Creepy Stories and Sage Smudging

Sage Smudging - What is THAT??

Sage smudging is an activity that I've been wanting to do in our home for a while and just haven't gotten around to it. 

I finally had a reason this past weekend.  A creepy reason, but a reason, nonetheless. 

First, let's start with: What is Sage Smudging?.  If you've ever been to a yoga class, you may have seen this done or you may have simply smelled the after effects of the burned sage.  This is a practice that is ancient and is used to clear the air of bad energies, negative spirits, or negative emotions.  Also, it smells nice, but that's beside the point.  I recently read that it also has antibacterial properties, so if you've had sickness in your house, a solid sage smudging is in order.  

Some reasons to sage smudge:

• Cleansing
• Smells nice
• Clears bad energy
• Gets rid of negative spirits
• Purifying
• Antiseptic
• When you move into a new house
• If you've had a fight
• After a busy day to clear some of the busy emotions

There is scientific evidence that the smudging actually changes the elements within the air, leaving it lighter and letting us be more free.  All you have to do is burn some sage and be in the right state of mind to allow the negative to burn away. Easy! 

How do you smudge?

There are several elaborate and involved smudging processes.  You can make it as simple or as complicated as you want.  But we're on the one-at-a-time protocol*, so I started simple. I found a container that I could put out my sage stick in after I was done.  Actually, first, I ordered sage sticks off of Amazon (because that is where I get everything - what can I say? It's convenient!). So then, step 2: find a container.  Next, I hunted down a lighter and lit it.  This was all big progress considering the sage sticks had been sitting in our dining room hutch for at least 6 months.  Finally, I walked around the main floor of our house, letting the smoke billow into the corners.  I made a complete loop around the house and then opened doors to usher out anything negative.  

Many people find this practice rooted in the magical realm, fictional, silly, etc.  Life is about perspective and what works for you.  It's also about trying new things and being open minded enough to find something new that works for you. Do you want to hear my creepy story now? 

It was Saturday morning, around 2am and I could not for the life of me sleep, so I was on the couch flipping through channels and I stumbled upon Fifty Shades Darker and I started watching it.  Creepy, huh? The end.  

Just kidding!  There I was, with my cup of hot tea and my plate of freshly cup up fruit, watching a ridiculously awful movie <-- I am not proud--> when I started to hear a scratching noise or a thumping noise? I couldn't quite tell over the sound of Christian Grey emotionally abusing his victim/future wife/same thing.  I tried to pause the tv.  It wouldn't pause.  I hammered the pause button about fifty times and I heard it.  Plain as day, clawing and scratching and scraping. I slid off of the couch - heart pounding.  I tiptoed about 5 steps and remembered that it is the person in the movies who goes to investigate the sound that gets murdered (every.damn.time). I couldn't help myself... tip toe...tip toe... until I could see into the kitchen from the dining room. The sound had grown louder.  I saw...the kitchen. Nothing else. "Maybe it's Mars scratching his noise machine against the wall," said my wanting-to-rationalize-this-away-brain.  I scurried up the stairs, checked the monitor to find a passed out Mars, and woke up Matt who came to my aid and confirmed the scratching, the scraping, the clawing, the moving within the wall. 

That is the first part - something in the wall!  There is more. The next day rolled around to bring us something that we couldn't explain away as a fairydiddle in the wall, which is creepy and gross enough. 

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Scene: Lauri upstairs in bedroom.  Matt in kitchen with kids feeding them dinner.  

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There is a noise - a bang, a knocking, a noise that is blood curdling because it sounded like a kid fell or something large fell over. 

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I dropped what I was doing, ran down the stairs to meet Matt in the entry way and say "What was that?!". He shook his head and said "I don't know." We checked all three doors, the basement, the attic, the roof, the chimney, the fireplace.  We literally checked everywhere and there wasn't anything out of place.  Nothing had fallen.  Nobody had knocked.  

And... this is when I decided that our house was due for a good sage smudging.  

Happy Halloween!!  I'll keep you posted on any new weird stuff happening at Brammerheim.  

Bee Well

*One-at-a-Time: Just introduce or take away one thing at a time for a period of time and make it part of your routine.  Start slowly and be patient with your wellness. This is the one-at-a-time protocol. 

How YOU Can Make an Allergy Kid Smile Next Week!

Food Allergies, Kids, and All of the Sh*t You Have to Deal With!

Food allergies are more and more commonplace in our today. Adults and kids alike are discovering the world of allergies.  Elimination diets, gluten-free diets, veganism, dairy-free, soy-free, nut-free: You name it, there's a diet or a problem. 

First off, if you don't have experience with the world of food allergies, you are lucky, because it is an exhausting world to live in. But, you should be aware of what it means, if you aren't directly affected by it!

It's holiday season, starting off with Halloween.  This is a dreadful holiday for my kids because together they have soy, dairy, peanut, and corn allergies.  To boot, my son turns into the devil if he even sniffs red dye. What I'm saying is that Halloween turns into this really tricky day (ha. ha.) where I let my kids collect a bunch of crap candy that they can't eat and then quickly swap it all out with toys and food that they can eat so that they don't feel left out.  

At school, I never bring candy. I always bring toys to pass out.  Why? Because my kids can't eat the majority of candy that is passed out.  Sometimes I will see another toy or trinket and that gives me hope that someone else is trying to be inclusive. 

I have lived for almost 5 years as an allergy mom.  This is what I've learned.  Myself and their father are their biggest advocates.  We make mistakes. We have made many mistakes.  We have learned from those mistakes.  There are many people who cannot grasp the concept of allergies and how encompassing it is.  Nor can they grasp how restricting it is.  I have learned that it's easier to make our food than to try to trust someone else to do so because the fear that they have missed something will eat you up.  I have learned that it's easier to ask a restaurant to bring in food than to expect them to figure out how to cater to allergies.  I have also learned that a soy/dairy/peanut/corn allergy means that you pretty much can't go out to eat and let the kids eat their food.  I have learned that our kids don't get to pick what they eat at a restaurant (in the event that they can eat there) because they can normally eat 2 things (max).  I have learned that the people who do understand food allergies make my heart sing because it's so refreshing to feel supported.  I have learned that my son (at almost 5) can now be his own advocate and although it should bring me comfort, it brings sadness most days. 

I have so much more to tell you about food allergies, but I'll leave you with this.  Halloween is right around the corner. Be mindful of children who may not be able to eat your chocolate, your peanuts, your anything.  Toss some toy trinkets in your goodie bowl and put out a teal pumpkin in support of the allergy kids.  They deserve to have fun too.  And their parents deserve to feel community support because it is sometimes hard to come by.  

For more information on how you can be more inclusive of kids with allergies on Halloween, check out the Teal Pumpkin Project. 

Bee Well!

One Small Step for Yourself

Take One Small Step

In my wellness journey, I have learned that incorporating one new  thing (or eliminating one small thing) at a time is my best chance to achieve success.  

Take a moment and think about one small thing you can include (or remove from your day).  What is it?

It could be cutting out one snack, cutting out one cigarette, taking one 10 minute walk, stretching after you work out. It can be anything you want it to be!

I'll tell you what mine was:  drinking lemon water first thing in the morning. 

And from there, I started doing a few other things that have helped me heal myself, increase my metabolism and my immune system, and has put me on a path towards a more healthy (and hopefully) longer life!

Did lemon water do all of this?  Yes and no. It did teach me what I like to call the "one-at-a-time rule".  Just do one thing at a time for a period of time and then it becomes part of your routine. That is what I am all about.  Slow and steady wins the race.  

These "one at a time" actions took my white blood cell count from CRITICALLY LOW to NORMAL, took my energy levels from zero to acceptable, led me to a path of daily yoga practice, got rid of the ongoing bloat!  

There is no magic pill - but there is this really easy to swallow plan and I can tell you all about it!

Take the leap!  You know that one small thing you wanted to change??  Do it tomorrow and commit to doing it for the next week.  If you forget one day, don't worry about it.  Do it the next day.  It took me a month to get in the habit of the lemon water.  You won't believe how long it took me to incorporate some of my other changes - but guess what?  I finally did it!  Persistence!! 

About Bee Well

About Bee Well

Hi!

I’m Lauri Brammer and my goal is to help you with yours!

I am a mom and a full-time Deputy Project Manager and Technical Writer in a government agency.  After years of applying fitness and nutrition in my own life, seeking out education, and maintaining my own health, I am now offering a helping hand to those who want to change their journey.

Every day, I give it my all.  That doesn’t mean that I achieve each thing that I set out to accomplish.  Join me in my journey to be my best self while watching moments of patience, impatience, gracefulness, and lack of grace. 

“Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence." - Vince Lombardi 

Learning how to better ourselves, one day at time, one activity at a time is the goal.  I’d love to work with you and help you set your sights on your goals and then help you achieve them.

Why Bees?  I want to turn your vomit into honey.  ßI’m still working on my “slogan”.

Things I love:

Adventuring

Running

Paddleboarding

Yoga

Eating (well)

Outdoors

Chocolate

My Crazy Kids

Interesting Recipes