Author: Joyful Dog Mom

Married to my best friend, took a lot of hardship and growth to get here. God has lead me through the valleys to reach the mountain, He is so good.

Leaving Safety for Insecurity

Joyful Dog Mom

Being under a blanket, a safety blanket, is what the majority of our existence has become. Feeling safe and secure in our relationships, jobs, home, and even in the way we communicate. Insecurity is not just a feeling but an overwhelming characteristic of our out of the box ego. How we do one thing, is how we do everything. Or so they say.

Leaving safety for insecurity is the most vulnerable aspect of life human beings undergo. Whether it’s a task as simple as waking up earlier for a weeks time or moving across the country to fulfill a job you cannot turn down, insecurities arise. And it can take YEARS to adapt and move forward.

For me, I left a place where financial security was consistent and stable. My working hours were most evenings but I made very good progress towards my financial future. The pros outweighed the cons in that environment but my fiancé moved our family to fulfill her dream. And that’s what we all want? Right? I am finding the good in this transition, racking my brain on what I am going to do next in this chapter.

Through life’s ebs and flows, our identity also fluctuates (sometimes drastically). We see ourselves as one type of person or allow what we do to reflect who we are. Me personally? I am slowly processing the “new” me. I’m more aware that some things aren’t truly going to happen the way I always dreamed, took me long enough. That security blanket has been torn from my mental state and I guess it needed to be. To grow, to insure I will not be stagnant in my life, to trust that the path my family is on is the right one…

That blanket may come back eventually and settle right where it normally is, under my chin when I sleep, but for now. I am embracing change and the known fact that I am uncomfortable and insecure. And that my friends, is okay. If we lived our entire lives holding onto security and comfortability, we wouldn’t get very far in our growth and fulfilling our TRUEST form.

I’m working through our move and get this, getting married on Saturday… So much to do, and my heart brought me and my insecurities here to talk to you.

I encourage you to find your worth and surround yourself with people who love you. Happy Monday Everyone, I am praying for you daily.

Morning Runs or Honey Buns

Joyful Dog Mom

Can anyone relate to this?

To run or eat breakfast phenomenon… We all struggle with health and wellness. All of us. No human being (not matter how fit) is flawless when it comes to maintaining their health. There are many factors that tend to arise when consistency is the main focus.

  1. Time management – finding time to workout, meal prep, sleep, etc… Making the way to grow both mentally and physically but it is not easy. There are a few steps we can take to help ourselves and that would be creating a schedule (a daily to do list) where you write down what you are going to accomplish. Plan for meals, workouts, even mental health if necessary. – This may compromise your sleep depending on your daily schedule, something has to give.
  2. Negative self talk. What you tell yourself is your reality, period. There is a saying, “We are either getting better or getting worse!” And I think about that often with how I am portraying myself and my view of my day. Yes, this was more of an athletic quote (you’re never going to make it unless you move your body) but also important to give yourself rest when you need it and be kind to yourself.
  3. I mentioned this earlier but SLEEP – this is HUGE many studies have continued to show the importance of sleep and physical repair. Not to mention cognitive development and growth. We as humans are designed to sleep and that’s okay. Finding the time to sleep when we can is crucial but we also have physical goals to meet. Pushing our bodies to the breaking point is not going to get us the results we are looking to obtain. Find a happy medium, give yourself rest days to stretch and sleep an extra 2-3 hours than normal.
  4. SWEETS – my best friend and worst enemy. I can consume sugar at any point of the day and what I have found is green tea does not cut my cravings like it use to. However, I have found that the essential oil Fennel has been a GREAT HELP through the process of me wanting sweets in the morning, mid-day, evening, late evening… I just put 2 drops in 8-12 ounces of water and BOOM – they gone… The cravings I mean. It took me some time to find a small solution where I don’t eat my entire house past 8 pm ( still have a few of those nights, mainly around a certain time of month). But this has helped my sweet tooth as much as it can.
  5. WORKOUT PARTNER – if you’re like me and love the “team” workout atmosphere, don’t fret. There are a ton of videos and “beach body” teams for you to join… If you want to go to classes, I would HIGHLY recommend Orange Theory but I can’t afford it currently so beach body is where I get my workout with a group fix… from my home. If you’re living with someone like my fiance who could care less who they workout with — ignore them, go into your home gym or space, pop some headphones in, and get to work with your online people. You’ll be glad you did.

Take care of yourself and eat a honey bun every once in a while ( and for us vegans that would be equivalent too a morning vegan muffin or high carb banana bowl with a little extra almond butter ) 🙂

XO – Love, Joy, Happiness

Anxiety, Essential Oils, and Quarantine

Joyful Dog Mom

I find myself researching anxiety and depression more and more these days.

This is partly due to my anxious soul wanting to know where I’m going to land and where I’m being lead, moving in with my partner and living with someone (that I am dating) for the first time, or could be the fact that we have been moving and unpacking through this “unknown” quarantine period.

I have also be researching the correlation between low HRV (Heart Rate Variability) levels and depression. From what I have found, those two are linked together like two peas in a pod. When our HRV levels are lower, our reasoning, emotion responses, anxiety levels, and decision making skills are all disrupted. Now, “why are you so interested in HRV levels all of a sudden?” Well, I wear a Whoop band, this measures my workouts, sleep patterns, and recovery. When I am not recovered (and don’t feel my best) my HRV is lower than normal and I wanted to know why.

My partner also wears a band and has a significantly lower HRV consistency and also has a harder time with emotional support in high pressure situations (she’s aware of this). So in return, I am seeking solutions to help increase our HRV levels, improve our mood, and overall day to day experience.

With my fiancé being a DOTERRA advocate (THE BEST OILS THERE ARE), I have found a few that have helped make our mornings and mid-afternoons a little more positive.

  • COPIABA – THE MAIN OIL WE USE. Diffuse, Apply, and Ingest. Directly targets the nervous system – anxious feelings, depression, low HRV.
  • BALANCE – It is a GROUNDING blend and it puts me at ease almost immediately. I either diffuse or apply to the back of my neck and a little on my chest if I’m feeling extra anxious.
  • Lavender – RELAXATION BLEND. I use this mainly for afternoon to night time, helps me wind down after a long day. I’m in feeling low, I apply a drop to my wrists (rib together) and inhale 3 deep breaths.
  • Lemon – Detox blend that is known to help flush our system of unwanted toxins, almost promotes positive energy when diffused or ingested.

There are many blends and oils that can be used for the nervous system overall. Maintain a healthy parasympathetic (responsible for resting heart rate and healthy digestion) and sympathetic (controls fight or flight mode / high pressure responses) nervous system are CRUCIAL to our well being and overall life span.

If you click the link below to learn more about each oil and support my fiancé!

DOTERRA LINK

ALSO – I would 10/10 recommend a Whoop band for anyone who is active, wants to learn more about their individualized sleeping patterns, how your body is effected by stress, etc… If you’re interested in a whoop band for yourself, there is a discounted rate below! https://www.talkable.com/x/JWnQ5i

XO- Love, Joy, Happiness

Growing through the challenges.

Joyful Dog Mom

Yesterday, we traveled from South Carolina back home to Tennessee. We got to ride on the small opening of the Blue Ridge Parkway (the rest is closed from COVID). The portion of the parkway we rode was BEAUTIFUL.

The first time I rode on the parkway we got lost and stuck on there for hours, 5 to be exact. We were 3 hours late on our original arrival time… We saw a baby bear in the middle of the road (just as surprised as we were), ran into an old acquaintance from over a decade ago at a random restroom stop, and got to stop and hike at the highest point of the parkway. It was a great trip until we ended up at the top, at 9 pm, with no cell service to lead us home… Thankfully we chose the right side of a fork in the road to lead us out and back to civilization. I remember laughing but being pretty nervous we were going to run out of gas on the parkway and have to sleep in our car…

Today gave me some perspective. When I was on the parkway previously, I had a lot of anxiety and parts of my life that seemed to be falling a part. I remember riding and observing the trees, water, landscape, and realizing I was focusing on the wrong things. I was so heavy from multiple outside sources… I carried burdens that I was not meant to carry (both from myself and others). I remained silent through that struggle and worked through those emotions the best I could on my own (and I am certainly a talker). Today reminded me of how low I was when I had previously been there and how good I felt at that particular moment today. A moment where I thought I would never break through the silence and there I was, back riding the parkway. Happy, Healthy, and Growing.

Life is spontaneous, whether we want to describe it as that or not. We never really know what will happen. Constantly losing, gaining, taking, leaving, growing, arriving… Life is about riding that wave of uncertainty and how inspiring can it be? I know a lot of us feel lonely at times and then have times where being alone is all we long for. Where is the happy medium you ask? It’s where you are and finding out how to remain there. Feeling those feelings immediately and embracing them with open arms (even if they aren’t the best).

I can’t relate to everyone and I certainly don’t try to but I can relate to the feel of uncertainty and not knowing what is ahead. What would life be like if we actually knew everything God was leading or building for us? Would we still embrace those gifts and opportunities as we do when they arrive now? Probably not.

I’m thankful for today and small moments to realize how far I have grown. I pray for anyone going through a challenging part of life to embrace it and stand strong in the waiting. It too shall pass. We got this!

XO- Love, Joy, Happiness

CROCKPOT VEGAN SWEET POTATO CHILI

Joyful Dog Mom
PHOTO OWNED BY : VEGNEWS

  • 1 TBSP Cooking Oil – we use olive oil
  • 1 pound vegan ground beef – lightlife is our favorite! 
  • 2 large sweet potatoes – diced 
  • 28 ounce can fire roasted tomatoes
  • 8 ounce can tomato sauce
  • 16 ounce can chickpeas
  • 1 3/4 cup mushrooms – diced 
  • 1 medium sweet bell pepper – diced
  • 1 medium onion – diced 
  • (1 1/2 cup of veggie broth or water for thinner chili – we don’t do this, we like our chili THICK lol)
  • 1 TBSP Chili Powder
  • 1 TSP Ground Cumin
  • 1 TSP Garlic Powder
  • 1/2 TSP Salt and Pepper
  • 1/2 TSP Paprika
  1. Brown your vegan meat in skillet and place onto plate when done. In same skillet, sauce onion until fragrant (until you can smell them), should be around 2 minutes. Then place meat and onion into crockpot.
  2. Add your broth (if you choose), canned tomatoes, sweet potatoes, chickpeas, mushrooms, and mix it all together.
  3. And lastly, add your seasonings, tomato sauce, and bell peppers. 
  4. Stir and cook on HIGH for 2-3 hours (checking and stirring every hour)
  5. We finish our bowls off with vegan cheddar cheese and vegan sour cream…
  6. SO GOOD!

XO- Love, Joy, Happiness

Why do you call yourself Vegan-ish?

Joyful Dog Mom

HELLO EVERYONE!

My fiancé and I took food over to a small get together recently (COVID-19 APPROVED) and took vegan chili. Before we begin, the chili is SO GOOD. (I will add the recipe in the recipe tab in Plant Based Tab) But we were HAMMERED with questions on what we eat and why we would ever give up meat… I’m here to set your mind at ease.

  1. We gave up meat, which shouldn’t be an issue with anyone else. We made this choice for our bodies and for the environment. No, we do not drive a Prius or keep all of our plants alive but we do feel good about making a small difference in the world.
  2. Here are some statistics for being vegan for one day-
    1. Save 1,100 gallons of water
    2. 45 pounds of grain
    3. 30 feet of forested land
    4. 20 pounds of CO2 equivalent
    5. AND one animal a day
  3. Now, if you were vegan one day a week for a year… That’s A LOT of water, grain, land, CO2, and animals. We choose to eat this way daily and it works for us!
  4. It has honestly been an easier transition than we thought. We eat burger (vegan but protein packed), pasta, breakfast sausage (Kroger brand is so good), ice cream, even vegan beer. All of these meals are “normalized” American meals (I’ll be posting more about the actual meals we consume throughout the next few weeks).
  5. Now, the term Vegan-ish comes from me, my fiancé calls us “loose vegans”. At the end of the day, we are plant-based. We try to make every main meal vegan, everything we consume vegan BUT we are human. We travel, we go visit family and friends, we buy some things that aren’t vegan but we thought they were… WE ARE HUMAN. And by default, we aren’t perfect.
  6. If we are out and order a cocktail/wine/beer, it may not be vegan. If we buy veggie burgers and they contain egg or milk (by accident) we aren’t going to waste what we purchased. If our family or friends and they are providing us with a make-shift “vegan” meal and accidentally add butter – WE WILL EAT IT.
  7. We want to be kind to our bodies and kind to the environment and we LOVE all that veganism has opened us up to… especially tofu in the air fryer. BUT we are loose and that’s okay. We are cool with that!

If you have any questions about my journey, ask and make sure to follow my blog for more Vegan information and feedback!

XO- Love, Joy, Happiness

The Unknown

Joyful Dog Mom

I find rest in the unknown (today, not sure about tomorrow).
I am currently going through some changes in my life: career, location, travel, finances, and growth in my relationship. I have been a ball of anxiety and my annual depression has been at an all time high… BUT I feel good today.

I have been praying for peace through this season of my life… grace rather. Grace through the unknown for God to lead me where I’m meant to be. He has given me grace and lifted a few of those small burdens that have been weighing heavy on me (almost feels like bricks laying on my chest, for real). I don’t know how many of you can relate!

I have made some tough decisions through this time and will be forced to grow in those decisions through the next few months… NOT TO MENTION COVID-19 (but lets stand clear of that uncertainty for today). My partner and I have had some really tough conversations and have been moving into a small home with two full households worth of items (not to mention three dogs – two large and one shmedium). It has been stressful to say the least…

What am I going to do for consistent income? Where am I being lead? Why am I here?

And the answers are right in front of me:

“Have I not command you? Be Strong and courageous. Do not be afraid. Do not be discouraged. For the Lord your God will be with you where you go.”
Joshua 1:9

“For though I fall, I will rise again. Though I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light.”
Micah 7:8

This is the season of waiting, and I’m mean to be here.

XO- Love, Joy, Happiness

The Essentials

Joyful Dog Mom

If you have been following, you know I have recently become vegan (four months or so).
I also have been using vegan hair care, skin care, and even deodorant (I know… WUT).
But I have also started incorporating some VERY important items in my daily routine.

In the morning, I take my B12 ( A MUST FOR THE VEGAN PEEPS ) and then I drink 8-12 ounces of water with two drops of lemon oil and a tumeric capsule.

  • BENEFITS OF LEMON ESSENTIAL OIL :
    TASTES GREAT – I just mainly to detox my body, flush any bad toxins – It can be used to ease any Digestive issues – soothes sore throat – calms anxiety, depression, and any nervous tension.
  • BENEFITS OF INGESTING TUMERIC OIL :
    JOINT SUPPORT – mainly for an active lifestyle – helps support healthy inflammatory response – also helps fight free radicals against oxidative damage.

Throughout the day, I ingest either wild orange or grapefruit depending on what I am doing (this also helps me drink more water because it tastes sooooo good)

  • BENEFITS OF WILD ORANGE :
    Boosts immune system (especially if I’m not feeling normal) and it can also improve digestion. It’s one drop to every 4 ounces (JUST LIKE LEMON OR GRAPEFRUIT). You can also inhale in you’re feeling anxious or need a mid day pick me up.
  • BENEFITS OF GRAPEFRUIT :
    CAN HELP INCREASE WEIGHT LOSS – is a natural antioxidant – great for clearing toxins to skin… ALSO TASTES GREAT.

At night, I apply breathe to my chest with my nightly lotion. I also use DEEP BLUE lotion if I’m sore from my workouts ( I WAS A COLLEGIATE / PROFESSIONAL PITCHER AND HAVE NOT FOUND A BETTER PRODUCT TO BREAK UP SORENESS IN MY MUSCLES – 10/10 RECOMMEND).

I USE VARIOUS OILS THROUGHOUT THE DAY – honestly depends on what’s going on in my day to day but I feel like a new person… They have really helped on my anxious days to soothe me and keep me grounded, where I need to be.

If you want more information on the products I use please follow link:

ESSENTIAL OILS

Love, Joy, Happiness ALWAYS.

Veganism- ISH

Joyful Dog Mom

Good Morning All,

So, this morning I have decided to talk about the beginning of our Vegan journey.
I have always joked with my fiancé about becoming vegan and she was NEVER on board with anything I said… She LOVED meat and everything that comes with it (butter, milk, milk fat, etc…) I mean who doesn’t honestly?

Any who, I came home from a dinner with my job at the time where we were showered in steak, chicken, cake, mashed potatoes with extra butter (you name it); when I came home she had two documentaries pulled up 1. #TheGameChangers (a documentary that came out in 2018 which explains how meat decreases athletic ability almost immediately after consuming… Also goes into detail about what meat does to the male body but I’m not going into that topic). And 2. #WhatTheHealth (a documentary that talks about the meat industry and how it is basically taking over the United States… It’s disgusting and I would not recommend watching on an empty stomach). After those two documentaries, we were both nauseous and sold on veganism.

A few things I want to point out:
1. It has certainly not been as hard as we thought, there are SO MANY vegan options in our local Kroger and Publix, also plenty on amazon.com (which I will post later about all of the products we use and LOVE).
2. We have never felt a lack of energy or fullness – which is more than likely due to the natural energy we began consuming with being plant based.
3. We LOVE the weight aspect – my partner lost 18 pounds just from being plant based in the first 3 weeks and we haven’t gained any weight through the entire process (even when alcohol has been heavier than normal because you know… Covid-19).
4. We have actually SAVED money – our meals usually consist of fresh food that is filling and actually inexpensive (which we never thought was possible).

I LOVE IT – I find treats and small vegan wins every time I go grocery store shopping and no, plant-based cookies still aren’t the best option for your body over a salad but it’s okay to splurge every now and again!

I’m not writing this to make anyone VEGAN to save the planet or anything but those documentaries will open your eyes to a lot of unknown steps the meat industry takes for us consumers to eat food that’s not exactly natural… and that’s certainly not for me. I also find joy in saving water for our planet and a few animals along the way. It’s a win win for me!

Until next time, Love, Joy and Happiness to all!

The question of why me?

Joyful Dog Mom

I began this blog as an outlet, which I clearly lost sight of… I should have kept it up and I plan to do so. Again, I have been working for the last three years as a Division 1 assistant coach and am transitioning out of coaching currently. A part of me wants to stay in it, fight for the passion, and a part of me feels as if I’m being lead somewhere else. Now, this could mean somewhere back in the same profession or it could mean I am meant to lead elsewhere.

I have always been told “you’re so good with athletes” “you’re so kind and helpful” “you’re very good at what you do” and yet, here I am moving towards a change and down a different road.

So me being a human being, I first feel sorry for myself (as we all do to some degree). And then I am soon reminded by no one other than God himself that I need to be where my feet are.

He sends me very simple reminders: a random text from a friend, unpacking a box and finding a picture of a time I was happy or sad (always a good reminder either way), having my newly-blind dog find his way to me while I’m crying (will post my dudes story soon)…
Whatever it is that reminds me, I know that a lot of people struggle with change. We struggle with our identity… WHO AM I? WHO AM I MEANT TO BE? WHY IS THIS HAPPENING TO ME?

I am currently changing my identity and let me tell you, it HAS NOT been easy.

My newish fiancé is really trying to find common ground with my highs and lows but she is still here, oh did I mention I am engaged to another woman? Not that this is an issue by any means but my identity has always been something I had to figure out by myself. In the here and now, WHERE MY FEET ARE.

My workouts, my food, my writing, my reading, decisions I make, friends I choose to call… all of these needs to align with what I want. Where I am.

I am excited about my future;
We are moving in together, we are newly vegan (will post about at another time) and we are newly engaged (I can also add our engagement story in another post). And I am finding out what I am made of, outside of collegiate athletics… which has consumed my life for the last 21 years.

At the end of everyday,
God is so good. He gives me grace and He will continue to lead me and my heart – and for that I am thankful.

Love, Joy, Happiness Always (well most of the time)