Fall βdos for these two joyful pups! π₯°
π·: by our awesome groomer, Kendra!
#signaturelabradoodlesnapshots
Yay! Beautycounter is back up and running today (November 1st - December 1st) before their big relaunch early 2025. If you are like me, my sensitive skin was missing Beautycounter SO much. I tried a few other βsafer personal care products/brandsβ and I am just not getting the same results as I have been getting with Beautycounter and actually am currently nursing a delayed reaction. Iβm still a Beautycounter consultant and would love to help you choose what works for you during this βIn-Betweenβ sale. Iβm happy to answer any questions you have. If you would like to shop with me, my link is in my bio or you can type it out as: beautycounter.com/hollymorello. As a consultant I receive a commission. I appreciate you shopping with me! Be sure to check out the special deals too!
Back Story: As a Functional Nutritional Therapy practitioner and as someone that cares a lot about the health and wellness of those I love and my community, Iβve been committed to helping clients and loved ones address their wellness holistically, which includes addressing chemicals of concern in everything they put in & on their body and what they bring into their home.
Iβve been impressed by Beautycounterβs mission: advocacy & education to get harmful chemicals and even those of concern, out of personal & home care products for everyone. Iβve also impressed that they were a B Corp and so much more.
Regardless, everyone wants high performing products, and high performing they are, which is also big reason why I use, support, and align with Beautycounter.
During my work with Beautycounter (Counter Brands dba Beautycounter), they were bought by a larger corporation from the much beloved founder, Gregg Renfrew. That corporation shut down in the spring of this year. Sad news. HOWEVER, there is good news! Gregg Renfrew, the founder of Beautycounter, was able to acquire some of the assets including the right to sell Beautycounter products in the future. Gregg and her team are working very hard at their re-launch with much enthusiasm.
Very much like my Aunt Rene who just turned 100 (see August 28th post), my beautiful Aunt Marie, 95 years young, and pictured here, has been very active throughout her life. She spent years traveling around the country with her husband, my Uncle Howard, doing a special form of square dancing. She golfed, and for many years had an RV and traveled all over the US. She reminisced these experiences with me and others when I stayed with her the last night I was visiting a little more than a week ago). I was so impressed and inspired by how fit she is at 95. I asked my Aunt Marie for some words of wisdom to the younger generations and she replied βmind your own business!β πβ¨
Some great wisdom there and what I need reminding of every day. Iβve learned that lesson by not following it THE HARD WAY, especially when I started nutritional therapy and wanted to shout out all I learned and experienced from the rooftops - sometimes in a very dogmatic way. Iβm embarrassed by that now but none of us are perfect. As long as when we know better, we at least try to do better! If you catch me in the act, all you have to say is, βremember the words of wisdom your Aunt Marie shared with you?β
Another family member, a cousin in his 90βs, shared his words of wisdom too: correct and apologize for your mistakes as soon as possible. I think these are great words to live by too! I fractured an important relationship and lost too many precious years with a loved one who I tried to push unasked for Nutritional Therapy recommendations on. At the time I thought it was with good intentions. It took me years to simply apologize without any excuses. The apology was welcomed and the other person took some responsibility for the situation too. Mind your own business is fitting here too. Not easy when you love someone and want to help! Of course there are always exceptions to the rule but thatβs not what Iβm talking about.
I feel very blessed to have such a wonderful family.
A belated Happy National Dog Day! Rosie & Theo ππΆ - the best of friends! After launching our 3 sons and a too quiet household from some timeβ¦these 2 are now the daily light of our lives. We love them dearly and they provide us with boundless love, joy, laughter and smiles! β€οΈ
Birthday run in the forest with my beautiful friends! ππ₯° Thank you, @portlandcarol & @3grigsby - love and appreciate you two and our friendship! Feeling grateful and blessed! β€οΈ
What an incredible blessing it was to have just celebrated my beautiful, sweet Aunt Reneβs 100th birthday (along with about 50 other family members!)! Ever since I was little, I remember how I admired how active she always was. It definitely paid off. Sheβs in great shape in mind, body, and spirit and such a joy to converse with! Iβm so impressed by her sharp memory and ability to recall and tell stories of her youth. Iβm so grateful I was able to spend this time with her and reconnect with extended family I havenβt seen in years and some Iβve never met. I have so many pictures Iβd love to share, but this is my favorite.
Iβm very grateful that Iβve had the opportunity to earn this Completion of Comprehensive Direct Patient Core Hospice Volunteer Training with AccentCare! This type of work has been calling to my heart for some time and I so I believe divine intervention was at play when one of my very favorite humanβs on earth shared that she was a volunteer coordinator for hospice!
Thank you for the mentorship throughout this process, @terryloujordan! Iβm looking forward to our continued work together with this incredible organization.
So much gratitude regarding receiving the incredible impact on the mind, body, and spirit running in our magnificent local forest with equally magnificent friends. There are a multitude of benefits here: being in nature, especially in a forest; being with girlfriends, especially while exercising as well as the kindness and support given to each other (release of oxytocin, the bonding hormone) and to those we cross paths with on the trail including the lovely young woman who offered to take our photo after seeing our many humorous failed attempts to do it ourselves via a selfie π .
Beyond reproductive health, the hormone, oxytocin, has a number of positive effects on both your mental and physical health. It helps lower stress and anxiety; enhances a feeling of connection and belonging; and has anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties.
There are numerous ways to boost oxytocin, a few are acts of kindness; meditation and yoga; petting/cuddling and playing with an animal friend; physical touch such as giving/receiving hugs.
What are ways you increase oxytocin?
Happy International Cat Day! I miss our sweet kitties Starlight & Shadow. Starlight communicated with his eyes. He was an indoor cat since we have coyotes around us but weβd bring him outside with us as much as possible, which he loved.
Here, (heβs in the first picture), he was showing me his love and appreciation. I think of these times when I do HeartMath type meditations in which you think of moments of experiencing love and gratitude and relive those feelings in your heart. Very powerful.
Shadow was a sweet kitty and a great brother the Starlight even if it didnβt seem like they had anything to do with each other. One morning Shadow was acting odd and started biting my ankles and running awayβ¦I intuitively thought βmaybe heβs trying to tell me something,β and so I followed him to our back door where he led me and where Starlight was crying outside. He had apparently accidentally snuck out the night before and was out all night!
They both lived very long into their late teens. They were very much loved. I suspect their sweet souls are around us all the time.
#happyinternationalcatdayDay
Spend just a moment a day sending unconditional love from your heart to those you donβt resonate with. Oh what a greater world this will be. β€οΈπ
Enjoyed a wonderful indulgence today at @bluemoonbakerypdx - a 100% gluten free bakery. I tried the Boston Cream Donut and my husband, Tony, tried the Strawberry handpie (which does not contain eggs or nuts, which he is allergic to).
My husband said it was even better than our regular favorite gluten free bakery, which he clarifies as still amazing. I really couldnβt compare since I donβt usually have a Boston Cream donut but I really enjoyed it.
While I try to avoid highly processed sugar and carby baked goods day to day- I do enjoy a bit of good quality, local baked goods like these on occasion and admittedly maybe once a week. My gut and brain does better with high quality gluten free so I greatly appreciate this option in the Portland metro area.
The @bluemoonbakerypdx shop is located in downtown Hillsboro in a really cool location but know that they have pre-order and drop off locations all around Portland.
When thoughts are overtaken with worry, fear, resentment, regrets and other ruminations, move to gratitude. Gratitude and love. Thereβs always something to feel grateful for. Thereβs always someone or something to love or to send love to. I send you love. β€οΈ Have a wonderful weekend.
π·: H. Morello, Rock Springs Farm, Castleton, VA
Celebrating the birthdays of my youngest 2 sons over the last 3 weeks! π₯³π₯³ππππ Neither are on social media so they wonβt see any birthday wishes here but I couldnβt help sharing. My heart and mind expands beyond measure every moment I get to see and experience the world through their perspectives. My sons have been my greatest teachers. All three continue to awe and inspire me. β€οΈπ₯°π
P.S. You can probably tell they both wrestled, and Jacob, the older of the two, still does through Jujutsu.
First hill repeat workout since the stress fracture at the end of February. Feeling great! Didnβt push too hard (the others took up my slack!). Iβm obviously flushed though!
No βlong runβ this week. I was advised to replace long runs with easy runs the weeks that I do hill repeats or speed work as I ease back into a regular running schedule. Itβs hard to pull back doing what I love but itβs better than increasing my risk of re-injury.
My βlong run β started at 30 minutes (same as my easy runs), and can be increased 10% in time each week. Iβll be up to an hour at the end of August. Thatβs a typical long run with friends on the weekend (when not training for a race) so I canβt wait to take that back up!
I love hill repeat workouts though! Glad to be back at them- the bonus is that we have a wonderful, scenic, shady hill just a short distance from the track.
The best part of all this though is this beautiful, badass running community! β€οΈπ
Spicy dark chocolate π₯π«ππ»! Are you a fan too? I picked this up at @creochocolateβs new shop on NW 23rd in Portland. Great location! We stocked up on some gifts and I tried a delicious chocolate salted caramel truffle π. Another favorite! π
A short hike in Corvallis, Oregon with Tony, our youngest son, Zack, and our pups, Rosie & Theo! β€οΈ
Happy birthday to our beautiful badass friend, @track_bomber! π₯³
My heart is full of happiness and gratitude. We just enjoyed a wonderful visit with my brother, Patrick, & my sister-in-law, Kecia. Rosie and Theo were beyond excited to be get some extra love and attention too. We are incredibly blessed to have such magnificent places to share here in the Pacific Northwest!
Happy 4th of July! πΊπΈπ
Rosie & Theo π·: Their awesome groomer, Kendra!
Happy birthday celebration run for our beautiful friend, Carla! π₯³ Also my first track run post stress fracture after many weeks of incredible support and care from @brad_farra of @evolution_healthcare_fitness! I feel great! I learned a lot through the healing process and feel stronger for it!
So grateful to be back on the ground running and with my awesome running friends!