Hello, I'm Vanessa
I once had someone tell me they did not like my purple hair, said it was for the birds. My nickname is Birdie.
I like ketchup but hate tomatoes. I've been known to leave up our Christmas tree well into February
My second toe is longer than my first, which according to my foot reading, means I am creative and bossy
I live in the Land of 10,000 Lakes but swimming in them gives me the heebie-jeebies
My ears do hang low, well my earlobes do anyways.
Even though I adore coffee, I rarely finish a cup
I quit drinking Diet Pepsi cold turkey because my husband said he didn't think I could
And being naked makes me uncomfortable, which is funny because I don't wear underwear (most of the time).
You can stop reading right here and know all you need to know about me. I mean, I just told you I don't wear underwear. What else is there?
I
I am a…
CHRIST FOLLOWER. 2011 was a life-changing year for me, my health was restored and I was baptized. For someone who usually has a way with words, when I try to explain the power of Christ in my life, it is met with tears and a lump in my throat. We are regular attendees of Elevation Church online.
WIFE. Tom and I met at the gym. We fell in love on our first date, over Caesar salads sans croutons, at Applebee's. Fourteen years later, he's still my biggest blessing and every once in awhile, goes along with my crazy shenanigans.
MOM. It seems like yesterday, I was a single mom, pushing a
GRANDMA. January 15, 2017, will always be a day we celebrate. It's the day we became grandparents to the most darling then 2-year-old little boy. After several months of family court and mediation, we were granted weekly overnight visits. We fell in love the moment we laid eyes on him.
BUSINESS OWNER. In January 2014, I made a $150 investment, worked my butt off, and along with our amazing team, turned it into a multi-million dollar business adventure. Entrepreneurship is like riding a rollercoaster; I've experienced the highest of highs and lowest of lows. Yet, at the end of the day, I can't wait to get up in the morning and do it all over again.
CITY SLICKER. For as long as we've been married, Tom and I have dreamed of living in the city. In the summer of 2013, we moved from the suburbs to downtown Minneapolis. It is everything we signed up for and more.
PURPLE LOVER. Purple has been my favorite color for as long as I can remember. There used to be a purple house near my grandparent’s home that I dreamed of living in one day. I settled for purple hair and purple shoes instead.
HEALTH NUT. Continually staying up-to-date with current research in nutrition, health, and wellness is my crazy obsession. Inspiring others to be their healthiest self and live their best life is my passion. It's why I started Healthy Living How To back in 2010.
“True joy comes when you inspire, encourage, and guide someone else on a path that benefits him or her.” — Zig Ziglar
Why I Blog
Way back when, what really seems like a lifetime ago, I was working as a fitness professional coaching clients; leading them to better health via nutrition and exercise.
Meanwhile, my own health was failing.
I found myself rapidly gaining weight and required multiple energy drinks to just get through the day. You could say I wasn’t living my best life.
We re-prioritized our finances, which included selling our home, so that I could quit my job and make reclaiming my health a priority.
During that time of self-discovery and healing from adrenal fatigue, I realized how much I missed helping people.
And after much insistence from my husband, in 2010, I started this blog.
I poured my heart into it. I blogged consistently for several years, earning the trust and respect of my readers and followers.
I regularly received questions from my readers about exercise, nutrition, and supplements. That was my sweet spot.
Then, I started getting asked for my thoughts on essential oils. Which, at the time, I knew nothing about.
In my effort to learn more, I got started as a distributor for Young Living and thousands of my readers did too.
My business grew so fast, I decided to put my blogging on hold for obvious reasons.
I missed blogging more days than I didn’t. I missed the creative outlet it gave me.
But more importantly, I missed the unlimited reach it gave me to inspire women on their health journey.
During my absence from Healthy Living How To, I've been developing myself as a leader, building a business, and a team.
I've even had the opportunity to speak on stage at our company convention and other events in the network marketing industry.
So, while I still love me a good low-carb, gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free chocolate donut, I don't spend a whole lot of time in the kitchen these days
I've become a grandma. That in itself is worth blogging about.
As I return to blogging in 2018, I am excited to share all the things I've learned these past few years along.
My hope with Healthy Living How To is not to give you a recipe for a healthy life. But to inspire you, by sharing mine, to create your own.