Tea with a Taurus

How do you hold on while also learning to let go?
As parents, we spend years teaching our children to become independent, confident, and capable. But when that independence starts to show up—when they begin driving, making their own plans, and needing us a little less—it can bring a mix of pride, gratitude, and unexpected heartache.
In this episode of Tea with a Taurus, I'm sharing a personal reflection inspired by a recent trip to the beach with my sixteen-year-old son. It's a conversation about the bittersweet beauty of watching our children grow, the "little goodbyes" that happen throughout parenthood, and the importance of being fully present in each season before it quietly becomes the next.
Whether you're raising little ones, navigating the teenage years, or watching your children build lives of their own, I hope this episode reminds you that while we can't stop time, we can choose to be present for the moments we have.
In this episode, we'll explore:
Why parenting is a lifetime of "little goodbyes"
The challenge of letting go as our children become more independent
How to embrace each season instead of wishing for the next
Why love sometimes looks less like holding on—and more like trusting them to find their own way
Journal Reflection:How can you be fully present for the season you're in today, instead of worrying about the one that's coming next?
Pour yourself a cup of tea, settle in, and join me for a gentle conversation about growing up, letting go, and loving deeply through every season.

What happens when the reset you've been looking forward to doesn't go as planned?
After weeks of teaching, house sitting, and pet sitting, I finally carved out a few days to recharge at the North Carolina coast with my youngest son. But before we even reached the beach, our trip took an unexpected turn when we were involved in a hit-and-run accident.
Thankfully, we were safe—but the questions, frustration, and uncertainty didn't disappear when the weekend began.
In this episode, I'm revisiting one of the most meaningful topics I've ever shared: self-compassion. Together, we'll explore what it means to protect your peace when life doesn't go according to plan, why we don't have to wait for every problem to be solved before we allow ourselves to experience joy, and how choosing to stay present can be one of the greatest acts of self-love.
If you're carrying uncertainty, navigating disappointment, or simply feeling stretched thin, I hope this conversation reminds you that peace isn't found in perfect circumstances—it's found in the way we choose to meet imperfect ones.
Journal Reflection:What would change if you stopped waiting to experience peace until you had every answer?
Pour yourself a cup of tea, take a deep breath, and join me for a gentle conversation about finding comfort again—one steady step at a time.

Have you ever caught yourself thinking, "I'll be happy when..."?
When the debt is paid off. When the business grows. When life finally slows down. When you reach that next big milestone. 
In this episode of Tea with a Taurus, we're talking about the space between here and there, the season of becoming that so many of us rush through while chasing what's next. 
If you're someone with big dreams and ambitious goals, this episode is a gentle reminder that you don't have to choose between building the future and appreciating the present. Most of life isn't lived at the finish line. It's found in the quiet, ordinary moments along the way. 
So pour yourself a cup of tea, take a deep breath, and join me as we explore what it means to stay present while continuing to move forward, one steady step at a time. 

After a few months away from the microphone, I'm back. Not in the way I originally planned. 
In this episode, I share why recording felt impossible for a season, what happened after my last episode on burnout, and how I finally found my way back to this space. Between finishing another school year, building side businesses, paying off debt, house sitting, pet sitting, and chasing long-term dreams, life got loud. 
But somewhere in the middle of that noise, I learned an important lesson: you can't force reflection. 
Join me as I talk about creating pockets of calm in busy seasons, letting go of the pressure to restart perfectly, and why sometimes the bravest thing we can do is simply begin again. 
If you've ever felt disconnected from a goal, a passion project, or a version of yourself you miss, this conversation is for you. 
Grab your favorite cup of tea, get comfortable, and let's catch up. 

When the noise of life gets loud, how do we stay aligned with the values that guide us?
In this episode of Tea with a Taurus, Ashley reflects on a question that sparked a deeper conversation about educator wellbeing. After weeks filled with snow days, testing schedules, field trips, guest speakers, and even a power outage, the constant schedule changes have made it difficult for both teachers and students to stay focused.
Ashley explores how context switching and disrupted routines impact our brains—especially for neurodivergent learners—and why it’s so important for educators to take time to reset before burnout takes hold.
Through personal reflection and research-backed insights, this episode reminds us that sometimes the best way to show up for others is to first take a breather for ourselves.
Whether that means a quiet hike, baking sourdough, or simply stepping away for a moment, finding ways to reset helps us return to our work steadier and more present.

When I saw a campaign sign in town that read “Common Sense and Local Values,” it made me pause. What does common sense actually mean — and is it truly something we all share?
In this episode, I explore the idea of common sense through the lens of lived experience, education, and critical thinking. We’ll discuss how judgment is developed, why shared experience isn’t always universal, and how language can sound strong while remaining undefined.
This is a thoughtful, steady conversation about leadership, representation, and the importance of asking better questions.
Grab your tea and let’s go deeper than the slogan.

This week I had to tell my son to wait.
He’s starting college prep and, like most big life transitions, it comes with forms, deadlines, and decisions. The catch? Every time he needed help, it was right when I was sitting down to write or record. And I realized something important: I can only hold three things well in a day. The fourth one? That’s when I start to unravel.
In this episode of Tea with a Taurus, I talk about the quiet guilt of adulthood, the myth of daily balance, and why modern life feels like an equation that never quite adds up. We’ll explore cognitive load, productivity culture, and why “steady” might mean rotation instead of perfection.
If you’ve ever felt stretched thin trying to juggle work, creativity, family, movement, and rest — this one is for you.
Pour something warm and let’s talk about choosing your three.

Are you consuming media… or is it consuming you?
In today’s episode of Tea with a Taurus, I share my experience participating in the “Anti Brain Rot Reading Challenge” created by Jananie from the YouTube channel This Story Ain’t Over.
While the challenge includes multiple guidelines, my focus has been on two major shifts:
• Building consistent, focused reading habits• Widening the range of books and media I consume
For years, I was multitasking my entertainment — playing phone games while watching TV, listening to audiobooks while working on embroidery, constantly layering stimulation. It felt productive… but it left me scattered.
Now, I’m practicing immersive reading — annotating Wuthering Heights (a book that’s been sitting on my shelf for a decade), journaling my thoughts on YouTube videos and Substack essays, and actively working to reduce doomscrolling.
We talk about:– Attention span and overstimulation– Intentional media consumption– Annotating books and forming your own opinions– Critical thinking in a fast-content world– Why depth feels better than speed
If you’ve been feeling mentally cluttered or distracted, this episode offers a gentle reset.
Choose depth over distraction.Choose steady over scattered.
Pour your tea and join me.

In this episode of Tea with a Taurus, we’re talking about a fear many of us quietly carry:What if I become like my parents?
After joining a library book club (yes, they read spicy romance 😌) and discussing Lights Out, a theme stood out — the fear of inheriting darkness, addiction, or destructive patterns from family.
If you grew up around addiction, emotional instability, anger, or unhealthy coping mechanisms, you may have wondered:
Is addiction hereditary?
Am I destined to repeat generational trauma?
How do I break family cycles?
Can you inherit addictive tendencies?
How do you stop becoming like your parents?
In this episode, I share my personal experience growing up with an alcoholic father, my fear of repeating that pattern, and what I’ve learned about awareness, genetics, and choice.
We talk about:✨ Generational trauma✨ Hereditary addiction✨ Self-awareness vs. self-criticism✨ Breaking family patterns✨ Choosing steady change✨ Becoming the “cycle breaker”
You are not doomed by your bloodline.You are not your past.You are your choices.
If you’d like a full book discussion episode, let me know — I’m always happy to spill more tea.
☕ Stay steady. Stay reflective.

What’s the difference between a boundary and a habit — and why does it matter?
In this episode of Tea with a Taurus, I’m reflecting on a recent conversation sparked by a comment that questioned whether boundaries can exist without involving other people. Instead of getting stuck in definitions, we widen the lens and talk about how boundaries often begin internally — with our time, energy, and bodies.
We explore how boundaries are the decisions that protect our well-being, while habits are the practices that help those decisions stick. From drinking enough water and journaling to skincare and gentle routines, this episode unpacks why habits struggle to take root when boundaries aren’t in place first.
This is a calm, honest conversation about burnout, self-trust, and choosing sustainability over perfection — especially for teachers, caregivers, and anyone who gives deeply.
Pour a cup of tea and join me for a steady moment of reflection.