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Let's pretend it's not still in the upper 90s in Texas for a minute and settle into the fact that it's mid-August and school is going to start in a week. Fall means new beginnings, change, and transition for so many of us. If I may take a moment to share what in the hot mess (I mean "new beginnings") is happening over here...

  • Oldest child is going to Kindergarten in 8 days
  • Baby (it's a girl!!) #3 coming at the very end of October

I'll stop there because isn't that enough for one family?! I'd like to propose that we use this month to 100% FREAK OUT and lose our minds! Just kidding, I'm proposing the opposite actually. Although we don't always have the privilege of knowing in advance when change is coming, we've known about our new level of chaos arriving...

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Yoga. It’s actually IS for everyone...especially us folks who don’t LOOK like the typical yogi. When I (Lisa) started my “vibrant living” wellness journey back in November 2012, I decided to consistently add yoga to my routine.

Although I felt like the least flexible person in the room (and sometimes I still feel like I don't belong there), the truth was I NEEDED yoga more than that girl next to me in class who can twist her herself into a pretzel. Because of this, I put my insecurities aside, and I fell in love with yoga. It truly integrates your mind, body, and spirit like no other exercise.

Just as there are many branches of cardio and weight lifting, there are also many branches of yoga. When getting started, be sure to go to a beginner class or let the...

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I've talked to countless clients, family, and friends about what their health goals are and what's stopping them from achieving them, and I hear the same story a lot:

I want to feel healthier and stronger and have more energy. I want to eat cleaner and maybe lose some weight.

When I ask, "What is stopping you from achieving these goal the responses are always very similar:

Meal planning. Time (<--that is a big one). Self-discipline.

I want to address the meal planning today because when that is executed, the other things seem to fall into place more easily.

Meal planning can seem daunting and overwhelming if you don't know where to start. So start here...

  • Figure out what your goals are. If you're cooking dinner at home...
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Quickly becoming some of my most treasured belongings are those that allow my 3.5-year old daughter to do things for herself. The kitchen is a place where I continuously ask myself, “How can I equip Emmy to be self-sufficient in this space?” There are so many appliances and utensils that I cannot allow her to use without my help or supervision at this age, but I am on the hunt for anything that will increase her independence! Mamas around the globe understand that more independence for their kids equals less work for mama!

My recent priority was to find a way for my daughter to help prepare her own lunches and help me prepare our family dinners. Unfortunately, using knives and chopping food is a huge part of the meal prep, and she is not coordinated...

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I have big news that I think you'll love!! The simple truth is:

Eating sweets every day is okay! Seriously, indulge that sweet tooth and give your body what it wants!

Ooookay, you know there's a caveat.

Obviously not all sweets are made alike. Some are naturally sweet, some are not, but our body doesn't discriminate when it comes to time to craving those delicious treats. Our body tends to crave sweets at specific times because our blood sugar dropped and it need a quick energy boost.

When this happens, our extremely intelligent body knows the absolute quickest way to spike it back up is to get some sugar. Unfortunately, what it doesn't know is that this little rush won't last long, and right after the blood sugar spike, there will be a crash, and you'll be...

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Imagine it is 3pm on a Saturday and you feel your body telling you it's getting hungry and wants a snack, so you head towards the kitchen to grab something to eat. Picture yourself looking at all of your options for what to eat.

Where are you? Are you standing in front of your fridge or your pantry?

Think about both of these food storage areas in your kitchen for a moment. Think about how different the foods are within them.

The average American pantry holds food items such as chips (tons of chips), sugary snacks, sodas, canned foods, cereal, pasta, microwave popcorn, and boxed meals (mac 'n cheese, ramen, etc).

The average American refrigerator is supposed to hold perishable food and preserve it to have a longer shelf-life; however, the American fridge is...

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Quieting your mind is absolutely key to keeping yourself balanced and sane. Every day we have thoughts and tasks that create chaos in our brains, thus making what many call the "monkey mind." Mingyur Rinpoche is a Tibetan Buddhist Master who does a great job of explaining the monkey mind and how to calm it the heck down in this 1:47 min video.

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Many people are starting to shift their perspective about making New Year's Resolutions because they are noticing that when they make a resolution, they seem to do well with their intentions through (maybe) the end of February. Instead of resolutions, I want to encourage you to think about making concrete goals for yourself. Check out the meanings of each word...

  • Resolution definition = a position arrived at after consideration
  • Resolution synonym = intention, decision
  • Goal definition = the end toward which effort is directed
  • Goal synonym = purpose, objective

Goals are about the effort and end. Which I interpret to mean it's not only about obtaining that objective, but also about the journey or path you took to get there!...

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It’s time, y’all! It’s time to celebrate what we’ve accomplished and did well in 2016 and look ahead to what we will tackle in 2017!! The age old question this time of year is “So...what are your New Year’s Resolutions??” Everyone likes to talk about them, but in recent years, I’ve really started to hate the wording of that question. I can’t help but see the relationship between the word “resolution” and short-term motivation. People seem to go balls to the wall for a whole 3-4 weeks because they are committed to (insert resolution here - i.e., lose 15 lbs., stop eating processed sugar, work out 5 times a week, stop eating fast food), but the truth is, they get burnt out incredibly fast. We want quick fixes to our “problems,” so we come up with quick answers, and that’s not the way it...

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When you hear the word 'nourish,' I'm sure you think of food. We use that word in our prayers before meals and when referencing what food should do to our bodies. Hang with me while I attempt to expand your perspective on how you can really nourish yourself...mind, body, and spirit!

Sometimes we focus so much on food and how, if we do it well, it can nourish our bodies, but we forget the little ways that we can make ourselves feel refreshed and alive.

What does this look like? What does it mean to nourish myself outside the context of food?

  • Going on a walk/hike with your dog and noticing how rejuvenated you feel afterwards.
  • Simply lying on your bed after a long day, listening to a great song and smiling at how relaxing...
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