A Guide to Taking a Break from Booze

A lovely sparkling water, with a dash of cucumber shrub and splash of simple syrup.

I always thought that when I became pregnant, I was going to hate not drinking. I don’t think I drink very much compared to the general population, but I enjoy the social component that accompanies drinking and I love an occasional glass (or 2) of red to unwind during the week. Spoiler: it hasn’t been that hard!

If you are considering skipping booze before the wedding this post is for you! The second month of the Shed program is booze-free. While it is not required for longer than a month, I highly recommend skipping booze for the few months before your wedding. It will really bring out that bridal glow! Below, I’m sharing my experience and tips on skipping booze from over the past few months!

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Day-to-Day Sans Alcohol

In general I wake up with more energy. I can only imagine how wonderful I would feel if I wasn’t pregnant (AKA not waking up in the middle of the night to pee every night and the general exhaustion that goes along with it!). In all honesty, I think that most of the benefits of not drinking are somewhat compromised by pregnancy symptoms (for me at least)– so non-prego brides-to-be take advantage of this time! More on this in section 3!

While I do miss the occasional relaxed buzz vibe from a nice glass of shiraz, I really have been amazed at how little it has affected my overall enjoyment of social events. I’ve been to several large parties and weddings sober now and have been able to really enjoy them. Here is how I have taken them on to maximize my enjoyment:

• I always carry a drink- preferably similar to what I typically drink. Like a soda water with a splash of cranberry (all I’m missing is the vodka!). Before I was showing, people had no idea, and I even felt like I was drinking with them. My mom was laughing at me on the dance floor at a wedding, still holding my drink. Holding a drink, alcohol or not, is a part of my party persona and it really makes me feel like my normal self. Pro tip: ask the bartender to use the same glass that they are serving alcoholic drinks in especially if you are not public with you news yet! It can be a dead giveaway (I’ve busted several friends this way!).

• The above works until the witching hour- which is now what I refer to the period of time when everyone’s eyes begin to glaze over and don’t make sense anymore. That is now the time I know its time to GTFO. It’s no longer fun when your people don’t make sense. I find that leaving around 12:30 on average is probably the best call.

• I also have been able to chill at crazy bars and have an amazing time, but at the end of the day it comes down to the company! I don’t need to be drinking to enjoy hanging with my friends!

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What to drink

It is really nice to find any beverage besides water to drink - it can be really boring drinking water all day every day (including sparkling!).

If you are shedding for the wedding, you’ll want to avoid sugary mocktails:

• Go for soda water with a splash of juice of your choice.

• You can always add a dash of cucumber shrub (vinegar based flavor) or a tiny bit of bitters to change things up. But it’s really easy to overdo it! Gotta keep it in very small amounts!

• If you want an extra caffeine boost- unsweetened iced tea is great and looks like it could be boozy.

• You can enjoy kombucha just make sure the sugar content isn’t higher than 4g.

If you are shedding for the preg, all of the above works but be mindful, kombucha can have trace amounts of alcohol, so be mindful about your consumption. Feel free to enjoy those mocktails, but treat them as a dessert and enjoy them on occasion. Just don’t make them habitual.

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Sober but still having hangovers

Oddly, I haven’t stopped getting hangovers! What?! How is that possible you say?

Well, what I’ve learned is that what I always thought was a standard hangover is a combination of either 2-4 things:

1. Dehydration

2. Fatigue

3. Previous high sugar consumption

4. Alcohol

Typically it just takes 2 (of the 4) to make it feel like a hangover. Obviously, #4 isn’t an issue for me right now, but if three happen, I’m really in trouble. So my number 1 objective is to drink enough water consistently throughout the day so I don’t need to drink a lot before bed. Number 2 objective- I now get like 9 hours of sleep- yeah I know that’s a luxurious amount. If I have less than that it’s problematic. I chalk it up to growing a human. But that being said this is why I feel like I’m hungover all the time. It’s hard to get that 9 hours. Lastly, I try not to overdo the sugar. It’s very easy to do if you are not being 100% active in keeping it down. Added sugars are in everything, and then if you are allowing for a treat most days, it can add up and really negate all of those positive benefits from skipping the booze!

If you are shedding for the wedding, added sugars are out and probably won’t need quite as much sleep. So hopefully, if you drink enough water, you should feel “hangover”-free, energized, and fabulous!

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Overall, I think I may be choosing to skip the booze even after baby arrives! What do you think? Are you sober curious? Let me know if you are tempted to take a drinking hiatus or if you have any questions on the drink-free life! -AHS

Avocado Pineapple Popsicles

Avocado Pineapple Popsicles

Well there has been a lot of debate over these bad boys. My first bite I was apprehensive, but by the time I finished, I thought I wouldn’t change a thing. Others thought it needed more sweetness. Others thought lime would be a good addition. I’ll let you try them and you decide for yourself! This is a perfect maintenance #treatyoself! It won’t hinder your wedding bod and is a super satisfying treat! .⠀

Ingredients

• 1 ripe avocado 🥑 ⠀

• 1 20oz can of pineapple 🍍 chunks in juice

• A quick squeeze of 🍋 ⠀
  

Instructions
Blend ingredients. Pour mixture into popsicle mold and freeze overnight (you probably just need a few hours but I’m not actually sure). ⠀

Thoughts on a Healthy Marriage

In all fairness, everyone looks happier on vacation. :) (Roma 2018)

I am by no means a marriage expert. But in honor of Valentine’s Day, I decided to share a quick little post on what a healthy marriage looks like to me! And while Conor and I are going on 5 years of marriage- we have been a couple since 2007 (😳) so we have learned and grown a lot together as people and in our relationship.

Understand your spouse for who they are and accept them unconditionally: the good the bad and the ugly. What I mean by this is that if you are married (hopefully!) you really know your spouse inside and out. If you fell in love, you know all of the wonderfulness they bring to the table. But let’s be honest, no one is perfect. We all have our shadow sides. And knowing the dark sides of your spouse isn’t a bad thing. Always try to bring out the best in them, of course, but also allow them to not be perfect. Accept their imperfections and love them for them.

Along those lines, don’t try to change their essence. This may sound obvious, but we all have a something unique we bring to the table. I’ll use myself as an example. I am often floating high above the clouds dreaming big. I have lofty aspirations. I’m a very woowoo Pisces who loves reading books on self-improvement. My husband is not into any of it (at least not in the same way!). But instead of trying to change me to be more like his practical self, he loves me for it (even though I’m pretty sure it drives him crazy sometimes!). Along the same lines, my husband loves sports (playing and watching) oh so much, and I couldn’t care less most days. But instead of trying to change that part of him I have leaned in to the most important games for him (Indiana University Basketball, in case you were wondering) and prepare myself with other things to do for other big games I can’t mentally care about. Obviously, we compromise- he would watch sports all day every day if he could, but instead we watch lots of other things that we both like (current favorites being Schitt’s Creek and Medici!).

Spend alone time together. Make time to recharge your relationship. Having a regularly scheduled date night will help keep things fresh and fun. It’s easy to have your weekends dominated by social plans with friends and family. But it becomes increasingly more important as you have less and less time for yourselves (yeah I’m talking to you young parents!). You need alone time in order to keep your bond strong and to feel connected. Related to that, it’s important to keep intimacy a priority. Yeah, I said it. It’s easy to let it slip away, but if you prioritize intimacy it helps your connection stay strong.

Lastly, remain independent. Remember you are an individual first and foremost. Don’t rely on your spouse to define you or fill every need you have. Friends are important. Family is important. Your spouse can’t be everything to you. Other relationships are important to our mental health too. I don’t expect my husband to understand all my woowoo inclinations- but I have a whole other tribe for that! Just like he has all of the bros to talk/play sports with. Take responsibility for your own happiness! It’s not your spouse’s job to make you happy. You make yourself happy and the rest will follow. If that isn’t romantic, than I don’t know what is! ;)

Happy Valentine’s Day! Treat your boo right today and every day! :) -AHS

Celery Juice

16oz of the good stuff!

What is the celery juice fad? Why is everyone doing it?

The “global celery juice movement” has been popularized by the Medical Medium (MM). If you haven’t heard of him, there is lot to process there. As a medium, he receives all of his information from the “spirit of compassion” on the other side. Let me tell you, I am all into the woowoo. I don’t doubt that people can communicate with other planes, spirits, or even with God. But whenever there is too much celebrity involved (he has a whole half page of testimonials only from celebrities), I just get a little skeptical. I haven’t read any of his books, but I did read one of his diets when my step-dad was really sick and no one knew what was wrong with him for almost 2 years (he tried the diet for 3 weeks it didn’t help). While I have reservations about the Medical Medium himself, he touts the power of fruits and vegetables, and in that we are 100% aligned. I will cover the basics in this post, but to get a full understanding on all things celery juice from the main source, I recommend reading Celery Juice 101.

The basics

What to do:

Drink 8-16oz of fresh celery juice every morning before eating or drinking anything else. Wait 15-30 minutes before eating breakfast.

Use organic celery, and rinse it. I also cut off the ends. If using conventional celery, wash with clear fragrance-free dish soap. Juice it in a juicer, or blend and then filter through a cheese cloth. Drink up.

Working your way up to 16oz is advised, because it can have a cleansing effect (which is your body eliminating toxins). If you prepare in advance, it will only keep for 24 hours. Seal it in a mason jar with a lid.

What not to do:

If you do any of the following it will take away from the “medicinal properties”, per MM:

• Make more than 24 hours worth in advance. It won’t keep.

• Add anything else (ice, or other fruits or vegetables)

• Drink with the fiber (like if you blended it and then skipped the filtering)

My experience

The process:

I drank the celery juice for about 6 days in total non-consecutively.

It was also recommended to me to use a blender and use a cheese cloth instead of a juicer. I never bought the cheese cloth so I just kept using my juicer. I love my juicer but it needs to be cleaned almost immediately after use– time consuming and annoying. Because of that I didn’t do it every morning.

I did add ice sometimes, it made it super delicious to me (that was before I knew it was a no no!). A couple of times when I made it for me and hubby, I added other things (apple and cucumber) to make it more palatable. It was super yummy we both couldn’t get enough of it–but I did notice that it didn’t feel quite as awesome as when I drank it plain.

How I felt:

I felt very clear and light when I drank the juice in the am. It also made me crave healthier things throughout the day. During this time, I had some dental work done and my gums were sore. Unintentionally, I realized that the juice was totally soothing on my gums.

It really did “cleanse,” even with just 8oz- so starting slow was important. I did work my way up to the 16oz and didn’t notice a huge difference.

Overall, it just made me feel just, good. Its hard to explain, but it definitely felt like my system was very pleased to have the green boost!

Final thoughts

Ideally, I would have done it for a longer period and sequentially, but it just didn’t work out that way. I think I would have been able to see stronger results. Without a doubt, when I drank the juice as prescribed, I felt good. Very good. And that is never something to discount. I know now that it is a great thing to do when I just need to feel good in my body.

The question I kept asking myself was how to make this a tangible apart of my daily routine. And is it worth the time. It can be a bit of a pain making it fresh every morning. Just time consuming. I recommend washing and trimming ends in advance to save some time.

Also, as a generally healthy person, I question if I need to be drinking it every day. It is supposedly very healing, and great for breastfeeding, but I just can’t imagine a world I make this juice every day. I do know that if I was suffering from an illness, I would prioritize making it.

My net takeaway: it definitely doesn’t hurt. Especially if you feel like your body needs a serious pick me up. If you can find the time to add it into your routine, I would definitely recommend it.

Have you tried celery juice? I would love to hear your thoughts! Send me a DM on Instagram or Facebook to let me know what you think. Chin chin! - AHS

Buffalo Quinoa

This is one of my favorite healthy meals that really feels like it’s not. Hot sauce creates the impression that the food is indulgent, but sneaky- you’re eating QUINOA AND BROCCOLI! It’s perfect to hit your Super Bowl junk food craving this weekend! I’ve been making this for years and this is a 100% #shedapproved variation. It only takes 20 minutes to make AND it’s #vegan if you skip the cheese! Feel free to improvise with adding any other veggies you love! I will warn you, this dish does pack some heat, so if you are sensitive to spice, you may want to skip this one. Enjoy! -AHS

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Buffalo Quinoa

Serves 3-4

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa⠀

• 2 cups water⠀

• 1/4 cup Frank’s Hot Sauce (original - NOT the wing sauce - it’s not Shed approved)⠀

• 1/2 large yellow onion, sliced⠀

• 2 tbsp olive oil (plus a drizzle)⠀

• Salt to taste⠀

• 2 cups frozen broccoli ⠀

• Optional: sprinkle of feta or blue cheese (month 1 only)

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Instructions

In a medium size pot, add quinoa and water. Bring to a boil and then turn down heat. Simmer for about 15 minutes or until all the water is absorbed. ⠀
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Meanwhile, add olive oil to a small pan over medium heat. Add onions and sauté until they are nicely browned. Add salt to taste. ⠀

Steam broccoli in the microwave. You could use steamer bags or I just put the florets in a bowl with a little bit of water and microwave for 4 minutes. Be sure to drain any excess water.

When quinoa is ready add Frank’s and a drizzle of olive oil. Mix in onions, broccoli, and optional feta/blue cheese. Serve warm. ⠀
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#ShedApproved Ribollita

YEP. I think it’s safe to say we are deep into winter. Because of this “once in a generation” level of cold, I have been craving something super cozy. Since meat has been tough on my stomach to prepare, I’ve been looking for protein packed vegetarian meals. I was deep in Instagram stories, and saw the folks at Basically (by Bon Appetit) making this dish–it fit the bill perfectly.

I used a crusty sourdough loaf and Ezekiel bread- but the original recipe calls for a crusty country bread (mmm yummy!), but to make it Month 1 #shedapproved just use Ezekiel. I honestly barely noticed the difference between the Ezekiel and sourdough once it was all together! I would skip going back for seconds if you are shedding, but doubtful you would even want to! It is incredibly filling!

Other changes I made: I skipped the beginning steps and just used Trader Joe’s amazing Mirepoix. Easy > Everything. Also, I had thought I had a chunk of parm at home, but it turned out to be Romano, so I ended up a bit of pre-grated parm and Romano early on instead of the parmesan rind, however, if I hadn’t of needed to I wouldn’t have skipped that step. I’m sure the rind really adds depth!

This recipe was perfection, and did not disappoint! While this is essentially a bread soup, it is guilt free! Loaded up with kale, tomatoes, onion, garlic, carrots, celery, and beans it packs a nutritional punch! It is the perfect #hygge meal for these soup belly kind of nights! Now, mangia!! -AHS

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#Shedapproved Ribollita

Serves 4-6

Adapted From Bon Appetit (I highly recommend going to the original recipe- they have lovely step by step visuals!)

Ingredients

• 1 large onion (or use Mirepoix from Trader Joes)

• 3 medium carrots (or use Mirepoix from Trader Joes)

• 2 celery stalks (or use Mirepoix from Trader Joes)

• 8 garlic cloves (I used 6 because they were massive)

• 2 bunches Tuscan kale

• 1 small wedge of Parmesan with rind - adapted - used 2 tsp parm/romano mix

• 1 28-oz. can whole peeled tomatoes

• ½ loaf Ezekiel bread (about 10 oz.) (adapted to make #shedapproved)

• ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

• Kosher salt

• 1 14-oz. can cannellini beans

• ¾ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

Instructions

1. Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 450°. Time to prep your veg! You are going to make a mirepoix, which is just a fancy French word for the combo of chopped onions, carrots, and celery that form the flavor base for a lot of European dishes. First, cut 1 large onion in half through root. Peel and discard skins. Finely chop and transfer to a medium bowl. If using TJ’s Mirepoix skip to step 4.

2. Wash, peel, and trim 3 medium carrots. Cut in half (or in quarters lengthwise if they’re large), then cut crosswise into ½" pieces. (You can also just chop the carrots down into coins if you don't mind larger pieces of veg in your soup.) Add to bowl with onion.

3. Chop 2 celery stalks crosswise into ½" pieces. Add to bowl with the rest of the mirepoix.

4. Smash and peel 8 garlic cloves with the back of your knife. If any of them are left more or less intact after that initial smashing, give them another good wack with the back of your knife so they really open up and start to break apart. Add to bowl, also.

5. Strip stems from 2 bunches Tuscan kale and discard. Wash if they're gritty or you really care about washing vegetables, then tear leaves into 2" pieces; set aside.

6. Cut rind off of 1 small Parmesan wedge; set aside.

7. Place 28 oz. canned tomatoes and their juices in a strainer set inside a medium bowl. (You need that bowl to collect the juice, which you're going to use later—don't throw it out!) Squeeze tomatoes and crush them with your hands while leaving them submerged in their liquid so they don’t squirt.

8. Tear ½ loaf crusty country bread into 1½" pieces.

9. Heat ⅓ cup extra-virgin oil in a medium Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium. Add bowl of mirepoix and 2 tsp. salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened but not browned, 8–10 minutes.

10. Lift strainer full of tomatoes and give it a few shakes to remove any liquid. Add tomatoes (but not juices!) and cook, stirring occasionally, until some of the rawness is cooked off, about 10 minutes. Giving those tomato solids a chance to caramelize before adding the liquid back in helps to add a lot of flavor to the stew. (Remember: Reserve the juices, you’re going to use them!)

11. While tomatoes are cooking, drain and rinse 14 oz. canned cannellini beans in the strainer you just used, then add to pot along with Parmesan rind, tomato juices, ¾ tsp. red pepper flakes, and 4 cups water. Bring to a simmer.

12. Add kale in two additions, stirring often and allowing to wilt in between.

13. Add about one-third of torn bread (no need to measure, just eyeball it) and cook, stirring occasionally, until coated and warmed through, about 5 minutes more. Taste and adjust seasoning.

14. Remove from heat. Place remaining torn bread chunks on top of stew. Drizzle generously with olive oil.

15. Transfer pot to oven and bake stew until thick, bubbling, and bread is golden brown on top, 10–15 minutes.

16. Ladle stew into bowls, drizzle each generously with olive oil, and grate lots of Parmesan over.

Mason Jar Spinach and Bell Pepper Salad

Mason Jar Spinach and Bell Pepper Salad

Ingredients

• ½ tbsp lemon juice 

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 

• ¼ cup button mushrooms, sliced 

• 3 oz cooked chicken breast (or tender) or 1-2 hard-boiled eggs 

• 1 bell pepper (yellow, red, or orange), sliced 

• ¼ cup cucumber, halved and sliced 

• 2 cups spinach 

• Salt and pepper 

Instructions

Layer ingredients in 32 oz. Mason jar. Start with lemon juice and olive oil. Then layer ingredients as listed. Shake jar before eating. 

Note: If you don’t have a Mason jar, never fear! Any Tupperware will do—just separate the dressing in a side container. 

Shed for the Preg (Announcement!) and Thoughts on the First Trimester

You may have noticed I’ve been a little different in my posting over the last few months. Well, that’s because, surprise surprise, we are pregnant! I’ve been dying to share all of this with you all!! We are so beyond excited and can’t wait to meet our little bebe!

Things have changed a lot in my world over the past few months. I thought that I was going to be awesome at pregnancy. I was going to be so active, eat so well–I was going to nail it. Well, things don’t always work out as planned. Pregnancy is hard AF yo. And it has taken a toll on me: mentally, physically, and emotionally.

Let me reiterate that we are absolutely thrilled. That first moment when we saw our baby on the ultrasound was absolutely incredible. Pregnancy really is an incredible experience so please don’t take any of this as complaining. I just want to be 100% real with you about my experience. I think that people make everything look so picture perfect in our social media driven world, and I feel a responsibility to share more of the gritty sides of life. Also, everyone’s pregnancy is different, what follows is my particular experience.

What have I been eating?

So yeah, the first trimester. Verrrrrry interesting. To sum it up in two points:

1. Nausea: luckily for me, no vomiting here, but definitely extreme nausea set off my food smells most of the time. Horrible.

2. Food aversions: pretty much every healthy food I rejected. Kale, spinach, squash (my one true love!), sweet potatoes, quinoa, EGGS(!), CHICKEN (omg still makes me wanna 🤢), all of these things have been on my 100% do not eat list.

All I’ve wanted is carbs (hello toaster waffles for breakfast) and cheese (but sometimes cheese is still not ok lol). Cravings: Frank’s hot sauce, pickles and pickle juice, bloody marys (virgin, obvi), citrus fruits, miso soup, sushi, and orange juice. Basically all of the acid.

Well, as I mentioned, I thought I was going to be one of those super healthy pregnancy people (obviously!). Well shocking myself, I have literally have eaten the opposite of my usual routine. I’ve eaten many boxes of Annie’s mac and cheese, pasta of all varieties, toast, peanut butter and jelly. The smell of food preparation of any kind has grossed me out, so I have really been absent from the kitchen. One day tortellini (bread and cheese which are typically in the clear!) sounded gross, so I had gelato for dinner. Yeah, health life fail.

However in weeks 12-14 I’ve really started to feel more like myself, and my tolerance for healthy foods has gone up! I’d even dare to say I’ve started to crave some healthy food! I’ve been eating lots of eggs, and a lot more veggies. Mediterranean and Asian foods have been the best. I have been loving nutrient-packed tabbouli, fresh hummus, and falafel. Miso soup, and California rolls have also really been hitting the spot. You may have seen I started drinking celery juice- I think it’s my body’s way of making up for lost greens. Since I’m feeling better, and subsequently, eating better- I will share my preggo eats with you as time goes on.

physical symptoms?

I have been extremely tired, and my brain hasn’t felt like it was working properly. I’ve been taking naps (and typically, I physically cannot nap).

Because of the sheer exhaustion, I haven’t been working out which I think has only made the fatigue worse. Over the past couple weeks I’ve been slowly adding in some low impact exercises at home and some light weight lifting. This week I even went to a yoga class (not even prenatal!)! I’m hoping to get back into a normal routine soon.

Miraculously, despite my eating and lack of movement, I have put on very little weight so far, about 3ish lbs (they recommend 0-5 lbs in the first trimester and a lb a week after). I also had been Shedding when I got pregnant, so I was on the lighter side for my normal to begin with (highly recommend this btw!).

Also, now I have acne. On my face and on my chest (y tho?!). They say that’s a sign that it’s going to be a girl- so we shall see!

It supposedly get’s better in the second trimester, and I’m already feeling a difference–let me tell you, I am ready for it!

Emotions?

Emotionally this has been the most extreme. I’ve felt very isolated (working from home is tough), and oddly depressed. Besides random bouts of crying, life has felt exceedingly hard. It’s like this experience has shook who I am down to my core. I guess it is probably a side effect of my self constructed identity changing into something new. Usually, I bring my own magic to day to day life, and I just couldn’t bring it. Besides that, I had a perpetual feeling of nervousness that something would go wrong in the pregnancy. AND all the while, I’ve also felt overwhelmed with excitement and joy for what’s to come. So to sum it up–it’s been a really weird time.

The good news is that the morning I woke up on my 12th week of pregnancy, I felt like myself again! I felt motivated, inspired, and excited for the future. I still have huge swings in emotion sometimes, but overall, I really I think I have my magic back. 😉✨

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Now that we are “out,” I will share more with you guys about the experience. I am going to keep posting my healthy eats with #shedapproved versions- because let’s be real, eating for 2 and shedding for the wedding are two very different experiences. I will try not to overwhelm you with too much pregnancy content- but I want to know, what are you curious to learn more about? Let me know here or on any of my social channels. Yay! Thanks for coming along for the ride. -AHS

Tidying Up Before The Wedding (written by a self proclaimed pack rat)

Conor and I live in a 2 bedroom condo. We’ve been in a relationship for 12 years and we’ve lived together for about 7 years. We’ve been married for 4. We have accumulated a lot of mess during that time. And mostly its stuff we don’t use or need. We literally still have things from college around our place. I feel like I’m always getting rid of things, but we are always at max capacity–and to be clear, this place really is the perfect size for the two of us. There is no reason for us to live this way.

So one of my goals of this year is to clear the clutter. Get rid of what we don’t need, use, or in the words of the great Marie Kondo, “spark joy”. I received Marie’s book, “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up” as a gift a few years back. I started reading it, and was learning a lot, but stopped because without executing I felt like I wasn’t actually making progress. I ended up converting a few of my drawers to her signature trifold method, but they eventually were messed beyond repair- and TBH, without getting rid of {enough} stuff, it was hard to have space for everything.

This is an example of a the KonMari method trifold FAIL. Note: It is important to know the size of your drawers! Keep scrolling for “after” success pictures.

Fast forward to 2019– I was super sick the first week of the year, and during that time I binged “Tidying Up with Marie Kondo” on Netflix. And I know I am not alone. There are reports of thrift shops being filled to the brim with all the excess goodies inspired by Marie. I caught the bug and began the process. My goal is to complete the KonMari method by the end of Q1, freeing up space in our home, and setting up our good tidying habits for life!

If you are not familiar with Marie and her work, I will give you a summary but first– why should you tidy up before the wedding? You have so much going on in the months pre-wedding, why make time for this now?

Well, first and foremost, you are about to receive SO. MUCH. STUFF. Between bridal showers, bachelorette’s (often with a lingerie shower included), and just your general wedding registry, you are about to own more stuff than you ever have before. Yep. I said it. You are going to have more stuff than you ever have before!!! If you don’t live with your significant other, you are about to merge all of your stuff with another human. Don’t be like me and bring everything. You don’t need it. If you do live with them already, you are going to make room for your new goods! Lastly, having a clear, clutter-free space feels awesome. It helps your mind have space to think. You are approaching a new life phase- head in with a clear head!

The KonMari Method

I am not an expert at tidying. In any way (*cough, pack rat, cough*). So, I am taking my cue from the expert. Marie Kondo’s “KonMari Method” is a 5 step process. Instead of going room by room she goes by category:

1. Clothes

2. Books

3. Paper

4. Komono (Miscellaneous: includes kitchen items, bath, decor, office, cleaning, etc.)

5. Sentimental Items

I like this for several reasons- you have to take everything out of its place before you put it back in a more organized fashion. It forces you to deal with things that haven’t been dealt with in eons. I also like that you do sentimental items last. Like most things, tidying up is a muscle and you are building strength by going through the process. By the time you get to the tough stuff, you have built up the muscle. This is also why it’s important to do all categories within a relatively quick period. Otherwise you lose the strength!

This is my before picture. Does it give you anxiety?? It sure made me feel horrible. These are just my clothes- my husband’s are not included.

I am on the clothes section right now. I have done my tees, sweaters, pants, dresses, shorts, scarves, and bathing suits. I haven’t finished shoes, underwear, socks, jewelry, coats, belts, handbags, or hats. What I struggle with the most with getting rid of things is the nostalgia of it. Sometimes an old teeshirt will remind me of the best times in college or those were the jeans I bought when I studied in Italy. Marie encourages you to thank every item you give away. A lot of people laugh at this step, but it has been such a gift for me! I can say thank you and honor our time together- it helps me get through my sentimentality.

Another one of her criteria for all possessions is that they should “spark joy” for you. It is also really helpful when evaluating. That being said, there hits a point where you know (for example) your kitchen knife doesn’t spark joy, but you use it everyday. So then the question to ask is “do you want to bring it into your future?” - a great question for all brides-to-be!!

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This is just the beginning of my process and I am perpetually reminding myself that perfection is not necessary. I’m also hoping that this process will help break some of my sentimentality around objects– the less I care about them, the happier I will be! I’m really looking forward to getting to the Paper step (omg this is the worst for me) and kitchen! I cannot wait to get rid of a million excess water bottles and organize my drawers. 😂😂

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In summary, tidying up as you embark on your next phase in life will put you in an awesome position to start your marriage! What’s better than starting your journey will a fresh slate and a beautiful tidy home?!

If you are inspired to get started, I highly recommend you watch a couple episodes of Marie’s show on Netflix or buy her book. I will say, the show makes it really seem within reach. If you guys want to hear more about my tidying process, let me know and I’ll continue to post updates.

Happy tidying! -AHS

Setting Intentions for 2019

Note: I laid out my entire goal-setting method (which I’m obsessed with) here, so if you want to read all about that, that post is for you! This post will cover the changes I made to this years process and my personal journey with setting my new year intentions.

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This January, my goals have not been as free flowing as in the past. Normally, post-Christmas, I know exactly what I want to work on in the upcoming year. And while I definitely have this drive in many areas of my life right now, this upcoming year is going to look different than years past (more on this in posts to come), and I’m not going to lie- it has thrown me! I feel a bit less in control of my life and thus, are having a harder time really connecting with my goals. Especially the SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely) aspects of them.

For that reason, I have decided to focus on my core desired feelings for the year, and to set my intentions, but without using monthly SMART goals. (Again, if you need a debriefing of these terms, read my original goal setting post!) As time goes on, I may choose to set monthly SMART goals, but right now, I’m keeping it loose. Typically, I would not encourage this in clients of mine. You need to get very clear on what you want in order to achieve it! But you also need to know yourself, and right now, that feels a bit counter intuitive to my own nature. And as you will soon see, one of my words is grace, and that is what I am giving myself!

The two words that have come through the most strongly for me this year are Connection and Flow. This is not the first time these words have come to me. I believe that these words, at the end of the day, are apart of my soul’s mission. I need to have meaningful connection with others first and foremost. And re: flow, I need to go with the natural rhythms of life, and not work against them. And bonus points because it also ties in with my yoga practice! My other core desired feelings for this year are: joy, grace, and prosperous. The key with Core Desired Feelings is that you should want to feel them inside your core. Sit with them.

These words are more higher arching ideals, and normally I have a tangible work word(s) like “focus” or “discipline” like last year! But those feel off to me this year so I think this is a year to enjoy the ride!

So to summarize, my core desired feelings for the year are:

1. Connection

2. Flow

3. Joy

4. Grace

5. Prosperous

Next I’ve set intentions for the following pillars of my life: health, career, family, home, community, spirituality, and travel. I won’t lay them all out for you here but I will share a couple examples.

In the home area of my life, I have decided to Konmari method our condo in the first quarter of the year. (Yes, I binged Marie Kondo’s Netflix show when I was sick the first week of the year!) Both my husband and I tend to keep things longer than we should, and sometimes it feels like we are busting at the seams. Her whole essence behind tidying up is that your possessions should “spark joy”- and that ties directly with one of my core desired feelings for the year, so I am fired up about this!

In the spirituality area of my life my intention is a bit more vague. My intention I set for this year is to make meditation and prayer a priority. I could make it more tangible like, meditate 5x/week for 15 minutes or go to church every Sunday- but I’m allowing for grace with this intention (and with all of them!). It may not seem like this is a very exciting goal- but I can tell you, I can feel the difference in my life when I do not make meditation and prayer a priority- and it’s not pretty.

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Overall, my net takeaway is be in tune with yourself and where you are at. Feel free to adjust your sails accordingly as time goes on. And remember that new intentions should light you up and feel excited! I wanted to share my own personal experience with you, because I think it’s important to trust in yourself first and foremost. There are a million people out there telling you what to do and how you should do it to see the best results- but at the end of the day- you know you better than anyone else. Go deep within yourself, you know what you need. And at the end of the day, give yourself some grace with the process and enjoy the journey!

What are your intentions for 2019? Leave me a note and tell me about them! Holler if you want me to check in on you (for free!) to see how they are coming! Xo, AHS