My “Festive AF” sweatshirt has a double meaning this year! Most people know the funny version (putting AF after a word means “_____ as f*ck” – in this case, “Festive as f*ck”). But as of 10/2/22, AF has another, new meaning in my life:

Alcohol-Free.

What started out as a Sober October has turned into me loving, living and embracing an alcohol-free lifestyle. I’ve discovered being alcohol-free (AF) feels more in line with my goals for myself as a healthy and happy woman, mom, wife, business owner, boss and friend.

I think I always thought not drinking alcohol would leave this gaping hole in my life, or that life would be boring without it, but nothing has changed other than I’m sleeping better, have more energy, and a clearer memory of my fun times out with friends and family. I’ve discovered I’m more productive and present in all areas of my life, and I still laugh and dance and have just as much fun as I always have.

I’m really proud of myself for making this change, and am enjoying the holiday season being Festive AF. ✨

*Photos by my daughter Kate, who is my biggest reason for wanting to age as healthily as possible, and who always brings a smile to my face.

For more information on how I came to embrace an alcohol free lifestyle, check out my Sober October post.

The post Festive AF appeared first on All Things G&D.

Cambridge, Wisconsin

My favorite kind of snow.

The post Snow Day in Wisconsin appeared first on All Things G&D.

I’m grateful for a lot of things, but the way this guy takes care of us takes the cake.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Photo by Twig & Olive Photography

The post We Got a Good One appeared first on All Things G&D.

Kate + a November Wisconsin Sunrise

The post November Wisconsin Sunrise appeared first on All Things G&D.

It was a site called Sober Sis and they were advertising a 21 day alcohol-free “reset” program with daily educational emails and videos, and a private social support network of other women throughout the country doing a “reset” in October as well. I’ve never bothered to educate myself on alcohol before (it seemed pretty straightforward to me) but I was curious, so I signed up and decided to give it a try.

The women I did the 21 Day Reset with this past month ran the whole gamut – from people who are social drinkers looking to take a break (like me), to women who don’t drink often but when they do they cannot seem to stop themselves, to women who drink heavily daily. The focus of the 21 Day Reset wasn’t abstinence – it was learning, and then taking what you’ve learned to move forward in your goals. For some that is being alcohol-free for life, and for others that is moderation. They emphasized “progress over perfection” and when women in my 21 Day Reset group did have a drink they weren’t shamed and it wasn’t considered a “relapse” or a failure. They called it a “data point” – it was something to get curious about and explore so you could better understand your relationship with alcohol moving forward.

I’m sharing this because I really found this 21 Day Reset program to be so valuable. It taught me a lot, and if anyone reading this is also interested in exploring or changing their relationship with alcohol I wanted you to know this is a wonderful, supportive, non-judgmental resource that I’d highly recommend.

*Photo with my greyhound, Ever, just because she’s so darn cute and happy!

The post Sober October appeared first on All Things G&D.

A little backstory: Twenty-three and a half years ago (6 months after we met at work), nineteen-year-old me opened the door to my college apartment and was greeted with a floral arrangement tied to a 12-pack of Orange Crush soda, with a card from G that read, “I’ve got a crush on you.”

(Spoiler Alert: The feeling was mutual.)

Nineteen years ago today we tied the knot, and we’ve been holding on ever since.

Today he surprised me at work with this special delivery, which brought back so many memories. We were just a couple of kids, and I can’t believe how lucky we were to find each other, and how lucky I am to get to do life with my college crush.

The post Crush appeared first on All Things G&D.

I answered.

News I couldn’t fully comprehend.
I asked to speak to my sister.
She couldn’t talk.
I couldn’t talk.
We hung up.

My body turned inside out.
I sat at my desk knowing I needed to move but unable to do anything.
How does one move?
How do you take a step in any direction?
A life has ended.
My sister’s son.

I heard my husband Greg waking up downstairs.
A lifeline.

I just needed to make it down the stairs and he would help me.
Would take on some of this grief.
He would know what to do.

I walked down the steps.
Sobbing.
Choking on my grief.
My sister’s pain.
Trying not to wake my own child still asleep in her bed.

I fell into Greg’s arms.
Sobbing so hard I could not speak.
Later, I would remember his face.
How he shook me and said, “What?! Dusty?!”
I can only guess at his fear.
The kind of fear reserved for a parent.
How he must’ve later thanked God that our daughter was still safely asleep in her bed.
How I did too.

It’s been more than a year now.

My grief as Rylee’s aunt is a mix of missing his sweet smiling face…unbelievable pain for my sister who lost her child…and sheer terror over the thought of losing my own child. I feel all three, and they all carry different weight at different times.

I used to journal.

I’d wake up early and jump out of bed and write down my big dreams with unabashed and childlike enthusiasm – never mind my 40-some years. Rules and limits and obstacles couldn’t touch me when I journaled. I just dreamed big and soared – and then soared even higher – and wrote it all down, fiercely believing I’d make it all happen.

It was what I was doing when I got the call.

At 5:55am.

5:55 has since become a trauma trigger for me. When I see it on the clock I brace myself for tragedy. I send up a silent prayer for my loved ones. I survey my surroundings in anticipation of something horrific about to strike. At times, I’m paralyzed with fear, unable to move, praying my phone doesn’t ring until the clock changes to the next minute.

5:55.
There’s always fear.
Always grief.
Sometimes tears.

I don’t journal anymore.

It’s hard to grieve and dream.

I’m scared to wake up early like I used to, to write down my big goals and dreams for the future, knowing that as I do so the clock will turn to 5:55 and I’ll be back in that moment when I learned Rylee’s precious and beloved life had ended far too soon.

Lately I’ve felt an itching at my soul telling me I need to return to this practice of putting pen to paper, and writing out my hopes and goals, and calling my shots, and declaring that THIS is what my future will look like, and then making it so.

Logically, I know living and dreaming is the greatest way we can honor our loved ones.

Also, I’m afraid.

I don’t journal anymore.

But maybe tomorrow I’ll try again.

The post 5:55 appeared first on All Things G&D.

“YOUR BODY BELONGS TO YOU.”

Never in my life did I imagine I‘d have to alter that statement to “Your body belongs to you and the United States government.”

The question we should all be considering right now isn’t, “Does this law align with my personal values?” What you really need to be asking yourself is, “Should this even be a legal and political issue in the first place? Is this something I want the government dictating for me?”

It doesn’t matter if your personal point of view is “winning” right now, because guess what – next time it won’t be, and your personal freedoms and autonomy will already be stripped away, making it easier to chip away at them even more next time.

The precedent will be set.

What’s happening right now isn’t just a women’s rights issue – it’s a human rights issue that will have dramatic repercussions for us all.

I believe in a woman’s right to make her own choices about her body. Full stop.
I believe in a man’s right to make his own decisions about his body. Full stop.

So I’ll say it again: The question isn’t, “Does this law align with my personal values?” What you really need to be asking yourself is, “Should this even be a legal and political issue in the first place? Is this something I want the government dictating for me? Is power, control, and decision-making over my own body something I’m comfortable handing over to politicians?”

Once you open that door, it’s open season on us all.

#roevwade #protectroevwade #protectwomensrights

The post Don’t Tread on Me: 2022 Edition appeared first on All Things G&D.

I’m all the way in love with these custom sweatshirts I ordered for Details Boutique in honor of my amazing little town! (There’s a Lake Ripley Sunset tank + “Dock O’Clock” cropped sweatshirt, too.) If you haven’t visited Cambridge yet, what are you waiting for?

The post Cambridge: The Hamptons of Wisconsin appeared first on All Things G&D.

The post RBG appeared first on All Things G&D.