By: Alison Reeves As many of you know, last year I ate almost completely raw for a full month, and then 2 raw meals a day for the next 2 months after that. All in all, for about 18 months, I ate two or more raw meals a day on weekdays. I was vegan for a bit, and the rest of the time I was pescetarian (I ate no animal products except occasional fish). Why And How I Became Involved in…
By Courtney Howell While researching ways to increase confidence and self-esteem I ran across a few different articles that at first really blew me away. They suggested ways to increase self-esteem that seemed really ultimately counterproductive if done individually for people who really need an overhaul in this area. I’ll give some background here before jumping into everything. Being raised in a dysfunctional family heavily affected by alcoholism, I didn’t have much of a shot to initially develop self-esteem. Quite…
By: Vanessa Cassani Everywhere I look, I can see the beauty of winter. The Autumn leaves have changed into a bouquet of colors and soon the once stuffed trees will lay empty and dormant until the first signs of Spring start to appear. Even if mother nature doesn’t deliver snow, the beauty of Winter still shines through. I love this time of year for it brings so many things to appreciate like cuddling with my children and warm winter fires. …
For most people, watching a beta fish swim around in its tank is peaceful and relaxing. Apparently, this fish prefers to be alone in its own tank. For me, watching that scene is like torture. It seriously stresses me out. Mostly because it exemplifies one of my greatest fears in life. I’ve experienced a variety of fears in my life from clowns to spiders to, at one point, death. However, one of the most threatening fears with which I have…
Learning To Be My Own Hero: Dysfunction, Struggle and Conquest By: Kelly Elias This is an old picture of me in what one of my dear friends and I used to call our “glory days.” Back then, to me, this was the picture of me as the hero… That is, the hero that I wanted to be, to everyone else but myself. I had just completed my first ever triathlon, and I was a “perfect” (ha!) wife and mother. I…
By: Loni Chambers Capshew “Ma, please call me when you get a chance,” was all the cryptic message had to say. Frankly, the brevity was pretty typical of most of the missives I receive from my 32-year-old son. He’s pretty much a chip off his Dad’s old block when it comes to non-spoken conversation or phone messaging; he cuts straight to the chase. If this had been simply a casual hello, he’d have either left no message or have said,…
A Lesson from Shells… By Kelly Elias Walking along the beach, I stumbled upon a few very distinct seashells. Although I didn’t experience it at first glance, nor expect it (They were seashells!), each would possess a relevance to me and my life, and a valuable lesson in the end. I had no idea what I was about to uncover and discover through a simple walk on the beach. And, mind you, this was the exact order by which I…
Kristina, chief co-operator goddess of the Rawfully Organic Co-op in Houston has a fabulous idea and presented a challenge: self-love. Self-love in uncomfortable and for me, counter-intuitive. Even when I know something will make me feel better, sometimes I am just lazy and don’t do it. So, this month of treating myself with extra care is truly a challenge! I commit to start today and blog about my experience. At least once a week, I’ll write the break down of the special…