I have been making this spaghetti squash casserole for going on five years now and I think it’s safe to say at this point that it is in the top 10 when it comes to the number of times that I’ve made a specific recipe. I have hesitated to share the recipe on my blog [...]
yoga teacher
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Let’s Talk Yoga: Favorite Resources and Posts
June 21, 2018 { 7 comments }Happy Summer Solstice and International Yoga Day! Two of my favorite things. I am not currently teaching yoga right now due to maternity leave but I have a new yoga project that I’m working on involving online classes coming later this summer/early fall so I’m excited about that! Look for more details on that in [...]
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6 Tips for New Yoga Teachers
July 12, 2016 { 29 comments }On the first weekend of our 200-hour yoga teacher training program, we always ask for a show of hands of how many would like to teach after completing the training. It’s usually about 50% of the room. Many sign up for teacher training to deepen their practice and increase their knowledge of yoga (and of [...]
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6 Drawbacks of Working in the Fitness, Blogging & Freelance Industries
September 23, 2015 { 42 comments }On this day four years ago I spent my last workday sitting in a cubicle. (For those of you just catching up, I worked in advertising and marketing for six years before making the switch to fitness and freelance full-time. You can read more about it in this post.) Each year on this day I [...]
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Day in the Life Tuesday: August 2015
August 25, 2015 { 19 comments }Day in the life Tuesday for you today. For whatever reason I seem to always do these posts on Tuesdays and it’s fun to look back at past years and compare. – Here’s a day in the life from 2011 in my first month of a full-time career in fitness. – Here’s a day in [...]
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Sweaty Tuesday + Really Good Recent Eats
May 26, 2015 { 22 comments }Hey, hey! I had a very sweaty Tuesday. I taught hot yoga at 6 a.m., 9:15 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. and also took a class at 11:15 a.m. My 6 a.m. was hilarious…I had two people walk in at 6:30 a.m. half way through class and rolling out their mats thinking it was Monday (our [...]
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Energetic Exchange & Teaching Yoga + Playlist & Workouts
April 12, 2015 { 19 comments }I don’t even know where to begin. This week was exhilarating and exhausting. I taught more yoga classes in a single week than I ever have since I started teaching. In an average week I teach around 10 classes. I would say my sweet spot is 7-8. This week I taught 14. For some of [...]
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11 Yoga Basics and Etiquette Tips from a Teacher
March 26, 2015 { 52 comments }I love yoga. I want everyone to practice yoga. I think it changes lives. That said, it took me every bit of five years of dabbling in it to finally decide it was for me. It’s complicated. But it shouldn’t be. One of the things I’ve loved most about writing this blog is introducing so [...]
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New Music Sunday + Weekly Workouts
March 1, 2015 { 13 comments }I hope everyone is having a nice Sunday. It’s 34 degrees and raining here but it makes for a cozy, productive day. It was especially nice for teaching hot yoga this morning. I made a new playlist for class. And here is the Spotify link to follow. I am really trying to embrace Spotify to [...]
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Lately: So Much Yoga, A TV Appearance & Vacation
January 22, 2015 { 25 comments }A quick post tonight to say hi. And I’m tired! I have taught five hot yoga classes in the last two days. Three on Wednesday and two on Thursday. Let me state for the record that I am not complaining. I absolutely love each and every class that I have the honor to teach for so many [...]
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A Sweet Saturday + Arm Balance & Inversion Workshop
January 17, 2015 { 21 comments }Hi and happy Saturday! I had such a wonderful day. It began with a tropical green smoothie while I finished up making a new playlist for my morning yoga classes. I went straw instead of spoon and no granola today. I spent my morning teaching yoga…7:45 a.m. hot vinyasa at Charlotte Yoga followed by 9:30 [...]
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A Weekend Workshop + Weekly Workouts
January 11, 2015 { 11 comments }This Sunday is a breath of fresh air for me! Other than teaching my normal Sunday morning yoga class, I have had the whole day 100% to myself to do whatever I feel like doing. I slept ’til 8:15, taught, came home and menu planned for the week (first time doing that in foreverrrrrr and [...]
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Sweaty Turkeys, Pho and Pizza
November 24, 2014 { 13 comments }I am a little delayed in getting the weekend update to you because I spent Sunday and Monday in a flurry of house projects. The good news is that I made major progress and I finally have a “house tour” type post to share with you featuring my kitchen renovations. I kicked off the weekend [...]
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Life Lately + What I’m Reading, Writing and Watching
November 11, 2014 { 11 comments }Hi there. I feel like I’m coming up for air in the best way possible. I’m a little over one week into the changes I shared last week. Adjusting to a new schedule and routine is always a bit of a challenge but it’s also proving to be a much needed breath of fresh air. Every [...]
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This Week + A Requested Playlist
November 5, 2014 { 16 comments }This week has been a beautiful blur. I have spent a ton of time in the studio both teaching and practicing. I took an extended break from my practice over the summer and into the fall and it feels so good and so right to be back to it. The energy at the studio with [...]
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The Day Everything Changed
November 4, 2014 { 29 comments }Sunday was a big day over here. 1) The time changed. In case you didn’t know (I only bring it up once a week ;))…I’m a summer girl and the arrival of short days and cold weather makes me want to hibernate in a hole until April. I really should work on that plan to [...]
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Monday in the Life
October 21, 2014 { 23 comments }Hey there. I am moving fast…but it’s a blur of good. I woke up at 1 a.m. last night and started to panic about everything that I have on my plate (the middle of the night will do that to you every time!) but I reframed my anxiety to focus on feeling gratitude for the [...]
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My Perfect Friday Night + Day In The Life
September 26, 2014 { 24 comments }Hey and happy weekend! I’ve reached a new level of lame (and awesome at the same time). My Friday night has included working out, the grocery store, a walk with the pup, cooking homemade pizza, painting my nails and watching a combo of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader show and a Sex and the City marathon. It’s [...]
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No More Sunday Night Blues
September 15, 2014 { 12 comments }This month marks three years of working in health and fitness as my full-time career…and what a three years it has been. When I started this new path I was personal training, teaching yoga and writing the blog on the side – how that would change! Over the last three years I’ve held the following job [...]
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Fitness Industry Careers: The Importance of Adaptability
August 14, 2014 { 12 comments }One of the most important qualities to have when you work in the fitness industry is the ability to adapt…and quickly. I 100% endorse planning for your clients and classes but you also have to be able to abandon that plan depending on how your clients show up, outside circumstances that are out of your [...]
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Day in the Life: A Holiday Week
July 3, 2014 { 8 comments }4:50 a.m. – alarm goes off. I didn’t fall asleep until midnight (with the help of a guided meditation) so this felt very early after three weeks straight of 5:30 a.m. clients and lack of quality sleep. 5:30 a.m. – gym to train a client who is in her third trimester and a close friend [...]
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A Weekend Full of Love + Friends
June 29, 2014 { 11 comments }The last three days have been full of celebrating friendship and love! It was the wedding weekend of one of my friends here in Charlotte. I met her through yoga several years ago we’ve since shared many sweaty practices, wine nights and experienced yoga in paradise on retreats. It makes me so happy to see my [...]
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Morning Meditation: Living with Intention
June 25, 2014 { 8 comments }My alarm went off this morning at 4:55 a.m. and I was woken from a very deep, restful sleep that I haven’t been experiencing too often lately. All I wanted to do was sink back into that deep sleep but I had a client to train and a class to teach so I got my [...]
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Weekend: Crazy Curls + Massage + Yoga
February 10, 2014 { 21 comments }Good morning and happy Monday! I am setting my intention to have a focused and productive week that includes LOTS of writing for my book. :) Before I dive into the new week, here’s a look back at a few weekend highlights. Fun fact: my hair is naturally curly/wavy but I never wear it this [...]
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Day In The Life Tuesday: Different Every Day
February 4, 2014 { 20 comments }Hey, hey! Hope everyone had an awesome Tuesday. For whatever reason this always seems like the best day to do a “day in the life” post because my Tuesdays have always been my busiest and most diverse days since day one of this fitness full time gig. So, here’s your day in the life Tuesday! [...]
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Time Management + This Week’s Eats
January 31, 2014 { 9 comments }I am shouting a big TGIF after a pretty grueling training and teaching schedule week. I had 5:30 or 6 a.m. clients Tuesday-Friday in addition to all of my regular stuff, bringing the total number of clients trained for the week to seven (+ two cancels which almost always happens at some point ever week) [...]
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Updates, Big News & Winner
January 30, 2014 { 63 comments }It’s only noon but I’ve been going since 5 a.m. Three clients trained, 150 burpees done, yoga practice and shower. I’m happy to be sitting down in front of the computer for a bit! Today I have several updates for you, some big news and the Yogi Clothing giveaway winner. SNOW! It did snow in [...]
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Day in the Life Tuesday: Fitness Pro & Yoga Teacher
January 21, 2014 { 47 comments }Hey, hey. I have a day in the life post for you today because today was one of those “what happened to my entire day?” kind of days. I had so much work I wanted to get done for Metro and my blog but teaching and training took over and I just ran out of [...]
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This Week’s Workouts + New Playlist
January 5, 2014 { 16 comments }This was a much lighter week for me on the workout front. A lot of yoga, minimal running and only one CrossFit workout. Also, two complete rest days. I say this all the time but I really listen to my body when it comes to structuring my workouts. I try to stay true to whatever [...]
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A Perfect Thanksgiving Eve
November 27, 2013 { 2 comments }I have had a wonderful Thanksgiving Eve. It started bright and early with teaching my normal Wednesday 6:30 a.m. yoga class at Y2 but I was blown away to walk in and find over 50 yogis waiting eagerly on their mats to start their morning with a practice. I guess everyone was trying to get [...]
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Week in Food & Fitness: Shrimp & Grits, Rest Days, Yoga & More
October 16, 2013 { 17 comments }Good morning and happy Wednesday! I really appreciate the likes, shares and comments on yesterday’s “Women Supporting Women” post. Y’all are awesome and I’m looking forward to moving forward with this initiative. Okay, there is so much going on this week so let’s take a breather from serious stuff and do a look at food [...]
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This is going to be the best day of my life.
September 24, 2013 { 17 comments }http://oascentral.blogher.org/RealMedia/ads/adstream_jx.ads/ReviewBadge/OID5498_Folgers_Best_Part_ReviewBadges_015/@x13 What if you woke up every morning and said to yourself, “this is going to be the best day of my life.” Did you know that the oldest yoga teacher in the world is 95 and this is what she tells herself every day she gets out of bed? Oh, and she can still [...]
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Decide What To Be And Go Be It, Round 2
September 23, 2013 { 49 comments }Two years ago today I announced that I was leaving my advertising job to pursue a career in fitness.The past two years have taken me from making training, teaching and blogging my living to accepting a full-time position as the general manager of Metro Fitness Club and Metro CrossFit. Each step of this journey has [...]
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A Day In The Life Tuesday
September 18, 2013 { 24 comments }I thought it would be fun to do a post about what Tuesday looked like for me versus another “day in the life” post I did on Tuesday, October 18, 2011. The 2011 post was written just a few weeks after I left my full-time job in advertising to pursue fitness but I had not [...]
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Sweet Sullie + Yoga Love + Run Inspiration
September 16, 2013 { 8 comments }I hope your week is off to a wonderful start! Sullie’s certainly is! She has been camped out in my office playing with her toys…one of her favorite things to do is play with multiple toys at one time. Today it’s laying on her duck while she chews her bone. I cannot tell you how [...]
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The Practice of Love
August 11, 2013 { 13 comments }I was having a discussion with someone last night about teaching yoga and explaining that when I teach I feel the most authentically myself. I have a tendency to detach and not to open up in my day-to-day life, even with some of my closest friends but I can sit down in front of a [...]
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Celebrating National Ice Cream Day + Weekend In Photos
July 22, 2013 { 18 comments }A photo heavy look at the last couple of days of friends, food and ice cream. Late night dinner of cheese, crackers, fruit, meats and wine on Friday after the acro yoga workshop. I’m having this again for dinner tonight! I am fairly certain that I could live off of cheese and meat plates. We [...]
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Currently…
July 7, 2013 { 42 comments }Currently… – The only workout I feel like doing or can get excited about is yoga. I need it in a bad way right now. I’ve done one strength workout in 2 weeks. Running requires extreme amounts of mental motivation. I did it on vacation because it was my only choice but other than that…nada. [...]
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Sustainability
June 23, 2013 { 15 comments }I’m back in Charlotte but only for a few days before I take off on my next adventure. Details to come on that later this week but I should have lots of good stuff to share with you from my upcoming travels. The past few weeks have been really crazy and stressful on both personally [...]
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Stop saying I don’t know.
June 9, 2013 { 34 comments }Weekend in photos… I had to work on Saturday morning but it was pretty awesome. 1) Metro CrossFit was rocking and we had a great group for our morning classes with lots of new faces. 2) These sweet puppies were there overseeing the WOD! No really, every time people ran out of the doors to [...]
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WOD + Eats + New Yoga Playlist
June 6, 2013 { 11 comments }Workouts this week have been good. Lots of yoga, lots of strength and little running. I’m just really not feeling the running right now. But I did have to get some running in on Wednesday in honor of National Run Day. I did this WOD but substituted a 500 meter run for the rowing. This [...]
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On Stopping The Storytelling
June 4, 2013 { 23 comments }Last Sunday I talked to my yoga class about storytelling. Not the kind of sweet stories you tell children but the stories you make up in your head that cause you fear, anxiety, questioning and doubt. This is something I have struggled with for a long time. I completely freak myself out about things and [...]
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Weekend: Erin McDermott + Cheese & Wine + Market + Cute Sullie
June 1, 2013 { 23 comments }I feel like I’m finally starting to recover from last week. It was a short one but so jam-packed. I didn’t get home from work until 7 on Friday night so I took Sullie out for an easy run so we could enjoy some fresh air after being cooped up in the gym all day. [...]
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Gratitude Overflowing
May 30, 2013 { 37 comments }I had the most wonderful Thursday. I feel so grateful for so many things…my job working at Metro not only doing something I love but doing it with amazing people, the friendships I have made here in Charlotte, the opportunity to teach yoga and being a part of the yoga community as a whole and [...]
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Standing in the Same Spot Two Years Later
April 28, 2013 { 24 comments }It’s been a rainy, cool weekend and that has felt pretty perfect for me. I have spent a lot of time in the yoga studio, coaching CrossFit and hibernating at home. On Friday afternoon I got an SOS request to help out with the yoga teacher trainees at the studio. I led them through their [...]
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A Better Sunday
April 21, 2013 { 8 comments }How can you not smile when you get to look at this face all day? Please look at those paws. I need to take her in for a trim but I love her little slipper feet so much. Today was a better day than yesterday. Starting with a new nut butter at breakfast this morning. [...]
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A Bright Weekend
April 13, 2013 { 15 comments }I haven’t had a weekend like this in a lonnnnggg time…off work at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, dinner out, Saturday yoga and farmers market followed by pool time. So nice! I went out for wine last night and loved this Slingshot Cab. The wine bar we went to was also a wine shop so we [...]
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What I Love To Do
April 7, 2013 { 31 comments }I have had a really nice weekend. Spring finally decided to arrive in Charlotte and it’s been all blue skies and sunshine. I was able to take some space from work and spend the weekend doing things I wanted to be doing. One of my favorite things about this weekend was having long blocks of [...]
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Sunday in Photos
March 24, 2013 { 12 comments }It’s been a good weekend but I haven’t stopped moving so I’m just now checking in with you. My weekend has been full of CrossFit, teaching yoga, Ikea trips, house project, social gatherings…busy but good and fun busy. Today’s biggest accomplishment was assembling my first piece of Ikea furniture all by myself. Like using the [...]
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Weekend In Photos
March 17, 2013 { 26 comments }Why do the weekend pass so quickly? It was a beautiful 75 degrees here in Charlotte on Saturday and Sunday. The kind of weather that makes you smile and take a deep breath when you feel the sun on your face. Here’s my weekend in photos. Friday night furniture building party with chicken parm, roasted [...]