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Fresh Starts with Fall Resolutions and Fiesta Worthy Taco Muffins
“Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall.” The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald I CANNOT believe it is September already. Seriously, where did the summer go?! Although it was fabulous, I feel like I blinked and it was over just like that. And already things are feeling different. Fall means not only a bit cooler weather, beautiful changing leaves, and my personal favorite clothing color palette, but also for many people – a fresh start or opportunity to reset our lives with a semi-clean slate. In fact, it has been said that September is the new January when it comes to setting goals and making…
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Mediterranean Memories and Inspired Simple Salmon Sheet Pan Recipe
Something that I have come to appreciate more and more over the years is value of a photo. It is tangible little reminder of a person, a place or a happy time which conjures up memories that might otherwise fade or be forgotten. Pictures act as type of journal documenting our lives – monumental occasions and milestones and sometimes the more mundane, but simple pleasures and experiences. And both research and personal experience shows that time spent reflecting on the good times in the past, can often make us feel happier in the present. I was recently reminded of this when I saw a post from this time last year…
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The Trouble with Work Travel (and Buffalo Chicken Salad to the Rescue)
I am back in London again today, albeit this time around for business meetings as opposed to “Pilates-marathon-training.” So needless to say there will be less tucking and messy buns and more dresses and PowerPoint over the next few days. As I have mentioned, I tend to travel quite frequently between work and fun and although I find that my habits and routine are quite durable back at home, I must confess that the business trips are the hardest times for me to stay on track. When I travel for pleasure, I build time into my schedule for my habits and the things that I enjoy, which does include working out…
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Leveraging the Familiarity Principle :: Basil Artichoke Chicken Butternut Squash Pasta with Cauliflower Alfredo
When facing an opportunity to make a change in our lives we usually have two options: to orchestrate a big, sweeping, dramatic shift or to take small, incremental steps of progress in the desired direction. There are certainly merits to both approaches and the ultimate efficacy of either is dependent upon our own proclivities, the nature of the change that we are tasked with, and the circumstances and other constraints surrounding it. There are many cases where people have been struck by a lightning bolt, new insight, or deep conviction which caused them to instantaneously start or stop doing something virtually overnight and never look back. A new idea completely…
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Lemon & Cucumber Smashed Avocado Sweet Potato Toast fit for Brunch & Besties
According to my social media feeds, this past Sunday was National Friendship Day in the U.S. Although I truly didn’t do anything to celebrate this “holiday,” I did stop briefly to consider some of the absolutely amazing women that I have been privileged to call my friends. Research shows that having strong social connections is one of the most meaningful contributors to happiness and life satisfaction. Like most people, I would argue wholeheartedly that my friends are one of the most valuable aspects of my life and I have some pretty fantastic ones. These are strong women who are running their own businesses and nonprofits, some have been published, some…
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Back From Pilates Holiday :: Avoiding Stairs At All Costs, Meal Planning & Prepping, and Lemon Rosemary Chicken with Jalapeno Herb Dressing
I am so sore. We are back from the London “Pilates Holiday” feeling completed depleted physically, but so inspired and deeply contented with the opportunity to take 11 classes over three days! We had the chance to visit so many beautiful and amazing studios; challenging ourselves with new exercises, techniques, and sheer stamina over the weekend. Some of my favorite classes were:
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A Pilates Holiday, Healthy Travel Hacks, and Roasted Red Pepper and Pesto Frittata Muffins
One of my absolute favorite things about living in Europe has been the ability to travel so conveniently and frequently! We have been taking advantage of every opportunity possible to go new places while we live in Ireland – visiting many of the big bucket list cities like Paris, London, Rome, Amsterdam, Athens, Barcelona, and Madrid as well as many other amazing, but slightly less obvious excursions such as Edinburgh, Bavaria, Ephesus/Kudasi, Belfast and more. And I travel not only for fun, but also for business once or twice a month to meet with clients all around Europe. And this weekend, I am beyond excited to be headed to London…
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Simplicity, Minimalism and Cashew Dijon Salmon
Simplicity. Albert Einstein is credited with once saying that “everything should be made as simple as possible, but no more simpler.” Or perhaps a more direct, and certainly a more commonly known, principle is – “KISS: keep it simple, stupid,” as articulated by the U.S. Navy. The concept highlights the fact that most procedures and systems are best executed if they are simple as opposed to unnecessarily complex. Although the immediate thought is usually DUH, this can be a bit more elusive that it seems that it should be. It does appear that some people are very good at keeping things simple in terms of the clarity in their thoughts…
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Whole30 Spaghetti Squash & Meatballs with Spicy Cashew Cream
Living abroad for the past year and a half has had some pretty substantial ups and downs. Ultimately, it has been a fantastic adventure and one that I never expected to have as an adult with a “big girl job” and a serious relationship. While living here, we have had the opportunity to visit 13 different countries (for fun!) thus far, some multiple times. I have had the opportunity to gain international business experience working with some notable clients and live out my dream of becoming a barre instructor in the best little studio ever. I have had the opportunity to meet some pretty awesome people, hear some crazy accents…
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Chicken and Waffles Are SO Fetch!
Yes. I do realize that I missed the height of the chicken and waffles trend by a few years with this one, buuuuut this version is so tasty that I think it is worth revisiting. It’s savory, it’s easy (but interesting enough to impress dinner guests), and it’s totally Paleo and Whole30 friendly – essentially it’s comfort food at its finest. Besides, who doesn’t know that what quite often what’s old is new again. And it’s true that everything does come back into style eventually. That’s the funny thing about trends. Nearly everything I thought was new or cool growing up was something that my mom had already “been there…
