Healthy Chicks

Summer is a couple weeks away, and I’m already pretending it’s here. We recently took baby girl on her first ever camping trip, and this weekend, we’re celebrating my sister & her hubby’s 30th birthdays with a backyard BBQ complete with an ice cream truck and fire pit!

While summer is full of nonstop fun, it can also be stressful for many.

Does wedding season, summer BBQs and family vacations stress you out when it comes to taking care of your health? I hear ya. 

When I was coaching 1:1, one of the most common concerns was from women fearing they’d derail their diet during the summer months by living it up. And while I’m not a fan of dieting, overdoing it on the poolside cocktails and fried food likely isn’t going to feel good in your body either.

Here are my 6 simple tips on how to find a happy medium. 

1. Set Your Summer Intention

We put so much focus into getting “beach body” ready and eating healthy, but what about taking care of your soul? Now is a great time to set your summer intention! Grab a journal and ask yourself, How do I want to … Read More!

One of the best pieces of advice we were given when becoming new parents was to keep living your life, and just bring the baby with you. It’s been so much fun taking our sweet baby girl with us to do some of our favorite things — whether it’s hitting up a new brewery (hubs idea), apple picking or going for an early bird dinner at one of our favorite restaurants.

Last weekend we finally bit the bullet, tossed the Pack ‘n Play in the car and took her on an overnight trip to Cape Cod! Our little family was lucky enough to spend a night at the Cape Codder Resort & Spa in Hyannis, the perfect weekend getaway destination for us new parents.

Today on the blog I’m sharing all about our experience staying at a hotel with an eight-month-old including wining, dining and splish-splashing around in the waterpark. Spoiler alert: I’m not sure who had more fun, us or baby!

Getting to Cape Cod & Exploring Hyannis

Road trips under two hours are my jam, and getting to Cape Cod couldn’t have been easier for us! From the Providence/Foxboro area (where we were coming from) it’s just a … Read More!

It’s May, and that means it’s time for this month’s feature on Healthy Chicks in the Community, a series highlighting rockstar Girl Bosses doing their thang in the wellness community.

With Mother’s Day coming in hot, I couldn’t be more thrilled to feature this beautiful mama to be, Olivia Friel of Healthy Balanced Birth. Olivia’s one of those gal’s who exudes authenticity and kindness (and she’s totally rocking that pregnancy glow).

In this inspiring interview, we chat about her role as a birth and postpartum doula, her love for capturing moments on camera and how she’s preparing to welcome her sweet baby girl this summer!

NAME: Olivia Friel

DESCRIBE YOUR BUSINESS: The name of my business is Healthy Balanced Birth, LLC. I am a Birth and postpartum doula, as well as a certified holistic health and nutrition coach.

Initially, I launched a business based on health and nutrition coaching but then transitioned my business to focus on birth work after seeing a need for more education surrounding pregnancy, labor, birth and the postpartum period. My goal is to empower birthing people and their support systems to make educated and empowered decisions during their pregnancy, birth and journey … Read More!

Mother’s Day is a little over a week away, but there’s still time to send some love to your favorite mamas in your life!

Here are 7 gifts that are perfect for new mamas and will make her feel super special on her first official Mother’s Day. Bonus: They’re all under $25!

1. #MomLife Mug

image via Pearhead

This one is for the mamas who love their morning coffee — even if half the time it goes cold before they have a chance to drink it! #MomLife isn’t always pretty, but it sure is sweet.

$7.95, Pearhead

2. Earth Mama Organic Milkmaid Tea (2-Pack)

image via Earth Mama Organics

Tea lovers, rejoice! This organic Earth Mama blend is specially crafted with soothing herbs to help support breast milk production and healthy lactation. Plus it’s the perfect way to wind down after one of those days. Win, win.

$11.88, Amazon

3. Spark Your Bliss Affirmation Card Deck

I gotta toot my own horn for a minute! My Spark Your bliss deck — including 36 positive affirmation cards to set your soul on fire — is a great gift for a mama to take some time for self care. Practical action … Read More!

image courtesy of LesserEvil

There’s nothing worst than being a hungry, hungry mama — especially when you’re trapped nursing, trying to cram in some work (before the coffee gets cold) or out and about running errands with babe.

Here are some of my go-to healthy snacks for mom fuel! Let’s face it: the diaper bag is pretty much just one giant purse to stash mom snacks when you need something stat!

1. Chomps Grass-Fed Beef Sticks

Where have these been all my life? I discovered these gems right after I gave birth — and they’ve been a must ever since! I’m usually not a fan of beef jerky (it kind of creeps me out), but these grass-fed beef sticks are legit!

I’ve tried a couple of the flavors but the original is by far my favorite; I love that they’re made with simple clean ingredients like grass-fed beef, without any gluten, nitrates or nitrites. Get ’em at Trader Joe’s or snag your own pack online here with free shipping!

2. Larabars

Larabars were my go-to in my twenties, then I kind of forgot about ’em for a while. I always grab a few every time I’m at Trader Joe’s, and … Read More!

Happy April, beauties! The sun is out, and I’m totally feeling that energy of spring — the lightness, positive changes flowing and sense of life and beauty in nature. How about you?

Anyway, I’m excited to introduce you to this month’s feature on Healthy Chicks in the Community, a series highlighting rockstar Girl Bosses doing their thang in the wellness community. Marybeth Keener is a healthcare practitioner (trained in Traditional Chinese Medicine), wellness enthusiast and Owner of Meadowbrook Estate, a beautiful retreat and event venue nestled in the Connecticut countryside.

In this interview, we chat about stress relief techniques, her eyeopening adventure to China, and why she sees her ADD as a blessing instead of a hindrance. Want more? Marybeth will be hosting an all-inclusive wellness retreat this May with farm-to-table meals, yoga, sound healing, workshops and more!

NAME: Marybeth Keener

DESCRIBE YOUR BUSINESS/LINE OF WORK: Owner of Meadowbrook Estate, an elegant retreat and event venue in Connecticut. I’m also the host of Wellness Through Balance Wellness Retreats!

WHERE YOU LIVE: Marlborough, CT

INTENTIONS/GOALS YOU HAVE FOR YOURSELF IN THE NEXT THREE YEARS: Our goal in the next three years is to have Meadowbrook Estate established as a … Read More!

TRUTH: The most beautiful I ever felt was when I was pregnant.

Despite gaining nearly 40 pounds, not fitting into my favorite clothes, and treating myself to any foods I wanted, I felt like a freakin’ Goddess.

I loved watching my bump grow month after month, nourishing my body (and baby), and of course my glowing skin was a nice perk. More so, I loved how I felt in my body — especially when the baby kicked, I was in the zone doing laps in the pool, or meditating with my hands gently rested on my belly and heart.

I felt beautiful and connected in a way I had never felt before, in a way that’s hard to describe. I was simply so amazed and grateful for my body growing a tiny human — especially after struggling to get pregnant — and that to me felt beautiful.

Here’s the thing: beauty is an inside job. It’s 99% how we feel and speak to ourselves. 

In my teens and early 20s, I struggled a lot with my body — my thighs were “too fat,” my boobs were too small, and I wasn’t as skinny as the rest of my friends. … Read More!

Confession: I have a major fear of public speaking. In fact, I fear doing any type of video, lecture, podcast or anything where I’m being recorded. I’m much more comfortable writing — pen to paper or behind a computer screen.

Fun fact: I turned beet red and almost fainted during my Communication Studies class in college, and actually had to close my eyes for a moment to get centered so I could finish my presentation.

So when Northeastern college student Zoe Kenealy asked to interview me for her new podcast, Ready to Launch, my initial thought was hell no. I then realized that was my good ol’ pal fear talking, and I quickly emailed her back taking her up on the opportunity.

During the interview, we talked about how fear tends to hold us back from doing the things we want to do — whether that’s launching a new creative project or ditching the calorie counting (in fear that you’ll gain weight).

But did you ever stop to think what’s on the other side of that fear?

I decided to break through my fear and open up to Zoe on her podcast, which you can listen … Read More!