Holiday Week Meal Plan!

Happy Memorial Day! :) I hope everyone had an amazing LONG weekend. Did you over indulge? Maybe haven't made it to the grocery yet? Well don't worry, I have your weekly meal plan all planned out for you with some of my favorite, easy, family friendly recipes!

You can download the entire version here. The best way to get back on track is to have a plan! :)  Here are a few tips I use throughout the week. 

1) Stick to what you like. I love Skinnytaste. Her recipes are super easy, family friendly and easily convert to the 21 Day Fix plan (which I follow). 

2) Plan ahead. I will grill chicken on Sunday (Monday in this case) for salads throughout the week. I will also chop my veggies and pack them in individual serving bags. Finally, I buy nuts pre-packaged into individual servings at Trader Joes. It saves time and keeps me from eating the entire bag!

3) Plan for treats! I don't have treats listed in this plan (they can be substituted for any carb). I aim for 3 treats a week. So 3 glasses of wine, or 3 servings of chocolate. Or maybe even some yummy summer ice cream!!

Have a great holiday!

Tips for Finding Balance --> For a Super Busy Multi-Tasking Mama! :)

I recently hosted a 5 day challenge group where we talked all about finding balance and all the little tips and tricks I have learned this year on this little coaching journey of mine. While these aren't rocket science, writing them down and talking about them were a nice little reminder that sometimes small changes (and reminding yourself of them) is really all it takes to make a big difference in your day and schedule.  So here goes....

1) Don't Recreate the Wheel.
There is a reason why sites like Pinterest, Etsy and Google exist. Use them. In addition to the big "social" sites, I save my grocery list every week in an App (Wonderlist), use ideas from my favorite blogs and never ever start from scratch. Chances are someone has done whatever you are trying to accomplish before :)

2) Educate Yourself.
They say the most successful people read 10 X more books a year than the average person. My goal, 2 books a month. I listen to books on audible (since sitting down to read just does not seem to happen very much). Its sort of amazing how much information you can consume driving to work or while vacuuming the house. lol.

3) Sunday Power Hour.
Every Sunday I try to take one hour to plan for the week. What activities do we have going on? How many lunches do I need to pack? When am I going to fit in my workouts? What outfits do the girls need to wear? Is there any potential to fit in a date night? :) Just taking a few minutes to plan and check my schedule makes Mondays go SO much easier as well as the rest of the week.

4) Tidy Up Everyday. 
I always joke with my husband that if we won the lottery I would want a personal chef and a house cleaner. That said, we try to do 1-2 chores a day so they don't pile up on the weekend. Maybe its clean the bathrooms on Fridays, mop on Sunday, dust on Monday etc. You get the idea. One task somehow seems better than all of them put together.

5) Pairing. 
I learned this from one of the books I read this year called Better than Before by Gretchin Rubin. The concept is to pair something you like with something that you might not like as much but need to get done. For instance, I watch the Real Housewives while working out. I don't mind working out but its much more fun when I get to watch a little gossipy television.  Another example is pairing making the grocery list with a glass of wine. :) You can check out her video on how to pair activities here.

6) Be Present. Multi-tasking is overrated.
Yes, I do multi-task but sometimes its nice to just done one thing at a time. And its amazing how efficient you can be if you just do one thing and then move on. :) My guess is you even might get more done!

I hope you find these helpful! Have a great weekend!

Why do I do what I do? :)

I have  gotten a lot of questions lately about why I became a fitness coach, what in the world it is and how in the world do I fit it in.... So I thought it would be fun to do a little Q&A.

How did I get started? 
After having the girls I felt a little lost. All my old ways of doing things were no longer working. I was sleeping about 4 hours a day, working full time and balancing two babies and a family as a new mom. I really needed to redefine myself in this new world and find a way to keep myself healthy and truly find a way to find some balance so that I could sustain all that was on my plate.

One of my favorite pastimes is reading DIY and fashion blogs...one of my favorite fashion bloggers had recently become a fitness coach and was starting a 21 day fitness group online. I took my birthday money from my 36th birthday, bought the fitness program, joined the group online and and the rest is history. I have lost 35 lbs and joined an amazing supportive group of women that help me grow everyday.

What do you do everyday?
My mission and goal as a fitness coach is to simply help busy women like myself to find balance by resetting their habits and learning healthy, easy ways to fuel their bodies. By taking care of yourself first are you much more able to take care of others. I also am on a mission to prove that there are careers out there that can be flexible, rewarding and most of all an amazing experience. Not everything has to be 9-5 and fit in a little square box. You can be a working mom, stay at home mom, or just overall super busy lady....I want to prove that you take your kids to the bus stop, work on your career and have time for your friends and family all at the same time.

I host online fitness and wellness groups each month which I check in to everyday. The accountability of these groups has been life changing for me. I also have a team of coaches that I lead that are building businesses of their own. I share my journey on social media which is basically my real life....everyday.

Do you have to have a background in fitness?
I do not have a background in fitness but I have always had a passion for leading a healthy lifestyle and trying new things. I like to work with like minded individuals and am always willing to take on a challenge.

How do you fit it in? 
One of my coaches introduced me to the concept of "fringe hours" and I can't seem to get enough of it. You don't have to commit 5-8 sequential hours a day. You need to have a plan and fit it in when you can. Maybe its a 30 minute workout when your kids are watching a movie, or doing situps when they are in the bath tub. I call my coaches when I am driving to and from work and listen to audio books when I get dressed in the morning instead of reading them. If you are passionate about something, there is always time....it might not just be in convenient chunks.

Can anyone join your team?
YES! This is the best part and I have met so many amazing women this way. The opportunity is open to those that want to help people and have the potential to make a part time of full time income plus are passionate about balance and healthy living, I do a mentor program every month. You do not need to be a fitness professional or at your ideal weight or goal. The most important goal is to help like-minded women find their balance, reset their habits and achieve their goals!

For me personally, finding something I can sink my teeth into that I am crazy passionate about has been amazing. Whenever I have a bad day I have a group of women that have my back. Not to mention this has had such an amazing impact on our family. I really can't imagine going back to a day when this was not part of my life.

If you have other questions I am happy to answer them! I hope this helps you learn a little more about me! :)

Mother's Day Gift Guide (2016)

I love putting together a good gift guide. Its like finding all my favorite things and putting them in one basket :) Here is a list of my go-to gifts for my favorite mamas out there or that special woman in your life!

I still think of myself as a new mom because I feel like I am learning everyday. Gifts aside I am so thankful for all the strong women and support I receive everyday. I have some amazing mentors to look up to both in my corporate job and on my coaching team. I also have an amazing support system which I could not survive without. 
They say it takes a village and I love that I have so many awesome friends, family and moms to look up to! So here we go....my favorites go to gifts for Mother's Day!

1) Kate Spade PJ's, because yes, you can eat cake for breakfast! And you can never have too many pajamas!

2) Brunch! Breakfast is my FAVORITE meal! Here is an awesome recipe for homemade granola and a few other healthy breakfast staples. 

3) Stitch Fix. Yep, this is probably in every one of my lists. It has been life changing! A personal stylist is waiting to style you and its SO simple. All with the touch of a button and a quick survey. 

4) Homemade Mugs. I love a good DIY sharpie project! Handmade gifts are the BEST!

5) Mom Necklace. You can customize these with any initial to celebrate your favorite mom, grandma or children. 

Happy Mother's Day!