Day 2: Body your 2018 #BodyGoals Without Going to the Gym

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My Heart Beasts for Fitness Challenges

Even when I used to go hard in the gym, I never was the type to record meticulous notes about each and every set, or what I did on which days. Even back then I always kind of did what I felt was good for me. So after I got burnt out on doing the machines at the gym everyday I figured I had to do something. And since something is better than nothing, I took to watching fitness videos online. It was perfect. I got one on one instruction in the privacy of my own home. All I had to do was flip open my laptop. Everything was going great until the summer I became an instant mom {more on that another day}.

Needless to say, as most parents know, the moment a child enters your life pretty much everything revolves around them and their needs. That didn't stop me from at least trying to stay connected to other things I cared about, like my fledgling at home business. Or clutching to other little luxuries like showering and brunch. You know, the things that matter. I was determined to be the new mom who kept her shit together. All of this was fine and good, until babygirl started teething. Suddenly, 30 extra minutes of sleep was far more appealing than sneaking in an early morning run or risking turning on the laptop and waking the baby. I was slacking and I knew it. I'd break a sweat just getting the baby in and out the car. God forbid I had to lug that damn car seat anywhere. Although, I felt I was exerting myself as hard as ever, my lack of a daily fitness routine straight tanked my energy. I felt my superpowers fading fast. I needed cardio, I needed more muscle. I needed all the caffeine, all day long, for Pete's Coffee's sake. Something had to be done.

{Click to tweet the Tip of the Day:} 

One afternoon when baby was napping and I had an unusual amount of energy on reserve. I must've been bored, because I thought to myself 'Now would be the perfect time to get in a quick workout. But what can I do that'll be quietly effective?' I wondered. So I did what I normally do when looking for bright ideas accompanied by pretty pictures. I jumped on Pinterest and did a quick search for bodyweight workouts and cha-ching! I hit a jack pot of pre-outlined, no equipment or instructor required, instant workouts. I pinned and saved dozens to my Sassy Curves board. 

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The first challenge I selected were squats, because I am vain. Plus, it seemed logical considering all of the heavy lifting I had begun doing just about every day. I thought it would probably be the most functional, dual-purposed use of at least 1 hour of downtime, that also would likely give me a few extra minutes to shower {uninterrupted on most days}. You couldn't tell me I wasn't about be the new MILF on the block.

God bless the gym nerds who not only take copious notes and put together cohesive set combinations {while probably sweating profusely}, but who are also considerate enough to type them out for folks like me who just kinda wing it most of the time. You people are the real MVPs. 

All of a sudden I had something that fit perfectly into my daily routine that I:

a.) Looked forward to

b.) Could be done in a 20 minute pinch, and

c.) Helped build my strength and endurance

...which you apparently need to tote around a kid all day. O' happy day that was. It was an even happier day the afternoon about 2 weeks into my second squat challenge when I noticed those quads were starting to look real righteous. Above are some of my faves that I've done in the past: squats, push-ups, Abs and soon, burpees. That little chunk of time I found and dedicated to myself really made a difference in my endurance. And the best part about it, it didn't take much. The more I did, the stronger I felt and the easier it was to stay motivated enough to add-on other moves and extend my sessions. With the ease of pre-outlined challenges I get clearly defined sets, a slow build up, and the motivation to reach the next milestone. Oh, and crazy, sexy muscles.-- hell-o! 

Like I've said in the past, no fitness thing is one size fits all. The challenge thing has worked for me in the past and until I can get to my Muy Thai classes, I have a couple lined up for this year. However, we all must find our own groove. Youtube, Instagram have loads of freebie classes and tutorials. So, there's no shortage of access. And if you don't mind the gym, you like group classes and you're fortunate enough to live in a city that has Class Pass (which I'll talk about in today's Facebook LIVE broadcast at 3 PM, EST-- so follow @TheSassyNation there for some Facetime), it's another great option to explore different ways to move your body. After all, that's what this whole process is about: Exploring what feels right and works for your lifestyle. Maybe Capoeira or bellydancing will be your thing. Or Barre, or kickboxing. Maybe you're outdoorsy and into soccer or biking. Whatever it is get up, get out and go explore. Find out that which makes you feel alive, vibrant and well.    

Talk back: What do you do for fitness fun? Leave a comment or tweet @TheSassyNation using the hashtag #SassyWellness2K18. 

Love this 7-Day Wellness Challenge and want more? Sign up for the 31-Day Masterclass and invite a friend to join along. 

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Day 1: The Start of a Wellness Evolution

 

 

Welcome to the 2K18 Sassy Wellness MIND, BODY, {Creative} SPIRIT Reset!  

If you've made it here to the blog, congrats on taking the first step towards either a.) committing to doing a few nice things for yourself and your health this year, or b.) re-dedicating yourself to the cause {raises hand}. Either way, SALUTE!  Starting today at 12 PM, PST I'll be broadcasting live tips and dishing on some resources to help you (and I) get back to basics and enjoy some of the simple pleasures of healthy living. I will be chatting with you all on Facebook Live and posting here daily to share some things I've discovered about wellness that have helped me along the way.

And this is by no means meant to be a one-way conversation. I hope that you'll take to the comments here on the blog and during the live broadcasts to share your goals and journey too. It really means a lot to me to have you take part in this reset with me. There really is strength in numbers. 

{Click to share the Tweetable Tip of the Day}

Let today be the (re)start of your wellness evolution! We're takin' it one baby step at a time, baby.

Rome wasn't built in a day and neither are habits, resolutions or any type of long term goals that you want to accomplish. Therefore, be gentle and sweet to yourself-- kinda like you'd treat a baby learning or trying something new for the first time.

A healthy life is meant to bring you joy, not hold you hostage and bully you into doing a bunch of stuff that you don't actually like. Pick out the habits and practices that feel good and use them as your foundation. In time, you'll find that focusing on the parts you find pleasurable will literally create a domino effect in your life and you'll naturally start to pick-up other good wellness habits. 

And while it's great to be disciplined and make good choices, remember-- you don't have to do everything perfectly all at once. Wellness is a process, and it's always evolving, just like you and me, my loves. Today's task is to download and fill out your free life map (available in your Day 01 email when you sign-up). On it are the different aspects of a fully balanced life that we are focusing on during this reset. The life map asks you to set intentions (or goals-- if you want to call them that) plus identify the baby steps you will take to upgrade your:

MIND-- What do you hope to learn this year? 

BODY-- How will you treat your body better? 

CREATIVE-- What inspires you to do your best work? 

SPIRIT-- Where can you carve out more time to tap into your inner power?

Talk to me! Leave a comment, tweet me or join the live chat to talk about what's on your life map and the baby step(s) you've decided to focus on taking over the course of this challenge or in the next year.  

So, go on now... and remember, baby steps! 

Also, if you haven't checked your email yet, be sure to go there to check out this week's outline and the link to our private FB group so you can access the daily wellness chat video; PLUS download this week's FREE life map. It's a great tool you'll want to fill-out and refer back to over the course of your journey. There are additional quick tips and action steps that go along with each daily post and broadcast this week in the daily journal, which you can download here.

7 Rituals to Try Before the New Year Arrives

We're seven days away from the start of the 2K18 7-Day Wellness Reset and 31 Day Masterclass. I'm one of those people who believes that wellness is a journey, and a stream of good choices that lead to other good choices, which, in turn, over time lead to lasting, far reaching change. If you understand the spectrum of good choices that are before you, it becomes easier to make good wellness decisions on your own behalf. 

So, in the spirit of taking baby steps towards our goals, over the next seven days, we have a few suggestions to get the ball rolling and ease you into the New Year. Consider this your "try it out" period when it comes to your specific goals, and use these suggestions as a guide as we count you down to 2018. New Year, new YOU, right? Well, let's get it poppin'! 

Countdown Day 7: Do something nice for yourself. You probably spent most of this holiday season reminding yourself that 'tis the season for giving, doing for others, etc. etc. All of the over-extending, over-eating and socializing that the holidays encourage can be exhausting. So for today, find the time and space to love on you for a change.

Countdown Day 6: Consider your splurges from here on out very carefully. Start setting limits for yourself if you know you've done too much (eating or spending) this holiday season.

Countdown Day 5: Start thinking about and jotting down your goals for the New Year and come up with some incentives for you to keep up the changes you plan to implement. Knowing that you plan to start working towards something new for yourself should help you curb those urges to splurge. But what's even more powerful is attaching goals to habits that you already have, (even small ones) making attaining them much easier-- especially, if you are going to reward yourself in the end. (More on this on IG/FB Live on Thursday to discuss).

Countdown Day 4: Up Your Water intake. Nothing preps the body and mind to run optimally like high quality h2o. Water flushes toxins out of your body, boosts your immune system, increases your energy, plus give your complexion that extra glow.

Countdown Day 3: Try a light work out. Need a mood booster? There's nothing like a work out to get your heart rate up and your endorphins pumping. It can be a roll in the hay or a power walk, we approve of both.

Countdown Day 2: Booze healthier/cut back on the alcohol. Hey, I for one have been on the 'Nog heavy this season. I'll definitely be cutting that out come New Years. But if you're gonna booze there are some healthier alternatives to consider. 

Countdown Day 1: Purge. Dig in the closet, your storage, old files and toss anything that's no longer serving you. Holding onto old, random stuff carries the weight of excess stale energy that you're not using. Lighten you load and make room for the new in 2018.

Leave a comment here or hit me on IG to talk about how you plan to create positive change in your life in 2018. What habits do you have already in place that can help you along your journey?

Sign up for the Free 7 Day Reset, starting Monday, January 1, 2018.

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Weekend Getaway: Lake Tahoe

I love a good opportunity to glamp, and Lake Tahoe is one of my all-time favorite places in the US. This place brings back so many memories of sleep-away camp from my childhood summers. However, my idea of adult idea of glamping is more like posting up at a sweet hotel, where I can go to the spa, bask by the pool breathe the mountain fresh air.

Where to Stay

This summer, I had the chance to stay at the Resort at Squaw Creek for a long weekend staycation this summer. We pulled up on a great last minute deal at this super-popular ski resort, primarily because it was the off season. Most people I know who frequent Tahoe only do so in the winter, but believe me... if you have the chance to go in the summer, you will won't regret it. 

Where to Eat & Drink

For some reason I was too busy gobbling down all my food and not taking pics of it. I guess that's a good thing, meaning it was probably delish. You'll just have to trust me on it... here's a list of places we frequented:

The Oasis Grill, Resort at Squaw Creek has a decent lunch, but is a little over priced, in my opinion. I had the buffalo shrimp on a bed of salad and at least 1 alcoholic beverage, and I'm positive I paid at least 20 dollars or more for both. Paying a premium on food is expected on property. You know, the whole convenience thing.

Six Peaks Grille, Resort at Squaw Creek is the perfect place to post up fireside at the end of the night for a glass of wine and dessert. They stay open later in the summer... and the fire is always blazin'. Very cute for cupcaking with a special someone.

Firesign Cafe, Tahoe City was so good that we went twice, back to back for brunch. The service is fast, and the portions substantial. Also, there's a cute cafe behind the building for you to grab a coffee while you wait, because this place does tend to get busy.

Fireside Pizza, Olympic Valley Village is known for their pizza, but their pasta was the real MVP in my opinion. No shade to pizza. I love pizza, but the pasta and salad did not disappoint.

What to do for fun

Bike the Truckee River

Talk about the easiest bike ride EVER! We rented two motorized bikes for our two hour ride up and down the Truckee river, and it was the best idea ever. Instead of walking to the nearest rental company near our hotel, we drove into town, and found Dam EBikes, which was very close to our new favorite cafe, Firesign. And what a gem. After your ride a motorized bike uphill, it'll have you rethinking all future bike rides involving hills. You can do as much or as little hardcore peddling as you want. Working the controls was super-easy, and made the 2-hour ride super pleasant.

Swim or Tube the Truckee

Although, we couldn't bike and tube in the same day because of our time restraints, I can't lie, tubing looked fun as sh*t. Just floating down the river without a care in the world. Yes, I'll have some of that, please. Of course there was no way I was going to pass up the opportunity to baptize myself in Lake Minnetonka (I mean, Truckee). It seems to be a favorite local past time to just pull over to the side of the road with a couple of tubes, or lawn chairs and a cooler and just chill lakeside. I mean, that's totally what I would do on a summer Sunday afternoon with my bottle of Rose. The water was chilly, but invigorating.

Horseback Riding at Alpine Meadows

Our concierge was a big help in recommending this family-owned stable to us. You basically call ahead, we phoned the day before to let them know we wanted a morning ride. When you arrive at the stable, you pay (cash only-- about 35 bucks) for an hour long ride, then saddle up. I was a little embarrassed that I was not dressed to ride. I wore a short dress over my swimsuit and some flip flops. They had me stash my flips and ride barefoot. Something about it being easier to do the foot horse signals without them. I didn't mind. I actually felt like a real nature girl, barefoot and in the wild, lol.

Our guide, Matthew was more than accommodating. He talked to us about life in Lake Tahoe, and the best restaurants and beaches to try the next time we come visit. If you visit Alpine Meadows, ask for him and tell him the black girl with the long braids with beads and a nose ring sent you. ;)

Hi Matthew!

Hiking

Unfortunately we ran out of time and did not get the chance to go on a hike. But there are so many trails to explore in the area, you won't have a hard time ticking this item off your list. Plus, it's free. We just asked our concierge where the nearest trails were and she handed us a map and basically said throw a rock, lol. We were literally surrounded by them. The closest, easiest one in Squaw Valley happened to be right behind the property, which you can access easily from the resort. If you go in the summer, it's advisable to go in the morning. Because although it gets very cool in the mountains at night, it heats up VERY fast in late morning and early afternoon. Don't forget your sunscreen!

Sunset Booze Cruise 

There were literally sooo many choices for booze cruising, I spent several hours in my hotel room the night before narrowing it down. It came down between the Rum Runner Emerald Bay cruise we actually went on, and a sunset wine cruise on the Safari Rose, which was sold out. I think we made a good choice, the views were refreshing and the waters were smooth. The next time I'll plan in advance to try the wine cruise. Typically, I'm not usually one for boat cruises of any kind because of my motion sickness issue. However, in the past year I've found ways to cope and make my recent forays on the water much more pleasant. Taking liquid ginger helps.

Chill by the camp fire, or in the jacuzzi or at the pool...

...Depending on your resort or cabin set up. And Lake Tahoe has some ILL cabins, so the next time I go, hopefully this winter, that's where I'll be reporting back to you. Our resort was so nice, we spent the entire first day soaking up the amenities, which include a full gym, a golf course, and a full spa.

My staycation at Lake Tahoe was definitely one of my fave memories of the summer...

Goddess Braids & Beads. SHOP THE LOOK!

Have you ever taken a mountain vacation in the summer? Where did you go, share the deets in the comments below or hit me on the 'Gram.

Take a look inside SASSY LITTLE THINGS...

Most Beloved and Annoying Things About Playa del Carmen

I now consider Playa Del Carmen my second home. Check out my video listicle of a few of the things I LoveLoveLove about this magical place, as well as a few things that I love the least, because HATE is too strong of a word.  Below is my bonus list of stuff that didn't make the video. 

Most Loved

All the tacos. Tacos are my fave and they have never let me down. Fortunately, PDC has a wide array of seafood and vegan taco options-- a pescatarian lovers dream. 

Mangoes in the am. One of my fave morning rituals includes busting open a sweet, ripe, cold mango on my bright and sunny patio in the morning. I really like the small orange ones, with a tall glass of agua de coco.

Low cost home maintenance. I'm a bit of a neat freak, so having a housekeeper to help me keep my apartment in tip top condition for a very reasonable 12-15 USD per visit (usually once per week is enough) is a recurring bill that I can live with.

Most annoying

Dem damn dogs. Depending on where you live the noise can drive you batty. I have one sad, neglected dog in my neighborhood who barks through the night because his owners dgaf. My landlord has pleaded with the owner to take better care of the dog, and with the authorities to rescue the dog, to no avail. So... what can you do other than close the windows and doors and try to tune her out. If you live in a neighborhood with a pack of stray dogs, which is not uncommon-- you're in for a chorus every night.

Complaining Gringos. This is by far the thing that I find the most annoying about tourists. They move into neighborhoods with locals near the beach or in the center of town and then want to complain about everything from the parties, to the noise in areas where no one invited them to be. They came on their own accord with their entitlement issues, wanting to invade the land, change all the rules, and drive up costs in a space that doesn't even belong to them. F*cking Gringos.

Have you been to the Riviera Maya? What did you love (or dislike) about it??? Leave a comment below, on my Youtube or IG.