A T T H E P A R K ' S

Well, today's the day. It has been four years since we lost our precious little one. If you haven't read the story, you can find it here . This is the first anniversary that I can actually say I haven't had any tears today, just joy for what's to come when we meet in heaven. Wow! I never imagined I'd be able to say that but, well, I've had some breakthrough. That's not to say that I'll forget, because I will never forget. However, I'm at peace. Let me back up. After our tragedy, I struggled. Well actually, I struggled for almost three years. My heart was fighting God and I was angry at what had happened, bitter, anxious, and depressed. On top of that, I was physically struggling with an autoimmune disease and its repercussions. My heart and body wanted to be healed and whole again but I had no idea how I could ever get there. I thought my body had betrayed me and I thought I'd have to fight this for the rest of my life. At times, my thoug...

As some of you may know, I wrote a review on The Simply Co. laundry powder detergent (you can read that here ) last year. We've been using it for a year and a half now and have loved it. It's a great natural detergent, smells amazing, and works as advertised. As much as I have loved this detergent though, we've been trying to find ways we can spend less money each month and this was one area I thought I could save. Since the ingredients of The Simply Co. detergent are labeled on the glass jar, I thought I'd just give it a try. Since I didn't know the exact amount of each ingredient, I went to Pinterest and found a recipe here . HOMEMADE LAUNDRY POWDER DETERGENT INGREDIENTS 1 Bar Castile Soap  - update, I use this kind now (recommended) 1 Cup  Baking Soda 1 Cup  Washing Soda Organic Essential oil (optional, I use Lavender) INSTRUCTIONS Finely grate your bar of castile soap. Mix in all ingredients together. Add 2-3 drops of your fa...

So this is one of those topics that I've shied away from sharing, at least here on the blog, in large detail. However, over the last few months, I've felt like I've needed to share my story. Not because I want sympathy. Not because I want pity. If anything, because I'd like to share how God is working in my life and in our lives as a couple and as a family. In case you're new to this blog, here is the quick backstory. After our first year of trying to expand our family, getting pregnant , our loss , and eight tumors later, we had to wait about five months after the second surgery  before we could start trying again. After another year of negative pregnancy tests, in January of 2016, we decided to go in for infertility testing. Here we are a year and a half later (almost five years since we first started trying) and our journey continues. Before I share what's going on currently, let's go back to January of 2016 when the infertility testing beg...

The further down the path of natural health I go in dealing with my autoimmune disease and the repercussions of it, I'm finding more and more ways to take control of my health. My goal has been to slowly eliminate chemicals as best as I can in my personal care products. So today I'm excited to share with you my zero waste, all natural, three ingredient DIY toothpaste. Not only is this toothpaste super quick to whip up, it will save you money from buying drugstore toothpaste and will be much better for your oral health. OK, let's get into it! Ready? Go! INGREDIENTS 3 TABLESPOONS OF COCONUT OIL 1.5 TABLESPOONS OF BAKING SODA (OPTIONAL) 10-15 DROPS OF PEPPERMINT ESSENTIAL OIL The original recipe I found here , though I've decreased the amount of essential oils. Measure your coconut oil and baking soda, then mix together in a glass dish. I didn't need to warm up the coconut oil because our apartment was about eighty degrees when I made the f...

Over the years, I've found that if I buy a tote bag, I'll likely fill it to the brim. If I purchase a cross body bag or even a clutch, I'm forced to carry only the essentials. It's the same in a physical space like our homes and it's the same in our digital space.  Today I'd like to share with you steps you can take to simplify and declutter your online life. Recently I came across the term digital minimalism from  No Sidebar  and thought the term was perfect for what I was trying to encapsulate. Digital Minimalism is a mindset of questioning which digital communication tools are necessary for your happiness. Whether it be email, social media, or general internet consumption, the purpose of this philosophy is to question whether or not they add value to your life. -No Sidebar What I'm about to tell you might shock you or even cause you to have pity on us. JP and I got rid of our smart phones in April of 2016 and we haven't looked back...