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How do you cut out stress? Last weekend, I was hit with a Bell’s Palsy flare up (I originally had it for the first time nearly nine years ago after having our first born). One side of my face started burning and aching and feeling like needles in every pore, I thought maybe I was having an intense migraine, but by morning it had extended down my neck and trunk and my face started drooping. I went right into my doctor, as she instructed me to do at the first sign of it, to get treated. I got a steroid shot and was put on a pretty intense regimen of pills over the last week (acupuncture is also recommended!), but the biggest thing she told me was I needed to cut stress out. To be honest, at first the instruction stressed me out. But then I started thinking of not what I needed to cut (at the time it felt like if I dropped one thing, everything would collapse–not true!) but what I could add in more of:

1. More real life, human to human interaction with friends and family. (Don’t let my first interaction of the day be digital.)
2. Spend an extra 30 minutes every day reading to our 18 month old. (Who loves to read the same book over and over and over.)
3. Listen to a podcast for entertainment and not self-help (which always makes me add more to my list!)
4. Do a puzzle.
5. Go outside. Get fresh air.
6. Take a hot shower at night after all the kids go to bed so there’s no rushing.
7. Instead of watching a show, dive into a book. (although The Great British Baking Show does promote relaxation for me.
8. Make a treat with our oldest daughter.
9. Sketch on my iPad.
10. Talk on the phone to a long-distance friend that makes you laugh so hard.

Every day this week, I tried to do at least two of these things and I’m already doing so much better! It’s already 90% better and these are things I want to keep up even after I’m healed. Anything you’d add?? What things drive out stress and spark more joy in your life?

Other fun things this week!

• This week, we hit 250,000 followers on Instagram! My mom so sweetly told me, “I saw your gathering reached an all-time high!” And I realized right then, I so prefer to call it our “gathering” rather than our “following.” Moms know best and it has been the most fun party over there with you all for years. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!

• Have you heard of the app Clipomatic? It’s a smart app that adds subtitles to your videos/instagram stories. I usually try to summarize what I’m saying in a few short sentences as a caption, but a few of you have pointed me to this as an alternate solution. I bought it for $4.99, and am going to try to use it more for those that aren’t able to hear what I’m saying or can’t turn the sound on at the moment. The only catch is you have to record it IN the app and then save it to your phone (I think) and then post it. It might take a little getting used to, and I hear the more you use it, the more accurately it picks up and displays your words. What a great idea!

• I love everything shaker pegs. 

• This beautiful rug is a new arrival over at McGee & Co and you’re not going to believe how affordable it is!

• These coconut wraps have become a staple in my daily meals. I load them up with veggies and fresh turkey and a little bit of this primal honey mustard and I swear I could eat it every meal.

• I got my mom, who suffers from Insomnia, one of these weighted blankets for Christmas and almost every day she tells me how much better she slept the night before! It’s been so great to hear, that she convinced me to order one for myself a little over a month ago. I got the twin size so it would just be on my side under our duvet and I can’t tell you how much better I’m sleeping! It sleeps cool so I usually still have our duvet on me and I barely move all night. It feels like a miracle product.

• Most people are usually surprised to find I’m actually an introvert through and through (although all the Homebody stuff probably gave some of that away haha). My friend introduced me to this instagram account with the kindest illustrations and it honestly feels like home.

• A boy bathroom and girl bathroom reveal that floored me this week! Only Gwen could convert me back to black toilets.

•I just ordered this soft yellow short sleeved sweater because I needed some serious sunshine and the groundhog did say Spring is right around the corner, right?!

• Friday, in a nutshell.  (And Monday, too)

• This etsy shop is filled with the most amazing vintage-inspired removable wallpaper. I hearted almost the entire shop!

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!! We’re headed up to the cabin to work on a few projects and besides getting up the driveway, that’s usually a de-stresser for me too–haha!