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Sharing my journey creating a vibrant, empowered life.
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How To Savor Wine Country AF
Does it sound like an oxymoron, or too hard to imagine, that you can have a blast in Wine Country without drinking alcohol?!? I hear you! I was born and raised on the good eats and party culture of New Orleans. I worked for Food Network chefs. Chef Emeril Lagasse cooked my wedding rehearsal dinner. And I spent twenty-five years making, serving and drinking wine. Now I teach my clients how to reclaim spaces that they have loved and to use all five senses to create rich new associations with those places…new associations that are lush and full-bodied, but that are entirely zero-proof! Wine Country is a lush landscape, a back road, a way of life, a mood, an experience. It’s always been more than what’s in one’s glass.
August Newsletter: Visit AF Distillery with me + Episcopalians and Wine
For readers in the Portland area, I’ve organized a meet-up at Wilderton, the nation’s first-ever AF distillery and tasting room. It’s located in the recreational paradise known as Hood River, OR, just across the Columbia River from where I spend the summer in White Salmon, WA. On Sunday, August 27th, we’ll get a free, private tour (and fun science lesson) of the distillery plus a tasting of three spirits, both neat and with mixers.
Order The Lobster
Why is it that I never tormented myself over the price of alcohol? The money on bottles of wine that I never questioned! For years! Ordering exactly what you want and savoring every bite? Priceless!
I’ve seen personally and from my clients that whether we deny versus meet our needs and desires is never trivial! So, go ahead! Order the Lobster Salad!
Before & After Pics
When I partook of the Alcohol Experiment in 2019, it was suggested to take photos of yourself at the start and end of the 30 days. I didn’t do it. I was convinced I wouldn’t see a difference. I mean, I didn’t drink THAT much, right? And I didn’t want to be discouraged. But recently two different acquaintances that I’d met right around 4 1/2 years ago but hadn’t seen since commented that they almost didn’t recognize me - and asked what I was doing.
How Do The French Moderate?
As a former importer of French wines, former producer of Pinot noir in Oregon, (and even via the influence of French cuisine from my hometown of New Orleans), I was seduced by the idea of “drinking like the French.” And many of my clients harbor this same gauzy, romantic notion. How are the French seemingly able to sip wine, to enjoy it leisurely, to moderate it? Or are they?
What Are You Saying Yes To This Summer?
Will everyone think I’m no fun when I turn down a drink? It's the most common concern - fear even - of my clients and I had the exact same one! Yet for better results, since our brains are quite incredible machines and just want to solve problems, we might as well feed them a different question such as, "When I Say No To A Drink, What Am I Saying Yes To?" What if this sober-curious journey is less about saying no and more about saying yes?
Client Alumni Small Group Program
It takes a village to stay motivated, supported and excited, plus it’s more fun with friends and that’s what we’re here for!! For the next three months, I’m organizing twice monthly coaching, conversation and coffee hang-outs, the first and third Tuesdays at 11:30 am ET. You do not need to be AF already to join!! Sober-curious or dry-ish is great. You just would need to have a desire to make alcohol small and your thriving life BIG. This is a place to process it all….we’ll share wins or data-points, break-down lingering beliefs about alcohol, discuss hot podcasts and topics around personal growth plus maybe enjoy a special guest or two from the wellness and AF space!!
Dry Jan - Reset Done Right
Does your body crave a reset, but you’re a little scared it will feel miserable?! My small-group program is a stigma-free, shame-free zone, where we focus on the gains and learn the neuroscience that makes willpower unnecessary.
Sobriety Coach’s Top Tips For Dry January
From coaching hundreds of clients through successful alcohol breaks, I offer you these frameworks, tools and tactics to make a zero-proof month an eye-opening pleasure not a punishment!
Free Zoom Chat Sept 11: Secrets For A Sober October That Sticks (FREE)
FREE - I’ll be sharing little-known, counter-intuitive tips in this free Zoom chat, with plenty of time for Q&A so bring your questions. I’ll be covering some of the principles that I use in my work with hundreds of clients as a Senior Coach with This Naked Mind and in my own coaching practice. Come learn about habit formation, the role of dopamine, why we can't punish our way into change and why I want you to be a sober LUSH!! I'll share some of my favorite easy, sexy AF drinks too! This is a free session.
Group Sober October 2022 (including 2 Sept sessions to get ready)
Are you sober curious? Maybe you want to take a break from alcohol, cut back or quit altogether. Data shows that September is the perfect time of year for a new beginning. My small-group program (8-10 people max) is a stigma-free, shame-free zone, where we focus on the gains and learn the neuroscience that makes willpower unnecessary. We will lead with curiosity and concentrate on fun (I mean, why not?)
The 2 Key Follow-Up Steps To Dry January (that most people skip)
I want to share the two (quick) extra things you can do to make your Dry January exponentially more meaningful! These are steps that most people don’t do. I know that I didn’t do them, a few years in a row when I gave up alcohol for Lent. And because I didn’t do them, I wasn’t able to make the changes that I wanted in my relationship with alcohol.
To Dial Down Drinking A Notch, Keep Your Cup Full
During this season, the alcohol starts flowing at all hours. This can all feel like a minefield for anyone considering cutting back. We might feel like throwing up our hands, drinking more than ever, and waiting until January 1st (hmmmm, maybe the 2nd or 3rd?) to get started on this project. I get it. I’ve been there. But using these tips, you can dial up your enjoyment of the season even while you dial down drinking a notch or two.
Dry January
Are you sober curious? Maybe you want to take a break, cut back or quit altogether. Congratulations!!! This small-group program, Jan 6-Feb 10, is based on Annie Grace's Alcohol Experiment - filled with mind-blowing, educational content that pulls all the best new research, science, and cognitive behavior and habit theory into one exciting, supportive, shame-free place.
Maple Pecan Chocolate Cherry Granola
Are there sights, sounds, smells and tastes that you’re looking forward to savoring this season? Taking time to indulge ALL of the senses is a great way to bring down cravings for alcohol. This simple recipe packs a lot of sensory punch and it makes a great gift - if you can part with it. Other very simple ideas for relishing flavor and scent include throwing a sachet of whole spices and citrus peel into your warm tub….making a clove-studded orange ornament…making the simplest apple sauce…collecting nuts or pine cones to add to a center piece…
Rock Your StopTober
It’s totally normal if you both want to take an alcohol break and don’t want to at the same time! That’s certainly how I felt. From some previous unsuccessful attempts to put boundaries around my drinking, when I didn’t have the right tools, I had lost confidence.
Help! I LOVE Food and Wine!!
I really do love all the science behind what alcohol does to the body and I totally notice how much better I feel when I go for periods AF. But we’re total foodies and wine is part of our identity! Help!
Sober October Alcohol Experiment
Thursdays, September 30 - November 4, 9-10:15 am PST
Are you sober curious? Maybe you want to take a break, cut back or quit altogether. Congratulations!!! Fall is a great time of year to jump-start a new beginning and an exciting investment in YOU! You will not believe how much you will gain, how much you will thrive when you are able to make alcohol smaller in your life.
Maybe Dry January
It’s totally normal if you both want to take an alcohol break and totally don’t want to at the same time! That’s certainly how I felt. From some previous unsuccessful attempts to put boundaries around my drinking, when I didn’t have the right tools, I had lost confidence.
Apologies From A Winery Owner to a Guest
I put a lot of intentionality into my role in hospitality for our wine businesses. I was focused on our guests feeling welcomed far more than focused on them walking out with case goods. Maybe it’s my Southern roots, but I have always wanted our spaces to feel comfortable to enter.