top of page

be still and smile
Search


Overdrive
January has been all about overdrive for me. Every (weekday) morning I have to complete the morning dance with my kiddos…breakfast,...

Lauren Wiatrek
Jan 21, 20183 min read


Don't Wait Until You're Sick To Be Well
How do you stay well in the wintertime? We dove into essential oils 2 ½ years ago. Why? Evan had terrible headaches, turned migraines....

Lauren Wiatrek
Jan 15, 20185 min read


Through a Mama's Lens
Since my child was born I have been ecstatic to share all of Disney with her. Even when she was so tiny, sleeping in her Moses basket, I...

Lauren Wiatrek
Jan 5, 20182 min read


Best of 2017
In the last few days I have seen everyone’s best nine photo collages being posted on Instagram from 2017. These rubbed me in a strange...

Lauren Wiatrek
Dec 31, 20174 min read


Sometimes you just have to stop and cuddle.
Life with littles is hard. I find that I am so busy trying to juggle everything, I forget to go to the bathroom. My bladder has become a...

Lauren Wiatrek
Dec 17, 20173 min read


Believing
The moment I was diagnosed I chose to take the positive route. At first this was easy, I was running on adrenaline. I have always been a...

Lauren Wiatrek
Dec 8, 20173 min read


Why it is important to fill your cup.
As moms, we are told to take care of ourselves, “Nap when the baby naps!” but oftentimes we shrug this off because we are “too busy”...

Lauren Wiatrek
Nov 27, 20174 min read


Acceptance
In the immediate days after my mastectomy I didn’t truly accept what had happened to me. I treated the recovery as if I had the...

Lauren Wiatrek
Nov 24, 20173 min read


Farewell Letter to my Breasts
I know this seems odd…to write a letter to my chest. But for me, they have done so much, and not only for me but for my daughters. I had...

Lauren Wiatrek
Nov 16, 20173 min read


Jitters
I remember having pre-game jitters as a kid...t-ball. Being the center of attention when you were up to bat and that nervousness that...

Lauren Wiatrek
Nov 16, 20172 min read


Hardly Recognizable
Here I am four months after all my hair fell out. It was a traumatic scene for me (read about it here) and what felt like it would take...

Lauren Wiatrek
Nov 10, 20173 min read


My circus, my monkeys.
I was told recently that there’s an old Polish (my acquired heritage by marriage) saying that goes, “Not my circus, not my monkeys.” And...

Lauren Wiatrek
Nov 5, 20176 min read


Five months and 2 days. #nomochemo
When I first walked in to the chemotherapy room I cried. The sad, slow, tears streaming down my face, and trembling…I was scared. But...

Lauren Wiatrek
Oct 27, 20174 min read


The struggle is real {with chemo brain}.
Whenever we had Chemo 101, a class given a week before chemotherapy started I was told about all the side effects of chemo. Chemo brain...

Lauren Wiatrek
Oct 20, 20173 min read


Choose joy. Be a beacon of light.
I had a hard weekend. I let darkness creep into my mind, and instead of my sweeping it aside like my normally happy-go-lucky self does, I...

Lauren Wiatrek
Oct 19, 20175 min read


Tuesdays.
Tuesdays have quickly become one of my favorite days of the week. It all starts with coffee and front porch sitting with my Halen girl,...

Lauren Wiatrek
Oct 10, 20173 min read


A sweet friendship refreshes the soul. Proverbs 27:9
Why are sleepovers only a thing for our youth? I think spending some quality time with women is incredibly important. Women need other...

Lauren Wiatrek
Oct 2, 20173 min read


Cancer burst my bubble.
While at my healing retreat this past weekend, we talked about a lot of stuff. The biggest topic was almost like cancer patients on one...

Lauren Wiatrek
Sep 19, 20174 min read


Kicking Fear to the Curb Ninja Style...It's Bucket List Time
I want to begin by saying I am not a hypochondriac whatsoever... I am not a germaphobe either. I am not used to being “careful” or...

Lauren Wiatrek
Sep 13, 20173 min read


Don’t Forget About Me
I have been going to a coping with breast cancer support class and we usually go around the room and talk about different subjects. Our...

Lauren Wiatrek
Aug 26, 20173 min read
bottom of page