I love finding good sangria, because I believe it to be rare. (Unless you're in Spain— then it's all good!) I've been disappointed more times than not when ordering Sangria here in the States. Why? Because (to me) it's way too sweet. Yuck. I've tried to make it before and those recipes always disappointed me, too. Therefore I present to you my dry rosé sangria recipe that I am over the moon about. 

This salsa recipe is embarrassingly easy. It takes just minutes to make and it is so. much. better. than store-bought salsa. Read on for the simple recipe.

Protein shakes or smoothies are something to try if you're active and trying to build muscle mass or just need more protein in your diet. Read on for two of my favorite recipes.

Most of us get tired or feel strained at some point throughout the day. However, sitting all day can really take a toll on the body. Read on and watch my YouTube video for a short, but effective, yoga sequence you can do right at your desk... without weirding out your co-workers. 

​That quote has inspired me many times. This bit of writing is me sincerely trying to give you motivation if you are this person: you know you need to be more active, but always come up with reasons why it's not the right time. I love helping people on their fitness journey but I can't help people who aren't ready to help themselves. Believe me, I have tried. It only wastes their time and frustrates me. At the end of the day, it's your life and it's all up to you what you do with it. You are responsible for you. 

But maybe you're not too far gone... wink, wink. If you keep having that nagging feeling that you shouldn't be putting off exercise and healthy living any longer, read on for inspiration to GET OFF YOUR BUM and start moving, already! NOW is the perfect time to start. Read on for why.

What exactly is a mantra? Ever wondered that? 

As usual, when I choose a topic for this category of mine, Decoding Yoga, everything is much harder to convey than originally expected. Even the concept of mantra is huge and deep. Here's what I've learned: nothing in yoga is shallow or meaningless. It seems everything about yoga is deep and profound, and just when you think you understand it, you learn that you've only seen the tip of the iceberg.

So, I'll do my best here— with mantra— to explain it because a big mission of mine is to make yoga accessible and relatable to those of us here in the West, without watering it down or disrespecting its origin. These concepts sometime seem esoteric and woo-woo to us, and it turns a lot of people off immediately. That's such a shame, because there is so much there for us to learn and tools for us to use if we'll just take the time to understand it. Read on for a basic explanation of what a mantra is, and how to use one.

 If you want a habit to stick— like exercising regularly— then let's use common sense: make that habit as easy as possible.

Don't like going to the gym? Then creating a space at home is absolutely essential to having a regular exercise habit. Even if you are a gym-goer, it's still nice to have a designated home space for those days when you can't make it to the gym. For help on making the time and space to workout, read my post 4 Exercise Hacks To Get YOU Moving.

Now... what to do in that workout zone? Well, if you don't already have a habit of some sort of resistance /strength training, I'd suggest that. (If you're wondering why strength training in particular is so important, read my post Why Everyone Should Strength Train.) In this post, you'll find a list of my gear suggestions to start your own home gym. Read on for a list of versatile, practical, and basic workout equipment for any budget.
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I look forward to this post every year! Here, you'll find gift ideas for a wide variety of interests and in a wide variety of price ranges. These are items that I personally own, enjoy, and recommend. {For more inspiration, here are links to my gift guide from 2018 and also my gift guide from 2017.}

BUT... remember, stuff is just stuff. The best gift you can give someone you love is your TIME and attention. A great gift would be an activity together and putting your phone away for it. A gift doesn't have to cost money. Don't sweat the small stuff this holiday season! Spend time with your loved ones and have a healthy dose of gratitude. 

Xoxo, Merry Christmas, & Happy Everything.  :)