You know you don't have to wait until January 1st to quit drinking, right?

Why do we keep waiting for the "perfect" time?

The beginning of the year.
The beginning of the month.
The beginning of the week.

In reality, the day that you decide to stop drinking DOES NOT matter. Maybe it's a psychological aspect to be lumped together with all the New Year's Revolutioners. Feeling like you have to do something worthwhile because everyone else around you is making their resolutions.

I hate to break it to you, but resolutions are pointless. Absolutely pointless. I've broken them. You've broken them, and pretty much every person on this planet has broken them.

Why does this happen? Because your motivation wanes and your willpower decreases, you're back to your same old patterns by February. Unless you actually COMMIT and surround yourself with others who are on a similar path to hold you accountable and you don't just white knuckle your way through. You actually learn tools you can use and...

Sobriety opened my eyes to all the things I was numbing out for so long. I finally took a long hard look at myself and the role I played in my addiction. I took responsibility for my actions and accepted that not everyone was out to get me.

I had to put the mirror in front of my face and acknowledge that I, too, had things I had to work through. I was no longer trapped in an alcohol-induced haze and going through the daily motions to get by. I became aware of my thoughts, and that right, there is the first step to behavior change and getting out of the toxic habits. Habits such as negative self-talk, people-pleasing, and running away from my issues instead of facing them head-on. That doesn't mean that I don't have these thoughts still. It just means I know to cut them off and reframe them.

This phrase also has another meaning for me. It means questioning the things and systems around us. For example, how Big Alcohol markets to mothers and how they use the stress of motherhood to...

I know you're scared. But what's scarier? Ditching alcohol and ending up with the rewards of not drinking ethanol, or continuing to wake up hungover, not being there for your kids, and living with regret?

I know the answer, but it's on YOU to choose what you want more.

And if you're sitting there telling yourself that you'll just cut back after you've tried time and time again to do that with no success, then stop kidding yourself. The chances of that happening are slim to none. But the better question is, why would you want to?

Why would you want to go back to a substance that does nothing for you? Literally nothing. Maybe it gives you comfort because that's how you used to get through uncomfortable situations or emotions in the past but is that enough to keep going back to a substance that is slowly hurting you physically and emotionally?

And if you've been trying to cut back or eliminate alcohol with no success by doing it alone, then that's your first sign that you can't do this...

Seriously think about this. Take a moment to reflect on why this is true. Sure, they may want an iPhone or Legos or whatever else they're into. I know for my 10-year-old son, these are on his list and Xbox games, but this post isn't about me.

We can get our kids all the material things in the world, and they eventually grow out of it or play with it for a month, then it sits in the back of the closet. I've spent hundreds of dollars on gifts that my son only played with once. And yet, I never learn when the holiday season rolls around again and again. Ugh.

There is one gift though that doesn't cost a thing, and I can GUARANTEE that your kids will think it's the best gift ever, not just for the holidays, but all year round. You not drinking is the greatest gift you can ever give them.

Imagine being present for the moments with our kids that we can't get back.

Imagine your kids being proud of you for not drinking. Because newsflash they are. My son makes a big deal out of my...

Stop romanticizing the bottle. 

One of the key pieces to the puzzle is to stop putting alcohol on a pedestal. Start seeing it for what he truly is, instead of what marketing portrays it to be. 

What is alcohol really? I'll tell you.

A cancer-causing carcinogen

A depressant 

Increases anxiety

Disrupts your REM sleep

Ethanol (yes, gasoline)

Did you know?

Alcohol is the third leading preventable cause of death in the United States.

Every 50 minutes, a person dies because of driving under the influence of alcohol.

There is nothing to romanticize about a poison that can kill you. Sure, a glass of wine here and there will not kill you, but you know if you're on this page, that isn't you. Add the emotional rollercoaster you feel after you've drank when you told yourself you wouldn't, and that's the icing on the cake. 

It's time to start looking at alcohol as something that doesn't give but only takes. It takes our sanity, our health, and ultimately our soul. 

Are...

Drinking alcohol is an easy way to cope until it isn't anymore.

Yes, when we want a quick fix, alcohol seems to be the answer because it’s easy. We can just grab a glass of wine or a beer from the fridge, and from the moment it hits our lips, we already feel the sense of relief without it even in our bloodstream yet.

Have to make dinner with screaming children in the background? Grab a glass of wine.

Been with the kids all day and helping them with distance learning? Grab a glass of wine.

I know that we've all done this at one point or another and fed into the lies that Big Alcohol wants to sell us on, but turning to alcohol to cope just because it's the easy way doesn't make it the right way.

It’s easy because you let it become a habit, so of course, your brain is going to automatically go to wine to relieve whatever you’re trying to escape from. But the deeper you get into that cycle, the harder it is to get out, just like any other habit. When you’ve had...

Happy Thanksgiving Mamas! Here are a few tips to help you on this holiday.

1. Make a mocktail or enjoy a nonalcoholic beer. NA beer may be a trigger for some, but it helps them beat the craving without them having to feel excluded or asking a lot of questions from family members or friends. Tons of recipes for mocktails on Pinterest too!
2. Have an exit plan. If you're going to someone else's house for Thanksgiving, make sure to have a plan in place so that if you start seeing your will run out, then you can simply get up and go for a walk or make an Irish goodbye. Most importantly, park your car where you won't get boxed in.
3. Eat all the food you want! Use all those extra calories that you aren't drinking for all the mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, and pie!
4. Reach out to a friend or a sober community like this one.
5. Move your body. Go for a walk, dance, do some yoga, stretching. When we move, our body dopamine gets released. Dopamine is the same feel-good chemical that...

You know those people that I’m talking about, right? Those that say I’m drinking red wine for the antioxidants. Um, you can get your daily dose of antioxidants without ethanol in it. Blueberries, grapefruit, watermelon, broccoli, carrots, and the list goes on are foods that you can eat without a side of cancer-causing carcinogens.

This week the American Cancer Society published NEW GUIDELINES for alcohol. The previous recommendation was if you drink alcoholic beverages, limit to no more than one drink per day for women and 2 per day for men. The new recommendation is to AVOID alcohol altogether.

I think many of us have been waiting for this day. I’m shocked that this happened right now and not a couple of years down the road. Finally, what a lot of us have been saying for years has been brought to light, and it’s a great feeling to be validated. Below are a few more reasons why these new guidelines are amazing.

1) Isn't it easier to stop or not do something...