Sunny Honey Co.

So you may be seeing a theme in my most recent posts. When I visit a big city I'm always inspired with so many ideas for blog posts! I'll be writing a wider variety of content in the coming months but for right now I want to show you all, the adventures that I had in Seattle most recently.

Today I wanted to feature a very cute little shop in the Pike Place Market called the Sunny Honey Company. 

As I'm sure you guessed, they sell different flavors of honey along with soap, chapstick, and a few other items. Please take a look at their website if you're interested in purchasing any of their products.

Click Here for the Sunny Honey Co. Website!

Their products are fairly priced and I must say, very tasty as well. If you're a fan of honey you most definitely will not be let down.

Personally, I'm a fan of their little honey sticks. It's an easy and affordable way to try out some of the different flavors they offer.

I may be a bit weird but I quite enjoy the sour green apple flavored one. Yum!

They have a wonderfully put together "About Us" page explaining the process they go through to achieve their final product and how their company came to be.

Check it out here!

I hope you enjoyed reading this quick little post about the buzzing company. I mainly just wanted to showcase a local place that sells delicious honey at fair prices. Make sure to check for future posts about the wonderful city of Seattle and all it has to offer. Much love and stay brilliant.

My Struggle With Anxiety & Depression

I have memories of struggling with anxiety that date back to when I was 6 years old, but these past two months have been extremely trying and have brought it all to the surface. In this post today I just want to give you a little background on how I've been feeling and also what I've started doing and thinking to help myself through this. The truth is anxiety and depression never go away, but that doesn't mean they can't be accessed in a way you can still live a functioning life.

This isn't going to be a get rid of it ideas post or have any info on how to "fix" you because here's the thing, you're not broken. 

You're feelings are valid. You're thoughts are valid. You, are valid.

~

When I was a sophomore in high school I was diagnosed with moderate to severe generalized anxiety disorder, otherwise know as GAD. More recently when some life altering events occurred and I was at one of my lowest points, I decided to seek help and visit my doctor. Keep in mind I'm 21 now, so it took me nearly 5 years to reach out again. Two weeks ago I was also diagnosed with moderate to severe depression. I'm now on medication to help with both illnesses, which is a whole other post I'll eventually write.

Now I don't want to say that I've always been fearful of actually being diagnosed with depression but I will say that I was never jumping with joy to be labeled with yet another mental illness. The fault in  my thought process was that I was lying to myself in saying that I was "fine." Saying that I, Kate, could NEVER actually have depression. I almost felt guilty, or embarrassed to admit that I may struggle with the illness. 

I realize now, that's just not the case.

What is "fine"? Everyone's "fine" is different. 

Depression is not something to be embarrassed about. It's not something you should ever feel guilt about possibly having. There is nothing wrong with me, just as there is nothing wrong with you.

There's a stigma that comes along with the word depression. Growing up and learning more about the mental illness I realized it may very well explain why I feel the way I do. Just as anxiety directly correlates to how I think and live. I see now, of course, how unfortunate it was of me to be so afraid of it.

In recently seeking out a doctor and being 100% open and honest about how I've been feeling and living, I was told I do in fact suffer with both mental illnesses. It may sound weird coming from someone who only very recently decided to face their biggest fears but I can truly say, I feel such relief from finally acknowledging parts of me I used to shove down and act like weren't really there.

I no longer feel any embarrassment or guilt about the topic. I actually wish I had accepted it sooner so I could have spent my time speaking about said illnesses with people who are/were feeling how I was. I've finally accepted these parts of me. It's been hard and upsetting and I've had many sleepless nights but ultimately I'm so glad I did. I'm not entirely sure where this post is going or what I wanted to talk about but I do want to make one point.

Just because you have a mental illness doesn't mean you are any less of a person. It doesn't mean you're less important. It doesn't mean how you feel and think are any less real. It doesn't mean you suddenly are a different person. It doesn't necessarily mean each day has to better or worse because of the diagnosis. It simply means you acknowledge that you suffer from something that is out of your control. To me it means that you are still capable of living a wonderful and fulfilling life, just like any one else, if you choose to follow that path. I almost feel more in control of myself now that I have accepted and put a name to what I suffer from. I don't mean to offend anyone in using the words mental illness so much but depression and anxiety are quite literally just that. And that's okay.

I've always found comfort in knowledge. Knowing more about how my brain and body work is a powerful thing. Knowing that both depression and anxiety come in many different forms and affect each person differently. I'll be making more posts in the future on this topic. I will go more into my anxiety and how I live with it. Since I've struggled with it for as long as I've had the ability to have memories, I'm very aware of myself and have learned ways to know when I'm on the very low end of my anxiety as well as the high. 

I wrote this post just as a start to opening up the topic and letting you all know that you don't have to be alone in this. I'm always here to talk and you'll probably be surprised at the amount of people who want to help and support you in your own life. I don't know where I'd be with all this if I didn't have the unconditional love and support from my Mom and Sister. 

I purposefully didn't want to go too deep into everything in this post because I want to leave myself open to speaking on many parts and aspects of it. Thank you for reading all I had to say today. Stay tuned for many more posts on this topic to come. Much love and stay brilliant.

                                                                                         

Visiting The Gum Wall In Seattle

On my recent trip to the city I visited an iconic place in the Pike Place Market, the ever so popular Gum Wall. I've been there many times but never documented the adventure. Here's a little background for those of you I'm sure are saying, "The what wall? Gross!" The Gum Wall in Seattle, officially known as the Market Theater Gum Wall, has been around since 1993. It was eventually deemed as a tourist attraction in 1999 by market officials. 

In 2009, it was named one of the top 5 germiest tourist attractions. Nearly one year ago to the day, "It was announced by the Pike Place Market Preservation & Development Authority that for the first time in 20 years the gum wall would be receiving a total scrub down for maintenance and steam-cleaning, to prevent further erosion of the bricks on the walls from the sugar in the gum." (source)  

Since then, tourist (such as myself) have already begun re-packing the walls with freshly chewed gum. I know to some it may seem pretty gross and a little pointless, but nevertheless it's still fun to do! If you travel to the Seattle area any time soon, why not stop by and leave your own little piece of history on the wall? 

The wall has become more than just a place to leave gum over all the years. You'll also find works of art that are more than creative in their presentation. You'd be amazed the things people think to make out of gum. Check out the photos below to see just a few of the things people thought of to add to the walls!

I find the "Gross" sticker to be very fitting. Look at that green piece of gum! I love Seattle.

You can see from the photo below that these cool gum art pieces where washed away in 2015 but part of them still remain. I wonder how much gum they had to chew to make that awesome skull and star? Hmm.

Thank you looking through my post. If you ever have any interest in someday visiting Seattle, I say go! I plan on doing many more posts about the wonderful city. Make sure to check back as I try and find hidden gems throughout Seattle. Although the gum wall is nothing less than astounding and creative, I plan on seeking out places in the city that not many outsiders know about.

If you have any questions or recommendations on where to visit, feel free to leave them down below. I'm always down for a little adventure. Much love and stay brilliant.

Lunch In Seattle ~ Lowell's

Hello Everyone! I recently took a much needed trip to the city with my Sister and a good friend. After a few difficult changes happened in my life in the past two weeks, I knew going on a small trip to a place I love would help clear my mind. As always, Seattle did not disappoint. For those of you who don't know, I live about 30-40 minutes from Seattle. This time on my trip to the lovely Pike Place Market we decided to stop by the always good Lowell's for lunch.

If you are a lover of seafood, I definitely recommend stopping by Lowell's for a quick lunch if you ever find yourself in the Pacific Northwest. I myself am a vegetarian, but not to worry. I got a grilled cheese with tomato on rosemary bread sandwich. I must say, the bread was to die for! Their slogan says it all "Almost Classy since 1957". It's a very laid back restaurant. You can either order your food at the counter and sit on the first floor or seat yourself upstairs to be waited on. Either way, the food is worth it. My sister got the clams, which also came with garlic bread and my friend, Chishi, got the classic fish and chips. 

The prices range from around $10-$20. Fairly affordable for fresh ingredients! The food took about 10 minutes to be served. Overall, Lowell's offers very good food with a comfortable vibe and an amazing view of the waterfront.

It was a very relaxed and much needed lunch. You can see the big wheel from there too! Even though I live close to this city and I've visited it many times, I still find myself getting excited and almost jittery over the smallest things. It's a very accepting and urban place and I one-hundred percent recommend visiting it one day if you haven't already.

I wanted to keep this post short and sweet and show you the food porn bestowed upon us that evening. I hope you enjoyed reading! Leave a comment down below if you have any questions. Much love and stay brilliant.

Feel free to browse their website if you want any more information.
Click Here for Lowell's Website!