This week and next we're busy bees here at the Nourishing Herbalist completing the data migration to our new site. You're going to LOVE the changes!

In the meantime, I wanted to spotlight a wonderful resource that will make your pursuit of vitality an easier (and cheaper!) one. 

Maybe you've had your eye on a new ebook or a meal plan service to help with the often hectic chore of planning meals.  Well, I'm here to tell you that you might be able to pick these up at a great discount.  

In fact, if you shop online for real food and health products on a regular basis, then in all likelihood you could be doing this more affordably. Here's how:

If ever there was a week to toss real food out the window in the name of convenience, this was the week. Each night this past week our family participated in our church's Vacation Bible School (VBS). My girls were active and eager participants, I taught two 3-year-old classes, and my husband served as chief cook and bottle-washer for the remaining two littles who stayed put at home.

And we were a tired bunch as the week drew to a close.

One of my favorite things to do in July is pick blueberries. Once every year my mom and I rise with the sun and drive to our favorite u-pick farm hidden away in the foothills of the Appalachia mountains.

There we pick side-by-side for hours, chatting about everything under the sun. It's the one time each year that I can count on having my momma's complete attention without any interruption. No babes a-whining. No toddler requests. Nothing. Just her and me and a plethora of plump blueberries. And that, my friends, is a little taste of heaven.

I love kicking off a new week. It inspires the same feelings in me as receiving a brand new journal. The pages are clean. Untouched.

So here we are... And to get things kicked off on the right foot we've decided to move our real food menu plan posts to Monday, instead of Tuesday. Because, well... that just seems like the right thing to do. Who starts their weekly menus on Tuesday, anyway? Silly us.

The number of individuals world-wide who struggle with some form of dementia is sobering. In the United States alone, nearly 6 million individuals arediagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease, a staggering number that does not even include the multiple other forms of dementia. 

There's currently no way to reverse brain degeneration once it begins, but there are several things you can do to bolster brain health and to provide comfort for those experiencing the difficulties of cognitive degeneration.

It's been a rough start to the week around our house. It seems like everyone's sister's neighbor's cousin twice removed is experiencing a summer head cold. We did fairly well to avoid it... until the beautiful 3-day holiday weekend. Of course.

Yes, the very weekend I had set my sights to kick booty on my to-do list... a cold ended up kicking my booty.

And so, after a meaningful pep talk from my husband, I took a dose of my own medicine and went to bed.

Years ago as a newly married gal I attempted to jump on-board the menu planning bandwagon. I was so smitten with my husband and I wanted to do everything. Just. So. And menu planning... that's what all successful homemakers do, right?

My problem? My husband was away at law school most evenings and frequented the corner deli far more than he stepped foot in our gleaming unused kitchen.

In truth, he must have come home at some point, though, because after just 3 months of being married I found myself battling the raging roller coaster of morning sickness and thinking maybe he should have stayed at the deli. Just kidding.

But who wants to think about food at a time like that? So much for being the "successful" homemaker. ::shudder::

We're on the downhill swing of our 42 Day Challenge (week 4 of 6) though we're anything but coasting to the finish. This continues to be a wonderful challenge to get into the healthy habit of eating well and exercising, and we all struggle with that for sure!

In just two short weeks our challenge will be complete (::sniff::), so where are we going from there? Coming up we'll be discussing a common disorder many of us may not have heard of before: Diastasis Recti. This condition affects the abdomen muscles of most mothers and can be largely responsible for that wonderful pooch in our midsections. We've some great exercise tips to share on that front that will help you find your core strength again! And...

Of the past six weeks my family has spent three, nearly four, of them on the road. I'm not a homebody per se, but I'll be honest: I'm done traveling for a while. 

Growing up as an only child I had the chance to travel extensively with my parents. My dad, a firefighter by primary occupation, was also a contract instructor, teaching shipping companies, the railroad industry and other venues in how to safely handle hazardous materials.

I have fond memories of all the 46 states I've had the privilege of seeing (some several times) and a few other countries, too. But I also remember vividly the handful of times I was sick while on the road. Who could forget Scarlet Fever in Portland, a double ear infection in Jacksonville, Mono in Saint Louis or the Chicken Pox in Toledo?

Gosh, these experiences sound like disturbing handles for Match.com... Hi, Sleepless in Seattle, I'm Scarlet Fever in Portland.