LISTEN

Podcasts:

Making Sense with Sam Harris:  The Price of Distraction – Like many of us, I’m going into 2021 thinking of what changes I want to make to be a more joyful, present woman.  Part of this lies with my phone and technology usage (the irony of this isn’t lost on me as I type this on my computer). 

Technology and social media is a wonderful, necessary thing but a luxury that often does steal my ability to be present.  This podcast touches on the true physiological and psychology price of that distraction, and has made me excited to put some boundaries around that for myself and my family.

READ

Books I’m re-reading:

The Happiness Project –  I have read this book twice and it never ceases to provide me with joy and encouragement in a very easy to digest, friendly way.  I don’t know about you but I could use some light hearted inspiration for 2021!

Broken Open – This is one of my all time favorite books and I try to read it once a year.  Admittedly, I missed 2020, but I think Elizabeth Lesser would tell me to give myself a pass.  There aren’t enough words for how much this book means to me.  For anyone rising out a dark time in their life, it is a beacon of hope and reservoir of wisdom.

WEAR

Two Athlesiure Staples I’m Loving:

The BEST Leggings – As a mom of two who works out almost every day, leggings that are durable, comfortable, and flattering are an essential.  Of all of the leggings in my drawer, including my pricey Adam Selmans and my classic Lululemons, the ones I reach for most are these.  

Don’t let the price fool you, I am not kidding you when I say these are the best leggings I’ve ever worn.  They are buttery soft, flattering, and comfortable and come in a ton of great colors.  I have them in this navy, this sapphire blue, this black, and this army green.

Nike Trainers – I love Nike shoes, they are super comfortable on the foot and I find that the designs skew more feminine than many other brands.  The details are colors make them appear softer on the foot, and they can be worn with so many things from jeans to those leggings I mentioned above.

Two pairs that I recently ordered and am living in are these classic black ones  and these cheerful colorful ones.  I wear these so often, let’s just say when I put on heels it takes me a minute to get my bearings again!

MAKE

Smoothies –  I drink smoothies all year long and have one for breakfast almost every single day.  For a long time, I thought that smoothies were useless as I found myself hungry an hour or so later and was never truly satisfied.  

I’ve been using Orgain vegan protein powder for about 9 months and it is truly the best protein powder I’ve ever tried.  Not only is it vegan, dairy free, and naturally sweetened but it’s absolutely delicious… which is most important because I don’t care how healthy something is if it doesn’t taste great.  

Use code CATWITHAK10 to get 30% off your first order on their website.  Their chocolate and vanilla proteins are my daily go-tos.  

I’ve got a fun smoothie roundup coming next week to give you some inspiration if you want to kick the year off with more smoothies in your routine.  

DO

At Home Workouts – Although it’s cliche to jump right into exercise talk the first week in January, it’s cliche for a reason.  As we assess our goals for the next year, often getting into stronger physical shape is in there somewhere.  As a mom of two toddlers, exercise has become more about my mental fitness than anything else… the exterior results are truly just a bonus.  Here are two online workout programs that are very affordable and extremely effective.

• My amazing girlfriend Montana is the creator of The Montana Method, based in South Florida.  Her online subscription for these dance/pilates/sculpting hybrid classes is the next best thing to being right there in her studio with her, her energy is truly contagious.  Her workouts range in time from 20-60 minutes and are just fabulous.  Her new website launched and it’s gorgeous, so I encourage you to click here and check it out!
• If classic weight training is more your thing, Peleton is a great option.  Let me start by saying, I do not own a Peleton bike.  Someday, maybe, but not now.  Many people don’t know that they offer a monthly subscription to all of their strength, HIIT, yoga, and pilates workouts for a really reasonable price.  I love doing these on rushed mornings when I only have 20 minutes to dedicate to exercise.