Lemon + Smash

Lemon + Smash A neuroinclusive clothing line that aims to make living life unmasked fun.

🍋is ready for gymnastics (wild hair and all) in our emotional regulator hoodie.
22/04/2023

🍋is ready for gymnastics (wild hair and all) in our emotional regulator hoodie.

I got a bit overwhelmed. This week is and we just wrapped .Somewhere in all the excitement, I turned 40.Seeing all th...
29/03/2023

I got a bit overwhelmed.

This week is and we just wrapped .

Somewhere in all the excitement, I turned 40.

Seeing all the posts and navigating my own milestone brought up a lot of big feelings.

And all of my grand posting plans went right out the window - while I did the inner work that needed to be done.

Like so many, I discovered my Autism and ADHD in adulthood and as a result of my kids’ neurodivergent journeys.

Advocating for them in the educational system over the years has been incredibly challenging.

Reliving my own educational journey has been equally so.

Justifying our decisions around diagnosis (or not in some cases) has been exhausting.

Breaking down the myths and stereotypes (with varied degrees of success) has meant with training in medical neurobiology and psychotherapy.

It has meant releasing an oft insinuated guilt that somehow their difficulties are my fault and not a result of a society and systems that aren’t built for us (yet).

I honestly feel the is outpacing the world of where acceptance and understanding are concerned, but we still have such a long way to go.

In the meantime, I am growing in my ability to be proudly and model for my kids that there is beauty in the wiring of every central nervous system and fun to be had while we discover our unique gifts together.

Stay compassionate out there folks,

Ashlie x

Photo of me indulging a special interest for my 40th:

Because the 🦊 is Smash’s spirit animal. Shop link in bio.
08/03/2023

Because the 🦊 is Smash’s spirit animal.

Shop link in bio.

🚨NEW BUNDLE ALERT🚨Meet the Complicated + Cozy Women’s Bundle in Heather. Snag our L+S Signature Certified Organic Cotton...
01/03/2023

🚨NEW BUNDLE ALERT🚨

Meet the Complicated + Cozy Women’s Bundle in Heather.

Snag our L+S Signature Certified Organic Cotton Tracksuit and Beautifully Complicated Tee and have everything you need to express yourself just as you are 💓

Our supply chain is traceable from seed to shop and we use low waste printing tech and only materials derived from plants (so you can feel good about indulging!)

10% of profits go to The Children’s Trust (submitted in June and December)

Get yours today (link in bio)

⚡️Change Management Strategy ⚡️It’s been a minute since I have been seen on le socials and that’s because I took a whirl...
01/03/2023

⚡️Change Management Strategy ⚡️

It’s been a minute since I have been seen on le socials and that’s because I took a whirlwind trip to the US last week.

We have an unexpected and exciting opportunity to repatriate to Raleigh, NC for 2 years and that means one thing for my crew…

It’s change management time. GULP.

This one is a doozy for the Autistics in our house (which includes me, aka cue the overwhelm):

New school
New community
New house
New everything

And let me start this handy tips section of this post with a confession…

I already done blew it all up on Monday by not heading any of my own advice and am now trying to put it all back together 🤦🏽‍♀️

Why is this all so much easier said than done ❔❔❔

But anyhow and in the spirit of helping you avoid my mistakes (aka springing things like exams on your autistic son and the respond with shock when he melts down)

Here is what I wish I had done when I arrived home this weekend:

☑️ Describe the change I had just spent the week finding out about with as much specificity as I have available right now (potential dates of the move, decision making criteria, what this means for him)
☑️ Use visual supports (like school tour videos, the house listing on Zillow, social profiles of people he knows but may have forgotten) to reduce fear of the unknown
☑️ Involving more of the right people (teachers, family members, friends) and discussing the upcoming decision and process
☑️ Sequencing events to make it easier to understand how we will move from one step to the next
☑️ Accepting the anxiety and resulting behavior and responding with compassion

These strategies can be used for experiences like bereavement, starting a new school year, moving house or even going on holiday.

I’ve used them more effectively in the past, promise!

Have you needed to manage change as or in support of a neurodivergent lately?

If so, we’d love to hear about it 👇

Thank you for this little splash of joy in my day 😇
19/02/2023

Thank you for this little splash of joy in my day 😇

🧠 YOUR POWERFUL CNS 🧠You’ve got four main functions that serve that miraculous hardware of yours (your body). Your centr...
19/02/2023

🧠 YOUR POWERFUL CNS 🧠

You’ve got four main functions that serve that miraculous hardware of yours (your body).

Your central nervous system is the software that powers everything.

Disturbances…

Which can come in the form of:

☑️ genetics
☑️ lifestyle
☑️ injury
☑️ illness

… in any of these deserves compassion and support from the medical community and from society.

There is no such things as transcending the human experience and wouldn’t it be a wonderful world - indeed - if we all could trust that awareness, understanding and support would be there when we need it most 🌏

How can you be the change through compassion today?

🍋Men’s Lemon Back Jumper 🍋Mr. C (not pictured) asked us for a simple, happy design and this is the fruit of that labour....
18/02/2023

🍋Men’s Lemon Back Jumper 🍋

Mr. C (not pictured) asked us for a simple, happy design and this is the fruit of that labour.

Lovingly created by Bash and the X-Man (with their lil’ sis 🍋 as theme inspo)

Shop link in bio

⚡️Productivity Strategy ⚡️Body doubling is a strategy we use rather a lot to navigate daily routines and minimize stress...
18/02/2023

⚡️Productivity Strategy ⚡️

Body doubling is a strategy we use rather a lot to navigate daily routines and minimize stress.

The boys always did this naturally together (before Bash’s 3 year surgery journey) and before we knew it was an actual strategy.

The X-Man developed his own code way of asking for a Body Double when Bash needed to focus on recovery and it became something he was more aware or needing.

He now just asks… “can you help me with…” and we know that he isn’t asking us to do it for him, but rather to be present so he doesn’t get distracted.

For Bash it is more the physical presence of an emotionally safe person for activities that bring up anxiety.

It has been so lovely to witness them fall back into a naturally supportive rhythm now that Bash has healed.

(Don’t get me wrong, they still fight like cats and dogs in between 🤪)

Have you tried body doubling as a productivity strategy?

Drop a comment 👇to let us know how it worked for you!

🚨NEW PRODUCT ALERT 🚨The “….but only periodically hoodie” a design collab between Bash and the X-Man.Comes in Kids and Ad...
16/02/2023

🚨NEW PRODUCT ALERT 🚨

The “….but only periodically hoodie” a design collab between Bash and the X-Man.

Comes in Kids and Adult sizes.

10% of profits from all products will be donated to for children with brain injury and neurodisability.

🧠 NEW BLOG ALERT 🧠If your 👁️s glaze over the second neuro blah, blah, blah comes up in conversation… this one’s for you ...
16/02/2023

🧠 NEW BLOG ALERT 🧠

If your 👁️s glaze over the second neuro blah, blah, blah comes up in conversation… this one’s for you 💋

(Link in Bio)

Half Term Mummy Daughter cookery in our Men’s Certified Organic “not an as***le, autistic” Hoodie (size small). There ar...
15/02/2023

Half Term Mummy Daughter cookery in our Men’s Certified Organic “not an as***le, autistic” Hoodie (size small).

There are days I want to shout this from the rooftops.

Especially when advocating for the boys.

Well, now I can let this incredibly comfy hoodie do the shouting for me 💥

Shop link in bio

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