The time between Thanksgiving and December 7th continues to be an emotional rollercoaster for me. It is between that time that a series of events happened that lead to my grandmother’s passing. It has been 11 years since she has left us and December 7th still remains a sucky day. Her story My grandmother was my best friend and in many ways my whole world. I always admired her. I know I have mentioned how important she was to me but I don’t think I ever shared her story with you. She was born in Poland in 1929 and was about 10 years old when World War 2 began. She did not speak much about her l ..read more

In this together It has been a few months since we started a low FODMAP diet.  If you have been following me along on social media you have seen my posts about the diet.  We began this diet because of my concerns about my stomach issues.  It was a nutritional answer to alleviate some of my issues.   We began the elimination phase at the end of August.  That part lasted for 4 weeks.  Since that time, we have been reintroducing foods to figure out my triggers.  My list is growing and I am able to navigate my food choices.  I can tell you I have learn ..read more

Impostor Syndrome feels like wearing a mask in fear of others finding out that your accomplishments happened only because of luck or chance. In other words, you don’t deserve your success. This affects people across all ages, races, and gender identities. Social media can play a huge role in Imposter Syndrome. Often, individuals will see how well everyone else SEEMS to be doing and begin to compare themselves. This comparison game can be the main culprit to feeling like a phony. There are three key steps that I like to use when dealing with imposter syndrome: Naming it, reframing context, and ..read more

I have just completed the elimination phase of the low FODMAP diet.  I am so grateful I found this plan.  It was truly the answer I was looking for.  My pain is gone.  My belly bloat is gone.  I feel more energized.  I see a difference in my body. The elimination phase In the elimination phase, I only ate foods that were on the low FODMAP list.  The goal here is to remove any food that may trigger symptoms so that you can later introduce them and see which high FODMAP foods trigger your symptoms.  The foods on the high FODMAP list are known to cause symp ..read more

Omelet is one of the egg breakfast staples. You can improvise with any stuffing or topping ingredients you truly desire – and yes, I have seen some weird combinations. This recipe will give you some standard ideas for a delicious omelet – whatever you desire to add after is totally up to you. This particular recipe will be for an omelet, with bacon, sauteed peppers, tomatoes, jalapeno, and some delicious cheese. You want to start by gathering the ingredients: **this recipe will yield one full omelet** 3 eggs – makes a hearty omelet without the need for toast – if you are using toast – use 2 e ..read more

It has been about two weeks on the FODMAP elimination diet at this point.  I have to say that I saw results very quickly and felt much better even after a few days on it.  This blog chronicles some of my journey in FODMAP. What is FODMAP? Low FODMAP fruits and veggies. Provided by Modify Health  It is a three step diet aimed to identify foods that may irritate your gut.  The first phase is sticking to a low FODMAP diet.  The next is to reintroduce high FODMAP foods to identify which ones cause discomfort.  The final stage is the long term planning.  Here indi ..read more

If you follow me on Instagram you may have seen my story where I mentioned I would be starting a new diet based on my health care providers recommendations.  Well here are the details…. Tummy Troubles             I have always had tummy issues.  It started when I was a kid and I have had multiple flare ups in my life.  They typically occur during periods of high stress.  My previous medical providers have informed me of my options which basically included limit stress and exercise.  So essentially not much help.&nb ..read more

I have never thought about an age as much as I have thought about 35.  It is not because I worry about getting older, it is because it feels like a deadline. It feels like a deadline to have children.  A deadline I could not meet.  I have always heard about having children before 35.  I have had many conversations with my doctors.  We have spoken about freezing my eggs for the last 5 years.  Honestly, I have never really known how to emotionally handle that conversation but I am grateful my doctor has given me all of my options and left the decision to me.  A ..read more

Was to take a break 1,000 miles a minute If you have been following along on my Instagram stories it is no secret it has been a busy summer. In addition to teaching full time throughout the summer I have also been working on making my dreams come true. I am happy to say we have officially launched: The Millennial Academy: online database of webinars for personal and professional development. All are taught by experts in their field! Belle’s Notebook Store: our new collection of inspirational shirts, mugs, and tumblers. The first collection is Progress not Perfection! While I am really proud of ..read more

If you have not heard already the Belle’s Notebook shop opened in July!  We are so excited for this next step.  If you have not had the chance to check it out yet click here: Belle’s Notebook Shop. Some inside scoop-we will be launching a t-shirt line very soon.  Join our mailing list for the most up to date information! What I wear             In honor of our new shop I wanted to write a blog about some of my favorite places where I shop.  When I was younger, I was guilty of heading to Westfarms mall and spending hours ..read more