Clarity Wellness

  I have been experimenting with chia puddings lately.   I find that having a few in the fridge when life gets hectic is a great way to ensure that I won’t fall off the wagon and find myself grabbing the first sugary bar or bag of chips that might have snuck into my kitchen cupboards.    Sometimes I will grab one of these for breakfast, but more often, I have one as an afternoon pick-me-up, when I might be craving a little something sweet. I’m on my annual pumpkin kick right now.   I have an entire Pinterest board dedicated to all things pumpkin , and a special section in my recipe binder just for pumpkin desserts.   It’s funny, because although I love to think about pumpkin, smell pumpkin, and look at pumpkin pictures, I’m very picky about what I’ll actually eat.   And if you get right down to it, it’s really the pumpkin spice that does it for me. I like a lot of spice, so if it's too much for you, please adjust to taste. I will often add pumpkin s...

Well, it happened.   Just like that we returned to our pre-pandemic behavior and let life get really crazy again.  When people ask me how I am, I find myself answering, “Just crazy busy.”  I wasn’t going to let that happen. Then marching band season happened, and since I have a senior and a freshman this year, we let things get away from us.  Early morning practice and nighttime events, along with tough course loads and the homework that goes with them have transformed my girls into walking zombies.  My husband and I find ourselves volunteering for more than we had planned and going to every night rehearsal, concert, fundraiser, etc. that we can.  We’re all stressed and tired, but I honestly wouldn’t change it for the world.  We get one year where they are both in the same school,  playing on the same marimba, no less,  and I’m not going to miss a minute of it. Every time I watch them play, I get goose bumps.   Every. Time....

I just got back from vacation.   The trip of a lifetime, actually.  The trip with our girls we had planned for Fall Break 2020 that didn't happen.   It was fabulous,  We took our girls to New York City and did all the New York things: the World Trade Center, Times Square, the Statue of Liberty, and the Empire State Building. We saw artwork at the Met and MOMA that made our eyes dance with happiness in our heads.  (Yes, I said that out loud in front of Van Gogh's Starry Night . Any opportunity to embarrass my teens!)  We also saw Wicked on Broadway, and waved at Joda Kotb and Al Roker outside the Today Show window (they even waved back!) Vacations like this are amazing because they take you to places you haven't seen before, they give you a chance to show your kids life outside their little bubble , and they teach you so much about history, art, and architecture in the process.  Not to mention the mental break they provide from work and the ...