of the moment trips. For example, Michael has a race in California right when we get back. Because I have the freedom to work from anywhere, not to mention the fact he has companion pass on Southwest, I was able to say, “Mind if I come with?” and now I get to skip out on Iowa’s winter for a few more days. 

Share your tips for working while traveling, creating a new routine and finding time for your favorite habits. 

What My Life In Bali Consists Of

It’s incredible what thrusting yourself outside your normal routine can do for you. So, much so that I think I’m going to start routinely spicing it up a bit. 

Our first stop in Bali was the coveted Ubud. It was where we spent most of our time here last year, saving our trip from the disappointed taste in our mouth from the south. 

There wasn’t much work to be done in Ubud, at first, but this was because there was so much to do, so many adventures and fun to be had. 

A typical day in Ubud, went a little like this:

+ wake up

+ yoga 

+ breakfast 

+ go on an adventure

+ eat lunch (Ubud has so many delicious offerings in this department)

+ hang out, swim, work, go on another adventure

+ dinner

+ bed

After eight nights in Ubud, we ventured North, to the coast, finding ourself in a calm villa just west of Lovina. 

I thought life in Ubud was slow paced, but boy was I pleasantly shocked with how chill the north coast was. Here is where I started to find my groove, establishing a routine finally. And getting so much inspired work done.

Our days up on the North coast looked a lot like this:

+ wake up and make a cup of coffee

+ go out to our balcony to write in my journals 

+ start my work for the day

+ eat breakfast

+ either work more or go on an adventure

+ eat lunch

+ swim, play ping pong, continue working

+ eat dinner

+ watch a movie, play more ping pong

+ go to bed

I loved having plenty of comfortable spots around our villa to sit and work, not to mention just being able to take a quick break from work by jumping into the pool.

From there we drove almost three hours east, to Amed. 

We only spent a two full days in Amed, but we had a lot of fun in the ocean while we were there, which was an nice change from the pools, not that I have anything against pools, we had a pretty awesome one at the house we were staying at. 

Amed went like this:

+ wake up

+ head out to the front deck and watch the fishermen come in

+ journal 

+ eat breakfast

+ go scuba diving or snorkeling for a few hours

+ find some lunch

+ head home

+ take a dip in the pool and work for the afternoon

+ dinner

+ bed

After our time in Amed we headed back to Ubud, bringing the trip full circle. It felt so good to come back to a familiar place, to recognize the streets, to go back to our favorite spots here again while discovering new places at the same time. 

And that’s where I’m at right now. There’s three days left and it’s much of the same schedule, except for we’ve found that delicious balance between work and play. 

I am pleasantly surprised with some of the "lessons" that have come out of this trip and I’ll be writing about those soon enough. 

Bali, you have my heart. I’m already thinking about when I come back to you next time. 

Free Bleeding | It's Whatever You Want it to Be

Simply put, free bleeding is viewed as one of a few things. From training your cervix to hold in your menstrual blood, much like your bladder, until you can go and empty it (Is this really possible!?) Others believe it means just not using anything to absorb/collect your menstrual flow. And some think it simply means not using a tampon, cup, sponge or anything else inserted into your vagina to collect your flow, but that using period underwear or cloth pads still falls within the realm of "free bleeding". 

I hadn’t really thought much about the term, nor heard much until I began looking into it myself. 

Not using any sort of menstrual product has been around longer than you or me has existed, and long before any sanitary products hit the shelves. And there are millions of women “free bleeding” today. Why?

Let’s think about it for a second. Something that some clown somewhere passed off as some hyper-feminist disgusting bullshit is something that millions of women deal with every single month because they don’t have access to feminine hygiene products. Girls stop going to school for that week every month because they don’t have anything to “manage” their periods and being that managing is a “must” in so many cultures they are left to fall behind in school and in life, one period at a time. 

Other women, with access to products, do it because it’s more comfortable for them. 

I like looking at “free-bleeding” as a mindset. You can use whatever products feel most comfortable for you, but do it in a way where you’re allowing your body to bleed. You don’t feel guilty or ashamed. If you leak it’s no big deal. Take blogger, Kelly Jo’s word on it:

"More of a mindset than it is an action, the idea is...letting ourselves bleed. No judgement, no worries about messiness or cleanliness. Just letting it happen...This might look different for different menstruators. We are always, technically, “letting” ourselves bleed...But how often do we take a second, or a few, or a whole menstrual cycle, to mentally let our body do it’s thing. And appreciate it for what it does"

By discovering period underwear I was able to free-bleed in a sense on my lighter days, and not worrying about having to go and empty my cup was a freeing thing. 

"The fact that I happened to be bleeding didn’t interfere with anything that I did; if anything, it felt great not having a foreign object inside my body to staunch the bleeding, plus my cramps were significantly lighter."

     — Kayla Goggin, blogger, XOJane article

There is quite an adjustment to sensation when using only reusable pads or period underwear, or nothing at all. So many of us have grown so accustomed to no sensation at all, other than that telling you it was time to change, before you leaked everywhere. 

It didn’t take me long after getting my period for the first time to muster up the courage to learn how to use a tampon because I just really disliked disposable pads. They were bulky, uncomfortable and felt entirely untrustable. So, a few months into my menstrual journey I learned how to put in a tampon, and I continued to do that from the age of 15 to the age of 24. Then I discovered menstrual cups, which were a game changer, and my preferred method of product still to this day. But not too long into my cup journey I also discovered period underwear. I had tried reusable pads but they didn’t feel secure enough, but these underwear felt like they had my back. 

But then something awesome happened. I stopped using my cups as often. Don’t get me wrong, I love them oh so much more than tampons. But I discovered that I could just get by with the period underwear for my light days, and even my medium light days. There is really only a day or two that I need my cup. 

"But gushing blood into my underwear felt like jumping out of an airplane without a parachute.” — Lane Moore, Cosmopolitan article

That quote puts it perfectly. What an odd, terrifying, “oh crap, oh crap, oh crap” moment it is when you feel a sizable amount release into whatever barrier lay in your underwear. 

I had to learn to trust my period underwear, and to relearn the sensation of when they were full rather than clenching anytime I felt blood flow out of me. 

I guess I had never really heard about women free bleeding before looking into it myself. Beyond women not having access to products of course. But the more I looked into it the more I discovered people’s outrage and disgust with it. Which I find bit funny, obviously. Every story I read about a personal account of free bleeding seemed to be contained to their own home, or where they would just use dark underwear on their light days. Or women using cloth pads and period underwear. And I can’t help but thinking, what’s the problem with that? 

“No Uterus, No Opinion”  

I Started Saying "I Love You" to My Acne

Crazy I know, but one day I just started doing it. 

As I would go through my skincare routine every morning, and evening, I began to say "I love you, and you, and I especially love you" (to the bigger pimples) as I rubbed my cleanser, serums, lotions and whatever other elixirs I felt like that day. 

I’m not quite sure why I started or what exactly made me do it. But doing it made me feel better about my breakouts. It honestly did. 

And it reminded me of something I used to do years ago, where I would name the really big pimples. I would then go around introducing him to my friends, and other weird stuff like that. By making it into a little bit of a joke, it was easier than trying to hide it and hate it every time I looked in a mirror. 

Now, I don’t believe that by me saying “I Love You” is healing my acne, but it did create a significant shift in my perspective towards my zits. I stopped picking at my skin when I started thinking more fondly of it. And I started taking better care of it, taking more time each day. 

And it made me want to do things nice things like drink more water and eat better food to nourish my body and my skin. 

Google “power of positive words experiment” and you’ll see science fair like set ups where someone takes the same food (an apple cut in half, or rice scooped from the same pot), keep them in two separate containers, and each day these people say sweet, nice things to one, and hateful, mean things to the other.

Guess which one started decaying and molding faster? Yup, the one that was spewed all the negativity, and hate. 

I believe in the power of energy because it changes how you act towards something. And what you put out into the world is what you receive (not always of course). 

It’s very similar to changing your perspective towards your menstrual cycle. If you can start looking at it in a positive, loving way, you’ll begin to learn how to coexist with your own unique cycle. 

So I challenge you to start looking into not only your mirror, but to you life in general with love and understanding. Say kind, loving words to yourself. Hell, set up your own apple experiment if you’d like. And I guarantee you’ll be surprisingly pleased with the results.  

The Switch From Homeschool to Public School

When my mom told me that she would be putting us into public school I remember going to my room, throwing myself onto my bed, and sobbing for all that would surely be lost. 

I was 9 or 10 years old, and I loved being homeschooled. 

When would I ride my pony? When would I have time to play outside? I thought my life was over. 

So, after I had finished my fifth grade year at home my mom made the decision to put me in fifth grade again the next year at public school so I would be with kids my age. Looking back I’m really happy she made this decision. The kids, especially the girls, in the grade ahead of me were m-e-a-n. 

And public school wasn’t all that bad I came to realize. 

I finally made friends that were just my own. I had shared my sister’s friends up until that point (I wasn’t a very social child to say the least). 

I went home sick a lot that first year. Turns out I wasn’t accustomed to all the germs kids carried around. So, that was pretty good for my immune system to build up it’s defenses. 

I was able to join band, choosing the saxophone as my instrument of choice. I really enjoyed learning how to play it, and it was an unexpected workout every time I had to lug it home. (Our driveway was a 1/4 mile long with a pretty big hill).

Going to public school gave me social interaction, the ability to join extracurricular activities (like band and sports), and do teenage things like get a boyfriend and go to school dances. 

I don’t regret any of my journey through school. I enjoyed all elements of it. But looking back if I had to choose one part to relive it would either be homeschool or college, which were both by far my favorite parts of my education. 

I’m really excited and curious to see what I decide to do for education when I have children of my own.  

A Must Read For All Ladies | "Pussy"

I had seen this book floating around the internet for a bit, knowing that I would eventually need to buy it for myself. 

There are plenty of books I will check out from the library, read once, enjoy, but never pick up again. But this was one of those books that I knew I would need to mark up, and go back to time and time again. 

I easily convinced my friend that we should read this in our two-person book club  (it’s since grown to a three-person book club). We split it up into sections, and dug in. 

The first two chapters were an adjustment period for me, getting acquainted with her language, and trying to decipher what this book was about. But seriously, people would ask what it was about and I couldn’t explain it to them. 

I found myself really, really getting into it starting at chapter three. But I don’t want to give any of it away, because you HAVE to go read this yourself. Seriously, go get it now. I just passed my copy along to my mother to borrow while I’m away, because I want her to read it. 

Without spoiling the book for you I want to share my biggest take aways. And they were pretty big for me. 

The first thing I realized was that I need to start taking better care of myself. Yes, I’ve gotten really good at doing things consistently like journaling and meditation. But I needed to start pampering myself. 

Who knows why, but I used to view “pampering” yourself as girly, unnecessary, and frivolous. And I’ve been going through this whole process over the past few years of rejecting everything that falls under the female stereotype in this way of trying to discover myself. I like to take it to the extreme sometimes. 

For example, I’ve gone through [separate] periods where I've stopped brushing my hair (letting it start to dread), wearing makeup, shaving, getting dressed up. Things like that. It has been this process that I guess I needed to go through to find my own middle ground. 

But I also came to this realization that I needed to stop rushing through the pampering parts of my days that already existed, like skincare, bathing, etc. And golly has that been fun. I’ve started taking more baths, and just letting myself sink in and enjoy it. I’ll usually bring some fruit and a giant glass of water with me.

I’ve also allowed myself more time to go through my skincare routine in the morning and at night. Instead of rushing through getting it all of my face, I’ve slowed down to enjoy the process. I let each product sink into my skin before moving on to applying the next. I’ll give myself a little face and neck massage. I’ve started putting lotion on my whole body (it’s winter, my skin is thirsty!). 

And I’ve started to dip my toes into the wonderful world of Korean skincare, but that’s another post in itself. 

I’ll even spray a little hair oil in before heading to bed, and it’s these little touches that just make me feel so much better. And it only takes a few extra minutes each day. 

I’ve also started taking more time to prepare my food, laying it out in a visually appealing way on the plate or in the bowl, and something about that makes eating feel so much more special — luxurious almost. 

I’m a pretty tidy person, but she talks about this whole idea of preparing your house, food, evening, etc. like there’s a really important person coming over. But the kick is that special person is you. 

It has been a fun little process retraining my mind to not feel guilty about pampering myself or having nice things. 

But probably the biggest realization this book provided me with was that I have this real disconnect from my sexuality/libido. I know, it’s a crazy thought that someone who is so connected to my body on the functional side (my cycle) as well as the “spiritual” side of it can be disconnected from the sexual side of it. 

I’ve known for a few months that I’ve wanted to dig deeper into the topic of libido, but this book made the need for that even more apparent. And it has also gotten me very excited at the same time.

This book was much needed without even knowing it. It’s already sparked big changes in my life and I’m looking forward to seeing how it influences me going forward from here. 

I always love hearing of the books that have an impact on people, past, “That was a good book.” So, I always try to share mine, and listen to what others share as well.  

Winter Blues + Learning to Handle Them

I don’t know about you but I STRUGGLE in the winter. Me and cold just do not mix well. 

Firstly, it destroys my skin…and my hair and nails. And these gloomy, gray, overcast days really do put a damper in my mood. 

There’s a name for that — Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD (how fitting). It’s a type of depression that comes and goes with the cold:

+ Irritability

+ Feeling tired, sluggish

+ Difficulty getting along

+ Really touchy to criticism or rejection

+ Arms or legs feel heavy

+ Sleeping longer than normal

+ A change in appetite, such as craving more carbs

+ weight gain

For me I see it as if the seasons were like the four phases of your cycle. Winter would be our period (obviously), Spring would be our follicular phase, summer would be our ovulatory phase, and fall would be the luteal phase. 

How have I chosen to deal with it this year? I set myself some winter goals:

+ eating a diet of whole foods, cutting out the refined sugar and the processed junk. 

+ moving my body at least 20 minutes a day (sometimes you just need a little midday dance party) 

+ getting out of the house and spending time with friends and family

+ finding the sun when it is out (seriously, find it, close your eyes, take a deep breath and soak it in, savor it when it does come out) 

+ don’t sit in the dark (turn a light on! I’ll catch myself sitting in the dark after the sun has gone down and if I don’t turn on a light I’m ready for bed by 5:30)

+ take a few extra minutes with skincare first thing in the morning and before going to bed (rub in that moisturizer and give yourself a mini massage)

+ meditating (elevates my mood and helps me process)

+ journaling (I don’t have a therapist, I have journals)

Like with my period I don’t view winter as something that needs to be fought. I used to protest winter by not owning a winter coat. And who was that hurting? Yup, only me. 

How have you learned to coexist with winter? 

Other's Accomplishments Aren't Your Failures

Ahh, social media. What a great way to connect with others and discover new things. But unfortunately it often ends up being a platform to judge ourselves from. 

I have caught myself plenty of times feeling jealous of other’s accomplishments. But I always catch these feelings straight away, and force myself to step back and realize that I am actually happy for that person.

First you have to realize that you have no idea how much effort and work went into their accomplishment. And just because someone has had a very successful registration or a huge uptick in followers doesn’t mean that you are negatively effected by that or that it means you’re failing.

This comparison game goes way way way back, further than I care to dig. Think back to sports and GPA’s in high school, internships in college, promotions, magazine articles, whatever it may be as adults.

I’m here to tell you to do you. You are your own person, on your own journey. And we all know we should not be comparing ourselves to what we see on other’s Facebook or Instagram. Because that’s not the full picture. Even if they tell you the good news to your face, you don’t know the background story. 

I remember going out to eat with my girlfriends last year, and listening to two of them talk about preparing for yearly reviews and prepping to ask for raises. And I’m over there hitting my hummus, thinking to myself, “Ugh they’re so much further along in this whole adult thing that I am. What am I doing?” And I found myself comparing where I was at with my work life to where they were in theirs. 

And you can’t do that. It’s comparing apples to oranges my friend. When I thought about it further later on I realized, “Hey girl, you don’t even want to be a part of that world, where you have to worry about yearly reviews and asking for a promotion or a raise.” 

I made a very clear decision after college to not venture down that path. So, why am I sitting over here comparing myself to it?

We have to realize that we’re all just creating our empires in our own, unique way. Even those in the same field of work as you don’t always have the same desires in life that you do.  

Look to others for motivation and inspiration. But only compare yourself to where you have been. It’s the only way to do it. 

Dig out that old journal from two years ago, and I guarantee you’ll get a little self-esteem boost. Because sometimes we forget how far we’ve come, and all we need is a little reminder to give ourselves a pat on the back. 

How do you stop yourself from this tired, old comparison game? 

My Zero Waste Update | Over a Year Later

I first started my transition to a more zero waste lifestyle over a year ago. 

And I’m still in the transition phase, with zero hard feelings against myself. 

No, I’m not perfect. No, I’m not 100% zero waste. But that’s OK. I’m working to educate myself, and to be aware. We go for so long without giving a second thought to our trash. 

I have overall become a more conscious consumer. I put A LOT of thought into what I purchase. I have a wish list for items I want to buy (clothes, electronics, etc.) 

But I wanted to share my biggest changes with you today.

I used DIY t-shirt tote bags instead of plastic grocery bags. They’re easy to make. You just cut off the sleeves and collar of the shirt, then cut 3”-4” vertical slits up the bottom of the shirt to tie together creating the bottom of the bag. Here’s a tutorial. 

I take my recycling seriously. We used to just use an old small (like tiny) trash can under our sink for our recycling, but I needed more space. I asked for one of those old green recycling tubs as a wedding gift. Recycling really impacted how much I was throwing away. 

But the biggest  thing I’ve taken out of my trash — food scraps. [Go watch my “How I Compost” video]. I collect my scraps in a bowl in the freezer, when that gets full it goes into an old kitty litter tub in the hall closet, and when that gets full it goes to my parents house to be put in their compost pile. 

I have found ways to reuse all sorts of things. Bread ties are now cord and headphone holders. I made my own wrapping paper this year. I got compostable items for our wedding. Things like that. 

I’ve switched a lot of household products from coming in plastic containers to cardboard, such as dish and laundry detergent.

It also influenced what I asked for our wedding. Instead of asking for items made out of plastic I asked for things that were made from ceramics, metal, wood and glass. And I planned my wedding trying to create as little waste as possible. 

I’ve also started unsubscribing from physical junk mail, which is such a pain in the butt. I wish there was just an “unsubscribe” button on the back of the magazine or catalog. Instead you have to dig into their FAQ’s on their site or find an email address to write to asking them to stop. 

I find that seeking a more zero waste lifestyle nicely coexists with minimalism and veganism. And I like this little world I’ve created and am able to share with you. My take away from the last year, and what I wanted to share with you is that you can start the switch to creating less waste. Don't let thinking you won't be perfect at it stop you. 

What have been your biggest zero waste swaps, or realizations? 

My Period This Month Was Awesome

Another polite period in the books!

I have really been enjoying my periods these past few years. And that’s saying something considering how far I’m come. I used to have 9 day, heavy, painful, emotional periods. 

This month she came in without any mess or fuss. No spotting, minimal cramping, and no irritability. 

I made it through the week with almost no leaking, minus a little mishap with my pajama bottoms. I wore my cup and period underwear for about three days, and just the period underwear for the rest. All in all it probably lasted 5 days with one light-medium day, two days of light flow, and two days of very light flow/spotting. 

As usual, I allowed myself to sleep in while I was bleeding. My body always quietly begs me to let her sleep just a little longer. And I’ve gotten so much better over the past few years to listening, and allowing myself to, without the guilt. 

This month I had much more energy than normal on my period. And I felt so much more social than usual, which I took advantage of but didn’t abuse. 

I felt very reflective and creative. I made the most out of that and sat down and planned out my 2017 goals. I looked back at my 2016 goals and then I planned out my personal and professional goals for this year. 

One day I just had this burst of creativity so I grabbed some old magazines, a box our of the recycling bin, and I sat down and made a inspiration/mood/dream board. 

Overall, it was an awesome period. If you would have told me five years ago that I would one day love my periods, and be excited to get them, I would have told you that you were crazy. But here I am, loving every aspect of my cycle.