Welcome Friends!

Let me introduce myself.

My name is Laura. Originally, I was born and raised in Southern California but relocated to North Carolina 13 years ago. This makes me part California girl and part Carolina girl. I love California and miss it in so many ways, but I find peace and happiness in the midst of the canopy of beautiful green trees, rolling mountains and blue skies of North Carolina. We settled in Charlotte, NC initially but found the charming suburb of Waxhaw to offer the best of both worlds…small town life with access to the big city.

We moved as our kids were heading into their teen years and as happy as we were here, the teen years brought new challenges. Two of our children started having mental health issues. Initially, we were pleased with the access to good mental health care here, but hindsight has us looking back with regret as we eventually lost our son to suicide. Not knowing any better, we continued following the guidance of medical care providers with our youngest daughter but as her quality of life declined, and she started suffering health consequences due to the psychiatric drugs she had been on for years, I was desperate to find another way. If not, I feared I would lose her as well. After doing research and reading every book I could get ahold of, I discovered there was another way…. a holistic, natural approach to mental health.

I shared what I learned with my daughter, and fortunately, she was up for the challenge, almost three years ago, we began our holistic health journey. It hasn’t been an easy one, but we have learned so much along the way, and it has transformed our entire approach to pursuing health. The most blessed gift we received on this journey is a whole new daughter who has literally come to life before our eyes as she has been slowly weaning off the psychiatric medications she was started on back when she was 12 years old. She is 22 now and has a bright future in front of her now.

It has been such a life changing experience that I feel compelled to share it with others who are struggling with mental health issues, side-effects and health consequences due to pharmaceutical drugs.

Over the past few years, our whole family has been seeking natural alternatives to address various health issues and improve overall quality of life. We have discovered the importance of good nutrition, eating organic, non-GMO whole foods and eliminating foods that cause inflammation and intolerance. Basically, it is getting back to the basics of what God has created and offered us for sustenance and vitality.

The purpose of this blog is to share what we have learned, offer support to brave your journey of weaning off all things robbing you of your best life and most of all to offer hope that you and your family can have a healthy life and live it abundantly.

My Family

“These are a few of my favorite things.” I call them my Happiness Hacks.

-The Lord is my true source of happiness, love, peace, joy and ever-present help in times of need.

-I love doing online bible studies with www.proverbs31.org. This is what keeps me growing as a person and in my relationship with the Lord.

-Music has a powerful effect on me and is what keeps me lifted up when nothing else can.  I’m forever grateful to Lauren Daigle and For King and Country and how their music has saved me from sinking into a pit of despair many times.

-A motto I have adopted over recent years while making decisions about what to do with my life as I get older is: “Do More Of What Makes You Happy.” Hey, I’ve realized life is short… I don’t want to waste it doing things I don’t enjoy.

-A motto I have adopted from my husband is “Learn and Create Every Day.” This has definitely become a happiness hack for me. If I learn something new and create something new every day… it is an awesome day!

-My alma mater, Pepperdine University, instilled in me their mission which is “Freely Ye Have Received, Freely Give.” This mission has stuck with me since then, over 35 years.

–My favorite essential oil is “JOY” and it is also my favorite word and attribute I wish to live by.

-My other favorite word is “HOPE”. I love to think about it and land there in my thoughts each day no matter what happens… there is always HOPE.

-My favorite verse: “Whatever you do, don’t give up. He who has begun a good work in you will carry it on to completion” Philippians 1:6  This verse has been the little branch I have clung to as I have hung over the cliff of despair at times in my life.