Healthy Chicks

Good afternoon ladies! Hope you are all having a beautiful start to your week so far, remembering to relax and take time for YOU (something we forget to do far too often).

I’m happy to finally be back in Boston, as I feel like I’ve been living out of a bag for the past week with my trip to DC and last-minute visit to my parents in CT this weekend.

On the other hand, I have to admit it was quite lovely being home for a couple days. I spent the last few days celebrating a good friend’s birthday with mimosas & brunch (the eggs with smoked salmon and asparagus were to-die-for), getting pedis with the ladies, cooking in my parent’s brand new gorgeous kitchen, and lots and lots of unplugging.

Speaking of cooking, I always have a blast cooking at my parents’ house, since The Boy and I pretty much have a box for a kitchen and no, I’m not joking (Think: zero counter space, no dishwasher, etc). The problem is: we both love to cook and do lots of it, which leads to knocking elbows, silly arguments and unnecessary stress. Not to mention, we also both love … Read More!

Good morning ladies, and happy Thursday! I’m so excited to announce this week’s feature on Healthy Chicks in the Community, as she’s a dear friend of my sister and someone I’ve always admired for her care-free, go-with-the-flow spirit. I’ll let Courtney take it from here!

NAME/AGE: Courtney Smith, 23

BLOG/TWITTER (If Applicable): www.peacecorpscourtney.wordpress.com

CURRENT CITY: Woreta, Amhara, Ethiopia (an absurdly hot town in the Northwestern part of Ethiopia)

PHOTO TAKEN: This is me in the Simian Mountains, also known as the roof of Africa, at the start of a 3 day hiking/camping trip.

WHAT YOU DO FOR WORK: I’m a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ethiopia! I work in the education sector here, so I am assigned to a primary school.  I do teacher trainings, student and teacher English clubs, and will hopefully be working on female empowerment, leadership skills, and HIV/AIDS activities in the future!

NUMBER ONE PASSION: Traveling, without a doubt.  I love learning about other cultures and jumping in to new and exciting places.  There’s so many people to meet and new things to see and experience – you just have to get out there!  If only I could find a job that pays me to just travel … Read More!

Hi friends! I’m taking a vacation from blogging for a few days…

No, not that kind of vacation (although I’m desperately craving a trip the beach) But I’m still equally excited! I’m off on a business trip to D.C. for my new position with sweetgreen.

For those of you who haven’t heard of sweetgreen before, they are an eco-friendly, healthy hot-spot serving up delicious eats like seasonal salads, wraps, frozen yogurts, and juices. If you know me well, this kind of food is right up my alley. Check out their menu to see for yourself! Even better, sweetgreen will be launching in Boston this June, bringing us city chicks a trustworthy healthy option.

Anyway, since I’ll be super busy these next few days (I’m even going to make time to see some of my best girlfriends from college…eek!) I’ve decided to take a mini vacation from blogging. But don’t worry; I’ll be back again on Thursday for a new feature on Healthy Chicks in the Community.

In the meantime, feel free to subscribe to my newsletter (on the right) if you haven’t already for free weekly healthy tips or take a glimpse of this week’s newsletter here! As always, … Read More!

I’m a huge fan of trying new workouts, challenging yourself and most importantly finding that exercise that makes you shine (you know, makes you feel beautiful, strong and confident in your body!) After all, that’s what FitFluential means to me.

So when I was invited by Jen and Kerrie from Blog & Tweet Boston to attend a complimentary class a Pure Barre Boston yesterday afternoon, I jumped on the opportunity! While I have taken barre-style classes before through Core Fusion at Exhale Spa, I have  never tried Pure Barre so I was excited to see what was in store!

Pure Barre recently opened their new Boston studio at 350 Newbury Street, which is a prime location for anything & everything fitness and health if I do say so myself. (Side note: sweetgreen will be located just a walk away right by Copley Station, scheduled to launch in June. Boston foodie & fitness peeps, I know you are going to fall in love. You can read all about my new job at sweetgreen here!)

The first thing I noticed upon walking in was the beautiful space: clean, fresh with lots of natural light. Plus, they have lockers and keys … Read More!

I AM THAT GIRL

Last night, I was invited as a guest speaker for I Am That Girl’s Boston Chapter. If you’re not familiar with I Am That Girl, it’s a “community that inspires girls to discover their innate worth and purpose.” Obviously, their mission is right up my alley so I quickly accepted the invite!

Each meeting, the girls pick a different topic to discuss and in honor of NEDAwareness Week (National Eating Disorder Awareness Week), the topic was disordered eating habits & ways we restrict ourselves as women. Since I have been there and now work with other women to overcome diet-obsessed living, they asked me to shine the light on disordered eating habits beyond Anorexia, Bulimia, and bingeing.

It’s important to know that even habits like counting calories (in an unhealthy way), gym addictions, obsessions with the scale, feeling of shame/guilt, and restricting yourself with extreme diets and “diet-food” can be extremely detrimental to your health and overall wellbeing. I also want women to know that while these issues often aren’t talked about, that doesn’t mean they don’t exist. Heck, in college I thought my highly restricted eating habits were normal, and my only option if I … Read More!

Welcome back to another week of Healthy Chicks in the Community. For those of you who are new to my blog, every Thursday I spotlight a standout woman who embodies what it means to be a “Healthy Chick.” This week, I am thrilled to introduce you to Meg, an adorable Canadian college student whose innate passion is making people feel good about themselves. With a similar passion myself I know her and I would get along perfectly! I’ll let Meg take it from here…

NAME/AGE: Meg Doll/21

BLOG/TWITTER: A Dash of Meg (http://adashofmeg.com)/@ADashofMeg

CURRENT CITY: London, Ontario, Canada

PHOTO TAKEN: In my backyard on my deck in Yorkton, SK, Canada where my parents live year round. I’m snuggled up to my dog, Cuddles, who passed away this summer a few days after this photo was taken.

WHAT YOU DO FOR WORK: Currently, I’m a student at Brescia University College, which is an affiliate college to the University of Western Ontario. In June, I will be graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Food and Nutrition. From there, I plan to use my education and passion for food and nutrition throughout my future and career. I’m not … Read More!

I didn’t have a post planned for today, but wanted to share some exciting news with my readers! I was riding home on the T after a rather rainy coffee date with a friend, and was pleasantly surprised when I looked down at my phone. Boston University’s Sargent Choice Nutrition Center has recognized Healthy Chicks as “Best of the Food Web.”

When I saw that I’d been featured, I quickly head over to their site to read more. As I read every last word, my body filled with warmth, chills and gratitude as their words really touched my heart. That right there is exactly why I choose to do what I do, and it means the world to me to be recognized for that.

As you all know, connecting with my readers & clients, and helping other women lead happier, healthier more vibrant lives (without dieting) is what I live for! It’s my “natural high,” my purpose, my calling. If I can make someone smile a little bigger, feel more comfortable in their curves or question what they’re putting into their bodies, I have done my job.

I encourage you to go out and read the article… Read More!

Last night, I attended a Boston Bloggers Meetup hosted by the lovely Alison and Kate through Eventbrite. (Big thanks to Sara from Boston Eventbrite for taking part!) The event was held at Scampo, a tasty upscale Italian-inspired restaurant inside the Liberty Hotel.

While the wine was lovely (I changed it up with a refreshing Pinot Grigio as opposed to my usual red), the food was delectable (um, can you say sausage-stuffed bacon wrapped dates and mini Endive salads?) the best part of the night hands down was mingling with other positive, fun, like-minded bloggers!

What I love most about these kinds of events is you get the chance to meet people in all different walks of life, with many different passions! Being a healthy living blogger, I find it fascinating to meet fashion, travel, lifestyle, arts & crafts, and even beer bloggers. It completely blows my mind how many talented, created people there are out there with one big thing in common: writing it out & sharing stories.

READER ROUNDUP

Here’s a little snippet from some of the fascinating people I mingled with last night…

Abigail, The Fabulous Life of a Natural Disaster: Spunky, adorable and sweet … Read More!