DownEast Diaries

DownEast Diaries

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A pair of green rain boots standing in a muddy puddle surrounded by melting snow and spring grass, symbolizing the messy start of Maine’s spring season.

Gardening Featured

When Spring Feels Like a Glitch in the Matrix

Struggling to stay focused in spring? Here’s how gardening—and a few ADHD-friendly planning tricks—helped me find clarity, calm, and connection in the messy middle.

A thriving Maine native garden filled with wildflowers like goldenrod, asters, and bee balm

Backyard Makeover Featured

Starting My Backyard Transformation: How I’m Creating a Maine Native Garden on a Budget

Turning my messy Maine yard into something wild, rooted, and a little bit magical. This is where the transformation begins.

Side-by-side ADHD brain before and after image with clutter vs. calm workspace.

Dopamine & ADHD: How to Work With (Not Against) Your Brain’s Motivation System

Some days, you’re unstoppable—other days, even answering an email feels impossible. ADHD isn’t about laziness; it’s about dopamine. Learn how to hack your brain’s motivation system and finally work with your ADHD, not against it.

Robin perched on crocuses peeking through melting snow, with a muddy trail ahead. Spring's messy arrival in Maine.

Spring in Maine

Spring Hiking in Maine: How to Embrace Mud Season (Without Losing a Boot)

Spring hiking in Maine is beautiful—and a muddy mess. Discover the best trails, avoid boot-eating mud pits, and spot the first signs of spring!

Welcome to Rooted & Resilient: A Backyard Transformation in Maine

Rooted & Resilient

Welcome to Rooted & Resilient: A Backyard Transformation in Maine

Welcome to Rooted & Resilient, a journey of transforming my backyard into a Maine-native, permaculture-friendly oasis. Whether you’re a beginner gardener or just trying to keep plants alive, this space is about learning, experimenting, and growing—both plants and resilience.

A soft, moody landscape of a river splitting into two paths—one dark, one glowing, symbolizing choice

Mental Health & Healing Featured

Who Would I Be If Alcohol Hadn’t Touched Me?

If alcohol hadn’t touched my life, who would I be? A raw reflection on trauma, resilience, and breaking generational cycles. This is my story of survival, loss, and healing.

A cozy winter scene with a steaming mug, an open book, and glowing candles near a snow-covered window.

Winter Rituals Featured

Maine-Inspired Winter Rituals: Slow Down, Recharge, and Thrive

Embrace winter’s slower pace with these Maine-inspired rituals designed to help you recharge, find warmth, and reconnect with nature.

Maine LIfestyle Featured

March in Maine: Mud, Maple Syrup, and False Hope

March in Maine means mud, maple syrup, and the false hope of spring. Here’s how to survive the season’s mood swings (and enjoy it).

Mountain landscape in Maine during fall, with a rocky riverbed and autumn foliage, inviting a deeper connection to nature.

Healing and Growth Featured

Rewild Yourself in Maine: A Practical Guide to Reconnecting with Nature

Nature isn’t just a retreat—it’s a necessity. Learn how rewilding in Maine can transform your well-being, reduce stress, and reconnect you with the wild.

Rocky ocean coastline at sunset with waves crashing, evoking a sense of calm and introspection amid nature's raw beauty.

Maine Adventures & Nature Featured

5 Ocean-Inspired Breathing Exercises For Instant Calm

Feel the peace of Maine’s coastline with these 5 ocean-inspired breathing techniques. Reduce stress, find calm, and embrace nature's rhythm.

Cozy morning scene with an open journal, coffee, and candlelight, bathed in soft sunlight, perfect for calm reflection.

Healing and Growth Featured

7 Ways Routines Help You Heal & Thrive (+ How to Start One That Sticks)

Discover how simple routines can transform your life—emotionally and mentally. Learn how to start small and create lasting change.

A peaceful sunrise over ocean rocks, symbolizing calm and steady progress in building daily habits and routines.

Mental Health & Healing Featured

How Habit Stacking Helps You Heal: Simplify Routines to Reduce Stress and Find Emotional Balance

Healing doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Discover how habit stacking—linking small, intentional routines to your day—can reduce stress, foster balance, and simplify your path to emotional well-being.

From the top of Pemaquid Point Lighthouse overlooking the ragged Maine Coastline with waves crashing.

Healing and Growth Featured

Our Healing Journey: How Maine Changed My Life Forever

A heartfelt journey of finding healing and peace in the beauty of Maine’s wilderness. Discover how nature became our sanctuary.

A calm view of the Androscoggin River in the fall, surrounded by vibrant autumn foliage under a clear blue sky.

Maine Adventures & Nature

Recharging in Nature: Androscoggin Riverlands State Park is Southern Maine’s Best Spot for a Peaceful Paddle 🌊

Find peace on the water at Androscoggin Riverlands State Park. Just a short drive from Portland, this hidden gem offers calm kayaking, stunning wildlife, and a chance to reset. Join me as I share how paddling here became a journey of healing, connection, and pure Maine magic. 🚣‍♀️🌿

Nature Therapy: How Getting Outside Can Fix (Almost) Everything

Mental Health & Healing

Nature Therapy: How Getting Outside Can Fix (Almost) Everything

Feeling overwhelmed? Nature therapy might be the answer. Discover how spending time outdoors can clear your mind, lift your mood, and simplify life’s chaos.

A peaceful forest trail in Maine with mist rising and soft morning light, inviting reflection, calm, and healing in nature.

My Healing Journey Through Nature

Welcome to My Healing in Nature

Nature has a way of healing us—one quiet trail, crashing wave, and golden sunrise at a time. Welcome to My Healing in Nature, a space for stories of renewal, resilience, and the wisdom found in Maine’s great outdoors.

Vibrant Maine coastal landscape with a lighthouse, ocean waves, pine trees, a moose, and a rowboat on the shore.

Welcome to DownEast Diaries: A Space for Healing, Growth, and Maine’s Beauty

Explore the new DownEast Diaries—a space for stories of healing, family, personal growth, and the calming beauty of Maine’s outdoors.

An open journal on a wooden table outdoors, surrounded by soft greenery, representing mental health reflection and healing.

Personal Growth & Reflections

Welcome to Personal Growth & Reflections

Finding strength, joy, and clarity through life’s twists and turns.

A scenic forest trail with dappled sunlight filtering through the trees, symbolizing nature’s calming and healing power.

Maine Adventures & Nature

Welcome to Maine Adventures & Nature

Discover the calming beauty of a forest trail, where sunlight dances through the trees and every step brings a sense of healing and renewal.

Welcome to Family Life & Connection

Family Life & Connections

Welcome to Family Life & Connection

Moments of love, chaos, and lessons from the heart of family life.

Window view at sunrise with calm water and trees, evoking peace and serenity in nature's embrace.

Mental Health & Healing

Welcome to Mental Health & Healing

Escape into the beauty of Maine’s outdoors for healing, peace, and joy.

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