She Made Herself a Home

In today's episode, I am sharing my experience with anxiety throughout my life and opening up the discussion on mental health. I am talking about why I believe there should not be any shame around taking medication for anxiety and depression, and my journey to try more natural and holistic remedies.

• Richard and I both deal with anxiety, you can hear each of our stories in Episode 10 and 11 where we share each of our unique journeys.
• Genetics and environment factor into mental health, as well as life events. It's important to take note of those things in order to understand yourself, or a loved one.
• It took time to realize the anxiety stemmed from health concerns due to childhood experiences with unexpected losses.
• The love hate relationship with time; not enough, needing to work harder, so that more is accomplished in an effort to have all experiences in one small lifetime.
• Simple explanation of what SSRIs are (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) and how they can help with anxiety.
• How a doctor explained my body in a way that helped me break free from shame
• After a few weeks on Lexapro, getting through the side effects, it was like a light went on and the nervous feelings, irritations and worries went away.
• When going off a medication it's critical to wean yourself slowly to help with side effects and make the transition smoother.
• The next part of my journey and researching natural remedies for anxiety.
• In the end, whether taking medication, natural supplements, or both, asking for help is important and there is no shame in your mental health journey.

This episode is sponsored by She Made Herself a Home, my book that will help you discover how to create a home that is inviting, beautiful, functional and uniquely personal all while staying on budget. It is a home decor planner that features beautiful photography from more than 40 real homes and contributions from other successful home decor bloggers. I promise it will make home designing an exciting, un-intimidating process. My hope is that these pages spark your passions, guide you to create spaces you love and most importantly give you the confidence to try something new. Anyone, no matter age, status, income level or past can make a home for herself and those she loves. Because no one has to break the bank to bring new life, intention and purpose to a home. You can buy your copy anywhere books are sold or at crateandcottage.com/book.

In today's episode, I want to share a little bit about our adoption journey in hopes you will feel encouraged. I break down some of the logistics and explain where we started and where we are today.

• My desire to adopt from a young age, the different ways to adopt and our initial choice to adopt internationally (1:48)
• The logistics of international adoption and how they differ depending on the country. (4:38)
• The process leading up to the home study and what to expect when you have one done (7:26)
• Making the decision to adopt domestically instead of internationally and the factors that played into that (10:55)
• What an adoption consulting firm is and how they work with us through the domestic adoption process (12:09)
• Challenges and considerations if you want to pursue foster care adoption (17:57)
• The second part of the adoption process, the different types of adoption and preparing yourself for possible heartache (19:43)

This episode is sponsored by She Made Herself a Home, my book that will help you discover how to create a home that is inviting, beautiful, functional and uniquely personal all while staying on budget. It is a home decor planner that features beautiful photography from more than 40 real homes and contributions from other successful home decor bloggers. I promise it will make home designing an exciting, un-intimidating process. My hope is that these pages spark your passions, guide you to create spaces you love and most importantly give you the confidence to try something new. Anyone, no matter age, status, income level or past can make a home for herself and those she loves. Because no one has to break the bank to bring new life, intention and purpose to a home. You can buy your copy anywhere books are sold or at crateandcottage.com/book.

In today's episode, I am pulling back the curtain and answering one of the most frequently asked questions I get...how I make money on Instagram. I am sharing all the details, including how I got started, how to find brands and campaigns to partner with, and what it truly takes to make an income through social media as an influencer.

• When to start thinking about partnering with companies as your following grows and how sharing free products can help you build your portfolio for larger opportunities [2:23]
• What companies look at more so than followers and why you should have a blog/website in addition to your social media accounts [4:29]
• Featuring products on your social media that you use to earn affiliate income [7:12]
• Using companies like Aspire IQ and Acorn once your following grows so potential brand partners and sponsorships can find you [14:15]
• Working with companies on campaigns, how to set your rates, and taking into consideration the time commitment of a partnership when being compensated [19:30]
• The behind-the-scenes of what goes into creating a brand campaign [25:53]

Influencer marketing agencies mentioned:

Aspire IQ: https://www.aspireiq.com/ Acorn: https://acorninfluence.com/ Activate: https://try.activate.social/ #paid: https://hashtagpaid.com/ Obvious.ly: https://www.obvious.ly/

This episode is sponsored by Antique Farmhouse, my go to online shop for all things decor. Every day they put together a curated themed collection based on items they currently have to offer and feature unique farmhouse style decor, vintage reproductions and home decor design sales up to 80% off retail. I was fortunate enough this week to do an Instagram takeover with Antique Farmhouse and share my own curated collection. You can shop their website based off the rooms, departments, styles or sales events. In their curated collections, not only are they putting together like items, but they also show you how to style them. Head on over to https://www.antiquefarmhouse.com/ and sign up for their mailing list to get daily updates to your inbox with their latest curated collections.

Today is the first part in a two part series on how to grow on social media. In this episode, I am sharing how I got started on Instagram, and what I think are some of the most important components to know when starting and growing a social media account.

• Why I started Crate and Cottage and the importance of finding the "why" behind your desire to start sharing on social media [3:09]
• Knowing what your niche is and finding the right balance of what you share on your account [5:05]
• Moving past the fear and creating your page and my tips for choosing a name [7:53]
• Figuring out what to post and why I think your feed is your portfolio and should be a representation of your brand [10:16]
• Finding like-minded people and focusing on building community over gaining followers [17:01]
• Using hashtags to grow your following, find other people in your niche and my favorite app for finding relevant hashtags [20:05]
• Why consistency is so important to growing on social media and growth tactics I have used and recommend [23:18]
• Not focusing on the numbers and getting trapped in the comparison game [30:00]

This episode is sponsored by She Made Herself a Home, my book that will help you discover how to create a home that is inviting, beautiful, functional and uniquely personal all while staying on budget. It is a home decor planner that features beautiful photography from more than 40 real homes and contributions from other successful home decor bloggers. I promise it will make home designing an exciting, un-intimidating process. My hope is that these pages spark your passions, guide you to create spaces you love and most importantly give you the confidence to try something new. Anyone, no matter age, status, income level or past can make a home for herself and those she loves. Because no one has to break the bank to bring new life, intention and purpose to a home. You can buy your copy anywhere books are sold or at crateandcottage.com/book.

In the final part of our three episode series, Richard and I are going to collaborate on what men want and what women want. There are things we both realized we could work on and we are going to talk about together. Hopefully our conversation inspires you to do the same with your spouse.

• Richard and I talk affection and why it was last on my list [3:15]
• The expectation I brought to marriage about keeping the family safe [5:26]
• The importance of quality time together and communicating what you each want [13:53]
• We talk appreciation and why it is so important-it ended up on our both our lists [15:49]
• Different viewpoints on intimacy and the pressure both sides can feel [17:22]

This episode is sponsored by She Made Herself a Home, my book that will help you discover how to create a home that is inviting, beautiful, functional and uniquely personal all while staying on budget. It is a home decor planner that features beautiful photography from more than 40 real homes and contributions from other successful home decor bloggers. I promise it will make home designing an exciting, un-intimidating process. My hope is that these pages spark your passions, guide you to create spaces you love and most importantly give you the confidence to try something new. Anyone, no matter age, status, income level or past can make a home for herself and those she loves. Because no one has to break the bank to bring new life, intention and purpose to a home. You can buy your copy anywhere books are sold or at crateandcottage.com/book.

In this week's episode, you'll hear from Richard on what men want in part two of our three part series:

1. Appreciation: Sometimes you do things that go unseen and verbalizing appreciation, even just a simple "thank you", can make a huge difference [3:31]
2. Validation: It is important to feel validated in a relationship, but be careful to not put pressure on your significant other [14:27]
3. Open communication: It is important to openly communicate about expectations and be willing to tell each other what you desire [17:22]
4. Saying what you want: Give us guidance on what you want even if you think we should notice or just know [19:52]

This episode is sponsored by She Made Herself a Home, my book that will help you discover how to create a home that is inviting, beautiful, functional and uniquely personal all while staying on budget. It is a home decor planner that features beautiful photography from more than 40 real homes and contributions from other successful home decor bloggers. I promise it will make home designing an exciting, un-intimidating process. My hope is that these pages spark your passions, guide you to create spaces you love and most importantly give you the confidence to try something new. Anyone, no matter age, status, income level or past can make a home for herself and those she loves. Because no one has to break the bank to bring new life, intention and purpose to a home. You can buy your copy anywhere books are sold or at crateandcottage.com/book.

In this week's episode, I am sharing 10 general things that women want from the men in our lives. I think it can be beneficial to take an outward look into our relationships. Next week, you'll hear from Richard who will discuss his viewpoint on what he wants, and then the third week we join forces and hash these expectations out together.

1. To feel protected: Physically, emotionally and spiritually. As the head of the house, men are protecting the home in a spiritual way. I think that trickles down into our emotions and physically. [6:46]

1. To count on you: In general, I think women really want to know they can count on their spouse. You can leave the house and know the kids are going to be taken care and can release that mom guilt. [8:17]

1. To feel desired and needed: As much as we are tired sexually or in different "seasons" of sexuality (there are those) we do still want to be desired. We want to know we are still the ones you're looking at. [10:26]

1. To be appreciated: Whether we work full time, whether we are retired, whether we're in the home homeschooling, we want to know that it is appreciated. It's just a few words, but to know that we're appreciated makes all the difference. [13:41]

1. To feel known and seen: We want to be known. We want our spouses to recognize when something is wrong and want to know how we are feeling. I think women feel especially loved when they are known. [14:29]

1. To be informed: Keep us in the loop on things that are going on. We want to know if events are coming up or things we need to plan for. [18:46]

1. Moral integrity and a man they can respect: We want a man that is trustworthy and loyal and that we feel lives in integrity. [19:43]

1. Kindness: We want to be treated with kindness in our interactions and communication. [21:19]

1. Time: Having quality time together and making it a priority [22:10]

1. Affection: It can be easy to take for granted if you have an affectionate husband, but I know there are men in our lives that are not. In general, I think women want to be given affection. [23:56]

This episode is sponsored by She Made Herself a Home, my book that will help you discover how to create a home that is inviting, beautiful, functional and uniquely personal all while staying on budget. It is a home decor planner that features beautiful photography from more than 40 real homes and contributions from other successful home decor bloggers. I promise it will make home designing an exciting, un-intimidating process. My hope is that these pages spark your passions, guide you to create spaces you love and most importantly give you the confidence to try something new. Anyone, no matter age, status, income level or past can make a home for herself and those she loves. Because no one has to break the bank to bring new life, intention and purpose to a home. You can buy your copy anywhere books are sold or at crateandcottage.com/book.

Rachel and Richard share their experiences with loss and how grief has been a part of their lives since a young age. They are sharing what's helped them after loss and how they've handled it together. We hope you leave this episode encouraged and inspired in some way if you are or have experienced loss.

• Rachel's first experience with loss and her view that beauty truly can come from ashes [3:00]
• The practice of journaling that helped Rachel process her feelings and grief from loss [7:48]
• Richard shares his own experience of loss at a young age and the impact it had the trajectory of his life [21:15]
• The role faith played in navigating grief for Richard, and the reliance he has had on Jesus when going through loss [32:00]

Rachel shares verses that have helped her through loss in the show notes here.

This episode is sponsored by She Made Herself a Home, my book that will help you discover how to create a home that is inviting, beautiful, functional and uniquely personal all while staying on budget. It is a home decor planner that features beautiful photography from more than 40 real homes and contributions from other successful home decor bloggers. I promise it will make home designing an exciting, un-intimidating process. My hope is that these pages spark your passions, guide you to create spaces you love and most importantly give you the confidence to try something new. Anyone, no matter age, status, income level or past can make a home for herself and those she loves. Because no one has to break the bank to bring new life, intention and purpose to a home. You can buy your copy anywhere books are sold or at crateandcottage.com/book.

Aren't we all finding ourselves a little out of sorts as we start the 2020 school year together? Whether you are doing hybrid school a couple of days a week, virtual learning, homeschooling completely, or sending your children to school 5 days a week in a mask, all of our schooling looks a little different this year. As a homeschool mom, going into my 6th year of homeschooling, per my choice, I thought I'd share five tips that have helped me along the way in hopes of encouraging you in this new unknown season.

• Understand your Why/Write that Mantra- Figure out your mantra. Mine will look completely different from yours but it will remind you day in and out why you made this choice [4:03]
• Forget the idea that your home is the standard classroom- This isn't a typical classroom. This isn't the typical year. This is now your classroom. Learn to adapt to what works best for your kids and give yourself immense grace. [8:43]
• Give yourself a space- We all need that "space" so clutter doesn't accumulate. You may not have a designated classroom in your home but create a zone for materials. If that's a corner of the living room, a tabletop in the laundry room, or a full-on extra bedroom turned classroom, make yourself a space to keep the items you'll use. [11:22]
• Take Time to Listen- Take the time to listen and notice what your kids are drawn to. Recognizing interests and qualities in your children unique to themselves, pushing them gently toward those, and feeding their natural born gifts and talents may indeed guide them into their purpose way before they have to go through the drudgery of life trying to discover it. [14:08]
• Plan - I know this kind of goes against the student led free spirit adapt to the day talk that I mentioned above, but you know yourself and what works best for you. Everyone's plan will look differently this year. Plan your expectations and be ok with disappointment. Go with your gut always and don't forget you aren't alone. [18:13]

Here is to the 2020 school year momma's. May it be different in the most amazing way, may it be enlightening, may it be a time you learn things you never knew about your children, may it be a time of self-discovery, and may we see how amazing an unplanned year can really be. Happy teaching!

Resources mentioned:

Tiered Tray Organizer

This episode is sponsored by She Made Herself a Home, my book that will help you discover how to create a home that is inviting, beautiful, functional and uniquely personal all while staying on budget. It is a home decor planner that features beautiful photography from more than 40 real homes and contributions from other successful home decor bloggers. I promise it will make home designing an exciting, un-intimidating process. My hope is that these pages spark your passions, guide you to create spaces you love and most importantly give you the confidence to try something new. Anyone, no matter age, status, income level or past can make a home for herself and those she loves. Because no one has to break the bank to bring new life, intention and purpose to a home. You can buy your copy anywhere books are sold or at crateandcottage.com/book.

Welcome to the second episode in the two part series on anxiety. Last week, I told my story with anxiety, how it shows up for me, and how I have navigated it. Today, I'm bringing on my husband Richard who had a different view of anxiety until he experienced it himself. He is telling his story and how anxiety has impacted him and our marriage.

• Richard's viewpoint on anxiety and his experiences with it growing up [3:20]
• The anxiety attack that came out of the blue for Richard and changed everything [6:25]
• Richard talks about his struggle with depression, trying to treat the anxiety with natural methods, and the moment the fog lifted for him [10:01]
• His biggest takeaway after experiencing anxiety himself and how we support each other in our marriage [18:58]
• How his viewpoint on anxiety has changed and his renewed perspective on life in general [21:32]

I hope our stories can help you or perhaps your spouse if you're going through something similar. If you haven't experienced anxiety, I hope these episodes give you a deeper compassion and understanding for those who do.

This episode is sponsored by She Made Herself a Home, my book that will help you discover how to create a home that is inviting, beautiful, functional and uniquely personal all while staying on budget. It is a home decor planner that features beautiful photography from more than 40 real homes and contributions from other successful home decor bloggers. I promise it will make home designing an exciting, un-intimidating process. My hope is that these pages spark your passions, guide you to create spaces you love and most importantly give you the confidence to try something new. Anyone, no matter age, status, income level or past can make a home for herself and those she loves. Because no one has to break the bank to bring new life, intention and purpose to a home. You can buy your copy anywhere books are sold or at crateandcottage.com/book.