FROM ME, TO ME – A VALENTINE’S PLAYLIST, LOVE CORRINE

by with 2 Comments holidaysmotivationmusicValentine's Day

Now that we’re mid February and Valentine’s Day is inching nearer and nearer, aka TOMORROW, it’s time to get in the groove of being appreciative, generous and loving not to just those around us — but also to ourselves <3 I think we can all agree that self love is among the best types of love out there, and is something that just isn’t promoted enough to young women.

When I’m feeling down and out, I’ll throw on the dreamiest tunes I can think of and groove the blues away, which is exactly what you can do with ‘From Me, To Me’. To start, I incorporated “Try” by Molly Burch because it creates this aura of ethereal weightlessness whenever I hear it. To add a bit of playfulness, “Lovely One” by Ty Segall follows with it’s rugged, garage rock sound that’s bound to get you movin and groovin. Up next is “Teenage Girl” by Cherry Glazerr which cleverly confronts the frustrations of societal standards with the lyric, “internalize so much but so little, don’t make us feel belittled, World,” which is a feeling we definitely have all experienced at one point or another.

I feel like no playlist is ever complete without a little Angel Olsen sprinkled in, because her music is powerful and emotional, and it’s easy to be introspective while listening to her. You’ll hear her serenade you with “You Are Song” which will definitely get you feeling some type of way. To finish, “Everything is You” by Empress Of is a dancy uptempo tune from her album “Me” which sums up the theme of this playlist perfectly.

So as you listen, think of each song as a little gift. Something to dedicate to yourself in the process of your journey to radical self-love. CLICK HERE to give From Me, To Me a listen. If you’d like to create a fun Valentine’s Day DIY click over to this post for some personalized and super unique incense holders!

Here is the tracklist:

1. Try by Molly Burch

2. Lovely One by Ty Segall

3. Teenage Girl by Cherry Glazerr

4. Cosmic Dancer by T. Rex

5. You Are Song by Angel Olsen

6. Lovelier Girl by Beach House

7. She’s So Bad by TOPS

8. You Are The Right One by Sports

9. Theme for a Taiwanese Woman in Lime Green by Devendra Banhart

10. Tears of Joy by Slow Club

11. Teenage Years by Sui Zhen

12. Everything is You by Empress Of

Your funny lil valentine,

C

28 DAYS TO A LBD – WEEK 1

by with One Comment fitnessfoodmotivationrecipeswedding planning

Six months and counting babes! I have just under six months to prepare for our wedding in July, plan a honeymoon, AND gear up for the 4 other weddings also happening this year. Talk about a whirl wind next few months full of travel and partying!

So to keep myself in check, balance out stress, and get shredded for our wedding, I’m participating in my gym’s 28 day challenge! For the next month I’ll be fully immersing myself in meal prepping and HIIT workouts and I want to share with you our week one! I’d like for this to become a lifestyle and not just a quick fix 28 day trial, but a real thing! So do it with me OR you can hold me accountable for when the snack monster gets the best of me at midnight 😀

Here is your week one and how to prep for the next seven days. You can either take it in bite sized amounts of time like I do, or prep for the full week, whichever coordinates with your lifestyle best.

On Sunday: 



I say Sunday because Mondays are usually really busy for me. I like to only prep meals for 1-3 days in advance, partially because I get bored easily and because after 3 days in the fridge/freezer I get grossed out.

So on whichever day you plan on taking an hour or two to prep, separate into freezer bags (or tupperware) your smoothie ingredients, salad mix, and grab-n-go snacks. My go to snacks are fruit with almond butter, trail mix, or veggies with hummus. In a bowl mix together ground chicken or turkey for meatballs, great for wraps, salads, and sammies. They’ll cook quickly in the oven! On a baking sheet I arranged my fish with a variety of vegetables so it was a one stop ‘set it and forget it’ and cooked at the same time the meatballs did.

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

Monday through Wednesday is a variation of protein shakes, grab-n-go snacks, salads, and wraps. Protein, coconut/almond milk, spinach, and pineapple slices make up my favorite post workout smoothie. If you top it with chia seeds or coconut flakes it’s like ice cream! I mean, it DOES help if you pour it into a milkshake cup like I did 😀 Olive oil and freshly squeezed lemon juice make THE perfect salad dressing IMO, and hummus or tzatziki sauce are a wonderful addition to any wrap or snack. I’m all about those additions!

WEDNESDAY NIGHT PREP:
For Thursday through Sunday you can vary your meals if you get bored by adding in a chicken or tuna salad wrap. TIP: lemon juice and tzatziki sauce taste better than mayo 😀 I get really bored really easily and the thought of bland dry chicken with bland dry brocolli sounds BLAND and DRY. Luckily, our LBD meal plan is neither. So portion out your smoothies and salads, prep your overnight oats or protein pancake mix, and get cookin’ good lookin’!

In the oven will go your frittatas, kale chippies, and whatever fish or protein you choose. I’ve been leaning towards salmon and red snapper this week. Hard boil some eggs, make more trail mix or go-to snacks if you need to, and whip together some yummy dinners! I made a ground chicken chili with black beans, vegetable stock, veggies, and cumin.

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

Tadaaa! That’s your week one at a glance! Though I didn’t take a photo of everything … like Sunday’s cheat meal – pizza and champagne. Yaaaas do itttt!!! No regrets, just don’t let your cheat meal turn into a cheat month *raises hand*.

I hope this inspires you to get familiar with meal preparation, it really does take the guess work out of it and when the snack monster attacks . . . you’ll be ready!

Do you meal prep now? Are you a daily or a one-time a week kind of cook? Share some recipes with me and good luck, we totally got this!

 

 

 

 

5 WAYS TO KEEP YOUR RESOLUTIONS!

by with No Comment healthholidayinspirationlifestylemotivationpersonalwedding planningwellness

Happy 2017!!! Can you believe it, already January 2nd! Ummm chill out there new year I need more time! More time to make time, make plans, and to make time to stick to the plan!

Every year I write out 3 goals and create a vision board to inspire me, I’m big on tangible things that I can look at daily. I need daily reminders of what the big picture is because I get stuck in my head sometimes on the temporary. Today I’ll share with you my 5 ways to keep your resolutions and what mine are for the year.

nye1

1. Write it down – on a piece of paper. I probably have a thousand notes on my phone and a gazillion text edits on my computer all labeled in various ways TO DO. There’s something about physically writing your thoughts down on paper and being able to cross things off your list that is way more satisfying then deleting a note on your phone.
2. Get organized – planners are a great way to take the list of your goals and your daily to do’s and manage them day by day to get you to those big goals. I really like writing little notes to myself in my planner that keeps me on track like, “today is wine night, drink up buttercup!” LOL
3. Keep it simple – and keep it realistic. Yes go for those big goals and dream bigger, just adjust your daily list to things you can accomplish without overwhelming yourself or setting yourself back.
4. Stay focused – set backs are normal, just stay focused on the plan which are your daily to do’s. That’s why having a schedule is so important. When you feel like you’re getting overwhelmed or you have days where you aren’t motivated, you can look at your day and those bite sized tasks will equal up to the big picture.
5. Slow and steady wins the race – day by day baby! Daily accomplishments set into motion your goal so take your year one day at a time. Be present in everything you do and remember that slow and steady wins the race <3



My goals for this year are to focus on being consistent in both blogging and my channel, get wedding ready, and to find more time to unwind from they day.

As a blogger and YouTube creator, I’ve constantly struggled with being consistent and sticking to a schedule. Creating on two different platforms is taxing on my creativity because I’m crafting for two different audiences. I hit walls all the time and for me, sticking to a schedule and writing out my daily plan really helps. It helps me not to work on my brand from the time I wake up to the time I go to sleep, not being able to clock out ever is dangerous IMO.

That’s why having a routine of rest is just as important as having a routing of work. I’ll be balancing work, working-out, and time-outs for myself every day this year. Wish me luck!


Just keep swimming 😉

What are your New Year’s resolutions for 2017? Do you have any tips on sticking to the plan?

 


BOOKS TO READ WHEN READING BOOKS ISN’T YOUR THING

by with No Comment inspirationleisurelifestylemotivationpersonal

Joe recently said to me, “I never see you read” and I threw him a nasty lil look because, rude, but also, true. I NEVER read, I mean I read all day long though. It’s part of my job to know what’s new and exciting, who’s doing what, and when the new Apple thingamajig is dropping. I just never read books. Ya know, those tangible-page-flipping-library-kinda material. I do however love the smell of libraries and old book stores I just never find myself seeking them out.

So I’ve piled together the books we have laying around here at home and I’ll share with you why you should read them. Partially so that I can help you discover your inner nerd again because nerds rule, but mainly for myself because I really do need to find time to sit down and feed my brain something besides mindless scrolling of endless status updates.

Damn Good Advice (for people with talent!) – this book was actually gifted to Joe by our incredible friends Sebastian and Karissa but I’ve heard so many good things about it. Offering up advice, information, and inspiration for you creatives out there, I think this read will be a nice little reset if you’re feeling creatively blocked.

Think Rich Grow Rich – this book is a personal development book that focuses on ’13 steps’ and how each principal is necessary to achieve success, promoting the focus of ‘long term goals’. I read all of 3 pages (yes I know, eye roll) but it’s interesting so I’ll pick it back up and report back soon!

The E Myth Revisited – this book addresses the myths of being an entrepreneur, how to let things go and chuck ’em up to casualties of war, and defines the difference between working on your business and working in your business. I honestly have zero clue what the hell that even means but I’m intrigued! Once I read it I’ll give you my full review.

Bossypants – oh Tina Fey how I adore thee. I’ve only read a few chapters of this book but it’s like she and I are besties, she just doesn’t know it yet! She writes in her own voice (duh Jess it’s an autobiography) but it’s legit like I can hear her telling me these stories, like I’m right there with her. And they’re damn hilarious! The woman is smart, sassy, and witty! This is a must read for everyone, everyone I tell you!

Saltwater Buddha – Joe has had this book sitting in our book shelf since I’ve known him and he says this book is awesome and I believe him. I think we can all feel a little lost sometimes and this book is spiritual, travel driven, and all about finding your focus . . . all the things I love! Can’t wait to read it!

Beauty Detox Solution – this was given to me by my hyper brain angel face bff Nikki last year and I’ve perused and pulled information from every chapter! If you know me than you know I’m obsessed with skin care, with feeling young forever, and dammit, looking it too! This book educates you on the food you put into your body and the effects it has on your body inside and out. I love learning new things and finding out about the timing of foods, and what vitamins do what and when is pretty fascinating. Do it <333

Are there any books you’ve recently picked up that I should add to my list?

My goal is to read at least one book a month and I think it’ll be a nice way to start and end the day, a little zen a little zoning out. Do it with me!

 

 

 

 

HOW TO KEEP YOUR RESOLUTIONS IN 2016!!!

by with No Comment DIYinspirationlifestylemotivationwellness

I will what I want! This is something we should say to ourselves every day. It’s 2016 everybody! You know what that means … new year resolutions and the struggle to keep them! Oh and we’ve all made them! Gyms are filling up, farmers markets are being frequented, and books are flying off the shelves! That is, if your resolution is to be healthy, to eat cleaner, and to read more! Ahem, raises hand. So today I’m going to share with you how to KEEP your resolutions this year and to why ‘the secret’ actually works!


Have you ever read The Secret, or watching the film on it? It’s the idea that our thoughts create our destiny. For instance, if you tell yourself that you aren’t successful, the Universe will agree with you, and hence you will not be successful. The Universe’s job is to AGREE with you, so be sure you’re telling it POSITIVE things! So my number one key to accomplishing your goals … vision boards! I can’t begin to tell you how much power vision boards have in amplifying motivation. To have something to look at daily, something you put together with your hands, something you thought about and sifted through … this makes a HUGE difference! For me, having a vision board puts my thoughts into one place, a tangible place that I’m forced to look at each morning. So what have we learned:

1) Create a vision board.

My friend Miya and I each created a vision board last week and it really set into motion all of things we want this year. They’re really easy to make too! All you need is a poster board, some scissors, a glue stick, and magazines!

Miya said it best when she said that most people think they need to look for pictures of things that represent their goals, but honestly, we found so many inspirational phrases that we put together just by finding WORDS that represented our goals. There are no rules when it comes to your vision board, just cut, glue, paste, and create!

2) Keep your vision board somewhere you can see it.

For me, hanging my vision board up next to my bed where I literally have to wake up to it each morning is the greatest form of inspiration. It’s the first thing I see when I wake up and the last thing I see when I go to sleep. To have it in a space that I’m in creates a sense of urgency within myself, something I can’t take back and something to push me forward. So here it is, the view of my vision board from my pillow!

 

Be realistic with your goals, yes I totally glued ‘one million’ to my vision board, but seeing all those zeros really enforced into my thoughts that I want to grow this year. I like to gather my goals into areas of my life that I want to improve; work, love, self-improvement, and travel. This works for me, if a board full of inspirational thoughts and pictures work for you, do that! So long as you tell yourself that you will what you want, you WILL get what you want. And lastly, don’t stop, keep your eye on the ball.

3) Stay focused and don’t give up.

There will be days that you want to give up, days that you’re tired and that you feel like your goals are too big, or that they’re just too far to be within reach of. Just remember that every day, do one thing to accomplish your goals and you’ll see that even these small steps turn into huge leaps towards the bigger picture. We all get discouraged, just don’t let one day turn into one year. Baby steps.

So whether it’s creating a vision board or writing out daily to-do’s in a calendar, physically putting your goals onto paper will make a huge difference in your motivation I promise! You can check out what Miya and I put on each of our vision boards and what they mean to us, here!

Miya also wrote a motivational piece on how to keep your resolutions this year on the blog we have together, HapaHour.com, so head on over there for more inspiration! She inspires me every day with her wisdom and words of encouragement. Which brings me to my last point, surround yourself with like-minded people. They say that we become the 5 people we surround ourselves the most with, so be sure that your inner circle is full of people who uplift, inspire, encourage, and empower you.

Let me know what your number one goal is for 2016 and how you plan on accomplishing it and I can’t wait to share with you a ‘mid-year’ update on my own goals! Good luck and Happy New Year!!!