The kids are back in school. The leaves are starting to fall. The nights are getting chilly. You're starting to feel that tickle in the back of your throat. Fall has arrived and so has the beginning of the cold and flu season. You're probably shuddering at that thought. Maybe you got lucky last year and skipped through without catching one. Maybe you are like me and suffered through 2 colds and never went to bed without slathering vapor rub all over your self, in hope to breathe through the night.



 I don't know about you, but I also shudder at the idea of all of the chemicals I am putting into my body each season to cover up the symptoms that come along with the cold. Have you ever read the back of your medicine? There are words I can't even pronounce! A few years back I tried changing my diet and only putting food into my body with words I could pronounce. It was interesting to see how much better I felt while following this simple rule.



Keeping all of that in mind, this fall I will be replacing my old cold medicine with Maty's all natural cough syrup and vapor rub. Some things to consider when deciding to change out your current cold medicines with Maty's all natural options:

• The FDA does not regulate the use of the word 'natural' on products. What you see is not always what you get. Maty's makes products that are 100% natural with ingredients you can recognize. 

• All products are made with whole food ingredients that come from mother nature. No harsh chemicals or additives. You won't find parabens in these products.

• Maty's does not test on animals.

 If those things alone don't change your mind, consider my first impressions and thoughts:

The first thing I noticed about both the cough syrup and vapor rub was the smell. They both had smells I could recognize. The cough syrup was sweet smelling like honey and apple cider vinegar, while the vapor rub had a delightful mint scent. I didn't have immediate use for either product when they arrived but was able to really test run them this week when the weather started to change.

My allergies got the best of me and my nose was super stuffy over the weekend. I got frustrated that I wouldn't be able to sleep well when I remembered Maty's Vapor Rub. This rub is petroleum free and packed with eucalyptus, peppermint, and wintergreen: Three popular ingredients used as a cough and congestion remedy. I slathered some on my chest and was breathing freely in no time. I may have just found my new favorite love for the cold season.

Thankfully I only had allergies so I never fully got sick to use the cough syrup, but my dad visited this weekend and was coughing up a storm with his cold. I offered him a dose of Maty's Cough Syrup and within 20 minutes his cough was under control and he didn't feel so stuffy. He commented that the stuff tasted so good, he wanted to put it on a salad!

I am really impressed with the results and can't wait to test it further this fall. If you are looking to make the switch, you can pick up Maty's products at your local pharmacy or check them out online.

Will you be making the switch this Fall?

If you had to think about it, how many things could change in 11 days? Would there be good changes or bad changes? Were they noticeable to anyone other than you? In just 11 days away from this space I've noticed so many changes in myself and the way I view my blog.

Sometimes losing something for even a short while is enough to change your view. I wasn't really enjoying this space for the past few months. Letting it go by choice for those 11 days rather than letting it go because I lost interest was one of the best choices I could have made.

I've learned and I appreciated. Here's why:

Education 
Not only did I decide to take up a writing class, I also studied different courses on blogging in the past few weeks. Webinars and online course are so easy to find these days. You never have to leave your home to educate yourself on any subject. (This does not mean I am asking you to become a hermit!). I learned so many things by just taking notice and starting to spend time implementing some of these lessons on my blog. 

Writing 
My writing class started on the 16th It's a 6 week course broken down into 2 sessions a week. I am only 4 sessions in and I'm already feeling better about my writing. In addition to my class I have also been writing drafts of my future blogs posts down on paper. It helps the words freely flow onto the paper. I then leave it for a day before re-working it. It has really made the difference. I am noticing all the little things I don't like before I post it live. 

Community 
I spent more time reading blogs. Old time favorites and new ones. I connected with new people as well as connected with old friends. I was able to spend more time commenting and interacting with my social media accounts. It was amazing to have all of that time and interaction. Not only did I feel connected again, I also felt fresh with new ideas. 

Creative 
I was able to get out and enjoy myself. I read my book. I went to friends houses. I wrote in journals and colored in coloring books. I enjoyed the silence. I didn't feel bad. I knew I needed these moments to get back the creative feelings I had lost. I was inspired again to write. The little things in life help those creative juices start flowing. Remember that next time you feel stuck.

No Regret 
I may have left for 11 days, but I learned that my space was still here when I got back. It didn't die. People didn't forget. People left me comments of encouragement and that was all I needed to enjoy a few days away from a place that used to be fun. Today this is fun again. For this reason I do not have any regrets. 

Sometimes the mind needs a  break. I felt like this was the perfect time for me. Now I can focus on where I want to go. What I want this space to be. Who I want to be. I appreciate your patience with me and I am so glad you are back here with me today. Look forward to some great topics this fall. Make sure you are back here on Thursday, October 1st. Rumor has it there will be a pretty great giveaway!

Happy Monday folks.. I'm BACK! 

Burn out is a real thing. Especially when you are having a million different great ideas and you can't keep them all organized. This summer really burned me out with the unlimited amounts of events that popped up along with some depression that hit me half way through. I came to my blog and posted, but I don't think they were my best pieces.

Today I am starting a 6 week writing course in effort to help me better focus on my writing. Once I get that under control I think the ideas will come to the paper (err uh screen) better. In the meantime I am going to take a brief hiatus from the blog. I want to be able to really focus on what I'm doing and maybe even post some of it here. It's about to get rough.. draft that is.

I am going to commit to a week and a half away initially. I will re-evaluate if that's enough time on September 28th when I plan to post again. Expect a fresh feel when I fully return in October! There is also a rumor of a giveaway..

In the meantime take a look around. Discover some of my older posts. Let me know if you want me to revisit anything you see here. As always this blog is always a work in progress as I find my voice and place in this community. I want to be able to connect with you all in the best way possible. That means not only writing for me, but writing what keeps you all coming back.

While I will not be essentially blogging, I will be posting here and there on social media. Mostly on my Instagram account and maybe showing my Facebook a little love. It's on the list of things to get work in this progress. If you aren't already following me on those accounts, would you do me the honor of giving me a follow?

Thank you again for all of your support and comments. It is what keeps me coming back to share my world with you all. See you all soon!