Healthy Chicks

It’s the most wonderful time of the year…but why aren’t you feeling in the holiday spirit?

Are you feeling stressed out to the max?

Hung-up about your body?

Sluggish…Broke…Defeated?

Are you finding yourself ordering takeout 5 days of the week?

Milking that snooze button a little more than you should?

Skipping the gym…because PJs just seem a little more enticing?

I’ve got a secret for you: you’re not alone.

There’s been a lot of talk lately on feeling those winter blues (er, pre-winter blues to be exact).

So I’ve been busy brewing up a fun, interactive wellness challenge for y’all! That’s right, the 21-Day Winter Blues “Get Healthy + Happy” Wellness Challenge: Ring in the holiday season feeling happy, sexy and confident in your own skin!*
*WITHOUT DIETING OR GIVING UP PUMPKIN PIE!!

The challenge will begin on Monday, December 1st (right after Thanksgiving weekend), and includes:

• Daily dose of positivity sent straight to your email (even better than your morning latte!) with clear action-steps to implement right away for the 21 days.
• Access to private Facebook group to hold one another accountable – I’m a firm believer that the main reason we don’t follow through is because we

Are you feeling a little off,

Down in the dumps?,

“Blah?”

Don’t worry, my darling. It seems like you just may be dealing with a little case of the cold-weather, pre-winter blues. And I’m totally with you on this one!

As I hiked through the pouring rain in 40-degree weather the other evening, carrying multiple tote bags for a work function, a part of me just wanted to break down and cry. Mind you, that morning I had an argument — er, disagreement — over my recent health insurance bills and then had to trek an hour out of my way because I left some items for my event in the hubby’s car. Did I mention I spilt dressing on my favorite jeans?

It was pretty much the epitome of one of those days. You know the type.

So I reached out to twitter world, asking for favorite ways to perk up on those gooey, rainy, less than perfect days.

I loved all of the suggestions, from curling up with a hot cup o’ coffee + macaroons to squeezing in a sweat session at the gym. Here are some of my personal favorites:

1. Curl up with a magazine or … Read More!

I’ve been a bit MIA on the blog-front lately, but I promise it’s in good reason.

Three weeks ago I married the love of my life, and can honestly say without thinking twice that it was by far the best day of my life.

Really, I couldn’t think of a single day that even comes close — it was special, unique, full of love and downright a good time (our friends and family know how to party!) In one word it was simply magical.

Leading up to the wedding, we heard endless words of advice from friends and family (all in good nature!)

You’re not going to eat, so be sure to eat something at the cocktail hour before you go out.

Remember to step away and take it all in; it’s going to be a blur.

It’s going to fly by, enjoy it!

It’s impossible to get to every table… unless you want to miss dinner!

All of this was great, first-hand expert advice from fellow married couples, but the moment I walked into the church in my all-lace dress and grabbed onto my dads arm for dear life, all of it went out the window.

I was about … Read More!

Good morning ladies, hope you’re all having a great week! (Can you believe it’s already Thursday?) Time is sure flying by for me lately. Not only am I getting married in 29 days (eek!) but I’ve also been busier than ever with work and did I mention I’m training for a half marathon?

Some may call me crazy to run a half marathon just 12 days before my wedding, but honestly for me running is one of my favorite ways to de-stress and spend time with myself + for myself. So I signed up for the Newport Half Marathon held on October 12th, and haven’t looked back since.

Aside from having the proper fuel, upbeat music and a whole lot o’ stamina (especially for those long runs), having the right workout attire makes a huge difference too! I’m a firm believer that if you feel comfortable and fabulous in what you’re wearing, you’ll have a better day, and well a better run too.

That’s why I was ecstatic when City Sports kindly offered to send me some items from their new fall fitness collection for me to try out. It could not have come at a better time…smack dab in … Read More!

Last Sunday, I was invited by the lovely folks at Chestnut Hill Square to participate in a complimentary “Bridal Bliss Day in the Square.” What’s that you ask? To sum it up it’s essentially a full day of pampering…just for me. Oh, and did I mention I got to bring a friend too? Needless to say, it took me about half a second to say YES.

Seeing as though my wedding is now officially next month (eek!), it couldn’t have come at a better time. And I knew just the gal to ask to tag along: my best friend (since first grade!) + bridesmaid Morgan.

We started our day with an afternoon spin session at SoulCycle Chestnut Hill.

I have been a few times so far, and I have to say there isn’t really a workout quite like it. It’s the perfect blend of sweat, inspiration and all around fun! The classes are held in a dark, candle-lit room with the beats bumpin’ and all of the instructors have this incredible, positive energy.

I was psyched to find out that one of my favorite instructors Erin L would be teaching the class — I couldn’t wait for my friend … Read More!

I was just having coffee with a lovely woman in the Boston wellness industry, and we got to talking about social media distractions and all of the “stuff” out there (the good and the bad). She actually recently chose to hide the Facebook feed on her iPhone for this very reason. It’s just too much sometimes.

Ironically, this seems to be a popular topic of late. In fact, the other night when out with friends one of them mentioned how he limits what he shares/how much time he spends on Facebook. “Sometimes it just seems like a space for a bunch of people to show off!” one friend exclaimed.

I totally got what he was saying. From time to time, it can seem a bit too much “Look at me!” and not enough real, genuine, raw honest truth.

And trust me, I too have been guilty as charged. It makes you question, “Why am I sharing this?” “What purpose does this serve?” Is it inspiring others or is it just plain self-obsessed, superficial, information overload?

It brings me back to that quote I shared with you all a few months ago regarding comparing your lows (or behind the scenes) with … Read More!

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!