Hi hi! Happy Friday! I hope you had a wonderful week. The Pilot was gone all week, so it was solo parent ops around here. We did the usual dance, soccer, homework, and school shuffle, enjoyed a dinner with madre and nana, and evening walks. The girls were awesome as always, but it takes a lot of mental energy to go all day until bedtime without someone to tag into the chaos. I’m pretty sure I’ll take a 3-hour nap this weekend lol.

Something else that’s been going on this week: sweet Caro has had a bit of a rough go. She’s an old gal and has some health issues, but things seemed to hit a peak this week. She was walking sideways and tripped over herself, and had multiple accidents in the house, so I called the vet. A few hours after it happened, she was acting normal again, but hasn’t been eating much. The vet is seeing her today, so we’ll see what they say. Thank you so much to those of you who have sent prayers and well wishes her way on IG.

What do you have going on this weekend? We have an event at the girls’ school, dinner plans with some friends, I’m catching a hot yoga class and teaching barre, and we’re celebrating my stepdad’s bday. I hope you have a fun and amazing weekend ahead.

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.

Friday Faves

Life:

A trip to the gem show with my mom! I had badges to go to the JOGS gem and jewelry show -it’s a smaller one, as the gigantic one is in February – and we decided to check it out. We were pretty surprised by the amount of vendors and the selection of sparkly jewelry, gems, and crystals. I got a couple of things for myself, bracelets and sparkly backpack keychains for the crew, and some extras to share with friends and give away here on the blog.

This year’s blog holiday giveaway is already looking pretty epic, I’ve gotta say…

Fashion + Beauty:

Let it be known that our tiny baby has an official skincare routine????? We wandered into Ulta because she was looking for face wash and moisturizer, and unfortunately the Beautycounter Coco cleanser wasn’t a good fit for her skin.

I wanted to get her something gentle with not-so-sketchy ingredients, and in the end, we decided on this face wash (which I’ve used

Hi friends! It’s the weekend! What do you have going on? The kids have a bday party, Liv has dance, and I’m getting the new Fit Team workouts and Self Care September guide out and ready to go. Join us here!

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. Please shout out something you’re loving in the comments section below.

#1 most exciting thing on our list right now: I booked a fall trip for us to go to NYC. Last time I went was a girls’ trip with Liv in fall 2019. I can’t wait to introduce P to such a magical place, eat all the pizza, and see all the shows. Please drop any of your favorite kid-friendly shows or any must-do activities! I know P will love the Museum of Natural History – it was one of our favorite things last time.

Friday Faves

Read, watch, listen:

Where should I eat in Tucson? A bucket list for every craving. I haven’t tried all of the spots on this list but agree with Anita’s for their burritos (the tortillas are unlike anything in the world), Estrella for the best donuts of your life, Le Buzz,  Barrio Bread, but strongly disagree on Kingfisher (sorry not sorry, it’s terrible).

Indian Matchmaking. Obsessed and love it for background noise while I work!

What’s something you splurged on that was worth it?

The “corn kid” that’s all over TikTok right now. So wholesome, adorable, and relatable for so many. (TBH I hate most corn except Mexican s

Sharing 15 of my favorite fall things to do in Tucson!

Hi friends! How’s the day going so far? I hope you’re having a great morning so far. I’m subbing a dance cardio class and then spending the rest of the day getting the September Fit Team workouts ready to go. Join us here! New workouts go out on Sunday.

August is acting like it has somewhere to be. I can’t believe that next week is already September! Fall is almost here and Tucson is absolutely dreamy in the fall. The mild weather makes it a long and beautiful season for different activities, and there are also plenty of festivals and events that can make me enjoy the season even more. Today, I’m sharing a roundup of activities that you can do to experience the beauty of fall in all its glory in Tucson. I’d love to hear some local friends chime in the comments if I’m missing anything!

15 Fall Things To Do In Tucson

1) All Souls Procession Weekend

All Souls Procession is one of my favorite activities of the entire year. This year, it’s November 4th – November 6th. You can check out details and photos here. This event draws so many different types of people and they all walk the parade route together, with their faces beautifully painted, costumes, and carrying handmade ofrendas to honor those who have passed. With all of the division in the world, it’s a great reminder that we’re all human; it’s a meaningful experience that our entire family enjoys.

From their website:

The All Souls Procession is one of the most important, inclusive and authentic public ceremonies in North America today. The Procession had its beginnings in 1990 with a ceremonial performance piece created by local artist Susan Johnson. Johnson was grieving the passing of her father, and as an artist, she found solace in a creative, celebratory approach to memorializing him. Says Johnson, “From the beginning, it was different people’s ethnic groups, different cultures, but also it was all these different art forms put together.”

After its inception, many artists were inspired to continue, growing the Procession into its modern incarnation. Today we find ourselves organizing well over 150,000 participants on the streets of downtown Tucson for a two-mile long human-powered procession that ends in the ceremonial burning of “The Urn”.

The Urn is filled with the hopes, offerings and wishes of the public for those who have passed.Myriad altars, performers, installation art, and creatives of all kinds collaborate to prepare their offerings for this amazing event. The All Souls Procession Weekend is Honors the Ancestors and our lost loved ones and Celebrates Life.

Read more

easy ways to lose weight fast

Looking for easy ways to lose weight fast?

We all know the quick-fix diets don’t work. In fact, these are 5 diets I stopped doing to Lose 45 pounds!

That said, there are little daily habits you can add it that will help you start losing weight today!

If you need a place to start, add these science backed tips into your daily routine!

3 HEALTHY ways to Lose Weight:

1. Eat More Fiber:

 Fruits and veggies with water soluble fiber will increase the feeling of fullness to help you avoid overeating naturally. Some of my favorites are foods like:

• sweet potato, avocado, apples, broccoli, beans, nectarines, flax and oats.

Aim for 5-8 servings of fruits and veggies each day! These are easy to add to your Hot Body Meal Plan meals anytime or as a quick snack.

2. Drink Green Tea/Match:

It can “increase energy expenditure by 4% and increase selective fat burning by up to 17%, especially harmful belly fat. Matcha is even more powerful”

Pep Rally Energy Boost is a delicious way to get your daily dose of green tea and matcha. Get yours here. 

3. Get Enough Sleep: 

7-9 hours can help decrease cortisol levels, increase metabolism, reduce the risk of obesity and weight gain and help you make better food choices throughout the day!

If you’re struggling to get in 7-9 hours of solid sleep, take Read more

Helloooooo! Happy Friday! What are you up to this weekend? The kids are wrapping up their first half week of school and actually missing today because we’re off to San Diego! It’s Max’s Bar Mitzvah tomorrow (Betsy’s son! He’s like our lil nephew) so we couldn’t miss it. I’m so so excited to see them and enjoy a short weekend at one of our favorite spots. I hope you have a happy and fun weekend ahead!

Obligatory first day of school pic:

Also wanted to note here that I wrote, “To have a great year!” for their wish for the year, but they actually said, “For school to be over!” and “For school to be canceled” so there ya go.

I’ve been definitely looking forward to more of a routine around here (especially some block hours to get work stuff done!) but I really miss my little crew. We had the best summer together and it’s way too quiet without them here in the morning. I’m glad they’re having fun with their friends and seeing their amazing teachers again, but back to school season is always a little bittersweet.

Some exciting news on a personal level: I get to sing again! This is a bit random (I mean, what isn’t random about my life?) but I sing soprano with a local choir and our season was canceled in spring 2020 and all of last year. We’re finally having a season this year and I’m SO PUMPED ABOUT IT.

I was a bit nervous because we have a new director and he wanted to meet each of us individually before returning. It wasn’t a formal audition, but definitely felt like an audition, so I had a handful of vocal lessons with my coach to get back into things. I had to sing a bit of Beethoven’s 9th and ended up keeping my spot, so that’s a win. Choir was one of the things that really brought joy into my week and it felt like pure luxury to enjoy a hobby so much. I’m really thankful to have it back in my life after a long hiatus. If any Tucson friends want the info for some classical concerts coming up, I’d be happy to send the info along!

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!

Friday Faves

Read, watch, listen:

Loved watching this home tour from Katy Bowman. Ready for the Pilot to raise his eyebrows when I say we should replace our seats with logs.

Definitely catch this guest post from the Pilot if you missed it!! I’m so so happy it was helpful for so many of you. Thank you for those who took the time to comment and send me a DM. I told the Pilot he’s taking over the blog loll. If you have any questions, please leave them in the comments section of his post and he’ll respond to your questions this weekend!

What are your daily rituals?