New You in 22’
Unique has been an unforgettable experience. We have watched the business grow and flourish into a functioning entity that pays our bills and helps to support our family. For that we are forever grateful to the clients who continue to support us year after year. We are your local cleaning service, and we strive to make a difference in our community not only through our work in clients’ homes, but also through direct service. Unique gives, but as a struggling family ourselves, we give with our hearts and our actions. Please consider taking a look at our posts on Facebook to see more details about the multi-family adoption we made truly successful this last holiday season.
I am starting this blog as a part of our movement for #newyoufor22. This includes our own self awareness, self acceptance, and getting it in, however that looks to you. I would like to share with you some of the things our family learned in 2021 that have inspired us to start this movement toward awareness of self. As a whole, our entire country has been through the ringer with Covid and the continuing saga of that political, ethical, and simply unnecessary debate. While we are distracted and worrying about a virus that was clearly made to hurt people, we need to realize that some things are beyond our control. Our health is not. Terrance and I have been taking vitamins routinely. We try to get some light or vigorous exercise in daily, and encourage our kids to do the same, even when we are learning from home! 2021 brought an understanding of food into our home. We eliminated sugar for example. My kids were literally putting it on their rice, bread, in their tea… I even caught 2 of them (who I will not name to save their pride) pouring sugar into their hand to eat it …. plain. Gross right? Well, we knew we needed to make a change.
I am continuing my battle with unexplained autoimmune and pain disorders, although it seems that the end of 2021 brought some enlightening news to my personal health. My specialists are suggesting that we look into me having a condition called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. While the new condition isn’t great news, to me it is exciting because it gives a reason for my chronic pain as well as explains a whole lot of other symptoms I’ve had for years. To have everything come together and make sense for once has been a peace and relief I simply cannot express through words. In 2022 I do not want to focus on my pain. I am so tired of dealing with the struggle of ups and downs due to health, and I know a lot of my clients are as well. So my movement toward wholeness as individuals and in society encompasses not only the physical health, but our mental health as well. Through my years with thyroid battles, fibromyalsia, and doctors either telling me I Had new conditions or telling me I was fine when I KNEW I was not, I have learned that our mental health should be a priority for us ALL. We owe it to ourselves and to each other to look within ourselves each and every day. Ask yourself what you want to accomplish. As someone who is disabled, and NOT ashamed anymore to admit it, I set my bar low some days. My mom also has autoimmune, and she taught me the importance of giving yourself breaks. Moms do not stop, whether we are working inside or outside the home (for most, this is both). So when I look in the mirror I ask myself what I can do today. I set my goals, and I keep my promise to myself. As my love says, manifest our own destiny each and every day, and that I strive to do, whether my joints are working that day or not.
I want to stress the importance of cleanliness: of spirit, mind, and body. Water is purifying, and it is a blessing to have it. Drinking will not only improve your digestive system, help you feel full and lose weight, but it flushes toxins that we simply do not want! Cleaning our bodies through constant supply of water is just the start. When we stopped sugar, we started searching for the things we eat that contain added sugars, and WOW, I am ashamed to admit that more than 50% of my kids’ snacks and foods were LOADED with sugars. I have always been conscious. We eat greek yogurt instead of sour cream, and we also sweeten our yogurts ourselves with honey or granola, instead of buying those sugary versions Plain greek yogurt is SO much cheaper too than buying the advertisements the kids see on the boxes. So in 2022 I am cleaning my body. My conditions cause inflammation everywhere in my body. I have learned a lot through my own research, and that of my beautiful partner who seeks to manifest our destiny as a family straight into success and stability. We started from the bottom baby!
I encourage each of you to start a #newyoufor22 movement with us. Let’s clean our bodies, our minds, and especially our homes. You cannot start a productive and positive life if you home is not in order. My family has de clutter extravaganzas twice annually. Our kids are constantly growing, and growing OUT of both clothing and toys. They are very often collecting clutter they don’t need.
That brings me to my 2021 end-of-year family adoption. We helped 13 families in the spirit of giving this year, because we evaluated as a family and as individuals what we truly NEED versus what we WANTED. We gave what we did not need, and collected items from other folks’ clean outs! For my kids this was tough at first, but giving made them feel good, and we want to keep it going throughout the year. We made 13 families happy, and we are pretty proud of that. Stay tuned for future blogs and social media blasts about our upcoming projects to unite families and help each other out.
For now, I encourage you to shed that baggage from 2021. Start your de clutter projects NOW. Don’t wait until spring to race through pulling all of that unused sporting equipment from the basement only to realize nothing fits anyone, and you have to run to the sports store, but OOPS, practice is tomorrow! If that is your story mama, please let me help you organize your life! Happy transformations people. Get it done!
~Crystal Brown
