Oh Lovely Day®

This year I wanted to focus on gifts that you can purchase to support some of my favorite small businesses, which is how I am shopping as well. If ever there was a time to treat yourself to artisan soaps, lavender bath bombs, and indulgent bubble bath, it is at the end of a long hard year that was 2020. I’m obsessed with everything from Woodstock Lavender Farm (owned and run by my friend Alison and her mom) but think this Neck Wrap/Eye Pillow Set is the perfect gift. Starting Thursday, 11/26 at 6pm PST until Monday, 11/30 at 11:59pm PST — receive 15% off all orders or 20% off orders over $100 (no code necessary — discount will be automatically applied at checkout).

I originally had some fun garden content planned for the blog, as well as a garden makeover planned here at home, which all got sidelined when we found hidden mold in our home and realized what a huge undertaking and expense remediation would be. It’s also important to be regularly checking your plants for pests and diseases. This means you’ll prune off extra growth so the plant can focus more on producing. Download Annie’s Garden Maintenance Checklist here to help you get started, follow her on Instagram, and take her virtual gardening workshop (she’s having one tomorrow, 7/16!)

Our day-to-day is now a mix of life before Lyme (which is wonderful!), walking on eggshells when we can tell it’s needed, the occasional (a couple times a week) emotional outburst/panic attack), and a daily routine of supplements, OTC meds, herbals, and antibiotics. Your body’s natural detox system does a great job under normal circumstances, but when you have chronic illness your detox pathways often need a little assistance. I’ve heard of people with other autoimmune conditions, ASD, other behavioral disorders and developmental disorders, as well as other things like heavy metal or mold toxicity benefitting from this treatment as well. And thank you again to A Major Difference who provided this foot bath for us to test out so we could see if it was a treatment that I could share and recommend to my fellow PANS/PANDAS and Lyme parents.

As a mom of children with wonky immune systems (thanks to the autoimmune disease PANS/PANDAS + Lyme Disease and co-infections) and a person who struggles with anxiety myself, I’ve had to balance being prepared and aware with turning off the news and trying to focus on things here at home and staying positive. backyard DIY obstacle course (can be simple) • pick a topic and then research/read about it (could also ask kids’ Alexa) • break out old lego sets and magna tiles • write letters to family and start sending postcards to pen pals • Use your library card to download books for free from apps Libby (I use this one for myself and always check for books here before I buy on Audible) and Hoopla Other read aloud sites: storylineonline.net, storynory.com, mightybook.com, ngexplorer.cengage.com (great nonfiction for K-1st), oxford owl.co.us/ (free access to 250+ books) 15 Broadway Plays and Musicals you can watch on stage online: