THE BLOG

Spring Break, Man.

On my 21st birthday (also my golden birthday), I got a tattoo and headed to Panama City Beach for a week in the sun with my friends. 

Finally legal to drink alcohol! 

I watched frat boys drink so much that they dug a hole in the sand to puke in and then cover it up...

What do you do on the weekends when you are sober? 

Isn’t it boring?

No.

It’s not. 

It’s relaxing, productive, and fulfilling.

I had no idea how to spend my time when I first quit drinking.

I was antsy, irritated, and annoyed.

Alcohol had removed my ability to find...

I love St. Paddy’s Day! 

Leprechauns and rainbows. 

Parades and debauchery. 

Irish music, Irish dancers, and Irish pubs. 

Corned beef and cabbage. 

Bagpipes.

I am all into the festivities. 

I used to, of course, love green beer too.

I loved the excuse for...

When I first quit drinking I wanted everything in my life to stay exactly the same. The only difference would be that I was no longer drinking. I didn’t want anyone to know if I was drinking or not drinking, and I definitely didn’t want it to be the topic of conversation. I feared my...

So you’ve decided to give up alcohol for Lent. 

Congratulations!

This is one of the healthiest things you can do.

Because you have chosen alcohol, I assume there may be some challenges in letting go of this vice. It is afterall representing a sacrifice. 

Maybe you are...

The world is full of bad news involving alcohol.

In my feed from just today:

• A grandma in Wisconsin killed her granddaughter in a car accident at 8:30 in the morning with a .092 blood alcohol level from the night before. 

• Britt Reid, son of Chiefs coach Andy Reid, had alcohol prior...

If there was any question, after last night’s Super Bowl win, Tom Brady solidified his position at GOAT. He has worked hard to earn and keep this title. 

He has dedicated his life to playing football and winning Super Bowls. 

He is committed to a lifestyle that allows for super...

Many Americans have been drinking more since the coronavirus pandemic. 

American adults say they're drinking 14% more often during the coronavirus pandemic, according to a report in the journal JAMA Network Open. The increase in frequency of drinking for women was more pronounced, up 17%...

I’ve been married over 18 years, so I am not one to give advice on dating.

What I can tell you is that even as a married gal, I want to be seen as an attractive person.

My fun, flirty, party girl persona is something I started in high school, along with drinking.

I wanted the fun part to...

As a Certified Professional Recovery Coach and Retired Party Animal, I know one main concern about ditching the drink, is the fear of a boring life. 

I understand this completely, because it was one of my greatest fears too. 

This is for the sober curious folks, a life of sobriety does...

On one of my first nights out after I quit drinking, we went out for Friday Night pizza with another family. 

I got drunk on wine almost every Friday night at this couples’ home. 

I was nervous to order a drink when the waitress came around.

I didn't want to make any sort...

People like to joke about this weird time between Christmas and New Years like it’s some kind of twilight zone. 

Maybe it is for some people. 

It was for me.

I used to roll from one party gathering to the next. 

I would do the minimum to get showered and dressed .

Zac Clark, the final rose recipient, and fiance of recent Bachelorette, Taysia Adams,  is the best addition to The Bachelor  family.  Zac represents a bright light for the recovery community.

I personally can't thank Zac enough for sharing the upside to a life of recovery.

It...

Answering your questions about how I did it and how it feels to ditch the drink.

In short, at first slow and painful. 

Eventually, absolutely exhilarating! 

This year, more than ever perhaps, the negative effects of consuming too much alcohol are coming to light.

A study by JAMA Network found heavy drinking among women is up 41% from 2019 - 2020. Alcohol related deaths have also increased. Excessive drinking increases one’s risk for anxiety,...

The holidays can feel stressful.

This year, perhaps even more so, with the current state of the pandemic. 

You may be feeling health concerns, financial fears, and decreased mental health. 

There's a general consensus that times are tough and alcohol helps. 

Drinking is promoted as...

We all have a money story.

Mine is that I was a middle class girl raised by a single Mom.

This makes for a “I grew up poor” mentality sometimes.

I also think I am a Princess and my inheritance will surprise me someday.

Until then...

I deserve this...

...and I also deserve that. 

1000 Days Free from Alcohol.

Wow!

I am super proud of me.

I can’t believe I used to start everyday on the wrong side of the bed:

hungover, full of guilt/shame/fear, physically ill and in a bad mood.

How did I do this for years and then hate myself when I wasn’t happy with my life?

If...

It is Saturday morning. 

I don’t have to get up.

It is 6:30 and still dark out.

I roll around in bed.

Pet the dog.

Lay and enjoy the slowness of the morning without the rush to get up.

My eyes are wide awake.

My body feels mostly good.

Maybe slightly puffy from the sushi last night,...

Living alcohol free is absolutely magical, but it doesn’t feel that way at first.

When I first quit drinking, I had a lot of fears.

MostlyI feared that life after booze would be boring.

I was terrified that I would lose friends. 

The truth is, my early sobriety was pretty...

Is quitting drinking hard?

Yes it is. 

It’s excruciating at times. 

But you know what else is hard?  

Running a marathon.

Having a baby.

Completing a big project at home or at work.

And you know what else? 

They are all absolutely worth it. 

Anything worth...

Sober October is the second most popular alcohol free month of the year, followed by Dry January. As the weather gets cooler it's a perfect time to hunker down, and hit the reset button on your drinking before the holiday season picks up. 

If you are like me, many sober experiments start...

When asked what I do, I tell people I help others take a break from alcohol.

Then I launch into a definition of gray area drinking, coaching, and ending the stigma.

People usually respond with, yeah you don’t have to quit forever though, right?

You don’t work with like really bad...