Jump... Pigtails Flying!

This is a statement that adorned my first mac laptop back in the day. The photo behind it was the end of a low level dock that stood over turquoise water. I could always imagine flinging my body off the end of the dock and giggling as I landed in the delicious water below.

It has always been my motto for life that I fully embrace. I was fortunate to have always had a lot of chutzpah and it served me well, as I raised my two daughters while working full time. I signed up for every field trip I could attend, I fearlessly led Girl Scout troops for eight years, teaching them to always be prepared....pack your passport and bikini - for you never know when you'll get to go somewhere far and tropical.

I have peace in knowing that I did my best to be present and upbeat as we navigated through our days of sports and after school activities. I wasn't a perfect parent, no one is, but I gave my all to our life as we knew it.

One night while hosting a dinner for youth and government for about 25 high school kids, I was greeting them all as they filed into our home. About half way through the line, a boy said to me 'thank you for having me' then added 'my mom would never do this.'

Later that evening we were chatting again and the topic came up. He said that she would never think that her house was clean enough, the food was right and consequently it would stress her out too much, to the point of not getting involved.

That evening proceeded to be another memorable time in our home. Throughout the evening, I sat back and watched this amazing group of teenagers talk and connect with only the idealism and vision that youth brings.

It really wasn't anything specific that I did. It was more about what I didn't do. I didn't worry about being enough, I didn't get in their way of having a natural flow of fun. I just sat back and enjoyed the moment.

Upon departure, that same boy said to me 'I never thought I wanted to have kids, it always looked so stressful.... but I have to say, you actually make it look like fun!'

Our home and more so, our ability to wear life loosely has been the backdrop of countless precious moments, both with just the three of us and with up to a hundred or so friends celebrating various moments - all worthy of measure.

Which leads me to a thought I've had recently. The contrast of feelings that we

can experience, from when you've accomplished something and have a new

found sense of mastering it versus the nerves that can come from being

at square one, looking down the hallway of uncertainty when you are

about to embark on something new.

When it's

the latter,

do you

feel like

our beloved

Maggie and

want to

hide?!

As we wrapped up our recent road trip, I now have a new feeling of confidence as we talk about planning our next one. The one thing that we did on this recent trip that was crucial going in, is that we picked a date. We chose the date a year before departing.

As the date neared, it felt as though we weren't going to be able to pull it off. We had to stay open to the idea that there was a 1% chance that life got too big, but honestly 99% of the time, it's just the busy lifestyles that we live and our propensity to put others first that makes a trip like this feel impossible.

Moving forward, I now can more vividly picture the details of each stage; the planning, packing up our RV, how far we want to travel, how long we want to stay, which campgrounds are preferred, etc. It's nice to know that our time traveling will pay off

as we move forward on our next adventure.

I remind myself that there is a

reason that our windshield is

bigger than our rear view mirror.

With that said, as I look

forward to upcoming

endeavors. I take with me

the experience

of going from

not knowing - to knowing.

Conversely, as much as

I'm stoked about

restructuring my

health and wellness business,

I have some trepidation

about some of my new ideas

that I will be embarking

on next month.

I'm out on a limb and I can feel the branch slowly wave up and down. I have a lot of firsts for me; ring lights, mics, hosting the event and recording it, all at the same time - for my new YouTube Channel. But as my niece once said, that's where the fruit is!

So, out on the limb I go!

What I do have control over is

my inner chatter...

what if it flops,

or I am lame

or no one logs on,

or I'm unable to see this through.....

basically,

what if I fail?

I've come to learn that

the only true fail in my book

is when I don't try, based

on said fears plus more.

All I have to do is to put

one foot in front of

the other and to remember

that I'm responsible

for the action,

not the results.

It's ok if I do this for a hot minute and someday laugh at how this wasn't my thing, or maybe it goes on longer and stronger than I could have imagined. When I let go of expectations and attachments to the outcome, I can free myself and move forward with more ease.

I ask you....what makes you jump and what does your jump look like?Are your pigtails flying, so to speak or maybe you are slowly lowering yourself into the pool of water, beginning with your toes? Neither style is right or wrong, it's just a reflection of who you are. The important thing is to get involved while being your authentic self! Get wet, even if it includes rubber arm floaties!

Here's to making memories sans the worry of how it will go!

Shari

PS: For anyone who is a fellow camper or maybe has camping on their 'jumping' list and doesn't know where to start, here are some of our favorite camping tips. They help us stay organized and have what we need:

Brita - Please seriously consider

adopting this practice,

especially if you tend to

buy single use plastic

water bottles. All you

need is a Brita and

reusable cups.

You will have an

unlimited source of

drinking water at

your campsite,

(provided you have

access to water)

We also have a

water filter at

the source of our

water from site.

Packing Cubes/Bed Basket/Shoe Basket - Each week, once we've done laundry, I pack up what I call a bed basket (soft sided basket that has a wide opening) with

the clothes that I think I will need that week, depending on weather and what we

will be doing that week) then I put the rest of them in my packing cubes. Then,

we store those cubes in our prospective cabinets. Doug uses 4 or so, I have 7-8.

This is a really handy way to keep your clothes organized and the soft sided

cubes fit well in various cubbies. One more for shoes that we can put outside

during the day, when weather allows.

Hand Vacuum -

our daughter

bought this

for us, when

she was borrowing

our RV for an

extended trip.

It is so handy and

something that we

use daily. The filter is

washable & reusable.

It is also re-chargeable

and cordless. A must

have for keeping

your floors tidy.

Stove top coffee pot -

I've had this baby for

decades but surely

you can find it on

Amazon! The filter

is part of the pot,

made of metal and

is washable, so you

never have to buy filters.

You boil water,

turn heat down

for 5 minutes and

voila, you've got what

Doug calls Cowboy coffee.

It is hot and delicious!

Laird Coffee Creamer is not

only delicious, it's healthy!

Soft sided baskets -

are great for gathering; hats,

yoga blocks, random items, etc. You can store them on beds and

places that you wouldn't want a

hard edge, such as your dinette

fabric or where you wouldn't

want it to tumble down such as the

overhead storage in a Class C RV.

Clear plastic cubbies -

I love these so much.

Not only for keeping

items from shifting

back and forth in our

fridge while we drive,

but also for having

a governor as to how

much we purchase

of any one item and

the ease of finding it.

We have one for eggs,

cheese, meats,

condiments, etc.

Then, we use the

large ones at the

bottom that came

with the fridge

for produce. (this is

a stock picture, but

you get the idea.

Cloth napkins and dish towels -

          I got this hack from my

dear Grandparents

who also loved to RV.

          Use cloth napkins and

dish towels to layer up

dishes for a quiet ride,

as you go down the road.

Once we are stopped

I unwrap our dishes and

we have cloth napkins to

elevate our dining  experience

and to be good to mo

Bubble diffuser for bathroom -

We have a motion censored diffuser in our shower,

that will only activate

when someone enters

the bathroom. It is a

wonderful way to

keep this part of

your camper fresh and

smelling nice!

Pilot MAX diffuser -

I love this diffuser bc it's

big enough to put out some

significant mist without being

oversized for an RV. It's

chargeable and can be

used unplugged.

          We diffuse on a daily basis.

If you have pets, please don't

diffuse oils when the RV is

closed up. It's important that they

can exit the room where oils are being diffused - if they so desire,

           their sense of smell is so much

more sensitive than ours.

Abode spray cleaner -

Made for the conscientious

consumer. Not only is Abode

cleaning spray, plant based it's

also toxic free. It is in a recyclable

bottle and is concentrated to

reduce the carbon footprint.

It is always important to me

that I reduce toxins to support my

overall health.

On Guard Dish Soap -

Another great way

to use a concentrated

product to make more.

With On Guard

Cleaning Concentrate

and water, we are

able to make

dishwashing soap.

We store it in a

handy condiment

container that we bought

at the dollar store and it

stays in our open plastic

tote at the kitchen sink,

ready for doing dishes.

Bug Spray -

Terrashield is available

as an essential oil,

but also comes

in a handy

spray bottle for

your convenience.

This is a fantastic

way to eliminate

bugs without

compromising

your health.

Ant Spray -

Simply put 40 drops of

Peppermint Essential Oil

in a 2 oz spray bottle and

top off with water.

The ants hate it,

it's safe for

children and pets.

Plus it smells great!

This is good to know

for anyone who is not

a fan of Peppermint

otherwise.

Linen Spray -

Simply add 40 drops

of Lavender or

Serenity Essential Oil

in a 2 oz spray bottle,

1 tsp of witch hazel

(for a drying effect),

then top off

with water.

This is a wonderful

way to refresh your

sheets and your

RV in general.

On Guard Hand Sanitizer -

purifies hands by eliminating

99.9 percent of bacteria and

other germs on the skin through

an extremely fine, quick drying

mist.

Infused with a natural apple

extract, the moisturizing

formula will not dry out the

skin and leaves hands

feeling soft and smooth.

These convenient spray

bottles will fit in your purse,

backpack and RV.

Health First Aid Kit -

We have eliminated all of

our OTC meds by having

a selection of oils and

the resources to guide

us on how to use them

for each ailment.

Whether it's; headaches,

upset stomachs, diverticulitis,

dry eyes, pain, ointment for cuts,

bruises and more.

There really is an oil for that!

Added bonus, you can

diffuse any oil or combo of oils

for a delightful aromatherapy

break!

Make note of local hospitals -

       When you first arrive

at your destination,

take a moment to

note where your

local hospitals are

for both human and

furry family members.

Even if it's just a

photo of what you

found on google,

it will be helpful,

if the need arises.

PS Maggie was just

plain ol' bored in this pic.

Winegard 2.0 -

Wifi extender

allowed

me to work on

the road and

gave us endless

entertainment

at night, watching

our favorite tv

shows that

we streamed.

Road Trippers -

an app to plan our trip, search for campgrounds, attractions & sites.

Has a great GPS that included   stats for our RV (height & propane on board),  and any types of roads

that we wanted to avoid.

Less is more - we drove 3-6 hours a day. Our goal was to cover 250 miles per day,

give or take 50. We would leave around 9-10am and that would get us to our

campsite in the daylight, for an easy set up.

I'd love to hear your camping tips, I can share them next week.

Lastly, beginning in March I invite you to 'Wellness Wednesdays'. These events online are always a really fun and a relaxed way to connect with like minded people and learn more about how to Live Well Naturally. I do hope to see you, if this is of any interest to you, simply log onto:

Zoom.us

ID: 858 361 5312

PW: Peppermint

Wednesdays

9am - PST

10am - MST

11am - CST

Noon - EST

For a 15 minute chat about a specific product or ailment. It will be short and sweet!

I will be building a YouTube Library from these recordings, for easy reference!

Peace, love and Wild Orange to you,

Shari