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1 // RE-BALANCING YOUR HORMONES AFTER WEANING IS CRAZY.
I’ve been either pregnant or nursing since 2006 and this is the first time I’ve ever been neither. Nobody warned me that there would be so many physical symptoms post-weaning! Oh man, it’s been crazy: I had headaches, tiredness, mood swings, ridiculous acne, minor anxiety…I’ve been at the mercy of my hormones and had to hold on tight to the ride! It took a little over three weeks, but I’ve finally started to feel more like myself again.
2 // I STILL HAVEN’T FOUND A NATURAL DEODORANT THAT WORKS FOR ME.
Last year, I tried Primal Pit Paste and it made my underarms raw and red. I kept using it for awhile, hoping it was just a “detox” period, but never saw an improvement. I chalked it up to the fact that maybe I was sensitive to the baking soda? Fast forward to this month when I was in the market for a new deodorant and thought maybe I’d try a natural version again. This time, I went with Tom’s of Maine and while I didn’t get any itchy redness, I stunk. Like high school locker room gross. So I’m back to the drawing board! Frustrating.
3 // THERE IS A DIFFERENT NAME FOR THE MOON EVERY MONTH.
Seeing June’s Strawberry Moon on the calendar sent me on a Googling rabbit trail that led to the Farmer’s Almanac. According to the website,
Full Moon names date back to Native Americans, of what is now the northern and eastern United States. The tribes kept track of the seasons by giving distinctive names to each recurring full Moon. Their full moon names were applied to the entire month in which each occurred. There was some variation in the full Moon names, but in general, the same ones were current throughout the Algonquin tribes from New England to Lake Superior. European settlers followed that custom and created some of their own names.
Fun fact: July’s full moon is known as Full Buck Moon because this is normally when a buck’s new antlers push out of their foreheads It is also sometimes called Full Thunder Moon because of the frequent thunderstorms around this time of year.
4 // I NOW KNOW WHAT RIP CURRENTS LOOK LIKE.
I have lived on the East Coast for most of my life and been to the ocean many times, but shamefully never knew what a rip current looked like! This photo made its way around Facebook and I’m so thankful it did. The more you know…
5 // I DON’T KNOW MUCH ABOUT NATIVE AMERICAN HISTORY AND I’D LIKE TO CHANGE THAT.
I read Killers of the Flower Moon about the Osage Tribe early in July and regretfully realized that my knowledge in this area is lacking. I want to change this! I’ve just added Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee and Empire of the Summer Moon to my hold list at the library.
6 // YOU AREN’T SUPPOSED TO PUT PLASTIC BAGS IN THE RECYCLING.
I’ve never actually done this, but apparently they clog up the sorting machines and employees then have to physically get up there and pull them out.
7 // I MAY WANT TO BE A POSTPARTUM DOULA WHEN I GROW UP.
The first few months postpartum are such an exhausting, fragile, and emotionally raw time. Because of my personal experiences with my own babies, I am especially passionate about this, although I’ve never really known what to do with that passion. Helping my cousin with her new baby sparked something unexpected in me. It was an honor to give her an extra hand, a few tips and tricks, and a little extra sleep. Maybe being a postpartum doula is in my future someday?
What did you learn this month?
