Hannah Olexy, Peer Advocate Specialist | January 2023
All I can say is, Wow! I can’t believe it’s 2023 and January has already come and gone! It was a great month of workshops and events with Moonlit Acres. Moonlit Acres hosted 8 workshops and events and we have made so many new memories together. We started a new partnership with the National Art Honor Society of South Carroll High School and had a blast kicking off the new year with learning how to make prints out of foam. Thank you to art instructor, Lisa Katz, and student teacher, Kate, for teaching us how to make some cool prints – they turned out to be so cool! We can’t wait to use this technique to create some more awesome artwork in the future!
We spent time cooking among our best friends, led by Chef David, and learned how to make healthy Kabobs. David even showed us how to turn our plates into a work of art by using colorful sauces! We love checking out new spots around our community, especially those that encourage us to kick back and have fun together while we learn new things—and we found an awesome new spot at Flood Zone Brewery during their trivia night! We had so many laughs as we competed as a team against the many other teams made up of our community members. During our wood workshop, we learned about the art of Upcycle “The act of taking something no longer in use and giving it a second life and new function. In doing so, the finished product often becomes more practical, valuable, and beautiful than what it previously was.” This workshop wouldn’t be possible without Pork and Beans Store who donated their pallets so that we could create beautiful frames!
I had so many memorable moments with Moonlit Acres in January, but the one workshop that stood out the most of all to me was our New Year Yoga workshop where we learned the difference between setting intentions vs. new year resolutions. Our Downtown Yoga, Barre and Cycle instructor, Lynn, shared during a relaxing Shavasana that:
“A resolution tends to be something negative about yourself that you want to fix. Intentions however focus on living a better life and creating abundance in your life. You have beauty already within to share with others.”
As we move into a new month in the new year, I am choosing to set intentions rather than resolutions. My intention is to exercise and eat healthy so that I can focus on living my best life. I hope my friends from Moonlit Acres set intentions that will allow them to live their best lives in 2023 too!
“We love checking out new spots around our community, especially those that encourage us to kick back and have fun together while we learn new things…”