Hi friends! How are you?? I have a new podcast episode up today with an important topic: nasal breathing and tongue posture. This is a world that I stumbled upon accidentally a couple of years ago, when I was wondering why tongue posture improves facial posture. I went down a rabbit hole and started to learn about how tongue posture impacts our facial development, why it’s important to breathe through our nose, and how our tongue posture and breathing habits can affect so many systems in the body.

This information is starting to become more well-known, and I’m so thankful for experts like Ashley Palin sharing their knowledge on this subject. I love following her Instagram and have learned a lot from her, so I was thrilled when she said she’d join me on the podcast.

132: Tongue posture and nasal breathing with Ashley Palin, The Tongue Therapist

Here’s what we talk about in today’s episode:

– Mouth breathing! Why should we pay attention to nasal breathing? Why is it important?

– Ideal tongue posture – what does it look like?

– Mouth taping. Should we do it? What about if we have a deviated septum?

– Do you think it’s worth getting deviated septums, tongue ties, and lip ties corrected as adults?

– How do we model good tongue posture for our kids and do you think it’s worth seeking out help when they’re young?

and so.much.more.

Here’s a bit more about Ashley:

Ashley is a registered dental hygienist who, after discovering her own issues with mouth breathing and oral-ties, pivoted to become a myofunctional therapist and help others with the same issues. She’s done additional trainings through The Buteyko Clinic, MyoMethod, Tongue-Tied Academy and more. She helps people to breathe, sleep, and feel better by correcting their oral function, tongue posture, and breathing habits.

You can follow her on Instagram here and check out her website here (she also takes 1:1 virtual clients if you’re looking for help!).

More resources from this episode:

I’m still obsessed with my sauna blanket – right now they’re having a Moth

Sharing my favorite mom swimsuits that are flattering, not too skimpy, and functional!

Hi friends! How’s the week going? I hope you’re having a great one so far! For today’s post, I have summer on the brain. I’m SO ready for slow mornings, no homework (praise be), and days in the pool.

THANK GOODNESS FOR THE POOL.  I often hear people complain about the Tucson heat – it really is like an oven outside – but the truth is, Tucson is reverse hibernation. We have good outdoor weather in the winter, and stay indoors or swim during the summer. In the summer, you can find us in the water or in the AC.

I was pondering mom swimsuits and how difficult they are to find. When I find one I love, it’s a huge deal.

What makes an awesome mom swimsuit? A winner of a mom swimsuit needs to be comfortable and flattering, but also has to rank high on the functional front. It has to keep everything LOCKED DOWN. For example, I want to be able to play freely with the kiddos without flashing my goodies. A good mom swimsuit keeps everything covered, even while you’re building sand castles, running in the waves, chasing the kiddos as “mama shark,” or tossing them into the air.

For this post, I thought I’d share some of the best ones I’ve found! These are a mix of ones I already own (notated with ***) or have found online with stellar reviews. If you have any mom swimsuits you love, please spread the word in the comments section!! I usually find the best swimsuits at Nordstrom, Everything But Water and Anthropologie. Target also has an incredible selection at reasonable price points.

Hi friends! How are you? I hope you had an amazing weekend! Once again, Liv’s team crushed their competition; they took 1st, 2nd, and 5th overall for their categories! It was so much fun to watch them shine and enjoy a little Phoenix staycation. We’ll be back in a couple of weeks for the next one.

For today’s post, I thought I’d pop in and share a little bit about how my personal relationship with fitness has changed and my mindset around it.

When I first got into the fitness world, I was omgsoexcited about trying and doing all the things. I loved teaching all of the classes, taking as many classes as possible, trying new exercises and strategies in the weights room, and was absolutely in the honeymoon phase of fitness. This *phase* actually lasted for many years, hence the name of my blog and why fitness has become more than a hobby and the baseline for my entire career.

Currently, I don’t feel very Fitnessista-ish 😉 It’s become more of a box that I check… and that’s ok.

I don’t look forward to strength training on my own the same way that I used to, so I haven’t been lifting consistently on my own for quite a few months. I walked into the gym yesterday to teach a class, and the weight room felt so foreign to me, when it used to be a daily staple in my life.

Instead of using a lack of excitement as my reason to quit strength training entirely, I’ve done some other things that have helped me to stay consistent.

Right now, it involves taking classes (F45, hot yoga, barre, Sculpt Society), working with an amazing local personal trainer, and I enjoy encouraging others through Fit Team and with my one and one clients.

I’ve realized over time that health and wellbeing is so much more than what you do in the gym each day. Yes, it’s absolutely important to move your body consistently, but I’ve been emphasizing the other 23 hours in the day more than what I do for my workout. I just make sure to get in a walk each day, usually with Maisey, get daily steps in on my walking pad and doing chores, and strength train 3-4 times per week (whether it’s through training or taking classes).

When we lose the honeymoon phase of anything, it’s when we really need to lean into our dedication and commitment, instead of depending on excitement and motivation. Goals can impact our attitudes about certain things, and I don’t really have any fitness-related goals right now.

I’m not looking to get incredibly strong or lean. No PRs or races or distance goals in my near future. While these things used to be exciting and motivating for me, I don’t think they would be right now. Just typing the word PR makes me feel stressed lol. I just want to be healthy with tons of energy, have full function and mobility, and for

Sharing some of my tips for a super simple skincare routine with no unecessary frills. If you’re looking for new skincare options, Friends and Family starts TODAY at this link. If you’ve been wanting to try Beautycounter, I’ve made a shopping list with some of my all-time faves here. 

Hi friends! How’s the day going so far? I’m finally on the other side of this crazy virus and pink eye situation. I ended up needing steroid drops from the eye doctor (which changed my world) and quite a few days to fight this thing off. I feel very grateful to be over the hump and will hopefully get good news today that I can start working back to wearing contacts again. I still have quite a few days left of washing pillowcases/towels/everything and my hands are so cracked and dry. It’s been a whole thing.

I had to toss a lot of my makeup, and it corresponded perfectly with the Sephora sale and the Beautycounter Friends and Family sale. 😉 For today’s post, I wanted to share some of my tips for simplifying your skincare routine and some of my beloved products (including the ones I’m restocking!).

Even when things are busy or crazy, I’m a huge fan of sticking to a consistent skincare routine. My routine is super simple, but these simple steps can improve skin quality, delay the signs of aging, and help you feel more confident. I definitely notice a difference in how I feel when I’m dedicated to my skincare routine. At the same time, I totally get how it can feel overwhelming. The wide variety of product choices can often make skincare complicated, and not everyone has the time and commit to do an elaborate skincare routine regularly. Today, I’m sharing some practical tips on how to simplify your skincare routine but still get the same fantastic results.

I’m also sharing some of my favorite products below. You’ll see a mix of brands; I like to switch up the products I’m using every now and again. Everything linked below is something I’ve had in my personal makeup drawer and highly recommend.

Simplifying your Skincare Routine

Identify your skin goals

Is your skin normal? Oily? Combination? Are you working on elasticity or wrinkle prevention? Write down a few of your skincare goals so you can keep these in mind as you structure your routine and pick your products.

Choose quality over quantity

This is #1 tip for creating a skincare routine. Don’t feel like you have to buy a ton of products! I’d start with four (details below) and build from there. I’d rather have five high-quality products than a whole drawer of produ

Do you have a question about fitness? Sharing a post with some of the questions I commonly receive about fitness with their answers. Please keep in mind that while I’m a certified personal trainer, women’s fitness specialist, Integrative Health Practitioner, and P1 Nutrition Coach, I’m not a doctor or Registered Dietitian. If you have specific health considerations, please reach out to a local health professional for guidance. 

10 frequently-asked fitness questions and their answers

1. How much cardio should I be doing?

2. How often shou