HIATUS

Hey Lil Sprouts!                   So the 'Rona definitely got a little more serious than I originally thought (LOL). Please do your best to pay attention to the CDC's updates, and do your part by practicing social distancing and good hygienic habits. Now to the point. A lot of us have had our school's closed and must now embark on a journey of remote learning...(a joke).  If you didn't know before, online classes are way more difficult than in person classes, because it's ALL. ON. YOU. With that being said, I put together some tips for you all! Here go my lil survival guide: -Your availability does not equal your free time! Schedule the specific times you’ll be available to work on your assignments by class. Be sure to include specific due dates and times. Class Organizing Strategies By due date By original class syllabus/schedule Checkered, 2 classes on 1 day, the other 2 on another Interesting Cla...

Today’s post is a special blog entry from content contributor Gabbie G. We are excited to offer her a safe space to share her recent experiences with a depressive episode, addiction and therapy. We not only love, but admire the strength she displays in her vulnerability. We hope that you can learn something about yourself/others through her experiences. For the past month or so, I have been in a deep depressive episode. I have been going about my day-to-day life struggling to get out of bed, getting up and immediately counting down the minutes until I can return to my safe place; I cover myself in my weighted blanket and abandon all of my responsibilities. Then, the next day comes and there I am with the same struggle again and again which resulted in me coping with these struggles through the age-old medication, alcohol.  Drinking only intensified the feelings, making me hate myself even more. It (my addiction), brought me face to face with the same old mistakes. I w...

Say these words aloud and find power in them... I will not fall prey to anger. I will not let anger control me. I will not allow anger to rebuild walls I've deliberately torn down. My hurt will not overwhelm me. My pain is not all encompassing. My peace does not have to be fragile. I am bigger than any adversity. I don't have to beg for respect and there's no need for me to tolerate disrespect. I shouldn't have to exist in competitions for love and support. Love is patient, kind and understanding. Love is forgiving. I forgive those who've hurt me, in order to move forward leading with love. Love is not manipulative, spiteful or ruled by pain. I do not have to settle in love. I do not have to choose love over loneliness if love isn't serving my purpose. It is okay to stand up for the things I believe in, even if that means I have to go forward alone. I am worthy and deserving of the standards by which I decide my wants and needs. I set standards for how I wa...

Hello all and happy holidays! I hope that the season has been good to you. We have some exciting news... This holiday season we are fundraising to create lunches and care packages for homeless and battered women and children in the south Chicago area. We have been able to partner with growing candle company T|K Remedies to bring a little self care opportunity your way. T hose who donate $5 or more and follow our socials will be automatically entered for a chance to win two candles of your choice! T|K Remedies is a growing candle company that offers unique products designed to smell great and make you feel amazing. Whether you identify as the "booked and busy" or are in need of a fresh start, you deserve the space to regroup, recharge and reflect with affirmative purpose. We believe that our most valuable language is the one we use in our head and often we forget the importance of how that voice affects us. With T|K Remedies we want to create your safe space integratin...

For months now I've been toying with the idea of starting this digital book club in the hopes of reigniting my own love of literature. Books, for me at least, were always a tool I used to temporarily escape the anxiety and sadness in my own world, in favor of hundreds of others I could afford to get lost in. Reading books taught me how to see the bigger picture in what seemed to be a small, inconsequential existence. It gave me the imagination and hope necessary to dream of a bigger and better reality for myself. Books taught me the importance of advocating for oneself, leading with love and chasing one's dreams fearlessly. Now, in a time where there seems to always exist more good than bad in this world, I want to help myself and those like me find that sense of escape; that healthy coping mechanism that might have just enough power to remind us to keep hoping, keep dreaming big and keep pushing forward. With that being said I hope you all take a few moments to ...

By choosing to share her personal experiences with us regarding her struggles with acknowledging and seeking treatment for her mental illness, Gabbie sheds light on several positive mental health and self care practices. Read on to find a personal account on why acknowledgement is only ever the first step in getting better.  My name is Gabbie and I am empty. Empty? What does empty even mean?  I am filled with thoughts and organs; my body takes action and yet, somehow I am feeling...empty? I mean, sure I struggle to be content from time to time, but I’m 21 and that’s how life is supposed to be right? I’ll admit it, sometimes the slightest annoyance will cause me to have severe angry outbursts! But I’m Italian and Mexican! I was just born with a fiery personality, right? And yes I like to drink alcohol in excessive amounts until I blackout but that is solely because I’m young and still learning my limits! That all has to be true, right?  Nope. Not at all the cas...