Sharing some of the habits that helped with my hormones, mood, sleep, energy, and life!

Hi friends! How are ya? I hope that you’re having an amazing morning so far. We’re living up some pool time and just getting caught up on the routine now that we’re back in town. While I love vacation mode, there’s something so lovely about getting back into your routine and the habits that make your feel your best.

I think I pay even more attention to these things now because there was a LONG time when I felt completely off. I was tired but wired, dealing with constant bloating, mood swings, horrible fatigue, and while most of the tradition labs looked *normal* I knew something wasn’t right.

Through my journey of becoming an Integrative Health Practitioner, and especially after dealing with my own autoimmune symptoms, I discovered something powerful: small, consistent daily habits have the ability to heal you from the inside out. These tools have made an enormous difference in how I feel throughout the month, my energy levels, sleep, and mood.

Here are 10 things I do on a daily basis that genuinely have changed my life.

Please note that affiliate links are included below and allow me to earn a small kickback from any purchases. These are all companies I love and products I’ve used for years, so I’m thrilled to partner with them as an affiliate. Thank you so much to those of you who shop through my links – I appreciate your support so much. 

10 Daily Habits that Changed my Hormones and Life

1. Morning sunlight (before screens )

This is one of the most underrated biohacks. Getting sunlight in your eyes within the first 30–60 minutes of waking up helps set your circadian rhythm, which regulates everything from cortisol production to melatonin release at night.

Why it matters:

Cortisol should spike in the morning (that’s your natural “get up and go” hormone), and gradually decrease throughout the day. When we skip morning light and go straight to artificial blue light from screens, we disrupt that rhythm, which can lead to fatigue, anxiety, and poor sleep later.

What I do: I step outside when I let Mazer out in the morning (even if I look like a zombie), stand in the grass barefoot, take a few deep breaths, and just soak it in for 5–10 minutes. I also open all of the curtains and blinds as soon as we wake up to let sunlight into the house.

2. Dry brushing before showering

Dry brushing is a gentle, non-invasive way to stimulate the lymphatic system, which is crucial for detoxification and immune health. It also promotes blood circulation, exfoliates skin, and gives your body a natural energy boost. My favorite one is here. 

Why it matters:

Hormones are processed and detoxed through the

Sharing my thoughts on using a sauna post workout. If you’re looking for the perfect portable option, check out my favorite sauna blanket. Use the code FITNESSISTA15 for 15% off. 

Hi friends! How are you? I hope that you’re enjoying the morning!! We’re off on some adventures – I’ll share the fun on IG stories- and I have some client calls booked later today.

Today, I wanted to talk about cozy sauna goodness. One of the things I’ve missed during our trip is my beloved sauna blanket and I’m so pumped to use it again!

As you guys know, working out is one of the best things you can do for your health. It strengthens your muscles, supports heart health, boosts mood, and helps manage weight. But what you do after a workout can be just as important as the workout itself. One practice that’s been gaining popularity over the past few years is hitting the sauna post workout.

Whether you’re using a regular sauna or an infrared sauna, taking time to sweat it out can amplify your recovery and wellness. I’m going to chat about about some of the ways a sauna after a workout can support your body, boost muscle recovery, and help you feel amaaaaaazing.

10 Benefits Of A Sauna Post Workout

Before we dive into the benefits, let’s quickly talk about how saunas actually work. Understanding the science can help you appreciate just how effective sauna bathing can be.

What Is A Sauna

A sauna is a small heated room or enclosed space designed to raise your core temperature through dry or humid heat. There are several types of saunas, including traditional dry saunas, steam saunas, and infrared saunas, which use light to heat the body directly. Check out this podcast episode about the benefits of sauna.

Saunas have been used for centuries in cultures around the world to promote relaxation, detoxification, and overall health.

How Does A Sauna Work

During a sauna session, your body is exposed to high heat (usually between 150°F and 195°F in traditional saunas, or lower temps in infrared saunas). This heat causes your heart rate to increase and your blood vessels to dilate, which leads to increased blood flow.

You also start sweating a lot, which can help flush toxins, support skin health, and regulate internal temperature. Your body reacts similarly to moderate cardiovascular exercise, which is why some of the benefits overlap with working out itself.

It’s important to stay hydrated and to be aware of the risks of using a sauna (especially if you have a health condition like heart disease or low blood pressure). Always listen to your body and start slow. Of course, ask a doctor before implementing sauna into your health routine.

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Sharing more about how I’ve been working on Spanish over the past couple of years and what has helped me the most. Spoiler: Duolingo did nada for me.

Hi friends! How are you? I hope that you’re having a lovely morning. We did a waterpark and theme park yesterday, so I have a feeling today will be a little more low-key.

Now that we’re heading into our 4th week in Spain, I figured I’d do a little update on my Spanish journey and some of the things that have helped me the most. I think that as an adult, it’s so important to be a *beginner* at things; to challenge your brain in a new way and try out the hobbies and activities you’ve always wanted to do, even if you’re not good at first. I know many of my friends out there have a goal of learning a new language, so I hope this post is helpful! I’d also love to hear any strategies that have worked for you.

My Spanish journey

A little background:

– Growing up, my mom’s side of the family often spoke Spanish. Because of this, I’ve always been able to understand it, but never spoke it. I would do the thing where my family would ask me something in Spanish, and I’d respond in English. When people would speak Spanish around me, I knew what was going on, but didn’t contribute to the conversation.

– I took Spanish classes in elementary and middle school (super basic stuff) and minored in Spanish in college. I thought that it would be my chance to feel fully confident and fluent in Spanish. I wrote essays, read novels, analyzed poetry, but maybe spent 5% of the time in my college Spanish classes actually SPEAKING Spanish. So once again, it just solidified my understanding, gave me the ability to write and read in Spanish, but didn’t really get me to my goal of feeling confident speaking.

– A couple of years ago, I decided that I was going to start practicing again and really get the hang of things. We love to travel, I love to be able to interact with people in different locations, so it became really important to me. Some of our closest friends are Colombian, and they have friends who speak Spanish, so I wanted to be able to contribute and feel more comfortable with speaking. Also, I would like to start working with IHP clients in Spanish starting early next year.

I tried a few different things to refresh my skills and feel more confident speaking.

Here’s what has made an enormous difference and here’s what did absolutely nothing.

Learning Spanish as an adult

APPS:

I have not found an app that is helpful for real-world situations. I’ve tried both Duolingo and Babbel and was unimpressed with both. I feel like it’s a lot of matching and vocabulary, but little understanding behind the grammatical rules and how to use the languages in real life. Also, most of the time, you don’t even remember what you were doing. Even with using apps on an on for a bit, I didn’t learn anything new.

VIRTUAL AND IN-PERSON TUTORING:

This has been the biggest gamechanger for me. <

Sharing some of my thoughts on taking care of yourself when things are hard.

Hi friends! I hope you’re having a lovely morning so far.

Today, I wanted to chat a bit about hard times and making an effort for yourself, even when you’re going through it. I’m pre-writing this post for Spain, and using Spain as a carrot of something to look forward to, because we’ve been going through it over here. It’s been a hard year all around with the kids and the school situations and marriage and lots of things, so I’m using this for a reminder for myself, too.

It’s also worth mentioning here that I never like to be a complainer, especially because I know we all have varying levels of *hard.* The grief comparison is rough and I try to be mindful of the fact that just because someone has it harder or worse than you, it doesn’t mean that it’s not ok to feel the way you do.

Life doesn’t always go according to plan. We all face moments of heartbreak, disappointment, illness, loss, or overwhelm. Personal challenges are a normal part of the human experience, but that doesn’t mean they’re easy. In fact, it’s during these difficult times that it becomes all too tempting to fall into a cycle of negativity, disengage from the habits that support us, or indulge in unhealthy ways of coping.

Whether it’s numbing out with screens, skipping workouts, or emotionally eating to get through the day, we’ve all been there. I’ve been there. And what I’ve learned – through both personal experience and working with clients – is that while we can’t always control our circumstances, we can control how we respond.

Implementing healthy habits and a mindset rooted in staying positive isn’t about pretending everything is okay. It’s about supporting our bodies and minds so that we can face tough times with resilience and grace. Today, I wanted to share some of my strategies, so you can feel empowered, even in the storm.

Why Positivity Matters During A Personal Challenge

Positivity isn’t about toxic optimism or ignoring your feelings. It’s about choosing hope over helplessness and actively engaging with tools that support your mental health and well-being.

When you embrace positive psychology during challenging times, it can:

Reduce stress levels by shifting your nervous system out of fight-or-flight.

Help you stay motivated to make choices that support your long-term health.

Strengthen your immune system, improve sleep, and promote healing.

Offer clarity so you can make better decisions and see new solutions.

How To Stay Healthy And Positive In Personal Challenges

1. Prioritize 30 Minutes of Movement Daily

Even w

Sharing my top 10 Disney cruise tips and tips if it’s your first cruise!

Hi hi friends! How are you? I hope that you’re having an amazing morning. We’re in part 1 of Harneys take Europe for the summer, and we’re starting the party with our 6th Disney cruise. I’ll share all of the details when we’re back, but for today’s post, I wanted to share some of my all-time best Disney cruise tips, especially if you’re a first-timer.

My top 10 Disney cruise tips and tricks

So this is Disney cruise #6 for a reason; the entire family loooooooves them. TBH, I was always a little meh about the idea of cruising. Something about a bunch of party college kids on spring break and casino vibes didn’t sound like an ideal family vacation, especially when the girls were really young. I’m also a little freaked out about being out in the ocean.

Our friends told us how much they loved Disney, especially because of the cleanliness, food, and entertainment, so we decided to give it a try. Needless to say, we were blown away, and have done at least one Disney cruise per year since then.

Now that we have some experience under our belt, I feel confident sharing some tips that were helpful to us as newbies, or that we’ve learned along the way. I feel like I could write an entire series at this point, but here are my top tips!

Pack a separate pool bag with a change of clothes when you check in.

They take your luggage upon arrival, and it magically appears in your room within a few hours. In the meantime, take your pool bag with you and head to the pool! It’s the least crowded it will be the entire trip, and all of the casual pool deck eats are open, too. It’s so much fun to watch the kids do the slide and hang out in the pool while enjoying a buffet lunch or some tacos + drink of the day.

Order your coffe the night before

If you like to have coffee in the morning, order it through room service at night. It arrives in a carafe and stays warm all night. They also have a little fridge where you can store creamer. Room service is inlcuded —  you simply have to tip. I’ll usually bring some cash for room service tips.

Dining rotation

Each ship has about three main restaurants and you’ll rotate each night. You’ll be assigned early dining (usually 5:45) or late dining (8:15) and you’ll have the same server and assistant each night. If you’re not dining in the main restaurants, there’s a Broadway-quality show that you can attend during the opposite time (for example, late diners attend the early show and then head to dinner). OR,