Sharing some tips on how to read more if that’s one of your goals!

Hi friends! I hope you had a wonderful weekend. What were you up to? We met with friends for sushi, celebrated the Pilot and P’s birthdays with family (we’ll be out of town for their actual birthdays), and had the usual ballet and basketball combo. I also got some time in my sauna blanket – it went from being 105 last weekend to FREEZING this weekend!

For today’s post, I wanted to chat a bit about reading. A couple of years ago, I made a goal to read more often. It’s one of my favorite hobbies, but I wasn’t dedicating much time to reading. I’d read maybe a book each month but was so caught up in work, mom life, and chores that I couldn’t imagine reading more than that. I started making a conscious effort to dedicate more time towards reaching and was able to read 3-5 books per month.

Maybe one day I’ll take reading content photos in mismatched comfies and a weird bun 😉

Lately, I’ve gotten back into my old ways. I’ve been feeling a little stretched thin and overwhelmed in general, and using my *down time* to mindlessly scroll (which isn’t actually relaxing) instead of reading. So, this post is a little reminder for myself, but also for my friends out there who want to read more.

How to read more

Why Reading is Important for Moms

Reading is extremely important for personal growth, relaxation and mental well-being, but the thing is that a lot of us don’t have time, or can’t find the time. Moms in their 30s and 40s can have a particularly hard time reading, especially since so much of the day is dedicated to caring for kiddos, juggling work, chores, and not having very long time blocks for much of anything. I think it’s important to think of reading as a form of self care if it’s something you enjoy. It’s worth carving out the time!

Here are some of my tips and things that I’ve learned:

1. Set Realistic Reading Goals

Set realistic goals, even 10 minutes a day. This can make a huge difference!

Also, start with a smaller goal, like one book per month.

2. Make the Most of Audiobooks

Audiobooks are PERFECT for multitasking. You can listen to audiobooks while doing chores, driving, working out, or going on walks.

I’m a huge fan of Audible and there are also free library apps.

Listening to books while cooking or folding laundry makes these chores a lot more enjoyable, and they’re perfect quality time for reading.

3. Create a Morning or Evening Reading Ritual

Try to set aside 10-15 minutes in the morning or evening to read, as part of a daily routine.

Just like any other habit, cultivating a habit of reading can improve consistency. I’m also a huge fan of habit stacking. Read around the same time each day, like 10 minutes when you wake up, or before you go to bed.

I find that reading before bed has a great calming effect, and definitely prefer this instead of scrolling on social media. The blue light from our

Sharing some of my favorite fashion finds from Abercrombie!

Hi friends! How are ya? I hope you’re having a wonderful week! I have another day stacked full of appointments and calls. I’m hoping I can sneak in a yoga class this afternoon.

For today’s post, I wanted to share some recent Abercrombie finds!! TBH, Abercrombie has been cruuuussshhhiinggg it lately. It’s funny because the other night, we were talking about old jobs and how I used to work at Abercrombie in college. (At one point, I had four jobs: fragrance rep at Dillard’s, Abercrombie, Victoria’s Secret, and teaching dance classes.) He was like, “Whatever happened to Abercrombie?” and I informed him that they made the most strategic move ever: marketing towards moms who used to shop there in high school and college.

They’re really elevated their pieces and give more of a Reformation-ish vibe. Everything I’ve bought from Abercrombie recently has fit well and has exceptional quality for the cost. They have SO much cute items for fall and I wanted to share some of my top picks in today’s post!

Abercrombie Fall Fashion Finds

Tops and sweaters:

This classic off shoulder sweater.

This everyday half-zip.

Love this half-zip for travel.

This supersoft bodysuit.

High-neck tailored vest.

Jeans:

High-rise 90s relaxed jeans.

Trendy jeans that aren’t tooooo wide leg.

High-rise vintage flare jean.

Ankle straight jeans.

Skirts and dresses:

This vegan leather skirt.

The perfect fall/winter LBD.

This mini skort (in tons of colors). Cute with a tee, cardigan, sweater, blazer and tank, so many things.

Looove this one-shoulder knit mini dress.

Collared midi dress with flattering ruching.

This sweater maxi skirt! 

Accessories and shoes:

Mary jane shoes.

Sling-back heels.

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This is a 25-minute barre workout you can do anywhere. All you need is a set of light dumbbells, 2-5 lbs. Check out more of my barre workouts here, barre bootcamp here, and how to combine barre with other workouts. 

Hi friends! I hope you’re having a lovely morning. How is your week going?

The Pilot has been gone since last weekend and is back this morning, so I’m looking forward to having him home. He’s been flying a lot, which is a good thing. When I first wrote this post, we were officially wrapping up our first year of the airline life. I’d always envisioned throwing a giant party, but that ‘Rona had other plans. Instead, we settled for a smaller but still just as enjoyable backyard BBQ with the family.

25-Minute Barre Strength Workout With Dumbbells

I filmed a new workout for you and this one is a classic barre workout with a little twist: we’re using dumbbells the entire time.

Full Body Workout With Dumbbells

This dumbbell workout is a great way to add in an arm component while our legs are on fiiiiiiire and an easy way to add some extra resistance and challenge. Best of all, you can do it right in your living room!

I was huffing and puffing during this workout and I hope you love it, too! It felt like a solid mix of endurance strength and cardio.

Pin it here for a rainy day:

And here’s the full follow-along video!

I’ve been working on posting videos more frequently, so please subscribe to YouTube channel if you’d like an update when I post something new.

Please let me know if you give this one a try. Also, I’d love to hear if you have any workout requests for the summer months!

Have a great day and thanks so much for stopping by the blog.

xoxo

Gina

More barre workouts:

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Sharing some of the random and important things I’ve learned in my eye journey since the great saga, a year and a half ago.

Hi friends! How are you? I hope you’re having an amazing day so far! I have client calls all day long, so I have my beverages next to me (Organifi green, decaf Danger coffee with Malk, and water with citrus LMNT) and I’m ready.to.go. My plan is to get in a little movement vitamins in between calls to shake out my legs a bit.

(Jeans are on sale here // sweater is Farm Rio)

For today’s post, I wanted to chat about eyes! I think many of you can relate, but whenever I’m going through something (or someone in the family is), I learn as much as possible about this topic. I read as many books as I can get my hands on, binge through podcasts, scour threads and articles online. I become hyperfocused and my whole life is consumed by this entire topic, learning as much as I possibly can.

I feel like I could do TEDx talks on a few random topics, from Sensory Processing Disorder (something one of the kids went through years ago and is completely resolved), affiliate marketing, pelvic floor and Diastasis Recti, lifestyle and nutrition for auotimmune symptoms, and after the past year, I feel like MGD, dry eye, and blepharitis are.my.jam.

While I was learning about eye health (so I could get my own dang eyes under control), I came across nuggets and strategies that have made a huge difference for me, so I thought I’d share them today.

Please keep in mind that this is not medical advice. Always talk to your doctor before making any changes; I’m just sharing my own experience.

For more about my eye situation, check out the full podcast episode here. (I need to do a follow-up episode because at this point in time, my Lupus markers were positive, but when we re-tested last December after I made HUGE changes in my life, they were negative.)

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Sharing a roundup of things I’m loving from Oliveda. If you’d like to try it out, you can shop my link here. For a free gift, complete our skincare quiz for personalized recommendations and purchase two items from the quiz results. Your free gift will automatically display in your cart!

Hi friends! How are you? How was the weekend? Ours was a great one. We went to the pumpkin patch with friends, enjoyed dinner with the fam, saw Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and I got some prep work done for an upcoming trip to Orlando. I’d love to hear what you were up to!

A small thing that has been bringing me joy lately: changing up my skincare routine. I started using Oliveda products at the beginning of the year (when I could tell that things with Beautycounter were heading south, I knew I’d need a replacement) and I’ve been blown away by the quality, ingredients, and results.

I LOVED the Beautycounter products and was happy for many years. At the same time, I feel like this is a step up from Beautycounter. The products feel even more luxe with a similar dedication to quality ingredients, and I’ve noticed a huge difference in my skin since I started using the products.

The lighting is different, but check out how much my WTF lines have changed!

For today’s post, I wanted to share some of my latest faves:

(since the products are so popular, they’re sometimes sold out. The company has grown exponentially and they’re drastically increasing inventory this year. If you’d like me to notify you when something is back in stock, leave a comment below, or I’m happy to share similar recs if something you want is OOS.)

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