My name is Ivy, and I am starting this blog/YouTube channel to share my journey of not missing my life. To me, not missing your life, at its root, means not missing out on treating yourself with kindness and getting to know yourself. I know I struggle with being my own cheerleader, often times talking myself down rather than building myself up, but, since the pandemic, I have taken the time for spiritual growth, and I have started to take the time to know myself. One of my favorite quotations from a childhood film of mine is “Do not let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game.” Those words always struck a chord with me, but I do not think I fully comprehended their meaning until recently; hence, the start of my journey to not miss my life.

For most of my life, I have been hesitant to stand out. If someone told me something positive, I would brush it off, instead of saying thank you and being proud of myself. Now, I bask in my light and try to spread and share it with others. I believe this started for me while I was in graduate school. I had an amazing mentor and professor who was more relaxed than most academics. He allowed me to learn at my own pace, not having to be the sharpest or the brightest, and he let me ask questions and explore my mind. To him, I am forever grateful because I learned that there was room for imperfection in the seemingly flawless life of academia and began to trust my intuition and my abilities to learn and to be.

As the years progressed, I got married, had my son, and eventually graduated with my Master’s. Yes, I had accomplished a lot on paper, but I had not really started living. It seemed I was not a part of my life, even though it was happening to me; like I was living in a surreal dream. So, I began to dabble in a world where no stroke on a canvas was wrong and no movement was imperfect. I began to steep in all the amazing possibilities of what I could do without fear. I began to cook and bake and explore beauty, fashion, and home décor. I began to not miss my life.

In cooking and I baking, I find so much freedom. During quarantine, I began making bread (as did everyone, lol), and I began finding the best of the best recipes (e.g. chocolate chip cookies, pimento cheese). I began living not only day to day, but in the moment and, most importantly, for me.

I also started on a health journey the first of the year and lost 30 pounds. I became dairy-free and pescatarian, which, for those who knew me previously, would be shocked to hear. I came to clean up my life and my health, and, with that, I came to clarity. Now, I still have my ups and my downs, and I am not perfectly healthy every day, but I embrace and celebrate that, instead of shaming myself. A big part of my spiritual and health journeys has been my mother. I talk to her every day, and, together, we encourage each other to have fun and explore our interests. I am so grateful to her as a mom and as a friend, that we can be there for each other on our journeys to not miss our lives.

Now, my journey to not miss my life could not have begun without encouragement from my amazing husband, who has always accepted me on a soul-level and has always loved every bit of me in a way of understanding that is inexplicable. To him, I am thankful for support in all parts of my life. He is a provider. He is a confidant and advisor. He is my forever partner.

So, I hope all who read this blog or watch my videos find joy, find themselves, and find ways to participate in their life and most importantly, find ways to truly enjoy it. This is lifestyle blog/YouTube channel and will cover cooking and baking, including dairy and meat-free recipes.