Weekly Meal Plans

Sticking to food resolutions can be hard when you come home exhausted from a long day at work. For me, having a meal plan has not only helped in those situations, but also when it comes to grocery shopping. No longer am I blindly shopping and wasting good produce and money.

I scoured the internet and found a Weekly Meal Planner that had enough space for me to list my 3 meals per day, plus a shopping list on the side. Once I did my grocery shopping, I stuck the planner side to my fridge. So now when I go to open the fridge I have a handy reminder of what I should be grabbing in there.

It also helps that I found my weekly recipes off of healthy websites that had already figured out the points/calories for me. This has helped me to stay on track by pre-counting the calories or points per meal so I am less likely to splurge and overeat.

Do you use a weekly meal planner? Which one is your favorite?

Summer Meets Winter Fashion

Is this never ending polar vortex killing your style? Are you tired of wearing sweaters? Why not mix it up! While I’m lucky enough to live in one of the few states that never really gets cold, it still has its “winter” moments. Without tons of winter clothes to make it through this unusual weather, I decided to layer some of my summer clothes and make it winter wear. For example, today I have on:

• Sleeveless summer dress
• Black Blazer
• Flats

If I lived somewhere cooler, I would add tights, scarf, and possibly boots to replace my flats. This look is not only comfortable, it cheers me up thinking of summer and is unique. This is a great way to re-purpose clothes that you once only designated for a particular season.

Not me but illustrates the idea perfectly. Feminine, classic and sophisticated wrapped in a warm bundle.

Another great option, she added a button up on top of the dress, under the jacket for an extra layer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What’s your favorite “unusual” winter outfit?

30 before I’m 30

For those of you that know me, you know that my impending 30th birthday is causing me to do a lot of inner reflection. I’ve decided to turn that into a list of things to accomplish before the big day as I’d like to be able to say I’d done or experienced them before I was the big 3-0. I have a year and a half to complete my list of 30. I’m sharing this with all of you as a way to keep myself motivated to finish the list and possibly inspire you to create one of your own. Now I won’t tell you ALL of them, but here are a five items from the list:

• Become fluent in French
• Learn to surf
• Take a vacation, if even for a weekend, alone.
• Visit the West Coast.
• Go to Trinidad for Carnival

What are some things that would be on your list? Remember, it’s never too late to make your dreams a reality.

My Wish For All of You This Year

Put down the phone, iPad, laptop, whatever. Bust most importantly the phone. Put. It. Down. When did we stop actually actively participate in our lives in exchange for passively pretending we are? Studies have shown that with the rise of social media and smartphone dependence, there has been an equal rise in unhappiness among all age groups. People are communicating less and not enjoying quality time.  So try this on for size – put down the phone and have a real conversation, take in the view, enjoy your food before it gets cold, let that text wait while you drive, and keep some moments for yourself. Don’t let the video below accurately represent your life this year. This is my wish for you.

 

Easy Fitness Tricks for the Workplace

So it’s a new year and I’m sure, like everyone else, you have losing weight or getting back in the gym on your list of 2014 resolutions. The biggest mistake people can make is pushing themselves too hard too fast. You have a whole year to complete this goal and you don’t want to burn yourself out right at the beginning. Since you spend the majority of your time at work, why not start there.

Introduce some easy fitness tricks/swaps here and there throughout your work day and build on those. For example, I bought a stability ball online and go back and forth from the ball to a chair throughout the day at work. The longer I can stay on the ball the better of course, but I’m working on it little by little. You may feel funny sitting on the ball but when your co-workers catch wind of how much better your back feels, how your posture has improved, and your core has strengthened, they will be lining up to borrow it.

Another easy way to incorporate some fitness into your work day, every hour get up and take a quick lap around your office, or to the break room for some water. Try to make this break last about 10 minutes, if you don’t have anywhere to walk too, do some light stretches near your desk. Again, may look silly but when you don’t have the classic ailments of a desk worker you’ll be thanking me!

Lastly, check out this diagram for some easy and helpful chair yoga poses! Which is your favorite?

Chair Yoga for Work Fitness

 

 

 

Make Those 2014 Resolutions Last

I hope you all had a fantastic New Years! As with every new year comes new resolutions or goals for the upcoming year. No matter what they are, here is a simple, handy list to help you accomplish them. 

• Write them down. Makes them seem more real, and permanent.
• Keep the list visible. Laminate it and post it all over your house if that’s what you need but you should at least keep it on your phone and maybe on your fridge if your resolutions involve eating healthier, etc.
• Start small and work your way up. Not only could this mean to start with a small, easy resolution to get that instant gratification of a quick win, but you should break your bigger resolutions down into smaller, simpler steps to help you achieve the end goal.
• Check back as frequently as you need too. This could be as often as every week or every month, at the very least every quarter. The only way to keep yourself on track is to check up on your goals consistently.
• Celebrate the victories but don’t lose focus. Don’t be hard on yourself, celebrate the little victories but make sure to not let it stop you from moving forward with your goals.

I hope this list has been helpful to you and that you are successful with your 2014 resolutions! Happy New Year!!