Thanks for visiting Health & Happiness!
My name is Dani. I am a thriving divorcee, a mother of three adult children who lives in Mississippi, just outside of Memphis, TN.
In 2024, at 49 years old, I experienced a health crisis (TIA) which forced me to reevaluate what I value most in life. As such, I left my stressful corporate job, and I am on a mission to find balance and reclaim my health before my nest is officially empty!
Currently, my heart and my home are full of love thanks to my beautiful family & our furry overlords. My kids (all adults now!) are amazing beings who are kind, smart, and creative. I cherish them and look at their resilient growth into responsible, compassionate adults with so much pride that my heart risks bursting at times.
As a family, we share a love for NYC, gaming, nature, Netflix, and Broadway musicals. When not exploring the great outdoors or playing Baldur’s Gate 3, we are usually supporting our local theater or planning our next vacation.
A few of my favorite things
Joyfully single, I have learned to love my own company while preparing for an inevitable empty nest. I rapid-fire hyperfocus and discard hobbies & interests (hello, ADHD!), but I’m always passionate about traveling, social justice, equality, and protecting the environment. Things that I do not tolerate are littering, animal abuse, and bigotry/racism.
While mentally I have a solid sense of self, including an acute awareness of the fact that my mental health frequently betrays me, I concede that I am ever at odds with my body.
My goal is to become more comfortable in my own skin, and a big part of that journey includes acknowledging my eating disorder (BED) and putting in the work to improve my confidence & self-esteem.
My negative self-talk and body image struggles are textbook GenX cliches at this point, but more importantly, they are issues that my three children have witnessed, absorbed, and now grapple with, and for their sake, I am resolved to set a better example of living intentionally and enthusiastically in the body that I live in at any given moment.
Progress, not perfection.
Plagued by All-or-Nothing thinking, I am pledging to embrace this journey towards Health & Happiness with purpose, allowing myself as long as it takes to reach my goals. I want this endeavor to result in progress through an unending chain of better choices, acknowledging that small decisions equal big results when consistency is the focus. I don’t have to be the best, I just have to aim to make better choices in regard to my fitness and nutrition needs, each and every day.
My next big adventure
My next big adventure? Entrepreneurship! I have taken the leap into creating my own business, a gourmet Kettle Corn company! I am currently scaling and perfecting my home-crafted recipes to sell at outdoor gatherings (fairs, festivals, farmer’s markets, etc.) and will be offering onsite popping for corporate events and celebrations. As I wait for my customized kettle, I am building an online presence so that I will be able to offer customized products via shipping nationwide. This is such an exciting time for me, and I can not wait for these changes to go live!
I am not normally one to bet on myself, so this is well out of my comfort zone. However, I believe in my product, and more importantly, I believe in myself. Maybe for the 1st time.
I look forward to new adventures while documenting my journey to health and happiness.
Wish me luck!
Updates
Trigger Warning: Pet Loss
*Update: We lost our beloved rescue, River, in April of 2023. Losing River meant losing my best friend, and there will always be a puppy-shaped hole in my heart without her. I still hope to make the Grand Canyon/Rocky Mountain trip in her memory someday, once my heart has had some time to heal. She will forever be missed.
*Updated 6/18/2023
*Update: We can’t seem to catch a break in 2024. We lost our mischievous cat, Beesly, in March of 2024. Losing Beesly meant losing my daughter’s best friend & therapy companion, and there will always be a Beesly-shaped hole in our heart without her. My daughter has a new kitten, Suki, who is doing her best to cheer her up. While there’s always room in our hearts for another furry family member, both Beesly & River will never be replaced, only remembered with love & longing.
*Updated 7/6/2024
*Update: I experienced a TIA (mini-stroke) during the first of January 2024. This made me reevaluate what I value in life, and I immediately left my stressful corporate job. I resigned immediately after my health crisis in January, but the fear of change and economic uncertainty saw me accepting an offer to return to office shortly thereafter. The company I was working for continued to take advantage of me & demand more from me than I was willing to give, so I made the decision to again — finally! — step away from a job that was a source of stress and chaos in my life. After spending some time recovering, I am now ready to begin a new adventure … starting my own business!
*Updated 7/28/2024
Health & Happiness 