Fresh Adventure: How to Marie Kondo Your Suitcase

Going to Europe with three children for two weeks is a feat! Thanks to Tidying Up star, Marie Kondo, luggage for five doesn’t have to be overwhelming. All you have to do is Marie Kondo your suitcase!

We went to Europe a few years ago and the hardest part about travelling for me was the lack of sleep on the plane and trying to lug our suitcases up and down the European train station staircases. I brought way too much and had a heavy stroller (relatively heavy, it’s quite a small, light stroller compared to the average North American stroller).

Fresh 2019, LifestyleLeahApril 29, 2019Grey MinistriesMarie Kondo, Tidying Up, Kondori Method, Using the Kondori method to simplify packing, pack for two weeks in Europe, how to pack for two weeks away, Packing like a minimalist, minimalism, minimalist lifestyle, millennials living as minimalists, traveling with kids and minimalist packingComment

One Woman's Inspiring Testimony of Addiction Recovery

From heroin addiction to sharing her story of transformation on CBN, Mariah is truly an inspiration!

Faith, Understanding AddictionLeahApril 25, 2019Grey MinistriesAdvice for Christian women married to addicts, married to a drug addict, married to a porn addict, married to an addict in recovery, married to an addict, support group for Christian wives of addictsComment

Fresh Adventure: Staycation 101

What is a “staycation” and how does it work?

Okay, well the name is super obvious but it’s having a vacation wherever you are!

I’d like to preempt by saying that my children and I have lived in my parent’s basement, in a 650 square foot apartment, a high-rise, and also a single family home- you can have a staycation anywhere.

I’m going to assume you have children because the majority of the readers here are married and in their twenties and thirties. If you don’t have children, so much easier.

Fresh 2019, LifestyleLeahApril 15, 2019Grey Ministriesstaycation, how to have a staycation, epic staycation, staycation with kids, tips for having a staycation, tips for spouses of addicts, spouse doesn't respect my boundaries, how to make boundaries as the wife of an addict, boundaries, boundaries in relationships, personal boundariesComment

Fresh Adventure: You Deserve a Vacation from Addiction

Have you heard the saying, “Put on your own oxygen mask first”?

If you’ve been on an airplane, you have! It’s counter-intuitive to help yourself before your children but the truth is, we cannot help anyone until we help ourselves. If Mommy is laying in the aisle, who will help the kiddos? It’s the same in addiction. Put on your own oxygen mask first!

Fresh 2019, LifestyleLeahApril 8, 2019Grey Ministriesvacation, take time for yourself, christian girl self care, putting your needs first in your loved one's additcion, help yourself and put on your own life-mask first!Comment

Fresh Adventure: A Minimalist European Family Vacation

Is it possible to go to Europe, with a baby, a toddler and a tween for two weeks… as minimalists?

I’d first like to say that I am not a minimalist, yet! I’m merely a girl looking to simplify her life and get as bare-bones as possible so I can Marie Kondo my life to spark joy in as many areas as possible.

I did not plan the Fresh 2019 series to fall so perfectly in-time with Marie Kondo’s home takeover but she is here and it happened and it feels a little bit like fate. Although I will not be introducing myself to my home and thanking my belongings for their time with me (with the exception of my favourite sweater my husband sent through the dryer to which I mourned for a few weeks on chilly mornings and needed to give it a proper goodbye to let it go) I will happily buy tiny boxes and organize my drawers into slivers of tiny folded gifts.

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Why Do Good Girls Fall for Bad Boys?

Do you remember 10 Things I Hate About You? My 1990’s self soaked that up like nothing else. Angry girl bands. Cute guy with curly hair. Crop tops and sullen faces. Yes, I was all about it.

Explains a lot.

Mental Health, Understanding Addiction, ScienceLeahMarch 24, 2019Leah Greywhat is it about bad boys that girls like, why are women attracted to bad men, science of attraction, Why women date bad guys, Reasons why good girls like bad guys, Why do women fall for bad boys, Why am I attracted to bad boys?, Do girls like sweet boys?Comment

How to Find Hope and Healing on the Recovery Roller Coaster

The recovery process is a rollercoaster.

There’s an expectation that when the addiction stops, so do the issues. Now that the dreaded addiction is gone, your life can go back to normal. The problem is, there is no “normal” anymore. After addiction, your normal is “dysfunctional”. Normal is “messy”. Normal is “chaos”. Normal is “fighting”. Normal is “tension”. Normal is “mistrusting”. Normal is “out of control”.

Is it possible for life to be normal after addiction?

FamilyLeahMarch 18, 2019Grey Ministriesmarried to an addict in recovery, family members of addicts, married to an addict, books videos bible studies for wives of addictsComment

Fresh Feeling- Don't Do What We Did For "No Buy Month"

My husband and I decided we would try a no buy month. Actually, I announced to everyone suddenly that it was “no buy month” and demanded they all follow suit- effective immediately.

Hm.

It last for about 15 hours before my husband had spent over $100 on a diet program. I have to say, I thought for sure what broke him would be Home Depot. I am honestly scared every time he goes there because I never know what he’s going to come home with. It won’t be what was on the list, though!

Fresh 2019, LifestyleLeahMarch 14, 2019Grey Ministriesminimalist lifestyle, millennials living as minimalists, minimalism, freshminimalism, no buy month, how to fail at no buy month, how to have a no buy monthComment

"Why Would You Do That?" And Other Questions About Drugs

1 in 3 Americans Will Have a Friend Die From a Drug Overdose

This statistic comes from a recent study done by American Addiction Centers. Among the other findings of this survey, they concluded that Millennials are most affected by these deaths, that 44% of those surveyed said the victim they knew was perceived to have a vibrant social life, and that those with vibrant social lives were less likely to be predicted to fatally overdose.

When I first read the statistic that 1 in 3 Americans know someone who has passed from an overdose, I was skeptical. Could that really be true? The opioid crisis is certainly a big deal, and the chickens are coming home to roost with Purdue Pharma now allegedly considering bankruptcy due to the lawsuits against them. But could a third of everyday Americans really know someone who has died from an overdose?

Mental HealthLeahMarch 11, 2019Grey Ministriessaved but still doing drugs, married to a drug addict, how women get addicted to drugs, how can the church address drugs, alcoholismComment

"God, Do You See Me? Because I Can't See You"

“Mommy, can you see me? Because I can’t see you,” my three-year old self asked my mother.
“Oh, what a pretty girl, yeah,” she laughed.

My family and I watched some of our old family movies over Christmas. It was so special! We took all our old VHS movies home for the kids to watch and set up the VHS in their room with a tv intended only for retro fun (they had no idea what a VHS was. “What?! It’s STILL not done rewinding?!”).

This video my parents took was stuck in my head.

“Mama, can you see me? Because I can’t see you.”

Faith, WaitingLeahMarch 7, 2019Grey Ministriesfaith is being tested, how to not lose your faith, Christian approach to handling an abusive relationship, christians and substance abuse, what Jesus sees in youComment

Fresh Feeling- Get Your Life Back

Parenting is difficult. There are no bones about it.

With each child, I have three most of the time, four on occasion, they require something different. One tries my patience with his sass, the other tries it with his constant bouncing off the furniture, the other, well, she’s beautiful but she’s one year old and thinks her crib is a jail cell and has boycotted it’s existence.

Maybe I should paint it pink?