Habitual Balance Archives - Habitual Balance

Our Favorite Place To Stay In Phoenix: Relaxing and Recharging After Havasupai Falls

Shelby — Wed, 07 May 2025 23:48:43 +0000

So! If you guys and gals have been following along on this series, you’ll know that we’ve come to a bittersweet end with this post. Boo to that! But on the bright side, that means today I get to tell you all about our favorite place to unwind, recharge, and relax. While I’ll also touch on a few other close seconds that we may definitely check out again in the future. Hint: It’s an app you’ve already heard of! (Can you tell that we really, really, really like Arizona??) And guess what…we’ll be flying back out in June to hike the North to South Rim of the Grand Canyon! So be sure to stay tuned for more travel posts to come. (I promise I’ll be adding some non-desert ones in between there as well…) Staying at JW Marriott Phoenix: The Perfect Post-Hike Escape After every major hike, we really like to just veg out for a day or two, typically at a hotel so that we can get just a teeny bit pampered after coming off several days of backpacking with no toilets or running water. If you had the chance to check this post out, you’ll get to see why we break our trips up into stages so that we can plan accordingly on what to bring and how to mentally prepare for which stage of the trip we’re on. Why We Love Hotels with Laundry Service After Backpacking We also love to utilize their laundry service if they have one available (did you know that most regular hotel chains do!?) While this can be somewhat costly if you have a lot of items, we try to keep it minimal by choosing things that really need a good wash so they don’t stink up our luggage, or we pack more minimally overall and just wash everything once to wear those same items again at the hotel stage of the trip. Once we made our way back into Phoenix, we checked into the JW Marriott in Scottsdale, by far one of the most beautiful hotels we’ve ever been in. If you check out the Marriott Bonvoy app, you can usually get lucky and snag a good deal if you’re willing to check back frequently and are flexible with your dates. (For example, we only spent $200/night when we went in September, but when we booked for April, we couldn’t find any dates less than $600/night. Gulp.) However, since we saved so much moolah backpacking and camping throughout the week and using Airbnbs for our first 2 nights, we decided to go ahead and book since we didn’t have flexible dates for the rescheduled days of Havasupai Falls. At the end of our stay, we still appreciated being able to take in the Phoenix sunrise and sunset from our rooftop balcony, but did recognize that next time we’d try out some more Airbnbs for the last stage of the trip. Why? Because although enjoying a chilly NA margarita poolside (with no work involved on our end), was absolutely wonderful, we’d prefer to put those funds toward a trip to come and enjoy some mediocre ones made by yours truly instead. Don’t get me wrong. Hotels are amazing and we use them often when needed. We try to get affordable ones when available near the airports, or use them for spending a date night downtown in the city. For yinz all wondering, Pittsburgh, PA is our home base, which I’ll be sure to inform you of to-dos and hikes nearby in the future! Rest & Recharge at JW Marriott But on this day of course, we’re back in sunny Phoenix absorbing the hot rays and chill days. When we got in the first night, we arrived in time to walk around the resort and order in some amazing steak dinners to enjoy on the patio. It was a blissful, stress-free evening compared to last year when we got stuck in SUPER LONG traffic on our way from Sedona to the city. It was a total bummer since it rushed our last evening there, which is why we vowed to make sure we booked two days from then on instead of just one. (We changed hotels last minute as well, which seemed like a good idea at the time, but only created more unnecessary chaos when it came to booking and rescheduling the other later on. A lesson was learned…sometimes, we just need to stick with the original plan!) In the morning, I considered setting an alarm for the sunrise. But as you probably know by now, I have a strict *no alarm on vacations* rule that I try to follow as much as possible. Since we’ve seen the sunrise from here before, we chose to sleep in and rest our aching bodies from the grueling hike just a day before. Once we got up and into the world, we enjoyed some Starbucks which they offer nearby, checked out the gift shop so I could snag myself a new fun necklace, and soaked up the vibes at the pool as previously mentioned. After that, we decided on a last minute couples massage, although looking back I’d have much preferred a chill dinner watching the sunset again on the balcony. This was only our second time booking one at a hotel, and although they were great, they cost a fortune and we would much prefer putting that toward a future endeavor. If you’re considering one when you’re in hotel land, keep this in mind and maybe save that dough for a few sessions at one near home instead of one while there. The last day was a breeze. We slept in again, grabbed some breakfast that was *SO GOOD,* and went at a snails pace. Usually, we’re packing and hustling to get to the airport with anxiety oozing all over. But since we attempted to prevent some of that this time around, we made sure to

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The Treacherous Traverse Down Into The Famous Mooney Falls

deeprooteddrawers — Wed, 23 Apr 2025 22:57:52 +0000

Supppp peeps! If you’ve been following along on the Havasupai Series, you’ll know that we left off by arriving to the campground! Yay! This post will cover what we did in the campground the first night and second morning, including our traverse into Mooney Falls. Don’t forget to stop back later this week to read all about our trip afterwards down to the Confluence! Yay again!! Mooney Falls Hike: Facing Fears, Climbing Chains & Finding Magic in the Mist As you can see by now, this recent trip has a lot to unpack. Which is why we love staggering our stays into several stages (which you can read more about in this post!) By doing this, it allows us to take our time, prepare accordingly, and feel at ease while we’re in traveling mode. I used to have such angst while traveling. Whether it was at the airport or packing beforehand or finding the nearest gas station when we got into our rental car, I was usually a mess mentally. Nit-picking would come easy because I would have no plan on what to do next, and no idea of the area surrounding me or where we were going because I wouldn’t take the time to research before we left. (Because, who has extra time, right?) When You Quit Trying to Control, You Can Begin Living But this time was different. As we made our way into the Havasupai campground and got unpacked, it felt unreal. Unreal that I was finally in this beautiful place after so many months of planning and unreal that I had so much less anxiety than I ever used to. Every trip into nature, especially the backpacking ones in my opinion, are like mini rebirths every single time on my own little journey. It’s enlightening to see how much further you grow from the last one, or to recognize how much growth you still have to conquer. Backpacking heals me. Seriously. Even though we got to completely relax and veg out in Parks, Arizona before this excursion, I still longed for that “off-grid” type vibe that I was looking forward to for so long. And, once I got out of the tent that first morning, I remembered why the blisters aching my feet and the nearly 40 pound pack wasn’t a bother anymore. Base Camp Vibes: Easing Into the Mooney Falls Hike Even though this hike was centered around the Havasu Falls, the more pressing task on my mind was the fact that to go *literally* anywhere else from there, we would have to hike down to Mooney Falls. Now, this may not seem like a big deal to you, especially if heights aren’t an issue. But for humans out here like me, it was actually kind of a big deal…especially when Ben (the hubs) decided to take an evening stroll to the top to see the staircase the night before we had to get after it. (see the pics above for reference!) I knew from watching previous YouTube videos that it would be a bit of sketch, but when I saw it in person, my heart literally sunk. I remember turning to him and saying, “like, I don’t know if I can actually do this.” He probably thought I was joking…I was not. The feeling that I got when seeing how tiny those people looked on the side of the cliff, the feeling when I could barely see the rock cut out where the “steps” were by the chains that you’d need to hold onto, was the same exact feeling I’d gotten the night we camped out on the Napali Coast. Of course, I felt accomplished. I’d tackled one of the most dangerous hikes in the world (so they say), during a time when the trail was shut down from weather right after we’d entered hours earlier. I’d tackled Angel’s Landing in Zion, (future post to come!) even though it took some persisting to get me past some of the harder parts. And I’d tackled Humphrey’s Peak, the tippy top of Seneca Rocks and the list goes on. (Check out the blog page to more travel posts!) But as I laid next to the ocean waves crashing beside me that night, I thought, “Why did I put myself in this position?” This is the same as what happened the first night we camped in Havasupai. Not realizing that I’d have to yet again face my fears to complete my conquest of the day, I worried that I would be ruining our whole trip if I couldn’t make it down. To my surprise though, we did it! And it was MUCH more slippery (and straight down) than we had anticipated. Caves, Gloves & Muddy Steps: Beginning the Mooney Falls Hike Descent When we got up, we decided if we were feeling okay to keep hiking. Since we felt pretty good still, we had some dehydrated berries and granola for breakfast, packed up the one day pack we brought, my new found little waist pack, and hit the trail. (PS, make sure you use the bathroom at the top! There won’t be anymore along the way if you’re going to Mooney Falls, Beaver Falls, or The Confluence). As we made our way down, we hit the spot where the cave is. It’s pretty cool actually, (including the view that peaks at Mooney when you’re going from one cave into another, see below) and I’m really grateful that we got to experience it. We waited for a few folks ahead of us, (try not to get too close to people ahead of you especially on this descend/ascend, let them go at their own pace with what they feel comfortable at so that you don’t make them feel rushed), and then continued on our little adventure down the muddy mess. Once you’re at the top of the “steps,” you’ll notice some extra gloves others leave behind for hikers to use. We

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Before the Havasupai Falls Hike: Where We Stayed, How We Prepped, and Why Parks, AZ Was Perfect

Shelby — Fri, 11 Apr 2025 22:09:37 +0000

Today, I went full potato. I napped, I vegged, I cooked beautiful and delicious food, and watched the sunset with my husband before indulging in some hot cocoa while reading. It was a good day. Today marked the first actual day of being fully in Arizona, in which we typically use to prep our gear and fuel our bodies with rest and good grub before backpacking 60-70 miles with dehydrated meals on our backs for the next 4 days. Here’s a quick bit about our time in chilly, amazing, perfect Parks, Arizona. Back in September of 2024, we were scheduled to hike the incredible trek to Havasupai Falls. (We can call it Havasu though since “Havasu” means “blue-green water” and “Pai” means “people.”) If you’ve been following the Habitual Balance journey, you’ll know that we were forced to reschedule only a few weeks before our trip due to a tragic flash flood. Although we considered traveling elsewhere when we found this out, it was eventually decided that we would stick with the original plan and work around those few days we were to be at the falls. I couldn’t be more pleased with how that trip worked out. We camped for several days at different locations that had totally different weather. First outside of Sedona where we found a small swimming hole that we could kayak into a cave on the other side, and next here in Parks, at an awesome little Hipcamp spot that we got to enjoy in the wilderness right outside of Coconino National Forest. Our Tiny Home Stay Before the Havasupai Falls Hike Since we were the only ones present at the time, it was quiet, almost eerie how silent it was at night when we got up to go to the outhouse. We heard coyotes and horses and woke up to frost on the ground which was much different than sleeping super hot outside of our sleeping bags the previous day near Sedona. However, we loved the area so much that we immediately booked a tiny home that they had on the property for 2025 when our Havasu trip was rescheduled. We planned to use it as a recovery day from traveling and to get out of the work mindset, to relax and unwind and cook yummy food, and to get a small active recovery hike in before the big one in a few days time. …Which leads us to the here and now! The owners of the property have made this place 100% one to remember. It has been just as amazing as last time and I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity to stay here again. The tiny home was perfect and since no one was in the other unit they even upgraded us to a bigger one! Which ended up working great for the space we needed to organize our gear and hang out for a while. If you’re wanting to check out what they offer, check out their site at thetinyhomeinn.com! Although the weather could have been slightly warmer so I could have stayed on the hammock longer (boo!) I still got to enjoy it for a little while and we were able to immerse ourselves in the beauty of Humphreys Peak which we hiked last time as well. Check out these incredible views just a 1 minute walk from our spot!! Not only could we enjoy the sunrise, (check out one of the pics above to see the sunrise from the bedroom!) sunset, and mountain nearby on this property, but they have also allowed us into another magical place nearby just a short hike away. Sycamore Canyon is an underrated Arizona bucket list place in my opinion. It’s vast and wondrous just like its bigger sister only a few hours away, but I’ve never heard anything about it until coming here! While the spot they mention that you can go to is quite perfect with its swimming hole and epic scenery with the rocks and pines, I challenge you to check out the rest of the canyon as well if you ever make it here. (Which you totally should). We decided to keep going and did about a 5 mile trek mid morning when it was warmer and crisp. This is my absolute favorite kind of hiking weather. Cool enough that I’m not super sweaty, but warm enough that I’m not shivering the entire time. I thought it was cool that these rock piles were kind of like the same idea as the cairns you see out in Sedona and other areas with the red rock and less vegetation. Also, check out this neat bone we stumbled upon during our hike! *Did you know? Mineral precipitates, such as salts, present in the soil matrix may crystalize on the bone surface resulting in calcium carbonate encrustations, which may bleach the bone causing a white discoloration. According to Google…A bone that is completely bleached white throughout, meaning even on the inside, indicates that it has been heated to a high temperature (over 600°C) for a sufficient time, burning away all organic matter like collagen, fats, and proteins, rather than being a measure of its age. 🧐 Why We Prepped Early for the Havasupai Falls Backpacking Trip Once we were back from the hike, we got our gear ready for the upcoming trip by placing everything on the floor from our luggage and organizing it into the backpacks. (Which we decided we would be doing FIRST next time, due to spending less time organizing while on vacay!) We also realized that if we would have packed the backpacks before leaving home, that we would likely have packed less clothes due to recognizing that we needed less than we actually brought. Supes annoying. *eye roll* I always have a tendency to overpack but I’ve been getting probably 10% better with every trip. If you worry about over packing or overthinking your items needed for an upcoming

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Why Staying True To Natural Intentions Can Allow Room For Personal Growth

Shelby — Tue, 25 Mar 2025 15:46:59 +0000

Hey guys. I’ve been wanting to say thank you for some time now, but today just felt like the right day, so, here we are. If you’re wondering why I’m saying thank you, it’s because I genuinely appreciate each and every single human being that travels digitally to follow along this journey with me while learning how to balance our habits. Every day seems to get a little more interesting and a little less of a struggle with the adulting world of self-exploration, so I wanted to show my gratitude today by embracing the community that we are all a true part of. <3 Passions and Personal Growth Sometimes life feels weird and gets you in uncomfy situations. It catapults you up and down like a rollercoaster and makes you continuously question why you’ve made the steps you have to get into the next phase of this life. But only when you begin to absorb those daily lessons and apply them with gratitude, do you begin to view things in a different light. What is your current uncomfy situation? Let’s talk about that in the comments if you’re open to sharing. Recently on HB’s facebook page I asked what topics you’re most interested in learning about. It was amazing to see just how many people would like to hear more about topics related to travel. I am 110% game for that being that travel is one of my most favorite things to do. However. I also want to stay true to HB’s true intentions on this blog, which is self-development, personal growth, and finding our true passions along this journey of life. And because of that, those will be sprinkled in along the way as well. Because without growth, without passion and development, we cannot truly embrace and experience all of that which travel can really bring us. Here are my top 5 current passions if you’re wondering: Travel (Enjoying all of earth’s natural beauty and putting this on my to-do list as often as possible) Competing in BJJ (Getting comfortable with being uncomfortable and reigniting my competitive spirit) (new post on this to come if there’s any ladies out there looking for some inspo!) Hiking (Staying active in nature and soaking up natural vitamin D more often) Mental Health (Maintaining the foundation and allowing more room for growth) Physical Growth (Pushing my boundaries physically) What are your top 5 passions? (These cannot include family/friends/pets/etc). Related: Looking Internally – Rediscovering Your Why & Why It’s So Important To Growth Attitude of Gratitude Without creating situations in our lives that create discomfort, we are forced to stay stagnant and uncomfortable in a whole different sense. Discomfort that eventually will bring disease and doubt in ourselves to stay the course once we’ve dug ourselves too deep in a hole that we need help getting out of. Habitual Balance isn’t just about feeling good on the outside while we travel the world or hike in nature, it’s also about feeling good inside, and knowing when to put yourself first instead of grinding and grinding until you come in dead last. It’s okay to be selfish when it comes to your mental and physical health. It’s okay to be kind to your mind and enjoy a restorative day instead of venturing out in the world of people. So I want you to focus more often on realizing your deepest intentions and finding what fears you’re facing so that you can confront them and move into the next chapter of your life. Being human is incredible, we have a million and one things to be thankful for every moment we breathe. Here is what I’m thankful for from you: Being supportive of this personal growth Feeling supported along your own path Engaging with the HB community and connecting with others who share the same mindset Being in the drivers seat of your own awareness and understanding of what needs accomplished Recognizing how to keep an open mind while you browse through another’s journey online I started this blog because I not only feel the desire to help another like-minded soul embrace their own journey, but to also keep myself accountable and updated on how I’ve been or how I am currently feeling on my own path. I want to share my story so that others like you know they are not alone on what they’re going through. Habitual Balance is About Community Growth Too There are so many false positives in the world today with social media knocking at our screens 159 times per day (yes, that’s an actual statistic), that we have to wonder what is truly real anymore. Who is actually happy on the other end of that screen and how many individuals are actually going through something traumatic but are too fearful to share it with their “peers” on their following? I want to be real with you guys. To be empathetic to your own stories and want you to be able to fully embrace mine. I want you to feel seen and for myself to feel seen through the eyes of others going through so many of the same things. So often we judge someone on their external appearance (through real life or through a filtered screen), that we mistakenly never notice when they are actually reaching out for help. Habitual Balance is not only about reaching balance in your habits, but also about how to sense when your community is in need and what you can do to lend a helping hand. Self-growth is both inward and outward personal growth. They are one in the same. Meaning that it’s okay to be selfish and focus on your own growth, but try to not leave others in the dust at the same time. Remember who they are to you and how they’ve helped you get to be the you that you are today. We are nothing without our community. Did you catch that? It is okay to

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Here’s A Few Ideas On Where You Should Start Your Backpacking Adventures

Shelby — Thu, 20 Mar 2025 21:18:51 +0000

So, you’re fed up with mediocre adventures and are ready to step it up in the hiking world. I see you. No matter if you’re ready to conquer small or big backpacking trips, I wanted to drop in today to talk about my favorite ways to prepare for them, as well as list off a handful of my favorite trails to do so! I swear I could add dreads to my hair tomorrow and go for days out into the wilderness. Give me a water filter and a JetBoil and I’ll be good to go. Being fully immersed into nature’s beauty is more than ever at the top of my priority list. I’m all in for making my days easier, more colorful and fuller with any adventure outdoors that I can get my toes in. Where do you stand? Childhood Hikes to Adult Backpacking Exploration I never grew up backpacking or having backpacking adventures. I didn’t even have a single clue about what it was until maybe 5-7 years ago. (I can’t remember the exact date we shopped for backpacks, but I do recall the exciting experience of fitting and finding the perfect pack. More about how to fit a pack later in the post!) When I would go hiking with my parents as a toddler and adolescent, and as a young adult with my friends, I absolutely loved every minute of it. Looking back, I actually don’t think I realized just how much it was a genuinely loved part of my life. I remember distinctly this one memory as a 15/16 year old. I had this tiny child sized colorful backpack that I stuffed full of peanut butter sandwiches (hold the jelly, please), and smarties. (Two of my favorite snacks to this day). My best friend and I actually stayed up all night so that we didn’t miss the sunrise. This has to be one of the first sunrises I actually remembering being present with and enjoying. It’s an amazing thing, our human memory, isn’t it? My Tiny House We started out of my playhouse (a cool little mini house that was more like a shed that my dad built for me near our home), early when the sun was rising. I can still feel that memory so strongly that I could paint you a picture of looking into my tiny home to make sure I remembered everything, pulling the door knob closed after I shut off the fan, and looking out to the east where the most beautiful colors began coming up on the horizon between the woods. I remember smiling to myself as we stepped off the porch into the shale, and started up the logging road to the beautiful nature behind my childhood home. Only now can I recognize what an important part of this life that memory would be. If I had to choose a specific time and place where I truly felt in tune with my hiking aura, it would have to be this morning. Although I have a ton of memories hiking with my parents beforehand, for some reason, going out on my own (with my friend of course), felt truly like it was the first of many to come as an individual. I love that memory. Do you have something similar? At the time I didn’t realize I’d actually been halfass “backpacking.” I had even remembered to bring a safety and first aid kit, besides the snacks and water that I carried in my pack for my friend and I. We trekked out a ways until it felt like far enough, gathered some sticks and started a teeny tiny fire. I enjoyed my sandwiches around the smell of the fire (my all-time favorite smell to this day, ESPECIALLY in the morning), and made sure it was out before heading back down the trail. We were gone for hours. That was the longest of my hikes at that time, something I wish I would have made an effort to do more often as I grew into adulthood. Where To Start and the Lessons I Learned So aside from the sappy teeny me story, it’s that time in the post to share some tidbits about where and how you may consider starting your own backpacking journey. Let’s get into that. I mentioned that about 5-7 years ago is really where it began to transform my adult life. It was at this time that my husband and I decided to start to travel more (for adventure, not for relaxation). We were out in Arizona with our day packs (actually, I believe we had just camelbacks at the time, pssh, newbs…) and trekked down into the Grand Canyon a bit past Skeleton Point on the South Kaibab trail. I knew we could keep going, but knowing the dangers of the Canyon that a lot of people ignore, we made the choice to turn around and try again the next year with better preparation and training. We also booked Angels Landing in Zion National Park (for a daytrip) in Utah the year after. We had Havasupai Falls scheduled as well, but with the flash flood that came through, caused us to reschedule (for two weeks from now, actually, yay!). (Check out the videos below to get a glimpse of the before and after). And we just finished backpacking the Napali Coast in Kauai this past December. Since then, we’ve learned that getting permits is hella hard, backpacking can be intimidating if you don’t plan properly, and preparing your body for carrying 30-40 pounds up a crap ton of elevation is MUCH harder than it looks on paper. Check Out AllTrails for Your Adventure Therefore, I recommend starting out small. Get the AllTrails app and find some fun trails near you that you can practice on. Check out your nearest outdoor store to get fitted for a pack, (something else I never realized you had to do!). Our favorite store is REI, but if there are none near your city,

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Tips For Maintaining Healthy Eating While Traveling

Shelby — Mon, 17 Mar 2025 22:09:38 +0000

Years ago, I would have never even begun to think about trying to eat healthy on vacations. They’re vacations! Why on earth did I want to limit myself to a strict meal plan (or the dreaded word, “diet”), while enjoying my time away with my loved ones? Over time though, I began to learn more about how healthy eating truly affects the entirety of those trips, and how I have made significant changes up until now and ongoing so that I can feel my best if I’m just laying on the beach or conquering the next best mountain on foot. How do you eat while you travel? Do you realize that it adjusts how you feel overall? Let’s discuss the best options to choose for healthy eating while traveling when your options are limited. Staying Nourished While on the Go I used to hate healthy eating. Like literally, loathe it. I ate fried chicken tenders before softball games and indulged in Dairy Queen to refuel after. Sure, most teenagers will do this. It’s fun, it tastes awesome, and we’re able to bond over delicious cheese-covered food with our family and friends. But some days while I soak in my homemade smoothies, I think back and wonder how much better I could have performed if I’d only known how to fuel my body properly? Although this is just something that most of us learn over time, I’d like to point out that Gen Z is doing a much better job at this than us Millennials. It seems that everyday I notice more and more teens opting for healthy snacks or smoothies and green juice over milkshakes and burgers. Of course, there is more available knowledge out there with the internet at their fingertips, so I am pleased to say that those such as my 17 year old sister are one of them who are learning what’s best to put on their plates early in the game of life. She even makes “nice cream!” Check out the recipe below if you’re wanting a frozen, healthy treat after a long morning run. (She runs 7 miles EVERY MORNING….gulp.) Healthy Chocolate Ice Cream Unfortunately for us ladies in our 30s and 40s, we are now just learning about all the benefits of eating healthy and maintaining a well-balanced diet. Of course we learned some things along the way through health class and other methods, but I’ve found much more valuable information on my own, not to mention that finding the right meal plan that works for you is the absolute hardest part! These days, I don’t try to force myself into making things I’m just kind of “meh” about. My husband has a different meal plan than me now, and it took me a long time to be okay with that. For years I would fight it and feel inadequate about not cooking for us both, but today, I embrace that we have different diets, because we are in fact different people. And that is okayyyy my friend. Something I also noticed yesterday even is that I really love eating big breakfasts and lunches, then snack or just have a small dinner in the late afternoon or early evening. He’s the total opposite. He likes to have big dinners and if I didn’t heat something up for him for breakfast, he probably wouldn’t have it at all! Fortunately though, we’ve managed to find some meals that work best for us both on the weekends, but when we’re traveling, those diets that we’re used to can be hard to balance. Finding Healthy Food Options While Traveling It all depends what the trip we’re going on entails. Will there be an REI for dehydrated options? Or will we have to suffer and choose from the limited options that are at the nearest Wal-Mart? (That’s what we had to do during our Kauai trip, before finding Pitch-A-Tent on Google!) Sometimes we look for Whole Foods, or out west there’s a similar store named Natural Grocers (found this gem in Saint George, Utah before hitting up Angels Landing in Zion!) I just read that Sprouts Farmers Markets have also opened up in some areas. Speaking of which, farmers markets are a great place to stop for fresh fruits and veggies during your trips, with an added bonus of them typically being a TON less expensive than your regular grocery store! Three cheers for supporting small businesses! <3 (Psst, like this one!) When we’re on the trails, I pack completely different. I have however adopted a few dehydrated meals to keep in the pantry at home when I’m feeling hungry but not up to cooking a whole meal. My favorite healthy eating while traveling go-to’s are: Strawberries & Granola by Peak Refuel Chicken & Rice by Mountain House Chicken Alfredo Pasta by Peak Refuel I now purchase two 6-packs every other week of the granola to take with me to work. That and my Quantum Energy Squares fill me up for a few hours until I need to recharge with some sourdough toast or a Nuun electrolytes/caffeine tablet. It’s also pretty great that Mountain House offers canned options, which means that you can buy those meals in bulk instead of individual bags! Yay for savings! So I always keep a serving of the chicken and rice on me when I’m at work or running errands since all I need is hot water to make it ready to eat! Healthy Eating at Airports But what about airports?? Ah yes, the dreaded airport cafeteria food… No lie, that’s what most of it used to remind me of. Blah looking options, meh tasting meals, and just okay “healthy” juices. BUT NOW?! Guyzzzzzz. They have SO many options to choose from! At least in most of your larger airports. My two favorite to travel through is Pittsburgh and Phoenix. I love both of these locations and their airports have provided the best experiences for setup, and

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Why Even Just 15 Minutes Of Restorative Time Is Worth YOUR Time

Shelby — Thu, 13 Mar 2025 22:10:00 +0000

Hey ladies of the internet. (And fellas). Time is something that a lot of us are never easy to come by these days. In a fast-paced world, with a plethora of fast-tracked plans, we move too quickly 24/7 to even realize that our “relaxing” time isn’t really giving us relaxation at all. Recently, the hubs and I have been conversing about what we really need out of each other regarding our own space and what decompressing looks like for each of us. It’s different for everyone, and that’s precisely what I’d like to talk about today. Stress relief. How Our ‘Chill Time’ Has Become Just Another Way to Scroll So usually, relaxation looks pretty similar to most of the world (see my last post for more context on this topic!). We get up, we scroll. We work, we scroll, even ON THE WAY to work, we scroll. (PSA: Please don’t scroll and drive!) And then my friends, we get home to order takeout on our handy-dandy scroll machine only to continue to scroll some more while waiting and/or eating for said takeout. It’s hard not to anymore. Everything is on our phones, or laptops, or tablets, or tvs, or watches, or rings… Although I am so here for learning all about my physical health via my watch and ring, I’d really like to quit the rest of the screens for a significant period of time, more often…and psst…it’ll benefit you too! I came home yesterday to my husband that had just gotten there moments before me. We both had super long, draining days and wanted to just “chill.” That looks different for us. Not being able to be on his phone most of the day, he looks forward to vegging on the couch with a snack for a bit, binging some videos or his favorite show. Me? I’m more of a face down starfish laying blob in the complete darkness away from the ping of his video noises or tv show. I want to snuggle with my dog, put on a comfy jumper and bury my face into the pillow (my dog does the same, don’t judge us). I never really embraced this fully until now. Because, thanks to that tech-device on my ring finger, I noticed something change. It’s all about balance, peeps. Yesss even when it comes to those tiny tech things. Although I always want to go full-starfish mode, I never actually do it. But, as I was just vegging waiting on him to finish his decompressing so we could take our pups for a walk, I actually did go plop my potato-feeling self on the bed with my dogs. It was glorious. My eyes felt better, less burn-y. My headache went away. My body felt less tense. All because of laying in the dark with my eyes closed for fifteen minutes. Sure, 15 minutes is a blip in time most days, but these ones were rejuvenating. And guess what? When I checked my Oura ring to see how much stress relief I had over the day (a lot, since I tried to help track down a puppy on the loose!), I noticed that the only time my stress was in the “green restorative” mode, was those recent 15 minutes! I was flabberghasted! Related: Shining Light on Stress and Mental Health Barriers Surely, I had more rest time over the day. Surely I had sat still at least once over the previous 12 or so hours to refresh my physical and mental state. But according to this tracker, I had done none of that. None at all. Not even after those 15 minutes. It was an astounding awakening. Not only do I now know that I need just a few 15 minute breaks during my days to feel refreshed and ready to get after it, but I also know that his decompressing cycle does not work the same as mine. (I’ve tried the watching Netflix after work thing, although it brings down my stress slightly, it’s still never been in the “restorative” mode. Embrace Your Own Comfort: Creating a Stress Relief Routine Here’s what I’m suggesting. Try a few different routines that you find enjoyable. Rotate through them over a few weeks and track what you’re feeling if you’re able to. If you have a tech device that does so for you, even better. If you need to write it in a journal, congratulations! You’ve tackled both journaling and tracking your progress in the same go. Double win! Maybe you’re an early bird that doesn’t care much for staying up to watch games or shows. No problem, hit the hay early and see how it affects your next day ahead. Maybe you’re not into naps and would prefer the scrolling method. If Netflix and Chill is your wind-down routine at the end of a long day, don’t fight it. Instead, lean into it and absorb the good vibes you get from vegetating for awhile. I think too often we don’t embrace what really gives us pure comfort. Whether it be a certain food or snack, a long walk or sitting still to meditate, we should be instead focusing on those things that make us feel most at home with ourselves. Once we are able to truly be in our on element and let our guard down about silly excuses why we can’t “just sit still” or “get too antsy not being productive,” we will be able to truly relax. (I’m talking to you mom). <3 We are most often labeled as people pleasers, who try to incorporate any free time we may have with giving it away to others for free or for something that doesn’t benefit us back. It’s time we started adulting properly and gave ourselves the proper amount of recharging time to allow in the peace and comfort so that we can learn how to be our best selves. Set your alarm

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We Are All Just Robots Living In An AI-Inspired World (But It Doesn’t Have To Be That Way)

Shelby — Tue, 04 Mar 2025 22:39:47 +0000

Sometimes it seems like the day takes forever when you’re not in control of it, doesn’t it? The day ticks slowly away as you move through the motions of work, school, or whatever it may be that you’re not enjoying at the moment. But then the bell rings, the workday ends, and the rest of your life outside of those walls begin. I like to embrace these hours dearly, so much so that I make sure to make the utmost use of those minutes, forcing myself to get healthier, stronger, more knowledgeable and more understanding of the ways I can eventually be within the walls of my choosing, all day every day. However, most of the world operates a little differently. Most of the world decides to do the same exact thing, every single day, day after day, for the rest of their lives. Which path do you see yourself on?? How is it that most of us on earth never see more than the four corners of our cubicles? Speaking of the four corners, the four corners monument is a monument I’d like to visit someday… Getting Stuck on Autopilot How is it that we drone on from day to day without an actual end in sight of what we are working toward? A lot of people will do the same thing day in and day out, with minimal efforts toward growth or exploration of themselves or the world around them. For most people, there is no wonder of what lies outside of their nearest town. There is no path to ending the rat race and expecting more of themselves in entrepreneurship. There are no gains at the gym because the workout is repeated the same exact way every time they go, and although going in itself is important nonetheless, we cannot as humans experience growth without the right mindset in the first place. A lot of people will wake up with their alarm, scroll on their phone to absorb news that doesn’t even pertain to them, roll out of bed groggy and annoyed with the day already, then do the same routine before going to work. The workday consists of similar acts each day as most of us in the universe don’t understand how to actually push ourselves. And once the workday ends, we will forge the same path home, picking up the same fast food or ordering in so that we can spend more time watching our beloved Netflix shows to chill to, before hobbling our achy and tight bodies into our mediocre beds that we don’t take more seriously even though we should. Then, we hit repeat. Over, and over, and over again. Does this sound familiar? Two Steps Forward I’m writing this post today to encourage you to take more steps forward instead of back. Instead of walking along the same path as others before you, try stepping outside of bounds and making your own path alongside it. There is no reason that we have to be forced into the same routine each day (unless of course that is what we’re looking for out of this life). And there is nothing wrong with that. Plenty of shorts online these days are highlighting how it is much less stressful to be immersed in the 9 to 5 world because it’s still getting the job done and the bills paid. I’m not for that life. Are you? Although I do my best to create routines and habits (clearly, since this site is based on creating habits and balance), I still want to push the boundary of what I can accomplish in this life. I don’t want to sit idle and never understand my greater purpose because I’m “content” with working for someone else I don’t really like, in a job I don’t really care for, to create a lifestyle I’m not really fond of. My point is that it’s okay to want more. To want to see new places. What’s your four corners monument that you want to visit? It’s okay to embrace what you truly desire and to find ways to work for yourself if you so choose or travel the world more often or sell everything and plop a tiny home on some property instead of the typical cul-de-sac life. Let’s break free of this robotic lifestyle and become what we were truly set out to be. Are you with me? Ways to Implement To help you create a new side-journey to your current one, I’ve added a few simple points that are important to highlight. Just carving room in your day for at least one of these will do a little more to change your life every day. You just have to want to do them. Practice a new skill for 5 minutes a day Learn a new language Learn an instrument Take up crocheting or woodworking Find a new hobby that forces you to be uncomfortable Get certified in scuba diving Start singing lessons at your local school (or try some out on Teachable) Take up BJJ or grappling of some kind that is close contact Create more time for thinking that is a notification-free zone Schedule in meditation to your day Set boundaries with family and friends to make time for yourself Set alarms on your electronics to shut off at certain points As we move through this life, we make millions of tiny choices. We struggle in some things and excel in others. I believe one thing for sure. The struggle IS real. It IS that extra push we need sometimes to figure out our next steps. Life isn’t always going to be on easy mode, and frankly, I don’t want it to be. Continue with me on this journey to embrace new challenges and take on new tasks that can show us how to be more human instead of another robotic mind in motion. Four Corners Monument | Navajo Nation Parks & Recreation Discover the Four Corners Monument of

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Here’s 5 Reasons Why You Need To Be Your Own Best Friend

Shelby — Fri, 21 Feb 2025 23:25:58 +0000

Hey you fabulous person you. Go ahead, pat yourself on the back because only you can fix your uncomfy situation, and by being here, with a like-minded person going through the same things, is step one. For reals friend, you’ve already recognized that your situation is less than ideal, so you went searching on the web to find someone going through the same things. That’s where I come in! Your bff from afar, I’m here to support you along the weird and winding way. Whatever it is that you’re going through, just remember that you are in control of your outcomes. Here are 5 reasons why being your own best friend is so important. Balancing Flow Vs. Control You may be like, but Shelby, you’re sounding hella contradictive from last post, that talked all about how we need to let go more often and enjoy the flow of life more frequently. How we can thrive from not over planning and overthinking about each and every last detail. And that’s totally true. BUT. YOU ARE IN CONTROL of what decisions you make along this flow of life, and where you end up in your future. So, let’s talk about becoming more balanced in our habits regarding control vs. the flow. First of all, let me preface this by stating that it’s taken me *literal years* to understand that me, myself and I can make shit happen. And sometimes, that shit can be scary… But the best part about the scary parts is that we get to work through them. We get to understand the conflict and rise up on the other side. We get to realize our true potential and learn how to knock down barriers along the way. If you can start replacing that one little word, trust me it’ll make a world of difference. But besides that, I want you to recognize that barriers take time to build up, which also means that they’re going to take time to tear down. So don’t get discouraged, because I’ve got your back. Hey Friend, Start Putting Yourself First We talked in the last post about how life doesn’t always seem to hit perfectly every time. And although I do feel I’m on the right track to my life-lasting happiness, no one can ever understand what it is that actually gets us there. We may think that we need to have these grand plans and giant steps in the business world or with our families to check into the next level up. That we have to “have it all figured out” by the time we’re 30, and in the process make sure that said families don’t hate us or want to disown us for embracing different beliefs as we grow into our own new person. But you see, that’s not true at all. The more we grow and learn and acquire throughout life, the more we can interpret it into our own little unique situations. Which in turn, allows us to apply those new found tidbits into daily life and continue creating the best lifestyle we know we can accomplish. I want to inspire anyone reading this to start putting themselves first. Now I’d like to consider myself an empathetic person because I literally feel bad for every single thing, bug, plant, and human being on this planet. It’s sort of annoying at times. But guess what? As they say, no one’s coming to save you. And therefore, you my friend, need to save yourself. Related: Learning To Walk Through Struggle: Realizing My Journey Is My Own 5 Tips For Being Your Own Best Friend So, how do we go about all this lah-dee-dah-dee self-saving? Check out this handy-dandy list. It’ll get things started. Allow love in. This was a hard one for me. It seems so simple, right? But for a long time I (didn’t even realize) that I had a huge ugly wall up that was causing me to lash out at people I cared about. It was very uncool, but once I understood that to love myself more I needed to allow more love in from others, my life began to shift into more smiles and less RBF. Find your most authentic self, and love the shit out of them. Correct, similar to the first point, you have to surround yourself with people who love you for who you actually are, because if you don’t, you’ll likely be googling “what is imposter syndrome” in 20 years. Just be you, mmkay? Create “me time…” and STOP feeling guilty about it. Why is it that we harp on ourselves when things pop up that actually require some space? Why is it that we feel bad about carving out any tiny moment for making our hearts happy? Can we stop labeling “me time” as faulty time management and start embracing the extra minutes in the day doing something that we love, just for fun? Keep reminders, like, of everything. Guys, I’m sure we all probably have a love/hate relationship with AI and Alexa and Siri and Google Assistant and Chatgpt…BUT. Hear me out. Let’s begin to beat the haters at their own game by being on top of ours. Instead of being late to meetings, write them DOWNNNN girl. Instead of being late to an appointment, add them to your calendar right away and even go as far as including the location so all you have to do is click on your GPS. Start putting yourself first and making sure you have time to prepare even for the most mundane of tasks. At the end of the day, you’ll feel refreshed and less stressed knowing that you didn’t have to rush that day or miss something of importance. Because YOU have got your own back. BOOM. 😎 “No” is a complete sentence. An oldy, but goody. We’ve heard it, probably said it to others jokingly, and maybe even used the phrase to make fun in a conversation. But I’m serious, friends! I just used it the other day. I don’t remember what for, but that’s the beauty of it. It

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When You Quit Trying to Control, You Can Begin Living

Shelby — Tue, 18 Feb 2025 01:00:54 +0000

Will it ever be easy? Letting something go? Whether it be a person, place or thing, even a pet, it’s hard to let things go when they constantly weigh on you. So instead, we grab onto the control button because it’s the next best thing to determine our fate. Or is it? Even though we’ll feel in control for a little while, it’s bound to break after so long. Then the spiraling will begin again and we’ll wonder how it slipped so easily through our fingers. Control is a beast, but we can manage to escape it just like everything is. All we have to do is learn how to let go. I Had It All Figured Out 10 years ago I had this Suzie homemaker dream kit in my mind of how I wanted to live my life. I had everything planned out, perfectly spaced in my head so that I could make it all “work.” That plan was flawed though, because I forgot to include something in the plan. Life. No matter how much we try to control it, it always ends up controlling us in the end. So, maybe we should just start letting that happen from the beginning instead? When I had made those initial plans, freshly married and in our cute little second apartment, I had no idea that it would turn out any differently than how I wanted it. You see, life has a funny way of circling back around, which I imagine is what is happening now as I think back to those moments and wonder why certain plans don’t end up the way you foresee them to. I was going to make everything from scratch. I was going to grow a huge garden. I was going to live as off-grid as I could because I knew better. But, as my dad continues to remind me throughout the years, only aging can prove to you that you did not, in fact, know better. (Thanks for being right dad). Discovering How To Have Gratitude For Any And All Of Life’s Bounties Life Finds a Way The difference now is, that I don’t feel as though I missed out or lost time. I only feel that it went to fast and that maybe I could have approached certain situations a little differently. I would have liked to grown my knowledge more about some topics such as gardening and homesteading in my 20s, but here I am in my 30s doing so anyway. Sometimes it just takes life figuring itself out for us to realize that all the stops along the way did actually need to happen for us to circle back around with a better mindset to living our lives. Although the same goals are in my future, I have a much different game plan for them and understanding of how I want to enact them. I see time differently as well, knowing that I should make the most of it but also being balanced and mature enough to realize time for rest when my mind or body needs it. Controlling My Goals If I had controlled all of those goals perfectly from the beginning, I’d have never gotten to experience beautiful things such as bringing life-changing pets into my life, understanding what it’s like to own a home, recognizing that I actually loathe the corporate world as a bee-bopping entrepreneur, and realizing that only I can make my dreams come true by working on myself and increasing my emotional maturity along the way. What are your goals and dreams? Have you already set the path forward for them? Quit Trying to Control Everything I have encountered so many people over the years that try to micromanage every aspect of their lives. Themselves, their families, their careers, their homes…maybe we could invite a little more play into the mix and stop becoming so stressed about every minute detail on the calendar. Maybe we could give others a little more empathy in understanding that they’re probably more like us than we’d care to admit. And maybe, we could start working on ourselves a little more each day so that we can actually achieve said goals and dreams instead of just waiting around wishing for them to come true. 5 Steps To Achieving Your Goals and How I’m Planning Mine So many of us get into the extremes of life as soon as the alarm goes off. We start our day with agony and depression and stress before we even plant our feet on the floor. We let small disruptions that don’t really matter completely wreck and ruin our entire day or even week sometimes, only to momentarily hit reset on Sunday evening just hoping this one will be better than the rest. Real Living Starts When You Quit Trying to Control I’ve watched friends sink into circles of doubt in themselves because they wonder why they feel stuck. They become a part of the problem instead of trying to resolve it. They choose to continue stressing about situations that no longer require their attention. They decide to drag themselves into conflicts that happened years or even decades ago without even realizing that those memories are simply that, memories. I want to encourage anyone reading this to experience life in its beauty. To embrace the little blunders in life instead of working against them. Please begin showing yourself love and care and empathy and understanding, because the only one that can get you out of those situations is yourself. You have to be stronger than you think. But I know you can do it. Once we let go of the discomforts, once we let go of trying to control, once we let go of feeling bad for ourselves will we truly have the opportunity to grow and connect with our best self. Until then, we need to just continue taking one step at a time and becoming a little bit better every day. We can

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