Balanced Mind
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A Matter of Hope 2020 vs. A Matter of Hope 2021: A Reflection on My Personal Growth
What a month, friends. Last we spoke, I let you all know that Bryson, Chuck, and I are moving back to Baltimore! A week from today, we close on our house in Charm City and give Baltimore a second breath of Sgambato-life. Can’t get rid of us that easy! If you missed my announcement, make sure to check out my Baltimore blog post, where I go into a bit more detail on why I made this decision and all the factors contributing to this decision. As our close date swiftly approaches, and A Matter of Hope-2021 wraps up, I’ve been doing some reflecting on what I’ve learned over this past…
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Fear through the eyes of a young widow
Hello friends. Thank you all for the support of my “How to Help A Griever” blog post. It may have been somewhat controversial; that was not the intention. It was a glimpse into, or perhaps a reminder of, the support needed as a griever. I truly do appreciate all of the support I’ve received over the past eight months; I know I’m not the last person to grieve the traumatic loss, and I hope that my posts continue to help people on both sides of loss. On another note, I am really bad at keeping up with this blog, mainly because of the 40K other things that take precedence in…
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Advice for Friends and Family of Grievers
I reached out to my social media channels and asked fellow grievers for the advice they wish they could have given friends and family members prior to loss.I’ve crafted this post not to call people out, but to help people see things from the grievers point of view. It’s 100% not your fault that you don't know how to handle very delicate, highly volatile situations like grief. There is no textbook on the right thing to say or do.
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Navigating through the pandemic, widow life, and other questions.
Considering the fact that over the past 4 months, I lost my best friend and gained the terrible title of widow at the age of 33 (almost 34), got quarantined in my new apartment because of a worldwide pandemic, and share a bed with a one-year old, crib-hating ninja warrior (who I love, dearly), I’d say I’m doing alright; I’m still kicking over here.
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MY RESPONSE TO COVID-19
When you’re in the trenches and forced into an alternate reality, it gives you little time to complain or lament; in effect, you’re just trying to figure out how to adjust and survive.
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Essential Oils 101: The Essentials with an Expert
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past five years, I’m sure you’ve heard the term “Essential Oils.” Long used for aromatherapy and in eastern medicine practices, essential oils have been well accepted and utilized in holistic wellness practices, massage therapy institutions, and within a niche group of natural wellness constituents. However, as we’ve all begun to embrace more holistic practices, engage in proactive health initiatives, and reduce the amount of chemicals/toxins we expose ourselves too, mainstream society has really started to embrace these oils. Even the western medical community has become more accepting of the benefits of these oils. Many studies at prominent institutions like Johns Hopkins,…
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Labor Day Weekend: A Healthier Approach
Hi friends! Happy Labor Day Weekend! Personally, I love Labor Day weekend. Yes, to some it may signify the theoretical end of summer. Everyone knows that it isn’t ACTUALLY the end of summer, right? For those of us still living in a 90 degree heat wave, summer is far from over. So, I’ll take the three-day, long weekend in September to usher in some #basic essentials like football season, dreams of leggings and flannels, apple scented candles and my favorite…pumpkin everything (dairy-free, of course). Fall is one of the most beautiful seasons (if not the most beautiful), and I’m excited to spend my first autumn in the country. Now, back…
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18 Week Pregnancy Update: My Pregnancy Journey
Hi friends! I can’t believe I’m already sharing my 18 week pregnancy update. Pistachio is the size of a sweet potato, croissant, nintendo controller, or Sugar Glider (see below). Now that I’m getting deeper into my second trimester, I can confidently say that most of my former and current preggo friends were right: It does. get. better. As I strut into this nineteenth week of pregnancy, I can safely say that my nausea has subsided and with that, friends, the hunger is real. Which is kind of strange because, simultaneously, I feel super full. Is that normal? The plus side, I can actually consume vegetables and healthier foods again,…
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Building a Healthy Workday: The 9-5 Edition
Eat better. Move more. Stress less. Sleep more. We get the picture. Optimal health, when you get to the crux of it, is pretty simple…in an ideal world. However, sometimes, our real world and our ideal world collide. Particularly within the workplace. Modern technology is great. It has expanded our ability to communicate at record speed, efficiently solve problems, and advance at record rates. However, it has also fostered sedentary lifestyles, raised response-time expectations, and contributed to an overall decline in workforce health. So how do we create a healthy workday? I remember my first job after college.. It was a 9-5 position as a sales assistant in…
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My Pregnancy Journey: First Trimester Recap
After Matt and I slowly snapped out of the shock of our BFP, the realities of the first trimester started to set in. By the time we found out, I was about 4 weeks pregnant…which, BTW, they calculate from the first day of your last period, not from the date of actual conception. For the first week or so after finding out, I felt pretty good. I started getting more tired in the evening and my stomach felt a little bloated, but nothing dramatic. My parents and their friends came down to visit us the weekend after we found out and we spent the whole weekend entertaining, walking around the…
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