Family is not defined by our genes, but by the love we share and the bonds we build.
Hi, I’m Juliet! I’m so glad you’re here. I’ll be sharing about my life and the topics I’m passionate about—surrogacy, foster care, and blended families. You’ll also find a bit of content on gentle homesteading and clean(ish) eating along the way.
- Helping Kids Regulate Their Bodies: Proprioceptive, Vestibular, and Rhythmic Input ExplainedIf you’ve ever tried to talk through behavior or feelings with a child who is clearly dysregulated, you already knowContinue reading “Helping Kids Regulate Their Bodies: Proprioceptive, Vestibular, and Rhythmic Input Explained”
- Anchored in Love: Why I Started This Podcast
Anchored in Love is a new podcast rooted in real-life experiences with foster care, blended family life, healing, and boundaries. In this post, I share why I started the podcast and how it connects to the stories already shared here on the blog, now spoken out loud and available on Apple Podcasts. - For a Little While: Our Foster Care Journey – As Featured on the Mind, Body & Wallet® Podcast
Curious about what foster care actually looks like? I sat down with Mind, Body & Wallet® to share our story, from pandemic fostering to adopting our son AJ. We talk treatment-level foster care, aging out, family transitions, and the power of showing up even when you don’t know how the story ends. - Blended and Beautiful: Navigating Motherhood in a Mixed Family
Blending a family is one of the hardest, and most rewarding, things I’ve ever done. It’s a mix of chaos, grace, and endless love. Every child in our home has a different story, yet together, we’ve built something beautifully ours. This post is about learning to let go of perfection, embrace connection, and see the real beauty in raising a blended family with love at its center. - Letting Go of the Perfect Mom Myth
For years, I thought being a good mom meant being a perfect one, calm, organized, and endlessly patient. But somewhere between the chaos, carpool lines, and bedtime stories, I realized perfection isn’t the goal. Connection is. In this post, I’m sharing how I learned to let go of unrealistic expectations and embrace the messy, beautiful reality of motherhood, especially in our blended family. - The Fear of Messing It All Up: Motherhood’s Silent Weight
Motherhood comes with a quiet kind of pressure, the fear that no matter how much we love, we’re still somehow getting it wrong. I’ve felt that weight more times than I can count, especially while balancing a blended family. But I’m learning that love matters more than perfection, presence matters more than performance, and our children don’t need flawless moms, they just need us. - Unsolicited Advice: When Family Means Well but Misses the Mark
As moms, we’re constantly surrounded by advice, from family, friends, and even strangers who “mean well.” But sometimes, those comments sting or leave us doubting ourselves. I’ve learned to take advice with gratitude, set gentle boundaries, and remember that what matters most is doing what works for our family. Especially in a blended home, peace comes from trusting your own path, not following everyone else’s. - The Motherhood Overload: Drowning in Advice, Opinions, and Expectations
Everyone has an opinion on motherhood, but nobody else lives in your shoes. This week’s post dives into how I’m learning to balance advice, expectations, and my own peace of mind. - My IgG-Friendly Meal Plan: What I Eat in a Day to Support Gut Healing
After discovering my food sensitivities through IgG and IgE testing, I began focusing on meals that support gut healing and reduce inflammation. My daily plan now includes clean proteins, colorful vegetables, and nourishing herbs, all free from my main triggers like dairy, eggs, wheat, and yeast. These small, intentional changes have helped me feel lighter, more energized, and more balanced from the inside out. - My Daily Supplement Routine: Supporting Healing Naturally
I’ve added a supplement routine to support gut health, reduce inflammation, and rebuild energy with natural supplements. - Healing from the Inside Out: How I’m Supporting My Gut After IgG Testing
After months of feeling bloated, foggy, and tired, I learned through IgG and IgE testing that my body was reacting to certain foods and struggling with gut inflammation. I started a personalized healing plan focused on whole foods, gut support, and reducing inflammation. By eliminating my trigger foods, prioritizing protein and vegetables, and adding key supplements, I’m finally starting to feel like myself again, clearer, lighter, and more balanced from the inside out. - Listening to My Body: My IgG and IgE Testing Journey
After months of feeling foggy, bloated, and tired no matter how much I slept, I turned to The Wellness Way in Green Bay to look deeper. Imaging revealed intestinal inflammation, and IgG/IgE testing uncovered food sensitivities that were silently draining my energy. I made simple but powerful diet and supplement changes, and it’s already changing how I feel. 💚 Learn what IgG and IgE tests actually mean, how to identify your triggers, and why healing from the inside out can make all the difference. - Aging Out of Foster Care: What Happens When the System Stops at 18
When people think of foster care, they often picture little kids waiting for homes. But there’s another side of theContinue reading “Aging Out of Foster Care: What Happens When the System Stops at 18” - The Truth About Fostering Teens: What I Wish More People Knew
When most people think of foster care, they picture toddlers or young children, but the reality is that nearly oneContinue reading “The Truth About Fostering Teens: What I Wish More People Knew” - 🎙️ Behind the Mic: Why I Said Yes to Talking About Foster Care
When I first got the invitation to join Guardian’s Mind, Body, Wallet podcast for an episode about foster care, IContinue reading “🎙️ Behind the Mic: Why I Said Yes to Talking About Foster Care” - Life Lately: A Family Update from the Heart
It feels like life has been moving at full speed lately, the kind of season where every time I blink,Continue reading “Life Lately: A Family Update from the Heart” - When It Takes a Village: Our First Surrogacy StoryOur surrogacy journey began back in 2016, during a time when our hearts were full and our home felt complete.Continue reading “When It Takes a Village: Our First Surrogacy Story”
- Sourdough Love: Jalapeño Cheddar Bacon, Blueberry Lemon, & Pepperoni Pizza LoavesLately, it feels like everyone is hopping on the sourdough bandwagon—and honestly, I love it. Sourdough is gut-healthy, it’s gotContinue reading “Sourdough Love: Jalapeño Cheddar Bacon, Blueberry Lemon, & Pepperoni Pizza Loaves”
- Making Homemade Butter: Simple, Delicious, and Kid-ApprovedWe’ve been trying to make more of our food from scratch lately—not just for health reasons, but to help teachContinue reading “Making Homemade Butter: Simple, Delicious, and Kid-Approved”
- Quick + Healthy Weeknight Dinner: Chicken & Cabbage Stir-FryTonight’s dinner was a hit in our house—Chicken and Cabbage Stir-Fry! This is one of those easy, go-to meals thatContinue reading “Quick + Healthy Weeknight Dinner: Chicken & Cabbage Stir-Fry”
- Roasted Vegetable Bowls: A Family FavoriteOne of our go-to meals is roasted vegetable bowls. They’re packed with color, nutrients, and flavor—plus, they’re easy to customizeContinue reading “Roasted Vegetable Bowls: A Family Favorite”
- Our Healthy Eating Journey: Learning, Adjusting, and GrowingIn 2020, we discovered that our son couldn’t handle processed foods like most people. He also struggled with gluten, andContinue reading “Our Healthy Eating Journey: Learning, Adjusting, and Growing”
- How to Manage a Foster Placement: Welcoming, Supporting, and Organizing for SuccessBringing a foster child into your home is both a rewarding and challenging experience. Each child arrives with their ownContinue reading “How to Manage a Foster Placement: Welcoming, Supporting, and Organizing for Success”
- Helping Children Process Grief or Loss While Embracing a New FamilyBringing a child into a new family structure—whether through adoption, foster care, remarriage, or guardianship—can be a time of hopeContinue reading “Helping Children Process Grief or Loss While Embracing a New Family”
- Gestational vs. Traditional Surrogacy: Understanding the DifferenceWhen people hear the word surrogacy, they often assume it’s a one-size-fits-all process. But there are actually two different typesContinue reading “Gestational vs. Traditional Surrogacy: Understanding the Difference”
- Beauty and the Blended: Finding Love and Harmony in a Blended FamilyBlended families are becoming more of the norm these days. While the idea of a nuclear family breaking apart isContinue reading “Beauty and the Blended: Finding Love and Harmony in a Blended Family”
- Redefining Happiness: Trading the Corporate Climb for a Simpler LifeFor a long time, I thought happiness meant success—climbing the corporate ladder, gaining influence, proving my worth through promotions andContinue reading “Redefining Happiness: Trading the Corporate Climb for a Simpler Life”
- What I Wish More People Knew About Foster CareFoster care is a journey filled with love, heartbreak, hope, and resilience. It’s a system designed not for adoption butContinue reading “What I Wish More People Knew About Foster Care”
- Our Foster Journey: Answering the Call in Uncertain TimesIn 2020, when the world shut down and everything became uncertain, one thing weighed heavily on our hearts—children. Schools closed,Continue reading “Our Foster Journey: Answering the Call in Uncertain Times”
- Getting Started in Surrogacy: What You Need to KnowSurrogacy is an incredible journey—one that can be deeply emotional, purely transactional, or a mix of both. No matter yourContinue reading “Getting Started in Surrogacy: What You Need to Know”
- Our Surrogacy Journey: Helping Build Families, One Baby at a TimeSome people dream of having children their whole lives, and when the time comes, it happens effortlessly. But for others,Continue reading “Our Surrogacy Journey: Helping Build Families, One Baby at a Time”
- Moving Forward: A New Beginning I Didn’t See ComingA year ago, I had the idea to start this blog. I set it up, picked a name, and then…Continue reading “Moving Forward: A New Beginning I Didn’t See Coming”
The Anker Homestead 