Self- Care during the holidays: 8 sanity-savers for the busy mama

It’s Thanksgiving week! The next several weeks are bound to be a crazy blur of cooking, Christmas shopping, grocery shopping, traveling, wrapping gifts, and of course family time and holiday parties. Throw in some extra time with the inlaws and kids off of their bedtime/nap schedule and it’s the perfect recipe for a whole lot of chaos and stress.

Self-care during the holidays: the busy mom's guide to self-care this holiday season. 8 sanity saving activities to help you stay present!

As much fun as it is to help our kids have a magical holiday season and attempt to do ALL OF THE THINGS… it’s just not realistic or healthy for your mental health.

By prioritizing YOU, you will be able to be more present, enjoy the holiday season, and be a much nicer mama and wife ;)

If you are looking for specific ways to stay healthy during the holidays, click here to get a FREE healthy mama toolkit.

Here are 8 self-care ideas for the busy mama during this holiday season:

  • Listen to a podcast while you’re in a busy (stressful/chaotic) store or sitting in holiday traffic. It will make shopping and waiting in long lines much more enjoyable (and even better if you're tuning out your whining kids! ...that's not just me, right???) ! I love atomic moms and sorta awesome for some positive messages and lighthearted chat about all things mama, relationship, and more. 

  • Leave the house for 30 minutes and go for a starbucks run all alone! This is especially important if you are visiting family (or have a house full) and need some alone time. If you are an introvert, pay special attention to getting your alone time to recharge. And don't feel guilty! 

  • Take a quiet walk or jog before the kiddos get up, and get those endorphins pumping early in the day. Your blood will be flowing and you'll have more energy to attack the to-do list. 

  • Schedule a workout at your favorite studio or hit up your favorite class at the gym. You will get alone time AND check off your workout.

  • Get YOURSELF a gift for once-- book a mani/pedi (or facial, or whatever) before you head out of town for the holidays and PUT DOWN YOUR PHONE! Close your eyes, read, a magazine, do anything but check your email or mindlessly scroll! Enjoy the moment :)

  • Meal prep! Yes, I said it… prepping a couple simple things to have on hand will make your busy week less stressful. A few ideas: chop a veggie or two, cook and shred chicken to use throughout the week, make an oatmeal or an egg bake to have a healthy breakfast ready to go, boil a dozen eggs to have ready for breakfast all week, make a big batch of soup to have for lunch all week, etc. One hour of meal prep can save you a lot of time and stress!

  • Prioritize what you and your family members actually care about. There are endless options for holiday activities... there are invites to holiday parties, lights to see, cookies to bake, gingerbread houses to decorate, ice skating, seeing Santa, performances, and plays, etc. If you prioritize what you actually care about and keep things manageable, your schedule won’t be as crazy.

  • Make a list and check it twice. By keeping an ongoing list IN ONE SPOT (your phone, planner, google doc, Evernote, GoKeep, etc.) of everything you need to do and buy you will save yourself the hassle of last minute trips to the store and late night stress about forgetting something. Put it on the list and be done with it!

Now go enjoy the magic of the holiday season, mama. Focus on what truly matters and don't forget to make time for yourself. 

xoxo 

p.s. click below to get my healthy mama toolkit with a bunch of time saving recipes, meal prep ideas, home workouts, and more. 

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Self-care during the holidays. A stressed out mom's guide to self-care during the holiday season.

The Healthy Mama Mindset: 5 ways to improve your self-talk (and self-love) this week

Our thought patterns are so powerful, and you may not even realize that you could be sabotaging your efforts to improve your health by engaging in negative self-talk.

No matter how bad you want to succeed, you must THINK like you are GOING to succeed. That means being kind to your body, following through with what you say you will do, not over-committing (i.e. do what is realistic at THIS time in your life), etc.

If negative thoughts aren't getting you anywhere (i.e. your desired health habits aren't sticking), then go back to basics and start with your mindset and thought patterns. 

5 ways to improve your self-talk and self-love this week! Simple ways to change your mindset in order to improve your health. Get over your self-sabotaging mindset. Improve your health, lose weight, and be a happier mom!

My approach to coaching involves working on the mindset and self-love FIRST and then addressing nutrition and fitness. If we try to approach the physical habits alone, it’s an uphill battle (that you’ve likely already lost a few times). By focusing on your mindset, we address the reasons why you developed the bad habits in the first place.

To help you change your mindset, I put together 5 ways to help you work on your thought patterns this week. It takes much longer than a week to really dig in deep, but my hope is that you will begin to recognize any negative thought patterns you may have.

Just like with nutrition and fitness, trying to overhaul our mental or spiritual health all at once can lead to feeling like a failure because it can get overwhelming and discouraging (and it’s not realistic or practical at all).  That’s why I ALWAYS encourage working on one new habit at a time.

Don’t worry about doing each task this week! Choose one or two and then try another next week.

 

1. Look in the mirror and say three things you love about yourself OUT LOUD. Yes, it might feel awkward or funny, but that means you need to get comfortable with talking nicely to yourself. Look yourself in the eye and imagine you were talking to your best friend or daughter. You would be full of compliments… now talk to YOU. Do this everyday this week. Bonus points if you tape a piece of paper with your compliments to your mirror, or steering wheel or wherever you will see them.

2. Pencil it in. I don’t mean thinking to yourself before you drift off to sleep… I think I’ll workout tomorrow. I mean actually looking at your schedule, ask yourself what you have time for and what you DON’T hate. And pencil it in. I don’t care if it’s a 15-minute walk with your dog or a 90-minute hot yoga class or 30 minutes to meal prep. Just schedule AND follow through with ONE health-related task this week.

3. Daydream. I want you to spend 10 minutes thinking about how it would feel to be the healthy mama you are dying to be. What would your schedule look like? How would you feel? How would you dress? What kind of attitude would you have? What would your daily habits look like? What would your kids see you doing? What would you teach your kids about health?

Just really dive into thinking about where you want to go with your health and fitness. I don’t care if you want to lose weight, stay the same, or gain weight… I’m assuming you want to improve some aspect of your health-- mental health, physical, whatever. We can all improve. Think about EXACTLY what you want to improve and how amazing it would be to be there. Then write it down.

4. Positive Affirmations. This might seem a little “woo-woo”, but again how we talk to ourselves really affects the outcomes in our lives. I want you to think about your biggest weaknesses. Think about the thoughts you have that are unkind to yourself or your body. Then write 3 positive affirmations in response to the negatives.

Ex: I hate my thighs.

Affirmation: I love my body and especially my strong legs that carry me as I carry my babies, walk every day, and run up and down the stairs all day. My body is amazing.

Ex. 2: I am such a slacker with my workouts.

Affirmation: I am doing the best I can and I am always improving. Sometimes my expectations are too high considering the busy season of life I am in. I can and will learn to be better about taking care of my body.

etc. etc.

5. Meditate. If you’ve never meditated before download the Headspace app. Meditation is amazing for managing stress, anxiety, depression, and just hectic life in general. There are several ways to meditate (guided meditation vs. silence, walking meditation, deep breathing, etc.). Try out at least one or 2 ways and meditate a couple minutes. Don’t give up! Sitting in silence with your thoughts is very powerful.

 

5 ways to improve your self-talk and self-love this week! Simple ways to change your mindset in order to improve your health. Get over your self-sabotaging mindset. Improve your health, lose weight, and be a happier mom!

Overall, I just want you to really be thinking about your thoughts this week. It sounds like a strange thing to do, but as you talk to yourself (in your head), ask yourself… would I say that to my son or daughter? My best friend? My husband?

Am I perpetuating thought patterns I’ve had since I was a child? Am I saying things to myself that my mother or father (or another relative) said to me or about me? Is what I’m telling myself even TRUE??

These are all things to think about. SO much of our mindset, for better or worse, is baggage we carry from childhood and adolescence.

Unless we realize what we are doing, we can’t change it! So step one is acknowledging current thought patterns.


Be sure to let me know what breakthroughs you have when looking at your thought patterns! Reach out to me on social media or email me at cassandra@vivfitness.com

athleisure love: tried and true favorites

 I wanted to share a few of my all time favorite fitness items. I loved when blogs first started and I could read about what other girls actually loved (compared to now where it's just the current season/new arrivals/etc.) I'm nosey, so I really just want to know about everyone's favorite go-tos! The things they've been going back to for years. (True story: I used to love watching "what's in my bag" videos on youtube in collge. lol) 

So with that in mind I thought I would share things I have been loving for YEARS. And they are so good they are still available.  Major classics. 

The topic is athleisure (#duh), so this is kind of the basic mom's starter pack haha. But I truly use these things weekly (and my nikes and fitbit are daily).

An I ended up sharing a couple more things at the end! Here we go....

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1. Lululemon Define Jacket. This thing is so popular and for good reason. It's incredibly flattering, well made, washes perfectly and isn't too heavy or too thin. It's stretchy enough to wear over long sleeves or short sleeves, and also layers under a down vest perfectly in the winter. I have it in two colors (black and blue stripes), but seriously I want them all. Shop here. 

2. Gap Sports Bra. I have the medium impact and it's perfect for running. I have a small/medium size chest, and I wear a medium. It's great quality-- I have two and they are about 3 years old. I was also able to wear them through almost my whole pregnancy (so pretty stretchy, but still provided support). They have a bunch of different styles and colors. Check them out here

3. Nike Frees. Again- these are classics. I have 4 different colors and they just work for me. Super comfy for everyday wear or working out. 

4. Gap Tanks with built-in shelf bra. I love a good tank with a shelf bra, but a lot of times they just don't fit perfectly. These really work for me. I wear a small in the tanks (as opposed to medium in the bras) and I can run, but can't do too much high impact jumping/burpees, etc. 

5. Patagonia Fleece. I actually have the full zip (in this exact color). It's heavier than the define jacket, but not too heavy to wear inside. I got it when I was pregnant in a size up and was able to layer long sleeves underneath if needed. Super cozy, and I really like the length too. To me it's a more put-together sweatshirt, but still just as comfy. Check out a bunch of Patagonia fleece options here. 

6. Fitbit. I got my first Fitbit in 2013 and have been using them off and on since then. I now have the Fitbit Alta and I love it. I credit this for helping me lose the last of my baby weight. It keeps me accountable and helps me want to get more activity in my day. 

7. Zella High Waist Live in Leggings. OMG. These are amazing. I've had zella leggings for years and they are super comfy and hold up EXTREMELY well, but the high waist are a game changes. These are perfect if you are pregnant or postpartum as they really provide great support (and no love handle squishiness in the early postpartum days!) Not my fave for working out in, but for everyday wear these are the winner. 

8. Swell Bottle. It doesn't get any chicer than this! I like using straw cups at home, but on the road, these are the perfect size to throw in my bag, and they are just beautiful! They will also keep your beverages cold for 24 hours. More cute patterns here

More faves:

Old Navy Quarter Zip. These are a great length to wear with leggings, and super soft. And you can't beat the price!

Old Navy Seamless Sports Bra. The seamless fabric makes these super comfy and if you want a breastfeeding-friendly sports bra, then these are great because they are so stretchy. Again-- the price is right! I ended up getting a couple different sizes when I was pregnant and postpartum when my old sports bras were getting too tight. 

Lululemon High Rise WonderUnder. I like these high waisted leggings for the same reason as above, but I love this material for working out. I have honestly never found a pair of leggings that fit me better and stay put during runs and workouts better than Lulu!! And I love the 7/8 length for my height. I'm 5'2 and these are perfect! 

Okayyy... so that's it. Who knew I had so many words about ATHLEISURE?! Jk, This is how I dress everyday, so I have big feelings. Please let me know your all time favorites!! Beauty, clothes, boots, jeans... whatevs. I'm nosey and I want to know what you swear by. 

As usual, you can connect with me on instagram (here) facebook (here) or email me at cassandra@vivfitness.com. I love to chat so feel free to dm me too. xoxo

my favorite podcasts for Moms

I wrote about my favorite podcasts in this blog post, but I wanted to do a little update! I seriously love listening to podcasts, and they are a great way to help me feel connected and productive during long days of mom-ing, while I'm driving, or even just on a walk while I'm pushing the stroller. 

11 podcasts for the millennial mom. All about health, relationships, mom life and productivity.

Here are 11 podcasts I LOVE!

topic: #momlife / marriage

  • Atomic moms. "A modern parenting podcast about the joys and complexities of caring for our little ones and ourselves." I love this podcast! Ellie has amazing guests and is just so positive and uplifting I could listen to her all day.

  • the Mara & Megan show: amazing mamas sharing stories about motherhood. And I might be biased, but check out my episode on postpartum body love here!

  • The mom hour. These mamas are full of practical tips to help with mom life at every stage.

  • One Extraordinary Marriage: Hosts Tony and Alisa talk about all things sex, love, relationship, and marriage and they are so inspiring. Their honesty is refreshing and every time I listen to this podcast I learn something.

topic: productivity/happiness/health

  • The Chalene Show. I am a huge fangirl for Chalene Johnson and her podcast is great. She tackles everything from productivity and motivation to health, fitness, and sleep.

  • Sorta Awesome. This is one of the first podcasts I started listening to back in 2014 and I still love it. Host Meg Tietz chats with one of her three co-hosts each week and they talk about little (and big) ways to make life more awesome.

  • The Lively Show with Jess Lively. I'm a recent fan of this show and it' all about various aspects of life including relationships, the law of attraction, mindset, and meditation.

  • Smartest Person in the Room. Each season, host Laura Tremaine tackles a different topic. This season she is digging deep into the mind-body connection, and it is powerful stuff.

topic: business

If you have a business or side hustle, these are great podcasts to listen to! 

of course I love shows like RadioLab, Serial, etc, but these are what I'm playing in my earbuds these days! Please let me know what your faves are!

11 podcasts for the millennial mom. podcasts about mom life, relationships, productivity, and more. 11 great podcasts for mamas.

Why you should always read the labels on juices and smoothies

Smoothies,  juices, and protein shakes are super popular, but sometimes they are just sugary drinks disguised as health food.  And I'd rather have a real milk shake than fake health food because chocolate... #duh. 

So how do you know what's good for you and what isn't? I'll teach you what to look for on a label if you are trying to choose a healthy option + give you tips on what to avoid. 

Why should always read the nutrition label on smoothies and juices! Tips for helping you make the healthiest choice.

 

First, what to look for if you are buying a juice or smoothie from the grocery store or at a juice bar or restaurant:

  • Minimal (or NO) fruit juice. Fruit juices add extra sugar and carbs. Calories that will raise your blood sugar and make you hungry. 
  • Lots of veggies. Veggies are very low calorie and provide a lot of healthy fiber, vitamins, and minerals. 
  • Whole fruits. While fruits can add some sugar, if they are whole (i.e. not concentrated juice) they will add extra fiber and sweeten your drink naturally-- just make sure there is more than just fruit in it!
  • Protein. If you are getting a shake or making one at home, aim for about 20g of protein. This will fill you up, stabilize blood sugars,  and keep you full.
  • Fats. Healthy fats from nut butters or coconut oil are amazing for keeping you full. 
  • If you are at a smoothie shop, beware of smoothies that contain sorbet or sherbet. Again, you might as well have an ice cream shake!! 

Here are a few examples of juices and smoothies that are health food imposters. 

Why you should always read the label on smoothies and juices. Tips for reading the nutrition label + what to look for if you are trying to choose a healthy option

**The photos on the right are the corresponding nutritional information to the pictures on the left** 

Pair number 1: Kale-ribbean Breeze from Jamba Juice. This one is a very good imposter. It's on the "whole food nutrition" menu at Jamba. Plus it has kale, which is a trendy superfood. A small contains 320 calories, a medium 410, and a large is 500 calories! Just because it's green does not mean it's healthy! This one does have 10 grams of protein, which is good, but the first ingredient is a "mango juice blend" AKA lots of SUGAR. 

Pair number 2: Suja Green Supreme. For the most part I do like Suja, but some of their juices are super high in sugar. This green juice looks like it would be a good option (I mean it's grean so...), but not so fast. The first ingredient is APPLE JUICE!! It's super sweet, and provides no fiber. Skip the $8 drink and just buy some apple juice if that's what you want. 

Pair number 3: Banana Berry Smoothie from Jamba Juice. Since the name is banana berry we expect a good amount of sugar. But, the first ingredient is Apple-strawberry juice! Sugar sugar sugar. This one has a very low amount of fiber, and will basically just spike your blood sugar and leave you starving in no time. p.s. this is a size SMALL. a medium will set you back 390 calories, and a large a whopping 510! 

**just as a comparison, a Snickers bar has 245 calories. 22g sugar and 5g of protein. While smoothies and juices do provide more vitamins and minerals, this example shows you just how much sugar is in these juices! Also, if you want a treat and have 200-300 calories to spend... just get something satisfying!**

why you should always read the nutrition label on juices and smoothies. plus what to look for to make the healthiest choice!