Last Friday I put a call out for topic requests given that my normal groove has shifted to all baby, all the time right now. My day-to-day looks much different since I’m not working or working out so I thought it would be a great time to tackle some topics that you guys want to [...]
life balance
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Planning for the Week Ahead: Meal Plan + Work + Life
February 25, 2018 { 12 comments }Hey there and I hope you guys are enjoying your Sunday. A few months ago I wrote a post about Sunday planning to strategize for a busy week ahead and it was well received. Given that I’m hitting 30 weeks this week and feeling the squeeze to get my ducks in a row before baby [...]
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Staying Open in Times of Fear, Uncertainty and Struggle
February 15, 2018 { 120 comments }Hi friends. Days and days of gray clouds and rain have given way to sunny skies, a gorgeous breeze and 74 degree temperatures here in Charlotte. I am sitting here working with doors and windows to my house open and I’m going to get out for a walk with the girls here in a bit [...]
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Sunday Morning Coffee Chat
February 4, 2018 { 27 comments }Good morning beautiful people. I air dropped all of the photos from days two and three of my NYC trip from my phone to my MacBook this morning…but then decided that I’d rather just sit down and write what’s on my heart and my mind instead. It’s rainy and cold here and it seems like [...]
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5 Hacks to Streamline Your Busy Life
February 2, 2018 { 10 comments }I’m proud to be working with CVS Pharmacy to help spread the word about #BetterHealthMadeEasy, how to #FindYourHealthy and #DiscoverCVS. All opinions expressed are my own, and all product claims or program details shared should be verified at CVS.com or with the appropriate manufacturers. I think it’s accurate to state that most of you reading [...]
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Friday Things
January 19, 2018 { 38 comments }I hope that your Friday is off to a nice start. I finally arrived back in Charlotte last night just in time to dash from the airport to the studio to teach my 5 p.m. strength class. And let me tell you, after not picking up a weight for a week…I am feeling it this [...]
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Four Different Ideas for Approaching 2018: Feel More, “Goal” Less
January 4, 2018 { 4 comments }Hi everyone. I hope the first week of the new year is off to a wonderful start for you. Although I’m not personally setting specific intentions, goals or resolutions, I have found myself in a very contemplative place this new year. My whole life is going to change in 2018 in ways that I can’t [...]
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My Strategy for Managing a Busy Week: Meals, Workouts, Work Priorities and Life Balance
December 10, 2017 { 19 comments }Happy Sunday. I sat down to do a little prep and planning for the week ahead and realized that it’s going to be a busy one on the social front in addition to what I have on my plate for work and personal. This means even more prep and planning is necessary because it can [...]
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Finding Food Freedom…And The Journey of Getting There
September 20, 2017 { 128 comments }This post has been bouncing around in my head for a few months but I haven’t had a clear direction for how to present it…so I’m just going to go for it. I want to talk about food. And relaxing the rules around it. And about becoming less attached to comparing what you’re doing to [...]
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Taking Stock, Part 2
September 12, 2017 { 14 comments }I first posted this “Currently” survey-style blog post back in October 2014 after seeing it on my friend Teri’s blog. I came across the old post a couple of weeks ago and put it in the queue for a redo. So here’s the 2017 edition! CURRENTLY… MAKING: plans to visit my grandmother very soon. I [...]
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Let’s Talk About How We Talk About Our Bodies
July 20, 2017 { 28 comments }I am running a doggie daycare over here! We are dog sitting Bear Bundon for three weeks and we added Stella to the mix today too. She’s my friend Virginia’s cockapoo puppy. She’s 8 months old and 10.2 pounds but man can she ever hang with the big dogs. She LOVES them and totally plays [...]
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6 Ways I’m Taking Care of Myself During a Busy Season of Life
May 19, 2017 { 16 comments }I am waving the white flag on this week. It was a short week for me but a busy one. I’m finding that since I changed my schedule this month to add in the four Y2 Strength trial classes, I’ve had a hard time fitting everything in that I want to get done in a [...]
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Finding My Flow
April 27, 2017 { 43 comments }I sat down at the computer this morning to begin working. On my blog editorial schedule for today I had “Zoetry review” and while that is coming (soon!), I felt like I wanted to share something else instead. Photo Wanda Koch Over the last couple of months I’ve felt more ease, joy and flow than [...]
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Sometimes Simple is Best
March 9, 2017 { 31 comments }Good morning. I’ve got Kings of Leon radio playing on Pandora, a cup of coffee sitting on my desk and sunlight streaming in through the windows. I taught yoga at 6 a.m. and then came home and made breakfast for Tanner and myself. I’ve got the rest of the day ahead of me to focus [...]
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How’s Your Brain Health + What I Learned from the Staying Sharp Brain Health Assessment
February 25, 2017 { 67 comments }This post is sponsored by Staying Sharp. Keep reading for a giveaway for a free brain health assessment. It seems that the older I get, the more I understand that being healthy is about so much more than just physical health. While I love to workout, nurturing my body on a deeper level has become [...]
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5 Ways To Find More Happiness at Work
February 15, 2017 { 11 comments }A few weeks ago I shared a time evaluation exercise that we do with our yoga teacher trainees. If you missed that post, definitely go back and read it because the exercise can really help you understand how you spend your time and how you feel about how you spend your time. The whole point [...]
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Team Human Being
January 29, 2017 { 19 comments }Every now and again I find myself in a spot of questioning my authority/ability/worthiness to do what I do. I tell myself this story that there are many others who are more knowledgeable/qualified/serious than I am and that I’m somehow not in the place I should be professionally or personally to be telling anyone anything [...]
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The Eye-Opening Time Evaluation Exercise That You Need To Do!
January 19, 2017 { 7 comments }I’ve always sprinkled personal development/career/growth/deep thoughts posts into my blog content in the past but in 2017 I’m efforting to share MORE of that with you. I’ll be writing more about some of the topics I talk about in my yoga classes as well as some of the personal growth exercises that we do in [...]
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Don’t begin 2017 without taking a look back at 2016
January 1, 2017 { 17 comments }Happy New Year. I taught my normal Saturday 11:15 a.m. yoga class on New Year’s Eve in addition to a “Resolve to Evolve” workshop with Dorie that afternoon. The theme of my class and my workshop yesterday was spending time reflecting on the year behind us before we zoom into 2017, forgetting (or choosing to [...]
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2016: State of Blogging + Top 10 Posts of the Year
December 29, 2016 { 42 comments }It’s hard to believe that I have been blogging for over eight years now. I started my first food blog, Bakin’ and Eggs, back in 2008 and Peanut Butter Runner in 2010. It’s so crazy to see how much the blog world has changed during this time. For those of you who are unfamiliar with [...]
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Your Thanksgiving Workout Guide: Body, Mind and Spirit
November 23, 2016 { 7 comments }I have been sharing holiday-themed workouts for years but this Thanksgiving I want to deepen my workout offering to include not only the physical body but mind and spirit as well. Most of you have shared with me in the past that you enjoy getting a good workout in on Thanksgiving morning before you spend [...]
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Sunday Morning Coffee Chat: Life, Love and Running
November 20, 2016 { 25 comments }I hope your Sunday morning is off to a beautiful start. I just poured a cup of coffee and took that magical first sip and thought I’d sit down and write a coffee chat post since it’s been many months since I’ve done so. If we were chatting over coffee I would share…that last week [...]
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On Being Okay with Where You Are Today
September 30, 2016 { 17 comments }I was about halfway through teaching a yoga class this morning when I realized that I was there, but I wasn’t all there. I was in it, but I wasn’t bringing much for my students. I was saying all the words right and teaching a well-sequenced class but I felt an emptiness that’s not usually [...]
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20 ways YOU make the most of every day!
September 23, 2016 { 4 comments }A couple of weeks ago as part of my “Live Your Life with Heart” partnership with CocoaVia®, I shared 5 ways that I make the most of every day. I asked you guys to share back to me how you live a life that’s full of heart and happiness and received some seriously amazing responses [...]
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A Labor Day Lesson
September 5, 2016 { 29 comments }On Sunday afternoon I taught three classes in a row. A double header of HIIT and Total Strength at the Y for my once-a-month rotation followed immediately by hot yoga. These Sundays are four hour marathons of teaching but always leave me feeling energized and remembering why I fell in love with group ex and [...]
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Living Your Life with Heart + Chocolate Cherry Chia Pudding
August 10, 2016 { 9 comments }When you think about heart health, do you consider taking care of your heart emotionally as well as physically? One of the things that I most frequently message to my yoga classes about is creating a life that 1) feels good on the inside and 2) you are excited to wake up and live (on [...]
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The Lie I Give Up
April 13, 2016 { 52 comments }One of the exercises that we do in our 200-hour teacher training program is called “The Lie I Give Up.” I think it’s safe to say that most of us walk around with lies that are just waiting to pop up anytime we are triggered or put in a vulnerable or difficult situation. Most of the [...]
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Sunday Morning Coffee Chat
April 10, 2016 { 7 comments }A little over a month ago I shared a “coffee chat” post for the first time and many of you responded to the post (and in the survey) that you enjoyed the more personal feel of it. I’m going to do another one today and then see if it might become something I do monthly [...]
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On Blooming
March 20, 2016 { 8 comments }Hello and happy Spring Equinox. After weeks of gorgeous, sunny, 70 degree weather, the Spring Equinox here in Charlotte was a cold, gray day but it felt totally appropriate to remind me what we’re saying goodbye to. I love how each season has a very specific feel to it. Summer is full of long days and [...]
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Sunday Morning Coffee Chat + Weekly Workouts
March 6, 2016 { 47 comments }Weekend mornings are my favorite. After many years of teaching early every Saturday and Sunday morning, it’s been such a treat to have them back after making some adjustments to my schedule about a year ago. Saturday mornings tend to be a little more productive. I love cleaning the house, hitting the farmers market and getting [...]
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A Second Chance at My Evening Routine
January 8, 2016 { 11 comments }http://ads.blogherads.com/75/7551/campaigns/22/2278/2278235/x90.jsAfter early morning wake up calls to be at the gym or the yoga studio and long days where I commonly teach into the evening hours, unwinding when I get home is something I really look forward to. One of my goals in the new year is to revamp my evening routine to make it [...]
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Holiday Highs and Lows + Weekly Workouts
December 20, 2015 { 17 comments }Hi! I don’t know about you guys but I’m feeling the holiday hustle in full force. The ratio of “what I hope to achieve and do” versus “what actually happens” is pretty comical right now but I’m just taking it one day at a time. I thought for today’s weekly workouts post that I would [...]
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An Ending
December 10, 2015 { 23 comments }Our lives are full of beginnings and endings…life, careers, relationships, creative endeavors, homes, routines, cities, the list goes on. Whether they are happy, sad or bittersweet, beginnings and endings and the transitions that come with them are an inevitable part of being human. I have recently been navigating my way through an ending behind the [...]
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Have Courage and Be Kind
October 13, 2015 { 15 comments }Hi everyone! I hope you had great day. I have a post that will hopefully bring a little sunshine to your week. First, a quick housekeeping update. Many of you have requested an email option for receiving daily posts. It’s a functionality I used to offer but haven’t in years…until now! I have been working [...]
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Life Lately + The Microwave Conundrum
October 7, 2015 { 47 comments }A big thanks for all of your sweet birthday wishes for Zoey. And I’m glad to hear I’m not the only one making cakes and throwing parties. ;) She’s recovering tonight from yesterday’s celebrations and today’s excitement of having the AT&T guy here for 3 hours setting up cable and internet. He kept telling me [...]
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Zoey’s First Birthday + Embracing “There’s NEVER a Right Time!”
October 6, 2015 { 41 comments }In the midst of the move I took a break to celebrate a sweet puppy that has brought so much joy to my life. Today is Zoey’s first birthday. I think one of the things that holds us back in life is thinking “it’s not the right time.” What I’ve learned is that the right [...]
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ABCs of Jen, Part 2
August 3, 2015 { 17 comments }I’m currently en route from NYC to CLT. It’s been a crazy morning of travel and we’ve already done subway, bus and cab as well as switched from LGA to JKF when our flight got cancelled. We’re now on a direct flight from JFK to CLT and we’ll end up getting in just 2 hours [...]
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Finding the Space to Fly
June 2, 2015 { 10 comments }I had a breakthrough with my yoga practice last week. They always seem to come just when I need them most…and always after I’ve let go of something that’s weighing on me. You might remember that around this time last year, I finally got into a pose that I had been working on for upwards [...]
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Adding a Second Dog to the Family + Zoey at Six Months
April 21, 2015 { 38 comments }Zoey turned six months old two weeks ago and it’s hard to believe that she’s gone from this on her first night home… To this… …at six months old. The number one question I get is “How are Sullie and Zoey getting along?” I’ve been promising a post on adding a second dog for a [...]
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2015 Intentions Check-In + Life Lately in Food & Puppies
April 18, 2015 { 10 comments }Long time, no catch up. I hope your weekend is off to a great start. I started 2015 by sharing my intention to slow down. While I never slowed to a pace that felt just right, I did manage to refocus my priorities somewhat and get some things off my plate. I was feeling like [...]
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Breaks, Being Present & What is Balance?
February 25, 2015 { 11 comments }Hi. I think this is the longest break I have taken from blogging in…years? And it felt…really good. I went into this trip thinking that I’d blog every day like I normally do but after the first day, I just decided not to. Instead I dedicated myself to my practice, my friends and being present. [...]
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New Playlist (Including Spotify!) + Music Faves
January 27, 2015 { 25 comments }Hi, hi! I am currently parked at my favorite local bakery for what I like to call “power hour.” It’s a no distractions, hammer through the to-do list and get sh*t done mission…aided by a oatmeal chocolate chip cookie and a soy cappuccino. Short tangent. Sometimes I think to myself that I’m going to cut [...]
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The End of the Year of Book Writing + My Intentions for 2015
January 6, 2015 { 12 comments }Annnddd I’m back! I am so excited to share that I sent the final manuscript of my book to my editor yesterday at 5 p.m. 2014 can be summarized as “the year of book writing” for me. At the end of 2013, I was connected to an editor through a mutual friend. The editor was looking for [...]
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Why I Told My Yoga Class to Eat Pizza + Playlist
December 17, 2014 { 10 comments }I am feeling the holiday crazies something serious this year. When my editor told me my book deadline was January 5 and apologized for the holiday timeline, I didn’t think much of it. Now that I’m in the moment…I have to admit that I’m dying a little. I want to be shopping, baking cookies and [...]
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Welcome Zoey Girl
December 1, 2014 { 47 comments }So I promised you a post on my new addition. Meet Zoey. The name “Zoe” is of Greek origin and means “life.” Zoey was born on October 6 and is entering her ninth week of life today. We met for the first time eight days ago. She was the first pup I picked up…I was just drawn to her. [...]
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Cultivating A Gratitude Practice
November 1, 2014 { 14 comments }Today is November 1…it’s 50 degrees in Charlotte, the leaves are rapidly falling from the trees, the time changes tonight bringing shorter days and Thanksgiving is just 25 days away. It always seems that the arrival of November and shorter days signals the start of the holiday season and grounding down for the cold months ahead. I [...]
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A Saturday Survey…”Taking Stock”
October 25, 2014 { 14 comments }I hope everyone is having a great Saturday! My Saturdays are generally my “feel like a normal human” days. I teach yoga in the mornings and then do all the farmers market, house cleaning, working out, pampering, relaxing, friend kind of stuff. My friend Terri shared a fun survey kind of post today so I thought [...]
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Let’s Get Some Sleep: Stopping Sleep Deprivation
October 22, 2014 { 26 comments }Right on the heels of my crazy “Monday in the life” post, I want to talk about something serious. Sleep. Often, my nights are late and my mornings are early. It’s fairly normal for me to go to sleep around 11:15-11:30 p.m. and get up at 4:55 a.m. That’s an average of a little over [...]
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Practicing Fearlessness & 7 Headstand Variations
October 7, 2014 { 12 comments }I was talking with a friend recently about how much power fear has over many of the decisions we make (or simply do not make…indecision is the worst). Often, we stay in situations for too long because we’re comfortable and/or afraid of change. Or we avoid pursuing a dream or passion because we fear change [...]
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Sweet Sullie + How Much Do You Value Yourself?
September 19, 2014 { 10 comments }Happy Friday! Warning…this post is mostly going to consist of cute pictures of Sullie. Exhibit 1.In her favorite “please rub my belly…look how cute I am…you know you want to” pose. Exhibit 2. “I’m sorry I rolled in the mud. Please don’t give me a bath.” Exhibit 3. “Why do you torture me like this [...]