Happy New Year!! I hope 2021 is off to an amazing start for you! In honor of all the new quarantine babies being born and to celebrate the impending birth of my new niece or nephew (it's a surprise!) I thought I would share my four crystal picks for new mamas. I actually gifted my sister these stones after the birth of her first baby and she found them to be very helpful in assisting her through those first few months. 

In no particular order....

Clear Quartz
- most powerful stone {mama stone!}
- amplifies any energy or intention
- cleanse, open, activate, and align all of the chakras
- protects against negativity

Pink Kunzite
- Women's Stone
- supportive for 1st-time mothers
- assists in taking care of children
- good for sleepless babies/overactive children

Blue Lace Agate
- uplifts and elevates calm energy
- soothes an overactive mind
- opens the throat chakra
- stone of communication

Amazonite
- balances feminine & masculine energies
- stimulates both sides of the brain
- enhances...

As a mom of four, who desperately needs my meditation time, I am often asked if my kids meditate as well and if they do, what does that look like or how do I encourage it?

The simple answer is yes, they do meditate, but not in the same way that I meditate. I believe we often overthink or overcomplicate our meditation practices and that can spill over into us trying to control our children's meditation practices.

Don't feel guilty! Of course we do this! We know that it makes us feel better and studies show that for our kids:

• Meditation enhances focus
• Meditation fosters self-esteem and self-love
• Meditation relieves stress for peak performance
• Meditation supports healthy emotional development

So obviously we want them to meditate. But HOW do we incorporate this into their lives without forcing it upon them as something we think they should do? Which we all know typically just pushes them away from ever being interested in said thing.

I started incorporating meditation into...

Trigger Warning: pregnancy/fertility

I want to preface this post by acknowledging my privilege of never having to experience the difficulties of conceiving a child nor have I ever experienced a pregnancy loss. Although I cannot possibly know what that heartache feels like in either situation my heart is with every family who goes through such emotional turmoil.

My four pregnancies were all somewhat different. I laugh when people make assumptions about symptoms to predict the sex of the baby. Especially the "oh you are really sick so that must mean girl!" I have two boys and two girls. My first girl and my second boy both made me hurl every morning! My first boy and my second girl barely made me dry heave. So sorry to burst your bubble but those old wives' tales are just that.... tales!

But one big difference in my pregnancies was that I didn't have crystals in my life for my first two and I did for my last two! The crystals definitely...

A week or so ago (I think... everything these days is melting together) I mentioned that in all of my recent crystal healing sessions every single person has had a blocked sacral chakra. I then stated I would make a live video about it. But, because I have four children home with me 24/7 during this quarantine, it's been really difficult to find a quiet place to do a live video {shocker!}! So instead of making you wait longer, I decided I would just type it all out instead. I will eventually make that video, but for now, this should suffice ;)

First, it is important to note that our lower chakras: root, sacral & solar plexus are the first chakras to develop as young children. They keep us grounded and connected to the physical world and they are greatly tied to our identity. They are the chakras that carry our beliefs around protection, security, stability... they govern emotions, creativity, passion, and pleasure.

But let's look at just...

Ask my neighbors...my kids are almost always running around barefoot. In fact, I encourage it! Why? Because that connection to the Earth is so important!

As adults, most of us have lost that connection with nature. In this crazy time, I encourage you to get outside as much as possible. Let's take notice of our kids and the lessons they can teach us because they are almost always trusting their intuition and inner voice. 

Actually, walking around barefoot is my favorite way to get grounded. What does being grounded even mean? Being grounded is the ability to be completely aware and conscious during the present moment. When you are grounded you have a strong connection to the Earth and you feel safe, protected and know that you are taken care of no matter what trials you go through in your life. 

I know what you're thinking. "It's easy for you Nikki because you live in Charleston where it's warm most of the year! I live where it's SO cold... I...

Anxiety levels are at an all-time high right now and I am getting DMed on the regular about crystals to help with easing anxiety so I thought I would share my personal favorites that I use when I need some calming. I do need to preface with the fact that crystal healing should never be used in place of a doctor/therapist or any prescribed medications -- everything I share is from my own personal experience and I am not an MD... shocking, I know. Speaking of personal experience, I do not have a diagnosed anxiety disorder but I have been diagnosed with postpartum anxiety and postpartum depression twice and I am no stranger to anxiety as it lives within the walls of my home.

Okay now that we got all that out of the way let's get to the good stuff: the crystals that I love for easing anxiety.

1. Blue Lace Agate - this is one of my most favorite crystals. It is a soothing and nurturing blue stone that brings you calmness and peace of mind. It can help calm your thoughts when...

Thanks to everyone who helped me out with my content survey last week! A bunch of you wanted more recipes so here's one for you! I have been making these about every three days because my kids are freakin' animals and eat all my food. But I desperately needed to change up their breakfast because they just weren't getting filled up enough -- enter FIBER. Anyway, that's enough of me chatting... I don't want to write a long ass story you have to read before getting to the recipe! HA!

Let me know how your kids (𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩) like it!

Chocolate Chip Banana Oat Flax Mini Muffins

𝘐𝘯𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup quick oats
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup ground flax
2 eggs
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup whole milk
3 large ripe bananas, mashed
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp maple syrup
as many mini chocolate chips as you please!

𝘐𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a mini...

One of our favorite manufactured holidays is upon us and I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to introduce you to three of my personal favorite crystals to enhance the vibration of love in your life. When we think about love I believe most people immediately think about romantic love but the vibration of love is just that — love. Love for yourself, for your children, for your friends, for your pets, hell, even for your favorite food! The vibration of love on a scale is at the tippy top. The #1 highest frequency. If your vibration was consistently at this level you would be manifesting some good shit into your life! But we are humans and we experience a range of vibrations based on our emotions -- therefore we are all over the damn place on that scale. {If you would like to learn more about the Vibrational Scale of Consciousness and how you can use it in your daily life then you should join my FREE 5 Day Raise Your Vibration Challenge coming up on March 9th!}

So...

One of the most common questions I get about crystals is "How do I pick crystals for my kids?" and I absolutely love getting this question because the simple answer is: you don't! 

Wait, what?

Yes... you don't pick crystals for your kids. You let them pick their crystals! Kids are naturally drawn to these beautiful stones. Ever wonder why your child wants to pick up rocks? Or maybe your child has a rock collection already! Children are much more intuitive than adults and they can most likely pick up on the high vibrational frequencies these stones create.

So, take your kids to the crystal shop with you! BUT I will warn you that most shops are not great places for children so watch them like a hawk or you may end up bringing home something you didn't intend to purchase. Like the time my then 3-year-old knocked over a giant piece of petrified wood that split in half. Thankfully the owner gave us a significant discount, but now I have TWO huge pieces of petrified wood in my...

It's rare these days that I'm fully alone with my thoughts. Between the "mom mom mom mommy mommmmm"s and the addiction to my phone (oh yes, it's bad) there is little time for my thoughts. And then I find myself tired, cranky, unfulfilled and wondering where my day went. Or I feel as if I'm doing so much, but getting nowhere. 

I've always been someone who has loved being busy. I prided myself on doing "all the things!" Hell, I was a mom, wife, cake baker, freelance writer, blogger and Beachbody Coach all at one time. I was super proud of juggling all that, but I can guarentee that I sucked at a lot of those roles because I was spread so thin. I rarely stayed still and definitely never sat alone with my thoughts. How boring.

Now, I {try to} wake up early to sit alone with my thoughts... hence this blog post! Amazing what putting away my phone and waking up before everyone else can produce! Words! The more time I spend alone with my thoughts the more creative I...