What Brought Your the Most Joy as a Little Kid? Incorporate Those Things Into Your Life Now!

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Last week when I was chatting with Beth Hopkins of Shamanuti for an article I wrote for Well Insiders, we got to talking about the things that brought us the most joy as a little girl. Beth told the most beautiful story of how at just five years old, her and her cousin would make floral waters to sell to friends of her grandparents and the local community of the Gardener’s Cottage she grew up in. Each year, she’d wait for the violets and lilacs to bloom, since those made the loveliest waters.

Little did she know that years later her passion for hand-crafting floral waters would lead to the start of her business, Shamanuti, which specializes in natural products utilizing plant-based ingredients found in nature.

It’s funny how our passions as a little kid tend to stick with us, and perhaps maybe we should think more often about what made us happy growing up. I too had a similar story as Beth, and was inspired to dig a little deeper last year when gearing up to leave my full-time job.

I vividly remember sitting with my Energy Healer Katie, pouring my heart out to her about feeling … Read More!

you do you: 7 Little Ways to Work on Yourself as We Prepare for Spring

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Is it just me, or did winter absolutely kick your butt? There’s something about the cold weather that makes ya want to stay in bed a little longer, work out a little less, find comfort in comfort food, oh and those darn sniffles! While the first snow fall + holiday season is one of my favorite times of year, clearly you can see I’ve had enough.

It’s time to show winter what’s up and take care of yourself again! And while spring is still 23 days away, there are little things you can do right now to make you feel your best self again. (Trust me, the birds will be chirping in no time!)

1. Get your beauty sleep: I mean it. If you’re like me, winter has probably taken a toll on your body. In fact, I’m pretty certain I have mild adrenal fatigue due to stress, late nights and my go-go-go mentality. To combat this, I’m working on getting to bed at a decent hour (by 10 p.m. or earlier would be ideal to start!) and resting when my body is asking for it. Naps are totally underrated and can be everything. If you’re having trouble falling asleep … Read More!

Gratitude + Thanks: Reflections on 2014

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As the holiday season unwinds, I realize I have many gifts to be thankful for — both the physical and the little blessings that are only felt by the heart. But perhaps the greatest gift of all is that of gratitude.

It’s a gift for yourself, and no one can take that away from you.

When you’re feeling particularly low, down or lonely, gratitude may be one of the only things that can pick you right back up. It’s like a gentle nudge of affection, telling you “Hey, it’s all going to be OK.” And with the snap of a finger, your day can take a complete 180 with the simple expression of gratitude. It’s that powerful.

Gratitude forces you to shift your perspective, to stop, pause and appreciate what it is you have to be thankful for. It helps you open up your eyes and honor the present. It fills you up with love. It gives you hope even when hope seems far away.

So as 2014 comes to an end, I’d like to take a moment and reflect upon what it is I have to be grateful for this year, and I urge you to do the same!… Read More!

No, I don’t need you to shrink me & make me hot: Here’s Our Body-Love Message To YOU!

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The other evening, I nearly fell off my chair when I read my friend & fellow health coach Kendall Covitz’s Facebook status:

“A trainer looked me up and down and said ‘I can make your butt smaller and shrink you.’ I didn’t say anything since I was working for another company. What would you have done?”

Yes, I was mortified this happened to her but the reason I was shocked is that the SAME EXACT THING happened to me the day before. (You’ll read all about my story below in a minute) Was this a new trend? I had to reach out to her to tell her my story. We quickly realized that not only did this happen to the both of us just two days apart, but it was the same trainer.

After making each other giggle and realize what the woman said to us was pure hogwash (we both know each other are beautiful even if that means we’re not stick thin models), we knew we had to do something about it.

You see, as holistic health coaches, Kendall and I both work specifically with women to help them feel beautiful in their own skin by eating … Read More!

How To Let Jealousy GO & Live for YOU!

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Oh, jealousy. As much as we try to avoid it, sometimes it creeps up when we least expect it. And no matter what, it’s always downright ugly.

For some reason, jealousy always reminds me of Ursula in The Little Mermaid. Envious of Arial, the evil sea witch attempts to steal Arial’s voice & transform into a beautiful human being in order to win over Prince Eric. And while Ursula manages to pull it off for some time, eventually her true colors shine through. In the end, jealously never wins.

They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but when it stems from jealousy, comparison and negative thinking, it aint pretty.

A few months ago, one of my clients shared a quote with me that really stuck:

“The reason we struggle with insecurity is because we compare our behind-the-scenes with everyone else’s highlight reel.” —Steve Furtick

After all, we truly don’t know their story; we have no clue what’s going on behind the scenes. And while we all struggle with insecurities and “off days” from time to time, the absolute worst thing you can do is compare your lows to someone else’s highs. Trust me, I’ve definitely been there and … Read More!

The Beauty of Being Imperfect

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The other day, one of my clients asked me if I ever slip. “You know, do you ever cheat? Mess up? Eat emotionally? Are you ever bad?” First and foremost, I don’t believe in being “bad” but I totally knew what she was getting at.

The truth? Of course I do! The #1 thing I want you all to know is that I am by no means perfect, nor do I preach anyone should strive to be perfect. In fact, I don’t really believe in perfection. To me, true beauty lies in our imperfections.

In college, I thought being bad was skipping the gym, eating a slice of pizza, cheating on my diet, going over 1,200 calories, drinking too many margaritas, and having too much fun. Because of this, I’d punish my self by over-exercising, starving myself (followed by bingeing), trying a new diet, cutting back even more on calories, and staying in when all my best friends were out living their fabulous, young lives.

Does that sound like perfect to you? Hell no! To me, someone who lives a fun, free, balanced life full of imperfections is much more beautiful.

So you want the truth on my totally perfectly … Read More!

Monday Inspiration: 5 Ways to Be Beautiful From The Inside & Out

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I spent this past weekend on Cape Cod with a group of college girlfriends celebrating our friend’s bachelorette party. As I was looking around at the group of ladies (some whom I hadn’t seen in years), I couldn’t stop admiring how beautiful everyone is.

And no, I’m not talking about just on the outside. It’s no question that everyone rocked their LBD and looked absolutely glowing, but what I’m talking about is the beauty that comes from within. Inner & outer beauty are connected and if you can express them both then girl, you’ve got it goin’ onnn!

Here are 5 Ways to Be Beautiful From The Inside Out:

1. Don’t be afraid to laugh at yourself & let loose: True beauties aren’t afraid to make a fool out of themselves and have a good time. This sort of inner-child playfulness is downright attractive!

2. Be True To YOU: What I love about all my friends is that we are all so incredibly different and that’s OK. Our group of friends is made up of free spirits, creatives, party-hoppers, sporty gals, accountants and entrepreneurs alike. We all have completely different tastes in clothes, music, men, you name it. But … Read More!

Monday Inspiration: On Starting Over

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I used to think that starting over was impossible — it seemed completely out of my reach.

If I over-indulged for a weekend in college, I’d punish myself for being “bad” and “ruining” my diet by starving myself and stuffing my face with sugar-free, low-cal crap.

And if I made a mistake, chose the wrong path or felt “stuck” in a life I didn’t love, I’d think there was nothing I could do about it. This is just how it is. It’s “too late.”

I now know it’s never too late to start over & create the life you want for yourself. With this new mindset, I’ve left jobs that didn’t feel right to me, let go of a toxic “relationship” that was draining me, broke up with the scale, and released the thoughts “I can’t.”

By doing so, I have found a career path that makes me stay up late at night feeling inspired, I know what real love feels like, I have developed a healthy & fun relationship with food and I now tell myself “I can do it” as much as possible.

You see, it truly is never too late. Your life is like a blank … Read More!