Blacksburg Belle

What Once Upon a Potty Has to Do with My Announcement

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I’ve written a few blog posts about books here at Blacksburg Belle, because I’m a diehard bookworm.

It’s been a big part of who I am every since I forced my Grandpa to read Once Upon a Potty to me 207 times while we were on vacation when I was two.

My mom distinctly remembers him looking up from the book around number 47 and saying, “Dammit Sandy, who the hell writes a book about going to the bathroom?” I didn’t get flustered by his annoyance. I kept pushing the book back into his hands over and over, asking for “one more p-ease.”

Nowadays, I typically read five or more novels and/or nonfiction books each month.

I’ve wanted to write a lot more blog posts about the books I read. Like a lot, a lot.

But, this isn’t the place to post weekly book-related content, so drumroll on your knees please…

I started a BookTube channel. That’s a fancy way of saying I started a YouTube channel all about what I’m reading.

Oh yeah. Shake your tail feathers! Shake your tail feathers!

(Now that my health has mostly gotten better–more on that to come later–I have the energy to put into this new project. YAY!)

I also plan to vlog my fiction writing (and hopefully publishing) process.

I created the channel three weeks ago and have already uploaded seven videos, including a 55-minute reading vlog. Whoop whoop!

The plan is to upload two videos each week, including a book haul, wrap up and TBR (to-be-read list) each month.

Most of the videos have bloopers at the end because why wouldn’t I share myself hitting my head on my chandelier or my nerdy dance moves?

I’ll very seldom mention my BookTube channel here at Blacksburg Belle (after this blog post!), so I thought I’d make a big announcement (that’s what this is if you couldn’t tell) for those of you who’d like to subscribe and follow along.

If you’re a reader and would love to chat about the books I’m reading and the books you’re reading, please hit the subscribe button (along with the bell–to receive notifications) right here.

Check out my most recent video where I describe what I’m reading in September and let me know what you’re planning to read this month.

I’d love to know. (As you’ll see from watching this video, I get a tad excited about talking about books…it’s not normal but I’m a self-proclaimed book nerd. Someone who forces another human to read Once Upon a Potty more than 200 times and then shares that in a public place willingly probably isn’t normal. But, hey, who wants to be normal anyways…that’s so dull?!)

If you’re not into reading fiction, things will be back to regularly scheduled programming next week. See you then.

15 Books that Changed My Life

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If someone told me that I could only have one hobby for the rest of my life, I wouldn’t take one moment to think about it.

I’d pick reading.

There have been periods in my life where I’ve read very little (a.k.a., high school when I could only think about friends and boys) and others where I’ve practically lived in books.

When I talk about reading here at Blacksburg Belle, I usually refer to non-fiction books like the latest business book I’ve fallen for, but today’s post is a bit different.

It’s not your typical blog post on how to improve your business like this one and this one and this one.

So many of you loved the blog post I published on my list of non-fiction must reads for creative entrepreneurs that I decided to write a post on fiction.

This list is about the stories that have impacted me the most–the ones that have crawled inside of me and stayed for years, having such influence that I don’t think I would be the same person without them.

I don’t know about you, but the GREAT stories I’ve consumed over the years have stuck to me, have transported me to new places, and allowed me to meet all kinds of people of all ages and ethnicities. Every time I read a book like that, I can’t help but change just a bit. It adds to who I am, what I enjoy or things I want to try or see.

A few of these books aren’t the most well written novels of all time, but I read them at the exact right time in my life. I’m thankful for those books and the authors who entertained me and helped me through tough milestones or celebrations (yep…I’m a nerd who rewards myself with a good book).

I hope you find a few you’d like to read and more than anything, I hope you’re inspired, entertained and positively changed through at least one book on this list.

The way I’ve listed the books are within categories and then in the order I read them (so they aren’t listed from most impactful to least impactful or anything like that). Also, I read a lot of the young adult books after many of the adult books.

Children’s Books

1. Matilda by Roald Dahl

I remember reading and re-reading this book many times. It made me fall head over heels in love with fiction. I loved reading before Matilda. I would force my parents to read four to five books to me every night starting at the age of two, but Matilda was that first book I remember reading by myself and getting that magical feeling of being engrossed in a story so much that I forgot where I was and what was going on around me.

2. Nancy Drew Series by Carolyn Keene

One of my favorite memories of my childhood was ‘yard saling’ with my parents. I would lie down in the back of my parents’ station wagon and read while they drove from yard sale to yard sale.

I would stay in the car but my mom would come and get me if they had any children’s books, play teacher supplies (like a kid-sized chalkboard) or real teacher supplies (like workbooks, textbooks or planners). During these Saturday mornings, I’d read for hours as well as find new books and I was always on the lookout for Nancy Drew books. I knew which ones I had and which ones I didn’t and if I came across a new one, it was mine.

3. Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume

Like many pre-teens, I read this book because I was curious. I remember being fascinated by sex ed in fifth grade and I hadn’t gotten my period yet. I wanted to know what to expect and this seemed like a good source to get some details. It was. I completely missed the point the author was making about Margaret’s relationship with God, but it definitely makes it to the list of novels that most impacted my life.

4. Watership Down by Richard Adams

I’m including this novel in children’s books because I read it in the sixth grade. At that point in time, I had stopped reading on a daily basis. For some reason, I didn’t procrastinate with reading this novel (like I was starting to do with all the assigned reading)–maybe because it looked huge to me. I read at the recommended rate which had us start and finish within a couple months. It made me laugh and cry and want to read every day again. Thank you Richard Adams for writing a book that made me see the value in reading again.

5. Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling

This series helped me bond with my mother-in-law and sister-in-law. With one of the releases, we all went to buy the book at midnight when it was being released. As we stood in line, anticipating the magical story, we became closer and we’ve bonded over books ever since. I don’t think we’ve had one Christmas where we haven’t given each other a stack of books for presents.

Not only did it help me bond with my husband’s family, but it opened my eyes to fantasy and magical stories. That was one of the first fantasy series or books I’d ever read and it showed me how someone (a.k.a., J.K. Rowling) thinking outside of the box can create something that transforms peoples’ lives.

Young Adult Books

6. Twilight Series by Stephenie Meyer

I’ve written an entire blog post about my love for this series, so I won’t go into too much detail here, but the main reason these books impacted my life was because I was struggling with the choices I had made for my education and career.

I was depressed and Twilight kinda fell into my lap. Besides my then fiancé (now husband), it was one of the only things making me completely happy.

Reading these books compelled me to start writing fiction on a regular basis which turned the miserable hours in the morning before work into something I looked forward to every day. For that, I will always be thankful.

7. Divergent Series by Veronica Roth

This is another series of books that inspired me to write fiction. When I put down Divergent, I ordered a bunch of used books off of Amazon about writing fiction. That’s also when I started waking up around 5am to get in a couple hours of writing before I had to leave for work.

When I read Divergent, I loved reading about dystopian worlds because they transported me to a world where everything was “different” without being fantastical. They were a lot of fun.

8. Shatter Me Series by Tahereh Mafi

Warner. Enough said.

Okay, maybe you want a bit more…but seriously, Warner. If you’ve read this series, you know what I mean. Wink, wink. Nudge, nudge.

I find Tahereh’s writing addictive and beautiful. The first book in this series is not written like your average book, but if you can get past it and you enjoy young adult series with love triangles, pick it up. (You can buy me a green tea frappuccino with coconut milk later to thank me.)

I loved the books, but more than that, I was inspired by this author. She’s hilarious, smart, unapologetically weird and married to another best-selling author. I want to be her when I grow up. (How about a combination of Mayi Carles and Tahereh Mafi…God…are you listening? It’s me, April and I want to be Mayi and Tahereh when I grow up.)

9. The Selection Series by Kiera Cass

This series gets a lot of criticism like the Twilight series from those who only like literary fiction. It’s kinda like The Bachelor combined with The Hunger Games, and it’s hella entertaining. I read each of the books in the series in one or two days. As someone who enjoys writing fiction if I had to pick between beautiful writing or creating something this entertaining, I’d pick entertaining. I would want to write books that people stayed up all night to finish.

Also, this series has a special place in my heart because the writer lives where I live in Blacksburg, Virginia. I’ve seen her speak in person at our local Barnes and Noble and she connects so well to the pre-teens and teenage girls who obsess over her books. It was a wonderful thing to watch. An author who makes teens thrilled to read is a gift to this world.

10. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Before I became chronically ill, I had no trouble sleeping. I could fall asleep anywhere, in any position within a couple minutes. I could sleep: on the subway, in class with my head on my desk, within one-minute of a car ride, standing up against a wall, in the movie theater while bombs are exploding on screen. Then I got sick and started struggling with insomnia.

This is the first book I can remember keeping me company as I lay in bed next to my husband unable to sleep one wink. I read it from start to finish.

It’s a really cute young adult contemporary novel about a girl who gets sent to a school in Paris against her will for her senior year of high school. Girl meets boy in the lovely backdrop of Paris. I’m in.

I’m not sure if I LOVED this book or if I love it because it got me through that tough night of pain and anxiety. Either way, I appreciate it.

New Adult Books

11. On Dublin Street Series by Samantha Young

This series is just straight up romance—and steamy romance at that. But, one of the reasons it made this list is because it follows a family and their friends and you get so invested in seeing them all happy. It’s the best new adult romance series I’ve ever read.

I’m not the type of reader who likes to read a series of books back to back to back. I like to split it up, read a little romance and then a little dystopian and then a thriller and then back to the series for book two. Not with this series. I read this series back to back, not wanting to read anything else.

When I read this series, my husband and I had been together for 11 years and without going R-rated, we’re still hot for each other (have you seen my husband lately…hubba hubba). With that being said (and keeping things G-rated), these books amped things up in the bedroom and whatever adds a bit of spice after 10 years is a good thing in my opinion.

Adult Books

12. The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

I’m not a huge re-reader. There are so many books in this world that I want to read that I feel a bit guilty spending time rereading books. This novel is an exception. I first read it in college and I stayed up all night to finish it. I sobbed from 4am to 6am which made my eyes so puffy that I could barely see the next day.

This book transported me out of my 12×15 foot room that I lived in my senior year of college and into a relationship and places I couldn’t get enough of. My copy is stained, torn and water-damaged but I love it. Those stains and tears remind me of all the times I read it.

13. Handle with Care by Jodi Picoult

This isn’t Jodi’s most popular book, but it’s the one that made me adore her novels. One of the things that Jodi does so well with her writing is that you really feel like you understand her characters, including people you never thought you could relate to. It’s an amazing thing to be able to read a novel and feel like you completely understand someone who is very different from you.

Since reading Handle with Care, I always get that itch of excitement when I start a new book by Jodi. I know that I’m going to learn about other people and issues that I want to be aware of and understand.

14. Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

When I read this book, I was dealing with some mild depression due to my health issues and the limitations I dealt with because of it. While I see the issues of placing value on able-bodied people and saying that someone’s life isn’t as valuable if they aren’t able-bodied, this is a novel, just one story of how one person might deal with becoming paralyzed from the neck down.

And, this book literally changed my life. It made me much more grateful for the everyday. It helped me make more of an effort with things like exercise, eating healthy and doing everything I could to make my life more enjoyable by decreasing my pain and suffering. It made me realize that I should try to make every day count and stop waiting for “someday” to do the things I want to do.

I’m not sure if any other novel has done as much for me (in changing my mindset) as this one did.

15. The Kind Worth Killing by Peter Swanson

This book did not make this list because the story itself changed my life or made me a better, happier person. Although, if you like thrillers with amazing plot twists, you’ve got to read this book. It’s enthralling in a heart pounding kind of way.

This psychological thriller made my list because my husband and I listened to it together over the course of six months on our road trips, mainly from Blacksburg to Richmond (where my parents live—hi mom, love you!).

We connected over this book, talking about it, guessing what was going to happen and downright enjoying it. One of the trips we listened to this book on was a two and a half hour trip to UVA to meet with a specialist who ended up changing my life by caring about my health and coming up with a treatment plan. My husband and I were both anxious on this trip, having seen multiple world-class specialists at the best hospitals in the United States. We both lost ourselves in this story to make the ride easier. This book and that trip will always be tied together in my mind.

That’s it…my list of books that have impacted my life more than any others and I’ve read hundreds, if not thousands.

Well, that’s sort of it. I tried my best to think of all the stories that should be on this list but I’m sure I’ve left off a couple by accident.

This is NOT my list of my favorite novels of all time. That list would include many of these books but it would look very different with additions like A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas and The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson and The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah and The Bronze Horseman by Paullina Simons. (If you’d like to see what else would be on this list, let me know and I’ll plan another blog post all about my favorite novels.)

I would love to know what novel or two or seventeen that have changed your life in some way. Share them in the comments, please!

The Most Vulnerable (And Maybe Most Important) Blog Post I’ve Ever Published

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Yesterday, I had a doctor’s appointment at 1pm that I mentally prepared for all morning. I told myself I was going to be okay no matter what, that I could control my feelings and that I could remain calm.

Within five minutes of the visit, I was full on ugly crying. I filled tissue after tissue with mascara and snot.

My husband came to the appointment with me and his eyes filled with tears, knowing I was in agony. He stroked my arm, telling me that I was beautiful and that he loved me.

The doctor looked at me with sympathy, probably wishing she could shoot me up with valium, because the mascara running down my face made me look like I was in the middle of a mental breakdown.

She didn’t tell me I was dying. She didn’t tell me I had cancer. She didn’t give me any sort of life-changing news.

What sent me over the edge was stepping on the scale and realizing that despite eating mostly raw veggies and salads for the past month for every meal, I didn’t lose a single pound. I gained a pound.

One pound.

Not really worth sobbing over, right?

But, it wasn’t about the one pound.

I wept because I was fed up with feeling like I have no control over my health. I have to take a medication that’s made me gain over 25 pounds in three months which means I’m at a high risk of developing diabetes. For someone who’s 5’3”, that’s a lot of weight to put on in a short amount of time.

You can probably imagine how my self-esteem crumbled and hid in a corner while I looked embarrassingly at the nurse as she wrote down my weight, praying she wouldn’t say it out loud.

And, I’m scared to share this with you.

Just thinking about hitting publish makes my heart race and my palms sweat.

I could just keep taking photos at my best angles and not show much of my body, avoiding selfies on social media as much as possible. I could angle the camera down while filming videos and hope that nobody noticed.

And, it’s not just about the weight.

I don’t want you to think I’m so vain and put so much importance on a number even though I won’t lie and say it doesn’t bother me. (That’s another reason I thought about deleting this post.)

There are other terrible side effects of this medication including osteoporosis, rapid heartbeat, long-term heart damage, eroding tooth enamel and more. Every single time I take this medication, my sinuses burn like they’re on the fire, my nose bleeds the next day, and my ankles swell to three times their size if I sit for more than 30 minutes.

It sucks.

If I don’t take this medication, I’d have to live in the hospital, because I wouldn’t be able to eat or drink. It’s not one of those medications that I could get by without; however, over the long-term, it’s literally taking years off my life.

I’m telling you this because over the last few months, I’ve realized how much my thoughts control and affect me.

“Since self-image is determined by what you consistently say to yourself, you have the power to direct your self-image by directing your self-talk.” -Dr. Jason Selk and Tom Bartow, Organize Tomorrow Today

For the past few months, I’ve been telling myself that I’m ugly and unattractive and completely unsexy.

Every time my husband compliments me on my looks, I give him the wife death stare (instead of saying thank you), because he couldn’t possibly be attracted to me with this extra weight.

I had to buy new jeans, because I only had one pair that still fit. I almost donated all of my “skinny” clothes to Goodwill even though my doctors have assured me that when I get off this medication, my weight will drop pretty quickly.

While I shopped for new clothes for my new body, I wanted to find sweaters I could hide in and pants with elastic waistbands. Thank goodness, I realized something important instead.

I’ve spent way too many hours over the past few months thinking about my weight gain. And, the weight gain didn’t make me miserable–the thoughts did.

“That which you focus on expands. Focusing on the negative is essentially like fertilizing the weeds in your yard.” -Dr. Jason Selk and Tom Bartow, Organize Tomorrow Today

Throughout these months, I’ve also had some great days.

I felt pretty and attractive in some of the new clothes. Those thoughts made me feel comfortable enough to walk to Starbucks and write for hours or get a ton done during the day and then cook dinner with my husband, flirting with him by lightly spanking him with a spatula or kissing him unexpectedly.

Those good days have been a blessing in a very dark period of my life.

I’m sharing this with you for three reasons (and none are for pity because we all have tough stuff we have to deal with):

1. I haven’t done a lot of live videos even though I looooooooooove live video, because I’m afraid of what I’ll look like or if someone will say something rude to me about my weight gain (which could happen no matter what I weigh because there are terrible, unhappy people in this world).

Instead of focusing on the bad, I’m going to focus on the fact that I’m flooded with endorphins when I get to hang out with you on live video. So, you’ll see me hosting a lot more FB live videos on my business FB page. I hope you join some of them.

2. A lot of women struggle with body shame issues. No matter what size we are, we all have things we’d like to change. I’m trying to become comfortable with the way my body looks now, because there’s nothing wrong with it.

If I had a daughter, I would be ashamed with what I’d be teaching her by focusing so much on what I look like. I know she would pick up on it and think that if you gain weight, you’re less worthy. I would never want to teach girls or young women that their worth is related to the size of their bodies.

3. And, most importantly, your thoughts and attitude absolutely matter.

If you concentrate on the bad, you bring more yuckiness into your day and life.

If you concentrate on the good, you bring more radiance into your day and life.

You have so much more control than you think you do.

Since I have to take this medication that makes me gain weight, I could say, “Screw it. I’ll just eat pasta and jolly ranchers and french fries.” Or, I could keep eating healthy because those foods give me energy and fuel me to run this business I love so much and will at least help me gain as little weight as possible.

I can concentrate on the fact that the insurance board granted us a 3rd party review!

I can focus on the fact that I’m married to one of the top 100 trial attorneys in the United States (yep, he has this award) who read 150+ journal articles about my autoimmune issues and wrote an impressive 8-page letter to the insurance company on why I need this other treatment option (that would allow me to stop taking the terrible weight gain medicine) to include in our 3rd party review.

I have thoughtful doctors who also wrote letters on why I need this very expensive treatment that my insurance doesn’t want to pay for.

My mom and mother-in-law also dropped everything to write letters to include in the packet.

My whole family is behind me, ready to do anything to make my life easier.

I could be all alone. I could be trying to fight the insurance company without an attorney who wins battles with insurance companies all the time.

I have a business I love and a membership site that is growing every single day. Maybe you’ll be the new member today? (We’d love to have you!)

This third point is the most important, because it’s life changing stuff.

If you constantly complain and think about the bad stuff in your life, you’re going to remain miserable. If you start focusing on the good things, no matter how small, you’re going to have a life worth living.

It’s up to you.

What are you going to be today?

Happy or miserable.

It’s a choice.

Is it really that terrible that the barista messed up your order and you have to wait a couple extra minutes for your triple venti, half-sweet, non-fat, caramel macchiato? That’ll give you the chance to visualize your upcoming meeting and how you’re going to impress your clients so much that they sign up with you immediately.

Do you really need to huff and puff when you have to park at the back of the grocery store parking lot? That’ll give you a chance to get a bit more exercise that day. That’s a win and something you should do anyways.

Do you really need to slam the burnt casserole onto the counter, cursing at the oven? That just means you have a good reason to laugh, order pizza and watch Gilmore Girls.

You can change negative things into positive points of view–not always, but way more often than we think we can.

I’ve done myself such a disservice by focusing on the negative these past few months.

I’m done with it. I choose happiness. I choose gratitude. I choose love.

What do you choose?

My Top 10 Favorite Things of 2016

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Last year, I published a video detailing my favorite things of 2015 and it ended up being really popular, so I’m recreating the magic by sharing my top 10 favorite things from 2016.

It ranges from my favorite non-fiction book to my favorite candle to my favorite planner. Some are personal and some are business-related.

Here are the links to all the things I mentioned in the video so that you can easily find them:

1. My embroidered watercolor painting: I used this for the cover of my ebook, Blogging for Business.

2. Day Designer: I use this for all of my daily planning.

3. Bullet Journaling: I use this to keep all of my lists, plans for upcoming projects, ideas for blog posts and marketing and more.

4. Grit by Angela Duckworth: If you think success comes from persistence and passion, you’ll love this book. I wish we could make this required reading for all teens, entrepreneurs and parents.

5. Master Your People Skills with Vanessa Van Edwards: I learned so many things from this course including how to be memorable when first meeting someone, how to be a better public speaker and when you should approach someone at a networking event. Attending a conference this upcoming year? Take this course and you’ll feel confident walking through the doors.

6. Tobacco and Patchouli Candle: It’s an intoxicating, warm scent. This is what my house smells like all the time. I burn them every day and I have the reed diffusers of the same scent in every single room.

7. A Color Story App: Stop struggling to edit photos on your phone. This app will make your photos pop with brilliant color.

8. The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah: If you like historical fiction with romance, you have to pick this one up. It was engaging and sad and beautiful.

9. Sunday Society: My membership program for creative entrepreneurs.

10. My new website design and Amanda Creek: Amanda did such an amazing job of combining my photos, watercolors and copy into a modern, bright design. Amanda deserves a parade of giant unicorns blowing glitter into the air for the work she did on my website. Love you to bits!

What were some of your favorite things in 2016? Did you have a favorite business book? A favorite course you took? A favorite beauty product? Share it in the comments below.

None of the links above are affiliate links. I want you to know that I genuinely loved every single one of these things.

Running a Business with Chronic Illness

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Running a Business with Chronic Illness

If you’ve been following me for a while, you probably know that I suffer from chronic illness.

I’ve seen specialists at UVA, Johns Hopkins and Wake Forest and we’re still trying to figure out exactly what’s going on.

What we currently know is that my immune system suuuuuucks. If I get anywhere close to anyone who’s sick, I’ll get whatever they have times ten. A cold turns into pneumonia. The flu turns into a hospital visit. Biopsies of my throat literally turns into the inability to swallow due to my esophagus having spasms and closing every time I try to sip water.

I recently got a pneumonia vaccine to see how my body would respond. That was a big mistake. My arm swelled up, looking like a clone of my husband’s arm (he’s a foot taller and a hundred pounds bigger than me) with this huge red spot with red spider leg-like lines sprouting in every direction. It hurt so bad I couldn’t lift my arm past shoulder level for days. One doctor said it was a severe allergic reaction. Another said it was an infection. Antibiotics plus Benadryl plus cold compresses finally did the trick.

Most mornings when I wake up, I feel like I’ve got the flu. Some days that includes severe sore throats, others it entails constant nausea and others I’ll have fevers and chills on and off all day.

(The good news is that I finally have a treatment plan—as of March 15th of this year! YAY! If it works, I should be feeling a lot better by the end of the year.)

I’m not looking for sympathy. This post isn’t about my illness.

This is a post for those of you who are like me, suffering from chronic illness and running a business. I know there are lots of you out there, because I’ve gotten at least twenty requests asking if I’d write a blog post about how I manage being an entrepreneur while dealing with chronic illness.

First, I want to be clear: it’s not easy.

There are days when aching pain radiating through my joints and muscles reduces me to tears and the last thing I want to do is respond to emails or write a blog post or update my Facebook page.

There are times when a three-minute shower exhausts me, causing me to have to lay in bed for hours just to recover a bit of energy.

But, the best thing about running a business with a chronic illness is that I’m in charge.

I can work from home in yoga pants. I don’t answer to a boss who’s frustrated that I’m taking another sick day. And, I can take breaks every 30 minutes to recharge with some herbal tea (Tea Pigs sweet treat tea…yum!) and a book.

Because I’m going on year six of chronic illness, I’ve learned a few things that makes it easier to run a business while dealing with health issues, and I want to share them with you in case it helps you make managing your chronic illness and business easier.

I’ve had those days when it feels like everything in the world is working against you and you don’t know how you’re going to make it. I’m hoping this post will help you take a bit of that load off your shoulders.

Let’s dig in, shall we?

1. Take advantage of your good days.

Chronic illness comes with good and bad days. Some days the most you can do is roll over in bed and sip water (I suggest Gilmore Girls and Friends on Netflix for those days). But, some days you have a boost of energy and feel halfway normal.

When I’m having a really good day, I often want to do the stuff I enjoy most: watercolor, hang out with friends, have a date with my husband, walk my dogs. But, I always prioritize my work on good days.

That means I sometimes write my next blog post instead of going to game night (why can’t I ever win Scattergories?!?). Or, I work on my marketing campaign instead of spending a couple hours lost with my watercolors.

I don’t always work when I’m having a good day, but I try to get in at least a few hours on those days, because I don’t know when my next sick streak is going to hit. The next day I could wake up feeling like death and struggle to work for the next five days and then I’d regret not working when I could.

If it’s a good day and I get a lot of work done, I try to clear the evening for something like veggie sushi with friends or a date with my husband. It’s a balance.

2. Rest when you need it to get more done eventually.

In the first couple of years of dealing with my health issues, I used to push myself when I should’ve rested. And, that always resulted in me having to take more time off.

If I had given myself permission to take a nap that afternoon or take that day off to rest, I’d probably feel good enough to work the next day. But, if I pushed myself, it might end up with me having to spend the next three days in bed.

It always backfired. Thankfully, I had a husband to point this out to me and encourage me to rest when needed. He still has to step in every once in a while and tell me to slow down. (Love you hubby!)

We have to listen to our bodies and pay attention when they’re telling us to get back in bed.

3. Build up your support system.

I don’t just mean friends and family. When you suffer from chronic illness, you have less time to work on your business. That means you should probably hire out tasks that you don’t enjoy doing or aren’t that great at so that you can focus on the stuff in your realm of genius when you’re working.

If you spend the next week in a battle with WordPress because you’re struggling to build your website, that means that you didn’t spend that time on anything else (like taking new product photos or designing a new jewelry line).

I know it’s scary to hire out work, but it’s necessary when you’re limited by the amount of good hours you have in the day or week.

You know how they say it takes a village to raise a baby? I feel the same way about building a business, especially if you have serious health issues.

Start making a list today of the tasks you’d like to stop doing. Can you get one or two off of your list and onto someone else’s? Small shifts will make a big difference in how you spend your ‘business’ time.

4. Reduce your stress whenever possible.

Hiring out that web design mentioned above is not only a good idea for time management but it’ll also reduce your stress.

If you’re one of the unlucky who suffers from chronic illness, you’ve probably already figured out that stress usually makes your symptoms substantially worse. It takes your headache to migraine level or turns your minor cold into a two-month cough.

That’s why I hire out accounting, web design and tasks to my virtual assistant.

I know I’m not going to get rid of it all, but the less business-related stress, the better for my health.

5. Find workarounds.

One of the best things I’ve done for myself is to figure out what I can handle when I’m not feeling well and what I can’t and how to work around it.

For instance, if I’m having a semi-bad day, I can probably get an hour or two of blogging done if I’m snuggled in my pajamas with a cup of throat coat tea. But, I don’t have it in me to do my hair and makeup and chat on Periscope for 30 minutes (even though it’s one of my favorite things to do).

Or, I can brainstorm ideas in bed for my next online course, outlining it and jotting down notes on marketing concepts. But, I’m not going to push myself to start filming it or writing copy for it.

I know that I can’t book too many ‘time-sensitive’ things in one month. I sold out all of my individual consulting spots in less than three hours and I got requests from multiple people asking me to open up one more spot for them. I couldn’t do it. I know my limits and I need to be completely focused for the women who already registered to work with me. It wouldn’t be fair to them or good for me to add more clients.

You have to figure out what you can still work on when you’re not feeling as great and what should wait for a good day.

6. Remain positive.

This might sound silly but when I know I have something important to do but I’m not feeling very good, I can sometimes “trick” myself by remaining positive. I’ll tell myself, “You’re having a good day” or “Today’s going to be a good day” or “You can do this.”

Just keeping my mind from going to the dark places can give me the boost I need to accomplish that one thing that I really need to get done that day.

For instance, I got really sick the first time I taught at CreativeLive, but I woke up those days and told myself that I was going to have a great day. It didn’t make my symptoms go away, but it helped me to work through it.

7. Don’t rely solely on doctors.

Over the past few years, I’ve become a master at knowing what my body needs. I’ve also decided that I can’t just rely on my doctors to come up with answers.

I know I have less nausea when I take a daily probiotic. I know that I suffer from less fevers when I drink at least 32 ounces of water in a day. I know that an extra hour of sleep will allow me to do a few extra hours of work. I know that getting ready for the day, spending a bit of time on hair and makeup gives me a boost of energy. I know that pushing myself to do five or ten minutes of yoga results in more energy and happiness.

One of the best pieces of advice I could give to anyone who’s struggling with chronic illness is to take ownership of your health. Pay attention to what makes you feel better and what makes you feel worse. Learn how to give yourself more good days.

No matter what you take away from this blog post, I want you to know that if you’re running a business while managing an illness, YOU ARE AWESOME! It’s not easy but it’s worthwhile.

I hope this helps those of you who have to deal with chronic illness. If you have other tips or advice, please leave them in the comments below. We should all try to help each other!

365 Days of Blogging…Or, More Specifically 328 Days of Blogging

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On January 1st, 2013, I made an crazy ambitious declaration that I would blog once a day for the next 365 days.

No, I didn’t really know what I was getting myself into, even though I’d been blogging for over five years. Moving from weekly to daily is BIG. Coming up with content that you’d enjoy each and every day was tough.

Many days I loved it, but there were some days in which I cursed myself for taking on such a gigantic goal. {Those days I overdosed on Skittles.}

Over the course of the last year, I published recipes, DIY projects, business-related videos and articles, photography and color palettes. I announced that I was struggling with autoimmune issues. I published book lists containing some of my favorites. I announced the re-release of Marketing for Creatives. I shared my new craft studio in four parts: part 1, part 2, part 3 and part 4. I built up and practiced my Illustrator skills. I shared my favorite beauty products. And, so much more.

Through October, I kept up with my goal of publishing every day. In November, I ran a course {From Busy to Happy} with Mayi Carles and put all of my attention there. For the first time in practically forever, I was gentle with myself and allowed days to go by without posting anything. For December, I resolved to post when I could and wanted to and spend the rest of the time with friends and family. I decided that I wouldn’t spend my holiday time stressing over whether or not I had published a blog post each day. Instead, I filled the time with vegan eggnog, laughter, opening presents, traveling, knitting, thai takeout, cuddling with my dogs and planning for 2014.

Even though I didn’t publish every day for 365 days, I’m proud of my 328 days. It took a lot of energy and time, but if I had to do it all over again, I would. The best part about posting so often was that I could publish all kinds of content–not just business tips.

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In 2014, I’m going to continue to publish a vast array of content along with the regular Wednesday Wisdom posts. I won’t be posting every day, but I will publish when I have something awesome that I want to share with you.

This year, I’m taking on a new 365 project. This one is easier and in line with my goal to feel more creative each day. I’m going to work in my art journal every day for the next 365 days, even if it’s only for ten minutes. I’m really excited about this new project and I’ll definitely post pictures along the way.

Did you complete a 365-day project last year? Are you attempting one this year? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below!

Taking a blogging vacation for a week…

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When I published my post on January 1st of this year declaring that I wanted to try blogging for 365 days, I had no idea if I’d be able to really stick to it.

Up until this week, I’ve posted every day this year and it’s November. The days I missed due to sickness, I always made up by going back and posting. I think that’s pretty awesome.

But, I’m in need of a tiny break, so I’m taking a break this week.

I’ll be back…see you soon!

Allergies, Acupuncture and Fevers, OH MY!

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Chronic illnesses elicit a number of responses: hopelessness, anger, depression, frustration…or a fighting mechanism that wakes up, determined to get better.

I’ve felt all of the above in my own battle against my rare autoimmune disease.

Over the past couple of months, my will to fight continues to increase.

And, I’ll try pretty much anything, unless it involves something super invasive that could make me worse like the $200,000 daily injections that would likely cause infection and haven’t been approved by the FDA, recommended by one specialist.

I’m gathering information and experimenting. Recently, I got tested for food allergies and I started acupuncture. I had high hopes for both.

I found out that I’m allergic to peas, green beans, and almonds none of which caused my health problems, even though they did make them worse. Of course, I cut them out of my diet lickety split.

Peas and green beans? Not so hard to give up. Almonds? I whined about this one, since I love these KIND bars and regularly use almond milk for chai tea and smoothies.

I’m over it. I’ve got substitutes. Now, I use rice milk. Not as great as the almond variety, but it works.

I’ve also had six acupuncture appointments since I’ve last written about my health problems.

I’d read {and heard} so many awesome things about it, so I knew I should give it a shot. The main problem going into the first appointment: I hate needles.

When I get a shot, I can’t look at the needle. It makes me woozy. I have to turn my head and go to a happy place. Same thing when I have to give blood for tests. I’m a pro at it now, but I still can’t stand needles and avoid watching as they pierce my skin.

The acupuncturist I saw was kind and hopeful. He listened to everything I was struggling with and I could tell he wanted to do anything he could to help.

The first session we started with just four needles to get me used to them. I didn’t feel them going in, not much anyways, but I did feel them coming out. I didn’t mind it.

For the second session, he gave me the full treatment. Afterwards, I felt happier and more relaxed. I continued to go, hoping that the $80 per session that the insurance doesn’t cover would be worth it. I didn’t care about paying for it as long as I saw some hint that it was helping.

Even though the sessions were relaxing, I don’t think they did anything for my overall health. After the fifth session, I got sicker than I’ve been in months.

For a week and a half, I felt like death was knocking at my door. I had a fever every day and the usual medicine that I take to get rid of the fevers didn’t work.

So, where does that leave me?

I’m not quite sure. I don’t know whether to keep going to acupuncture, because my acupuncturist told me that I should feel a difference after five sessions. I wasn’t expecting to be cured, but I was hoping for a tiny bit of relief.

I saw one new doctor a couple weeks ago. He’s the one who gave me a prescription for my fever-reducing medicine. As we left his office, he said, “Good luck with managing such a tough disease.”

That seems to be the only thing doctors can offer me, luck. And, it’s not enough.

I’m still researching, learning as much as I can on how to combat this myself, and I’m not giving up. Not even close.

Embracing Your Uniquity

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My favorite time of day is when my husband gets home in the evening and we walk our dogs around our neighborhood.

I planned my wedding around a Virginia Tech football game. {Go Hokies!}

White pumpkins are my top choice of pumpkin.

I’d rather watch Burn Notice in my pajamas than go to a Broadway play.

I’ve watched The Little Mermaid at least 100 times. My mom tells me that I would rewind my favorite songs and sing them over and over. I feel really bad about that since I was kicked out of chorus in fifth grade because I sounded like a dying animal when trying to belt one out.

I’m allergic to peas. And green beans. And almonds. And gluten. That’s all.

I love to spend the weekends creating things: jewelry, new recipes, paintings, hand-sewn clothes.

I’m afraid of heights, and I detest slugs.

Peonies are my favorite flower. A creamy ranunculus comes in a close second.

I once decorated my entire apartment in pink and green. I grew out of that phase—thank goodness.

I get excited over little things like mint-colored nail polish, organic strawberries and polka-dot cupcake liners.

I could happily spend an entire day editing photos or writing. You’ll find me doing one of two on most.

I cry every time I hear the song Skinny Love by Birdy and I can’t help but break out the dance moves every time I hear Ice, Ice Baby by Vanilla Ice. {Yes, they are some sweet dance moves. Ask my husband.}

I was a cheerleader in high school. Oh yeah, I’ve got spirit. {My mom still has my HUGE megaphone in storage.} To my husband’s dismay, I no longer have the uniforms.

I dated too many bad boys. I married a good guy.

I’m addicted to books—of all kinds. I read every night before falling asleep. I listen to audiobooks when I walk my dogs alone mid-morning.

My favorite book of all time is…I can’t pick. Are you crazy? Addicts can’t have favorites. But these are some of my top loves: The Time Traveler’s Wife, Matilda, Nineteen Minutes {Jodi Picoult}, Divergent, Harry Potter, The Creative Habit, The War of Art, Gone Girl, The Guardian {Nicholas Sparks}

I squeal at spiders. Yep, like a five-year-old girl.

Brooklyn was not my kinda place to live. I’m not a city girl. Blacksburg, Virginia is where I’m meant to be.

These are some of the things that make me unique. Embracing each of these things makes me happier, more successful, and honestly, more interesting.

Be who you are. There’s only one of you in this world and we NEED what you have to offer the world.

For all we know, you get one life. How are you going to embrace what makes you unique to make yours a life worth living?

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P.S. The Declaration of You will be published by North Light Craft Books this summer, with readers getting all the permission they’ve craved to step passionately into their lives, discover how they and their gifts are unique and uncover what they are meant to do! This post is part of The Declaration of You’s BlogLovin’ Tour, which I’m thrilled to participate in alongside over 100 other creative bloggers. Learn more — and join us! — by clicking here.