My Fall Focus List

I’ve started writing my focuses (or goals, intentions, whatever you want to call them) at the start of each season this year, and this time, I’m sharing it with you! I’ve found that this helps really set the “theme” of the season and reminds me of how I want to grow and progress.

My Fall Focuses:

1. Nourish and move. I feel amazing when I forgo dairy, gluten and only drink alcohol here and there. I have to remember that and make better choices with food. I also want to move in new ways and try new things. I want to try a dance class and maybe take tennis lessons!

2. Remember LINDSAY before marriage and Parker. I am the first one to admit that my attachment to Tyson and Parker is SO strong. I’ve never felt so much love, comfort and happiness like I do with my little fam. And I know that sounds so sweet, but never getting tired of being around them makes it really hard for me to remember my identity on my own, before them. I know my identity has changed now that I’m a wife and mother, but sometimes I get so caught up and comfortable in family life, that I forget that I have other elements to my being that need fulfillment. So this season, I want to take more time to see my friends, do more things for work on my own (like the endless work trips that need to happen), etc.

3. Take time for new hobbies and ideas. Now that the Parker Management model side will not be there (the modeling division was just acquired!), I need to give myself time to chase after my interests, not just what will make me money. Some things I’m really interested in doing more of is helping people/brands with social media, photography, teaching barre3 maybe, cooking, blogging more, traveling, learning French and potentially business coaching. I want to learn and educate myself more. I want to help people! I have so many things I want to do and I just need to free up some space to start letting myself do some of those things.

4. Get a colonoscopy and endoscopy. I have been putting this off for awhile because going under or being sedated scares the crap out of me. To the point where I literally think I’m going to elect to do it without any sedation. But unfortunately due to a family history of issues, I have to get this done earlier than most! Ugh.

5. Road trip to California. We are planning to drive from Portland, to SF, to San Diego, and back up to Napa and then home. Road trips give me so much inspiration and also allow me to sift through so many thoughts.

6. Spend my time more wisely. I really want to work on getting better about time management and I know that takes discipline.

7. Try something spiritually challenging. Go on a solo retreat, meditate more frequently, spend more time in prayer, get out in nature more often. Whatever it is, get in touch spiritually.

8. Work on my fears and anxiety. This one is what holds me back from SO many things in my life. It’s so odd, because I’ve found that the more comfortable I get in life, the more anxiety I feel. The less I push myself out of that comfort zone, the more anxious habits form in my life. I really need to make some leaps of faith this year and take myself out of what feels so nice and safe.

9. Just BE. This ties in a lot with working on my anxiety and fear, but I have a really hard time just being. The quieter and more present I get, the more my anxious thoughts come in and take me away from great moments. For example, when something is going great and I am enjoying myself, rather than showing gratitude and being present, I start to think of negative things or thoughts like “why is this so great… do I deserve this? Or, does this mean something bad is going to happen?” I could go on and on with this subject, seriously. I really need to work on it!

What are your focuses lately? Try and make a list! These help me so much. I also feel like I need to write another follow up post on anxiety soon given that is still such a work in progress in my life. Let me know if you want to hear more on that. I know it’s helpful to read about and relate to others journeys.

Happy September, friends!! xx

Running a Business from Home: A Day in the Life

First of all, I guess I should explain to you all what I do for a living! I feel like I’ve never fully explained this.

I run an influencer + model management company. It’s basically a talent agency in a sense, except we fully manage our talent, which means we oversee their careers. My days consist of a LOT of brand calls, chats with our team, social media, negotiating talent fees, and sifting through contracts. Sometimes I get a good laugh in when I think about how some of my days go. I’ve taken calls while making lunch, while Parker is screaming in the background and I’m not going to lie, one time I MIGHT haven taken a conference call while I was in the bathtub. At the beginning, I was ALL over the place. I honestly had never felt so chaotic. But these days, although the chaos is still there at times, I’ve definitely found more of a groove.

Never in a million years did I think we’d grow this large of a company, this quickly, right from my home. I’m pretty fortunate because my job really only tethers me to my email, so I can essentially work from wherever. I thought we’d be in an office after 3 months, but when I realized how much myself and my employees enjoyed working from home, I thought, we don’t actually NEED an office. And I think that has been a big factor in our growth financially. Low overhead!

Ok, now onto my typical day:

7am: It’s usually like clockwork. I wake up about 7am (no alarm anymore thank God) and within minutes, Parker comes running into our room, jumps in bed with us, and then we all cuddle and play for about 20 minutes. So cheesy, and so wonderful.

7:30am: Breakfast! At this point I usually grab my laptop and head to the couch to work while I eat. I know some would say this isn’t healthy, but I’m so productive at this time of the day so it works for me. I’ve also usually had a ton of East Coast client emails pour in, so I enjoy cranking out work this way. Breakfast is my usual: either a healthy smoothie or a slice of sourdough toast with a fried egg and sprouts. And of course, COFFEE. I either do bulletproof coffee or organic half n half with coconut sugar. I cannot break into coconut or almond milk creamers. It’s just not the same!

9am: Parker and Tyson usually head to the gym at this time, so depending on the day, I either keep working or I try to head out to a Barre3 class or for a run. Most days it’s tough for me to even leave for a class, so I will end up doing B3 online head outside quickly. This day was a quick run since I have a bunch of conference calls this afternoon.

11am: I think the biggest misconception I had about working from home was that I’d have time to make these beautiful, healthy meals. I really feel like I’ve done that only a handful of times. So lately, I’ve been taking advantage of the Caviar app which is a food delivery service from all of your favorite local restaurants. I actually found out about them after a few failed deliveries with another company and I was sold.

12pm: This particular day, I hopped on the app and ordered a Greens bowl (added salmon) + a Turmeric smoothie for later in the day from Root Cafe. Having a really yummy meal like this delivered to the house is literally the highlight of my week. I of course don’t do this everyday, but I like to do this at least 1x per week.

12:30pm: I power through more emails and then I like to give myself a little afternoon break. I will either run some errands, meditate, clean the house and listen to a podcast, or take Parker to the park. It is SO easy to keep pushing through and forget to break. I feel like I just have a laundry list of to-do items that never stops growing. BUT, it’s so important. Taking that mental break and just leaving my phone in a different room for a little bit, is so helpful.

2:30pm: I grab my smoothie that I had delivered and head outside to take my next call. Today, I’m just having a check-in call with one of the girls I manage. We do soooo much online that I find it to be so helpful and productive to hop on a call.

3:30pm: I run through some social media planning with the team and then go online to do my one social media post on my personal account. I will say, it’s been tough for me to keep up my blog and Instagram with so little time! But I really love doing it, so I try and make the time for it. It’s my own little creative outlet that means a lot to me.

4pm: I finish up the day because I’m planning on signing off at 4:30pm today so I can get ready to head to a friends birthday party. When I wrap up my days, I usually like to make a to-do list or priority list of action items for the next day. This helps me stay focused and on track!

6pm: I hop in the car, put some mellow music on to unwind for the day. It’s time to enjoy the rest of the evening with friends! (Thank you to my awesome husband for taking care of Parker all day today).

Running a business from your home comes with it’s challenges, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. What really has helped me stay focused and productive is taking FULL advantage of the things that make my life easier and are convenient. Things like Barre3 online, Google calendars, Slack, Amazon Prime, and my new favorite, Caviar.

I’ve partnered with Caviar on this post because it actually is a service I use and love. All opinions are my own.

For $10 off your first Caviar order, use LINDSAY at trycaviar.com/portland or check online to find if Caviar serves your city!

Until next time, have a great week : )

xx
Lindsay

The Happy Summer To-Do List

I love a good to-do list to help remind me about all of things that inspire me, make me happy and are good for you! Summer is always a great time to tackle these simple pleasures.

1. Dig your toes in some sand
2. Take a good family hike and enjoy natures beauty
3. Wake up earlier
4. Unplug more often
5. Make a chopped salad. Ok, make a LOT of chopped salads
6. Plan a weekend getaway to a lake
7. Spend a whole day at the beach
8. Wear more color, it will make you smile : )
9. Practice more mindful time. Even if it’s just 5 minutes!
10. Feed your mind with inspiring books + podcasts rather than tv
11. Veggie. Fruit. More veggies. More fruit.
12. Enjoy more dinners outside with the fam
13. Take more photos (with your camera, not phone)
14. Go camping
15. Make a new summer music playlist
16. Try to do more yoga
17. Spend a lot of time with friends
18. Throw a party
19. Go natural with makeup
20. Play more tennis
21. Drink more water + infuse with basil, mint, cucumber, strawberries… you name it!
22. Get a new fresh summer haircut
23. Plan more date nights
24. Go to an outdoor concert
25. Face a few fears, do at least 2 things that scare you

Happy Summer, friends!! xx

May Wellness Challenge

I am dedicating the month of May to living and feeling WELL. Work has consumed me lately. Owning a business, being a mom, and trying to have a life at the same time is not easy, that’s for sure. It is so easy to let yourself run on autopilot, but we all know this isn’t sustainable. So, this month I’m putting the spotlight on myself to make some slight changes and tp also push myself.

Here is how I will be challenging myself this month. Come join me!

1. Do something creative 3x a week. For me, this will probably look a lot like blogging and photography. Blogging to me is like a personal journal. Rather than waiting for great content, I’m going to try and just let it FLOW and talk about whatever is on my mind.

2. Workout before 10am each day. I find this to be such an amazing way to start your day. Although I’m still not quite a “get out of bed and go to the gym person.” 10am seems reasonable ; )

3. Focus on running/walking outside and slower workouts. With the weather warming up, it’s time to get outside! Also, I’m ramped up all the time. My focus will be on yoga, barre3 and pilates.

4. Less snacking. I snack so much more now because I work from home. I’m going to focus more on 4 meals a day and filling up on my favorite “spa” water (basil, blackberries and lemon).

5. Eat out only twice a week. One lunch, one dinner – I make such better choices when I cook at home more often. Plus, my bank account appreciates it!

6. Do something each week that is outside of your normal routine. Whether it’s a new workout, a solo hike, going to a concert, attending an event, whatever! Do something different.

7. Listen to 3-5 motivational podcasts a week. It’s time to get inspired. First on my list is The Lively Show!

8. Limit time on Instagram (or other social channels) to 30 minutes a day. We all know how much time we put into browsing mindlessly. I’m going to try and free up my time by mindfully using these channels.

9. Sign off email and social media at 5pm to spend time more quality time with family. Let’s be honest, no device will ever be more important than this time well spent.

10. Do The Five Minute Journal everyday. This journal is so simple, yet makes such an impact! It’s repetitive as ever, but when I did this last month almost daily, I swear by it!

Ok, May! Let’s do this! xx

Natural Beauty Favorites

Happy Sunday!

Today I’m sharing some of my favorite natural beauty products with you. I’ve spent A LOT of money trying products out over the last two years, and while I’ve been disappointed in many, there are quite a few that I just can’t go without.

As some of you know, switching over my old products to natural/non-toxic products has been quite the journey. I’ll be honest… I don’t know if I will ever be 100% on the natural train. I mean, never say never, but there are just certain things I think I just really prefer, like fragrance perfume or self-tanner instead of sunbathing. But, I am trying. Trying to be more mindful of where my products are from, trying to make sure to stay away from these ingredients, and taking into consideration the environmental impact of the things I use and purchase.

What I can say lately though is, I’m impressed! I feel like there are so many effective natural products now and it it so exciting when I find one I really love.

So, let’s dive into the ones I have been loving:

Favorite full skincare line: Epicuren
This is hands down my favorite line. It’s not organic, but it’s a line where science meets nature and I have never loved products more than theirs! This is a great one for all skin types.

Favorite mask: Origins Original Skin
This one is a MUST. I can’t even begin to tell you how much I love this mask because it feels like an all-in-one mask. Moisturizing, brightening, and pore refining.

Favorite body scrub: Herbivore Coco Rose Coconut Oil Polish
This one is well worth the money! A little goes a long way, and I love that it is drier than other scrubs so it really help exfoliate.

Favorite deodorant: Schmidt’s Vanilla Rose Deodorant
This has been my favorite daily deodorant by far. I am obsessed with the scent! Some people I know prefer the jar version of this, so it’s really just a matter of preference. Either way, this one has been a winner in my book.

Using Essential Oils in our Home

Ever since I started working from home, I’ve been glued to my diffusor. I was burning a candle almost every day at my desk, only to realize that my candle wasn’t the best to breathe in (thank you to my sister, Kelly who owns Crosby Elements for explaining this to me).

When I started doing some research prior to purchasing my diffusor, I was pretty impressed by the results people were getting when using essential oils topically and diffusing them. So, I shopped around and ended up getting a few things from Saje Wellness.

Here is what I ordered:

A diffusor

Liquid Sunshine and Brainstorm

The Traveling Farmacy

Tranquility Spray

Here is my very honest opinion:

I love everything.

I have found all of these items to be highly effective too. Specifically, the diffusor running in my office and then the topical oils in the traveling farmacy kit. I’ve been getting headaches more often lately (hello, work stress), and placing a little peppermint halo on my upper head and temples gave me immediate release.

For Parker, he gets a little stomach ache if he has too much dairy, so trying out “gutzy” with him was way too cute. While he can’t tell us for sure that it has helped, he has been asking for it when his stomach gets upset. His favorite part is applying it on his own belly : )

And for Tyson, the aches and pains guy, he thinks (but isn’t 100% confident just yet) that it actually was helpful for his back. He said he still needs more time to decide ; )

I’ve really loved learning about the power of essential oils. I’m always one to opt for a natural solution whenever I can, and it’s nice when you find things that actually work! I found Dr. Axe’s site to be really helpful in learning more about the power of essential oils. You can find his input here.

Happy healing! xx

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

!function(doc,s,id){ var e, p, cb; if(!doc.getElementById(id)) { e = doc.createElement(s); e.id = id; cb = new Date().getTime().toString(); p = ‘//shopsensewidget.shopstyle.com/widget-script.js?cb=1491594642837?cb=’ + cb; e.src = p; doc.body.appendChild(e); } if(typeof window.ss_shopsense === ‘object’){ if(doc.readyState === ‘complete’){ window.ss_shopsense.init(); } } }(document, ‘script’, ‘shopsensewidget-script’); //shopsensewidget.shopstyle.com/#/?options=%7B%22widgetId%22%3A%2258e7f1912391f3f69bd74ffa%22%2C%22version%22%3A1%2C%22pid%22%3A%22uid3881-33682859-68%22%2C%22size%22%3A200%2C%22columns%22%3A3%2C%22rows%22%3A1%2C%22url%22%3A%22https%3A%2F%2Fapi.shopstyle.com%2Fapi%2Fv2%22%2C%22iframeHeight%22%3A275%2C%22iframeWidth%22%3A705%7D

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

Healthy Cooking With Sun Basket

At the start of the new year, I set the goal of eating less meat, more organic produce and more locally sourced foods. I feel such a responsibility to not only eat better for myself and my family, but for the planet!

A little while back, I was just getting really bored of making the same ol’ meals; I’m also a full-time working mom, so dinners tend to be whatever I can whip up within 15-20 minutes. I wanted to find something that fit within my normal meal regime (gluten-free, lighter fare), but I also wanted to explore foods that I don’t normally cook with.

Say hello to Sun Basket!

My sister was actually the first person to rave about Sun Basket. I thought I’d give it a try and I’ve been hooked ever since. I love that you can get vegetarian, paleo, or gluten-free meals; meals that actually look and taste like you just ordered it at a restaurant. Not to mention, they are fun to put together! We all enjoy cooking the meals at our house (Parker even helps) and I’ve actually learned quite a bit (like how to do a perfect roasted piece of chicken or how to cut a beet- haha!). It makes for a fun family night.

This last time we got our delivery, we went with two “lean and clean” paleo meals and then one Friday night meal, a tofu burger with a chipotle mayo, carrot slaw, red peppers, and sprout.

So yummy!!

If you want to try out their meals, I can promise you that you won’t be sorry. They have given me a code that gives you 3 free meals, so grab your discount by clicking the link below and let me know how you like it!!

3 FREE MEALS WITH SUNBASKET

ENJOY! x

I only work with companies that I know and love. All opinions and text are my own.