Did you know October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Month

I'll never forget October 15th, 2018.

Instead of laboring for hours and racking up thousands of dollars in medical bills to happily bring our baby home in our arms, we carried ours home in a plastic bag and buried it in my parents backyard.

I remember wondering if I’d ever feel happy again. With our baby gone, I felt as though I had no purpose and hated the awkwardness of being a mother without her child.

Little did I know, that was just the beginning of a handful of tough years.

But I’ve come out of it more confident in who I am and who I want to be, more confident in who will show up for me when things suck, more confident that I don’t have any answers…but mostly, more confident that God has all of them and this is His will for our life.

Because October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, I want to share some suggestions on how to treat parents who have lost a child:

-Remember that a dearly loved child died and don’t treat it as though it was “just a miscarriage”.

-Be aware that the mom still had to labor and deliver her child, even if it wasn’t yet full-term.

-Messages, phone calls and cards are wonderfully thoughtful, but consider being there in person to offer support.

-Don’t avoid the topic (or the mom!), even if you just offer hugs and say “I don’t know what to say”.

-Use the baby’s name and remember it’s part of the family, even though it’s gone.

-Ask questions to give grieving parents permission to share what they’re going through.

-Know that the parents will always miss their child, so let them grieve without a time limit.

-Offer to help with cleaning, meals, etc., especially until the mom has recovered physically.

-Remember the mom and dad are now parents, even though their baby died.

-Father’s Day, Mother’s Day, their baby’s Birthday, etc., are all days where the parents should be included and their baby should be remembered.

Losing a child is indescribable. Let’s figure out how to encourage and support those who are suffering through it.

How to save THOUSANDS using low-tox products

Do you do subscription boxes?

I’ve had clothes and smoothies delivered to my door and it’s such a treat!

Did you know that Young Living also has a monthly subscription box?  I call it my wellness box and, every month, it arrives with tons of stuff I used to buy at the grocery store, like toothpaste and mouthwash, makeup and skincare, supplements and cleaning supplies, essential oils and so much more.

I love it!

But the best part?  Each month I get my wellness box, I'm also earning rewards points.  Since subscribing in November 2013, I’ve earned 6,335.13 points.  And the points are treated as cash, so I’ve earned $6,335.13!

Young Living let’s me choose exactly when I want in my box each month.  I can even choose different products every time.  It’s all non-toxic, natural and safe.  AND I’m earning rewards points.  It’s the best.

$6,335.13
is enough savings to book a trip to Europe, or go on an Alaskan cruise, or take a road trip…believe me, we’ve done all three with the money we’ve saved and have much more travel ahead of us in the next year😉

Don’t assume that investing in your health has to break the bank.  We have tons of tips and tricks for saving you money while becoming the best version of you.

And if you’d also like to earn money, like Nick and I do, we can teach you how we do that too!

Click HERE to order through me and use code SHAREYL for 10% off!

11 to do, see, stay and eat in Outer Banks

The outer banks is one of the most magical places I've ever been in the USA and I can't wait to go back one day to stay for a longer, better planned trip.

Here are some of our favorites from that trip:

1. Heart of Manteo Motor Lodge

2. Roanoke Island Festival Park 

3. Wright Brothers National Memorial

4. Jockey Ridge State Park sand dunes

5. Front Porch Cafe

6. Dawdy Park Playground

7. Inn at Rodanthe (from Nicholas Sparks movie)

8. Fatty’s Eatery

9. Hatteras Lighthouse

10. Whalehead Mansion

11. Search for wild ponies

We didn’t get to go to Ocracoke at this point in the road-trip because of weather, so I’ll be back soon with a post about our favorites in Ocracoke!

39 Reasons Why I Love Nick

It's Nick's 39th Birthday today, so here are 39 reasons why he's the best!

1. He always put others first
2. He forgives quickly
3. He gives everyone the benefit of the doubt
4. He's slow to get angry or freak out
5. He's calm and laid back
6. He's tall, blonde and handsome
7. He's got a great smile

8. He's strong and athletic
9. He's talented
10. He doesn't leave a job unfinished
11. He loves the Lord
12. He's kind to everyone
13. He's a great listener
14. He's the most patient person in the world
15. He's honest
16. He's a hard worker
17. He's a good provider for us
18. He doesn't make rash decisions
19. He's a good friend
20. He say's sorry
21. He puts up with me

22. He's disciplined
23. He's loyal
24. He's responsible
25. He's funny and has a good laugh
26. He's a gentleman
27. He's generous
28. He makes the best out of every situation
29. He goes along with my crazy ideas
30. He's compassionate

31. He loves to travel
32. He always does his best
33. He's my hero
34. He's a great daddy

35. He cares about missions
36. He goes to yoga with me
37. He's an amazing handy-man
38. He's not too proud to go to counseling
39. He's dependable

If you know Nick, you love him :)

How To Get Hard Things Done

“The belief that you can do it comes from doing it.”

-Darlene Weir

I think back over my life and all the times I said “I can’t do that” or “I’d never be able to do that”. Times I believed that something was just too hard and I didn’t have what it takes.

Sometimes I let those beliefs hold me back from accomplishing what I wished or wanted. But every now and then, I’d somehow find the courage to stop making excuses and simply do it.

“I’ll never be able to run my own business”, “I can’t run well enough to sign up for a race”, “I’ll never be good at social media”, “I can’t be a vegan because I can’t live without cheese”, “I won’t survive a medication free, natural birth”, “I’ll never travel once I have kids” and even something as silly as “I’ll never learn how to wand my hair”...these were all things that I truly believed at one point.

Each one of these beliefs, though, we’re just that...beliefs. At some point, for every one of these (and more), I decided to take control and simply make it happen.

I learned how to be a business owner, run, use social media, live without cheese, naturally birth babies, travel with a toddler and wand my hair. The belief that I could do each one of these came from just doing them.

So, let’s stop making excuses by using words like “can’t” and “could never” and be honest with ourselves. We CAN do it. It’s a choice. And if we choose NOT to do it, let’s begin using phrases like, “that’s not my priority right now” instead. I don’t want to be a victim. I doubt you want to either.

The belief that we can do it comes from doing it. Let’s do it.