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Realistic Holistic Wellness + Motherhood

Pregnancy

Motherhood / Natural Remedies / Pregnancy

Pregnancy Tea Recipe: NORA Tea (Or NOA Tea For First Trimester) With Added Herbs For More Minerals + Vitamins

Come hang out with me on Instagram!

Where realistic holistic living meets real life.

I share what’s actually working in our home — simple swaps, clean beauty, natural remedies, and honest motherhood.

vitalityash

Building vitality at home, not in a waiting room🌿
Pregnancy•Motherhood•Natural Remedies•Low-Tox•Clean Beauty
📍Idaho📩ashley@vitalityash.com|↓guides+fav

Pregnancy diaries from the drafts • 8 weeks • B

Pregnancy diaries from the drafts

• 8 weeks •

Baby is the size of a raspberry

Main symptoms this week:
- Nausea at night still. Some days I’m totally fine all day and then it hits hard at night. Though my tea blend has been a GAME changer. If you want that blend comment BLEND. But check with your OB/midwife on the herbs. (I made a batch last week for the first time, drank it all over a few days and felt fantastic and then forgot to make more and started to feel lousy again)
- Exhaustion - my husband home for the week I was actually able to get in a 2.5 hour nap one of the days and that was life giving
- Bloating remains
- Skin is still breaking out - hormones are wild. Also, tell me why my back is breaking out this time?! So annoying.
- Applesauce pouches became my friend again - I used to carry them in my pocket when working in the ER during my first pregnancy. I ate so many that it took me years to be able to tolerate them again.

I may be insane for doing this but I saw a reel about a cool primitive camping site in the middle of nowhere on the Idaho-Oregon border and with my husband off work, and me sick of doing nothing - I decided we were going camping.

I packed up all our camping stuff while my husband hit the gym, and he grabbed some premade food at Costco on the way home. We packed the truck and drove 2.5 hours into the middle of nowhere.

And yes, I ate cold shrimp with cocktail sauce as a car snack on the way. (Y’all had OPINIONS when I posted that it was my car snack of choice: consensus was 1. I’m insane 2. This is unhinged behavior 3. Epic - what’s your vote?)

It was plain but pretty scenery for the first 2 hours and then all of a sudden it opened up into the most insane and wild landscape. We camped at a primitive campsite without running water and there is a river that runs through the area that I thought we’d be able to play in. But of course I didn’t research if there was actually water in it this time of year (late August). It was VERY dry with minimal flow. OOPS. Sorry girls. Next year!

Continued in comments 👇🏼

Pregnancy diaries from the drafts • 7 weeks • B

Pregnancy diaries from the drafts

• 7 weeks •

Baby is the size of a blueberry 🫐

Main symptoms this week:
- nausea at night. I need to eat otherwise is a million times worse but no food sounds good so I just choke down something with a little bit of protein and healthy fats and it helps.
- Exhaustion - so deep it feels like I’m on sedatives.
- Bloating still
- Headache came back and I had one horrible one. They were worse in weeks 4-5 - all the hormone changes really affect me. Hydration is huge for me with headaches too. Even though I drink a lot, blood volume is increasing like crazy so I definitely was still not drinking enough.
- Skin is breaking out - hormones are so fun. I dealt with acne and breakouts for so long but my skin has been amazing for the past few years.

My daughter has called me “lazy” and did again. She’s not wrong though, from my normal energy level and all we normally do, to now, it’s definitely a huge change and things have been REAL boring for them. I’ll just lay on the floor while they play.

I made a pregnancy tea on a desperate whim. It’s a recipe from my SIL’s OG midwife from like 8 years ago. It is NORA tea but with a few other herbs added in for more minerals, vitamins, and nutrients. I made a big batch then realized you don’t need tea raspberry leaf in the first trimester. So I made another batch but added some peppermint and ginger to soothe the stomach.

I made a huge batch of it before going to bed, let it steep overnight and then drank it the next day over ice (because all I want is cold things) and a half a lemon squeezed in (cause also: SOUR IS LIFE right now). I love the taste and I drank a bunch of glasses of it throughout the day.

The next day I felt COMPLETELY different. No idea if it was the tea or the hydration or if I turned a corner. But WHEEWWWW. That felt GOOD! And then I continued to feel good.

🫖 If you want that tea blend, comment BLEND and I’ll send it. Just know that you should check with your OB or midwife on if the herbs are safe or not before you take them!

Follow along for my holistic pregnancy. Baby Gondek 3 due in April 2027!

#holisticpregnancy #babygondek

Pregnancy diaries from the drafts • 6 weeks • B

Pregnancy diaries from the drafts

• 6 weeks •

Baby is the size of a sweet pea! 🫛

Main symptoms this week: exhaustion and pregnancy insomnia.
Nausea has started but I usually feel better in the morning and worse at night.
Bloating - like how does my stomach look this big already?!

So tired. But can’t sleep. Also having wilddd dreams.

I totally forgot all this happened in my previous 2 pregnancies until my husband reminded me. How do we forget these things so fast?

Things that are helping with my nausea:
- eating BEFORE I’m even remotely hungry. This has been a mind game for me because after working so hard to lose weight and retrain my brain to not eat unless I was hungry, it feels wrong to be eating so often. And also because I’m not hungry, not much sounds good.
- Prioritizing protein. Making yummy things I can grab before the hunger/nausea kicks in has been a game changer. Protein muffins and protein balls have been saving me.
- Eating 3 eggs a day. Easy way to get protein in at the start of the day and choline is SOOOO good for baby’s brain.

My husband was away for an entire week in Michigan, and WHEEEEWWWW - solo parenting in your first trimester is not for the faint of heart. So glad he’s back. But now I’m extra sleepy. Too bad he goes back to work tomorrow.

I’ll sleep someday, right??

Follow along for my holistic pregnancy. Baby Gondek 3 due in April 2027!

* A little note: These pregnancy diaries were recorded in real time, weeks before we received our genetic screening results. I’m choosing to share them just as I originally recorded them, because all these moments, the excitement, and the memories are all part of our story, too. And I don’t want to lose sight of the joy in this pregnancy, even as we navigate the unknowns.

#holisticpregnancy #pregnancyjourney #bumpupdate
#babygondek3

I almost didn’t post this. Thank you for every pr

We are humbly asking you to cover our family and t

We are humbly asking you to cover our family and this sweet baby in your prayers.

We’re choosing faith of fear, hope in the unknown, and trusting God with our precious baby.

When I shared this in my stories the other day, I was overwhelmed by the number of women who reached out to tell me they had walked through this same uncertainty. Many of them carried that fear, heartbreak, and waiting in uncertainty alone.

And that absolutely breaks my heart.

No mother should have to walk through something like this feeling alone.

This is not something to be ashamed of, it’s not something that needs to be kept secret.

There is power in prayer. There is comfort in community. And there is hope, even in the hardest of unknowns.

No matter the outcome, God is still good.

Thank you for holding our family close and covering us in prayer during this time of uncertainty.

Baby Gondek #3, whoever you are, you are so very loved. You are so very wanted. You are so very precious. And no matter the outcome, you are fearfully and wonderfully made; and absolutely perfect.

Yes, after switching to a home birth with a midwif

Yes, after switching to a home birth with a midwife 43 MINUTES before my second baby was born, we are PLANNING for it this time.

So when I tell people this, I get every look and reaction in the book.

You’d think I just told them I was going to deliver this baby in the woods 💀

I promise, there’s a lot more planning and preparation involved than you might think.

Home birth isn’t for everyone, and that’s okay! But the reactions will never not make me laugh.

If you had a home birth, what’s the most unhinged thing someone said to you?

#homebirth #holisticmotherhood #motherhoodunplugged #holisticpregnancy

Peanut Butter Cornflake Bars 🥜 But with no corn s

Peanut Butter Cornflake Bars 🥜

But with no corn syrup and over 40g of protein in the batch!

Gooey, peanut buttery, crunchy and SO good. Made with super simple ingredients you can feel good about.

A nostalgic snack made healthier. 🙌🏼

Comment BARS and I’ll send you the recipe!

Peanut Butter Cornflake Protein Bars
Ingredients:
* 1/2 cup natural peanut butter
* 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
* 1/4 cup raw honey
* 1/2 cup protein powder about 2 scoops – I use @equipfoods (code ASHLEYG for a massive discount right now on subscriptions)
* 3 cup clean cornflakes I use The Clean Cereal Co – just corn grits and salt
* 1/2 cup chocolate chips of choice
* 1-2 teaspoon coconut oil optional, for smoother chocolate
* pinch flakey sea salt

Comment BARS for the full free recipe!

Follow @vitalityash for more easy recipes your kids will love, holistic motherhood, and natural remedies!

#toddlersnacks #kidapprovedsnacks #peanutbutterbars

Pregnancy diaries from the drafts • 5 weeks • N

Pregnancy diaries from the drafts

• 5 weeks •

Number one symptom: EXHAUSTION. Like bone deep, mind blowing exhaustion. I don’t remember being this tired with baby 1 and 2. But wow.

Did you feel more tired with subsequent pregnancies or was it the same??

Number 2 symptom: bloating. Still haven’t gained any weight. But I look like I have.

My goal for this pregnancy is to maintain my workout streak. I’ve been working out consistently since the end of August 2025. Most weeks were 6 workouts a week. I started using the ladder app 35 weeks ago and you have to log 3 workouts a week in order to keep your workout streak going. I love a challenge and it’s truly holding me accountable. It’s been my only motivation to workout in these early weeks. I want to nap so bad.

Oh something else I forgot to mention. Crazy dreams and some insomnia. Totally forgot about that part of first trimester! Haha 😅

Follow along for my holistic pregnancy. Baby #3 due in April 2027!

#holisticpregnancy #pregnancyjourney #bumpupdate

Pregnancy diaries from the drafts • 3 weeks + 5

Pregnancy diaries from the drafts

• 3 weeks + 5 days → 4 weeks •

I found out I was pregnant at 3 weeks and 5 days. ONLY 12 days after we decided we should start trying for baby #3, because “you never know how long it will take” 😂

What a shock.

I have been on quite the fitness journey for the past year. I started 75 hard on August 22, 2025. And it took me 147 days to complete the 75 consecutive days. Best. Decision. Of. My. Life.

I am entering into this pregnancy 12lbs lighter than my first pregnancy, fit, healthy, and feeling SO good.

My goal is to try to maintain as much muscle as I can and remain active throughout my pregnancy. As I am now training for birth!

Follow along as I share my holistic pregnancy and all the natural ways I am supporting my baby and body! 🤰🏼

Also, did anyone else take more than one test? Why do we do this? Is it because it just doesn’t feel real yet?

Baby #3 coming April 2027!

#holisticpregnancy #pregnancyjourney #bumpupdate

The next time your kid is on an egg strike you NEE

The next time your kid is on an egg strike you NEED to try these!

2 ingredient pumpkin pancakes 🎃🥞 → gluten free, dairy free, high protein & toddler approved! The easiest healthy fall breakfast you’ll ever make.

Comment PUMPKIN and I’ll DM you the recipe so you don’t lose it 🎃

These pancakes are so easy and taste like cozy fall mornings in every bite. Toddler approved, gluten free, dairy free, high protein, and made with just 2 main ingredients! Save this for your next busy morning when you still want the fall vibes 🍂🥞

Share this with another mama who needs a quick, healthy breakfast hack 🙌

✨ Recipe:
* 1 cup pumpkin purée
* 3 eggs
Optional add-ins (aka where the cozy magic happens):
* 1–2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (I used this and it was perfection)
* 1 tsp Ceylon cinnamon
* 1 tsp vanilla (or measure with your heart)
* Pinch of salt
* 1 tbsp Maple syrup (I omitted because I’d rather top it with something)

Bonus: top with some spiced jam. I used homemade spiced pear jam 🤤 or maple syrup!

👩‍🍳 How to:
1. Melt butter (or coconut oil/ghee) in a pan on medium heat.
2. Pour your batter → let it cook long enough before flipping (if you can’t flip them, they’re not ready yet).
3. They’ll be thick, dense, and almost like pumpkin pie in pancake form.

Comment PUMPKIN below if you want me to DM you the recipe so you don’t have to go scouring your search history when the craving hits ✨

Follow @vitalityash for realistic holistic wellness, easy low-tox swaps, and mom hacks that actually work 💛

#toddlerbreakfast #eggstrike #holisticmotherhood #pumpkinpancakes #pumpkinspiceeverything

PART 3: telling my husband… who was apparently the

PART 3: telling my husband… who was apparently the least surprised person in this entire situation. 😂

Meanwhile, I had spent the morning absolutely spiraling because we had decided to start trying for baby #3 exactly 12 DAYS AGO and I thought I would have, you know… a little more time to prepare for this moment.

No cute announcement. Half awake. No plan. Only expired pregnancy tests on hand. I clearly hadn’t even processed it myself.

And then this man comes home and tells me he was literally EXPECTING me to be pregnant and had already been thinking about coming home and having this exact conversation with me.

EXCUSE ME, Sir?! How did you know before I did?! 😂

Then we told the girls there was a baby in Mommy’s belly and the immediate “WHY?” absolutely sent me. 💀

Also, after YEARS of successfully relying on the pull-out method (and NFP) with zero accidental pregnancies, only to intentionally try ONCE and immediately get pregnant… I fear Rob has earned the confidence you witnessed in this video. 💀😂 (sorry if that’s TMI, but it was too funny not to share!)

So there you have it. We tried once. 12 days later I got a positive pregnancy test. And apparently my husband had more time to mentally prepare for baby #3 than I did.

Baby #3, you are very, very wanted… we just weren’t expecting you quite THAT quickly. 🥹🤍

#pregnancyannouncement #baby3 findingoutimpregnant pregnancyreaction thirdbaby

PART 2: when the first expired pregnancy test send

PART 2: when the first expired pregnancy test sends you into a full spiral… so naturally you take a SECOND expired pregnancy test. 😂

Because apparently I needed another expired test to confirm the first expired test.

At this point I had JUST woken up, my kids were screaming in the background, and my brain was trying to process approximately 47 things at once.

Is this real??
Are these tests even accurate?? Do I have another test??
 HOW AM I GOING TO TELL MY HUSBAND WHO IS MINUTES AWAY FROM HOME?!

Because when we said “let’s start trying because you never know how long it’ll take,” I really thought I’d have TIME.

Time to process it myself.
Time to think of some cute way to tell him.
Time to actually have a PLAN.

Instead, 12 days later, I’m standing in my bathroom half awake, holding one expired positive pregnancy test, with the other test waiting on the counter, while, naturally, my children are absolutely losing it in the background. 😂

There was no cute plan. There was no preparation.
There was just me… crashing out in real time.

And now I had to figure out how the heck I was going to tell my husband. 😂

Part 3 coming soon: telling my husband, Rob. 👀

#pregnancyannouncement #baby3 #pregnancytest #findingoutimpregnant

Apparently “we should start trying because you nev

Apparently “we should start trying because you never know how long it will take” was all God needed to hear.

Well… 12 DAYS LATER.

of course I took a very expired pregnancy test because I was definitely not going to be wasting money on an expensive one, especially when I was absolutely NOT expecting to be pregnant.

Please enjoy while I cycle through a plethora of human emotion while trying to process what was happening. Am I the only one who does this? I CANNOT be.

Also, please enjoy my children absolutely losing their minds in the background while I experience this life-altering moment. They’re fine. I promise. 😂

And because this test was VERY expired, obviously the story doesn’t end here.

Part 2 coming next. 👀

#pregnancyannouncement #baby3 #holisticpregnancy #homebirth

Holistic medicine and modern medicine CAN and SHOU

Holistic medicine and modern medicine CAN and SHOULD co-exist

•

Holistic Medicine is NOT woo-woo.

Modern Medicine is NOT all evil.

•

Holistic Medicine is PREVENTATIVE medicine.

Modern Medicine IS life-saving.

•

It’s really as simple as that.

•

If that’s your vibe and you want to learn how I utilize holistic medicine to care for my family FIRST.

While STILL valuing that modern medicine has a time and a place (and when I’d personally take my children to the ER or use modern medicine)

Follow along @vitalityash. I’m so excited to have you here!! ✨

*It’s all shared here for educational purposes. And never medical advice.

P.s. want all these remedies? Comment REMEDY and I’ll send you my blog post that links to many of them!

#holisticmotherhood #naturalremedieswork

The easiest little bedtime treat 🍒✨ Comment “CHER

The easiest little bedtime treat 🍒✨

Comment “CHERRY” and I’ll send the full recipe + the popsicle molds I use straight to your inbox! 🍒

These Sleepy-Time Tart Cherry Popsicles have been such a fun after-dinner treat for the kids - and they’re made with just THREE simple ingredients.

Tart cherries are naturally rich in melatonin, which plays a role in regulating our sleep-wake cycle, so they’re one of my favorite foods to incorporate around bedtime. 🌙

Ingredients:
🍒 2 cups frozen tart cherries
🥥 ½–1 cup coconut milk
🍯 2 Tbsp-ish maple syrup or honey

Blend until smooth, pour into popsicle molds + freeze for at least 4 hours!

Comment “CHERRY” and I’ll send the full recipe + the popsicle molds I use straight to your inbox! 🍒

And don’t forget to SAVE this for later + SHARE it with a mama who needs an easy bedtime treat for her kiddos! 🤍

Follow @vitalityash for more holistic motherhood; natural remedies, low-tox living, and kid-friendly recipes!

#bedtimesnack #holisticmotherhood #naturalremedieswork

Our newest little adventure babe will be joining u

Our newest little adventure babe will be joining us April 2027. 🤍

Thank you, Jesus, for this sweet little blessing. We can’t wait to meet you, sweet baby.

Your big sissies are SO excited. They ask about you every single day. 🥹🤍

Baby Gondek #3, you are already so loved.

#pregnancyannouncement #baby3 #holisticpregnancy #holisticmotherhood

This is honestly genius and entertained my kids fo

This is honestly genius and entertained my kids for the longest time. Plus they got out alllllll those mid afternoon wiggles.

First they got to color all over the driveway with chalk and helped me pick out the activities.

Then came time to actually do the course and they did it on repeat until they were beet red and sweating.

Now we cool off with the hose, later they’ll wash it off and we can repeat tomorrow. Love me an activity that leads to the next and next thing and is sooooo easy.

Seriously an afternoon activity WINNNNN 🙌🏼

Lmk if you try this! The options are endless and you can change it up every time!

#toddleractivity #holisticmotherhood #kidsactivity

Comment DUTCH and I’ll send the recipe straight to

Comment DUTCH and I’ll send the recipe straight to you!

It’s so easy to make, perfect for when your kids are on an egg strike like mine and ohhhh so stunning!

Like can you picture this on your table for a girls brunch? 😍

My kids ate two pieces each 🙌🏼

Blueberry Lemon Dutch Baby Recipe 🍋 🫐 ✨

INGREDIENTS:
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup milk (any milk works - I use raw)
• 6 eggs (normally Dutch babies take 4 eggs but I like to add more and it doesn’t affect the taste or texture!)
• Zest of one whole lemon
• 1 tsp vanilla (or measure with your heart)
• 1/2-2/3 cup blueberries (I used frozen wild blueberries from trader joes - they’re the tiny ones and I just love them - but you can use fresh or frozen!) Put as many as you want!!

HOW TO MAKE IT:
- put a big dollop of butter into a cast iron pan (I don’t measure but it’s probably a few tablespoons - 1/4 cup)
- put the cast iron pan in the oven and turn it on to 425.
- while the oven is heating up with your butter and pan in it, mix up your batter
- add everything (EXCEPT the blueberries) to a bowl or a blender and mix/blend until smooth.
- add blueberries to the mixture
- take HOT pan out of the oven, swirl the butter around to make sure it’s coated the whole dish
- pour mixture into the hot pan (some of the butter will go on top of the mixture - that’s supposed to happen!)
- put back into the oven for approximately 20-25 min.
- it is ready when it’s all puffed up and golden.
- take it out of the oven, let it cool for a tiny bit, cut in wedges, and serve with whatever tickles your fancy - traditionally, it’s served like a pancake with syrup.

If you make it, please let me know your thoughts!!

Send to a mom friend🌿

Follow @vitalityash for low-tox living made simple - realistic wellness, natural remedies, clean skincare, kid-friendly recipes, and honest motherhood without the overwhelm.

#kidfriendlybreakfast #dutchbaby #breakfastideas #eggstrike

Turns out two tiny children absolutely do NOT need

Turns out two tiny children absolutely do NOT need a king size bed…

but a co-sleeping family might 😂

Our girls share a room, and bedtime usually involves one of us lying with them until they fall asleep. So when it was finally time to retire the 20-year-old hand-me-down mattress that has somehow followed our family from Canada → Michigan → Idaho, I figured we might as well GO FOR IT.

But the mattress itself? I took FOREVER to decide on.

I’ve been slowly swapping the things in our home that we use the most for lower-tox options, and a mattress was high on my list.

We spend so many hours of our lives sleeping with our faces inches away from it, so I cared about what it was made with, what it was emitting into our indoor air, AND whether it was actually comfortable.

I researched organic mattresses for way too long before finally choosing the @naturepedic EOS Classic Organic Mattress + Arienzo bed frame 🤎

The EOS is made with certified organic materials and without polyurethane foam, fiberglass, added flame retardants or glues, and it’s GREENGUARD Gold certified for low chemical emissions.

PLUS it’s fully customizable, even from one side of the bed to the other - and the internal layers can actually be swapped if our comfort needs change down the road.

Basically, if I was going to finally replace the mattress that survived 20 YEARS, two countries and multiple moves… I wanted something I felt really good about bringing into our home.

And LOOK AT THEIR ROOM NOW. 🙌🏼

From a hand-me-down mattress + box spring on the floor to quite possibly the nicest bed in our entire house.

No regrets on the ridiculous king size either. 😂

Comment BED and I’ll send you the link to our exact mattress + bed frame! Plus a discount code 🤎

Now, is this completely unhinged or is this the smartest parent move ever? Let me know below!

#organicmattress #naturepedic #naturalremedieswork #holisticmotherhood #lowtoxmattress

Comment REMEDY and I’ll send you EVERY SINGLE ONE

Comment REMEDY and I’ll send you EVERY SINGLE ONE of these remedies.

I’ve been a nurse for 14 years. The majority in the emergency room at trauma centers. I’ve truly seen it all.

And through that journey I came to realize that true health and vitality is not found in a waiting room.

It begins at home - in the things we do to support our children’s bodies. In the food we feed them, the sunlight and exercise we provide opportunity for, the people we surround them with, the books we read them, the behaviors we model for them, etc.

It’s the foundational things we do in between the illnesses that truly shape them.

But when they inevitably do get sick, because the goal is never zero illness (they NEED to get sick to build their immune systems), there are SO many things we can do to support their little bodies to create resilience and speed up healing.

Natural remedies, whether those include old folk remedies, herbs, tinctures, homeopathy, hydrotherapy, nutrition, red light therapy, or something else — have a VERY important and impactful role to play.

Holistic health isn’t woo-woo. It IS the only form of true preventative medicine.

Modern medicine is not preventative care. It is SICK care.

But that being said- Modern medicine isn’t ALL bad or evil. It can be life saving - and it is.

BUT it shouldn’t be our ONLY method of supporting our children.

So, in our family, we are educated and empowered and reach for natural remedies first.

But are not afraid to use modern medicine when it’s truly needed.

Both have their time and place.

And they CAN and SHOULD co-exist.

If this kind of thing is your vibe, follow along @vitalityash. Here we chat all things holistic motherhood; like natural remedies, low-tox living, kid friendly recipes, and more. Excited to have you here!

*shared for educational purposes only. Not to be taken as medical advice. Consult with a trusted healthcare professional before taking or starting something new.

#naturalremedieswork #holisticmotherhood #vitalityash

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