Tag: Real Talk

31 Lessons for 31 Years

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As I wake up another year older today, I’ve been reflecting on all of the things that have lead up to today. Some amazing highs along with some insanely low lows, but the thread that’s connected them all is the grace of God getting me through!

So in honor of turning 31, here are 31 things I’ve learned over the years:

  1. Love your people hard.
  2. Don’t let someone’s lack of effort change the standards you hold yourself to.
  3. You are the company you keep, so choose wisely.
  4. Some people are not meant to be in your life forever.
  5. You will never regret being kind.
  6. Two (or more) conflicting things can be true at the same time. 
  7. The best investment you’ll ever make is in yourself.
  8. Quality or quantity.
  9. Learn to be comfortable being alone.
  10. When someone shows you who they are, believe them.
  11. Your timeline and life are completely your own, so don’t compare them to anyone else’s.
  12. It’s okay if you’re not where you thought you’d be by now.
  13. Life is short, eat the dessert.
  14. Therapy is your friend.
  15. And on that note, go before things get bad.
  16. “No” is a full sentence.
  17. Time with family and friends is never time wasted.
  18. Always wear your sunscreen
  19. Courage and bravery are being scared to death but doing it anyways.
  20. Hugs from your littles is truly the best medicine on earth. 
  21. Stay hydrated.
  22. We can’t control life, but we can control how we react to it.
  23. Saying “yes” can be just as important as saying “no”.
  24. Make time for more of what brings you joy.
  25. It’s never too late to start over.
  26. It’s okay to walk away from toxic situations.
  27. Life can happen when you least expect it to.
  28. Wash your face.
  29. It’s better to be overdressed than underdressed.
  30. Baking is an amazing stress reliever.
  31. If God brings you to it, he’ll bring you through it.

Cheers to 31 years and many more to come!

XOXO,

Leah

New Year, Changing Me

LeahLeave a comment

Happy 2025, y’all!

2024 was a year, and while I’m still not able to go into too many details, I’m hopeful that 2025 is the year that brings the freedom to do so. I’ve always said that I’ve felt like the last several years of my life have been such a testament to God’s goodness and grace, especially in the valleys! I can’t wait to be able to share more with y’all.

For now, I will say that 2024 was a struggle, and somedays it truly was just putting one foot in front of the other and doing the things that needed to be done; loving and caring for the boys, keeping the house up and running, making the time to take care of myself, the millions of curveballs the Army has thrown our way, and the ever changing dynamics all of this brought to my marriage. I’m not going to say it was perfect, but we made it through together and by the sheer grace of God!

We lived so much life in the midst of the hard that I’ll always be grateful for; graduations, birthdays, road trips, trying new things, holidays, quiet and cozy days, baking lots of yummy treats, and kitchen dance parties just to name a few! It’s true when they say “the days are long, but the years are short”! I feel like I blinked and the boys are almost another year older and have grown so much.

So, what does 2025 have in store for me and my little family?

While we’re looking forward to more of the joy filled moments from the last year, 2025 is already shaping up to bring about some BIG changes. Some we knew were coming and ones that we never would have even guessed would be a possibility! For now, we’re taking things one day at a time as we work through the unfolding and developing of it all. A big goal of mine is to document and share more. I love being able to look back and reflect, but I’ve always been so amazed by the power of connecting with others and how our stories can resonate.

2024, you taught me so many lessons I won’t soon forget. 2025, I can’t wait to meet you!

XOXO,
Leah

North Carolina on My Mind

LeahLeave a comment

Happy Tuesday, y’all

As a North Carolina transplant, the destruction and devastation caused by Hurricane Helene in the Western part of the state has weighed heavily on my heart!

Entire cities and villages are wiped off the map, whole buildings washed away in the floods, thousands without running water, food, and electricity, families torn apart, and an incredibly long road to recovery ahead.

We’re only three hours away, but our lives have gone on as normal, all while we’re watching the aftermath unfold. We’re so fortunate to have not been affected, but the feeling of helplessness has been a recurring theme.

The want to help and give so much has weighed heavily on my heart, especially as I tuck my boys into their warm beds knowing that they’re safe. 

I’m thankful to be apart of the LTK community! It’s been a creative outlet for me over the years, and I’m grateful that my little family does not rely on it as part of our household income. And while I’ve never made much from it, for the foreseeable future, I’ll be donating 100% to the Hurricane Helene relief efforts! 

From your groceries at Walmart to Amazon, Target, and pretty much everything else in between, it’s most likely part of the LTK platform. Shopping with one of my affiliate links never costs you anything extra either!

If you’ve been wanting to donate but haven’t been able to do so, this is a great and easy way, especially with Prime Days, Target Circle Week, and holidays right around the corner!

Text, email, or DM me, and I hope the next time you shop online, you’ll think of me and Western NC.

XOXO,
Leah

Returning to Bethel

LeahLeave a comment

I had so many plans and hopes for how I thought my life was going to turn out, but at the end of the day God wrecked my plans to make way for His. Even though the undoing and breaking down and rebuilding was (and continues to be) the most difficult thing I’ve ever done, I am so thankful for the journey that has lead me to where I am today!

After not talking much about that season of life on here in 2022, you’re probably wondering “Why now?”

In the midst of the storm, I heard a message from Pastor Steven Furtick about how God instructed Jacob to return to Bethel. Jacob had been there before when he was running from his brother. This second time was different though.

You see, Jacob had never been more scared in his life when he first found himself in Bethel. This time he’s never been more uncertain. Pastor Steven went on to talk about how maybe sometimes God brings you back to a place of great uncertainty to remind you of all He has done for you in previous seasons of life, to remind you of all the things you’ve overcome in your life despite how tall the odds seemed stacked against you.

When Jacob was in need of the greatest faith he’d ever had, God took him back to the place of his greatest fear.

When I first heard this message, I took it very literally in the sense of my Bethel being a physical location, somewhere I could travel to like Jacob did. And while, that wasn’t wrong at the time, in this season of life, right now, “returning to Bethel” has taken on a whole new meaning.

Maybe someday we’ll sit down face to face and I’ll tell you my full story, but for now I will say that today, Bethel looks a lot more like a situation, a mental and emotional place, and not so much of like a physical location that you could find on a map.

By the grace of God, with the love and support of my people, and the biggest motiviation to perservere in my little guy I was finally able to start finding my way to the other side of it all.

Now, I’m finding myself struggling with issues I thought were long gone. I’m back in my own Bethel when it’s the last place I ever thought I’d be again, when it’s the last place Iever wanted to be again.

Someone recently told me, “The beautiful thing about our minds is that they let us deal with big things in small pieces, over time. Having trauma bubble back up means we are being challenged to tackle the next piece. It’s a marathon, not a sprint.”

While I’m another step closer to the end of this mile, I know the rest of the marathon is still before me. I know that the trauma of what I’ve lived and survived through will always be part of me and my story. I know that I’ll be making trips to and from my Bethel for the foreseeable future, but I also know that I wouldn’t be who I am today if I wouldn’t have gone through everything that I did.

It’s a marathon, not a sprint.

XOXO,
Leah

When Detours Lead to the Best Destinations

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About a year ago, what I thought was my life came crashing to the ground. It wasn’t what I would have ever expected to be in the story of my life, but looking back, I am so incredibly thankful that God decided to wreck my plans!

If you know me you know I like being able to have a plan for everything (and back up plans). Sometimes no matter how much or how far in advance we make plans, they’ll never see the light of day. Sometimes the actions of others leave destruction that can never be fixed, no matter how hard we try.

I felt like the biggest failure. I had myself convinced that if I had been better/done better, maybe it would have changed things. There were times I felt pretty worthless, but then I’d remember the sweet little boy that calls me ‘mama’.

I’m not the same broken girl I was a year ago. I’ve had to grow in ways I never imagined possible. I’ve had to learn to drop the act and quit pretending that things are okay when they absolutely are not! I’ve had to let myself lean on my friends and family and let them love on me and Kaz. I’ve had to keep showing up on days when the weight of the world seemed so incredibly heavy.

I’d never wish what I went through on my worst enemy, but I am thankful for the breaking down that lead to me being rebuilt better than I ever would have been otherwise. I am so thankful for the people it’s brought me too. Sometimes the best things in life are the ones that we never had on our calendar but God always did!

So as I am almost to the finish line of being able to close this chapter of my life, I am so incredibly excited and hopeful for the future!

XOXO,
Leah

Share the Love: Beachbody on Demand

Leah2 Comments

Happy Sunday, y’all!

Almost two years ago I finally took the plunge and decided to see what Beachbody was all about. I had tried a few workouts here and there over the years, but nothing consistently. With a baby and single parenting, there wasn’t really time to go to the gym nor was it that appealing anymore.

What I did know was that I wanted to start feeling better again; physically, mentally, emotionally, etc.

I’ve always been someone that feels my best when I’m able to get my body moving on a daily basis, and if we’re being honest, I hated how I felt during most of my pregnancy and post-partum. I had been around the same weight for years, so even healthy weight gain was hard to accept.

About 7 months along

The way I saw it, I could have a pity party and continue to not feel great about myself, or I could pick myself back up and do something about it!

If you’ve been following along with me on Instagram, you know I chose the later!

Don’t get me wrong, there are still days I don’t want to workout, but not being able to make it to the gym is no longer an excuse. Now I can make it work for me and my life. First thing in the morning? Great! Not having time until after Kaz is in bed for the night? That’s great too!

With the help of Beachbody and the nutrition programs they offer, I understand how to properly fuel my body and worry way less about the calories than I did before. I’ll be the first to tell you that I still eat cookies and pizza, and I still drink soda once in a while. Now my body is getting everything it needs, and I’ve found a healthy balance between the fun fuel (cookies, pizza, chocolate, etc.) and the nutritional fuel (veggies, fruits, protein, etc.)

I had always heard that you move through life and glow differently when you have good things and people in your life, and I can’t say enough how true that’s been!

Beachbody hasn’t only been a way for me to workout and eat. Through it I’ve gained a whole community of strong, kind, hard working, dedicated, and REAL people that just want to lift up and cheer each other on! I mean, couldn’t we all use more of that kind of energy in our lives?

Life can get kind of lonely when you’re trying to go it alone, but it doesn’t have to be.

Are you like I was and just looking for a way to make the changes you so desperately crave? Do you struggle coming up with meals that are good for you but also taste delicious too? How could you benefit from and improve your life by having that extra boost of support everyday?

Let me be your hype woman as you start your journey to a healthier and happier you! Here’s to 2022 being the year you fill your cup first before trying to pour into the other people and things in your life. It’s time to make yourself a priority again!

Let’s connect! I can’t wait to hear from you!

XOXO,
Leah

More Grace, Less Perfection

LeahLeave a comment

Happy first Monday of 2022, y’all!

I have an endless number of notes in my phone that I just jot things down as they come to mind. Some of them I share, but others I keep for myself. I love being able to go back and read my thoughts from different seasons of life!

Today, as I started a new lifestyle challenge, 75 Medium, with some friends to kick off the new year and get back into the swing of things after a busy holiday season it got me thinking about the whole “new year, new me” mentality. (Side Note: check out my Instagram ’75 Medium’ highlight or shoot me a message if you want to learn more!)

So here’s your friendly reminder:

It’s okay if you don’t have huge goals/resolutions for the year. It’s okay if your goals from last year got derailed, because life happens. Every goal and accomplishment, no matter how small they seem, is worthy of celebrating! It’s more than okay if you’re not out there shouting “new year, new me!”

You want to know a secret? Just because it’s a new year doesn’t mean you magically shed your old shelf and step into some perfect version you’ve created in your head.

So while you’re scrolling and looking at the highlight reels of others (because that’s what a lot of social media is), I hope you remember that everyone is just doing the best that they can.

Your meals don’t have to be Instagram worthy or even homemade every night for that matter. Your house doesn’t have to be perfectly clean. God knows that with a toddler, mine never is! Your workout clothes don’t have to be a cute matching set. You don’t have to have it all together all the time because that’s not real life!

My hope and prayer for you (and me) as we begin 2022 is that you give yourself more grace and expect less perfection, that you take time to see all of the good that there is in everyday, that you realize that taking care of yourself first is the least selfish thing you could ever do!

I hope you remember to be kind to yourself and that there are a million different ways to accomplish things in life. Just because your favorite influencer did it a certain way doesn’t mean it’s a one size fits all!

What are you hoping 2022 has in store for you?

XOXO,
Leah

That’s What Faith Can Do

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John 13:7 says, “You do not understand what I am doing now, but someday you will.”

If we’ve talked at any point in the last several months, you probably know that this season of life had me crying out to God on a regular basis. I had never been broken down in this way before, and I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy. This kind of soul crushing is relentless and comes and goes in waves, but it’s revealed just what I’m made of and who I truly belong to.

On the bad days, it’s had me questioning God in every single way. I just couldn’t understand why Kaz and I were being put through this. How could a good God allow this kind of thing to happen? That’s exactly what the devil wanted me to believe though, and it would have been so freaking easy to ya’ll.

The crazy thing though? I am so incredibly grateful for this breaking down of what I thought my life was and who I thought I was. You see, it’s easy when you’re in something to make the excuses and convince yourself that things aren’t that bad or maybe if I would have done or not done something it could have been prevented. That’s a whole other issue to breakdown another day though.

Without going through this, I know I wouldn’t have been able to be rebuilt so much better than I was before. I wouldn’t have been forced to strengthen certain relationships in my life. I wouldn’t have specific people in my life at all had I not gone through this, and something about that is so beautiful to watch unfolding in the midst of everything else.

People tell me how strong they think I am. They say that they don’t think they’d be doing as well as I am right now, but I can also tell that people are waiting and watching to see if I fall apart again.

The truth? Part of me knows it’s expected of me to be sad and upset at the way things are unfolding. I did the whole sitting on the kitchen floor at 3:00 AM crying my heart out. I did the struggle through the day while pouring absolutely every last bit of energy I had into taking care of Kaz only to crumble the second he was asleep thing. I did the crying out to God when all I could get out was, “Why?”. Looking back, I’m starting to be able to see why this had to happen though.

I may never fully understand. That thought alone was paralyzing at the beginning of this all but not anymore. It’s true; I may never full understand, but I no longer feel the need to in order to move forward and on.

This season of life will always be marked by some of the darkest of days I have experienced thus far, but also some of the brightest. I have had family step up and in in ways I didn’t even know to ask for. I’ve had friends, both old and new, love me (and Kaz) so fiercely and be there for us especially when family was so far away.

Life has a crazy way of doing that though, and God has an oh so perfect way of giving and taking exactly what is needed in or out of our lives.

These days I know I still have mountains to face, but instead of being scared by the size of it I’m reminded every single day that my God will always be bigger!

XOXO,
Leah

When God Knows What You Never Will

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Jeremiah 29:11 says “For I know the plans I have for you” declares the Lord “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Deuteronomy 31:8 says “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

To say that God has been fighting so fiercely for me in this season of life I’ve found myself in is an understatement. There have been days when the choices and actions of others have seemed like a weight too heavy to bear and it took everything in me to get up and do the things I needed to do that were going to be best for me and Kaz in the long run.

You see, God never promises us an easy life free from suffering or the trials of this world. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. We are told in John 16:33 “I have said these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Somedays I still struggle to fully let go and trust in the plan God already has for my life. It is so easy to get caught up in the world and what others say when it comes to how we should feel, act, and/or behave. It’s easy to get caught up in the lies and to be tempted by the path that does everything but bring glory to God and only draws us farther away from Him.

Right now, very few people would blame me for going down that path. While it may seem like a much easier option and one that offers me a momentary feeling of justice or satisfaction, at the end of the day those actions or words said don’t reflect anyone else but me and who I am in Christ (as cheesy as that sounds).

Everyday is a struggle to remind myself that I am a daughter of the Lord most high. Who He tells me I am will always count for more than what anyone else could ever say about me. In Him I am loved, cherished, redeemed, created in His perfect image. The same God that created Heaven, earth, and the mountains created me.

While I don’t understand now why this trial is in God’s plan for my life, I take comfort in knowing that He sees the things I can’t. He hears the conversations I never will. He knows everything about what’s going on, and I don’t. I take comfort in know that God is using all the things (the good, the bad, the happy, and the sad) to work together for my good.

Things of this world fail me on a daily basis, but I rest assured that God never will!

XOXO,
Leah

Finding Joy During Chaos

LeahLeave a comment

Happy Monday, y’all!

Gosh, have these last few weeks been a wild ride! i hope that this post finds you healthy and safe during these crazy times!

When 2020 started, I never would have guessed that this is where we would be at now. Then again, I don’t think anyone really would have!

I definitely believe that it’s important to stay informed and up to date on the happenings, but these days, I try not to focus too much on all of the nitty gritty details. I think if I did, I just very well might lose my mind in it all.

10 Things That Are Bringing Me Joy

1. My sweet baby boy and his endless giggles.

2. Being able to keep in touch with my husband via FaceTime while he’s deployed.

3. Being in a place that we’re able to get outside in the fresh air and sunshine during the day.

4. Such great friends that check in on us not only during these crazy times, but just in general.

5. Good health; both mine and those I care about.

6. Having the best parents ever that have let Baby K, Ailey, and I stay with them throughout this all.

7. Taking this time and #socialdistancing to give my skin a break from makeup and just breathe.

8. The best pup ever that snuggles in bed with me every night.

9. Being fortunate enough to get the things we need, both my husband and Baby K and I, without having to worry about money.

10. Having this space to connect with y’all.

What’s something that’s bringing you joy right now?

XOXO,
Leah