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The Agoraphobic Battle Continues & #SpreadTheKindness Link Up #208
Back in June, I had shared a bit about my struggle with agoraphobia during this past year. It is a disorder that tormented me many years ago and I had nearly forgotten about the level of anxiety that it once caused. Then we found ourselves in isolation with little reason to venture outside of the safety of our homes. Slowly those old fears returned and reminded me of the old days when I barely could function if I dared to leave my house. When we were first mandated to stay at home in March, I honestly was not all that bothered as I had just come off of a 10…
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How Marijuana Saved My Life & Enhance Your Life: The Podcast
I know I have shared bits and pieces here about my medicinal use of marijuana for mental health, but now you can have some more details of my story and how marijuana really did save my life. Last January, I had written an article on Medium titled How Marijuana Saved My Life. It offers a detailed account of my personal experience with psychiatric medications to treat Bipolar Disorder and how they were nearly killing me. Over a decade ago, I made the transition off of these medications and started using marijuana in their place, essentially saving me from the miserable side effects and terrible quality of life that came with…
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Taking a Mental Health Day & Link Up On the Edge #227
I am taking a mental health day. Because I’m pooped. And because I have the luxury to do so. I am very grateful to have such a luxury, too. Enjoy the link party, have a great weekend, and stop by Monday for more of my furry ensemble! Featured Favorites Reader Favorite (Most Clicked) Rena of Fine Whatever shared her post, Don’t Get Me Started: Sourdough Pretzels, A (K)not So Easy Adventure. I totally applaud her enthusiasm for trying these fun new adventures and sharing the results. They look delicious! Fashion Favorite MK of MK’s Adventures in Style shared her post, Festive Wear? Festive WHERE? featuring some pretty magnificent holiday outfit…
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The Boredom is Killing Me & #SpreadTheKindness Link Up #196
I have completely lost my mojo in all things life recently. Seriously, I am the most unmotivated I have ever felt in my entire life. This pandemic has wreaked havoc on my mental health to the point that I literally cannot see past right now. Maybe that’s a good thing. It forces me to live in the moment, every single moment, because I can’t see past the now anymore. But the right now, in this very moment, all the moments are just the same…mundane and boring. That is not to say that I am unhappy. Not at all. I am an optimist by nature and can always find the good…
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“To Thine Own Self Be True” & #SpreadTheKindness Link Up #194
“To thine own self be true.” William Shakespeare Dee of Grammy’s Grid recently shared a post discussing the meaning behind this age old adage. In fact, that post was the most clicked from last week’s link party and is featured below. Her analysis of this quote as well as how its meaning has evolved over the past 400 years inspired me to dive a little deeper into this topic from my own personal perspective. But before I do, click over and give Dee’s post a quick read. She poses a few questions to contemplate on a personal level. These are Dee’s questions verbatim and I am going to do my…
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Thankful Thursday: How To Share the Love this Thanksgiving
I think it is fair to assume that this Thanksgiving will look much different from any others in our lifetime. Nobody really knows what the world will look a month from now, but I am sure many of us are looking forward to Thanksgiving on November 26 with eagerness and excitement. The entire holiday season is reason for cheer and celebration, but that does not mean we you should forget or ignore what a trying year it has been for everyone worldwide. Because this year has been so crazy, one focus for Thanksgiving 2020 should be sharing the love with others who may need it. You may be wondering where…
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Have a Willie Nice Day with Bellelily
I have had a streak of really bad days recently. You know, all that bipolar nonsense that has been exacerbated by this pandemic? It keeps creeping up on me and sending me for a loop. When the highs are high, I feel great. But when the lows go low, I have to find a way out. And sometimes all it takes is a friendly reminder and a cute outfit to bring me back to life. What better way to remind yourself to have a great day than a punny little graphic tee featuring the likeness of one of my favorite iconic musicians, Mr. Willie Nelson. I mean, the man exudes…
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Getting Back to Nature with 20 Extreme Outdoor Activities
I was never much of an outdoor person in my adulthood. As a child, I spent every minute of summer daylight and a good portion of the moonlit hours hanging out at the public pool. All day, every day, baking in the sun with my friends. Not a care in the world. Sitting in the grass wearing nothing but my swim suit. Eating all the nasty concession stand food without a worry about calories. A trip to the beach (the Jersey shore, folks) was a much anticipated annual vacation that had me exploring like a curious little marine adventurer. Tree houses and excursions into the woods were places where I…
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An Exercise in Self Confidence & #SpreadTheKindness Link Up #182
Whenever I look in the mirror or at photographs of myself, the very first thing I see are the flaws. Every single one of them. It is where my eye and my mind go immediately. The focus is on all the negative. With 46 years of mileage on this body of mine, there are a lot of flaws to draw my attention. Believe me. I know. I have studied myself in thorough detail over the years. I know every oversized pore, every mole, every scar, every stretch mark, every stray hair that pops up in the same place on my chin within a few days of me extricating it with…
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Agoraphobia: An Old Familiar Fear & Link Up On the Edge #200
Three months spent in lockdown has triggered an old familiar fear. If you have never experienced agoraphobia, I am going to try my best to explain it from my own personal experience. But first, I want to share a bit of background. I speak often about my life with Bipolar Disorder. I sometimes hint at incidents of anxiety and have even briefly mentioned some obsessive-compulsive behaviors that once tormented me. But I have never talked about agoraphobia because I really had forgotten about it. And now those old uncomfortable fears are sneaking back into my life. “Agoraphobia is an anxiety disorder characterized by symptoms of anxiety in situations where the person perceives their environment to…
