Sharing my top blog posts and pages of 2024

Hi friends! How are you? How was the weekend? Ours was a good one. The kids had lots of friend time, P had a basketball game, and I taught two barre classes. The Pilot had to work and it’s hard to believe it was his last drill weekend EVER; he retires at the end of the month!

For today’s post, I’m sharing a roundup of my top blog posts and pages from the past year. It’s always fun to go through analytics and see which posts perform well, and almost all of these are posts I created to try to give a ton of value, like a recipe, a how-to, full review, etc. It’s also an interesting year because quite a few of these are posts that my SEO team went back and did surgery on. SEO is SEO-ing and I’m into it! It’s also such a great way to introduce new readers to the blog and keep posts from being published and dying.

Here’s the full roundup!

Top posts and pages of 2024

1. The blog homepage

This one means the most to me because it means that a majority of readers are my internet besties who click directly to the blog without finding it through Google. I love hanging out with all of you each day and it means that world to me that you check in to see what’s going on. <3

2. Healthy Homemade Dog Food

Masiey’s dog food recipe! I loved putting this post together because she LOVES this dog food so.much, and so many people have let me know that their pups love it, too! I make a huge batch every two weeks or so and she goes crazy for it.

3. Homemade gelatin gummies for gut health

This is a recipe that the kids ask to make all the time; they love it and it’s such a good way to get in some gut-nourishing ingredients.

4. Easy enchiladas with rotisserie chicken

Seriously the easiest enchilada recipe that I make all the time and is a true crowd pleaser. Using rotisserie chicken makes it way faster, too!

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Sharing this week’s Friday Faves roundup and praying for all of my friends affected by the California fires. If you’re looking for ways to help, check out this link. 

Hi friends! Happy Friday! How was the week? I hope it was a great one. It was the kids’ first week back at school and while waking up was a struggglllleeee, we’re all officially back into the routine. We also got a random cold snap and it went from being 70 degrees to 30! BLAH.

(The roses have been blooming like crazy with the warmer weather)

A big highlight of the week was that Liv turned 13. I can’t.even.believe it. They say time flies, and it’s true. She’s always been an introspective, kind, brilliant star, and it’s been so amazing to watch her grow. She does the BEST impressions, is sarcastic and hilarious, with the sweetest, kindest heart.

We had a family dinner to celebrate and everyone came over, and instead of a big party, she asked for a trip, so we’re headed off for that next week!

A giant cheese board for the festivities:

and my baby fever is out of control, but the Pilot says we’re done lol.

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Sharing my tips on dealing with burnout.

Hi friends! I hope you’re having a wonderful morning. We have a couple of appointments today, and it’s back to school and the *real world* after a glorious winter break. We slept in almost every day, watched a ton of movies, played Tucson tourists, ate takeout, got together with friends and family, and just enjoyed our time together. I hardly touched my laptop, but I’m excited to be back at it today!

For today’s post, I wanted to talk a bit about burnout, which is a little bit of a triggering topic. So many of us know exactly what burnout feels like, and it’s horrible. I picture myself in full burnout mode, and how exhausted and utterly depleted I felt, and I just want to give my past self a hug.

I was a Type A, super anxious child, who spent my childhood into my 20s in flight or fight. Then, I got married, started this wild adventure of a military life (we’re almost done!!) and became a mom. It was such a beautiful time, but it was a hard time — I feel like I missed a lot of the girls’ baby years because I was dealing with postpartum depression/anxiety, and completely burned out.

I know that this is what led me down the path towards mystery health issues and autoimmune symptoms.

While I’m not *fully* recovered from burnout, I’m now symptom-free and feel a million times better. I’m always a work in progress and learning as much as I can, but wanted to share some of the things that helped in today’s post. As always, this is not medical advice! Just sharing my experience, and if you’re dealing with burnout, please reach out to someone who can help you on a path to wellness and peace; you deserve to feel amazing <3

How to deal with burnout

Let yourself be a little more Type B

This was a huge one for me, and has also been the hardest one. I just learned that I can’t be everything to everyone all the time. I can’t do everything, I can’t be perfect, I can’t have a perfectly clean house 24/7, wear makeup and look cute all the time, and say yes to the millions of social activities and kid events.

Sometimes now I’ll leave the dishes in the sink until the morning, I’ll leave laundry on the chair for an extra, day, I’ll go out in public looking like a hot.mess, and will say no to events and invitations. I also used to work 24/7, but I stopped answering emails after hours and try to close my computer at a reasonable time.

The messy house is a stressor for me, so I still try to clean every day, but I’ll set a timer. When it goes off, that’s it. Also, the kids are older now and can help more!

Incorporate things in your day that you enjoy, that are just for you

This is SO important. It’s so easy to feel burned out when your entire day is consumed with tasks for other people. You *have* to t

Sharing the top 15 reader purchases of 2024! 

Hi friends! How are you? I hope that you had an amazing weekend and that you’re enjoying the New Year so far. Liv’s birthday is in two days, the kids are still home from school, and I’m here trying to slowly get everyone back in the swing of things 😉 School wakeup is going to be ROUGH lol.

For today’s post, I wanted to share the top reader purchases of 2024! I always love to go back through analytics and see which products you love the most that I shared here on the blog. Thank you so much to those of you who shop through my affiliate links. They directly support this little blog and our family <3

Here’s the full roundup!

Top reader purchases of 2024

1) HigherDOSE Sauna Blanket

#1 by a landslide and I’m so pumped that so many of you love it as much as I do! I get amazing comments and messages about this blanket almost every day!

It’s especially cozy during the winter months when it’s cold outside; nothing feels better than crawling into the toasty warm sauna blanket, watching a movie or show, and getting an awesome sweat. I sleep so well when I use this, too! My code is FITNESSISTA15 if you want to check it out here

2) Canopy shower filter

This shower filter is a GAMECHANGER for skin and hair — we all noticed a difference right away! You can check it out here and use FITNESSISTA for a discount.

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Answering the popular question about how long you should stretch for a run.

Hi friends! I hope that you’re doing well and enjoying the day!
For today’s post, I wanted to ask a common question, especially since it’s the new year and many of my friends out there are getting back to their running routines or starting new ones: how long should you stretch for a run?

Here’s the deal about stretching: science and opinions are mixed. You don’t *have* to stretch, but for many people, they find that it warms them up (it prepares the muscles for exercise and increases heart rate and tissue temperature), they may be less likely to get injured, and they may find that it mentally helps them get in the game.

How long should you stretch for a run

When it comes to stretching for a run, the recommended duration can vary depending on whether you’re doing dynamic or static stretching. Typically, dynamic stretching is best done before a run or any type of workout, while static stretching is more effective after a run.

Dynamic Stretching Duration:

Before a run, 5 to 10 minutes of dynamic stretching is usually sufficient in addition to any foam rolling. This type of stretching involves moving your muscles and joints through their full range of motion, which helps to warm up the body, increase heart rate, and enhance blood flow to the muscles. It prepares the muscles for the intense activity to come can help reduce the risk of injury.

I really like dynamic stretching because you’re working through full range of motion; it can help with altered movement patterns because you’re stretching out muscles that may be tight or underused. It feels good and energizing before any type of workout!

Static Stretching Duration:

After a run, I typically recommend 5 to 10 minutes of static stretching in addition to any foam rolling. This involves holding stretches for 20 to 30 seconds per muscle group. Static stretching helps to relax the muscles, improve flexibility, and reduce muscle stiffness post-exercise. It aids in cooling down the body, your heart rate will decrease, and it can help promote muscle recovery.

Differences Between Dynamic and Static Stretching:

Dynamic stretching is active, with movements like leg swings and walking lunges that mimic the activity of running. It’s designed to increase body temperature, improve range of motion, and get the blood flowing.

Dynamic stretching

Some of my favorite dynamic stretches before a run:

Leg Swings

Benefits: Improves range of motion, warms up the hip flexors.

Steps:

Stand on one leg with the other leg swinging forward and backward.

Keep the movement controlled and steady.

Switch sides after 10-15 swings.

Walking Lunges

Benefits: Engages multiple muscle groups, enhances blood flow.

Steps:

Step forward with your left leg, lowering your body into a lunge.

Push back up and repeat with your right