Life Shifts and a Little TLC

If I’m quiet on here and on social for a little while it’s because I’m on to something. Last week I was hit with a million things I wanted to start doing. In a good way. I just felt this “out of the blue” tug. At first I had to quiet the voice in my head and say “whoa whoa, this is too much.” But I couldn’t really get that voice to shut up, so instead, I just chose to listen. I went in my room, laid on my bed, closed the door and I just started to tune in.

“The talk” I had with myself was a bit all over the place. I should really hire more employees. Gosh I need to download more podcasts and start listening to those again. You know, I really should meditate more. OMG, I just had the best business idea. I should try and finish two books this month. Should I schedule a Barre3 class for tomorrow? I think I’m ready to move. Tea sounds kind of nice right now. Yeah, I should go make a cup of tea. No, ok, just stay in bed here a little longer and let’s think through some things. I need to do some more creative things more often. In two years from now I wonder what I’ll be doing?

Literally, this just went on and on and on.

I just let those thoughts ride out until I’m pretty sure I just got hungry and that took my mind off of it all. But it kind of made me realize… that’s the crap I’m trying to sort out right now in my life. And heck, this is just the classic case of a curious person. Or maybe a 30-year-old, I can’t quite tell. There are so many dang things I want to do that sometimes I just end up not doing any of them because it’s all just too much.

So that’s when I called it quits with my thoughts. Enough about ME and my thoughts. Enough trying to do it all at once. Enough shoulds. I knew in that moment that I just needed to let these things happen by creating more space to let it happen and by exploration with practice and learning. I’ve always lived by the idea of crowding out. If you want to create a new, long-term habit, rather than just drastically doing something new or cutting the old habit out, you just start adding in a lot of the good stuff and eventually the “bad” stuff isn’t what you want anymore. So that’s basically the plan.

It’s been a really productive and inspiring last 5 days. They’ve been filled with so many ah-ha moments, so much clarity already, but most importantly, just a whole lot of contentment. I’m not here to tell you that you need to do all of these things, but I couldn’t bear to not share this stuff because it’s been shifting my life at the moment in such a positive way and frankly… it just feels soooo good! My days have been full of doing, absorbing and letting. Just letting it allllll come together, whatever the heck it is you are trying to gain clarity on or learn more about.

Here have been the game-changers for me:

1. EFT (Tapping). Tap in the car, at your desk, on the couch, at the gym. Just start tapping! For anxiety, self-doubt, thought reframing, etc. This technique has been one of the best tools lately and I’ve honestly been amazed at the difference tapping has made in my life. This video is an easy guideline.

2. Signing off social media. Just take a dang break. Except of course to share this post : ) But really… free up your time, let your mind focus more on your own journey and not on 500 others, and just disconnect for a bit. It doesn’t need to be forever, just for a little bit. A few days, a week, a month…

3. You Are a Badass. This book is SUCH a good one. For anyone, really. I feel like it should be a pre-requisite in your 20’s. I’ve been reading it first thing in the morning while sipping my coffee rather than on my phone, tv or starting work. What a better way to start your day.

4. Podcast like crazy. My favorite shows right now are:

The Melissa Ambrosini Show
Meditation Minis
The Tony Robbins Podcast
The School of Greatness
The Life Coach School

5. Meditate. Get quiet. 5-20 minutes. Ideally in the AM. Just commit! It’s worth it.

These 5 simple-as-heck practices have been incredibly impactful. I feel like I’ve been at a self-help bootcamp in a sense and I just want MORE. And more and more and more. If I’m slightly obnoxious lately about deeper things, now you know my why.

xx
Linds

Our Winter Pantry

‘Tis the season for warm, nourishing foods. Notice how your body is beginning to crave warmer, heavier meals? Listen in. Just as the seasons change, so do our bodies. The more we pay attention to the foods our bodies crave, the better we tend to feel.

Have you tried to eat intuitively? Even just for a day, I encourage you to give it a try. Wake up in the morning and take a minute to really think about what your body wants and craves. Be careful here, because you might be getting misinformed by the sugar effect. Think less about indulging, and more about what you feel would really nourish your body. Then, carry that same approach for the rest of the day. Are you hungry for a snack? Listen in. Sometimes a nice bowl of miso soup in the wintertime will satisfy you rather than a protein bar or smoothie.

Here is a sample day meal plan that might satisfy you during the winter months:

Breakfast:
Oatmeal with walnuts, maple syrup, chia seeds and homemade cashew milk

Lunch:
Massaged kale salad with pumpkin seeds, wild smoked salmon, shaved carrots and a miso vinaigrette

Snack:
Apple slices and almond butter

Dinner:
Roasted chicken with carrots, celery, chard, and potatoes

After Dinner:
Dark Chocolate and some ginger tea

Happy eating, friends! xx

A Self Check-In

We are finally (mostly) settled in at our new place and I feel like I just want to let out the biggest exhale. I don’t remember moving being this stressful! I think the combination of moving while sick, moving out of the first home Parker was ever in, and running a business while doing it all was a LOT. I felt like I hit pause on life (and summer) and I’m finally pressing play again.

Somewhere in between all of this, I started to take a good look at my whole life. I just started to go through everything: Am I exercising enough? Have I been taking the time to simply breathe? Have I been unplugging after 5pm most nights? I did this big evaluation, not to be hard on myself, but to just check-in. Do you ever do this? I really feel like checking in with yourself is one of the simplest, most effective things we can do. Almost as if an alarm needs to go off every few months to say “hey, let’s take a good look at things.”

Anyway, my internal alarm went off and I tried to think about all of the things I’d love to work on. I’m obviously not going to be able to do all of this, but it was a simple reminder of the things that are important to me and to try my best to do as many as I can. See the list I made to myself below:

Cook more often. You love it.
Cut back on animal products.
Try and be asleep by 9:30pm (I used to always do this and lately it’s been more like 11pm).
Change up exercises and strive for yoga 2x a week.
Get ready most days! You are running out of lounge clothes to wear around the house. Plus, it just makes you feel better. ; )
Date night with Tyson 1x a week. Try new things, rather than just a dinner out.
Unplug as often as possible after 5pm to spend quality time with family.
Take more photos with my camera, less on my phone.
Do more things solo- (see below).
Give thanks every day for what I have and put less focus on what I want.
Eat as clean as possible.
Volunteer.
Mind over matter: Worry less. More positive thinking.
Floss at least every other day (LOL).
Blog more often. It’s more for you than anyone else.
Be in nature more often.
Drink less. Although I still don’t drink that often, I feel best when it’s only 2 or 3x a week max.
Meditate. You know you need to do this…
Try and not get distracted. Working from home can come with its own challenges. Stay focused.

We obviously know better than anyone, what is best for us. Taking time to check-in can be so powerful.

One of the things that really stuck out to me when I was thinking about all of this, was my attachment to my family. Not a terrible problem, right? But really, especially now that I am working from home, we are always together. When we aren’t together, it feels so strange and a little uncomfortable. As sweet as this may sound (and natural for parents), I also don’t want to lose sight of who I am as my own person. Sometimes I need to remind myself to get out of my perpetual mom-mode and be, Lindsay.

Do a little check in with me? If you really do, I hope you find some helpful reminders for yourself. Not ones that come with a bunch of pressure, but just things to remind you of what you want in life and what’s good for you.

Happy Sunday, everyone! xx

Changing Up My Workouts

I used to be religious about working out. I worked out 5 days a week, usually at a gym, and I rarely skipped a workout. Each month I tried a new “plan” so I could stay consistent and see progress. But let me be honest, nothing really ever stuck; I felt torn. I would bounce around from more body weight exercises to heavy lifting and then to extra cardio. I was kind of all over the place.

After having Parker, my own body perception changed tremendously. I stopped comparing myself to these other women and their thin/toned bodies and I started to focus more on just feeling good. When I move, what feels best? Which form of exercise makes me the happiest? Do I really need to be that disciplined with my workouts, or can I sometimes just workout twice a week? These were the thoughts I had to work through and over time, I’ve realized a lot.

For once (in a very long time), I had finally learned to relax about my body and start listening. My hips were ridiculously tight after giving birth, I had no core whatsoever, and I was (and still am) extremely inflexible. So, I decided to try a class (I usually hated classes). My plan was to try out this class and see how I liked it and then start to walk/jog more outside. The class was Barre3. I went to my first class with the mindset of already hating it (so positive of me, I know). But I truly, really disliked group classes. So, long story short, I ended up loving it. I felt strong, I felt focused, I felt energized and overall, I just felt good. I remember thinking, YES, this is what I want to feel out of a workout. Then the next I went for a jog outside. It wasn’t even the best weather, but I did it anyway. I ended up walking almost halfway through, but I didn’t even sweat it (literally). I just jammed out to my music, had a lot of chats with myself in my head (lol), and loved it. Again, I felt good.

Top: Topshop | Leggings: Forever21 | Sports Bra: Gap

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Fast forward to where I’m at now and I’ve basically kept up the same workouts. Either an online or in-studio Barre3 class a few times a week, lots of walks and half-ass runs, and I will lift some heavier weights here and there in my living room while watching tv. Most importantly, the pressure is off and I’ve become more concerned about how I feel in my body rather than how my body appears.

I appreciate all of the tools we have out there. There are a plethora of program guides, workout studios, philosophies, etc; we really have no excuse! But if we could all just focus more on what felt good and felt right and to just MOVE in general every day (even if it is a walk with your dog or some good stretching), I think we would be doing quite well. Understanding that we are all unique- a hard workout might provide great results for one person, but could actually be doing more harm than good to someone else. Finding what feels best to you is key.

I always thought that I HAD to workout hard to get good results. And yes, depending on the results you want, you might have to! But to be honest, once I started listening to my body a bit more, I’m now in better shape than I was during those crazy workout days. I also eat a lot more too!

Sometimes, and this doesn’t pertain to all of us, but sometimes some of us just need to slow down and do less, to accomplish more.

Lots of love,
Lindsay

Turmeric Toddy

Whether you have a cold or just need a boost of nutrients, this turmeric toddy is going to be your new best friend. I try and have at least one per week. And I’m sorry, but this one is sans booze. Save that for a great cocktail.

Based on extensive research and one incredible Duke study (here), turmeric is one of the most powerful spices we have and has been used by Chinese and Indian medicine for thousands of years. Another powerhouse related to turmeric? Ginger. I could seriously eat ginger ALL. DAY. LONG.

So what happens when you mix the two together and add in a dose of vitamin C and some anti-bacterial, mineral rich raw honey? Well, you get one major boost to your immune system.

Turmeric Toddy

1 pure ginger tea bag (you are welcome to dice up your own ginger for this too)
1 mug full of hot water
1 or 2 tablespoons of turmeric paste (see below)
1/2 of an orange, squeezed
1/2 tsp lemon juice

Turmeric Paste:

1/2 cup raw honey
1 1/2 tablespoons turmeric powder

Mix together well with a spoon and store in a jar

Directions:

Make the ginger tea as normal (in a tea cup, mix hot water with the tea bag). Allow to sit for 3-5 minutes.

Squeeze the orange and pour in lemon juice.

Mix together 1-2 tablespoons of the turmeric paste (depending on sweetness preference).

Sip and enjoy!