Hi! I am Mary, wife, mom of 4, and reside in North San Diego County, Encinitas, California. I was born in Detroit, Michigan, and moved to California when I was 16. I graduated high school in 1988 from San Dieguito High School got married in 1993, moved to Chiapas, Mexico in 1994, and had my first child in 1995, the other 3 in 1997, 1999, & 2001.
My blog – a lifestyle guide
My lifestyle blog is basically a guide to help you live your best life! I have been through it all: marriage, babies, teenagers, full-time jobs while managing a household, therapy, anxiety, depression, menopause… and now I want to help you get through it all too. Staying goal orientated, relying on God to help me raise my kids, and lots of laughs and love, have given me the motivation to live a happy, healthy lifestyle!
Hobbies – what I love
My hobbies include researching ways to be a better version of myself and I love inspirational quotes to stay positive. I use Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) to help guide me through life’s challenges (symptoms like insomnia, stress, stomach ailments), beauty practices like Gua Sha & oil cleansing, as well as journaling, to help me stay grounded & focused. You can also find me researching items for my home and wardrobe on Amazon.Â
Why I started my blog
I started this blog to share my experiences with family, friends, and anyone else who needs some help staying positive while raising kids. But it turned into something much more than that: it became a way for me to work through the challenges of menopause and be at peace with myself. When my own menopause symptoms started to kick in, I did some research into what other moms were doing to get relief, and then I tried a few things out myself. Now that my kids are older and my hormones have settled down, I want to share those tips with you so you can stay positive while raising your kids or dealing with your symptoms! I enjoy helping others feel good about themselves and hope I can inspire you to live your best life, no matter what phase you are in.
Menopause Lifestyle
Menopause is a hard time for many women—not just because of the physical changes, but also because of the emotional challenges it brings. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed and exhausted, especially if you’re still dealing with kids at home or at school. You may find yourself feeling isolated and confused about what is going on with your body and mind. My goal is to help you find ways to stay positive during this transition, so you can make the most out of this new chapter in your life!
I am here for you
Whether you are just starting your family, going through menopause yourself, or need some advice on how to deal with someone who is going through menopause, I hope my blog helps you along your journey! Please comment below where you are from and details about yourself. I would love to know! XOXO
Please direct all sponsorship, media, and other inquiries to my contact page.
Hello. You have written a very inspiring text that everyone should read. Sometimes it is normal to be depressed and anxious, but it is important to find a bright spot and a way out of the problem. My opinion is that children have an important role in all of this. They are our support and give us strength. We also have to work on ourselves constantly so that we don’t feel worthless and invisible.
Thank you for your comment. I totally agree with you. Depression and anxiety are real problems in our society and must be addressed, especially with our children. Where are you from? Do you have children?
Oh Mary! I’m just a few years behind you – the menopause thing is actually kinda scaring me. 😆 I live in British Columbia with 5 kiddos, three still living at home full-time, the oldest two in university. I sure love being a mama, and I’m not sure I’m ready for all of the changes that keep happening.
Excited to have found your blog and to follow along.
Hi Shannon, the menopause thing scared me too. The thing is my mom passed away 21 years ago and my sister had breast cancer (after chemo, she went into forced menopause with no symptoms), so I had no one in my family to ask about what they experienced. So I had to turn to other moms and doctors to see if what I was experimenting with was normal, but I learned everyone is different. I hope my blog helps you in your journey! XOXO Mary
Hi Mary,
it’s good to see that there are still people out there who are trying to help people stay positive, especially important nowadays.
In your introduction, you mention that you are doing beauty practice as a hobby. I have a question about this. I’ve been wanting to try gua sha for a long time but I don’t know if it would really help my skin problems, apart from the fact that it feels good. I have had very badly inflamed acne on my face for years. I have now managed to reduce them, but they are still painful. Do you think gua sha could help with this problem? Maybe I could massage the oils into my skin better with it than by hand?
Hi! Thanks for your comment. Yes, I believe that gua sha can help with your skin problems. The first step is using a good skin cleanser, not a foamy one. I use Living Libations Seabuckthorn Oil, click here for the article link. I like to use exfolliating skin rounds for deeply cleansing, (but use my hands sometimes too) like the ones that are used when you get a professional facial. Here is the link for those, click here. I hope this helps! XOXO Mary
I think we must be around the same age as I also finished high school in 1987. My, that feels like ages ago. Now we (my friends from school and I) are starting with thoughts about menopause and hoping it doesn’t affect us too badly.
I am glad to see that this blog is going to be a great resource that I can refer back to if things get too bad. It is always comforting to know that you are not the only one going mad and that many others have the same symptoms as you.
Hi Michel, I think we are around the same age too:) I totally agree with you. Not all of us in menopause suffer the same symptoms, but knowing you have resources to get you through, makes it a bit easier! My main symptom is insomnia, but I try TCM and herbal teas, which help! (no hot flashes, I’m always cold) Thanks for your support! XOXO Mary