Unfiltered Awakening

  This is not the easiest topic for me to write about. It's perhaps because there is an admission of guilt. A realization and an admission that I let my guard down with my children. My husband and I, in matter of mere months, somehow allowed our daughter to become addicted to technology. In fairness to us, we can fall back on the 2020 excuse. Covid-19 upended society. Our children lost school, friends, playdates, and after school activities literally overnight. In attempt to make up for no social outlets, we allowed our daughter to spend hours connecting with her friends online. Specifically, entering the virtual world of Roblox everyday. She and her friends (friends she does know IRL) to meet up with their characters they have created houses and shops they have built, and play together in their little town. They even earn and collect adorable pets to care for. Sounds harmless, right? Well it CAN be harmless if it's monitored and regulated. Children aren't meant to be onlin...

  This is a topic near and dear to my heart as I have been experiencing the effects of a dysfunctional pelvic floor for about a year. Luckily, I discovered fairly quickly just what the problem was and got an accurate diagnosis from my doctors. Treatment protocols began for me in January of 2020 and I am doing so much better. I even experienced 4 months completely free of symptoms. I am in a minor flare now, but I feel confident my healthcare team will get me back on the road to being pain free again soon.  Pelvic Floor Dysfunction (PFD) is a chronic pain syndrome that a patient will deal with most of their lives, however, you can manage it and have long periods without symptoms. Once you do have a flare, you know exactly what you need to do to get it under control. We recently had a 2 part livestream series on our Facebook page in which I first discussed what PFD is and my story. In part 2, I showed everyone all of the treatment options that have been available to me and what ...

Boy oh boy, we have been in a Latin food kinda' mood! And who can blame us? Latin American dishes are sooo yummy and some of the best comfort foods around. Alexis'  Yummy black bean and sweet potato tacos  reminded me of my own tasty black bean recipe. Instead of using tostones as a side dish, mine are incorporated right into the main meal. These are so very easy to make and a quick and delicious dinner when you have had a busy day. And it gives your family a chance to enjoy something a little out of the ordinary from traditional American dishes. And you do not have to be a Vegan or follow a plant based diet to fall in love with this recipe!  Everything in the recipe is naturally plant based, including the Just Like Feta  vegan cheese that my family uses. If you prefer non-vegan cheese, just substitute for traditional feta cheese. But you may want give it a try; it tastes great! Here is the recipe for my Vegan Black Bean Tostones! VEGAN BLACK BEAN TOSTONES Prep Time:...

  In one of our most recent recipe posts, Alexis mentioned a side dish of fried plantains with her black bean and sweet potato tacos. Yucca is also a great Latin side dish. It is a starchy root vegetable and its proper name is Cassava. It's a vegetable that is eaten very commonly in many Latin American, Hispanic, and Caribbean cultures. Yucca root can be purchased from many traditional grocery stores, depending on your geographic region. If you are not in the southwest or southeast, you may have to hop into your local Hispanic or Caribbean markets. They can also be referred to as Bodegas.  Here is a link on how to cook and serve  yucca . You can also buy them premade and frozen. Alexis recommends the Goya brand, similar to premade plantains and tostones in her   Yummy black bean and sweet potato tacos recipe .  If you are pressed for time and can find them premade, they are super delicious and cook within 10 minutes. Here is another brand, found at  wa...

  While studying the Sacral Chakra, much of the research I was finding online kept leading me to awareness of just how connected the Sacral Chakra is to the Root Chakra. If a person's Root Chakra is blocked or out of balance, guess what? Not a huge surprise, but your Sacral Chakra will be out of balance as well. The Root and Sacral even share or overlap certain organs or muscles in the body, including the pelvic floor, the bladder, the sciatic nerve (located in the lower back), and some of our sexual organs. Many teachers and healers even believe that if the Root Chakra is blocked, you must begin there for healing before you can begin to balance any of your other Chakra systems. Once we learn just what the Root Chakra is, it will definitely make sense to you why this is the case. What is the Root Chakra? So just what is the Root Chakra? It is our first Chakra and is located at the base of the spine, the pelvic floor, and our first three vertebrae.  It also includes your feet a...

  Being diagnosed with Pelvic Floor Dysfunction, you experience a range of emotions, from relief that your pain has a label, to sometimes despair, as your doctors advise you of your chronic condition that you must manage for the rest of your life. Yes, you will have periods of normalcy (sometimes long stretches of no symptoms), but the introduction of chronic stress, a life trauma, or medical condition to the pelvic region of your body can produce a flare. What brings me comfort is knowing I have lots of different treatment options and a team of medical professionals that are dedicated to my health. Taking advantage of all that western medicine has to offer is so important for many conditions that we as humans suffer from. Believe me, I would never be one to dismiss all of the ground breaking medical breakthroughs that science has discovered. All of those traditional methods to assist me with my chronic pain are in my tool kit and I use them daily. But I have always been a science ...

  As some of you may know, motherhood got in the way of my best laid plans for work today, but I really wanted to get this recipe out for all of you! So I am going to make this blog post short and sweet. That's fitting because the recipe is basically those 2 things: short (3 ingredients and super fast to make) and sweet (umm, hello, who doesn't like a little dessert in their life?) Another bonus is that even though they are healthy (not to mention vegan and gluten free), they are really delicious! I will also give you some topping suggestions to give them a little more flavor and presentation. Fall is my favorite season! One of things I love most about it is baking. I love the smell of nutmeg, cinnamon, and especially pumpkin pie spice. Pumpkin Pie is one of my favorite Thanksgiving recipes. In case you didn't know, I am a bit of a planner. That type A personality in me realizes that before I know it, one of my favorite holidays for baking is going to be right around the co...