Hot Girl Healing: Learning to Love the Skin I’m In

Because life’s too short to hate your thighs—and too long to skip dessert.

Embracing Happiness and Body Positivity: My Journey to Contentment

For the first time in as long as I can remember, I feel genuinely happy and content. It’s a weird yet amazing feeling—kind of like realizing you’ve been walking around with spinach in your teeth for years, and no one told you. I no longer have a massive sense of disgust for my body, how I show up, what I do, or my relationships with my husband and kids. In fact, we’ve been laughing, joking, and spending quality time together more than ever—like a real-life sitcom, but with fewer canned laugh tracks and more inside jokes about who left the empty toilet paper roll.

I don’t know if this shift is due to my age, therapy, or sobriety, but whatever it is, I’m rolling with it like Indiana Jones escaping a giant boulder. Even during my recent yearly wellness exam, stepping on the scale didn’t throw me into a shame spiral. Cue dramatic movie gasp. Instead, I have grace and understanding for what my body needs as it recovers from alcohol and adjusts to a healthier way of dealing with emotions. I am focusing on nutritious eating and moving my body more—but without shaming myself on the days I don’t have the energy to do so. Because honestly, sometimes lying on the couch with a snack is the Olympic sport I was born for.

Join me for a dose of snarky humor and witty commentary as I share the ups, downs, and lessons learned while navigating life, marriage, and parenting nuerospicy kids with an ADHD partner—all while trying to embrace the crunchy lifestyle!

With spring here and warmer weather on the way, I am excited to get outside and enjoy the sun. On days when that isn’t feasible, I’ve been walking on the treadmill while catching up on my favorite shows—thank you, Housewives and true crime! (Because nothing motivates movement quite like hearing about people getting murdered for life insurance policies.) This season, my plans include spending time on the boat with my husband, hiking, and beach days. And yes, I’ll be wearing the swimsuit—without regret. Cue Wonder Woman entrance music.

This body has grown three lives and been through hell and back. If it offends someone, they can avert their eyes and f*** all the way off. (Or as Regina George once said, "Boo, you whore.") I refuse to chase a magazine-cover body that doesn’t reflect a nutritious eating style, healthy movement, or the reality of growing and birthing children. Be proud of what your body has done for you—it’s the only one you get. And unless you’re living in The Matrix, there are no do-overs.

A huge part of my mindset shift came from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). At my lowest, I couldn’t name a single good thing about myself, so my family helped. They wrote positive things about me on sticky notes, which I placed around the house to remind myself daily of my worth. It worked. (Highly recommend, unless your family’s version of encouragement involves sarcasm—then proceed with caution.)

Getting off social media and quitting the comparison game also helped. Put the phone down. Stop looking at celebrities and fitness influencers. Go outside and see real people—people who look like you. Spoiler alert: They do not resemble airbrushed fitness models who survive on celery and sadness. Those bodies we see online often require hours of daily workouts, strict eating regimens, and personal chefs. That’s not real life for those of us juggling work, family, and everyday responsibilities. And sometimes, life gets busy, you’re starving, and the only option is McDonald’s. Just eat the damn McDonald’s. One meal won’t ruin your progress unless you spiral into guilt and binge afterward. This is not the way, as Mando would say.

Most importantly, stop setting yourself up for failure. Live your damn life. Enjoy it. Indulge now and then. Happiness will regulate your body more than any crash diet ever will. When I first quit alcohol, I craved sweets and junk food like crazy and gained 10 pounds. But as I settled into sobriety and embraced my body’s journey, those pounds fell off—without extreme dieting or deprivation. It's almost like your body knows what it's doing... wild, right?

We eat a wide variety of nutritious foods, move our bodies when we can, and rest when we need to. Stressing over not hitting your goals can make your body hold onto weight in places you don’t want—like a bad houseguest who refuses to leave. Give yourself grace. Move your body in ways that feel good, so you’ll actually want to keep doing it.

This is your life. Love your body. Enjoy the ride. And if anyone has a problem with that? Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.

Now it’s your turn—what’s one way you can show your body love today? Drop it in the comments or try the sticky note trick. Trust me, you deserve to be reminded of how amazing you are!

Thanks for stumbling upon The Wellness Blondie! This post is up for grabs, so go ahead and share it – your friends will thank you… or maybe question your life choices. Either way, let’s spread the love (and maybe a little eye-roll or two).