The Lovely Ordinary

  • Apparently, Yoga Made Me Have Feelings

    Apparently, Yoga Made Me Have Feelings

    When slowing down gives your brain and body a chance to catch up with each other. I had a first today while in my yoga class. While I’m not that old yet, I do feel like I’m at a point in my life where I don’t get very many “firsts”…

  • I Finished Throne of Glass, and I Have Opinions

    I Finished Throne of Glass, and I Have Opinions

    I finally finished reading the Throne of Glass series, and while I absolutely LOVED the series, I apparently have very different opinions from my friends and from a lot of what I have seen online. So, naturally, I have to talk about it. ***THIS DOES INCLUDE SPOILERS. YOU HAVE BEEN…

  • The Clarinet That Waited

    The Clarinet That Waited

    I hadn’t opened my clarinet case in over fourteen years. It had followed me through high school graduation, college, multiple moves, career changes, and marriage. Somewhere along the way it stopped being an instrument and became another box tucked away in the closet. When I finally opened it, I expected…

  • My First Midwest Summer

    My First Midwest Summer

    “It’s June, why is it still 55 degrees outside?” This was my first thought when I checked the weather before walking the dogs one morning. Maybe it’s just my inner Floridian coming out. I see neighbors outside in shorts and t-shirts while I’m bundled up in a sweatshirt. They probably…

  • More Than Just a Beach Vacation

    More Than Just a Beach Vacation

    When people ask about my favorite childhood vacations, my mind immediately goes to the beach. Every year, my family spent a week at the beach. We stayed in the same place, visited the same beaches, and followed many of the same traditions. While it may not sound exciting to most,…

  • A Sick Day and the Kind of Love That Matters

    A Sick Day and the Kind of Love That Matters

    I had been fighting it for a few days, telling myself it was just allergies. A little congestion, a scratchy throat. Nothing I couldn’t push through. Or at least that’s what I kept saying. But this morning, my body decided otherwise. I woke up achy, the kind of ache that…

  • The Simple Pleasures We Forget to Enjoy

    The Simple Pleasures We Forget to Enjoy

    You know the saying to stop and smell the roses? Sometimes, it’s just as important to stop and feel the breeze! There are moments that don’t ask for your attention. They just happen, whether you notice them or not. Today, after a boxing class that left me completely drained in…

  • I Never Thought I’d Go Back to School

    I Never Thought I’d Go Back to School

    I never thought I’d be going back to school. I was a good student growing up. The kind that did what was expected, got decent grades, and stayed on track. But I never really liked school. It always felt like something to get through, not something to enjoy. After high…

  • The Gap in Women’s Healthcare We Don’t Talk About

    The Gap in Women’s Healthcare We Don’t Talk About

    Why Knowing Your Body and Asking Questions Matters More Than Ever I didn’t expect to walk away from a TEDx event questioning how much I knew about my own body. It wasn’t a heavy conversation. If anything, it felt surprisingly normal—like listening to things we should have already known, just…

  • A Moment I Wish Could Last Forever

    A Moment I Wish Could Last Forever

    Some moments are so small they almost slip past you. The other night, my husband and I were winding down for bed. Nothing special about the evening. Just the quiet end of an ordinary day. He had the TV on in the bedroom, watching some show I wasn’t really paying…