My friends are incredibly important to me. As an extrovert, my friends have always been incredibly influential on my mood, my mission, and my heart. In fact, they are a huge reason that I was confident enough to stop teaching in order to pursue a career in health coaching. They pump me up and encourage me beyond belief, and that is often what spurs me on day after day!
Lucky for me, a few of these friends (and family) are just as passionate about healthy living as I am, which makes hanging out with them easy, fun, and really motivating!
One friend that I truly love and respect is Camille Moore. We met just after college, became fast friends, and have been walking through life together ever since. She started a popular lifestyle blog CamilleStyles.com shortly after we met, and it's been an absolute privilege to watch the blog, Camille, and her team grow over the past several years. In fact, one reason I love her so much is because she asks herself and her team questions like these to make sure they are standing out and impacting others in a positive way. In 2016, CamilleStyles.com had a "wellness makeover" and the new mantra became: A Healthy Life, Well Styled.
She is living proof that no matter how busy and successful you are, YOU are the one who controls your schedule, your routine, and your health. So naturally, I wanted to pick her brain about how she stays so healthy, fit, sane, and balanced (all the time, but in particular) during the holiday season when there seems to be a holiday event around every corner. I hope you find her traditions and habits as motivating as I do. I already told her I was going to steal her Christmas books tradition, feel free to do the same. ;) Enjoy!
1. What are two of your favorite holiday traditions that your family has?
I love holiday traditions because I really feel that creating memories together is the BEST gift we can give to the people we love! Here are my faves:
Reading Christmas Books Together. There are so many beautiful Christmas books — The Gift of the Magi, A Christmas Carol, The Polar Express — and during the holiday season I stack them in a basket by the fire for our family to read in the evening. I love that, as our kids grow up, they’ll begin associating Christmas with some of these classic tales!
My mom’s Christmas morning almond bread. My mom shapes her famous loaf of Almond Kringle into the shape of a heart every Christmas morning. We all look so forward to it, and last year she taught me how to make it, so I can carry on the tradition!
2. What are some of your biggest priorities to help you stay healthy and fit through this busy time of holiday parties and/or traveling?
I know it’s a cliché, but balance is so important! I’m all for going out and having a couple glasses of champagne and digging into that cheese plate at the party, but the next morning, it means diving into a green smoothie and lacing up my sneaks to go for a run. I also only “splurge” on treats that are really worth it. I will absolutely have a mug of rich chocolate cocoa with whipped cream while we’re decorating the tree, but I can totally pass on the mediocre store-bought cookies at an event with my kids.
3. How do you make sure you implement or find time for those priorities?
Consistency is so important, and I try to continue a healthy daily regimen even when the holiday season gets crazy. Stayed out a little too late on Thursday night? I’ll still force myself to get up and go to my regular Friday morning barre class even though I may not feel like it; I know I’ll be happy later that I did. Plus, starting the day in a positive way encourages healthy choices throughout the rest of the day!
4. What are some ways you make it easier on yourself to stay sane among the chaos of the holidays (especially if you are hosting)?
I’ve learned that I’m a person who has to carve out quiet, restful time at home, even when things get really busy. I try to only book one night out per weekend, and also carve out one day where we don’t have any family commitments. This allows me to rest and recharge so I can get excited for the busier parts of the season!
Also, taking some time to plan ahead is probably my biggest secret to avoiding becoming a stress-fest. When I’m hosting a gathering, I make a master to-do list with every single thing that has to get done leading up to the party (including food prep the day-of), and then I put it somewhere visible on my desk and follow my timeline to the letter. It’s a huge relief to know that I’m not going to forget any of the details.
As you can see...she is a highly intelligent woman who has her crap together. ;) She lives what she preaches, and one of her gifts is that she makes it look easy, lovely, and highly desirable. High five for that, Cami2, and thanks for being you!
