The Road Back to Chasing Wonderment.
I’ve Been Avoiding Posting… So Let’s Talk About It.
Hello… How are you?
Sooo… I was not planning on there being a month between my last post. I was literally planning to post the next day.
And then we got the slowest-moving virus ever. It took us two full weeks to feel better. And just when we thought we were getting better, our youngest woke up sick.
Is it the world’s best excuse? Definitely not. Could I have found a way to post in between? Probably. But I was totally in avoidance mode. 😬 I’m not proud of that, but it’s just how it goes sometimes, right?
Of course, the downside of living with chronic conditions is that any sickness tends to trigger everything else. So after the virus, I unfortunately needed even MORE time to let my body heal & recover.
But I’m back! So let’s talk about where I’m at now:
My Word for the Year: Healing
So, I really wanted to share this in January… but we’ve already covered the illness & procrastination situation. 😬 So let’s talk about my word for this year, since that is a HUGE indicator of where I’m going this year.
If you’ve never heard about it, there’s a practice called ‘Word of the Year” where you pick a guiding word for the coming months. For over 10 years, I’ve prayed for a word, and every year, God has revealed a guiding word that gently follows me through the year. (Although, let’s be honest… something it pushes me all the way through the year. 😂*)*
This year’s word is healing.
As someone who has battled chronic illness most of my life — and especially intensely the past few years — OBVIOUSLY I would love for healing to mean symptoms disappearing. For less flares. More strength. More energy.
But here’s what I’ve learned after more than a decade of this “One Word” practice:
My words rarely unfold the way I expect them to.
They’re almost always more nuanced. Deeper. Broader.
So while I would love physical healing, I’m also expecting emotional healing. Mental healing. Maybe relational healing. Maybe things under the surface that I don’t even realize need attention.
And honestly? I’m excited to see what unfolds.
So far this year, I’ve gone back to a naturopathic doctor and I’ve seen tiny (but real!) gains in my physical health. The symptoms aren’t gone… but they’ve eased. And I’m incredibly grateful for that.
Coming Back to Business
I’ve also been on a break from running my business for over three years — basically since my kids went back to public school. But this year, I feel like I’ve gotten the “green light” to dig back in. (Finally!)
Chasing Wonderment isn’t going anywhere… We’re coming back! Hopefully stronger, and definitely with more grace. 🥳
I know that I won’t always be able to operate at full capacity. And that’s okay. I want to build this business in a way that honors my ever-changing capacity.
Right now, I’m just excited to start sharing again! Posting across platforms. Seeing what brings joy, what helps people, and finding out what’s sustainable.
More than anything, I want to be authentic.
I don’t want to show up polished and perfect. I want to show up real.
That might mean oversharing. (And… if you’ve followed me for any length of time, you know that’s kind of my default setting anyway. 😂*)* If that’s not your style, that’s okay… I’m probably not someone you’re going to want to follow. But if you’re nosy like me… welcome!
I’ve really been missing the early blogging days — when we weren’t so focused on perfect content, and instead shared our everyday lives. What we were making. What we were learning. What we were loving. It felt eclectic and whole and human.
There has been a season online everyone has said to pick one niche and stay there forever. But I believe our WHOLE LIVES are meant to be lived intentionally — not just one category of it!
So I’m going back to sharing more of it. The projects. The habits. The lessons. The experiments. All of it. 😍
Starting Over (But Not Really)
Lately, I’ve felt like a baby starting over in my life & personal growth journey… but with déjà vu.
I feel like I’m relearning things I learned about eight years ago — during a season when I was feeling healthier, building momentum in business, and growing a lot personally.
And as my health improves now, I can feel my capacity growing again. It’s strange — but in a really good way!
I’m working on putting systems back into place. Habits. Routines. And trying not to overhaul everything at once (even though that’s absolutely what my brain wants to do! 😂 ).
But I know that’s not sustainable. So I’m building slowly and intentionally. One piece at a time.
Creating Again
I’ve also started creating again! 😍
Designing products. Playing around with ideas. Considering going back to my early business roots — even before Chasing Wonderment — when I ran Corner Chair and made hand-lettered artwork!
There will still be ferns. 🌿 (If you know, you know!)
But I’m excited to start designing products to bring back into the shop! It’s been a long time since I’ve had physical products available!
And beyond that, I’ve been creating just for myself. Finishing old projects. Starting new ones. Following something from start to finish. 😍
For years, scrolling became a coping mechanism when I was really sick. As I’ve started feeling better, I’ve been trying to intentionally distance myself from the endless scrolling and replacing it with making.
It’s not perfect. But it’s better.
Household Systems & European-Style Groceries
Another area I’m working on is household care. It has always been a struggle for me. I’m not shy about admitting that — even though I’m embarrassed by it.
Keeping up with daily housework doesn’t come naturally to me. Neither does planning meals for an entire week.
And grocery shopping for a full week at a time feels overwhelming. So I tried something different… I started what I’m calling “European-style grocery shopping.” Instead of planning every meal for seven days, I’m buying two to four dinners at a time. A couple breakfasts. Staples if we’re out. That’s it.
I’m already out of the house regularly, so I just stop in more often. If I forget something? I’ll be back in a day or two. The mental load has lifted dramatically.
Because I’ve intentionally eased the pressure, I’m also able to shop more at local stores — buying fresh produce, real sourdough bread, and homemade items. It’s made cooking feel more joyful and less like a logistical nightmare.
So… I’m practicing being more intentional with food — for our whole family.
I’m not Rebranding… But Kind Of?
I’ve noticed a trend on TikTok & YouTube about “rebranding yourself.” New year, new you, & all that. And I keep thinking: Yes… but not quite.
I’m not becoming someone new.
But I am healing. Rebuilding.
I’m returning to things I love, and learning about new things that I love. So maybe it is a rebrand? But it feels more like refinement. (And I’ll talk more about that soon!)
Okay. That’s the whole update (for now!) If you’ve followed along while I’ve been quietly lurking in the shadows, thank you. I’m grateful you’re here.
I’ll be back sooner than a month this time! (Here’s hoping, at least! 😆 )