Healthy Chicks

Saying no used to scare the crap out of me. Being the people pleaser that I am, I was afraid saying no would let someone down, make me look bad or hurt someone else’s feelings.

What if they don’t like me anymore?

What if they get mad at me?

What if I miss out?

These are the kinds of thoughts that would swim through my head. Then I realized something: saying ‘no’ to the things that don’t quite serve you or light you up is actually saying YES to yourself.

Let me repeat that because it’s a biggie: Saying ‘no’ to the things that don’t serve you or light you up is actually saying YES to yourself.

Doesn’t that take the pressure off like whoa? When you look at it this way, saying no actually puts you in a place of power, control and confidence. Rather than being concerned about what other’s think of you, you step into a place of feminine confidence.

And the more you say no with purpose, the more fabulous you feel. (Trust me.)

Lately, I’ve set some boundaries for myself in order to stick to it, and make sure I don’t fall back … Read More!

August has been a whirlwind of a month for me. I joined the SheBreathes team (I’ll be teaching a Journaling Class + will be available for 1:1 health coaching), got settled into our new apartment, stood by my dear friend’s side at her wedding in Virginia, and traveled to Greece to watch my soul sister marry the love of her life sea-side in the beautiful village of Eressos.

As we prepare to transition into fall (my favorite season!) and close out the month, I wanted to share with you some of my August obsessions. Here are some things I’ve been crushing on big-time lately:

CLARY CALM ESSENTIAL OIL BLEND

Where has this been all my life? I’m absolutely in love with this essential oil blend, and use it quite often. This monthly blend for women works to keep hormones in check, and minimize those not-so-fun symptoms. During that time of the month (which also happened to be while I was traveling!), I rubbed it on my belly and on my pressure points…and NO cramps. I kid you not, this is the first time I didn’t have to take Midol for my discomfort. Lady friends, get yourself a bottle. Feel … Read More!

Do you compare yourself to other women?

For many years, I would compare myself to other women’s bodies. I was super self-conscious at the beach when I was around my skinnier friends, and would refuse to take off my shorts. How dare I reveal my “fat thighs?”

Being around my slim, beautiful friends made me feel fatter, uglier and less than, ultimately stemming from that internal feeling of not being “enough.” I remember the anxieties I’d have around getting ready to go out in college. While sometimes I’d feel “OK,” the second I walked out and saw how I sized up against my roommates, I’d feel really blah.

Spring break of senior year in Cancun was probably the lowest I’ve ever felt about myself. After a week-long Lemonade Detox stint and endless efforts to lose weight with dieting, I had reached my all-time heaviest. I hated the way I looked in a bikini, and was really embarrassed to be “seen” in front of the frat boys and sorority girls. I still vividly remember taking a picture on the beach with all my girls, as I hid behind one of my friends so my thighs wouldn’t be seen.

Why couldn’t … Read More!

Good afternoon, beautiful souls! There’s something magical about a new month, don’t you think? It paves the doorway for new beginnings and gives you a sense of “permission” that it’s OK to change paths, re-route, or heck even start over. This is especially true when the start of a month begins with a new moon like today. Where are my fellow astrology sisters out there? 😉

New moons have been known to symbolize letting go of the past, and making way for a fresh start. It’s the perfect time to set intentions, get clear about your heart’s true desires, and re-set your focus. Make sense, right?

And according to The AstroTwin’s, tonight’s new moon in Leo may actually spark your inner creative genius + give you a little confidence booster to boot. So for all my fellow creatives out there, this new moon is totally working on your side!

As I reflect upon the new moons + what I’d like to manifest in the year ahead, 3 phrases immediately come to mind: abundance, focus + vibrant feminine energy.

I’m going to take some time today to write out some affirmation cards, and then spend some time journaling … Read More!

Journaling saved my life.

“Huh?” you must be thinking. “How could a piece of pen & some paper do such a thing?”

But you see it’s far more than just simply jotting down words. Journaling is a way to express yourself, unleash creativity, pour out all the emotions, and get clear about what it is your heart truly desires.

When you think about it, many of us had our first experience with a journal during childhood — in the form of a diary. Little girls everywhere would rush home from school writing down the latest gossip, deep secrets and magical fantasies. If you’re like me, many of my entries are filled with things like “Today I have a crush on____.” “Joey didn’t talk to me on the playground today.” “She’s my BFF forever and ever and ever.”

While it may seem silly, at the time it was my little Rachel’s way of venting; it was therapeutic in a sense. After all, nothing you write in a journal is off limits.

However, it’s the journaling I deep-dived into as an adult that truly was the game-changer for me. In my early days of college, I wrote a lot about heartbreak, body … Read More!

Good afternoon, babes! Hope you’re having an amazing week, and soaking up some sunshine. Hubby & I just moved into our new place in the ‘burbs yesterday, and we’re already loving the simplicity and quiet. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely adore Boston, but I’m definitely a country gal at heart 😉

Anyway, I wanted to let you in on a little secret over here: I used to absolutely hate my body, in particular my “fat thighs.” I was super self-conscious to the extent that I wouldn’t wear jeans or shorts, let alone be caught dead exposed in a bathing suit. Trust me, I had the worst tan lines!

By focusing on what I hated about my body, my mind was filled with negative thoughts like “I am not good enough,” “If only I could have her body” and “Once I lose some weight and that thigh jiggle, maybe then I’ll be happy.”

Newsflash: those thoughts got me no where.

Lately, I’ve been hearing a lot of negative bod talk stemming from the whole “bikini body” goals. It’s all over the place on social media, tabloids, magazines, and blog posts shouting at us ladies that THIS IS WHAT … Read More!

Have you ever had someone try to steal your glow — you know kill your vibe? You’re feeling great, you’re having an A-OK day, and then someone kind of stomps all over it.

This happened to me today while going about my daily errands. I ran into someone from my past whom I haven’t seen in years, and casually told them what I was up to. Before asking anything about me, they were quick to say — while laughing hysterically — “What? You quit your job without having another job?” When I told said person about how excited I was to finally focus on my health coaching and freelance writing and look for something part time, they continued to laugh at me. Big, roaring, I-am-judging-you-right-now snicker.

No questions. No congratulations. 100% judgement.

While at first I was insulted, I quickly reined it in and remembered how amazing I am and how I shouldn’t need to feel validated by another — mind you someone who barely knows me. I haven’t felt this happy in a while, and I’m going through a huge transitional period right now, including moving into a new place with my husband. This should be an exciting … Read More!

29.

Yesterday was my 29th birthday. The final year of my 20s. Almost 30. True adulthood.

Like all of my past birthdays, a bajillion feelings come sneaking their way to the surface, and I get a little self-judgy. It’s a time where I reflect back on where I am now, and where I think I “should” be.

When I was 22, I thought I had it allll figured out. I was ripe out of college, and had just moved to Boston with my best friend to start our lives in the city. I had super high expectations for myself of where I’d be at certain milestones in life — career, personal successes, love life and more. I would nail my dream job, find a husband, and make it big.

By 29, I’d be established in my career, own a big house with a backyard and grill, have a puppy and maybe a kid on the way. Put simply, I’d have my “shit together,” you know as adults should.

While things certainly didn’t map out as “planned,” I wouldn’t want it any other way.

We struggle, we change, we make decisions we don’t know are “right” but they feel right so … Read More!