So today I just… stopped.
Lit a candle, made myself comfortable, put on the rain sounds (except it was actually raining lol) and finally picked up this book I’ve been ignoring for weeks.
No plans. No to-do list. Just me being a little cozy and unbothered.
And then I looked up and there was a RAINBOW outside my window. Okay God, I see you.
Some days just give you exactly what you need.
How are you spending yours today?
Monday I woke up with energy, repotted my plants, and decided to cook.
The plants? Thriving. 🌿
The food? …we don’t talk about the food.
The only thing I could save was the sausage. And honestly, it was delicious.
And that’s exactly what the messy middle taught me...even when things go left, there is always something worth holding onto.
Find your sausage, my loves. 💕💕💕
This week’s Substack letter is all about what that bad pot of food taught me about grace, perspective, and showing up even when you’re not good at it yet. Link in bio.
This one is for anyone trying to cook something beautiful out of a complicated season.
With love from the messy middle💕💕💕#intentionalliving #welltended #notachef #kitchenfail
This one’s for the days when you almost didn’t. When you talked yourself into it anyway.
Roll out the mat. Move your body. Keep going. You’ve got this. 💕💕💕
#WellTended #MoveYourBody #IntentionalLiving #SlowWellness #MindBodyConnection MovementIsTherapy WellnessWednesday
I do a lot of things well. Cooking is well...a journey for me 😩
Today’s chapter was genuinely humbling and I documented it for you because we don’t hide our fails around here. 🙃
@hellofresh@greenchef , I am formally requesting a lifeline. SOS send help. 🙏🏾
#NotAChef #RealLife #EpicFail #KitchenFail
Hey….how’s it going? Just wanted to jump on to say hello. What’s new with you? Tell me! I want to hear all the tea. Btw, thanks for the warm reception, direct to camera is a new challenge for me. Cheers to doing it afraid! Xoxo~Mia
I started something.
For a long time people have been telling me they want to see my brain — not the polished version, but the one that actually sits in the hard things long enough to find the truth. So I built a space for exactly that.
The Messy Middle is my new Substack. No perfect answers. No highlight reel. Just honest writing from a woman willing to hold up the mirror.
Link in bio. Come sit with me.
#fbf Five years ago today, I took this photo on a solo trip to Bacalar, Mexico while I was living in Tulum.
There was a season when the world felt loud.
My thoughts were loud.
My responsibilities were loud.
The pressure to figure it all out was loud.
So I went to the water.
I remember lying there, surrounded by sunlight, finally feeling like I could exhale.
Not perform.
Not produce.
Not prove.
Just be.
I journaled with intention about the life I wanted to design. A life with more peace. More freedom. More beauty. More alignment. A life that didn’t require me to abandon myself in order to be successful.
And in some ways, I’m realizing those prayers and pages have started to become real.
Now I’m standing at another threshold.
This one feels even more courageous because it requires me to move without waiting for the perfect moment, the perfect conditions, or the guaranteed outcome.
So I’m choosing to build out loud.
Messy, honest, and present.
No performance.
Just presence.
A well-tended life is not a perfect life.
It’s a life you intentionally nourish, protect, beautify, and build.
And that’s the life I’m choosing now.
What are you no longer waiting for permission to build?
“The beautiful mornings you see now were born in the messy middle.”
Last year I lived through heartbreak, depression, surgery, and a slow recovery season with my parents. It was messy, uncomfortable, and necessary. It was the moment I stopped pretending everything was fine and started building a life that actually supports me.
That messy middle taught me:
* recovery is rest, not hustle
* healing grows from small, intentional choices
* faith, family, and boundaries became my anchors
* I no longer chase escape—I choose presence
Now I move through my days more calmly, more intentionally, and with more self-trust. This reset led me to a life that is not only livable, but well tended.
What part of your messy middle helped you grow?
