Holiday Craziness

It feels like I have not updated my blog in quite some time due to all of the craziness that surrounds us around the holidays. We can get so frantic and pressed for time with the holidays quickly approaching, but before you know it - it's all over! I look forward to the holidays because more than anything, it's a time for me to be with my family and loved ones. I come from a rather large family, so when we come together, you can guarantee that it's a great time with great food and lots of laughs. All the old stories start coming out while we gather around, eat, drink and reminisce. I love my family! They truly are what has shaped me into the woman that I am today. From each person, I have learned valuable lessons and beliefs and for each of them, I am thankful.

I feel that this past Christmas was the best yet! Everyone is busy in their everyday lives and some have more going on than others. However, we all come together as one, putting aside what's currently going on in our lives to just enjoy each other's company and be thankful for our family. I love my family and wouldn't trade them for anything! No matter how frustrated or aggravated I can get with them at times.

I'm now gearing up for a big birthday tomorrow...the big 3-0. Everyone keeps asking me how I'm feeling about it, because yes it is a big milestone, and surprisingly I am totally content and ready for my 30's. I feel that I'm in a stage of my life where I know myself better than ever, I'm content with where I am professionally and only look forward to what my 30's have in store for me. And then with a blink of an eye, it's 2010. I am so ready for the new year - a new year, new beginnings and new challenges. I'm ready to rock it!

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow!

It's officially winter here in New England...last night we were hit with a ton of snow! I'm snowed in and loving it. Sundays are days to relax and get ready for the week ahead and being snowed in certainly allows you to do just those things. I'm sitting here getting work done for the week and figuring out what last minute Christmas gifts I need to get. Can you believe Christmas is here this week? I can't! To everyone living in New England...enjoy the snow and enjoy your day!

Expect the Unexpected

Everyday we find ourselves working hard, pushing further ahead, reaching for the stars. Everyone has their eyes on a prize - whether it be a goal, promotion and/or some sort of personal achievement. Regardless, we are always striving for more. In my own life, I've found that when I really want things and push for things, really hoping that they will happen, nothing usually happens and I sometimes feel discouraged and disappointed. However lately, especially this year, I've found that by having a more relaxed approach with my goals and just letting things happen and fall where they shall fall, I've had much more success in both my personal life and career. Opportunities have popped up for me out of the blue and things I would never imagine possible are now happening, it's amazing and I feel so blessed for this year and these opportunities. The point of my blog is simple...have your dreams and have your goals and hold them close to your heart. Just because things do not happen as quickly as we'd like, doesn't mean that we should let go of those dreams and goals. I have my own goals and dreams and am slowly creating my own path in life. However I've found that the best way for me to go about doing so is to just relax, be patient and see what happens and comes my way. There are many people you meet every day and through exchanges, a simple "hello" or "thank you", you never know what may later come from these exchanges. Stay true to yourself, you goals and dreams and expect the unexpected on your path in life!

Fitness Anywhere

Many of you will soon be traveling for the holidays and leaving your regular workouts and good clean eating at home - I mean, come on, it's the holidays, right? Wrong! Just because you are traveling somewhere else and may not have a gym membership where you are going, doesn't mean that you should leave your workouts at home and indulge in every morsel of food while away. If you do that, it will only be more difficult to get back into the groove when you return. Keep it going while you are away - it'll make you feel better!

A lot of my clients travel during this time and I have written out mini workouts for them to take with them on the road. The great thing about these workouts is that you don't need to go to a gym or have any gym equipment around you in order to do them. You can do them outside (pending where you are because of weather lol) or in the comfort of someone else's home. Heck, get your family and friends to even join you, make it fun!

Try the workout below while you're traveling to keep your endurance up and keep you moving. The key is to keep on moving from one exercise to the next, repeat 2 times in a row, rest then repeat again 2 more times.

10 Jumping Jacks
5 Jump Squats
10 Jumping Jacks
5 Burpees
10 Tricep Dips (on chair)
5 Pop-Up Pushups (on knees - pushing off the ground & getting air)
10 Up-Down Planks (start in plank positions on hands, lower down to elbows then back up, repeat)
10 Legged Bridges (each leg)

If you have any questions about any particular exercise or need modifications because of an injury, give me a shout!

Have fun!

Keep That Motivation Through the Holidays!

The holidays are right around the corner with many holiday parties currently in full effect. It's especially important to stay consistent with your nutrition and workouts during this time as we're enjoying yummy finger foods, dinners and desserts. Here are a few helpful tips to help you during this time:


Use Moderation When Cheating On Your Diet: Allow yourself to indulge a little here and there, but limit your portions.

Set A Goal To Do Something Active Each Day: It might not be your average workout, but try to get out and move for at least 30 minutes.

Limit Your Alcohol Consumption: You are better off eating an extra piece of pie than consuming numerous cocktails. Excess alcohol contributes too much to fat gain.

Drink Plenty Of Water: Many times we will overeat because we are dehydrated and thirsty. Make sure that your water intake is adequate.

The Importance of Stretching

Many of us go to the gym, get our workout in and then immediately leave. I hardly see any people at my gym actually take the time to cool down and stretch after their workouts. Yes, I am sometimes guilty of this too, but I am currently trying to really focus on dedicating time to stretching and going to yoga classes.

Taking the time to cool down and stretch is so important for the growth and recovery of our muscles. By working out, we are working our muscles and this can lead to many tight muscles. Stretching will help with our flexibility and help with our range of motion. Next time you're in the gym, try to put aside an extra 5-10 minutes to go cool down and stretch. Your muscles will thank you and the more you continue to do this, the better you will feel!

It's Starting to Feel Like Christmas?

The weather here in New England has certainly been all over the place within the past couple of weeks. Just this week it was 70 degrees and gorgeous out! Now that certainly isn't New England weather for December! However it's now finally starting to feel like Christmas is right around the corner in New England. Last night we were greeted with snow - it fell down slow, graceful and didn't accumulate too much but left for a beautiful picture this morning.

The above picture is my view of my drive to Cathy Savage's studio this morning for our weekly Sunday Session. It was such a gorgeous drive as many people were not on the road and the trees were covered with snow. It reminded me of how I need to start getting on the ball with my Christmas shopping!!!!!

Being Grateful

The above picture is from my most recent trip to Las Vegas - standing right in front of the Bellagio fountains for a shoot. I was fortunate enough to travel almost across the country with my fellow friends from New England. I traveled with them to help support and motivate - to be there with them and share in all their experiences and joys with them.

I look back and it makes me realize how grateful I am to have such wonderful, amazing, supportive, motivating, inspiring, positive and down to earth friends. I have shared many great experiences with all of them and cannot wait for what 2010 has in store for us all.

I love you girls!!!!!!!

A Better You

Do you ever wonder why certain people come & go into our lives? Do they pass through in order to teach us some sort of valuable lesson or to open our eyes to something specific? I've had many people come and go in my life, some great experiences and some, well let's just say, not-so-good experiences. I am a people person, I deal with people directly for a living. I enjoy meeting new people, learning about new people and how they see the world. These types of experiences shape me as a person and who I'm striving to become. Many people can offer you insight to their beliefs and values, and help you to create a better set of beliefs and values for yourself, ultimately making you a better and more centered individual.

However, I've recently found that some people can seem to offer you nothing positive. These types of people only come in to your life and pass through like a tornado, leaving you pushed down to the ground along with a mess for you to clean up on your own. Although these types of people are careless and hurtful, I have found at the same time that these types of relationships are the ones that, in the end, will make you a much STRONGER person. It's when we are pushed down to the ground, feeling helpless and alone with no help in sight, that we have no choice but to stand up on our own 2 feet alone in order to see it through. Although at the time, there may seem like there is no light at the end of the tunnel or no positivity in the future, we must continue to walk on our own and hold ourselves up high and march on. We live and we end up learning.

You see, life will throw us many curve balls. Life will send us some inspiring and motivating people in our lives in order to learn from and grow; however, life will also send us some negative and hurtful people in our lives too. Although we cannot see it at the time, we learn and grow from these types of people as well. Every person you meet, every exchange, every type of relationship serves a purpose in your life. These people, exchanges and relationships will shape you and keep moving you forward in your journey of life.

You Are What You Eat

Just checking in to my blog as it's turned out to be a pretty busy week yet a productive week too! I am back on track and feeling great - getting my scheduled workouts in this week and eating clean and yummy meals. It's amazing how what you eat really determines how you feel. During the Thanksgiving weekend, I was eating turkey and all the fixings, rolls, desserts, pizza, etc. I felt lethargic, lazy and down. Now that I've been eating healthy choices, I am feeling a lot less tired and more energetic...it's a great feeling!

If you find yourself feeling the same way I did even after the holiday (lethargic and lazy), look at what you are eating. If you find that it's usually processed food or not-so-good-for-you food, try changing it up! Make sure to have 2-3 servings of fruits per day along with a variety of lean proteins, whole grains, good fats and veggies. You'll feel a world of difference better! And don't forget to keep drinking your water!