Love Lead Inspire, St. Louis, MO (2026)

09/03/2026

I’m no different than anyone else posting a tribute to Miss Dolly Parton and how she made an impact in their life. And that is so damn amazing isn’t it? To open your social feeds or turn on the TV and Dolly’s music and stories filling your ears and hearts. It made the news of her passing feel a teensy bit less sad because every where I turn, there she was. People wearing her shirts, singing her songs, sharing her quotes, words of wisdom and how she sprinkled her magic into their world.

What I love about Dolly is how she brings people together. Whether it’s their love of her music, their love of her sparkle or the way she makes everyone feel included.

You see Dolly is still inspiring us to shine a little brighter and love a little harder because that’s what Dolly would do.

Back when I started my wedding planning company, and I couldn’t decide on a name for months, it was Dolly and Queen Latifah singing Signed Sealed Delivered in Joyful Noise that brought SSD to life. A song I heard countless times, but it wasn’t until it was sung in sequins and hair teased all the way to Jesus by the Queen of Country and the always fabulous Queen Latifah, that it felt that much more special.

When I started Love Lead Inspire, it was Dolly’s “find out who you are and do it on purpose” quote that put the exclamation point on my favorite saying: Living the Dream. And something I share with my clients often:
Live your dream! Do it on purpose!

And now as I dabble in the sourdough world with RISE WITH LOVE, the sweet soulful twang of the world’s fave blonde can be heard as I learn my way around the kitchen.

Dolly did everything with love. And I strive to do that too. Because I believe, and I’m sure she did too, that anything you do with love, will make the world a better place. Out of all the lessons she taught me, that one is my favorite.

Because above all this, I wish you love. xo

Thank you 100 times over Trent Broglin Photography for this cherished photo shoot 📷

08/25/2026

10 ways to boost your mood and raise your vibration when you can’t get out of your funk!

NUMBER 1️⃣

What do you love?
Who do you love?
What fills your heart with love? What brings your joy?

Thinking about things you love triggers a rapid neurochemical response. Your brain releases dopamine (the motivation and reward chemical), oxytocin (the bonding hormone), and endorphins. Together, these hormones reduce stress, generate feelings of pleasure, and reliably boost your overall mood.

📝 So make a list of things that you love. Write out why you love them.
Make a list of things that bring you joy?
How can you bring more of that into your life?

📝 Want to take it a step further?
Make a list of things you are proud of.
Make a list of things you are good at. What are your talents? What do your nearest and dearest love about you? In their eyes, what are your talents? Not sure- ask them! Sometimes, especially when we are in a funk, we can’t see as clearly as those around us.

This too, will boost your mood and your vibration!

📝 Y’all, I love a list. 🙌 And I love an excuse to buy a new journal or notebook so if it were up to me, I say go get yourself a new one so you can fill it with all these mood boosters!

08/16/2026

10 ways to boost your mood and raise your vibration when you can’t get out of your funk!

NUMBER 2️⃣

Make a cup of tea. Drinking hot tea boosts your mood due to L-theanine and caffeine, which promote relaxed alertness. The physical warmth of the mug stimulates the vagus nerve to lower your heart rate, while the cozy ritual of steeping and sipping signals safety to your brain, shifting you out of fight-or-flight mode.

Plus not to mention these seriously beneficial health advantages:

🫖 Drinking hot tea provides powerful antioxidants, supports heart and brain health, improves digestion, and offers a calming sensory experience.

🫖 Steeping leaves in hot water efficiently extracts beneficial plant compounds like polyphenols and catechins, which help lower chronic inflammation and reduce disease risk.

🫖 Tea is rich in antioxidants which fight free radical damage and protects cells.

🫖 Drinking tea protects your heart ❤️ by lowering your blood pressure and improving cholesterol levels.

🫖 Tea combines caffeine with with L-theanine for calm energy which helps you focus.

🫖 Tea soothes the tummy, especially herbal options like ginger or mint which eases digestion.

And have you considered that Dolly’s cup of ambition may not have been coffee? ☕️ Have you considered the secret to clarity, productivity, energy and a good mood is a regulated nervous system, triggered by relaxing the vagus nerve and signaling safety in your body and your brain? 🧠… and you can do that with a simple cup of tea? 🫖

Y’all I will never judge what you have in that cup, but seriously have you tried tea? 🫖

📸 Trent Broglin Photography

08/10/2026

10 ways to boost your mood and raise your vibration when you can’t get out of your funk!

NUMBER 3️⃣

Connect to your breath, your heart, your body with breathwork!

🌬️ Breathwork instantly boosts your mood by switching your nervous system from the stress-driven “fight-or-flight” mode to the calming “rest-and-digest” state. Deep, controlled breathing stimulates the vagus nerve, which lowers stress hormones and slows your heart rate. This biological reset immediately sends signals of safety to your brain, making you feel relaxed and emotionally balanced.

Specific scientific mechanisms explain how breathwork enhances your mood:

🌬️ Autonomic Balance: Conscious breathing—especially extending your exhales—activates the parasympathetic nervous system, decreasing anxiety.

🌬️ Brain Chemistry: Slowing your breathing stabilizes carbon dioxide levels in your blood, which directly reduces excitability in the amygdala, your brain’s emotional alarm center.

🌬️ Optimal Oxygenation: Deep belly breathing increases oxygen and blood flow to the brain, improving mental clarity and combating stress-induced brain fog.

🌬️ Research from Stanford University even found that just five minutes of daily breathwork—particularly techniques emphasizing long exhales like cyclical sighing—is more effective at improving mood and overall well-being than traditional mindfulness meditation.

So my friends, it’s as easy as that:
INHALE
EXHALE

And if you are having a hard time slowing down to connect to your breath, I invite you with open arms ❤️ to my Restore yoga
class at Moonbird Yoga O’Fallon and Moonbird Yoga Troy at The Sanctuary where we will practice all the slowing down and breathing. 🙏

📸 credit: the beautiful Lara of LNK Socials | Styled | Well

07/30/2026

10 ways to boost your mood and raise your vibration when you can’t get out of your funk!

NUMBER 4️⃣

Hydration station: Drink a glass of water.

Girl I know. It sounds so simple. But for real, how much water are you drinking? Is it enough?

I remember being a kid, and anytime something was wrong, like being upset or sick, my mom or grandma would bring me a glass of water.

I would think: oh like that is going to fix it? Gimme the strong stuff. 😆
But as I aged, I realized, how often drinking a glass of water alleviates so much for me.

🙏 It calms me down and recenters me when I’m upset (similar to our convo earlier this week about showering).

🤒 It keeps me hydrated when I’m sick which can be half the battle when your body is fighting illness.

😔 When I’m thirsty or deydrated, I feel run down.
And I confuse thirst with hunger and end up snacking.

✨Water makes your skin glow! And my fine and not so fine lines become real apparent when I haven’t had enough water.

The science behind it all:

🥱 Drinking a glass of water quickly boosts your mood by reversing mild dehydration, which can trigger fatigue, anxiety, and mental fog.

🧠 Proper hydration improves blood circulation and oxygen flow to the brain, while helping balance mood-regulating neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine.

🥤So drink your water, ladies. I know you have a cabinet full of brumates and stanley’s and custom cutie water bottles to accessorize while hydrating! 😘

07/27/2026

10 ways to boost your mood and raise your vibration when you can’t get out of your funk!

NUMBER 5️⃣

Turn on your favorite music.

🎶 Listening to your favorite music boosts your mood because it triggers a chemical reaction in your brain. As you listen, pleasure pathways are activated, causing the brain’s reward center to release dopamine.

🎶 Additionally, it lowers levels of the stress hormone cortisol and can release oxytocin, which promotes a sense of bonding and emotional well-being.

🎶 Are you catching on yet??? Natural ways to release the dopamine and oxytocin boosts our mood and lowers cortisol (aka stress hormone)!
Stay with me now- there’s so much more to come!

🎶 Experts in neurology note that this flood of neurochemicals can elevate spirits as effectively as other pleasurable activities. Because sound touches multiple areas of the brain simultaneously—including those responsible for memory and emotion—a favorite song can also evoke positive past experiences and instantly regulate your current emotional state!!

What song or album is a definite way to boost your mood?

Mine you ask? Too many to say.
Anytime I need a pick me up, I turn on Dolly (obvi), Mariah 🦋 or Boyz II Men (abcbbd). I also find Céline to be incredibly empowering to belt out with the windows down in the middle of traffic. 🎤 😉

Cover pic: with my Alabama slammer, Jen in Nashville to see all the live music.

Vid: My very entertaining 😆 musical stylings 🎤 captured by Lara Kern at my other home Moonbird Yoga Troy at The Sanctuary.

And y’all feel free to send to Dolly, it’s my dream to meet her.

07/24/2026

10 ways to boost your mood and raise your vibration when you can’t get out of your funk!

NUMBER 6️⃣: Take a shower or a bath.

You know Rachel Hollis had a point when she told us: Girl, Wash Your Face. Still living by your words Rachel Hollis 🫶

🚿 Taking a a shower or bath triggers a neurochemical reset. Water temperature alters brain chemistry—cold water spikes dopamine and endorphins for energy and focus, while warm water lowers cortisol (stress hormone) and releases oxytocin.

🛁 Additionally, this sensory act promotes mindfulness and emotional cleansing.

These psychological and physiological lifts come from a few key biological responses:

🚿 Hormonal Changes:
Cold exposure activates the sympathetic nervous system, releasing norepinephrine and dopamine, which naturally elevate mood and alertness without a caffeine crash.

Warm water immersion releases oxytocin (the “feel-good” hormone) and triggers endorphins, which melt away muscle tension and anxiety.

🛁 Sensory Regulation:
The feeling of water on your skin engages multiple senses (touch, temperature, and smell). This sensory input forces your brain to focus entirely on the present physical sensation, interrupting negative thought loops and acting as a form of active meditation.

🚿 Symbolic “Reset”:
The simple act of washing away the day’s sweat and grime creates a mental boundary. Many people associate personal hygiene with self-care, triggering a feeling of a “clean slate” and boosting overall confidence.

🛁 Bonus!
Aromatherapy Benefits: Using scented soaps or essential oils (like eucalyptus for a morning boost or lavender for evening relaxation) directly stimulates the olfactory system to alter emotional states, reduce stress, and trigger serotonin.

If you are feeling a bit extra- sprinkle in Epsom salts to your tubby, which are proven to ease muscle soreness, reduce joint inflammation, and relieve mental stress. 🙏

Isn’t wild that your regular routine of being clean 🧼 can really makes such a big difference in your physical and mental well being?

Need a quick reset? Girl, wash your face!

07/20/2026

10 ways to boost your mood and raise your vibration when you can’t get out of your funk!

NUMBER 7️⃣

Attitude of gratitude, baby! List out all the things you are grateful for. You can do it verbally, silently or in a journal.

Practicing gratitude boosts your mood by altering your brain’s biochemistry and physical structure. When you focus on appreciation, your brain releases dopamine and serotonin, which are neurotransmitters responsible for feelings of pleasure, satisfaction, and calm.

According to mental health experts, this simple habit works through a few key mechanisms:

⬇️ Decreases Stress Hormones: Gratitude activates the parasympathetic nervous system, lowering levels of cortisol and helping you feel relaxed. 👏 👏 👏

🧠 Rewires the Brain: Over time, intentional gratitude uses neuroplasticity to condition your mind to filter out negative thoughts and focus on the present moment.

👯‍♀️ Releases Bonding Hormones: Expressing thanks to others triggers oxytocin, strengthening social bonds which are essential for long-term emotional well-being.

Gratitude is a ritual for me and I look forward to it every day. My lists include my health, my family, friends, work that I love, my community, our home.

And things that can be taken for granted like appliances that make our lives easier, a reliable car, a breezy morning during a Midwest summer, birdsong, a neighbor giving a helping hand, and the first ripe tomato in the garden are now all a part of my ever growing list. 📝

The longer I’ve been in this practice, the more blessings I see. I look for them everywhere now.

The more you do it, the easier it becomes and bonus: it boosts your mood!

What are you grateful for?

Wanna know what makes this even more fun? Get yourself a notebook 📓 dedicated to your gratitude and watch all the goodness in your life fill the pages.

07/16/2026

10 ways to boost your mood and raise your vibration when you can’t get out of your funk!

NUMBER 9️⃣

Do something for someone else. Being in service to others it triggers the brain to release a rush of “feel-good” chemicals like dopamine (which boosts pleasure), oxytocin (which fosters connection), and serotonin (which regulates mood). This biological response—often called the “helper’s high”—cements our social bonds and provides a deep sense of purpose.

I’m naturally a helper, fixer, a fairy godmother if you will, and love to bring joy so this comes easily to me. How about you?

What’s something easy that you can do to be in service to someone else that will guarantee to raise your vibration?

PS I saw this precious moment happening a few weeks ago, so I snapped their photo and shared with them. They were so tickled, which made me so happy!

Love Lead Inspire

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