I realized as I was looking at posts that it had been a few weeks since I had gotten a post up on my blog. I have to admit, since the beginning of the year it has been tough to stay on top of blog posts and to come up with content to share. It has been a priority that has taken a back seat as life as gotten busier and more complicated. I really enjoy having this platform to share thoughts and nutrition information with the public. This blog was created to provide a creative outlet for me and I have loved having this spot to share my thoughts.

With that being said, I have been giving myself grace when it comes to posting weekly. I have tried hard to make that happen, but it hasn’t happened consistently. I just wanted to use this opportunity to remind you to give yourself some grace. That is OK if I don’t get a post up weekly. I am doing lots of things and balancing all of that in a healthy way is important. I saw several Instagram posts recently about being OK with not having everything perfect. That spoke to me this last week. There are lots of things that I use to be able to do and stay on top of, but laundry, grocery shopping, mowing the lawn, mopping the floors and even dog walking just aren’t all getting done right away like they use to. I get laundry done and then it sits in a basket for a week, finally get it folded and it takes 2 days to put away and then it’s time to wash more clothes. The cycle never ends. I use to be able to hit up multiple grocery stores in one day and knock all the food purchasing in one day, nope … not any more. I go to Aldi and then some times find time to squeeze in another trip to Kroger (if I am lucky). Don’t get me started on my floors, I maybe get them mopped once a month.

Do you see how this list can go on and on? Do you see how it can be so easy to be hard on yourself and get depressed that things just don’t get done like they use to? This is why I think we need to make sure that we give each other some grace. My caring husband, if not at all mad that the laundry sits in the basket for a week, he is thankful for clean clothes. My children don’t care that the floor isn’t mopped, they get baths everyday. My bank account is thankful I don’t have time for shopping any more. I am working on trying to embrace this new life that is crazy, busy and chaotic. I am trying prioritize the things that are really important and then also take moments to just be present with my children. Deciding to leave the dishes until after they go to bed. Taking 10 minutes to play outside before dinner and enjoying that nightly routine of dinner, baths, reading and snuggles before they go to sleep.

There are lots of nutrition related things that I am working on and excited to share with you in the upcoming 4 months. You will have to stay tuned and I will make sure to write blog posts about these happenings as well.

Exciting Things Coming Up

Continuing to offer outpatient counseling sessions/workshops with Mini Minds, LLC in Carmel, IN. If you know of anyone in need of nutrition counseling services, let me know!
Preparing FNCE presentation that is due at the end of September and then presenting in Philadelphia at the end of October.
Putting together a rough draft for 2 chapters on Pediatric Nutrition for the IAND Nutrition Care Manual that is due at the end of September and first draft due in December.
Giving a presentation on Sharing Nutrition Topics on Social Media that will be to RDNs in Lafayette in November.
Putting together presentation on Baby Led Weaning for NICU RDNs in the Indianapolis area that will be presented in December.
Continuing to serve as the Strategic Partnership Coordinator for IAND and we are hosting a booth with activities for Girl Scouts on October.
Working at the Social Media Chair for CIAND and helping to share upcoming events via social media.

As you can see there is always plenty of things going on and lots of things to continue to juggle as we approach the fall and holiday season. I am excited for the months that are ahead and excited to be able to share some amazing projects that I am working on. So stay tuned and i will continue to work hard to put together some blog posts to share these exciting happenings with you all!

I love yoga. I have been doing yoga since I worked at the National Institute for Fitness and Sport in Indianapolis back in 2010. That was my first real exposure to a yoga class and I liked it. It was quite challenging and I am not flexible, but I loved the way that I felt afterwards. I felt like the "kinks" were all working out in my body. I know that sounds kind of silly, but it was true. Now that I have learned more about yoga I am convinced that it is helpful in restoring balance, flexibility and decreasing stress levels. As we all are aging our bodies are breaking down and we are becoming less flexible. Older people tend to be prone to falling or having back pain. All of this is due to not taking care of your body. Yoga helps to restore that physical balance and flexibility which can be very helpful. There was an article that was published on the NIH (National Institutes of Health) website about Americans who practice yoga report a better well being. 80% of people doing yoga reported lower stress levels. 2/3 of these yoga participants also were more motivated to exercise.

If you are new to yoga or never tried it before then I encourage you join a class or get on YouTube and try some poses out. I absolutely love the channel Yoga with Adriene. She has great videos and this Yoga Beginners Video is great if you are just starting out.

If you have been wondering about trying to work more yoga into your life I would encourage you to do a series of yoga classes or YouTube videos. Doing a little bit each day is a great way to increase your flexibility, decrease your stress and create a healthy habit. I highly recommend Yoga Camp with Adriene.

Take the time this week and pull out your mat and do some yoga. Start slow and just work out the kinks and reduce that stress. You can even do yoga with your loved ones or your animals. Einstein is a huge fan of yoga and loves stretching out after a long day. Enjoy!