Connection, Motivation, and Reinvention

Amazing, wonderful, and stressful events have taken place since my last entry. Life has definitely taken some turns, sudden dips, and even a little (ok, a lot of) back tracking. All in all though, I am still enjoying the life I have created and how I choose to live it!

I am quite surprised how much I have changed and grown in the past year. Forgotten dreams, exhausted resources, health, and family issues took a huge toll. I ended up putting almost every project I had been working on and putting effort into to the wayside, sidelining my spirituality, and taking a huge break from everything. I had, unfortunately, lost myself completely. I had given so much of myself to everyone else that I had forgotten the most important person to give effort to---myself! It is true, you can't pour from an empty cup. Believe me... I TRIED!

The thing was, I didn't even realize that it was happening! It wasn't until a very close friend of mine asked me what my dream for the future was. I responded with all the dreams and goals that our family has for the future. She told me what amazing goals those were for us. Her next question left me dumbfounded for months! 

"But what about YOUR dream?" 

I had no answer for her. Matter of fact, I didn't even have an answer for myself. I had a journal with a quote on the cover that read "A goal is a dream with a deadline". I had meant to use it to keep myself on track. When I tried to write in it, I'd sit and stare at a blank page for what seemed like hours. It never sank in though that the reason was as life altering as it turned out to be. It was no wonder that I had lost all my joy, I had lost myself. I decided then and there that I needed to rediscover myself. Not only did I start out with the goal to discover my own dreams, but I decided to do something radical. I was going to fall in love... with MYSELF! 

I began the only way I knew how. Writing. I journaled religiously. Not my usual bitch about my day, relive fun events through written word, kind of writing. I journaled with a purpose. The first part of my entry was a paragraph or two about my day. The second was 5 affirmations about myself and the life I want. The third was probably the most important to me. It was a section where I chose something I loved about myself as well as something I currently hated. The catch was that I could only speak of both things in positive ways. Let me tell ya, after two weeks of writing in this section I started to find it was very hard to find things I didn't like anymore. I saw myself in a whole new way. Those who know me best know what a feat this was for me. I had had horrible self-esteem for many many years. Lastly, I had a section where I wrote a letter to the future me. 

After about two months, an unanticipated emergency trip to the hospital, and a whole lot of soul searching I reconnected to my spirituality. I am not sure why or how it happened. All of a sudden though, I was filled with a burning desire to create! I needed  magick. In a way I hadn't felt in a long time. I could feel the stir of the Earth and the Gods calling to me once again. I handed my oldest the bongos, the youngest his bells, and I grabbed the sage stick that had laid dormant far too long. We smudge the ever living daylights out this house! The negative energy that usually kept itself hidden in the dark corners was everywhere! When we finished cleansing, warding, and blessing our home, it was like the fog lifted from all of us. There were so many giggles, games, and impromptu dance parties that followed! It is sad to admit but I had forgotten how to just have fun. Even my husband was throwing snowballs into the house again when the oldest decided to be just a bit too stodgy and cool for us old folks. 

I hate admitting that I had forgotten how to laugh and have fun with my rowdy group of boys. Everyone had noticed, except me. Rather than get down about the past though, I actively catch myself, and (sometimes) force myself to find the joy. I had a disastrous evening in the kitchen one day not too long ago. Before I would have completely lost it. Instead, I found the humor and laughed the entire night. 

About a week after that incident, I grabbed that goal/dream journal, and instead of staring at the pages, I wrote. And wrote. And wrote! I filled 5 pages with a cohesive plan and destination for my dreams, my soul's desires!! I had not only rediscovered myself. I fell in love with myself, for what is very likely the first time ever. I had also reconnected with my family, both biological and spiritual. I rediscovered my lost passion for things that I had loved and let fall to the side (this blog being one of them). 

Unfortunately, in today's society it is so easy to lose yourself. Especially when you are a mother and expected to be this superwoman who is capable of, literally, everything. Everyone else's needs, wants, and desires come before your own. It's a horrible reality when you realize that you haven't a single dream that is your own. Don't be ashamed or scared to do what's good for you as a person, an individual. Self care... it is that important! 

Dear Reader, what's your dream? Think about it. Dig deep and discover something you may have forgotten. When we are kids and someone asks us our dreams, we spew ridiculous and outlandish things. We believe them too, until someone tells us we can't. Ignore what you've been told... Dream big! Achieve big! If no one else believes in you... believe in yourself. If you need a friend's support, feel free to email me! I will gladly give you the encouragement you are in need of! Everyone should have someone to smile, listen, and say "YES!! YOU CAN DO IT!!"

Brightest Blessings!!
     )O(

It's in the air!

Winter is on it's last legs and Spring is just around the corner. When transitioning from one season to the other, now is the best time to rid your home of that stagnant energy and dirt that has built up over the winter. I don't mean your everyday dirt, but the stuff you find under stoves and behind fridges. 

There are multiple ways to start cleaning, my favorite is a pre-clean. By that I mean washing out the vacuum, brooms, disinfecting sponges and rags. Yup, can't clean a house with dirty tools. I also energetically clean the tools I use and enchant them with certain properties. The broom, I slide the handle off and slip a clear quarts in the hollow to amplify my intent for sweeping away negative energy. The rags/sponges are cleansed with moon water to charge them with restorative energies for healing the destructive energy in the house. 

I also whip up one of my favorite spells. It's an absorption spell that sucks up and cleanses the negative energy in the room I am working in. It's super easy and quick but wholly effective!

Start with a small bowl and add white salt and lemon juice.  I throw a clear quartz in there for added oomph. I use a wooden kitchen spoon, but you could use your finger (as long as there are no cuts) to stir the mix deosil (or clockwise). The incantation I use varies depending on what room I am cleaning and the exact purpose I need the mix for. Sometimes I use it just to clear the air after someone in the house gets angry with another family member. I carry the bowl with me from room to room. And let it do it's job while I clean and stir up energy. 

Always clean the house in a widdershins direction (counterclockwise) and do so with intent, purpose and positivity. You can use your cleaning routine as a working meditation. Sweep, dust, scrub, all of it in widdershins. It is meant to banish the energy rather than invoke and encourage it to stay.  

I always keep rose quartz in the 4 corners of our home to promote and encourage love and happiness. I take my pre-clean time to swap out the "old" quartz and replace it with freshly charged quartz. 

A quick extra tip here...

Listen to upbeat happy music while cleaning! It'll lift your spirits and help you pour positive energy into your work and your home. 

Once you get all the pre-clean prep done, enjoy making your house a welcoming, warm, loving place to be! 

Happy cleaning!
      )O(

My Why

It's no secret that I am a direct sales consultant. I love direct sales. I get to work one on one with all my customers. I'm my own boss, work force, and marketing! I've gone through 4 different DS companies and Perfectly Posh is, by far, the best one I have ever worked for! 

Besides having products that I am madly in love with and the flexibility to create my own schedule, Perfectly Posh does things differently and really allows their consultants a freedom that most companies don't. There are basic rules to follow, but they are common sense rules. I'm allowed to advertise any way I want, they encourage sampling whatever way you want, and have the most supportive consultants I've ever come across! 

None of those reasons, although great reasons, are my reason WHY I chose them as a company. So what is my why? Why am I so driven to be a Posh consultant? I'm a bath product junkie! I have more pampering products than I know what to do with. I love new and different. More than that, I love effective products! Perfectly Posh has the natural based products that I was looking for at a price that low enough to indulge my habit! 

The products I sell are so addictive that I felt the NEED to share them with everyone and I know, and those I don't! I believe that everyone deserves to be pampered. Even if it's just as quick as lotioning your hands. 

If you are interested in or have questions about Perfectly Posh, please feel free to email me or leave me a comment below. 

You can also check out products and order from my Perfectly Posh site.

Brightest Blessings and Happy Pampering!

)O(

March 14th's weekly recap

This week has brought a lot of changes. It seems this entire year has been chocked full of them; big and small and most for the better. 

As the snow melts and the ground grows soggy I can't help but be excited for what is to come this year. Lush gardens, bigger house, paint colors, and SPACE! So much space I have a hard time wrapping my brain around what I am going to do with it. Besides the change of locations that is soon to come, the behavior in our household has improved remarkably! I was having such a behavioral issue with our oldest and couldn't figure out what was going on. Apparently the weather had more of an impact on him this year than I thought. On all of us as a matter of fact. 

My work has evolved and changed, I no longer sell Pure Romance. Not because I didn't enjoy it. I thoroughly did. But Perfectly Posh is just so much easier to sample out and sell. That and I am completely in love with their product line. But more about Posh tomorrow. 

Since the weather broke the boys and I have taken time everyday to be outside, go for walks, and enjoy being together. Without the pressure of school, work, or clutter that has condensed since last fall. Every winter it happens... clutter collects. 

Spring cleaning is always my favorite time of the year. I truly enjoy making everything right again. I decided this year to take a deep clean a day approach to the spring cleaning. Each day I will thoroughly deep clean each room of the house. Walls washed, base boards scrubbed, floors steamed, and pack the non-essentials as I go. 

As much as I enjoyed the past week, I am definitely looking forward to the scrub down to come! Time to indulge in an amazing lunch cooked up by yours truly, Chicken Lasagna Roll Ups. 

Brightest Blessings!
        )O(

The Yoga Garden

At first this title sounds like a yoga studio, serene and beautiful. Or perhaps a quiet garden where you can do your sun salutations at day break in the quiet of the morning. Wrong in both cases! It's a fantastic cooperative game for children (Though I know adults who love it too).

There is no racing to the finishing line or seeing who can get the most cheese. Just traveling around a board, working together to bring the flowers to full bloom before night falls, all the while stretching and doing yoga poses. 

I've had this game since my almost 12 year old was 5. We play it almost religiously a few times a week. My oldest is starting to outgrow it, but he will still play with the toddler. Matter of fact, my father who never did yoga in his life will play this game, and enjoys it! I've noticed the men in my life are lacking flexibility! 

This game has the ability to teach children focus. It can also be very calming and a great game to play before bed or nap time. Equally, it is great for just waking up and starting the day.  

The Yoga Garden Game  is $19.95, wonderfully constructed, vibrant in colors and lasts forever. Like I said, we've had it for almost 8 years and it's still in mint condition....and I have boys! Click here to purchase your own Yoga Garden Game. 

For it's longevity, play-ability, all age group encompassing, and ability to hold a toddlers attention until the end of the game I give this game 10 out of 10! It was money very well spent! 

Brightest Blessings and Play On!

)O(

With Spring Comes Change

Yes, it is that time of year again. The sun is shining longer, the snow is melting, and the children are finally able to pull out their bikes to expend some energy. For me, that means being able to throw open the windows, wash down walls, nooks and crannies, and mop constantly because the dogs are tracking in mud. 

This is one of my favorite times of the year. 2015 Think Spring Cleaning is going to be a lot busier for me this year. Packed with cleaning, repairs, and... MOVING! That's right. We are moving. It's time to migrate from our little 2 bedroom 1 bathroom cape cod to a 4 bedroom 3 bathroom farmhouse! The excitement is, as always with me, tempered by a few apprehensions. 

We decided to move in early December and closed on the house a few days before January. There a a bit of work that needs to be done. Daddy is in the home repair business and I thoroughly enjoy working on the house and getting it ready to move in. Just like this one. We will be doing the work ourselves. No biggie there. The kids are very excited. And even though it has four bedrooms, the kids still want to share a room. That may change in the future. Though I am happy that they are so close. 

The baby always asks to go to the new house. We started a few minor repairs when we first got the house and he loved running around the empty rooms. A few of the rooms are slowly being filled with new furniture. We are trying to hold off until we are done repairing the house before we move everything over there. 

So how does a witch make a new house her own? Well, it's a process. the house had been vacant for so long that the energy is almost non-existent. It needs to be woken from dormancy and cleansed. As we fix her up the energy will stir and before we move in I plan to give her a good thorough smudging and house blessing. Once the energy starts flowing naturally I will do a heart of the home blessing as well. Every wall that is to be painted will first be marked with protective, abundance, and health runes; for the good of the house as well as the people and pets who dwell within her magickally reinforced walls. 

Ostara is coming....

Altars, inside and out, will be set up as we move in. The landscaping will be replaced (it's just a giant half dead bush) with magickal plants and runic wards. And gardens both food rich and magickal will be planted. There is so much to do. I am ecstatic. I can't wait to weave a magickal home again. 

How do you create your space? 

As we create our sacred space together I will share the journey, pitfalls, and joys of moving and creating a home. And any other events that take place during the process.

The Time Has Come...

Last night marked a turning point for me. 

I realize that my blog posts have been erratic and spontaneous. That I never really dedicated a specific time set for me to sit down and write. That has been detrimental to both my sanity and the blog. 

After a lot of indecisiveness and semi-confusion, I decided that it's time to take my blogging far more seriously. I have wonderful readers and you all deserve better. Rather than wait for inspiration to strike me, I am going to be setting time aside each day to brainstorm ideas, write, and promote Stay-At-Home Witchery. 

It is time to bring more focus and direction to my blog (and my daily schedule). I am going to step up my posts and move Stay-At-Home Witchery to a new domain. My businesses are starting to take a prominent role in my life. I want to make Stay-At-Home Witchery a part of that rather than get lost in the background. I do not want my blog to just be a hobby blog anymore. During the transition I will keep this blog for a time, posting on both blogs as I see fit. 

If any of my wonderful readers have post ideas, questions, or are just curious about something, I encourage you to email me or leave me a comment! I love to write FOR people. Expect to start seeing 2 posts a week, bare minimum. 

I have a lot of new and exciting ventures going on this year. Lots of brain fodder ^_^. Expect an array of topics coming soon, from home repairs, moving, and selling a house to making a magickal home and raising magickal children. This is going to be a busy year! I hope you all come along for the ride!

Brightest Blessings!

        )O(

Dealing with Death

In honor of the life of my Grandfather (April 7th 1928 - February 16th 2015), who passed into the next life this morning, I dedicate this post.

"For death is certain to one who is born...thou shalt not grieve for what is unavoidable."

Death is truly the one thing that equates everything on this planet. Everything has a life span. Be it natural, forced, or accidental; Death will find us all. For that reason alone, it is rare that I mourn a death. I celebrate the life the person lived. No matter how long or short it may have been, the moments are what were important in someone's existence. 

My Grandfather was a brilliant man. He taught my brother, cousin, and I a lot as we grew up. He would read to us. Where the Red Fern Grows being one of my favorites. He'd recite poetry 'Cremation of Sam Mcgee' being my favorite. There were stories that graced our morning drives to school and races to see who could fasten their seat belts the fastest. And every single morning he would sing to us... When You're Smiling by Louis Armstrong. 

Oddly enough, it's the first thing I woke up with stuck in my brain. 



We learned how to shoot, hunt, make bullets, and whittle. He had given us kids each a case of matches, a metal bowl and showed us how to light matches. We spent months lighting and blowing out those matches and burning the spent matches into ashes. Haha, probably not the safest thing to do, but we never felt the need to light a match outside of that time period. 

There were canisters worth of old gunpowder "domino" lines drawn and lit on the driveway. He was always teaching though. Everything he did had purpose and taught us something. I truly wish that my children had known that Opa, rather than the post stroke Opa they grew up with. Although, even the first stroke didn't keep him from getting down on the floor and playing cars with my oldest until he was 7 or so. 

He camped, hunted, built a cabin, boated, fished, and took time to feed us sugared butter bread (it was a depression era thing apparently). 

I believe that remembering the life lived is far more important than the death. I honored him in my way. I spent some time at my altar, asked the ancestors to guide his soul and lit an eternal candle to help lead his spirit to where he deserves to be. It will burn for the next three days. I'll do the standard viewing and funeral that my family sets up as well. He's my Grandfather after all. 

My kids took it very differently. The youngest is too young to really get it. My oldest shut down. He's starting to come out of his shell at the time of this post . We all process differently and I support that. He knows he's loved and he knows I'm here if he wants or needs to talk. 

Rest with the ancestors Opa, I will see you next lifetime. 

Over Excitement....

Many times, and even I am guilty of this, a path can speak to us so strongly that we instantly get swept up into the mysticism of something new and over do it. 

I have run into many people who are very gun-ho on the draw when it comes to learning about a new path in the beginning. As time drags on however, the romanticism of the new fades and you're left with sometimes textbook style learning. It happens. Honestly, it is very important for the history and background of the path to be known just as much as it is for each individual spell and candle color. The old adage, 'If you don't know where you come from, how do you know where you are going?' is very true. Especially when it comes to a spiritual path, in my opinion. You have to know what your convictions are.

There is nothing wrong with researching a new path. But take your time with it. Don't take on more than you can handle! It is very easy to get confused. I've studied for 18 years and the first 3 years kind of all blend together because I did so much at once. I've had to go back and redo what I've already done, just to straighten out facts in my own head/books. 

I love the enthusiasm a new person brings to the table. That thirst to learn. It's intoxicating for a teacher and we want to throw everything we know at them! Sometimes, it's hard even for us to reign ourselves in and remember to slow it down and not overwhelm the new person. 

I, unlike many teachers, get to have students of many different paths. My lesson plans never consist of the same material twice. I have Druidic students, Heathens, Celtic non-Druids, and even a Wiccan or two. My advice to teachers and students alike is to make sure you keep a constant dialogue. If you feel (as a student) you are being overwhelmed, say so! As a teacher, if you need to know if your student can handle more information, ASK! 

Finding your way through this maze of tangled trees should be an adventure for all involved!

Think Spring

For those of us dreaming of sunny days...

Herbal Sun Tea

What you will need:
A clear glass jar {1 Qt or larger}
A will to collect herbs {1 C/Qt}
Water
A sunny day

1. Collect and rinse a couple handfuls of your favorite herbs, fruits and/or flowers. To be honest, I don't always rinse mine. I personally like the opportunity to boost my immunity and am a fan of bacteria and microbes in my own personal intake {of course within reason}.

2. Say a little thank you for the nourishment {as long as feels good and that you have time for}. If you have the time make a longer walk of it!

3. Place your findings in a clear glass jar, cover herbs completely with cool water and place the lid on your jar. Use one cup of herbs per quart of water.

4. Give your jar a few gentle shakes to ensure all the herbs are well coated. This is a nice time to set an intention, set in some of your juju, and give some more thanks.

5. Place your jar of solstice tea in a sunny spot on the grass, porch or table for at least 3-5 hours. The warmer the day, the less time you may need.

Placing your jar on the grass is a lovely way to embrace the energy of the Sun and the Earth. If it will be out in mostly high noon sun, which come from directly above, you may want to consider placing it on its side for a higher sunlight to glass jar exposure. Allow this to sit for

6. Let your sun tea sit throughout the day to soak up this Solstice Sunshine. When you get home you can strain it and enjoy your favorite tea ritual 

Herbal Suggestions:
Calendula Flowers (Calendula officinalis): A favorite herb of many with gorgeous orange blooms and a sunny disposition all around. It is used topically to heal wounds quite commonly and I have seen it effective as a gargle for swollen lymph glands. It is anti-microbial, increases immunity, and to be honest, I have listed it here mostly because of it's beautiful good cheer! As for topical use, I have found it to be initially moistening, nourishing and repairing followed by drying. I also love to use the oil under my eyes if I ever wake up a little but puffy eyed and it works wonders. Also adds a bit of a gold glow to the skin.

Dandelion Leaf and Flower (Taraxacum officinale): If all of America stopped trying to evict this beautiful flower from their front yards we would have a whole lot less edema and constipation and a whole lot more joy and wishes made true from their beautiful yellow blossoms.

Just kidding. Well maybe...

Dandelion leaf is high in potassium, high in Vitamin A, delicious in salads, tasty in teas, and an excellent diuretic {encourages urination}. The potassium-diuretic connection is especially important because most diuretics are known to deplete potassium from your system. So...Dandelion=two birds one stone when in comparison and can be used in tea form {dry or fresh} or tincture form.

The leaves are most delicious when picked just prior to flower. As they age they become a bit more bitter and this is the same with the flower.

The roots are only slightly bitter and also a bit sweet. When chopped and toasted the roots can make a delicious coffee replacement {with chicory and carob as well}. I find the tea from the dried roots to be very drying, almost puckering to the mouth if you drink too much for your own body type.Though, I have not seen this in everyone.

http://nourish-mindbodyspirit......lcome.html

Pink hair...

It all started with pink hair. One day I realized that my life needed a shake up, a wake up, and a change up!! My life had become stagnant. Shocking considering that I am always packing my day full of things to do, but that is just it, I was filling my day with STUFF to do because I was trying to avoid being in my own head. Well, I came to a point in my life where I wanted to shake things up and wake up to what was going on around me.

I finally realized that I need more head space for myself. Big surprise, a mom who needs time to think! Just 20 minutes a day makes a huge difference. This revelation came when I went and got my hair "renovated" I dyed it black, purple, and pink. A far cry from the boring black that I always dyed it before. Many of the following choices that I made were strictly for me. Working from home has been wonderful and definitely needed. I work hard at my job and love what I do.

I also decided that I am going to be starting my own apothecary line as well. But first I need to save up some money from Pure Romance.

I enjoy running, organizing, and operating small business ventures. For those of you who do not know... we are moving in March(ish). We have a lovely new house that is almost double the size of our tiny two bedroom-er. Our zoo, we are an animal loving family, needs room to spread out.

This year is and has been a year of big changes. I'm excited to see what this year brings for me and my family. To think, it all started with pink hair....

Brightest Blessings
        )O(

To my Mommy's...

That's right.... I am shamelessly admitting that I needed to find a way to put my brain to use in an adult manner (outside the home) and get a job. Not one that took up too much of my time, seeing as I homeschool and take care of a toddler during the day. 

I wanted to do something fun and empowering. Now, I am not a shy person by any stretch. I love sex, have no problems talking about it, or even answering questions about it. I have a wealth of knowledge that I don't mind sharing either. I've noticed more and more that women don't know their own bodies, let alone their own sexuality. I wanted to help empower women to take that back and own what is theirs!

So I hooked up with a friend and began doing Pure Romance. It is a company that, yes sells bedroom enhancement products, but also focuses on educating women about their bodies and their sexuality. I love, and mean LOVE what I do. 

I get to meet a lot of wonderful, fun, and amazing women! I get paid to party. That's right I get paid to party. And I get to work as little or as much as I chose. My goal is about 2-3 parties a month. And that is low-balling. I do internet parties. I do in-person parties. I'm flexible. In the short time I've been doing this, I've been the #1 sales 2 out of 3 months. And I hardly work. 

We have products that sell themselves, great teams that support you and help you as much as possible, and fun. That's right.... we have FUN. Each party is tailored to the hostess's needs, be it a birthday party, bachlorette party, or just a product launch. 

If you are interested in throwing a party message me on Facebook or email me and we can set something up. If you'd like more information on becoming a consultant because this sounds like something you would be interested in doing, by all means, contact me!! Trust me... it is a blast and completely worth it!!


Brightest blessings
       )O(

New Year's Day

While everyone else will undoubtedly be posting about resolutions and the upcoming year I will not be. Instead I would like to have a Closing Ceremony for 2014. There are things that are very important to realize and take the time to let go of before starting a new year. Now I bet you're thinking, 'Why didn't you do this at the end of last year?'. True, these things should be done at the close of last year, however with all the planning and holiday season stuff that goes on, does anyone really have time to sit down and reflect on an entire year? Not when you have kids!

First step in this process, think about the really big events that happened throughout the year. For me, it was my 1 year anniversary of my marriage (we've been together for 7 though). It became a big family affair because they felt as though they missed out because we eloped. There was a lot of stress and anger that revolved around that time period. The event itself was beautiful and I had a good time. Switching from public school to homeschooling. It was a HUGE family dynamic shift but it was definitely for the best. Our family has benefited immensely from the change.   

Second step, review personal events, break-throughs, and breakdowns. There were many of all of these for me. Working on a children's book, returning to the work force and being a stay at home mom. There were just as many breakdown moments as well. Times when I just wanted to sit down, rip out my hair, and scream 'I quit!'. 

Third step, go over family centered events. Like the oldest's first tournament where he took a silver medal in sparring. Or Daddy starting his own company. Lastly, we just closed on a new house!

Fourth, time to let go of things that don't serve you anymore. Emotions, negative people who bring you down, bad habits. Time to say good bye to all of those things. Make a list and burn it. Rip it up and flush it down the toilet. Anything that symbolizes ridding yourself of these things. Say goodbye to the old for good. 

Now for the fun part... 

Lastly, let's invoke the new year! It's time to manifest and attract the things that you need and want in your life. Health, peace, happiness, wealth, you decide, YOU make it happen. Write down HOW you are going to make it happen. And release that into the universe. Be positive. Stay positive. Create a ritual to welcome the new (or maintain the positive) into your life.

I look forward to sharing with you in the new year! 

Brightest Blessings!
          )O(