Hi friends! I hope that you’re having an amazing week! I’m taking the day off today because both kids are under the weather… and it’s my bday!

TBH, I don’t typically enjoy birthdays. Another year on the calendar; a tangible reminder of the things I want to achieve but haven’t yet accomplished.

This year feels different. This year, I just feel gratitude for this life, our family, our friends that feel like family, and for another year of amazing memories. I heard a rumor that 40s are even better than 30s, so I’m hoping it’s true! 

Here are some of the things I learned after four decades on this beautiful planet:

– Start each day with gratitude. It will affect your mindset and actions for the entire day.

– It’s ok to change your mind when presented with new information.

– Trust in God with all your heart.

– Just because it works for one person, doesn’t mean it works for everyone.

– Health is one of the best investments you can make. When you’re sick, nothing else matters

– Forgiveness is a gift you give yourself

– The healing power of a walk outside in the sunshine

– Everything is temporary. This is a good thing, but also a bad thing.

– Your habits and mindset are a reflection of who you surround yourself with. My tribe inspires me every single day with motherhood, work, relationships, and life.

– Live a life that’s true to YOU that you love. Find pockets of joy in the day.

– Be thankful for the past, hopeful for the future, yet grounded in the present.

Thank you for being a part of my journey, friends.

We’ll be spending the day hanging out, and capping it off with some gluten-free funfetti cake tonight.

I’ll see ya tomorrow!

xoxo

Gina

The post The big 4-0 appeared first on The Fitnessista.

Hi friends! Happy Friday! How was the week? I hope you had a wonderful one. After all of the excitment of the past few weeks, poor Liv is sick so we’re here chilling and taking it easy. I’m looking to a low-key weekend ahead, tackling laundry mountain and chores after our trips, and teaching a barre class. I’d love to hear what you’re up to!

A huge highlight of this past weekend was the Pilot’s Change of Command ceremony. He’s been a commander for three years, and I’m incredibly proud of him for his leadership, dedication, and just the man that he is. At the same time, I’m glad it’s over. 😉

I feel like I’ve been struggling to do the bare minimum in life and business for years. When we moved back to Tucson, he immediately deployed, then when he came home, he was hired by the airlines, traveling constantly, and then became commander. I feel like we can all take a deep breath. I’m also feeling excited to have my buddy around more often, and to finally have some extra bandwidth on the personal and professional front.

It’s time for the weekly Friday Faves party. This is where I share some of my favorite finds from the week and around the web. I always love to hear about your faves, too, so please shout out something you’re loving in

Sharing a new podcast episode with Chris Mirabile about reducing your biological age

We talk about:

– His background and how he became so passionate about longevity

– Why he created NOVOS

– What is biological age and his everyday tips for reducing your biological age

– What to do if you’re already consistent with health foundations and want to take it to the next level

and so.much.more.

175: Reducing your biological age with Chris Mirabile

Here’s more about Chris and his background:

Chris Mirabile is an internationally recognized longevity expert and the founder and CEO of NOVOS, the world’s leading consumer longevity platform.

At an early age, Chris faced health challenges – a brain tumor – that sparked his passion for longevity medicine and gaining a deeper understanding of the connection between aging, disease, and mortality.

Chris shares his personal longevity journey on his blog, SlowMyAge, where he tracks his lifestyle, self-experiments, and biological data while sharing how he successfully slowed his biological aging by 37%. Chris is featured as a longevity leader frequently in the press and has spoken on 100+ podcasts, forums, and at numerous global conferences.

Based in Miami and New York, Chris created NOVOS, a Public Benefit Corporation with the mission of making longevity achievable and accessible for all. NOVOS is the first human longevity company to simultaneously address the 12 biological causes of aging through its scientifically validated, patent-pending, over-the-counter formulations, best-in-class biological age tests, and free digital tools.

NOVOS’ formulations are in a class of their own, being studied at academic labs and found to reduce DNA damage, cellular senescence, and oxytosis/ferroptosis; shown in a human case study to slow down epigenetic pace of aging for 73% of participants, with 0% accelerating; and multiple NOVOS customers featured in the news for being globally ranked in the top 5 for slowing their pace of aging.

Check out NOVOS here and connect with Chris on Instagram. 

Partners:

Check out my al

Sharing some ideas for Christmas brunch and dinner recipes.

This year is flying back at warp speed, and I’m trying to do everything in my power to avoid the last-minute scramble. I started Christmas shopping early – I feel like it’s less of a hit on the budget when you space things out, too! – and am trying to plan and prep as much as I can. Last year, I had prepped a ton for Christmas dinner and it felt like huge treat. I think as moms, we have a lot of the to-dos on our shoulders, and the holiday season isn’t as fun if you spend it stressed and overwhelmed.

Christmas Brunch and Dinner Recipes

Since I was brainstorming ideas for Christmas brunch and dinner (both are at our house), I thought I’d share some sample recipes if you’re looking to prep in advance, too! Worth mentioning here that I get all of the meat for our holiday feasts from Butcher Box. They have beef tenderloin, turkeys, salmon, and it’s all great quality.

What I’m Cooking for Christmas

Smoked turkey on the Traeger

Cranberry sauce

Beef tenderloin with horseradish sauce

Artichoke dip and crackers

A massive cheese board (I take food styling serious when it comes to a cheese board!)

Mashed sweet potatoes

Autumn salad with apples, feta, spiced walnuts and balsamic dressing

Homemade sourdough (made ahead and frozen)

Christmas cookies (I start baking early and just freeze everything! We usually do these thumbprint cookies, Mexican wedding cookies, peppermint bark, peanut butter blossoms, and Read more

Sharing a recap of some of the books I’ve read lately and if I’d recommend adding them to your collection!

Hi friends! I hope you’re having a lovely week. It’s been a good one so far over here but today is packed with events and I forgot the kids have a half day. Does this happen to anyone else? Thankfully the Pilot is swooping in to help with kiddo backup!

For today’s post, I wanted to share some of the books I’ve read lately. TBH, I haven’t been reading nearly as much since the kids started school. Their homework load has been killing me slowly – they each have hours of homework each night in addition to extracurricular events – so by the time I get to bed, I read a few pages before quickly crashing out. I really want to carve out more time to read, and it’s one of the things I’m really looking forward to over winter break!

I’m also working through my High Performance Health certification when I’m not doing client and blog work, and am hoping to finish it up by the end of December. I’m loving the content so far!!

Here are the books I’ve read lately:

(jeans are here// top is here)

Books I’ve read lately

The Secret Life of Sunflowers

The Secret Life of Sunflowers by Marta Molnar is a dual-timeline novel with a mix of art history, mystery, and self-discovery. It follows Emsley Wilson, a young woman who inherits her late aunt’s home and, with it, a hidden journal that once belonged to Johanna Bonger—Vincent van Gogh’s sister-in-law.

Through the journal, Emsley discovers Johanna’s life, her struggles, and her dedication to preserving Van Gogh’s legacy. The story intertwines Emsley’s own journey of healing and self-acceptance with Johanna’s courageous fight for her family’s name, and is a beautiful reminder of how we can connect the past and present day. This was beautifully-written, captivating, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. If you like historical fiction and are looking for something different, I highly recommend it. 9/10

Read more