Healthy Chicken Tacos

Am I the only one who feels like May has been flying by?

I guess time flies when you’re having fun and man oh man have we been doing just that!

Updates to come at the end of the month for Friday favorites or if ya want more of a personal behind the scenes look at things, be sure to subscribe for my weekly love bombs ;)

 

In all the hustle and bustle, Mothers day celebrations, events, performances,  mini getaways and such, I completely missed Cinco de Mayo!

So I’m making up for it with this supppah delicious taco recipe -- because I know you love your Taco tuesday!!

For real though, Mexican food has become a staple in our house because it’s just so goddamn easy, delicious and HEALTHY (if you make it that way) -- but I feel like I missed out on it growing up because we just never ate Mexican food! Being from Canada, it’s much less common than here in Amurrica.

In my almost 8 years of officially living in the US of A, I’ve found my true love in guac and chips and tacos -- but I’ll be honest? Guacamole and chips and salsa are one of the foods I used to binge on for hours on end. So I have to be super mindful when I do eat mexican food, and this recipe is one of my go-tos to be able to incorporate all of the things I LOVE, without the binge monster coming out to play. ‘Cause goodness knows I’ve worked my ass off and come so far and while I’m FAR from perfect, I’m never going back to that place.
 

So, without further ado, I give you...

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HEALTHY CHICKEN TACOS

Serves 2, Prep and Cook time: 30 minutes

 

INGREDIENTS

2 chicken breasts, cubed

4 corn tortillas

½ sweet onion, thinly sliced

1/2 red pepper, thinly sliced

2 tbsp, cumin (or to taste -- I like a lot!)

1 tbsp, olive oil

1 tsp, cayenne

Sea Salt and pepper to taste

Avocado corn salsa:

½ tbsp olive oil

½ lime, juiced

1 ear of cooked corn

½ large avocado, sliced

¼ red onion, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

YUM!

DIRECTIONS

  1. Place cubed chicken in medium mixing bowl. Add in 3 tbsp olive oil, cayenne, cumin, salt and pepper and mix everything well.

  2. While that sits, pour 1 tbsp of olive oil onto a pan and sautee the sweet onion and red pepper for 5-7 mins on medium high heat.

  3. Add in chicken when ready and let cook for approximately 10 mins, or until chicken is cooked through.

  4. While the chicken cooks, in a small bowl, combine the avocado, corn and red onion.

  5. Toss with lime juice, olive oil and salt and pepper.

  6. In a separate pan, on medium low heat, warm up your corn tortillas, flipping every 2 minutes or so.

  7. Once everything is done, load up your chicken mixture into a tortilla and top with avocado corn salsa and EAT UP!!

 

Do you celebrate Taco Tuesday every week?

How To Overcome Emotional Eating

                                                                      &nbs…

                                                                                                                                                    Photo by Kara Evans Photography

Hey hey hey, ma lady!!

We're knee deep in our Live Your F*ck YES Life challenge in my corner of the universe and the energy is on FIRE. We're virtually sweating our booties off together every day, rocking out a killer meal plan and cheering each other on and I couldn't feel more PUMPED UP. If you’re one of the gals in our group -- know that I appreciate and freaking love you more than you know! (For more deets on what my monthly health & fitness groups are all about -- click here)

The last couple of weeks, we’ve been talking a lot about a topic that’s near and dear to my heart and I thought it was high time I shared this on the bloggity blog because I have a feeling it’s something you struggle with too.

 

What am I talking about? EMOTIONAL EATING and SABOTAGE.

 

You start a new program or nutrition plan super strong and motivated, and then by Day 3 you have a stressful day, come home, raid the pantry and eat everything in sight. And then you throw in the towel because “you may as well just start all over again”.

OR

when you've been eating healthy all day and then someone brings donuts to the office and you can't stop the sugar monster.

OR

you let work or family stresses get to you and you eat to numb out.

And then you feel disgusting. You stare at the mirror and you hate that you hate your own reflection, and you are so freaking tired of never been strong enough to really commit to something and rock out the healthy happy LIFESTYLE you want so badly.

Sound familiar?

Or maybe it's another version of the same story.

Just replace food with your job. A relationship. Any area in your life where you want to see a positive shift take place.

 

First of all, girlfriend, I want you to know that YOU ARE NOT ALONE.

 

We all struggle with this. With the feeling of letting ourselves down. Of not feeling good enough

But can I tell you a secret? A shift in perspective that made all the difference for me on my journey?

Beating yourself up for failing at something is a sign that you CARE about yourself.

It means you WANT to succeed. That you care about yourself enough to actually want to make those positive changes in your life take hold. 

Which means, while you may not have been able to get there yet, you CAN. And you WILL.

It's just going to take some dedicated work, some accountability (‘cause shit, don’t we alll need that!) and a lot more time than your inner mean girl thinks it should. ‘Cause giiirl, I know you’ve been should-ing all over yourself.


So, how do you start to overcome this and take some positive steps forward?

Here are my top 3 tips to getting started:

  1. Get curious. Awareness is the first step towards positive change. So pay attention to yourself. What are your habits? What are you saying to yourself? When do you tend to emotionally eat?
  2. Show yourself LOVE. Getting aware is such an important step for being able to take action, but it can also be tough to admit these things to yourself. So be KIND to yourself. And remember, YOU have the power to change anything and everything in your life in an instant. And showing yourself grace while you slowly take positive steps forward is KEY to being able to achieve what you want. It’s not easy and there will be days when you catch your mean girl coming to play and THAT’S OKAY. That’s part of the process and something we all deal with ;)
  3. Speaking of that, whenever you catch your mean girl popping up, ask yourself “what would I say to my best friend if they were going through this situation?” Quit letting your inner mean girl take the reins and let your LIGHT shine through, not just to others in your life but to YOU TOO!

 

You are more powerful than you know. And if you do the work, I promise you, you will start to see the LIGHT inside of you shine in ways you never imagined possible.

I believe in you. 

It’s time to start believing in yourself too ;)

Xo Amanda

P.s. Interested in seeing more shizzz like this and jumpstarting your emotional eating healing process and finding FOOD FREEDOM? Click the button below to snag your FREE Busy Babes Guide To Healthy Living & get weekly love bombs to your inbox!

Motivation is Garbage

Are you spending your life on automatic pilot?

 

You have all these aspirations in your life about what you WANT and who you want to be, but you’ve let months go by without taking any action...

 

I was watching this amazing video with Mel Robbins this past weekend all about why it’s so hard to be motivated to do the little things to improve our lives and it got my wheels turning.

Here’s the thing: our brains are designed to protect us -- going out of our comfort zone and deciding to make a change literally makes our brains send stress signals to our body telling us to retreat and get back to our comfy cozy zone.

So  literally, our bodies are programmed to keep us from going out of our comfort zones and leaping. And it’s up to US to take the leap of faith and dive in. Trust our gut and tell our brains to eff off.

 

Here's the real-freaking-deal.

 

You need to stop waiting until you “feel like it”.

 

You are ONE decision away from a 100% different life.

A different job. A different relationship. A different life. A different outlook.

It may not feel that easy, but it IS. You literally have that power because YOU are in control of your life -- and as Mel so poignantly says: “If you change your decisions, you change everything.”

The timing of shit in your life can be SUUUPER MESSY.

And game changing opportunities don't just knock on your door once the "timing is right" or "you're ready".

Because, let's be honest: there is always something making it the "wrong time".

And if there's anything I've learned it's that those life changing magical opportunities tend to knock on your door at the most inopportune times.


I launched my business right after my wedding, having just quit my job and having the roof of our new house leak, causing major water damage.

Not ideal to say the least. But I jumped ANYWAYS.

I decided to crash into the fear, trust my gut and say YES to the life I had been dreaming of for years but never took any action on.

 

And that's what I want you to do. To jump in with everything you've got.

 

Right fucking now.

 

Not:

"when you have the time"

“When the motivation strikes”

"when the timing feels right"

"once you have the perfect body"

"once your busy schedule opens up"

"once you pay off all your debt"

"in a few months"

"when you feel ready"

"when everything lines up so perfectly that magical unicorns and rainbows fall from the sky"

 

Truth bomb? If you’re waiting for those things, then you’ll be waiting for the rest of your life. Because life just doesn’t happen that way.

 

You are WORTH putting your dreams into action right now.

So quit delaying your happiness.

And take f*cking action.


I want you to take the next 5 minutes and just write the answer to this question --

Where have YOU been holding yourself back? If you could have the courage to make a change in your life right freaking now, without any “repercussions”, and what would you do?

And once you've spent some time thinking on that, I want you to think of ONE way that you can take action on that RIGHT NOW. 

It's time to jump in. With both feet.

And decide to live that f*ck yes life you and I both know is there waiting for you.

I'm with you. I'm going. Who's coming with me?

Xo Amanda

p.s. my weekly love bombs have even more amaazeballs tips, tricks and truth bombs coming atcha every single week --- click the button below to get the weekly goods!!

My Top 5 Tips for Eating Healthy on a Budget

As a health coach, one of the biggest concerns I hear - “I just can’t afford to eat that healthy all the time!”

And I totally get it.

When I first started on my health journey, I was freaking out about the price sticker on so many “healthy items” that all these crazy meal plans were telling me I needed -- almond flour, flax seeds -- you name it! And I was like uhhhh this is not sustainable for ANYONE, let alone an actor/just out of college gal like me. So I made it my mission to find a way to make it simple and AFFORDABLE.

So girl, let me be the first to tell you, from a gal who is SUPER budget conscious that if I can do it, you can too.


Here are my 5 best tips & tricks for being health & budget conscious:

1. Location

WHERE do you shop? This was a game changer for me.

I live super close to a Whole Foods, but I could never afford to shop there regularly- can you say whole paycheck? So the hubby and I shop at local produce markets and Trader Joes/Marianos for the most part!

Don’t have a Trader Joes near you? What about Aldi? Aldi has AMAZING prices and they have begun a no GMO program and offer many more organic options.

2. Buy what’s in season!

Yes, fresh produce can get pricey- so find a good deal on what is in season and FREEZE it for later use!

In the summer, I buy so much corn because it’s cheap and tastes so much better- I cut it off the cob and freeze it to use throughout the year. Same with berries, berries can be so pricey so I stock up when they are at a reasonable price. Then I cut them and freeze them! Great for smoothies, oatmeal, whatever down the road!

3. Use saving apps

You guys I don’t know whyyyy I never utilized this before but coupons are freaking awesome -- use them! AND THERE ARE APPS you can use!!!!

My girlfriend Jess introduced me to Flipp -- have you heard of it? Not only do they have many of the discount newsletters for your favorite stores, but you can input your grocery list and they will tell you if any nearby stores have those items on sale! I like Flipp because you can use YOUR grocery list to find deals, not just randomly buying whatever happens to be on sale, ya know?

4. Make a grocery list.

If you don’t plan ahead, you might think you need several things you actually have in your pantry, and you will end up spending money on all the impulse buys. Make a plan and stick to it!

5. Learn to cook

Kev and I save so much money when we eat in.

And I want to show you just how much:

Kev and I spend about $75-85 a week at the grocery (and YASS we eat a lot haha). Plus, we spend $99 a month on Shakeology. So thats about $101 a week on our meals and snacks. If we each eat 3 meals a day (42 meals a week) and 2 snacks a day (28 snacks), that adds up to be $1.57 per meal or snack! Tell me a restaurant that you could find a healthy option for $1.57!

Don't know where to start?

Grab your FREE copy of the Busy Babe's Guide to Healthy Living -- filled with whole foods grocery list, meal plan printable and healthy recipes! 

 

What’s a tip that YOU have to share about healthy eating on a budget?

Which of the above really spoke to you and is something you're gonna start implementing in your life?

Maple Tempeh Bowls

You guys. 

I freaking did it.

I figured out a way to eat tempeh that ACTUALLY tastes good.

When I went on, as my hubby likes to refer to it, my "crazy vegan streak" a few years ago, I tried tempeh for the first time. I had heard it was a great source of protein and I was struggling to find a way to get all my protein in so I figured, why the hell not, I'll try it.

And I was like ummmmm this shit tastes like JANK AF.

Not only does it look weird (I think it kind of looks like brains, to be honest), but it has a texture that I had just never dealt with before. But, being determined as I was, I scarfed it down and suffered in silence. 

Have you tried tempeh before?

For years, I tried recipe after recipe to like it. I was freaking DETERMINED.

I knew the health benefits of it, and while I stopped being vegan a long time ago, I aim to have as many vegetarian options in my diet as I can. *Cue, Amanda experimenting in the kitchen*

Now, I'll be honest. I'm no chef. My hubby's got the cooking skills in the family. BUT I've been eating whole foods long enough to know that if they don't taste good, I won't eat them. So I've made it my mission to create and find recipes for myself that are quick, easy, healthy AND delicious.

And you guys, not to toot my own horn, but I think this one might take the cake.

If you've been on the tempeh struggle bus for a long time -- try this. 

If you've never tried tempeh before but are looking for an affordable protein option -- try this.

If you just love good, quick and easy food -- try it.

I hope it blows your mind as much as it did mine!

MAPLE TEMPEH BOWL

Serves 2, Cook time: 20 minutes

 

INGREDIENTS

1 package of Tempeh (I used Light Life original

1/8 cup of maple syrup

1 1/2 tbsp tamari

1/8 cup of balsamic vinegar

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 tsp olive oil

2 cups sautéed veggies (I used yellow squash and broccoli!)

 

DIRECTIONS

  1. Remove tempeh from package and chop into small 1 inch pieces.
  2. In a small bowl combine maple syrup, balsamic vinegar, tamari, 1 teaspoon of olive oil and minced garlic. Add tempeh into a shallow dish and pour maple balsamic marinade over the tempeh, toss to coat and let tempeh marinade in the fridge for 1 - 24 hours.
  3. Once tempeh is marinated, pan-glaze the tempeh by heating 1 tsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once oil is hot, add the tempeh and cook until golden brown on each side, allowing 4-5 minutes per side.  Toss the tempeh a couple times during this process.
  4. In separate pan, sautee veggies with remaining olive oil! Season with sea salt! 
  5. Once the veggies and tempeh are cooked through, slap 'em into a bowl and voila! You're ready to eat!

 

Ways to Slow Down and Destress your Busy Life

Every single day. You're feeling overworked. Busy. Running out the door. Looking for your phone/keys. Leave your lunch on the kitchen counter. Work all day. Trudge home in traffic. Grab a glass of wine. Make dinner. Cuddle on the couch. Netflix. Go to bed and do it all over again.

That's what my day looked like for years. 

And I will never forget what my mom said to me one day a few years back. She said, "You have to slow down or else you're going to burn out." And she was right. And of course, like the stubborn gal I am, I didn't listen. And I burnt the fuck out and for so many years, wore busy as a badge of honor

While my schedule may look a whole hell of a lot different than it did then, I still lead a busy life. And what I've learned along the way is the importance to find ways to slow down and find some grounding amidst the busy. Because, let's be honest, life isn't mean to be lived running around like a chicken with your head cut off, am I right?

Ready to destress and take away the overwhelm?

Here are some things you can start incorporating into your life right now, girlfriend!

START EACH DAY WITH A WORKOUT

 

Getting your body moving is the freaking BEST thing you can do to de-stress and start your day off on a beautiful foot! I used to use the "I don't have time" excuse all the time but as soon as I started my at home workouts and was rocking out 30 minutes or less for my whole day for a workout, it became a non-negotiable and all my excuses were busted at the door. I chat about some of my favorite go-tos here!

Wake up 30 minutes earlier. And freaking GET IT IN. Your body, mind and soul will thank you.

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PRACTICE MINDFULNESS

Even amidst a crazy schedule, there are so many opportunities to be mindful. To show up for our lives with intention. 

Be present.

Look deep within and figure out what is important to you.

Decide to live your life on purpose in every way that you CAN. And commit to showing up as the woman you KNOW you were put on this earth to be.

Not sure where to start? Download your FREE copy of 5 Steps to A Mindful Life for a deeper look into how to implement this into your daily life!

GO FOR A WALK

There's a reason all great creatives/writers/thinkers have a daily walk as part of their routine. Being outside gives us a break from being at our computers. A way for us to unplug and just BE. 

Bonus? If you have a pup like I do, it's super awesome bonding time and they'll love you forever. 

 

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LAUGH YOUR BOOTY OFF

Call your gal pal that always makes you laugh so hard you pee a little.

Throw yourself a dance party with your dog in the kitchen while making dinner. 

JUST LAUGH. It's an immediate reminder not to take life So seriously and to soak in the present. (And it helps you make faces like this!)

 

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UNPLUG FROM YOUR PHONE

Turn it off an hour before bed and leave it off for the first hour in the morning too. Or at least put it on airplane mode.

We spend so many hours staying constantly connected and it's causing more and more stress to our nervous system and our brain. Soak in that unplugged time and you'll feel less stressed in no time.

(and yes, girl, those emails CAN wait until work hours. And you're not gonna miss anything important on Instagram, I promise.)

 

What's something you're committing to to start YOUR journey to a less stressed life?

Share in the comments or, if you're looking for some extra accountability and a safe space to go through this process, join our Live on Purpose Facebook community! 

Cheers to living a more intentional and grounded life! You deserve it, babe.

Xo Amanda

p.s. not getting weekly love bombs to your inbox yet? Girl, what are you waiting for?! I dish out allll of the goods there ;)

Healthy Brownie Bites

It's almost officially Spring...can you believe it? 

Up until a week ago, I would have said YES! The birds were chirping, it was starting to get warm and rainy (unseasonably early in the year for Chicago, may I add), but noooooo, mother nature decided that winter needed one last hurrah and we got hit with a beautiful blizzard of snow.

Honestly, I love the snow. And seeing Toby, my goldendoodle pup, get SO excited about it was definitely maybe the cutest thing on the planet. Having a pup in my life again has really brought back the inner kid in me and I love it. I LOVE my goofball side, but sometimes I can get so serious with everything life throws my way that I forget to laugh and take in the little, silly moments -- you know the feeling? Having a dog again has been a great reminder to just be a GOOBER and have fun!

And what's more fun than getting back into the kitchen with some DELICIOUS chocolate-y treats (that feel like cheats!) I've been getting back into trying different thangs out and you guys, these are a freaking WINNER. 

HEALTHY BROWNIE BITES

 

INGREDIENTS

1 c cashews OR peanut butter
1 c raw old fashioned oats
3 scoops or packets of Chocolate Protein powder (I use Chocolate Shakeology for the added nutrients and 'cause it tastes like brownie batter! If ya wanna try it out, let me know!)
+ ~ 1/3 c water

 

DIRECTIONS

1. Add all ingredients to a food processor and blitz for about 1 minute, until the cashews and oats are pulverized.
2. While the processor is running, SLOWLY add water, 1 tbsp at a time, until the mixture is the consistency of cookie dough.
3. Roll the dough into golf sized balls or press into a baking dish to make bars, and store in the refrigerator!
 

Growth is the key to happiness

Today, I want to talk to you about something that has been on my heart lately:

GROWTH > GOALS.

A couple of weeks ago, I had a two hour special team call all about personal development, goal setting and how to get out of your own way and it was amazing. The fact that I actually WANT to work on a Monday night still blows my mind, but I guess when you love something so much, it never feels like work, am I right?

Anyways, in my corner of the Universe, we've been talking a lot about Goals. And how depending on how you approach them, creating goals can either be super effective and wonderful OR it can end up making shit a whole lot worse in the long run.

I used to be a HUGE goal setter. I would make bucket list after bucket list. And when I look back on it, it caused me soooo much anxiety.

WHY? Because I would have the SAME things on my list for YEARS. I knew what I wanted to do, but never actually did it.

So, I want to share with you how I've shifted my mindset surrounding GOALS and how I've actually been able to take ACTION for the first time in my life -- all in just 3 simple steps:

STEP ONE: WRITE IT DOWN

You can't just claim to want it in your head. You need to put it on paper for it to actually feel REAL.

So I want to challenge you to envision for a minute -- What do you dream about? Pick a dream, any dream. Your dream job. Dream marriage. Dream house. Write it down and describe it in just a few words. Now do the same thing 3 times until you've listed 3 separate dreams.

GREAT. Once you've done that, now add 2 descriptors that will make your dream more concrete: what and when.

Here are mine:

1. Go on a yoga retreat in Bali before I'm 30.

2. Be living 100% debt free and have the freedom to live my life 100% on my own terms by the time I'm 30 by building a heart-centered, thriving, stable and values driven business as Beachbody Coach.

3. Perform at the Stratford Festival of Canada as a lead in a Shakespeare play by the time I'm 35 years.

STEP TWO: LOOK AT IT EVERY SINGLE DAY

Chances are, you've written a bucket list, put it away and never looked at it again. Can you even remember what you put on there? I bet not.

So why is it so important to actually LOOK at it? Well, you may not believe in the power of manifestation (I didn't either), but from a gal who's been doing this for over a year, trust me when I say, this shit works. Surround yourself with your goals. Your subconscious needs the daily reminder to be able to actually bring it into your life.

As Jeff Olson says: "Having your dreams concretely spelled out, on paper, in the most vivid and specific terms possible, and with a very tangible, concrete timeline, provides you with an 'environment of Yes!' for your goals, dreams and aspirations."

STEP THREE: START WITH A PLAN

But here's the trick. Don't be STUCK on making that plan come to fruition.

So often, we make a plan and we almost force things to go down the way we want it to (read: think it should.) And I want to propose something different.

Yes, start with a plan. Because ultimately, until you actually START, you're not moving forward. But be OPEN to the fact that whatever plan you actually start with will not be the plan that gets you there in the end.

I know this may sound confusing but here's my thought on all of this: there is no perfect way to do something. I mean, by definition, there can't be, because a plan is not getting there -- it's only your jumping off point. And THAT is why you need a plan. Because if you don't have a starting point, there won't be any jumping off happening at all.

As Nike says, JUST DO IT.

What are your 3 goals that you came up with during this exercise?

Share in the comments below! I'd love to keep you accountable.

I hope this helps you on your journey to GREATNESS.

Know that I believe in you. You are so so capable of being everything you want to be & more. Of not just wishing for those goals of yours to come true but to actually make them happen.
 

And if you wanna chat more about this shit, I'm always just an email away. I LIVE for this shit. And I wanna help you succeed and live your wildest dreams -- because you are so freaking worth it.

Xo Amanda

Oh and p.s. haven't signed up for my weekly love bombs and freebies yet? Whatchya waiting for!!!  Get the goods here!!!!!!!

 

5 Steps to Loving Yourself From the Inside Out

I've been digging deep lately into the topic of Self Care and it's been a GAME CHANGER for me.

You guys, I used to think that self care was a load of BS, but let me tell ya, when I intentionally make time for the things that light me up, I am in a freaking AMAZING place and even the worst of days don't affect me the way they used to. It's pretty amazing.

When I first started out on my journey to self love, I didn't really know where to start. I thought self care meant Netflix and chill and taking a bath after a long day with a glass of wine.

And don't get me wrong, there is a time and place that all of the above (I spent last night doing JUST that and it was epic), but self care is so much more than that. It's about intentionally spending pockets of your day doing the things that make you feel amazing so that you can show up for the rest of your life (ya know, work, relationships, the works!) in a way that is 100% YOU. 

No more burnt out, overwhelmed, stressed out BS. By implementing these 5 main things into my life, I have been able to completely remove the overwhelm and spend even the busiest of days feeling grounded, inspired and empowered.

And no, it's not magic. Although you KNOW I'm still waiting for my letter to Hogwarts. ;)

This shit is REAL. And things that you can start putting into your life right freaking now. Because you freaking deserve to love yourself from the inside out, girlfriend. So let's get to the good stuff.


1. GET YOUR SWEAT ON

I don’t know about you, but my workouts are a HUGE part of my self care practice -- I’m a ragin’ biotch without my endorphins. Anyone else feel me?

But for a long time, I wasn’t making my workouts as priority in my life.

How many times have you skipped your workout because you’re “just too busy” to get it in?

If you aren’t all raising your hand right now, YOU LYIN’. (Ok, I kid, I kid) But for real, I know I used excuse after excuse all the time...

“I just don’t have any time during my crazy day to get my workout in” OR “I’ll go to the gym tomorrow after work” OR “I’m just too dang tired.”

Look, I get it. I hear you, loud and clear. I’ve been there! And I get that going to the gym or that hot new Spin class can take two hours out of your day, and that stinks (and is honestly freaking exhausting). But here’s the thing: You don’t need hours out of your day to get a good workout in. Hell, I don’t even remember the last time I did a workout that lasted longer than 30 minutes. (I'm always just a message away if you're looking for some amazing workout options!)

So, girl, get at least 30 minutes of exercise in! YOU CAN GET IN THIRTY MINUTES.

Let’s BUST those “I’m too busy” excuses and GET IT DONE. If I can do it, so can you ;)

2. FUEL YOUR BODY WITH WHOLE FOODS

I will say this shit again and again until I'm blue in the face -- diets don't work. Calorie/macro counting is triggering and exhausting. And you DESERVE to never feel restricted in life.

The answer? Whole foods and portion control.

Because of these tools, I'm now living a balanced life where I'm fueling my body with food that is ACTUALLY good for me (and not a raging starving biotch in the process -- because let's be honest, that's exactly what I was when I was on the yo-yo diet cycle of death *cringe*)

Want a sneak peek into a day in the life of eats with Amanda? Check it out here!

3. FOCUS ON POSITIVE SELF TALK

I don't know about you, but for soooo long, I would spend every morning looking at myself in the mirror and focusing on what I perceived as "bad". I would suck in my stomach in an attempt to make it flat, stare at my thighs and wonder why they couldn't be smaller & just blatantly make myself feel unworthy and unattractive.

Have you ever felt this way before? 

I cannot tell you how IMPACTFUL positive self-talk has been for me. It is not going to happen overnight (and those thoughts will continue to happen because, hey, we're all human and that inner shit talker is a fiery biotch!), but if you can implement some of these tips into your day, I cannot tell you how much it will change the way you view yourself.

MY 3 BEST TIPS FOR POSITIVE SELF TALK:

  • When you look in the mirror, focus on what you DO love, not what you don't.
  • Do something that makes you feel on freaking fire. Rock a workout. Throw yourself a dance party. Get out of your head and into you body!
  • Quit the comparison game. I know you do it. We all do. If you are following people on social media that trigger you, stop following them. Or better yet, remember that you don't know their story or how they got themselves to look the way they do. Celebrate your own personal victories and remember that we're all on our journeys -- and where you are right now is exactly where you're supposed to be.

4. GET YOUR SILLY ON

Ok girlfriend, you KNOW that I’m ALL about a giant goofball and seeking JOY every single freaking day. So this clearly had to have a bullet point on it's own :) 

As we grow up, gain responsibilities, stressors, obligations and what not, we lose our sense of PLAY. Remember that unbridled freedom we felt as kids? Freedom to laugh to our hearts content (or until milk came out of our nostrils!), freedom to act like FOOLS and not be worried about other people judging us, FREEDOM TO JUST BE!

I want to challenge you to be SILLY. I feel like so often in life we are “required” to take ourselves seriously and while it is important to do so at times, I think connecting with our inner goofball is NECESSARY for the soul. And this goes for your workouts too! Sometimes I find myself attempting a move and just flat out FLAILING. Anyone else? I used to get so frustrated with myself when I couldn’t “master” something, but I’m working on just keeping on keeping on and learning to LAUGH at myself because, let’s be honest, if someone was watching us during our workouts, I’m sure they’d be giggling right along with us.

MY FAVORITE WAYS TO BE SILLY:

  • Jammin' out in the shower to my favorite song and SANGIN' at the top of my lungs!
  • Playing with my pup
  • Sending rah-diculous pictures to my besties!

5. CREATE A SELF CARE BASKET

This is something I did for myself when I started my journey to self care a year ago and it was SO freaking impactful.

So what exactly is a Self Care Basket? It's a basket/box (you can use a shoebox or whatever you have lying around at home!) that you fill with things that make you happy. That make you light up inside when you see it. A box that you can go to for a little self love when you’re feeling those negative thoughts and feelings come your way.

Have FUN with this challenge. Find things around the house // Go to the Dollar Store or Target or TJ Maxx for affordable options! 

And most importantly, I want you to be really intentional with this. What makes me happy is probably different than what really lights YOU up. So really ask yourself, what are the things that make you so freaking happy you could burst ;) 

Here's what I came up with for mine!

And there you have it!

My favorite 5 things to rock out my self care routine!

Which one are you committing to start implementing into your routine this week? Share in the comments below!

How to Choose Joy On Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Days

Anyone else used to be obsessed with that book growing up? I would make my Mom read it to me over and over and over again. I just loved Alexander's super red hair and freckles!!...Maybe that explains why I've always wanted a little kid with bright red hair...ha, I can't believe I'd never considered that!

Okay, I digress. But fo realz. Whether you know that book or not, if you've been on the planet for more than a minute, chances are, you've had a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.

You know the one. Where everything just seems to be against you. You spill your coffee in the morning, rip your favorite shirt, miss the train, send an email to the wrong person, get yelled at by your boss, burn dinner and when you go to sit down to watch this week's episode of the Bachelor, realize you've forgotten to DVR it. Or maybe you are just feeling a general lack of faith in humanity with the going ons of the world lately. And chances are, if you're anything like me. you've spend the whoooole day listening to Adele (#bestsadmusicever) and complaining to your friends about your shitty, shitty, day.

Sound familiar?

I used to have more days like this than I'd like to admit. I would sit and sulk in my frustration. And let me tell ya, I was not fun to be around. 

I've been reading The Universe Has Your Back (a really fantastic book all about fear)  and something she emphasizes is how the energy you intentionally put out into the world directly affects your mindset. In other words, how you FEEL every single day is entirely up to you.

This is a concept I used to have a really hard time grasping -- I mean, I just couldn't get it... 
What if someone was being rude to me? Or traffic was THE WORST and it took me an extra 30 minutes to get home.  Or what if I had a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day like the one I just shared? Those things would obviously make an impact on how my day went... I would CLEARLY feel frustrated, upset, irritated and annoyed if any of those things happened to me, right?

Well, that's what I used to think.

But here's what I've been learning, and what I want to empower you to consider:

You are 100% made up of the decisions you make.

 

Sure, you can't control the things that you'll come up against throughout your day, but you CAN control how you respond to them. You can choose to lean towards JOY instead of fear, doubt or frustration.
 

"Your decision leads you to experience joy in a seemingly joyless situation" - Gabby Bernstein

 

Let me guess...you're thinking "ok, ok, it SOUNDS easy and all, but how do you actually put it into practice?" You know I wasn't gonna leave you hanging like that. I gotchu, girl ;) 

So here are 3 of my favorite tools on how to CHOOSE JOY on even the worst of days:

+ Focus on how you WANT to feel and get clear on your VALUES

If I were to ask you the question: "How do you want to feel every single day?", what would you say? For example, I would say: Joy-filled, ease, connected, grounded, free and strong.

And further, what are the things that you do/have done that help you feel these things? For example, some of the things that I do to connect to these feelings are: throwing myself a dance party, getting a workout in, calling my mom, practice yoga, meditate, journal, play with my pup , share my story in a blog post, have a work date at a coffee shop, snuggle with my hubby etc.

Brainstorm and journal it out and see what you come up with!

+ Recite an affirmation that is in line with your values

I know this may sound hokey (and trust me, until recently, I thought all of this was a load of bullshit), but I've been incorporating affirmations into my morning rituals for the past month and it has been a GAME CHANGER. 

My current favorite go-to is from a book called the Big leap (check it out!): 

“I expand in abundance, success and love every day as I inspire others to do the same.”

Before I start my day, I spend 5 minutes saying this out loud and breathing it in. This hasn't been something that has come easy to me. I've been SUPER resistant to any form of affirmation for years, but I dedicated this year as the year of GROWTH and part of that means being open to new experiences. So I said F*ck it. Let's try it. And man oh man has it been a game changer. That sense of ease I've been craving? I'm finally starting to see it show up in my life and I'm loving every second of it.

So whether this affirmation resonates with you, or another one jumps out at you, choose one and commit to starting your day by saying it every day next week! Need some examples of mantras? Click here!

+Shock your system

You ready for it? This is how to put all of the things you've discovered in the last two points and jolt yourself into joy.

I want you to spend the next week getting curious with yourself. On days when you're feeling any negative emotion, allow yourself to feel the feels if you need to for a few minutes ('cause sometimes that shit is necessary), and then SHIFT YOUR SPIRIT. You know that list I had you write up? The one of all the things that help you feel the way you want to? Pick one and DO IT. Jolt yourself into a better day and decide to freaking CHOOSE JOY. Ok?


You are more POWERFUL and CAPABLE than you realize, beautiful girl. And you deserve to feel all the light & love the world has to offer. Let's start creating it together, ok?

Xo Amanda

p.s. I'd love to hear your thoughts and how you found this exercise! Comment below or contact me if you wanna chat more about this :)