Hi, I’m Anita.
I’m a mom to three grown sons, a partner, a plant lover, and a woman who still believes growing older should never mean growing out of wonder.
My son and I were a little team for many years before our family eventually grew to include the Wilkins boys. My life has taken me through chapters I never could have imagined, some beautiful, some incredibly difficult, and all of them have shaped the way I think about joy, rest, healing, and making room for ourselves.
Petal+Leaf grew from those lessons. But before I tell you how, I should probably tell you a little about me.
I Never Really Grew Out Of Wonder
Growing Up Is Optional
I still lose my mind meeting Disney characters, and I hope I always do. I believe growing older should never mean outgrowing the things that fill you with joy, make you giggle, or bring out the kid in you.
Magic Is Better Shared
I’m a proud Slytherin, a lifelong Harry Potter fan, and always willing to dress for the occasion. Some of my favorite memories are the ones where my son and I get to step into another world together.
Life Is Meant to Be Felt
I love music. I love dancing. I love getting dressed up and disappearing into a world of color, lights, and sound. Raving reminds me to be completely present, completely myself, and never too grown-up to play.
The Reason I Fought
I was a young mother going through chemotherapy, and my son was only two years old. He was my baby boy. My reason. My heart. My love.
There were so many things about that time that were frightening and uncertain, but one thing never was: I wanted to be here to watch him grow up.
And I Did.
Today, that little two-year-old is 23. Somehow, he's still willing to sit in his mama's lap.
I got to watch my baby boy grow up. And that will forever be one of the greatest gifts of my life.
Surviving taught me how precious life is.
Living taught me I had to make room for myself in it.
I Started Choosing Me
For a long time, taking care of everyone else came naturally. Making space for myself did not.
Somewhere along the way, I learned that rest wasn't something I had to earn. That joy mattered. That slowing down mattered. And that caring for myself could be something intentional, not just something squeezed into whatever time was left.
Then I Found Another Way
For most of my life, painful periods were something I simply endured. Eventually, I reached a point where I knew I needed another way.
That search led me to acupuncture, and to Dr. Vanna, who introduced me to herbal baths and foot baths. What began as another way to care for my body became something I genuinely loved.
Herbs. Warm water. Twenty quiet minutes. A simple ritual that asked me to stop, be present, and care for myself.
And Then, Petal+Leaf Took Root. 🌱
What began as something I did for myself slowly became something I wanted to share.
I began learning about herbs, creating my own blends, and turning those twenty quiet minutes into a ritual that felt entirely mine. Somewhere along the way, I realized I wasn't just making a bath. I was creating the kind of pause I had spent years learning to give myself.
Petal+Leaf grew from that.
A reminder that caring for yourself doesn't have to be complicated. Sometimes, it can simply be warm water, a handful of herbs, and twenty minutes that belong entirely to you.
The Life I Made Room For
Today, my life looks very different from the one I once imagined.
I’m a daughter, a mother to three grown sons, a partner, a sister, an aunite, and a woman still learning, growing, laughing, healing, and figuring things out as I go.
Petal+Leaf is part of that life. It was born from everything that taught me how important it is to make space for ourselves, not someday, but now.
And I’m still practicing that, too.
And Now, This Is Yours
Petal+Leaf may have begun with my story, but every ritual becomes your own.
Thank you for allowing something I created to become a small part of your journey. Whether you come here seeking rest, grounding, renewal, or simply twenty quiet minutes that belong entirely to you, I hope you find exactly what you need.
Thank you for making room for yourself, and for allowing Petal+Leaf to be there with you.