This weekend, Adam, the kids and I had the most FABULOUS weekend in New Hampshire (with my lovely mother in law joining us for a day too!) The weekend was full of some hikes, exploring the polar caves, lots of kids activities, arcades and shopping. We stayed in a great condo, but there was no gym there to use.

I could have definitely written off the weekend as a “rest weekend” from working out. We were averaging 10-12,000 steps a day and eating pretty healthy (thank you condo- I hate eating out 3x a day!!)

But I also know “crabby mommy” comes out when I skip my workouts too many days in a row. I also love the energy and mindset that follows a morning workout. So, I committed to doing just 10 minutes of a workout each day. I went beyond that ten minutes all three times, because we all know getting started is the hardest part. But either way, I know I was gonna start my day off with some movement and enjoy vacation more because of it.

What can you actually do in 10-15 minutes you ask?? Well, anything!

💪If we’re driving somewhere, I love to bring a kettlebell and do a circuit of 5 different moves (kettlebell swings, goblet squats, one legged deadlifts, windmills, one arm swings), 50 reps each

💪 you tube a fun cardio or dance workout to get the heart rate up without any equipment or even much space

💪do a circuit of squats, push ups, lunges, tricep dips and bicycle crunches, 3 times through

💪 you can find lots of yoga and barre workouts on all the popular workout apps or you tube

💪 head outside for a 1-2 mile jog or run

When the workouts were done, I enjoyed my post workout shake, my pumpkin spice coffee and lots of fun with the fam. WIN/WIN!!

These are ideas I share with my clients when they travel, but they’re great ideas for your super busy workweeks too. Please remember you don’t have to do the perfect workout, you don’t need the perfect workout space, and you DEFINITELY don’t need hours…just get your heart rate up, sweat out those toxins and have fun!

Tell me your fave workouts for traveling or busy days!

To our health!

~Jess

Hi friends!

It’s been a minute since I’ve checked in with you all. Things are good here…still plugging away at the busy-ness of daily life with pandemic worries piled on top. The kids are 2 and 5 now (how is that possible??), my husband recently made a big job change and work is the busiest it’s EVER been for me. Basically…life is busy, stressful and beautiful all at once.

I’m getting a chance to write this morning because I have a client who is out of town. That’s rare, and I’m grateful for the few extra minutes to breathe while my husband feeds the kiddos. So, I spent an extra few minutes meditating and journaling this morning, and it made me think I ought to share my morning routine here too.

One thing that changed for me during the pandemic, a little over a year ago, was re-engaging with my daily gratitude journal and committing to meditation every morning even if for 5 minutes. And guess what, guys…it’s really changed things for me!

At the start of the pandemic, I was dealing with postpartum anxiety…which felt a bit out of control when pandemic anxiety piled on top. Because of that, I started to have some health issues that impacted my daily life. I don’t expect anything to be perfect, but after struggling for a few months, things really did start getting better. I’ve found a good mix of tools to help me live with anxiety, but one of my most favorites is my daily routine.

Starting my day with gratitude and my intention statement is SO easy. Even after the hardest day the day before, there is something I can be grateful for…sunshine, the sound of my kids’ laughter, a conversation with a friend, or maybe just a hot cup of coffee and hot shower. The longer my gratitude practice has gone on, the easier it has become to list MANY blessings in our lives.

After journaling my gratitudes, I almost always feel more positive. If the rest of the day is rainbows and sunshine from there on out, awesome! My gratitude grows. And if the rest of the day is quite the opposite of that, as it often can be, I make myself recite the list of gratitudes that I made that morning…because even in the midst of the most stressful or painful day, no one can take away the sound of my kids’ laughter from the day before or the sunshine that bathed us as we were playing in the yard. Even on those hard days, I know that the laughter and sunshine will return 💕💕

I’d love to hear about how you set yourself up for positivity each day too!

I’m off to build legos with my son (his new obsession) and enjoy that hot cup of coffee. Wishing you all a beautiful Monday and a beautiful week ahead