Weekend Wellness 10.08.17

So much focus is put on eliminating bad habits from our lives. However, I’ve found that starting new, healthy habits is just as challenging if not more challenging, than eliminating bad ones. For most of my adult life, I’ve been focused on trying to start one habit: become a morning person. I am a true night owl. I re-energize at night and it’s hard to turn my brain off. I’ve tried everything from limiting before bed screen time, to sleep inducing teas and lotions and evening meditations and journaling. While they definitely help get me to bed earlier when I put in the effort; no matter how much I sleep the night before I am not a morning person. I’m slow, I need my coffee, and will always need to set an alarm. However, I’d love to be that person that by 9 am has already worked out, showered, and is working hard at the office.  But the reality is, I’m just not there yet, but I’m not giving up either.

What is one habit you are trying to start (and do you have any new ideas for me to breakthrough on mine)?

Thursday Inspo 09.21.17

Weekend Wellness: 08.20.17

Goal setting is a huge part of my life. It is something I do regularly and always in writing. Why? It gives me something to reflect on, refer back to, and track my progress accordingly. I find without writing my goals down on a regular basis, I feel like I lose direction. For me, it’s extremely important to do big picture goal setting 2x a year: around the New Year and around my birthday. I find those are the two times per year when I really reflect on the trajectory of my life and where I need to focus my efforts. However, each week I do some planning and goal setting to help ensure I have a successful week. Regular goal setting helps keep me centered and focused, especially when life feels hectic.

How often do you set goals and how does it help you? 

Thursday Inspo 11.10.16

Weekend Wellness 09.18.16

Happy Sunday! I hope you are having a peaceful start to your morning. This week the focus is on finding joy. I personally get a lot of joy out of a quiet Sunday morning with my cup of coffee. This is usually the time where I do my weekly planning, which really helps me stay on track for the days head. Setting intentions, goals, and plans in the peace and quiet of my home (and in my PJs) really sets the tone for the week. What brings you joy?

Weekend Wellness 08.14.16

This is a question I try to reflect on daily to build a habit of gratitude. From this habit I've realized that all my responses can be simplified into one category: my health. I try to live in a way that nourishes my body, soul and mind, to try be the best version of my self every single day. What are you most thankful for?

Weekend Wellness 08.07.16

Random text messages from family and friends, a well-timed corny joke, a glass of wine, Harry Potter weekends. Whatever makes you smile (and feel free to share in the comments!) I hope you find joy in it this week.

Introducing Weekend Wellness

Baton Rouge, Istanbul, Orlando, Dallas, Munich. 

These are only just a FEW of the cities that have experienced tragedy and violence within the past few WEEKS. Every morning I almost dread reading the news. The constant acts of hate that fill the daily headlines have left me desensitized. For the first time ever, I felt uncomfortable in a crowded theater watching a Broadway show. It just felt like so many of the other news stories that I read; horrible acts of violence occurring at common gathering places. Sometimes the world can feel overwhelming and the ability to bring change feels impossible. While I don’t pretend to believe that a few positive messages can change the world, I do believe that on an individual level, changing your thinking can change your life. So, in my small attempt to put some happiness and thoughtfulness back into the world, I am introducing the Weekend Wellness series to W&W. On Sunday’s I’ll post a thought provoking question in effort to jumpstart the week with some positive vibes. I’ll answer my own question and encourage others to do the same. Whether you respond only internally to generate mindfulness or publicly comment on the post to uplift yourself and others, let’s just all take some time to bring a little more peace into our lives.

Thursday Inspo 3.10.16

Thursday Inspo 2.25.16

Thursday Inspo 2.11.16

Thursday Inspo 1.28.16

[RECIPE] Simple Date Night Dinner

Maybe it's the cold weather, maybe it's my need to decompress after a long week, but lately on Friday nights instead of going out after work I've been coming home and unwinding with a nice homemade meal and glass of wine. Usually, the weekend includes the coveted date night out and the opportunity to try some new restaurants in town. But I've been so drawn to the relaxing comfort of home that date night has started to take place in our apartment instead of a newly opened bodega or corner cafe. 

While on the hunt for a perfect date night dinner, I came across this New York Times recipe for a pasta with fresh mint, cherry tomatoes and pancetta. It looked amazing but felt too much like a fresh, summer dish than a warm and hearty winter recipe. So, I swapped out the mint for basil and voila! The most easy, delicious date night dish was created.

This dish can be prepared in a million ways, using whatever you have on hand or to your dietary needs. The original NYT recipe calls for fusilli pasta, but I had whole wheat shells on hand and used that instead. Also, the NYT version says the ricotta is optional, but I would NOT leave it out. It melts instantly on top of the warm dish and makes it so creamy while the scallions provide a nice crisp bite to finish.

Head over to the link above for a full list of ingredients and a great video on how to prepare. I promise you will love this simple and quick recipe.

What else are you cooking at home? Let me know in the comments below!

Thursday Inspo 1.14. 16

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In the words of Heidi Klum, success is health and happiness. Wishing you an insanely successful 2016!

XO

How to Travel Europe (and the World)

Recently I went to a lecture given by Rick Steves, European travel extraordinaire. Rick’s apps and savvy travel advice have gotten me all around Europe, so when I heard he was coming to D.C. to give a lecture, I couldn’t wait to snag tickets. And he did not disappoint. So if you are planning a European holiday anytime soon or have "travel more" as a 2016 resolution, read on for some of Rick’s top travel tips.

Split Your Time Between Big Cities and Hidden Gems

Rick spent a lot of time encouraging people to find the hidden gems – the cities that are off the beaten path that don’t have the major promotion budgets to bring in millions of tourists every year. That is not to say, that you shouldn’t see London, Barcelona, Rome or cities of the like, as these are important locations too. Rick recommends that you spend at least ½ a day in these modern metropolitans, but also be willing to travel beyond just these cities.

Avoid the Brochure Racks in the Hotels

Ok, that may be old school, but the same goes for TripAdvisor and other sites. Those recommendations were put there for a reason so be wary of them and do your research before committing to anything. Your time is valuable and you may only get to see these places once, so make sure you study up the locations you’ll be visiting and make a plan. Rick recommends that your first stop in any new city should actually be the tourist center at the airport. You’ll instantly greet a friendly face of a local, who will likely give you their honest opinion of what is worth seeing, versus consulting a material rack of brochures that were paid to be placed there.

Be a Cultural Chameleon

I love this phrase. We travel to experience new people, places, and things, to expand our worldview and way of thinking; so allow yourself to be engulfed by the experience. Absorb the culture, food and ideas surrounding you at that moment because you may never get the opportunity to do so again. Which brings me to his next point…

Be Present

This one is my favorite. So often we are consumed by snapping the perfect photo for Instagram or Snapchatting the scenery to give others FOMO, but really we should just be present. If you are lucky enough to be able to travel the world, remember to experience it and not just focus on what filter you’re going to use.

Don’t Confuse Risk with Fear

Sadly, our world has become a scary place lately. However, don’t let your fear muddle with the actual risk of traveling to these places. If anything, places like Paris need us to come and reinvest in their economy. Paris is supposed beautiful this time of year, and given the recent events, flight deals are also pretty great right now too.

Have additional travel tips to share? Leave them in the comments!

Three Books That Totally Changed My Life

Have you ever read a book and felt renewed in spirit and energy by the message or maybe even sad that the story was ending? I love getting lost in a good read and am always looking for my next book. I regularly solicit recommendations from my friends and participate in book clubs. One of my girlfriends in Chicago and I even keep a Google spreadsheet of more than 200+ books that are on our reading list that we rate and comment on. Think of it as long-distance book-clubbing.

While I typically find something I like about every book I read, there are three books (the entire Harry Potter series excluded) that I’ve read that completely changed my life. I realize this is a heavy statement, and people always ask me, "what do you mean by that?"

For something to change my life, it has to change the way I think about myself and the world around me. After all, it is our thoughts that become our habits, that become our actions, right?

So read on for the three books that changed my life and why:

Malcolm Gladwell, Outliers - I love this book because of the way it evaluates successful people and the connections he makes between seemingly unrelated people. Gladwell takes such a different, yet scientific approach to understanding and defining success that made it so much more palatable for me. If you ever wondered what it takes to be successful, this book provides a pretty good roadmap.

Laura Hillenbrand, Unbroken - the story of Louis Zamperini is one we should all read. You could segment out any part of this story, his childhood and rise to Olympian, his Olympic experience, his experience as a POW, or his post-war experience, and it would all be an exceptional read. The fact that all of these things happened to one person is awe-inspiring.  Louie’s story changed the way I think about the human spirit and the human condition. Don't believe me that this is an amazing read? Just check out those Amazon reviews. When was the last time you saw something rated with 5 stars and 25,000 reviews?

Marshall Goldsmith, Triggers - Marshall Goldsmith is my life and leadership guru. He just gets it right every time for me. His approach to interpersonal relationships and communication really ring true for me, and I feel like I learn something new and critically important every time I read one of his books, and behavior change was no different. I highly recommend this book for anyone who is looking to make a behavior change in their life (who isn’t?).

What books have you read that changed your life and how?

Thursday Inspo 10.29.15

Thursday Inspo 7.16.15

Planning for a Successful Week

The weekend - TGIF!  Friday through Sunday are the universal days where people unwind and indulge after a long work week. Whether you spend these days shopping, going out or curling up with a good book or movie, most people approach the weekend with a clear plan on how they will be spending this free time. In most cases, it's what people look forward to all week and are "just trying to make it to the weekend."

But what if we approached the remaining days of the week with the same vigor and intensity that we do the weekend?

Don't get me wrong, I think the weekend is a great time to let loose and let go of the stress that may of accumulated throughout the week. But I also think we should live for everyday, not just the weekends.

Life gets busy for everyone. There is no way around that. But I try and find ways to relax and stay productive every day of the week so that I'm not just living for the weekend. One way I do this is by carving an hour out of my day (typically Sundays), look at my upcoming week and break it up into 3 buckets:

- Professional/Work: What meetings do I have this week or what tasks must I accomplish?

- Personal/Health: What workouts do I have planned, what will I be eating this week?

- Personal/Wellness: Have I scheduled time with my significant other, friends and family?

These are the three categories most important to me every week, and I suggest identifying the buckets that are most important to you. Look at your schedule and see where they fit in or how much time you are giving to them each week. 

I know when I start to feel stressed, overwhelmed or down, it's typically because one of these things is out of balance. Maybe I haven't worked out enough, or haven't made enough time for friends and family. Whatever it is, I try to identify it and make room for it. Even if it means canceling one of these things to fit in another. Sometimes you have to make trade-offs.

Once I see what I have planned, I continue to build out my week around in. Based on the schedule I know what days are best to fit in a work out or what days I may want to consider cooking a quicker meal because I know I'll be home later. Knowing what I plan on eating helps me make a solid grocery list and also makes it less likely that I'll eat something unhealthy when I already have the ingredients for a balanced meal at home.

I even take it a step further by planning what I will wear each day of the week. While that may be too much for some of you, I am not a morning person, so the less I need to think first thing in the morning, the better.

So what does it look like when I'm all done planning? Each day of the week I know what I'll be wearing, what I'll eat that night for dinner, what meetings I have, and what I need to accomplish to make the most out of each busy day. Then, when the weekend comes around I don't feel so bogged down with chores or running event to event because I've spent my week actually living.

If you are attempting this method, I highly suggest investing in a good notebook or planner. I always have at least one Moleskin on me and I keep my Corie Clark Purposeful Planner on my nightstand. It's like my Bible for the week.

So there's my method - how are you making the most of your days? Let me know what tips & tricks work for you in the comments below!