Tips for Beating Allergies.

It is full-on pollen season here in Georgia. The trees are blooming and the azaleas are vibrant, and you know how much fun I have prancing around in all of this wonder weather, but along with the stunning beauty comes the dreaded pollen. Yellowy powder and all it's wheezy, throbbing effects. If you are impacted by the pollen and deal with allergies, here are the surefire tools and natural-leaning methods in my arsenal that I use every pollen season to keep the frustrating symptoms at bay.

Buried Treasure Acute Cold and Flu Liquid.
This is actually the newest edition to my line of defense. I was introduced to Buried Treasure Acute Cold and Flu Liquid elixir by my bff Natalie. She and her husband found this really helped when they were super busy starting their business, and she swears that in the midst of lots of people getting sick around her and working endless hours, they never ever got sick. The thing about pollen season is that oftentimes the frustrating symptoms can actually lead to upper respiratory or ear infections. I start taking this liquid the very moment I have any symptoms of headache, sore throat, or runny/stuffy nose. Usually within a day the symptoms are GONE. This stuff is like magic. It's all-natural, no chemicals, and concocted entirely with herbs like frankincense and myrrh. If it was good enough for the Wise Men to deliver to Baby Jesus, then it's good enough for my sinuses.

Neti Pot.
I used to think that the Neti Pot was the weirdest device. And I was right! But truly - this thing works. I remember listening to the Bert Show (one of Atlanta's big morning radio shows) and they were talking about the strangely powerful effects of using a Neti Pot during pollen and cold/flu season. All these listeners were calling in and talking about the wonders of the Neti Pot. Now please understand - the process for using this little tool is weird. You filter warm saline water through your sinuses by essentially pouring water into one nostril and tilting your head so that the water runs out the other nostril. Not sexy. Not attractive. But so effective. It basically washes your nose from the inside out, and keeps any bad infection, buildup or pollen from settling in. We use our Neti Pots pretty religiously during pollen and cold/flu season and it had significantly reduced the sinus-related symptoms of pollen.

Diffuser + Essential Oils.
I don't sell essential oils, but these days we all probably know someone who does. I am not partial to one brand over another because I really haven't tried enough different kinds to compare them, although once I got a massage with this Doterra Wild Orange Oil and I thought I had died and gone to Heaven. It's pretty pricey though, so I try to buy oils that are a little more in the realm of "normal". I use this diffuser and essential oils in my bedroom and Everett's bedroom a lot - especially back in the day when Everett wasn't sleeping like ever. But during pollen season, I really crank up the oils to reduce symptoms of inflammation. I like to mix oils, and some of my favorite recipes are mixing this Peppermint Oil with Eucalyptus and Lavender (for relief and good sleep) and Lemon with Sweet Orange (for cleansing and clarifying). It helps us sleep more deeply, reduces the sneezing and inflammation, and it makes the room smell incredible. If you have a certain brand of oils to recommend, please leave it in the comments! I'm all ears!

Hot Water with Lemon and Honey.
I like to call this one my "granny tea". It's sooooo good, friends! When you want a break from the endless amounts of green tea and chamomile or whatever your choice hot beverage might be - try this! Brew up some hot water, squeeze a slice of lemon (or two) and drizzle and ample amount of honey. Trust me on this one, you will be hooked. This is the perfect beverage to unwind with at the end of the day, or in the case of pollen season, the perfect thing to sip on all the live long day :)

There you have it! These are my go-tos when I need to resolve a pollinated sinus situation. Any natural methods that work for you? Please make sure to share them in the comment section!

Springtime in Georgia.

Wearing: Banana Republic Heritage Floral Silk Ruffle Dress (c/o) in dark cypress & Eryn Heeled Sandal (c/o) in blue. Michael Kors pave ring. Necklace from a Boston street vendor. Anthropologie earrings (similar here). Photos by Rachel Hill.

These are the good old days.

I am realizing it only because I keep pinching myself. Like, is this weather really real?! The azaleas in Georgia during this fleeting span of a mere few weeks are second to no other charming southern foliage. Okay, I haven't seen the Cherry Blossoms in D.C. yet (it's on the bucket list!) but I will still argue this with anyone. Because the azaleas are a Georgia thing. Yes, they can grow elsewhere, but the great, humid state of Georgia is where these decadent shrubs comfortably sprawl out and revel in their decades of vibrant bounty. And the lifespan is short - the blazing shades of graceful rose, audacious coral and heated scarlet have a way of planting seeds into the sensations of your memory. Then after 3-4 weeks, they lose their flowering wonder, and elegantly defer to regularity once again. So these are the days, right now, to remember! This unapologetic breezy weather and saturated azaleas that are currently mid-bloom have me feeling all whimsical and hopeful that this season shift symbolizes more than just new growth in my backyard. Springtime is for more than just dreaming - its for action! This is the time to, quite literally, spring forward into motion on all those things that have been filling the to-do lists in my mind. No better time than the present to clean out my closet, clean up my desk, write the difficult posts that have been eluding me and continue chipping away at a few dreams.

Banana Republic was kind enough to send me this killer dress and shoes (how did they know I have a zillion weddings coming up??), which gave me the timely opportunity to try everything on and prance around outside in this coveted weather - taking captive the moment to really appreciate this season. Springtime, yes, but also THIS SEASON. The one I'm living. This season of young motherhood, of budgeting every dollar, of relentlessly writing and wondering if I will ever become everything I want to be. I live in this tension - and you probably do too - of hoping for more while trying really hard to appreciate everything I have right now.  I am so grateful for these gentle moments of reminder. It seems to me that we rarely ever know that we are living in the good old days. But as I take a moment to really ponder it, to feel the gratitude of the life I'm living, I wholeheartedly admit it. Standing in this silk dress, almost lost in the azaleas of my hometown, after so many tiring journeys and yet with so much life still before me - this is the truth. These are my good old days. And I intend to make good on them.

This post is sponsored by Banana Republic, who provided free product in exchange for this post. All opinions expressed are my own.

Easter Sunday!

Easter Easter Easter. I love Easter Sunday! I feel so grateful because I got to spend time with all my family (well, the ones that live in this state) for church, dinner and an egg hunt on Sunday. Stevie and I have previously spent a lot of years in other cities for Easter, so it feels really good to make up for lost time, now that we are back in our home town. It was a wonderful hoopla of a party, complete with a southern-style potluck, kids and Easter eggs galore, and a healthy helping of springtime rainfall. We got outside for a quick moment to snap these photos before the rain ensued.

Everett was so lively this year, and was much more engaged with the festivities of my childhood that I hold so dear. We decorated the cross at church (we put flowers on it to remember what Jesus did for us), and after Everett's afternoon nap (and a lot of scrambling around the house to clean up!) Stevie and I hosted both sides of our families for dinner and a drizzly egg hunt. A little rain couldn't stop us! My only regret was the my sister Kara and her little family couldn't be with us for such a memorable day. Ugh, we need that family jet right about now, to transport us back and forth from her home in Florida to ours :)

While I stood around with my parents and in-laws, we couldn't help but laugh in wonder at all these adorable kids, who were INTO the egg hunt. Last year Everett was just a little babe (remember when he still had brown hair??), but this year he is in full-fledged toddler mode and wants to keep up with his bigger cousins. They all had so much playing in the yard and hunting for eggs. Every time Everett found an egg, he threw it like a ball. He called them eggs, but definitely treated them like balls. I don't really want him to get into football (I mean, the injuries!), but unfortunately I think Stevie is grooming him for it. I mean. Look.

If that's not a football stance, well then, I don't know my football.

A few more! Okay, a lot more...

My nieces and nephews all have those piercing, watery blue eyes, huh? They're so gorgeous and I looooove them. We had so much fun hosting and celebrating in our home (and yard!) this Easter. I hope you had a wonderful holiday weekend, too!

P.S. - Make sure to check back tomorrow -  I'm sharing some Spring looks with Banana Republic!!


 

Steamboat Springs.

I remember breathing in the fear. Shivering goosebumps, nose wet running, drawing breath and ice down into my lungs. Pulsing with fear. Laced with exhilaration. Anticipation. And the frailest hope that I could maybe, maybe, make it down this insurmountable crest of earth called mountain. Scanning the directionless horizon, the crystalline range shifted into vivid focus as I realized that there were only two ways off this mountain: on my skis or in a body bag.

I remember this feeling it like I remember my own name.

That kind of fear. It's not something you forget.

Luckily, this trip hadn't the faintest whiff of such a purely vulnerable terror. Because I had already conquered the beast, the fear of heights and skiing, three years ago (remember this?),

Skiing in Steamboat Springs, Colorado this year was pure magic, basking in the sugary powered snow and shimmying down the slopes with a free tenacity that made me feel younger and older, all at once. Young and strong, but older and more relaxed in my truth. I wasn't afraid anymore. Instead, I was gripped with joy and gratitude. Getting older, getting a little better at life and, thank goodness, skiing - it's wayyy more fun than being young and chaotically stressed about everything. Like mountaintops. Instead, this vacation was just - SO MUCH FUN. Ever had the time of your life? For me, skiing down the slopes of an impetuous mountain, conquering the fear of swooping between the mythical Aspen trees, even face planting in the snow as I tumbled off the trail (that's what I get for trying to "get air") - I was having the time of my life.

I am so grateful for vacation. Vacation rocks. Vacation was invented by a genius.

Last week, Stevie and I joined his (our) family on a 5-day foray to ski and have quality family time. I was so relieved to strap on a pair of skis again - it had been a minute since my last ski trip. Getting pregnant and giving birth can hold up the skiing progression. I'm sure you're surprised to hear that :) My last ski trip was three years ago so I have been more than a little eager to get out on the snow. The challenge of this particular trip was the Everett factor. We decided to leave him at home with my parents. He obviously wasn't going to spend hours out on the slopes with us, and honestly, I was ready for a little mommy break. It was my first time leaving him for more than a night and it was really hard, but really wonderful. I missed him like crazy, but it was really healthy for me to focus a little more on myself and just have some good fun. I mean, this was not a trip for kids. Every evening when we came in from skiing, we all went straight to the hot tub with a mug of something dandy and we just sunk into the sensation of painful muscles and awesome memories. Painful in that good, sleepy, I-worked-for-this-pain kind of way.

In attempting to keep up with the boys (somewhat), my sis Lauren and I were wiped out! Those guys can obviously outski me but it was fun to challenge myself and experience a progression in my ability, even with the 3-year absence. We spent a lot of time on blue-black and black runs, which was awesomely exhausting, but my particular favorite were the tree runs. In between those snowy trees, there is a lot of hushed quiet.

Word on the street is that Steamboat Springs had a really warm, snow-less February. The very day we arrived, snow began dumping on the city and didn't stop until there was 25 inches of FRESH POWDER. You guys. That is what you call a gift from THE HEAVENS. That powdery, fluffy snow was incomparably sweet and literally made our trip the successful event that it was. Thankfully, we all skied to our hearts content and there were no injuries the whole week. Those mountaintop prayer sessions really work.

But even more than the skiing, I am so grateful for stealing a few days away with these beautiful souls whom I hold so dear. Even though we all live near each other, these days its just hard to connect and spend really quality time together. Having a lot of kids in our family, along with everyone's busy schedules, makes it challenging to have deep meaningful conversations all the time. I'm not making excuses, but it's just real life. My in-laws lead a large church and even though our entire family is involved in some capacity or another, that certainly makes everything a bit busier than it used to be. Sometimes you just want to hang out with your family. And last week, that's exactly what we did. We hung out, played on the slopes, cooked dinner together, and talked a lot - about our kids, about our dreams, politics, about movies, about the meaningful and meaningless. We threw around business ideas and dreamed about the future. It was so comforting, just watching my siblings-in-law and parents-in-law share stories and dreams and the heartfelt richness that they each carry. As I am getting older, I am increasingly more grateful for the bonds of family. I know I am a lucky girl, with all these siblings and nieces and nephews and parents.

Best trip ever. Thanks, Steamboat Springs, you were mighty good to us :)

Live Like No One Else.

This weird thing has been happening. And I'm fully to blame.

Momentum.

 It started with Intentional October. I was so excited to get laser-focused on things that would help improve my overall health - sleeping more, exercising more, spending time praying and reading my bible, and focusing on my writing. And intentional October was such an awesome experience! It wasn't without its challenges or surprises. My son broke his leg during that time and of course, everything became about helping him heal, and my perfect schedule was put on the back burner. But still, I gleaned so much from the experience of making a schedule that accommodated the healthy choices and writing goals that I wanted to implement. It was a learning experience.

Then came Whole30, a food experiment that had me hyper-focused on how the foods that I put into my body really affect me. I discovered what helped me sleep better, exercise grade, rest more fully and appreciate that healthier choices actually resulted in a happier lifestyle. Whole30 was really hard because it absolutely challenged my norms- wine at night, chocolate everyday (duh), carbs when I need a fast snack. Those things weren't Whole30-approved, and breaking those habits were a lot more emotional than I ever would have thought they would be. But I am a better woman, wife and mom because of that food experiment. And we are still eating Whole30-style these days about half the time!

And then there Is Dave Ramsey, and his Financial Peace University. Stevie and I volunteered to host this finance class at our home for a small group of people at our church. It's a 9-week course that focuses on how to manage finances in a way that teaches how to save, plan for the future, get out of debt and live a fulfilled life on a budget. And you guys. This class is absolutely messing with me. Because I thought we were pretty "good" when it comes to managing our finances. We've had a budget for years, share a joint account and we meet with our financial planner once a year to "check in" and discuss our goals. However, this class has shown me the holes that we didn't realize were there, and has challenged my financial mindset - namely, the way that I feel, and therefore treat, our finances. I didn't realize the areas where I was short-sighted. Areas where I was fearful. Areas where I was foolish. Because of what I've learned over the past nine weeks, I am thinking twice when I flip through the sales at Anthropologie. I'm like, do I really need more stuff? Do I?? It's convicting, but in a great way that has me assessing how I want to plan for the near future for my family. I don't think there is anything wrong with spending money- it's a resource and it should be used. But I'm just saying- it's causing me to really think as I use those resources.

All of these things - intentional October, Whole30, Financial Peace University - they have positioned me in this mode of coming at life. Not letting life just happen, but really attacking my day, every day, with tenacity and intention. "Live like no one else" is something that Dave Ramsey quotes a lot, meaning that you adjust your life in a way that works for you and your family and planning for your future. Just because everyone buys a new car at a certain stage of life, or spends money on societal "must haves" doesn't mean that I must have it. Assessing where every dollar goes, assessing where my time is spent, assessing the foods going into my body. It's crazy hyper focus! But you know what? This crazy thing is happening because of it - momentum.

I'm sharing all of this with you for a reason. I've had my paradigm messed with over the past six months. In so many areas of my life. But because of the intention that my husband and I have set before ourselves, we are seeing momentous shifts in our finances, more writing gigs abound (for me) and we are literally, feeling healthier. We are sharpening up, and it's been kind of painful, but kind of awesome. Sometimes it's hard to recognize when you're in a season of growing, but I am extremely aware that I am mid-growth right now. I have a lot to learn (oh so much), but I really like who I am becoming more than who I was a year ago. And it feels good to actually see and sense a difference.