Healthy Chicks

Last week, there was a lot of exercise talk floating around the blogosphere and inter-webs. Am I getting enough exercise? How much should I be exercising based on how much I’m eating? Do I need more exercise in order to lose weight? If I miss a workout this week will I destroy my progress?

These are the types of questions and conversations that come up be it talking to friends or browsing through articles online. And while physical exercise does play a huge role in our overall wellness, I think we often forget about the other kind of exercise…the one that comes from within.

If not more important, just as important as physical exercise is taking time for yourself, better known as self-care. After all, if you’re running around like one big burnt-out hot mess, no amount of barre classes, running or dead-lifts is going to do you any good. While it’s great to stay busy, our bodies need that personal time to recharge, re-fuel and recover.

When we think of exercise we often think of the physical body, but what about your inside…your soul? That’s where the real transformation occurs.

Next time you find yourself stressing out … Read More!

Do you ever wonder if you made the right choice, if you did in fact choose the correct path in life, if all will be a-OK?

Quite often we spend far too much time focusing on the past, or — the opposite — fretting about the future. We get so caught up in the “what ifs,” the “shoulds” and the “buts” that we lose site of the right here, right now.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s not easy to focus on the now but I’ll tell ya what: it’s a heck of a lot less stressful.

I’ve been hearing a lot of conversations lately about choosing the right path or following ones heart, weighing the pros and cons and going back and forth between various scenarios. Be it from relationships to career to spirituality, one thing is sure: this topic is a hot one.

But what if we simply paused for a moment and instead repeated this mantra: “Where I am is exactly where I need to be.” Now how does that feel?

In a life that throws you loops and turns, grand surprises and heartbreak, one can never know if we’re doing it right…all the darn … Read More!

Last week, I celebrated my 27th birthday on Fourth of July weekend. It was quiet + simple yet I could feel the massive love pouring over me from friends and family.

Each year, I enjoy taking some time to reflect on the previous year and set some personal intentions for the year ahead.

This year, I was feeling rather blessed on how far I’ve come in life + love + all the other bittersweet moments. So I’ve decided to share with you — my readers, my friends — 27 things I’ve discovered by my 27th birthday. Enjoy!

1. to love your body, you must first love yourself.

2. giving and receiving go hand and hand. give often + receive with open arms (yes, it’s OK to say “thank you” when someone tells you that you look pretty today)

3. perhaps the most precious time of all is the time you spend for yourself + by yourself.

4. true love really does exist, you just need to be patient for your *moment*

5. plans, goals and vision boards are great but in the end your life is going to look much different than you had envisioned and that’s OK. in fact, … Read More!

I had a major ah-hah moment  the other day. It hit me as I was soaking up some sunshine waiting for the t, completely out of the blue.

I’m on this planet to inspire other women – to connect, to treat their bodies with love, to SUPPORT one another, to live a healthy, happy, juicy (not perfect) lifestyle!

Now let me explain…

You see, a few years ago I struggled majorly with finding my true purpose. I kept asking myself, what the heck am I going to do with my life? I had the passion for certain but didn’t really know how to make use of it.

I worked more part time and full time jobs than any gal I know – from barista to freelancer to event planning to copy editor to fancy spas. Still searching and searching to find my WHY. I’m a certified health coach. I’m a writer. I’m a journalism grad. I’m a sister. I’m a dream-catcher. I’m a cancer. I’m a hard, determined worker.

But I still felt something was missing despite my experience, skills and degrees.

When I finally stopped searching and began to just live my passions out loud, follow my heart … Read More!

Remember when 100+ days ago I posted about my decision to start the 100 Happy Days Challenge? Well, I am proud to announce that this Monday I celebrated my 100-day mark, and I must say the whole experience was quite enlightening.

When I began this challenge back in the beginning of March, it was freezing cold in Boston, I was stressed with work, and I was struggling to find true happiness.

What this challenge made me realize is that happiness is all around us every day – be it from a hot cup of coffee, a lucky penny, or a magic moment – and sometimes you just need to shift your perspective a tad to see it.

Happiness is not something you have or don’t have; there isn’t such thing as “happy people” or “unhappy people.” Rather, I believe it’s something you choose to see…every day.

So in light of the end of my happiness journey (which is just the beginning really), I wanted to share the little moments that made my 100 happy day cut. Since I’ve already shared through photos here on instragram,  now I choose to share through words. My favorite form of art.

1. … Read More!

Last week, I was hard at work as I looked out the window at the sun blazing down from the sky. Little tots were walking around with lemonades + ice cream, women were sporting their new bright-colored lulu tanks with yoga mats in hand free as a bird, and I was cranking out emails and phone calls.

I’m not going to lie: I definitely let that ugly jealousy get to me. “Well, that must be nice,” I thought to myself as I stubbornly continued with my work. It got to me. Hard.

I then took a deep breath, and had a moment. Why was I  judging these fine folks who were simply enjoying their perfectly sunny afternoon (as they should be)? I was essentially throwing myself a pity party because poor me was stuck inside…working.

Then it hit me. I wasn’t frustrated with them, I was frustrated with myself.

And since this was a personal matter, I decided to take it into my own hands. You see, it’s easy to compare and judge and wish things were different in your life. But just as easy is taking a step back and DOING SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

You are the driver of … Read More!

Good morning lovely ladies, hope you are enjoying all of this sunshine! I’ve been a busy bee lately and it sure has been a while since I’ve given you some serious life updates so I figured you were due for a lil recap on this Healthy Chick. Hope you enjoy and know that while I may no longer blog every day, I’m still always here to connect + answer and questions you may have!

{Wedding Planning}

Wedding planning is in full gear! Save the dates have gone out, our venue has been booked for October (our reception is held in an old rustic barn in CT) and all of our vendors have been secured. I’ve also found the most perfect plum shoes to match my bridesmaids dresses to wear on our wedding day! Oh, and my first dress fitting was last month which put me at ease after a little freak out I had that my dress was “too big!” Man, those seamstresses are amazing at their jobs. Now it’s onto the little details like finding a pretty headband, creating our invites, and collecting decor for the big day. Oh, and choosing our HONEYMOON DESTINATION!!

Speaking of weddings, J and … Read More!

When you think of spring cleaning what’s the first thing that comes to mind? For some of you it may be cleaning out your closet, or perhaps dusting all the nooks ‘n’ crannies in your apartment. For others, you may think of cleansing, dieting or losing weight to get in shape for summer.

This season, I’m challenging you to to rethink the term “spring cleaning,” broadening it to include all aspects of your life: mind, body and soul. Here are some super simple tips to get started right now.

1. Drink more water. Period. Start your morning off with a cup of warm water + the juice of half a lemon, and hydrate yourself throughout the day. Currently, I’ve been loving Essentia Water, which is purified & enhanced with electrolytes with a pH of 9.5 to promote an alkaline environment. Learn more here.

2. Eat Clean(er). OK, OK, you’ve been hearing the whole “eat clean” thing everywhere lately, but what the heck does that mean and where do you even begin? Eating clean is easier said than done, until you get invited to 2 weddings in a row, and your co-workers burger starts staring at you during … Read More!