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Mental health check in, how’s everyone doing?? I Mental health check in, how’s everyone doing?? I shared how I’m doing in stories today, we made it through the holidays but it was a lot harder than I thought. I’m sruggling in a few ways. Struggling on social media with the comparison game, struggling in general as a stay at home mom of two, struggling with a fussy two month old that doesn’t sleep, struggling that I’m unable to do things for me right now (like even go to the bathroom or shower alone), struggling with the omnipresent grief and anxiety, struggling with guilt — guilt over not giving my oldest enough attention, over wanting him to start back at school again, over not being happy and grateful 24/7.⁣⁣⠀
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If I learned anything last year it was to accept my feelings as they come and not label any as “bad,” so that’s what I’m working on, that’s my daily reminder. As my friend said to me today, this is hard, it’s the trenches!! Be gentle. It’s hard and wonderful all at once.⁣⁣⠀
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Check in below👇⁣⁣⠀
❤️ - I’m feeling great⁣⁣⠀
🧡 - I’m feeling ok⁣⁣⠀
💛 - I’m surviving⁣⁣⠀
💚 - I’m struggling⁣⁣⠀
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Let’s show up and support each other and remind each other we’re not alone in these hard days🖤
Took this week to unplug and reflect. Wild year. M Took this week to unplug and reflect. Wild year. Mixed feelings about a new year is not foreign to me, this is how I felt last year going into 2020. 2019 was Liam’s year, it was the worst but it gave me a perspective I’ll never lose and one I carried into 2020.⁣⁣⠀
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Through hardship you grow.⁣⁣⠀
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2020 saw more focus on me, on my mental wellness + on my family. Less worrying about what people think of me, less apologizing, more doing what makes me happy (or gets me through the day). More of that in this space also. I’m not going to be everyone’s cup of tea so might as well be me, ALL of me💯✌️⁣⁣⠀
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I’m not a resolution or goal setter when it comes to a new year, I try to focus on reflecting, releasing what doesn’t serve me any longer + manifesting/using affirmations to bring the good. Still working on what those are exactly for 2021!⁣⁣⠀
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In the meantime I wanted to share some of my big 2020 memories and wish you all love, light, peace and healing in the new year✨⁣⁣⠀
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1-2. Our new family unit🧡⁣⁣⠀
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3-4. The birth of our daughter, Elora, the best thing to come out of 2020. She is the brightest light.⁣⁣⠀
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5. Luca’s love for his sister + once again navigating a “new normal” in our family.⁣⁣⠀
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6. Pregnancy after loss. Amidst a global pandemic. While wrangling a toddler. One of the hardest things I’ve ever done, it was pure survival mode (+ still is postpartum).⁣⁣⠀
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7. Growing the most beautiful dahlias and diving more into gardening than ever before, mostly as a form of therapy, AND sharing it all with you guys — connecting through our gardens was one of my favorite parts of the year + growing this community has brought me so much joy!⁣⁣⠀
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8. Finding my groove and launching my oils business — never thought I would make more than my blogging income + be able to pay off debt😭⁣⁣⠀
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9. Luca turning 2 and weaning + potty training at the same time — his decisions, not mine!⁣⁣⠀
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10. Liam’s due date in April. I remember wishing more than anything for the chance to deliver him healthy and full term, pandemic and all. We miss our boy + are moving forward WITH him, we’ll love him forever from afar❤️
Chaotic and beautiful and hard and exhausting and Chaotic and beautiful and hard and exhausting and awesome❤️ exactly how I want to remember this day. We’re sending you big love this Christmas, complete with our best “ewie smiles” (Luca’s term for silly faces🤣). I love how Doobie snuck his nose in there too!! Swipe for some special moments/things of the day❤️❤️
⋒ 8 weeks of Elora Leigh ⋒⁣⁣⠀ ⁣⁣⠀ ⋒ 8 weeks of Elora Leigh ⋒⁣⁣⠀
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You have been here in our arms for almost two whole months and my heart still skips a beat when I wake up and see you next to me. You are truly here. I still can’t believe you’re real and you’re ours.⁣⁣⠀
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At 8 weeks you’re not such a tiny babe anymore, you’ve doubled your birth weight and grew four inches — a testament to how much you love to eat😅🍼 (pic four is day 3 for reference!). Your chubby cheeks are also a testament to your love of milk😍😍 The super sleepy newborn days are over😭 You’re waking up more and more, crying more too (see pic three🤪), but still giving us good stretches of sleep (4-5 hours) at night. You don’t love cuddling with me as much as your brother did, I’m still in denial over that! And you’ve broken out of the swaddle, sleep sackin it up already! Luca loves you more than anything and is always wanting to hold you and help me clean your “spiggups,” he calls you “mista baby” and it killssss your dad and I every time🤣⁣⁣⠀
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I feel like you just arrived but also like I’ve known you forever. Happy 8 weeks of life Elora, you are so loved💗⁣⁣⠀
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#8weeks #eloraleigh #watcheloragrow
Unpopular or popular opinion? Gratitude is hard wh Unpopular or popular opinion? Gratitude is hard when you’re struggling.⁣⁣⠀
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Gratitude, when forced, feels like shame. As the wise @sitwithwhit said the other day, it’s  the new toxic positivity — if we’re going to feel sad, then we better be grateful too.⁣⁣⠀
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The pressure on the bereaved to feel and express gratitude in their grief is REAL.⁣⁣⠀
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So here is my reminder — It’s ok to *not* balance out your pain with gratitude. ⁣⁣⠀
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To me, when gratitude is forced I feel inauthentic and ashamed. When everyone is talking about gratitude journals and how to “focus on the good,” I feel left out.⁣⁣⠀
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Let’s normalize expressing pain and grief without following it up with “BUT... gratitude.” It’s like saying that makes our pain seem more bearable from the outside. I get it. Grief is uncomfortable. Pain is ugly. It’s easier to look away. It’s easier to engage if the griever ends their thought on a positive, that’s the pressure. But what if I don’t feel positives in my pain?⁣⁣⠀
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If gratitude helps you to process your grief, that is really great. Everyone grieves differently. I spoke about this in stories today and 100s of you wrote in saying you felt heard. I’m happy it resonated, I’m always nervous to express these opinions but there are ALWAYS people out there who relate and need to hear it. You are my people❤️⁣⁣⠀
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So here are your reminders if you’re grieving or struggling this holiday season, or just reflecting on a hard year:⁣⁣⠀
❤️Be gentle with yourself, your feelings are valid.⁣⁣⠀
❤️You don’t owe anything to anyone, especially in your grief.⁣⁣⠀
❤️It’s ok to feel shitty, period. No ifs, ands, buts or justifications necessary.⁣⁣⠀
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Love you guys🤟🤟🤟⁣⁣⠀
📷: @mymotherhoodstory
This photo shoot took years off my life😅🤪 Do This photo shoot took years off my life😅🤪 Don’t let the cute faces fool you, it’s HARD to get a toddler to stay still and a newborn to not cry🤣 But we snapped a couple gems, these two quite literally light up my life💖 http://liketk.it/34ldF
Just love this little Christmas corner with all of Just love this little Christmas corner with all of our stockings🌲🥰 Anyone else getting snow tonight!? I’m excited! I love the snow and I love seeing the magic in Luca’s eyes, he just lights up over the littlest things and it makes this season so much brighter for us✨
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I linked everything I could in the @liketoknow.it app or head to the link in my bio for my blog and holiday home decor post with all my winter home inspo❄️ http://liketk.it/345gU
Third postpartum, second c-section, a little more Third postpartum, second c-section, a little more prepared for recovery this time and it’s going a lot smoother. I shared some of my postpartum favorites/must haves in stories today as well as on the blog (link in my bio)! ⁣⁣⠀
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Also shared some tips I wish I knew the first time around like to not feel ashamed to ask for help or guilty for taking care of myself. That’s my biggest tip —⁣⁣⠀
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Take care of yourself.⁣⁣⠀
Take care of yourself.⁣⁣⠀
Take care of yourself.⁣⁣⠀
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I can’t stress this enough. It’s the norm in our society to focus more on the baby than the mom but during the fourth trimester she needs care and attention now more than ever. You can’t take care of your baby without taking care of yourself first❤️⁣⁣⠀
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Some other postpartum tips:⁣⁣⠀
🌿take all the pictures and take pictures with you in them, they will be absolute treasures to look back on, especially the ones where you look like crap (I promise you don’t actually look like crap, it’s real life though, which are the best to look back on)⁣⁣⠀
🌿you may not know what you’re doing but listen to your instincts, the mama instinct is strong and it’s REAL⁣⁣⠀
🌿take home all the things from the hospital (pads, disposable undies, abdominal binder, all of it)🙌⁣⁣⠀
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If you are postpartum after loss you’re still postpartum but it’s even harder without your baby. Cabbage leaves, peppermint essential oil and a tight sports bra to help get rid of your milk supply. Find a grief counselor and a support group, validation and acknowledgement is everything. I’ve been there and it’s the literal worst, be gentle with yourself. You are still a mother❤️
📷 @jessicamicciophoto
How I’ve eaten dinner for the past 6 weeks😂 I How I’ve eaten dinner for the past 6 weeks😂 I basically live in this spot from the hours of 5pm to 10pm, either nursing or calming the babe — toddler not pictured but equally as demanding🤪 — cluster feeding is hardddd!! I know it doesn’t last forever. I know I will miss these days. It’s still hard. And nope, don’t need to supplement, milk supply is killin it. More encouragement, less unsolicited advice. Sometimes we just want to voice the struggles without being told what to do✌️
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Christine Covino

- The Blog -

9 Tips for a Low Maintenance Vegetable Garden

May 11, 2020 / Gardening

This post may contain affiliate links.

Have you been wanting to start a vegetable garden but don’t know how or are intimidated to try or feel that you won’t have the time? I am here to reassure you that it is TOTALLY doable and anyone can try, even if you don’t have a yard!

Today I am sharing with you how to have a low maintenance vegetable garden with these 10 quick tips! 

Low Maintenance Vegetable Garden

For me, gardening is therapy and has been a super rewarding hobby for many years. There are endless benefits to growing your own food – it’s more delicious, more nutritious, it’s organic and it saves money. But I know it can seem daunting to jump into – how will I have the time? How do I get started? What if I fail?

These are all valid questions, and I can’t tell you where to make the time, but I can tell you for me growing food is a priority for our family and therapeutic for me so I find the time just like I find the time to grocery shop or get my nails done. It’s self-care all around! Plus once the initial planting is done and everything is in the ground, maintenance on our 130 sq. ft. garden is only about an hour a week!

As far as how to get started and what if I fail – just jump in and, what if you succeed!? Sure it’s weird and different and uncomfortable to try new things but you just have to go for it, fear is an awful excuse not to try something new!

Anyway, I hope these tips help inspire, encourage and reassure you that a low maintenance garden is possible and you for sure can do it!

How to Keep a Low Maintenance Vegetable Garden

1. Keep it Small + Keep it Simple

Starting off with my biggest tip! KEEP IT SMALL!! I can’t stress this enough, especially for first-timers.

It’s easy to fall into the trap of, “How hard can gardening be?” and get overly ambitious and plant a really big garden. But getting ahead of yourself can lead to a lot of frustration and eventual failure, which can be super discouraging and detrimental to your confidence in keeping a garden. I don’t want that to happen!

You can do this, it does take work, but starting off in a small, simple and manageable way for you will build confidence and be so worth it in the long run, trust me!

When I say keep it simple I mean maybe start off by growing just a few different types of veggies. Remember that all veggies have different requirements as far as when to plant, spacing and watering so keeping the varieties to a minimum will definitely cut back on maintenance, overwhelm and confusion.

Even on a small scale growing food can be enjoyable and rewarding. Once you get the hang of a small garden you can always expand the next season little by little.

2. Make a Plan in Advance

Making a garden plan is a crucial part of keeping your garden low maintenance for the season. It keeps you organized, focused and in-check as the season progresses.

I like to start on my plan for the year in January/February, before I start buying seeds and plants. It requires some work and research up front but it’s worth it in the long run to keep anxieties at bay and the garden low maintenance.

When the time comes it’s definitely tempting to go crazy and you’ll end up buying more than you need, but having a plan in place first gives you a great foundation for a more manageable garden.

Quick Garden Planning Steps:

  • Have your site in mind (choose a location with at least 8 hours of sun and close proximity to a water source)
  • Get your soil tested to see if there are any major nutrient deficiencies  (or do raised beds and purchase gardening mix)
  • Define the space and size
  • Know your hardiness zone and last frost date
  • Choose veggies and do research on spacing and planting times
  • Draw it out to scale including plants
  • Consider equipment needed: fencing, irrigation, trellising, staking etc.
  • Draw successive plantings on separate pages (we do three)

With all these questions answered and plans set you will be much better prepared to have an easy gardening season! For more on how to plan your garden check out my post HERE!

A great book to reference on planning is Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew.

3. Grow What You Eat

This may seem like an obvious one but when planning your garden, plant veggies you are actually going to eat. I would make a list of the vegetables you buy each week from the store and focus on planting your individual staples.

Perhaps your family loves salads, try a salad garden! Plant lettuces, carrots, radishes, tomatoes, a few cucumbers, and maybe even a few onions.

If you love salsa plant tomatoes, various peppers, onions and some cilantro to make a little salsa garden.

If you come from an Italian family that loves sauce plant a whole bed of San Marzano plum tomatoes so you can can and store gallons of sauce for the whole year!

Don’t like broccoli? Don’t plant it! Broccoli takes up a TON of real estate, why waste the space and effort?

I think you see my point! Planting things you actually enjoy will be the most rewarding return of your garden. 

4. Choose Easy Vegetables

I wanted to list out some of my favorite, “easier” veggies to grow for a low maintenance garden. Variety definitely counts here, there are veggies that are more finicky than others so I’ll be leaving those off the list!

Here are some recommendations for low maintenance vegetables by season.

Low Maintenance Vegetables- Cool Season*

Try planting these low maintenance vegetables in cooler months (spring & fall)  and according to your hardiness zone guidelines. These plants can offer multiple harvests when grown for the different seasons.

  • Beets
  • Carrots
  • Radishes
  • Kale
  • Lettuces
  • Peas
  • Spinach
  • Garlic – plant in fall
  • Onions – plant in fall
  • Annual herbs: parsley, cilantro
  • Perennial herbs: rosemary, lavender, oregano, thyme, chives, sage

*I’m leaving off the Brassica family only because these plants get gigantic and take up a lot of space. You can certainly try these (broccoli. cauliflower, brussles, cabbage etc. if you have the space or big enough containers!).

Tip: Direct seed root veggies like beets and carrots directly into the soil, they don’t do well as transplants!

Low Maintenance Vegetables- Warm Season*

Try planting these low maintenance vegetables in warmer months (late spring) according to your hardiness zone guidelines. These plants you usually only get one harvest out of during late summer/fall.

  • Tomatoes
  • Peppers
  • Beans
  • Eggplant
  • Basil

*I’m leaving some popular veggies off of this list like cucumbers and zucchini/squash because they take up a TON of space in the garden, are more susceptible to pests and require trellising. That’s not to say they’re *not* easy and you shouldn’t try them, I’m just saying they aren’t low maintenance in my opinion!

Tip: Wait until soil temps are consistently above 60 degrees to plant these warm-weather loving plants, they will be much stronger in the long run if started off on the right foot!

5. Plant Perennials

In the long run having a perennial section of your garden will end up being less maintenance (you don’t have to plant them every year they come back naturally!).

There are fruits, herbs and a few veggies (I wish there were more!) that are perennial in my zone (6A) and I’m listing them below for you!

Perennial fruit options (these are mostly bushes and take up a lot of space) for zone 6A & nearby:

  • Blueberry
  • Raspberry
  • Gooseberry
  • Blackberry
  • Quince
  • Strawberries (need to be transplanted every 2-3 years for best harvest)

Perennial veggies for zone 6A & nearby:

  • Asparagus
  • Artichoke (marginal)
  • Rhubarb

Perennial herb options for zone 6A & nearby:

  • Rosemary
  • Oregano
  • Parsley – biennial
  • Sage
  • Thyme
  • Tarragon
  • Sorrel
  • Mint – always grow mint in a container!

6. Consider Raised Garden Beds

Raised garden beds are a great way to garden for beginners. You can buy raised beds or you can make your own – check out my tutorial on quick and easy DIY raised garden beds for under $45 each.

Raised garden beds are awesome because you can mix your own soil making it a nutrient dense, perfect-pH, well drained haven for veggies to grow. No soil testing, no amending, just start fresh with rich new soil!

There are so many benefits to growing veggies in raised beds including deeper soil for roots to grow long and strong, much better drainage, warmer soil temps and the ergonomic plus of not having to bend down as far!

NY-based home and garden blogger, Christine Covino, outlines an easy and inexpensive tutorial on how to build raised garden beds. Click here for more!

7. Choose Starts Over Seeds

When planning your low maintenance vegetable garden you need to decide on if you are going to plant from seed or purchase starts. My recommendation for low maintenance? Go with the starts!

What are starts? Starts are simply plants that have been growing for several weeks already that you can buy from your local garden center or farm store. They are usually sold by the flat (32-ish plants/$15-20), the pack (4-6 plants/$2-4) or 4″ pot ($3-5).

Growing from seed of course is fun, rewarding, offers more variety and is more economical ($3 for 50 seeds usually), but it takes a much bigger investment of time and effort.

My reasoning is this: if you can afford it, why not leave the difficult and technical seed-starting business to the expert growers and save myself some time and hassle (and disappointment, let’s be honest, because we always lose some seedlings when we start from seed) in the long run? You are still saving money compared to buying the veggies themselves! Also if you’re “behind” or late in the season for seeds, purchasing starts is the best option so you can still harvest on time.

We do a combo of seed starting and purchasing starts for our garden. I get our starts from our family farm, Harvest Moon Farm and Orchard, which if you’re local (North Salem, NY) you can visit us and grab your own 100% organic veggies starts for your garden!

And then I seed all of our greens because they’re quick and easy! Plants like lettuces, spinach, arugula, kale, swiss chard, peas and beans!

For a full guide to seed starting, check out my post HERE!

8. Grow in Containers

Container gardening is so undervalued in my opinion! You can get a HUGE reward from very little space. Growing veggies in containers is easy, convenient and you’ll still get an abundant harvest.

Tip: Make sure you are choosing appropriate sized containers, this will require some research on your part. For example tomatoes get gigantic, you’ll want at least a 3-5gal. container per plant, their roots need LOTS of space. Same thing for the Brassica family veggies like broccoli or cauliflower. Or, choose newer draw cultivars that were specifically bred to grow in smaller spaces!

Lettuces and herbs on the other hand can survive relatively easily in small containers and are even fun to combine with edible flowers like pansies and nasturtium for a decorative but also functional planter.

Containers also minimize weeding work but they will need watering more often than plants growing in the ground.

You don’t have to grow your entire garden in containers, we actually choose to grow greens and herbs in containers on our porch and the rest of the veggies out in our raised beds. We like this because it keeps our everyday items close to the home for easy access!

9. Minimize Watering & Weeding

Let’s be honest, these two tasks are probably the least favorite of all garden maintenance, so here are some tips to reduce (not eliminate) their needs.

Choose a location near a water source: Number one thing here is to make sure your garden location is close to a water source. It might seem obvious but you don’t want to start prepping your area only to realize later there’s no water nearby!

Mulch the Soil Surface: Mulching your garden will save you big in two ways: watering and weeding.

After plants are in the ground or have grown several inches, you can put a layer of mulch down on the soil surface. Mulch helps hold in moisture and blocks sunlights from the soil surface which is helpful in preventing weed seeds from germinating. Plus, organic mulches break down over time, enriching your soil as they decompose.

Mulching helps reduce weeds, but you will still have to put some effort in weeding. Removing the weeds early when they are small is much easier than later when grow large.

Use Soaker Hoses: Stringing soaker hoses around your plants takes an initial investment of time and effort, but they do make a huge difference.

With just the turn of a spigot you can water the whole garden, talk about low maintenance! Plus they make it much easier to deliver moisture directly to the soil surface and roots.

Getting water to the base of the plant is an important concept to understanding about watering – the roots are the part of the plant that need water. Plants do not want their leaves soaked, in fact, if that happens in the hot sun it can sometimes burn their delicate foliage.

Adding a layer of mulch on top of the soaker hoses reduces water evaporation prolonging drinking time and helping you to water less often.

10. Involve the Family

One of the best things about vegetable garden is getting the whole family involved! It’s feeding everyone so why not cut down on individual work and make it a team effort?

The more you involve the family the more everyone will appreciate the food that comes out of the garden. 

You can teach your children the wonders of nurturing plants from seed to harvest. Give them tasks in the garden. Showing them how to grow their own might even get them to eat more vegetables.

Right now my two year old just loves to eat the dirt but I’m hoping he can help with harvest time more this summer!

Great crops kid’s in the garden include radishes, sugar snap peas, cherry tomatoes, bush beans, carrots, herbs, and cutting flowers.

 

I hope you enjoyed this post and found these tips for a low maintenance veggie garden helpful! Please leave any questions or tips of your own below in the comments!

Looking for more gardening posts? Check these out!

Gardening Supplies Favorites

How to Map, Plan & Plant Your Veggie Garden

DIY Raised Garden Beds

Complete Guide to Growing and Harvesting Peonies

Cut Flower Garden Planning

Seed Starting for  Beginners

Quick Tips for Long-Lasting Lilacs

Mums Tips and Tricks

And don’t forget to sign up for my newsletter for more gardening tips and to stay up to date with the blog!

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Comments

  1. Donnie says

    June 18, 2020 at 8:40 am

    Gardening is like meditation. I mend my plants before sunrise and after sunset. It calms my inner self, and I am in a different world altogether. Low maintenance is good, and the tips given here are wonderful. I have a simple garden, and I am going to add more veggies and fruits.

    Reply
    • Christine Covino says

      June 20, 2020 at 8:13 pm

      Thank you so much! I love this and I 100% relate🌿

      Reply

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  1. A Complete Guide to Growing and Harvesting Peonies - Christine Covino says:
    May 18, 2020 at 11:51 am

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Mental health check in, how’s everyone doing?? I Mental health check in, how’s everyone doing?? I shared how I’m doing in stories today, we made it through the holidays but it was a lot harder than I thought. I’m sruggling in a few ways. Struggling on social media with the comparison game, struggling in general as a stay at home mom of two, struggling with a fussy two month old that doesn’t sleep, struggling that I’m unable to do things for me right now (like even go to the bathroom or shower alone), struggling with the omnipresent grief and anxiety, struggling with guilt — guilt over not giving my oldest enough attention, over wanting him to start back at school again, over not being happy and grateful 24/7.⁣⁣⠀
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If I learned anything last year it was to accept my feelings as they come and not label any as “bad,” so that’s what I’m working on, that’s my daily reminder. As my friend said to me today, this is hard, it’s the trenches!! Be gentle. It’s hard and wonderful all at once.⁣⁣⠀
⁣⁣⠀
Check in below👇⁣⁣⠀
❤️ - I’m feeling great⁣⁣⠀
🧡 - I’m feeling ok⁣⁣⠀
💛 - I’m surviving⁣⁣⠀
💚 - I’m struggling⁣⁣⠀
⁣⁣⠀
Let’s show up and support each other and remind each other we’re not alone in these hard days🖤
Took this week to unplug and reflect. Wild year. M Took this week to unplug and reflect. Wild year. Mixed feelings about a new year is not foreign to me, this is how I felt last year going into 2020. 2019 was Liam’s year, it was the worst but it gave me a perspective I’ll never lose and one I carried into 2020.⁣⁣⠀
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Through hardship you grow.⁣⁣⠀
⁣⁣⠀
2020 saw more focus on me, on my mental wellness + on my family. Less worrying about what people think of me, less apologizing, more doing what makes me happy (or gets me through the day). More of that in this space also. I’m not going to be everyone’s cup of tea so might as well be me, ALL of me💯✌️⁣⁣⠀
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I’m not a resolution or goal setter when it comes to a new year, I try to focus on reflecting, releasing what doesn’t serve me any longer + manifesting/using affirmations to bring the good. Still working on what those are exactly for 2021!⁣⁣⠀
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In the meantime I wanted to share some of my big 2020 memories and wish you all love, light, peace and healing in the new year✨⁣⁣⠀
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1-2. Our new family unit🧡⁣⁣⠀
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3-4. The birth of our daughter, Elora, the best thing to come out of 2020. She is the brightest light.⁣⁣⠀
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5. Luca’s love for his sister + once again navigating a “new normal” in our family.⁣⁣⠀
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6. Pregnancy after loss. Amidst a global pandemic. While wrangling a toddler. One of the hardest things I’ve ever done, it was pure survival mode (+ still is postpartum).⁣⁣⠀
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7. Growing the most beautiful dahlias and diving more into gardening than ever before, mostly as a form of therapy, AND sharing it all with you guys — connecting through our gardens was one of my favorite parts of the year + growing this community has brought me so much joy!⁣⁣⠀
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8. Finding my groove and launching my oils business — never thought I would make more than my blogging income + be able to pay off debt😭⁣⁣⠀
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9. Luca turning 2 and weaning + potty training at the same time — his decisions, not mine!⁣⁣⠀
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10. Liam’s due date in April. I remember wishing more than anything for the chance to deliver him healthy and full term, pandemic and all. We miss our boy + are moving forward WITH him, we’ll love him forever from afar❤️
Chaotic and beautiful and hard and exhausting and Chaotic and beautiful and hard and exhausting and awesome❤️ exactly how I want to remember this day. We’re sending you big love this Christmas, complete with our best “ewie smiles” (Luca’s term for silly faces🤣). I love how Doobie snuck his nose in there too!! Swipe for some special moments/things of the day❤️❤️
⋒ 8 weeks of Elora Leigh ⋒⁣⁣⠀ ⁣⁣⠀ ⋒ 8 weeks of Elora Leigh ⋒⁣⁣⠀
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You have been here in our arms for almost two whole months and my heart still skips a beat when I wake up and see you next to me. You are truly here. I still can’t believe you’re real and you’re ours.⁣⁣⠀
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At 8 weeks you’re not such a tiny babe anymore, you’ve doubled your birth weight and grew four inches — a testament to how much you love to eat😅🍼 (pic four is day 3 for reference!). Your chubby cheeks are also a testament to your love of milk😍😍 The super sleepy newborn days are over😭 You’re waking up more and more, crying more too (see pic three🤪), but still giving us good stretches of sleep (4-5 hours) at night. You don’t love cuddling with me as much as your brother did, I’m still in denial over that! And you’ve broken out of the swaddle, sleep sackin it up already! Luca loves you more than anything and is always wanting to hold you and help me clean your “spiggups,” he calls you “mista baby” and it killssss your dad and I every time🤣⁣⁣⠀
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I feel like you just arrived but also like I’ve known you forever. Happy 8 weeks of life Elora, you are so loved💗⁣⁣⠀
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#8weeks #eloraleigh #watcheloragrow
Unpopular or popular opinion? Gratitude is hard wh Unpopular or popular opinion? Gratitude is hard when you’re struggling.⁣⁣⠀
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Gratitude, when forced, feels like shame. As the wise @sitwithwhit said the other day, it’s  the new toxic positivity — if we’re going to feel sad, then we better be grateful too.⁣⁣⠀
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The pressure on the bereaved to feel and express gratitude in their grief is REAL.⁣⁣⠀
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So here is my reminder — It’s ok to *not* balance out your pain with gratitude. ⁣⁣⠀
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To me, when gratitude is forced I feel inauthentic and ashamed. When everyone is talking about gratitude journals and how to “focus on the good,” I feel left out.⁣⁣⠀
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Let’s normalize expressing pain and grief without following it up with “BUT... gratitude.” It’s like saying that makes our pain seem more bearable from the outside. I get it. Grief is uncomfortable. Pain is ugly. It’s easier to look away. It’s easier to engage if the griever ends their thought on a positive, that’s the pressure. But what if I don’t feel positives in my pain?⁣⁣⠀
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If gratitude helps you to process your grief, that is really great. Everyone grieves differently. I spoke about this in stories today and 100s of you wrote in saying you felt heard. I’m happy it resonated, I’m always nervous to express these opinions but there are ALWAYS people out there who relate and need to hear it. You are my people❤️⁣⁣⠀
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So here are your reminders if you’re grieving or struggling this holiday season, or just reflecting on a hard year:⁣⁣⠀
❤️Be gentle with yourself, your feelings are valid.⁣⁣⠀
❤️You don’t owe anything to anyone, especially in your grief.⁣⁣⠀
❤️It’s ok to feel shitty, period. No ifs, ands, buts or justifications necessary.⁣⁣⠀
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Love you guys🤟🤟🤟⁣⁣⠀
📷: @mymotherhoodstory
This photo shoot took years off my life😅🤪 Do This photo shoot took years off my life😅🤪 Don’t let the cute faces fool you, it’s HARD to get a toddler to stay still and a newborn to not cry🤣 But we snapped a couple gems, these two quite literally light up my life💖 http://liketk.it/34ldF

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