life changes – Laura Insley.

it’s time for a life update…

Remember that time when I had an Etsy shop and sold stuff? Well, I’m at it again!

Truthfully, I didn’t think I’d reopen the store since turning on “vacation mode” late last year. At the time, I was burnt out and moving deeper into my winter season of pregnancy.

I also had an overwhelming amount of “inventory” (AKA stuff I bought or acquired that slowly began to consume the garage). Actually, it wasn’t even a slow process—it just kind of exploded over night. That’s what happens when you obsessively track local estate sales and win big auction lots. 😬🤷‍♀️

it’s time for you to be seen… (pt. two)

Recently, I reached out to Beth, a friend of mine from my days in the vintage resale community. I had just picked up a cuuuuute ’60s-’70s coat from the thrift store, and thought she might be able to provide more insight into it.

As the conversation evolved, we talked about how we are both stepping out of our comfort zones in many ways—that we’ve been feeling this urge to transform and begin again refreshed.

it’s time for you to be seen… (pt. one)

There’s something happening right now. Do you feel it?

People are evolving. They’re going through transformations in varying aspects of their lives… and, more importantly, telling others about it.

I’ve been seeing it in bands going on tour, small businesses making brand changes, and people stepping out of their comfort zones.

how to best spend a friday morning…

Last Friday, I woke up early, wrote a bit, and helped get the kids ready for their day. The baby slept in, so I was still nursing him when Collin took the other kiddos to school.

Hunkered down on the couch with the babe, I began my usual social media scroll sesh. Within a few minutes, however, my phone died. LAME.

I decided to turn on the TV and see if there was anything on one of our streaming platforms to pass the time.

Then I saw it…

try out “self-care 7 o’clock” with me…

The other day, I was thinking about how hard it is to do anything consistently unless I pencil it into my agenda. If I’m not following a general schedule, then I sort of get lost. I get distracted too easily, or let myself linger too long on whatever it is that consumed my attention at the time.

Have you ever heard the saying “energy flows where your attention goes”? If your attention is not on something intentional, then you may be squandering your energy (or even creating a blockage). But by shifting your focus to something you deem important, you can create a positive change in your life or someone else’s.

being an empath and how to cope

Here I am at a children’s indoor playground, where little kids generally run amuck all over the place (AKA an Empath’s living hell). And it’s in the midst of this energetic chaos that I have the sudden urge to dive into this topic.

As an Empath triggered by large crowds, I suppose it’s not surprising that I would pick this moment to write about how to cope with empathic abilities.

Since Empaths easily (and most of the time, without control) absorb the energy of the people and spaces around them, they often find it difficult to distinguish their own feelings from those of others. It can be overwhelming, and sometimes debilitating.

Since the pandemic, a spotlight has been shown upon the importance of mental health and, as a result, the stigma of seeking help is slowly dissipating. Now, armed with the permission of society, many people are seeing themselves for the first time. They are finally paying attention to their minds and bodies, and learning how each reacts under pressure and when faced with extraordinary difficulties. Self-awareness is growing.

how to add more time to your day…

I’ve never been a morning person. If someone tried to force me out of bed, I’d be pissed. Then I’d be irritable and on edge the rest of the morning (maybe even day).

On the other hand, if it was up to me to get myself up earlier than I normally would, I’d just hit SNOOZE… and keep hitting snooze until, of course, I’d take the few seconds to rationalize why I should just turn the alarm off altogether.

Staying in bed always seemed like the better option—especially in the winter months when it’s literally freezing, and the thought of being on the other side of my comforter was completely ridiculous.

Of course, there have been those days that required me to get up early. And you know what I discovered?

two quick ways to start the day…

The other morning, when my husband asked me what I wanted to accomplish during the day, I had no idea how to answer him.

It wasn’t for a lack of things to do, of course. There’s always SOMETHING.

I couldn’t answer him because my mind was mush. And it wasn’t mush for any particular reason—maybe just a lot of reasonS (plural)…

are you feeling this shift?

I feel a weird bubbling up of something big underneath the surface. (Did anyone else just get that one Encanto song in their head?) Anyway, it’s exciting, even though I’m not quite sure what it’s about yet. But it gives me “new beginnings” and “#mondaymotivation” vibes.

It’s like that feeling right before you run a race. When you’re behind the line, lunged down, with your hands in front of you on the ground, and you’re just waiting for the cue to GO!

Not that I’ve ever been in a proper race, but ya know… when you’re all wound up and just ready. The only thing is that I don’t know what I’m ready for. I just know that I can’t wait, so I just need to DO.

Does that make sense?

a journal entry…

12.28.22 10:55 a.m. (and updated 01.29.22 12:47 p.m.)

Yesterday, the sun came out for what seemed like the first time in weeks. It melted most (if not all) of the snow around our house. There’s something magical about snow—watching it swirl around in the outside air… and getting excited when it actually sticks to the ground. Even though it’s one of those beautiful miracles of nature, I needed that melt yesterday.

I was never really a big fan of cold weather anyway, and even less so now in my postpartum condition.

I was tired of the grey… tired of cold… just tired. I needed the sun, and the healing energy of its warmth.

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