LIVING WELL

Our purpose is to learn, grow and share with others as we figure this whole-life wellness thing out.  We live in a time when fast food and fast lives get in the way of what really matters.  These distractions affect our overall well being and can make us sick.  As we learn and grow, we want to help others make new, healthy choices to improve their lives too.

As people who are friendly and social, our mission is to find others who want to join us on the wellness journey.  We intend to share the things we know and share the things we learn.  As wellness advocates, we seek to increase awareness about products that are holistic, natural, easy to use and affordable.  As parents, we will be totally transparent as we share our struggles and our triumphs.  We intend to share out homeschooling endeavors and aim to discuss the books we read and our thoughts about life as they occur.  As people who struggle to eat right and exercise daily, we will also share our recipes and food ideas in hopes to motivate you to pick well for yourself.

As a happily married couple raising a bunch of kids, we desire to share our life in a way that will help break down stereotypes and judgments around same gender marriages.  We desire to be an example of what a successful, unconventional relationship looks like and give hope to LGBT folk who have been told there is only pain and suffering in this ‘lifestyle’.  We want to bring people together and encourage respect, love, compassion and friendship. Overall, we hope to connect, explore and share with others as we experience the freedom of living well.

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WHY WE CARE

Two years ago when we sat down and evaluated our life, we realized several things needed to be changed to create “wholelife” wellness.  It wasn’t just our physical bodies that needed an overhaul. The kids were dissatisfied in school and not engaged in their own education, our diet included too much junk and not enough exercise. Screen time trumped outdoor time and our jobs and careers were dissatisfying.  We realized almost every area of our lives needed modification.

Taking that first step was no small feat.  Everyone was in resistance so it had to come slowly.  To start with, we decided to have our evening meal together as a family without phones, books or tablets present. This gave us time to connect and share.  While it doesn’t happen every night, it happens way more often than it used to. Then we brought in fresh fruits and vegetables as we worked to phase out convenience foods.  This is an ongoing issue we have and we have to be very conscious of what we are putting into our bodies. When life gets extra busy, we tend to reach for the chips and salsa or throw a pizza in the oven. Planning and prep-cooking have to be scheduled or it doesn’t happen.

Proper rest and relaxation is extremely important for health and wellness.  We used essential oils to uplift our mood and help support restful sleep. We use a lot of essential oil blends around our home that support our emotions and the ups and downs of having a house full of females.  Getting an adequate amount of exercise and physical activity is our greatest obstacle. While we are more inclined to play sports or get out the bikes and go for long rides the kids aren’t as much. They need more incentives. Initially we started riding as a family but when we both had to begin full time work, this became more difficult to keep up with.  We all have a membership to the gym and enjoy swimming. We hope that the winter will be a time for us to get back to working out again.

Recently we we began looking at minimalism as a way of life.  As we learn more about our attachments to ‘things’ and how having more actually takes time and energy away from what is most important and actually diminishes our productivity, the process is is still slow and not as easy as one would think. We are taking it one room at a time, junking and being mindful of what we keep, which has proved to be quite difficult. Who knew it would be hard to throw out a day planner from 1992?

We have come to understand that being well is more than just avoiding illness and as a result, we have become passionate advocates for natural, whole-life wellness.  In addition the physical body, we believe a significant part of healthy living comes from the fulfillment of self directed creation of one’s life. From career choice to food choice and everything in between, we need to honor where we are now and where we are going.

Essentially yours,

~Amaris and Joanie