When you want self-care to fit into your everyday
Between to-do lists and everyone else’s needs, it’s no wonder self-care ends up last in line. Poppy & Cow was created for those days — the ones where “take care of yourself” feels too vague or journaling feels as impossible as snagging Eras tour tickets.
Prompts guide you in, affirmations ground you, and blank space holds the rest, turning self-care into something you’ll want to come back to.
your feelings look goooooood on paper
How it all started
Born from my story and here to hold space for yours
I’ve always been a stationery girlie. School supply shopping and Scholastic book fairs?? Girl, I ate that up. So maybe it’s no surprise Poppy & Cow was always waiting for me. The name (and the why) just came later.
At 27, I lost my soul dog, Joey, my sweet lil guy who’d been my safe place since I was 11. Therapy helped me navigate my grief and depression, and journaling in my notes app became my lifeline between sessions.
I wanted a paper journal that helped me be accountable for taking care of myself, but every “self-care” journal I picked up—with their sleep trackers, water goals, and habit checklists—only made me feel worse. Like, girl... I can’t even get out of bed—do you really think 64oz of water and a 9 p.m. bedtime will heal me???) I didn’t need another chore or checklist. I needed a safe place to just be.
So, I made the journal I couldn’t find. Poppy for my taurus flower, Cow for Joey’s favorite plush. Now, these pages hold what he once gave me—comfort, love, and the reminder that you’re enough as you are. You’re never too messy, too behind, or too much to deserve care.
The Values i hold at poppy & cow
aka the things that keep me grounded, playful, and just a lil rebellious against hustle culture.
Self-care is honoring whatever you need today.
My bread & butter. My tea & honey. The heart of Poppy & Cow. Self-care is making space for yourself in the middle of everything else, not saving it for the moment you’re about to break. Sometimes, it looks like affirmations and journaling. Other days, it looks like moving a task to tomorrow because your brain has just had enough. Either way, it counts. And you deserve it, every single day.
Life is sweeter when you don’t rush through it.
Being human was never meant to be measured in checklists or deadlines. There are no medals for being the busiest, no trophies for running on the least amount of sleep. Slow living gives you room to savor your tea while it’s still hot, pause to notice the flowers on your walks, and actually hear what your body is asking for. With that space, you get to build a life that feels good to you. And let’s be real.. Life is always sweeter when you let yourself enjoy it.
Fun and play belong in your grown-up routines.
Grown-ups deserve joy, too. Buy the plushies and coloring books. Write with glitter pens on heart-shaped sticky notes. Doodle in the margins. Dance in the kitchen. Joy belongs in the everyday. Sprinkle it into the little moments—you don’t have to wait for the weekend to make life feel softer and lighter (and honestly, the world could use waaaaay more of that right now).
self-care, but make it cute
