Hey guys,

Carleigh here from PlantYou for our weekly countertop catch-up. The snow is finally starting to melt where I am in Canada and wow, what a difference it makes when the sun finally starts shining again.

This past week marked two years since my mom passed away, and naturally my emotions have been a bit all over the place. I won’t spend too much time dwelling on the loss itself here, but I did want to touch briefly on grief and something some people like to call “signs.”

You might be wondering why this plant girl is suddenly talking about something so heavy, but in the years since losing my mom, I’ve realized that not one of us gets through life without experiencing grief in some form, and yet it’s something we rarely talk about openly. And grief, if you know it, can feel incredibly lonely and really, really hard. If you’re going through it right now, please know I’m sending you the biggest virtual hug (and if you find yourself unintentionally crying at grocery stores, pilates class, and whenever a sad song plays on the radio - I’m with you).

One thing that’s come up a lot in conversations about loss is the idea of “signs” from loved ones. Do you believe in them? I’ll admit that after my mom passed, I was pretty desperate to hear from her somehow.

The day after she died, I drove to my parents’ house and sat in the driveway for a moment before going in. I remember looking up and saying out loud, “Mom, if you’re okay, send me a sign. I need you to send me an owl within a couple of hours.” (I had heard somewhere you’re supposed to be hyper-specific and say it out loud LOL).

When I finally went inside, I jokingly told my dad and sister that I had asked Mom for a sign and that she had a few hours to deliver. And then I literally gasped. I looked down at my sister, and she was wearing a T-shirt I had never seen before with a MASSIVE owl right on the front.

There have been a few little moments like that since. Whether they’re coincidences or something more, I don’t know. But I do know that moments like that can make us feel just a little more connected to the people we miss.

If you’ve ever experienced something like that, I’d love to hear your story too, if you feel like sharing.

What I’m Cooking 🍲

Ok I am sometimes guilty of skipping breakfast, but these oat banana muffins are SOOOO easy to prep and so incredibly delicious. A must try!
​https://plantyou.com/banana-oatmeal-muffins/​

What I’m Loving 💕

I hope you don’t think differently of me, but Jesse and I’s guilty pleasure is watching reality TV in bed after we get Wes down. We just finished this season of Love Is Blind, and it was fantastic, although 90% of the men were terrible to the girls!!! We are eagerly awaiting the reunion this week. Did you watch?

What I’m Learning 📚

We got a beige couch 3 or 4 years ago, naively forgetting that we planned to have a baby, cat, and dog in the house. Needless to say, it has become a MESS despite our best efforts to scrub it clean. Well, this week I finally got the guts to unzip the cushions and put the covers in the wash, and OMG it looks brand new. A lot of you on Instagram said don’t put them in the dryer… but I did HAHAHA (on the lowest delicate cycle). However, the best tip was to put them back on the cushions when they were slightly damp so they keep their shape.

Enjoy your week :)

Carleigh