Hello Friday!

I’m so grateful to each of you for joining me as we kicked off the first full week of 2025!

The platform I use for this site allows me to see analytics, and one of the most exciting aspects has been the broad geographical reach. Since we started in November, our community has grown to include readers from all over the US and Canada, plus readers from several countries in Europe and Japan! It is so exciting to see the growth of Elevated Nesting and the potential we have for reaching and connecting with women all over the world. Thank you so much for being a part of this community!

Last week, I shared my “mantra” for this year:

I’ve been working on being intentional about saying this to myself and applying the principle whenever I’m making choices about how I:

Spend my free time
Manage my workday
Move my body
Nurture my relationships
Use my creativity
Manage my Home – to create a Haven
Schedule my day . . . week . . . month
Nourish and fuel my body

To be honest, it’s a process . . . and I’m not striving for perfection here. I’m simply trying to frame my perspective and make choices that work favorably toward my happiness, fulfillment, and personal goals.

I hope you’re finding new ways to feel inspired in the New Year, too!

We Covered So Much This Week!

On Monday and Tuesday, we looked at “Elevating Your Calm Space in 2025” by eliminating clutter and creating an organized haven. I partnered with Trish Hodson, Professional Organizer, and owner of Bee Organized San Francisco Bay.

Trish began by showing us how a cluttered home affects our overall well-being. Then, she helped us harness our mindset to achieve success in taming the clutter. On Tuesday, Trish gave us the tips and techniques used by her team of professional organizers to tackle any space – whether it’s your kitchen pantry or your entire home. If you missed these posts, take a look at Part One and Part Two.

I garnered so many gems from her expertise, beginning with the fact that my closet doesn’t have to be Pinterest-Worthy to be organized and efficient for my needs. I also appreciated her message of “Just Start”! I don’t have to tackle my whole house. I can just start with a single drawer, and use the satisfaction and momentum from that one accomplishment to fuel my drive to continue.

If you follow me on Instagram, you saw my baby steps in tackling a few cabinets, drawers, and closets this week. Spending just a few focused minutes for each area resulted in so much satisfaction!

Also . . . funny little anecdote . . . I was talking with my clever friend, Sue, who said, “That was so cool the way you tied in your “Nest” from Elevated Nesting and Trish’s “Hive” from Bee Organized SF Bay!”. Yes, that was cool, and Nope, I didn’t plan it. Oh, how I wish I were that creative. Just a Happy Accident! 😂

On Wednesday, I shared my recipe for Dark Chocolate Black Bean and Avocado Brownies. Here’s a link, in case you missed it!

Thank you so much to those who have already baked this recipe! I’ve received several DM’s from readers who tried them, and they are a huge hit! I’m telling you . . . if you’re like me and crave a little afternoon treat . . . these will blow you away! The are decadently rich and fudgy, while also being low in sugar and packed with nutrients. Your tastebuds, blood sugar, and energy level will thank you!

Thursday took us on a deep dive into Topical Estrogen Face Cream.

I shared my research on the Safety and Efficacy of this new trend. Then I got a little “au-natural” and vulnerable with my progress photos and my personal experience with using a prescribed 0.5% Estriol face cream for the past two months. In case you missed it, I highly recommend you give this one (link) a read!

Please continue to reach out to me via comments, DM’s, and emails, AND share this site with your girlfriends. I am learning so much from you! Your questions and insights give me wonderful ideas for new articles. We have so much to learn from each other about Thriving in this phase of life!