Sharing different types of meditation strategies and how to implement them into your routine!

Hiii! How are you? I hope you’re enjoying the morning! The Pilot is off work today (wahoo!) so I’m going to see if I can convince him to join me for F45 cardio day and then we’re going to grab coffee, breakfast, and maybe enjoy multiple consecutive sentences of adult conversation. What a treat!

For today’s post, I wanted to chat a bit about meditation and the different types of strategies. Meditation is something that’s been on and off in my life, but I’ve been pretty consistent for the past year. It makes a huge difference in my day. I feel centered, calm, and it’s one of my favorite daily rituals. I plug in my PEMF Go Mat (use FITNESSISTA15 for a discount), do 10 minutes of an eye mask while I meditate, and then I pray and journal. If I have extra time, I stay on the Go Mat a little longer and work on NYT Spelling Bee.

There are so many different meditation strategies out there, and it can be a little overwhelming, especially if you’re a beginner.

For today’s post, I wanted to break down some of the most common methods of meditation and how to use them in your routine.

*A friendly reminder that it’s helpful to have a designated meditation space that isn’t your bed! You don’t want to associate this space with anything else.Also, make sure that it’s free of work and clutter; you don’t want laundry and to-do lists to stare at you in the face as you’re trying to relax.

For more meditation tips, check out this post.

Meditation strategies

Guided meditations

If you’re new to meditation or find it challenging to focus, guided meditations can be an invaluable aid. These pre-recorded sessions are led by experienced practitioners who gently guide your thoughts and breath, helping you find your center. Choose from a myriad of meditation apps or online resources offering guided sessions tailored to various goals, from stress relief to improved focus. Some of my favorite include the Peloton app, Calm, and Headspace.

Breathwork

Breathwork is the heart and soul of meditation, weaving a profound connection between your mind and body. Practice deep belly breathing to calm your nervous system and bring your attention inward. Pay attention to each inhale and exhale, allowing your breath to be your anchor in the present moment. I like to do box breathing (in for 8, hold for 8, out for 8), or the 6-7-8 method (in 6, hold 7, out for 8). Next-level: think of a word on the inhale and another word you want to feel on the exhale, or think of something you’re grateful for on each exhale.

Mind

Sharing some tips with natural remedies for PMS. Please keep in mind that this is for informational purposes and is not medical advice. If you struggle with PMS, please reach out to your health care provider for tips for your unique situation.

Hi hi! How are you? I hope you’re enjoying the morning so far! I’m taking Liv to a yoga class while P sees a movie with a friend, and we’re going to spend the rest of the day in the pool. 😉

For today’s post, I wanted to chat about some natural remedies for PMS! PMS used to be a horrible part of my life – it was a huge reason why I was put on birth control when I was 13- and was something that I struggled with for a long time. I regret taking birth control for so long as it just plopped a Band-Aid on a deeper issue. SO many women experience PMS symptoms, but thankfully, there are some things you can do that might be able to help.

Natural remedies for PMS

A friendly reminder here that this post is not medical advice. If you struggle with PMS, please make an appointment with your health care provider to see if they can suggest tips. If they simply suggest birth control, find another provider that will help you determine the root cause.

PMS symptoms can often occur when there is estrogen dominance. Keep in mind that this isn’t a root cause, but can give some insight into habits and foundations that can be improved.

What is estrogen dominance?

Estrogen dominance is a hormonal imbalance that occurs when the level of estrogen in the body outweighs the level of progesterone. Estrogen and progesterone are two key female sex hormones that work together to regulate various aspects of a woman’s reproductive and overall health. When there is an excess of estrogen compared to progesterone, it can lead to an array of symptoms and health issues.

Estrogen dominance can arise due to various factors, including environmental toxins, stress, poor diet, hormonal birth control, and obesity.

When estrogen levels are higher than they should be, it can disrupt the delicate hormonal balance, causing a range of symptoms such as:

– Irregular menstrual cycles

– Heavy or prolonged periods

– Breast tenderness

– Mood swings and irritability

– Weight gain, especially around the hips and thighs

– Fatigue and low energy

– Water retention and bloating

– Headaches

– Decreased sex drive

Estrogen dominance can have broader implications on overall health as well. It may increase the risk of certain hormone-related conditions like fibroids, endometriosis, and breast cancer. Additionally, it can affect bone health, thyroid function, and immune system regulation.

Addressing estrogen dominance involves identifying and addressing the underlying factors contributing to the imbalance. Lifestyle changes, such as adopting a balanced diet, managing stress, engaging in re

Sharing the books I read in July and if I’d recommend adding them to your collection!

Hi friends! Happy Monday! How was the weekend? I hope you had a great one! We swam and enjoyed dinner with friends, and also headed to Apple Annie’s to pick some fruit and veggies. It was SUPER hot, but we got a lot of amazing produce and followed it up with Mexican food. I can’t believe the kids start school this week!

For today’s post, let’s chat about books! I read three fantastic books this past month and thought I’d share the goods with ya.

July book recap

Here are July’s books:

Yours Truly

This was my introduction to Abby Jimenez and turns out I looooove her. I can definitely see why she’s so hyped up! This book had everything I enjoy in a summer read: a bit of romance, witty banter, and protagonists that are likable and don’t make horrible decisions the entire time.

I want to express my gratitude for the thoughtful approach taken in addressing mental health topics, including past trauma and anxiety. The content was handled with sensitivity, which I genuinely appreciated. While it wasn’t overwhelmingly heavy, it’s essential to recognize that it might be triggering for those who have dealt with these issues in the past. Personally, some parts relating to anxiety felt incredibly relatable, almost too real, as they perfectly described the emotions I used to experience when anxiety was a significant struggle for me.

From Amazon:

Dr. Briana Ortiz’s life is seriously flatlining. Her divorce is just about finalized, her brother’s running out of time to find a kidney donor, and that promotion she wants? Oh, that’s probably going to the new man-doctor who’s already registering eighty-friggin’-seven on Briana’s “pain in my ass” scale. But just when all systems are set to hate, Dr. Jacob Maddox completely flips the game . . . by sending Briana a letter.

And it’s a really good letter. Like the kind that proves that Jacob isn’t actually Satan. Worse, he might be this fantastically funny and subversively likeable guy who’s terrible at first impressions. Because suddenly he and Bri are exchanging letters, sharing lunch dates in her “sob closet,” and discussing the merits of freakishly tiny horses. But when Jacob decides to give Briana the best gift imaginable—a kidney for her brother—she wonders just how she can resist this quietly sexy new doc

Hi hi! Happy Friday! The weekend is heeler. I’m sorry for being mostly MIA this week. The kids start school next week and we’ve been finishing up loose ends, and I’ve been working hard on my new program. All of the info will be emailed to newsletter subscribers on Monday, August 16. If you want the info first (+ a discount!) enter your email address here:

Other than that, we’ve been swimming, meeting up with the fam for dinner, and living the summer life. Liv has discovered Queer Eye and I’ve loved watching old episode with her.

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 the comments section below.

Fashion + beauty:

New makeup! I had to toss all of mine twice (because of that eye thing) and finally got some new goodies. My favorite palettes ever are still on the site (two for $40!) and I also got this clay palette, mascara and primer (smaller bottles so I can get rid of them more often), eyeliner, and a new eyeshadow primer.

July Faves

It’s always fun to browse through analytics and see what your favorite products were from July! Here are the top products that I shared on the blog and on IG over the past month.

This dress! On sale right now and SO cute. The quality is excellent and I’ll wear it with heels or sandals.

This floral dress.

This swimsuit. Both of the kids have these, and they’re adorable and well-made.

Read more

Hi friends! How are you? I hope you’re enjoying the morning so far!!

For today’s post, I figured we’d have a little green juice date! While I wish I could have a green juice or coffee with you in real life, virtual will have to do for now. So please grab a green juice or coffee, let’s share a giant pastry, and catch up a bit on life!

If we were having green juice right now…

I’d ask you when the kids are going back to school. Ours go back next week and no one is ready for it. Usually by now, I’m like, “Ok, time to get back to life and a routine.” but not as excited this year. The kids have zero desire to go back, but I’ve been trying to get everyone excited by back-to-school shopping this week. I’ve loved having them home and our schedule is already packed through spring, so I’m just savoring this last week of jammies until 10am.

We’d probably talk about our adventures and travels from the summer. I already can’t wait to go back to Europe – even though it will probably be a couple of years – and thankfully, the kids loved it as much as we did. They can’t stop talking about the stunning beauty of Italy and Greece, and of course, they’re raving about the incredible food we indulged in. I feel like so many friends have had some amazing summer travels and I always love to hear about new spots + recommendations.

I’d want to know what you’ve been doing fitness-wise! Take any new classes or try anything fun lately? I’ve been sticking with my usual routine, but it’s been fun to add hot yoga back into my life (I missed it!) and also take some reformer and pvolve classes. (I’ll share a Focus On post for pvolve soon!) I haven’t been able to make it to F45 for most of the summer since the kids have been home, but have been embracing home workouts and a few studio classes here and there.

I’ve been working on keeping the intensity of workouts pretty minimal as my eyes have recovered, which brings me to the next topic..

If we were having green juice right now, I obviously consider you a close friend, so I’d tell you something that’s been on my heart a bit lately:

we did a bunch of labs to see if there were any indications of something that could have caused my eye issues. Most of the usually suspects came back normal, but two markers for an autoimmune issue came back positive.

My NP talked to rheumatology and she said since I don’t have any other symptoms, we can re-test in a few months as long as my eyes continue to improve. Sometimes acute inflammation (like the inflammation in my eyes) can trigger a positive on the test. I feel comforted by this, but also know that autoimmune stuff can unpredictable and sometimes lead to other issues. My NP also said that it could just stay like this and this is how my body responds/reacts… which is what I’m praying for, especi