Meet the Author

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My name is Chelsea

I recently moved back to my hometown of Middleborough, Massachusetts and am transitioning my company location as well!

I have always had what seems like a never-ending passion for many things, which has sometimes been my downfall. I love formulating, baking, boxing, building things, writing and playing music, and decorating, among many other hobbies. I want to do it all, but then I get discouraged when reality slaps me in the face, and I realize there isn’t enough time in the day. Do you ever feel that way?

With a little maturity and life experience, I have realized you CAN accomplish many things simultaneously. The key is keeping your drive and focus consistent and not setting unrealistic expectations. I realize that it is “the norm” to have one specific niche in the realm of blogging. But I don’t. Due to my unconventional nature, I will try to incorporate a few “niches” into my blog while I take you on my journey to self-sustainable living! But before we start, let me tell you my story in three phases. Recover, Reflect & Renew

RECOVER

I never thought I would be where I am today. I often have to stop and take a moment to be grateful for where I stand and that I am even standing. Starting at the age of thirteen, I developed an eating disorder that took off rapidly and, over the years, developed into worse and worse behaviors and addictions. On the outside, I looked thin and fit, and my tall height often led people to tell me, “You should be a model,” which fueled my unhealthy obsession with my appearance. On the inside, I was anxious, had low self-esteem, horrible thoughts, fear, sadness, and just a hole that I couldn’t describe or fill. 

Looking back, I don’t know how I maintained being a high-performing athlete in high school. Every time I ate something, I had to run to the bathroom to get rid of it or was passing out in the shower and hiding it from everyone. To me, food equaled getting fat, anxiety, and not looking like that model in the magazine I was pouring over. In simple terms, to me, FOOD was bad. I remember the stress I would feel when I ate and how I would do anything to rid myself of it. These were the same emotions I dealt with during my drug addictions. 

I made such poor and unhealthy decisions at such a young age. Whether it be the guys I dated, the diet pills I was eating all day in place of food, or the substances I was putting into my body. I couldn’t seem to find a reason to stop. Then I got pregnant, and for the first time, I had something bigger than myself to take care of, giving me a new perspective. I will not tell you I miraculously changed my ways overnight because that would be a lie. It took time. But I got there. I missed a major milestone, my daughter taking her first steps, and let me tell you something; I will never miss anything like that again! Everything I do now is with love for my daughter and the goal that I can show her the type of woman she should aspire to be when she grows up. I want her to be fierce, independent, confident, and NOT afraid of failure. I wish I could grab the younger version of myself and show her all of these things, but that’s ok. Sometimes the most challenging life lessons are the best ones that expose the deepest parts of our souls that we would never have known existed.

Although I have a tremendous amount of guilt for all the pain and sorrow I put my family through, I can only mend it by making NOW the best it can be and making them proud day after day. Otherwise, I am robbing today of its possibilities by focusing on a past I cannot change. 

So, here I stand today, a strong, honest, healthy woman leading a life she never thought possible while showing her daughter how to lead a life worth living. I have an established career and have recently started my own company, “Live Naturally Co.” I hope to inspire others, including those struggling with addiction, to see that the right choices lead to better lives. My shift in energy and happiness confirms the need for one to surround themselves with positivity and the “right people” to stay on the path that leads to them finding their true selves. I hope I can be a positive person in YOUR life and lead YOU to make better choices for yourself and your family, one recipe, product, and DIY at a time.

REFLECT

Throughout my recovery process, I looked back into my past. I identified the things that brought me sorrow and supported my unhealthy choices and the things that made me happy, especially before I went down a self-destructive path.

What made me happy was growing up with an abundance of animals on a small farm and being outside in the dirt. I loved caring for the animals, as they are so innocent and perfect, just like children. I embraced learning and experiencing new things every single day. I loved anything that had to do with nature. As long as I was active, I was happy. I loved attending an agricultural high school and majoring in agricultural mechanics, woodworking, welding, and small engine repair. I also loved decorating the house or bringing rooms back to life with frugality. I look at the world now, cluttered with commercialism and a buy this, buy that mentality. Everything is wrapped in plastic or made to be “convenient ” when we are killing this place we call home. We are misled like a herd of sheep. All these products getting pushed our way are filled with chemicals, fillers, and other stuff that we don’t want in or around our bodies. Even the products that claim to be all-natural are NOT, except for a few (like my company😉). I am done with it!

What made me sad in my past? A lot of things. It bothered me how complicated life was and how much STUFF I felt I always needed, how I felt like I was always trying to keep up but never could. I was always buying the newest beauty trends from makeup to facewash to hair products…you name it, I was buying it! I was on a never-ending chase, trying to have better things than the next girl in line. For years, my quality of life suffered because of a wrong perspective. Well, those days are gone, my friends.

 We need shelter, food, love, purpose, and a few other things to live comfortably. I genuinely believe these are the simple ingredients for a beautiful life.

RENEW

After all that reflection, I realized what needed to happen.

I decided I was going to mold my life around what I need and what makes me happy, all while being conscious about the planet we live on. I want to cut the ties to the commercialized side of life and be able to lead a self-sufficient lifestyle that I control. I want to fill my home with all-natural products, foods, and ingredients. Many of which will be grown from our own gardens. I want to accent my house with the furniture we have built or refurbished rather than constantly buying new things. In a nutshell, I want to cut back on what we consume and stop contributing to the issues we have created for our poor planet. I want to be part of the solution, not the problem!

I want to motivate others to do the same. To live a good life and to make healthy choices. Whether that be healthy choices for your home, body, or family, I hope through my blog and DIY content, you will be inspired to try new things and make decisions that will not only benefit you but also benefit Mother Earth. I hope to make you smile and make you think about the life you are living today. I think we can all be a lot happier if we just live naturally.

Dedication: I dedicate this to my mother who always stood by my side. You always told me if you can’t say it write it. So, here goes nothing! 

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