As my kids are going back to school this week I’ve been thinking about all that we did this past summer.  It was filled with some amazing trips, visits with dear friends, and lots of fun in the sun. A major highlight was when my girls and I joined my mom and my niece for a trip to the island of Kauai. 

I’m swimming in gratitude as I reminisce about how our three generations came together in such a wondrous place and allowed nature to wash her magical healing powers over us.  Our week was filled with laughter, love and complete joy.

One of our most favorite experiences in Kauai was a tour of the Kauai Farmacy.   When we pulled up we were greeted by Mr Bigs, the most friendly cat. He actually jumped into our car to greet us and this began the love affair with the farm, especially for the girls. We then ventured on back to where they had a beautiful table setup with samples of all their teas for us to try and our tour began. We were taken through a portion of their farm that feels like you’re meandering through an enchanted garden.  Asher, our tour guide, encouraged us to taste everything they’re growing while meticulously explaining the healing properties of each plant. He took us through their kitchen and showed us how they dry their herbs for the tea, and make the tinctures and hydrosols. 

We were able to try almost everything they make and sell, and we loved it all. I can’t say enough about all of their products. You can taste the love, care and healing powers that’s put into everything they do on the farm.  

Since our trip I’ve been savoring each sip of the teas I brought home and soaking up the hydrosols, tinctures and salve.

Because I LOVE it so much I want to share it with you!

I have a special link for 10% off your first purchase.  (Click here for your 10% off)

Our favorite teas are the Immunitea, Women's Wellness and Love Potion, but they are all incredible!

The Comfrey Salve is our new go to for all areas that are sore, bruised, cut etc.  When we were still in Hawaii I got a blister on my foot from a pair of sandals I was wearing.  I put the Comfrey Salve on it that night and the next morning it was mostly gone!

Our time at the Kauai Farmacy was so magical, enlightening and fun that I had to share it with you.  

Even if you can’t plan a tour on the farm, you can still visit Kauai and all its wonder with a sip of their tea or a spray of a hydrosol.  (My girls love the Tulsi Hydrosol because it smells like the farm.)

Thank you Kauai Farmacy.  Our time with you ended up being our favorite experience on the island!

With love and gratitude,

Have you heard of Strength-Based Parenting?

I'm so excited to share this with you!  I heard an interview with Lea Waters, PhD  who wrote The Strength Switch: How The New Science of Strength-Based Parenting Can Help Your Child and Your Teen to Flourish.  You can listen to the interview here and check out her book on amazon here.

This interview with Waters, really struck me and I knew I needed to read her book.  Not only was I touched by her personal story of her childhood and her sister but I was intrigued, what would it be like if I could focus more on what my girls are doing right, what they are interested in, what comes more naturally to them instead of focusing on all the things that they need to improve, do better at and work on.  Was that even possible and how would that affect their self esteem, their confidence and our relationship?

So I purchased her book and dove right in.  I love her philosophy on Strength-Based Parenting. She breaks it down in a way that is approachable and relatable along with all the supporting case studies, data and practical ways to practice it.  

There is something about this newer field of Positive Psychology that enables me to breathe easier, it feels softer and more enjoyable… it makes life feel more promising and light...  It’s in alignment with my soul.

The Strength Switch is filled with relatable examples of how focusing and honoring your child’s strengths will have an overall positive effect on them and your relationship with them.  You’ll also find plenty of helpful practices guiding you to be more strength-based when navigating everyday life with growing children.

As Waters spells out, this isn’t about becoming a perfect parent (which isn’t approachable or realistic).  The practices in this book are to enable you to become more mindful of how you are parenting and will put you back in the driver's seat of parenting in a way that feels right to you and for the benefit of your children.

This is definitely a practice and I’m practicing it all the time.  

When I find myself caught in focusing on the weaknesses and getting upset, it’s usually because of some fictitious story I am telling myself about their future.  Such as, if I can’t get her to clean up her room now she’ll be one of those people who’s living with 60 cats and a mess everywhere.

This is a great example of what Gabby Bernstein calls ‘Future Tripping’.  Meaning, I’m not focusing on what’s happening right now, instead I’m letting my fears of the future take over and I’m responding to the present moment as if those future fears are true.  

As I’m sure you’re already realizing, this isn’t doing anyone any favors… and so it’s a practice. Back to the present. How can I support them, see them right now and honor who they are in this minute?  When I can truly see them in the present I see two beautifully loving, smart, caring, thoughtful and courageous girls.  Each with their own unique strengths.

I’m trying to find that subtle line between honoring, celebrating and encouraging their strengths yet still supporting them in using their strengths to navigate their weaknesses in a way that’ll carry them through life.

Leave a comment below! I'd love to hear about your favorite parenting styles and/or books.  And where do you find yourself getting stuck in adapting new ways of parenting?

 Love and gratitude,

Emotional Freedom Technique, EFT (or often referred to as tapping) is an evidence based technique used to release physical pain, negative emotions, limiting beliefs, food cravings, fears, phobias, childhood traumas, anxiety, stress, and the list goes on!  

This gentle technique involves self-applied tapping on meridian end points (like acupressure) in combination with a specific type of modern talk therapy.  By doing this simple yet powerful technique it allows you to heal your body naturally, bust through limiting beliefs about yourself, and no longer be defined by your past experiences.  You can start to live your life with the freedom to be your true authentic self!   

Here are 5 big reasons you should be using EFT Tapping...

1-REDUCES STRESS.  In just one 60 minute session of EFT Tapping your cortisol (which is the hormone your body produces when it's stressed) will be reduced by 24-50%.  This is extremely important considering that 60-90% of doctors visits are stress related. (Research by Perkins, 1994 cited in the Harvard Business Review)

2-RELEASES NEGATIVE EMOTIONS.   Harboring negative emotions keeps us stuck in the past.  Some of these negative emotions are sadness, anger, frustration, resentment, hurt, shame... what negative emotion do you want to get rid of?

3-RELIEVES PHYSICAL PAIN. Often the physical pain we are experiencing is keeping us from being able to enjoy our lives and   more often than not it's due to our emotional state.  Use EFT Tapping to release your negative emotions and you're body will thank you.

4-HEAL PAST TRAUMA.  When we're carrying around past trauma our life can be filled with anxiety, pain, fear and depression. EFT has been shown to be extremely effective in healing trauma by turning off the amygdala, which is the part of the brain that controls the fight or flight response. When tapping through past trauma, including those resulting in PTSD, you'll signal to the body that its okay to relax now, the trauma is over.  

5-ENJOY EMOTIONAL FREEDOM.  When you tap, you can finally find the emotional freedom you’ve been looking for… so you can live your life with freedom to show up and respond as your authentic self.

Ready to try it out?   

Below is a link for a  free video where I'll teach you how to use EFT Tapping to REDUCE your stress!  

Click here to watch a quick video taking you through the EFT Tapping points along with deep breathing which will allow your body to begin to relax and shed stress right now!  What are you waiting for?  

Love and gratitude,