My garden has officially entered the wild zone! After carefully trying to contain my tomato vines as much as possible, I finally gave up & let them go!

I'm working on sprucing up the garden area with some aged mulch I had. It's been a slow process, but I'm getting there.

I stumbled upon some sad-looking lavender plants at Walmart & Home Depot on sale and couldn't resist bringing them home. Lavender is a perennial, so I'm looking forward to harvesting it year after year. I already got a small harvest this year that I plan to make into oils.

I also discovered some wild mint on our property, so I'm slowly transplanting some in another garden box. 

I'm currently obsessed with perennial herbs. Secretly, I love anything I only have to plant once!

My tomatoes are almost ripe, so it will be harvest time for them. Because I have so much going on, I'm planning on just freezing them & then figuring out what to do with them later.

I also have a few peppers coming along.

The garden takes quite a bit of upkeep, but I love it so much.

My son has been spending a lot of time at Grandma's house this summer, so I have been taking the opportunity to get in a lot of self-care.

I'll go into my self-care routine later in this post, but here's a breakdown of self-care & some ideas for your own routine.

What is self-care?

Self-care is actively preserving and improving one's well-being, health, and happiness, especially during stress. This can include a wide range of activities such as getting enough sleep, eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, meditating or practicing mindfulness, engaging in hobbies or activities that bring joy, connecting with friends and loved ones, seeking professional help when needed, and setting boundaries to prioritize one's own needs.

Self-care is not selfish but necessary to maintain a healthy and balanced life. By prioritizing self-care, you can better manage stress, reduce the risk of burnout, and improve overall physical and mental health. While I still have a long way to go, I am working self-care into my daily routine.

I've developed a little nighttime routine that helps me wind down & sleep better.

First, I make my 'little drink,' which is tart cherry juice and caffeine-free lemon-lime soda. I know soda isn't the best, so I am looking into other things, but that's what I had when I started my routine. Sometimes, I add a little sorbet that I already have. That's a lemon sorbet popsicle in the pictures!

I heard that tart cherries are helpful for sleep, so I looked into it & found a study done by Dr. Russell Reiter, a renowned sleep researcher. The study found that drinking tart cherry juice increased melatonin levels in the body, a hormone that regulates sleep. The participants who consumed the tart cherry juice reported better sleep, less difficulty falling asleep, and reduced daytime sleepiness.

The study also found that the participants who drank the cherry juice had increased total sleep time and efficiency. The cherry juice helped regulate the participants' sleep-wake cycle, essential for maintaining a healthy sleep pattern.

The benefits of tart cherry juice for sleep have been attributed to its high concentration of natural melatonin. This powerful antioxidant helps regulate sleep. Melatonin allows the body to recognize when it's time to sleep and when it's time to wake up.

It may be more of a routine for me than melatonin. Still, I have cut back on my melatonin gummies and fallen asleep faster.

I'm not a healthcare professional, so I honestly don't know.

After my drink, I take a hot shower. 

Taking a hot shower before bedtime can have many benefits for your sleep. Firstly, hot water can help relax your muscles, making it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep throughout the night. Additionally, the heat from the shower can help to soothe any aches or pains you may be experiencing, which can also improve your sleep quality.

Another benefit of a hot shower before bed is that it can help regulate your body temperature. When you get out of the shower, your body temperature will drop, which can help signal your body that it's time to sleep. This can be especially helpful if you have trouble falling asleep because you feel too hot or cold.

Adding those two simple things into my nighttime routine has made an enormous difference.

The information provided is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please understand that the self-care routine discussed is not a substitute for medical treatment and should be used with professional medical care.

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It's even worse when it comes true.

I should know. Over the last three years, I've lost almost everything.

What began as a series of unfortunate events (my favorite dog dying, a failed foster placement) turned into a dumpster fire lit and fueled by gasoline when my husband, James, was diagnosed with cancer & passed away 5 months later.

What followed was me trying to work through my grief while facing even more challenges (some really crazy stuff went down at my expense). I was a complete mess at the time, but I have a lot of it sorted out now.

I was a completely different person before James died & the many epic disaster events that followed.

Aside from my trauma, something else completely changed me: seeing my worst-case events come to fruition.

Before these losses, I was a terrified perfectionist. I clung to minor inconveniences and made them into gigantic problems. I was always on top of bills and other household tasks.

When I went through the experience of losing everything, the small things that used to scare me were no longer significant. I've learned that there's some wiggle room in opportunities & deadlines & sometimes, I was fortunate to receive grace & a second chance. While my bills are still paid on time & documents get returned, I don't let it consume my life. I don't stress about a little (or a lot!) dust in my house.

I no longer fear the small things because what I've been through has been much more significant. I became more resilient and better equipped to handle life's challenges. I have (unwillingly!) faced my fears and came out the other side, which gives me the confidence to tackle anything that comes my way. (Confidence is also something I used to struggle with.)

While I would have never picked this life for myself, the events that transpired made me realize what really matters to me & helped me prioritize my values.

I began understanding material possessions didn't define me as a person before everything happened. Still, the experiences I went through really brought them home for me. It isn't about my status or how much money I make. It's about loving fully and kindly. There's much to be said about being kind, but I think Dr. Wayne Dyer said it best: "If you have the choice between being right and being kind, choose being kind."

While there's nothing worse than losing everything, it's also such a transformative experience to find yourself...that I wouldn't wish on anyone!