Each year around my birthday - I’m very late this year - I write myself a list of bits and bobs that I’ve learned in my life. This list is meant for me as a reflection and a celebration, but a few years ago I started sharing it on here. So! Here is my list of 35 things in 35 years: Just ask   You don’t know until you ask. Ask for what you want in the world. Often we don’t even realize what we have access to because we think something is not for us or out of reach or not deserved. Ask for it! Also, ask for help when you need it. People like to help people, give them the satisfaction o ..read more

You are an amalgamation of your choices. There are, of course, aspects of yourself that weren’t chosen by you (sex, height, eye color, genetic disposition, etc). But your depth of character and how you live are determined by you. You can argue this statement for days or you can own it, you can argue any statement for days if you’re passionate enough and can go for long periods of time without snacks. We are largely a fleshy, energetic being made up of stories and priorities. Our stories are the things we say about ourselves so often that we believe them to be true. They can even stem from thin ..read more

What does it mean to be grounded? From a psychological perspective it means to feel stability and be down to Earth. For me, it means to be mindfully aware in the present moment, which makes me feel calm and centered. Feeling grounded is synonymous with feeling whole or consciously alive. Chances are you’ve felt ungrounded many times in your life. This can mean feeling unstable, anxious, or just off. When you’re grounded you are in control of your cognitive and emotional self. When you are in control of yourself, you are less likely to feel influenced by others - like shiny Instagramers with s ..read more

Body love can mean whatever you like it to mean. While I certainly do love my body for all that it does for me, even when there are things I’d like to change (there always are), I’ve recently shifted into finding a deep respect (which you can argue that respect is a requirement for a loving relationship with yourself or another) for my body’s hard work and resilience. It does what I ask it to do and responds to the way I treat it. She’s got my back and I’ve got hers. It took us three decades to get here, but we did it. Body love can feel impossible at times, but it doesn’t have to. It took me ..read more

We all experience feelings of depression and anxiety on some level just as we all have different ways of coping with these aspects of our mental health. Exercise and nutrition are important components of mental health. We tend to think of our minds and bodies as separate entities when really we are all one, giant pile of vibrating stardust - ok but for real, your mind and your body are equally part of what make you you. Exercise and nutrition can help heal and manage stress, anxiety, and depression. Exercise is a natural drug. You can load up your adaptogen arsenal, rub CBD oil on the soles of ..read more

I don't like to brag, but I fancy myself a pretty decent salad maker. Salads are one of my favorite things in the whole world because there are no rules and you can literally throw anything in, toss it up, and likely feel healthy about it. In the summer, I'm all about the slaw. I bring it to picnics, parties, and eat it more than three times a week. It's fast, easy, and you don't have to turn on a stove or oven to make it. Here's my slaw of the moment, but get creative and make your own! You can eat it as a meal with some protein on top, as a side, or heap it on some tacos. No rules. Asian Sla ..read more

Each year I like to write a list of things that I’ve learned in as many years I have lived. This list is purely for me, but I think it can offer some lessons or inspiration for others as well. Usually, I look back on my previous years but due to a shuffleboard incident (oooor a weird, random thing that happened when I moved my website from one platform to another) I’ve lost all of my writing. Losing something you’ve put years and tears and heart and soul into is tough BUT it leads me to my first (in no particular order) of 34 things I’ve learned in 34 years.   Let Shit Go - Let go of th ..read more

May is mental health awareness month. We’ve been taught how to take care of ourselves physically. We stay active, eat well, throw on a mud mask occasionally, and pop a few vitamins when we remember. But talking about how to take care of our mental health is still glossed over or spoken about in hushed tones so no one will ever know that *gasp* we all have sad, mad, stuck feelings on the regular. We all feel the ups and downs of the day to day. Sometimes the ups feel uppier and the downs feel… oooooof. We all experience feelings of depression and anxiety and I wish that people would talk more o ..read more

Fitness is fun! Fitness can also be a lot of work. The key to finding harmony with making fitness a lifestyle is to find a way to enjoy the work. Consistency in fitness is about loving the means not just the end. Fit people enjoy the work. You can’t be a dedicated twerker-outer if you don’t find some love along the way. Here are five parts of the process with which you can fall in L-O-V-E. You may not love all five all the time, but you can mix and match and blend and twirl a few together. Loving the Actual Exercise Find an activity that makes you feel great. If you don’t love to run, don’t! F ..read more

Once upon a time, not so long ago I became obsessed with balls. I love a good ball at the end of the day… or in the morning… or a quick nooner. Chocolate, cherry, vanilla, nutty… almost any kind will do. Wait, what are we talking about again? Right! Protein balls! I recently had a yoga and ball making workshop for a local mom’s group and it was a blast. We yoga’d, we made balls, and we exhausted every ball joke there ever was. But this workshop reminded me how much I love healthy treats and how easy they are to whip up and pop in your mouth (sorry, not sorry). Here’s my current favorite ball r ..read more