Alright guys, don't make fun of me, but I definitely jumped on the banana bread bandwagon during quarantine and struck gold with this recipe. I pulled one from the internet but added my own little spin on it and it turned out SO WELL! My husband even said, and I quote, "This is one of the greatest things I've ever eaten." He even requested that I make it AGAIN for this birthday the following week. 

I've never been much of a cook, and definitely not a baker (I'm more of a master assembler, if you will), but maybe being stuck in my house is changing me? I'm not sure. But what I do know for sure is that this bread is amazing and you need to make it asap. 

Hope you guys enjoy!!

This past month has been completely bonkers, wouldn't you say? I hope everyone is staying safe and maintaining some level of balance throughout all of this. I was listening to a podcast today that really struck a chord with me, because I've been feeling really guilty feeling somewhat okay amidst all of this. My husband and I are both still employed. I enjoy his company and he's a great quarantine buddy. We're healthy. I get to sit outside on my deck everyday instead of in a windowless office. I've been reading more than ever. I get to hang with my cats all day. I don't have children I have to entertain or homeschool. This sweatpants and no makeup life is very much in alignment with who I am as a person. Anyway, what I'm trying to say is I've been feeling okay. Some might even say good. 

In March I officially began a year-long program to become an Integrative Health Coach🤓. This program through the Institute for Integrative Nutrition focuses on both your physical and your mental health, and all of the components that come along with it. The goal when completing the course is to be able to help others achieve their greatest levels of success through mindfulness and self-care. Sounds pretty much exactly like my mission with The Balancing Effect, wouldn't you say? 

This program is something I’ve been thinking about pursuing for some time, and it fueled my mind even further because of the mentorship program I’ve been doing with the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders for about a year now. I just want to do more to help these women (and really all women) live fuller, happier, well-balanced lives and maintain the best levels of mental health possible.

I think we could all use some feel-good vibes amidst the mess that is the world currently, wouldn't you agree? Even with all of the uncertainty, I've been desperately trying to see all of this an an opportunity to slow down, spend time with Albert, take care of myself, and reevaluate my life. I'm currently going on day 9 of no makeup and loving it. It's so nice to be able to give my skin a break. Honestly, it's nice just to be able to take a break in general. There's no doubt that this is scary time for everyone, but I'm hopeful that we can come out on the other side of it more grateful for the world we live in and the people in it. All of that said, I thought it would be nice this week to share some of the feel-good things that are bringing me joy + keeping me calm throughout all of this. I hope you enjoy! 

Things have definitely taken a turn with COVID-19, and I wanted to use this week’s blog post as an opportunity to, first of all, acknowledge all of the incredibly hardworking people who are working to keep us safe during this time and, second of all, provide some solace for my fellow anxious gals who may be struggling a little more than usual during this time. As someone with a diagnosed anxiety disorder, I can personally say all of this has sent me spiraling. I’m trying to take it day by day and do my part, but my thoughts are a little all-consuming at times. I’m sure most of ours are. ​

When I created the first Balancing Effect Product, The True North Planner, someone told me the planner might be intimidating to some people because they'd be evaluating their lives on paper. "It takes a very specific type of person to want to do those things," they said. To which I replied, "Well, what about the people who are willing to put in the work and become the best versions of themselves?"

The True North Planner scratches the surface and provides valuable weekly, monthly, and annual inquiries. The new Balancing Effect product, The Daily Navigator, is for those wishing to go even deeper with their self-inquiries. The Daily Navigator is a daily self-reflection journal made for those who want to become the best versions of themselves.

I was driving in the car on my way to my 9-5, listening to The Man by Taylor Swift on repeat, pissed off about something that was happening politically in our world, when the idea hit me like a ton of bricks. I immediately burst into tears because I knew that this was what we (women) all needed right now - an epic celebration in honor of our greatness...an environment where we could toast to one another and all of our achievements...an incredible evening sharing the successes of ourselves and others...a party to recognize everything we’re working to overcome in the world...a coming together of sisters and friends...an event that benefitted an organization fighting for women’s rights - A Toast to Women in honor of International Women’s Day. I immediately began brainstorming, researching the perfect venue partner, and crafting an evening that would hopefully change the lives of women in my community. ​

I don't know about you all, but I think I'm tossing January aside and starting my 2020 in February - ha. Did anyone else feel like January lasted 100 days!? Between the announcement of the first Balancing Effect event, my grandmother's passing, new business projects, etc....January was pure emotional chaos for this gal. Thankfully, one of my New Years Resolutions is to embrace the struggle/chaos/grind, which I truly am working to do throughout all of this. Let's just say January included a lot of extra self-care sessions to keep myself in check. 

If you too are feeling like your year is just getting started, let me suggest the below actions to help you jump-start your year and get off on the right foot! These 5 items are my tried and true annual traditions, and they haven't failed me yet. Read on to start fresh!

This year, one of my New Years Resolutions is to read more books. I didn't quite hit my goal last year because I was in the thick of creating and launching this lovely website you're reading from right now, so this year I'm setting a goal of reading one book per month and also reading less "self-help" or "self-improvement" books. I have a habit of only reading books that I feel are getting me closer to a personal or professional goal, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but I tend to disguise reading for personal growth for reading for pleasure. This year, I decided I wanted to read more books just for fun, on topics that truly interest and inspire me. I recently signed up for Good Reads to help me track my reading goals and search for new books, too. See below for my 2020 reading list and feel free to drop a comment with your recommendations as well! 

Happy 2020, friends! I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday spent with loved ones and is feeling refreshed and ready to tackle the year ahead! It'll probably come as no surprise that I've always been a New Years Resolution kind of gal. To me, resolutions are different from goals in that resolutions are decisions you make that align with your core values/desires and goals are concrete, tangible, and actionable items that you do to support that resolution. For example, one of my resolutions this year is to "read more books" but then it's up to me to determine the goal that goes along with that resolution (Ex: each one book per month, read 50 books per year, etc. ) For some people, that may even be reading one book this year! Resolutions don't have to be these huge, grandeur proclamations you state to the world, they just have to make sense to you.