healthy and beautiful

lauren and I are no strangers to airplane rides or adventures. I’m sure our shared history traveling on Semester at Sea and desire to live FULL lives are two of the reasons we work together so well. This past year, I made it a priority to say 'yes' to as many escapes, adventures and retreats as my calendar (and bank account) will allow. Rather than having a Year of Yes (great book by the way), I think of it as only saying YES to things that make my body feel really good. Food, movement, and good people are my priorities. ( yogascapes  Moab with  Kerri Kelly  +  Jason Bowman )  I should share that as an anti-type A person (more type Z), retreats are my favorite way to travel. After showing up in Thailand itinerary-less a few years ago, I’ve realized that planning, or outsourcing the planning, is in fact wonderful and necessary. Interestingly, lauren is a self-confessed type A-person and likes outsourcing the organizing too. This way, she can obsess about somethin...

I read two types of books. For work it’s mostly non-fiction. There’s a stack of books staring at me on fascinating topics such as probiotics, hormones and seeds. On the weekends, I’ll treat myself a novel, something I can read more than one chapter of at a time. Though I like anything nutrition-related, rarely am I captivated by something I’m reading for work. However, I spent most of Saturday on the couch with It Was Me all Along. And if you’ve ever struggled with food or family, you will cherish Andie Mitchell’s story. I do something weird while I read (and I randomly found out another friend does too). I fold the bottom of the page in a book if there’s something I want to return to. I had so many corner flips as I read this one. A few of my favorites: Where does emotional eating begin? Without giving too much away, in the first part of the book you learn about Andie’s early years. In a way both of her parents were absent. But it was her mother who was “scared of scarcity” and baked...

Last week, I was in my office for client sessions. Many clients had Rosh Hashanah on their minds. For any special event, I try to gather information in order to formulate a plan. “Where will you be for the holidays?” On this particular day three clients informed me that their mother in-law was hosting. Each of these clients shared this with evident apprehension.   Humor is my favorite antidote for anxiety so I dubbed it “ the Mother In-law challenge ” and we went from there. When my sessions were over, my mind drifted back to mother in laws and all the accompanying stereotypes. This definition made me chuckle.   A phrase appended to names of relationship, as father, mother, brother, sister, son, etc., to indicate that the relationship is not by nature There are books written on the subject including one from psychologist Terri Apter entitled… What do you want from me?  And it will come as no shock that the most complicated relationships are between mother in-laws and daug...

My Daughter ~ My Friend My daughter sent me a text to let me know she was having a “Friendsgiving” tonight and the more I looked at the words on my phone, the more I thought about the meaning of the words. My mind started reeling with ideas of how I would write about this and a quick call to my girl to get her insight was in order.   Well, my daughter and her friends have been meeting every Tuesday for girls dinner night, where they take turns preparing the meals, and enjoy a special sharing of their lives…talking, laughing, comparing stories, and eating the meal prepared with their own hands…no orders in…these gals are serious about their food, their lives, and their friendship. Sounds somewhat like “Sex in the City” gone REAL and how FABULOUS is that! I think about that and am proud of the special bonds that my daughter has with these very special ladies…I have had the privilege to meet a few of them.   They celebrate their year anniversary of “Girls Dinner” night for Fri...