I survived years of infertility, miscarriages, anxiety, panic attacks and chronic pain…
I know what it feels like to crawl through the trenches of unexplained health issues. Feeling as if you will never get to a place of good health, or never feel happy ever again because of the fear and anxiety and darkness. I totally get it. And as lonely as it feels, I can assure you that you are not alone. You can absolutely find joy as well as a healthier lifestyle. I am living proof of that.
I know firsthand the importance of learning how to restore your body to optimal health. I stumbled around for a long time trying to figure out the best way to nourish my body with all the crazy diet fads out there! Turns out that while there isn’t a one-size-fits-all plan, a real food diet is helpful for everyone. After dabbling in natural health and nutrition for years, I completed my training with the Nutritional Therapy Association so I can counsel and educate people to discover their own best health. Being a certified Nutritional Therapy Practitioner is such a gift! It is a wonderful thing to equip people with the tools to take charge of their health by learning the power of a real food diet.
Sometimes it shocks me that I have become that person that really does love green smoothies and brussel sprouts. But I’m also known to wash down a donut with some green juice every once in a while! I don’t have a perfect diet, and I certainly don’t expect you to have one either.
I know it’s a big ask in this day of overflowing inboxes and constant notifications, but I would love to have you join my newsletter list. You can expect weekly emails with real life wellness tips, and I do my best to keep them short and sweet. Promise.
Ditching Product and Endocrine Disrupters was a Major Piece of My Healing Journey
When my hormones were spiraling out of control during the years of my many miscarriages, I happened to read an article about a common ingredient in many products that was known to have a negative impact on infertility. This sparked something in me, and I dove head first into the rabbit hole of researching and finding safer products. I spent about four years switching over all of our personal care and home products to be as clean and low-tox as possible, and this has improved my family’s health immensely. Toxins and EDCs have a significant effect on so many aspects of health, and I’ve made it my mission to educate people on this relatively unknown topic… although it’s becoming more mainstream which makes me so happy!
After so much trial and error (and a ton of money!), I finally found a company that had done most of the work for me. Beautycounter is a B Corps which has chosen to eliminate over 1800 possibly harmful chemicals, batch tests all their products for heavy metals, and is working hard to get safer products into the hands of everyone.
This collaboration has given me a bigger platform to communicate this message and has opened doors for me to work with dozens of other companies that are dedicated to making wonderful safer products. Beautycounter was just a stepping stone to so much more — make sure to check out My Favorites for a lot of my recommendations on everything from cleaning products to makeup and essential oils and red light therapy.
Pilates restored my body and my life
When I was a new military spouse, I quickly realized the importance of having a career I could take with me to every new assignment. So I moved to Santa Fe NM to obtain my first Pilates certification (my own TDY for you military folks!) and have since relied on it to give me a job, a community, and a purpose every where the Air Force moved us. From helping me recover from chronic back pain to renewing my spirit while emerging from the darkness of infertility and mental health struggles, Pilates has always been a true life force for me.
I am now a Pilates Master Trainer, and that means I get to educate people about this amazing bodywork as well as train others to be instructors of the Pilates method. My Pilates career has looked different everywhere I’ve lived, so you can find me teaching classes at studios or gyms, instructing private clients, leading instructor trainings and workshops, owning my own studios, and always looking to further my own education.
I have 20 years of teaching under my belt, but there is always more to learn. If you want specifics, I am a Master Trainer of Pilates and Barre for the Pilates Sports Center, I completed my original training with the PhysicalMind Institute, and I am a Nationally Certified Pilates Teacher (NCPT). My most recent endeavor was flying into the aerial world as an Aerial Fitness Trainer for AIR®. So yes, I can flip around on aerial silks! Who says you can’t take on crazy new adventures when you’re in your forties?
SO MUCH FOR THINKING I HAD IT ALL FIGURED OUT, THOUGH…
I kind of thought I had been through my big health challenge with all the miscarriage stuff. I mean, all natural health practitioners typically experience some kind of health crisis which drives them into this field of work. But I guess God wasn’t quite done with me. In the past two years, I discovered that not only were we living in toxic mold … but we had been exposed to it multiple times throughout our years in the military. It has been an absolute nightmare, a truly devastating health crisis which has impacted everyone in my family in significant yet different ways. This drove me to step away from my business for a while so I could immerse myself into the world of chronic infections, environmental toxins, and everything else that is involved with mold and mycotoxin illness. And while it has been the hardest thing I’ve ever experienced, mostly because it’s not just about me but my husband and my children, it has also uncovered a part of me that I didn’t even know existed. One that can dig far deeper than ever before and connect the dots of symptoms and lab findings to truly help people on a much deeper and profound level. I believe I have a gift for sniffing out the root causes of people’s health issues, and I will not rest until I figure it out. If you had told me just two years ago the amount of knowledge I would gain about everything from reading functional lab tests to mold and Lyme and PANS/PANDAS, I would never believe it. Mostly because I didn’t think I was capable of doing such hard and intricate work, but life experience motivates you in a way that nothing else will.
To be honest, I had felt for quite a few years that God was calling me to pursue a different path within my business, but I couldn’t figure out what I was supposed to be doing. I wish it hadn’t required such a tough path which we are still navigating, but I completely trust that God’s plan and timing are perfect. Just like I can see His hand and the many blessings that came from that multi-year battle with miscarriages, I know that one day I will say the same about this journey. And maybe I can help a lot of other people along the way.
I believe God created these bodies of ours and gave us every resource we need to be happy, healthy, and well
I know that every hardship I’ve endured, every mountain I’ve climbed, and every river I’ve crossed has made me better in every single way. And through all that junk He has led me to this passion of mine — helping people navigate the world of functional and holistic health with balance and joy. Putting all the pieces together to solve your unique puzzle so you can feel good again.
I’m just like you. Crazy busy and trying to do the best I can for myself and my family. Occasionally dropping the ball because that’s life, right? The only difference is I’ve battled through the hardships and completed many certifications and specialized trainings to help us all heal. So let’s put our heads together and figure out what’s going on with you and your family so you can live a well balanced life of your own. You deserve it!
HEY FRIEND, I’M
FOUNDER OF MY WELL BALANCED LIFE.
I’m a Pilates Master Trainer, Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, Safer Product Advocate, retired Air Force wife, and boy mom. I am a Texas born and raised girl (or 40-something woman) who survived almost 20 years of military life (the last 4 in Alaska!), and then moved back to my hometown for good. I LOVE really strong coffee with a splash of cream and maple syrup. I’m really bad about eating breakfast, and I’ll never ever tell you to eat kale or chia seeds because I think they’re gross. My life looks absolutely nothing like I thought it would, and I wouldn’t change a thing!
Okay, maybe a few things … like avoiding the fat free craze of the 90s and overplucking my eyebrows. Sigh.
Anyway, this whole blog and website thing started out as me trying to keep the important stuff balanced and real. But God continues to keep putting me in situations that push me WAY out of my comfort zone, so here we are in the world of root cause medicine. I’ve come to accept that My Well Balanced Life is always gonna be a work in progress… but aren’t we all?
I am married to an amazing guy who happens to be a retired Air Force fighter pilot and the best man I know. He’s currently
opening an all-boys Christian school, so clearly neither one of us knows how to take the easy road!
My current mom life requires more mental, emotional, and spiritual energy than ever. I have one kid in college and one kid in junior high. Pray for me, because raising big kids is next level HARD.
Speaking of that, I take prayer walks in my neighborhood most days … so if you ever see a lady walking around with a weighted vest talking to herself and stopping to take pictures of the wild peacocks, that’s me. I’m just pouring my heart out to the Lord because He’s the best listener.
Not gonna lie, this part of my business was a total surprise to me, but I absolutely love it. Now I mentor wellness and fitness professionals to establish businesses of their own and earn significant passive income through authentic affiliate partnerships. The more of us who are spreading the word about safer products, the better and healthier all of us will be!
10 Essential Safer Product Swaps You Need to Make for Better Health
SO MUCH FOR THINKING I HAD IT ALL FIGURED OUT…
I kind of thought I had been through my big health challenge with all the miscarriage stuff. I mean, all natural health practitioners typically experience some kind of health crisis which drives them into this field of work. But I guess God wasn’t quite done with me. In the past two years, I discovered that not only were we living in toxic mold … but we had been exposed to it multiple times throughout our years in the military. It has been an absolute nightmare, a truly devastating health crisis which has impacted everyone in my family in significant yet different ways. This drove me to step away from my business for a while so I could immerse myself into the world of chronic infections, environmental toxins, and everything else that is involved with mold and mycotoxin illness. And while it has been the hardest thing I’ve ever experienced, mostly because it’s not just about me but my husband and my children, it has also uncovered a part of me that I didn’t even know existed. One that can dig far deeper than ever before and connect the dots of symptoms and lab findings to truly help people on a much deeper and profound level. I believe I have a gift for sniffing out the root causes of people’s health issues, and I will not rest until I figure it out. If you had told me just two years ago the amount of knowledge I would gain about everything from reading functional lab tests to mold and Lyme and PANS/PANDAS, I would never believe it. Mostly because I didn’t think I was capable of doing such hard and intricate work, but life experience motivates you in a way that nothing else will.
To be honest, I had felt for quite a few years that God was calling me to pursue a different path within my business, but I couldn’t figure out what I was supposed to be doing. I wish it hadn’t required such a tough path which we are still navigating, but I completely trust that God’s plan and timing are perfect. Just like I can see His hand and the many blessings that came from that multi-year battle with miscarriages, I know that one day I will say the same about this journey. And maybe I can help a lot of other people along the way.
Ditching Product and Endocrine Disrupters was a Major Piece of My Healing Journey
When my hormones were spiraling out of control during the years of my many miscarriages, I happened to read an article about a common ingredient in many products that was known to have a negative impact on infertility. This sparked something in me, and I dove head first into the rabbit hole of researching and finding safer products. I spent about four years switching over all of our personal care and home products to be as clean and low-tox as possible, and this has improved my family’s health immensely. Toxins and EDCs have a significant effect on so many aspects of health, and I’ve made it my mission to educate people on this relatively unknown topic… although it’s becoming more mainstream which makes me so happy!
After so much trial and error (and a ton of money!), I finally found a company that had done most of the work for me. Beautycounter is a B Corps which has chosen to eliminate over 1800 possibly harmful chemicals, batch tests all their products for heavy metals, and is working hard to get safer products into the hands of everyone.
This collaboration has given me a bigger platform to communicate this message and has opened doors for me to work with dozens of other companies that are dedicated to making wonderful safer products. Beautycounter was just a stepping stone to so much more — make sure to check out My Favorites for a lot of my recommendations on everything from cleaning products to makeup and essential oils and red light therapy.
Pilates restored my body and my life
When I was a new military spouse, I quickly realized the importance of having a career I could take with me to every new assignment. So I moved to Santa Fe NM to obtain my first Pilates certification (my own TDY for you military folks!) and have since relied on it to give me a job, a community, and a purpose every where the Air Force moved us. From helping me recover from chronic back pain to renewing my spirit while emerging from the darkness of infertility and mental health struggles, Pilates has always been a true life force for me.
I am now a Pilates Master Trainer, and that means I get to educate people about this amazing bodywork as well as train others to be instructors of the Pilates method. My Pilates career has looked different everywhere I’ve lived, so you can find me teaching classes at studios or gyms, instructing private clients, leading instructor trainings and workshops, owning my own studios, and always looking to further my own education.
I have 20 years of teaching under my belt, but there is always more to learn. If you want specifics, I am a Master Trainer of Pilates and Barre for the Pilates Sports Center, I completed my original training with the PhysicalMind Institute, and I am a Nationally Certified Pilates Teacher (NCPT). My most recent endeavor was flying into the aerial world as an Aerial Fitness Trainer for AIR®. So yes, I can flip around on aerial silks! Who says you can’t take on crazy new adventures when you’re in your forties?