Homemade Natural Bath Bombs

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Homemade Natural Bath Bombs

It’s February, and you know what that means? Galentine’s Day. The perfect excuse to treat yourself and the people you love. That being said, do you honestly, do you even need an excuse to treat yourself and your friends? I didn’t think so.

One of the things I love about the ladies I’ve spent Galentine’s Day with is their habit of bringing little gifts to share with everyone. They’re nothing big, and often homemade, but they have a special place in my heart (and on my fridge, in my desk, etc.).

Need an idea? How about making homemade bath bombs? These bombs are, well, to use a 90s phrase… the bomb. Especially during the winter. Made with coconut oil they are not only an enjoyable part of a hot bath, but they leave your skin super moisturized (just be careful, they may leave your tub slick!). They are a bit messy to make, but super easy. You can totally do this.

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Love Languages to Improve your Relationships

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Love Languages to Improve your Relationships

Is there anything worse than getting a card with nothing but a signature inside?  Not to someone whose love language is words of affirmation.

How would you feel if someone sent you flowers because they flaked on you… again? If your love language is gifts, you’d probably appreciate the thought. But, if your love language is quality time, you might just wonder if that person is trying to buy your affection.

So what exactly is a love language? Well, the ones I’m talking about are “the 5” of the The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman.  In his book he explains how different people not only experience but express love.  While the original book is really aimed at couples, love languages can be used in any and every relationship. Yes, even at work.

The Languages are:

  • Words of Affirmation (words)

  • Quality Time (time)

  • Physical Touch (touch)

  • Acts of Service (service)

  • Gifts

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Sugar-Free Cookie Dough Bites

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Sugar-Free Cookie Dough Bites

OMGeeze. These are so good. So FRICKin good. Seriously. They even pass the “hubby” test even though they are a “healthier” sweet treat.  Seriously, even when I make a double batch, I can’t keep these in the house!

I have to give credit where credit is due. This recipe comes straight out of the 131 Method Fat Burning recipe collection, no “Erin tweaks” at all. (Well, let’s be honest. I don’t actually count the chocolate chips, I eyeball them). I’ve included notes on what I use in italics, but you don’t have to use the same brand… however, I know sometimes you want to know.

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Celebrate Your Friends

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Celebrate Your Friends

February is my least favorite month of the year. It’s cold, the sun tends to hide, and even the snow that’s on the ground looks gross. Plus, the excitement and cheer of the holidays is officially over and there’s nothing much to look forward to. Okay, I take that back- some people have a long weekend at the end of February, but most of us don’t. 

Oh, and there’s Valentine’s Day. The day of the year when advertisers tell us (guys especially) that we have to spend lots of money on the person we love to show them that we actually do, indeed, love them. The day when anyone who is single, for whatever reason, notices their “singleness” in a way that doesn’t occur any other day of the year (In fact, in college, my friends and I used to wear black in honor of “Single Awareness Day”). The day of the year that’s full of high expectations and often, big disappointments.

Now, don’t get me wrong. If you love Valentine’s Day, you do you.  More power to you. I actually used to love February 14th before I was an adult. That’s when Valentine’s Day was funny cards, and craft projects, and more about friendship than romance. Honestly, I still feel the same way. I love buying silly cards and giving them to the people I care about throughout the year. Maybe Valentine’s Day has become more commercialized lately (Guys, get your girls a diamond), or maybe I just didn’t notice it as a kid.

This pull of loving a day to celebrate love, and hating a day that feels so “expensive to prove love” has bugged me for years. Which is why, when I was introduced to Galentine’s Day last year, my head (and heart) exploded. 

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Nutritional Tracking

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Nutritional Tracking

I get it, I know.  Food journaling/tracking can be a pain. Like, a super annoying pain. Like the 19-month younger sister pain when you're rocking the only child thing (love you girl!)!  But the thing is this. The more information you have, the easier it will be to determine what is (or isn’t) working! I know tracking isn’t fun. Trust me, as a trainer, it’s not fun for me to BUG you about tracking- but it’s helpful, which is why I want you to do it.

That being said, I don’t think it’s necessary that you track ever morsel of food and drink from now until the rest of your life. I DO think it’s necessary in certain situations. Some of these include:

  • Starting a new nutrition program

  • Starting a new wellness program

  • When you want/need to lose body fat

  • When you hit a plateau in your body fat loss

  • When you have a goal with a deadline

The more you track, the better, but if nothing else, record what you are putting in your body.

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Know your Type to Improve your Relationships

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Know your Type to Improve your Relationships

Have you heard about the Enneagram?  Do you know your type?

The first time I heard the word Enneagram was on a podcast sometime late 2017 or early 2018. When I really think about it, it almost surprises me that I hadn’t heard about it sooner.  It’s a personality typing system where you “choose” the type you most identify with rather than be assigned a type by taking quizzes or tests.  

I’ll be honest, I love this stuff. I love knowing it about me, and I love knowing it about all the people around me.  I want to know everything from your Love Language (mine are words of affirmation and quality time) to your Myers-Briggs (ENFJ with my E right on the E/I line), to your Tendency (Upholder with some Obliger) to which Disney Princess you are (Belle).

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19 for 2019

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19 for 2019

At the beginning of this year I began reading “The Happiness Project” by Gretchen Rubin. Well actually, I began listening to it (audio books are the best). About 20 minutes in, and I was hooked. I had to do my own happiness project. Obviously.

The signs were there. One of my clients had mentioned Gretchen at the end of November, which is how I “found” her in the first place. Then, Gretchen did an interview on one of my favorite podcasts, For the Love. THEN I found out that Gretchen was leading a group of people through a year-long happiness project.

Take my money now.

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