A few weeks ago I shared my bathroom organization update featuring the new The Home Edit by iDesign line of bathroom products for The Container Store (see that post here). Since then the pictures of my bathroom have been shared all over Instagram – from The Container Store (here) and iDesign (here) all the way […]

On a regular basis, I get a ton of questions about living with Hashimoto’s (an autoimmune disease). The questions come mostly from Instagram but also from clients directly. A few weeks ago on Instagram I asked what people truly wanted to know about when it came to living and organizing my life around having an […]

True story: last week I had to take a power nap after dropping my kids off at school. The 5-minute walk home from school expended the remaining little energy that I had and I needed to fall asleep. Never in my decade of being a parent had I taken a nap “on the job”, but I could not respond to an email, get out my girls’ snacks, or deal with the mail and incoming packages at my doorstep until my body had a break. Kind of sounds pathetic, right? That kind of exhaustion is a tiny peek into what my life with Hashimoto’s disease is like.

When I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s disease, I was given a list of things that I could no longer eat, ingest, apply to my skin, etc.*. To say that I was overwhelmed would be a vast understatement, as the list was not only extremely long, but also included a lot of ingredients that I wasn’t familiar with. After further research, I realized that the ingredients that were found in my shampoo, lotions, storage containers, down to the type of cotton balls I use were no longer safe for me to use. Around the same time of my diagnosis, I saw an ad on Instagram for Brandless. Have you heard of the company?

Ever since I shared on the blog that I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s Disease (more on that here), I’ve received so much support and even more messages from people who are dealing with their own autoimmune diseases. Also, my eyes were opened to how many people are truly interested in learning more about my green lifestyle, and while I am still learning my new normal, I’m grateful to have an outlet to share my journey!

Since starting my journey to love a green lifestyle, I’ve been introduced to products that serve as safe alternatives to the products that once used to be in my home.

When I made the transition to rid my home of products that aren’t conducive to my life with Hashimoto’s (everything must be chemical-free), I was overwhelmed with where to begin. Would there be enough alternative products available? Would they work just as well as the products that I had been using over the years? The thing that I quickly realized is that there are so many great companies out there that create reliable, safe products for your home. I’ve stocked every place in my home (from my kitchen essentials to my beauty products) with these new finds.

There are some categories that are easier to declutter than others. For some people, it’s easy to discard old bills or clothing, while for others the thought of donating stuffed animals or books seems next to impossible. We all have those categories that are difficult to tackle. For me? My skincare and makeup. I know, I know…how can something that I put on my face be so tough to declutter? The sentimental association I have with the products makes it difficult for me to let go.

This has been a big year for me. I got married, made it through another back-to-school season, and even started the process of celebrating ten years in business (lots of changes coming soon).  Feeling run-down is the name of the game when you’re juggling a busy home and professional life, right? Pretty soon, though, I realized that I was dealing with more than just fatigue and a whole lot of stress.  After countless doctor’s appointments, I learned that I have Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, an autoimmune disease in which your immune system attacks your thyroid, a key gland responsible for regulating many of your body’s essential functions.  On the one hand, I was grateful to finally attach a name to what I have; however, I wasn’t (and maybe am still not) prepared for all that it would take to manage this condition. Let me tell you, life with Hashimoto’s is not easy. The status quo was not going to fly if I wanted to keep my symptoms in check.  It was time to mobilize and organize!