Tone it Tuesdays: The 8 Essential Steps for Living a Healthy Lifestyle

With the New Year, we awake from our food comas having overindulged in holiday sweets & treats. We feel more ready than ever to remove those clothes hanging from our treadmills and lace-up our new pair of sneakers. Yet, with the introduction of extremely strict meal plans and intense workouts into our routines, we go from one form of overindulgent extremeness to another. And, just like the holidays, there comes a time in which we feel “burnt out.” We hit that point where we've had enough. 

We’re overspent, both physically and mentally, and so we shift back from the winter health phase into the food phase again. Ready to indulge in the upcoming Valentine's Day chocolates; only to shift back to the health phase again, as preparation for our spring vacations. Like a never-ending, game of ping-pong, we go back and forth between the two forms of extreme. 

Marketing campaigns recognize this vulnerability and quickly time their ads accordingly. For example, the big discount chains adorn their shelves with alluring, Christmas-themed cookies and candies, as preparation for Christmas time. Yet, when we return in January to those same stores, the shelves have been restocked with workout tanks, water bottles, and even “healthy” cookies.

Rather than following a “quick fix diet” or participating in the latest workout fad, I encourage you to finally finish the ping-pong game and simply follow a healthy lifestyle. Call me crazy, but I believe that life is meant to be lived, rather than endured. 

 By “toning up” a little more each week, you will create a healthy body that feels good both on the inside and out.  And so it is with great pleasure that I kickoff the first of the Tone Up Tuesday series with the 8 essential steps you need to know for beginning (and maintaining) a healthy lifestyle.

 I want you to feel like you can go on vacation and not panic that you couldn't transport your kitchen and gym with you. Read and follow these 8 steps with you often for the next week. Pin it, snap a picture, whatever you need to do. Soon, they will become healthy habits. Then we will meet back here next Tuesday to expand a little more on the workout portion of the plan. Until then, here your dose of inspiration to keep you feeling motivated.  

Photo Courtesy  of: Kristin Haus
Brown County State Park
Nashville, IN

Create a great and "Toned-Up" Tuesday!

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Make it Mondays: The Soup that Started the Blog

 Roasted sweet potatoes and acorn squash with a coconut milk base give this soup a rich & creamy flavor. This soup is colorful, comforting yet nutritious, and is an easy way for you to get in your daily amount of vegetables.
*Printer-Friendly Recipe

Soup is often treated like the ugly step sister of meals. It is often passed over when reading a menu; or on rare occasion when it is chosen, it is to be paired with a sandwich  or endless amount of salad and bread sticks. 

 And so, like you my best friend Jimmy and I, never chose soup as the highlight of any of our weekly dinners. Each Monday, during the season of the Voice, Jimmy would come over for dinner and to watch the show. Prior to this past season, Jimmy had never watched the Voice. Yet by the end of this season, I had created a monster. There in my living room, Jimmy had taken on the role of the fourth judge, making comments such as “poor song choice” or  “Wow, what a voice!”

Jimmy, like a lot of guys,  has a very specific palette. He loves buffalo chicken, pizza, and chicken Parmesan; and if something looks particularly "leafy” or extremely healthy than it is most likely won’t be consumed.

 Needless to say when I asked Jimmy each Monday if he would like to order take-out or have me cook something; before he responded, he would apprehensively ask the question; "What were you planning to make?"  When I would respond with meal ideas such as a leafy green salad and vegan lasagna, he would offer to pick up takeout on his way over. 

On one night, however, I decided  not to tell Jimmy any of my  “meal ideas.” Instead, I simply told him to come over for dinner. Jimmy had called me on his way over, declaring that he was "stahhhving" (he has a Boston accent); yet when he arrived that was no longer the case. He had taken one glance at the very colorful, orange soup, and said "I'm not very hungry". It was clear that Jimmy had begun silently brainstorming what drive-thru he would pass on his route home.

Jimmy apprehensively walked over to the dining table , where I placed  a gigantic bowl of the bright orange liquid in front of him. Rather than begin eating,  he slowly got up from the table to retrieve a small mug from the cabinet. He then sat back down and began to dish out a very small amount of the soup from the large bowl into the mug.  When I questioned his odd behavior; he once again, sweetly replied; "I'm just not that hungry."

Yet something miraculous occurred after that. Jimmy  began eating bite after bite of the soup. He would dish out more from the bowl into the  mug, until finally he had dished out its entire contents. Once he had finished, Jimmy declared; "If you can get me try Vegan food, then you can get anyone." He went on and on about how delicious and creamy the soup tasted, how healthy he felt, and even stated that he could eat it every day for lunch.  

Jimmy and I, November 2013
Kings, Dedham, MA

Over Voice commercials that night, I told about Jimmy how I had cleaned my oven that day by making a baking soda and water  paste that I then painted onto my oven with a paintbrush. It had worked really well, removing all of the grease. That's when he pointed out how all of my little tips/ tricks and recipes could be very helpful for a lot of people, such as his sister Nicole (featured in the Wordless Wednesday photo here) and had recently bought a house with her fiancé.

From that Monday night on, I have felt truly excited and passionate about Creatively Lu. Each morning when I wake up, my fingertips hit the keyboard and it’s like they have a mind of their own. The ideas simply flow.  

My biggest goal out of this whole little venture is to help you, the reader, create something extraordinary in your day. To experience moments in which you are able to create a delicious meal that someone (including yourself)  raves about. Knowing that my recipes are being made in your kitchen, DIY activities from Thrifty Thursday are being conducted in your home over the weekend, or simply that a quote of the day has been able to bring you inspiration is the best feeling in the world. 

One quote that has been a guiding force for Creatively Lu  is; "You can't use creativity. The more you use, the more you have." There is never a day for which I feel the need to” save “a recipe for a different week, or that I hesitate in sharing a "special" tip in order to ensure that I have one for next week. This is due to the fact that every recipe and tip I share with you is special because it is inspired by you all. 

I am grateful that I never have to wonder how  I will ever think-up yet another idea for a particular post thanks to the engaging, Creatively Lu community that has been created by you all. And so I write this post and share this special recipe in dedication to all of you. I'd also like to give a big shout-out to Jimmy McCarthy, my best friend of 9 years, who has put up with A LOT and has supported me every step of the way. Love you Bud! 

Below is the soup recipe, as well as your daily dose of inspiration for Monday. Create a wonderful week everyone! 

 For a heartier soup: Saute ground turkey in a skillet with a little olive oil.
Add in the turkey at Step #5

Roasted veggies are delicious on their own. So roast up a double batch and eat the rest throughout the week.
I even throw them into my omelets in the morning.

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Weekend Adventures: Creating Morning Bliss

This Sunday morning, I woke up feeling overwhelmed by the day ahead. I knew I had a lot of things in which I needed to get done today and anxiously wondered where I should even begin. So what did I do first? I laid in bed, spending a few more moments before reality was forced to strike. I lazily began to scroll down my Twitter Feed, where I came across an article from Mind Body Green titled; "5 Life-Changing Ways to Start Your Day."

 Now it is rare that I ever click on a link to an article on Twitter, but I clicked on this one. I knew that this article would serve as a reality check for just how much my "not so great" morning habits were impacting my day. 

To be honest, when I awake each morning and instinctively grab my phone, I get a subconscious feeling that this is not my best choice for starting my day. But because of habit, I have ignored it.  The article, however, did not:

So what happens when we fill this soft, vulnerable time with the loud sounds of the electronic world? And I'm not talking only about literal sound. I'm referring to the soundless chatter that emanates from scrolling through Facebook and absorbing the images and words of other people's lives; the silent cry of news stories that scream the latest tragic headlines onto your screen; the boiling up of feeling that churns from reading a friend's response to the email you sent last night; the rise and fall of self-esteem as you learn about news from work.

As we awake from our sleep, we are in our most vulnerable state. Therefore, by  beginning each day by scrolling through my Newsfeed on Facebook, for example,  whatever comments I am reading are the first words that break the silence between sleep and starting my day. 

From this day forward I plan to break the morning silence with feel good vibes. This is not some major declaration that I will rid myself of the smartphone. In fact, I would be lying to you if I said I didn’t check my email over breakfast. But what I do plan to do from now is begin each day with an energizing, "feel good" music playlist, rather than by reading a political rant on Facebook. 

The same effort can be made towards your morning commute. How do you spend your time headed to work? Is it by blasting angry talk radio? Or maybe you spend your morning drive by returning phone calls that you don't really want to return? Or perhaps you are you catching up with your bestie, while she tells you about her horrible date she had last night (I'm sure I have negatively impacted someone's morning with this phone call in the past. Sorry Jackie!) 

I thoroughly believe that music can create the most positive vibes towards your day. For nearly two years, I taught a 5am spinning class at the gym, and my class continued to come back each Monday (Yup, MONDAYS!) for the awakening, feel good music playlist.

And so I have created an energizing and blissful morning playlist for you to break the silence between sleep and your day

I have arranged the playlist, so that it doesn't "shock you." It begins with some calming/feel good type of music and then slowly heads into some faster, uplifting beats. From Hall and Oates to Nappy Roots to B.o.B, I think there is a little something on there for everyone. Not to mention, its includes two past Friday Favorites: Ashley Sofia and J.Lye, who are pretty fly. 

Spotify Playlist: Morning Drive
Account #1244030766 (Lindsay Opper)

Create a great weekend everyone! Below is a daily dose of inspiration in honor of starting your workweek with a good mindset tomorrow morning. 

Photo Courtesy of:Tory Stone

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Friday Favorites:Favorite Consignment App- Poshmark

As many of you know, I love a good bargain. I’ve been dubbed a “Maxionista” by many friends and  salespeople and love the thrill of rummaging through a store to find the golden, bargain needle in the haystack. When I discover an amazing find,  I relish in the feeling of chills going up and down my spine and may even partake in a triumphant dance that rivals any touchdown celebration in the endzone.

But as much as I love a good find, I  love the thrill of consigning items even more.  So listen up, because I'm sure that many of you may have received some Christmas gifts that might not have been on your wishlist...

 I am quite a minimalist when it comes to my  closet. I have a few staple items for fashion category, such as 3 "go to" pairs of night-out jeans, my everyday jewelry pieces, and a few pairs of shoes. I like to feel good in what I wear and forget about the rest. It is such a good feeling to know that whatever you lay out to wear on the night before, will look good the next day.


After all, it is the worst feeling having to arrive late to work because you had to try everything on in your closet before you could find something that works. I would also argue that it is an even worse feeling to have to clean up said huge pile of clothes that evening when you return home.

Twice  a year, I partake in a major closet overhaul, in which I remove any pieces that I haven’t worn for a few months. I then try on those items and determine whether they are worth keeping. If I put on an item on and it’s just “blah,” I put it in the “don’t keep” pile. From this “don’t keep” pile I have donated many clothes to charity, as well as to some pretty happy friends. However, this past year, I have also made a pretty hefty sum of money by selling some of the clothes and accessories online. 

 By simply snapping a picture of the item I want to sell with my iPhone & uploading it onto the Poshmark app, I have made over $500 in clothes sales alone! The feeling of making money off an item that has just been sitting in your closet, is second to none. That's why I love the site Poshmark. 

Poshmark is a simple way to sell fashion from your iPhone or Android. You create a digital closet by snapping pictures of the items you wish to sell and listing each piece for whatever price you deem fit. Thousands of shoppers look through your digital closet and leave "likes" and comments on the items they are interested in. Once you have reached a negotiated price for your item, the interested buyer then purchases the item through a secure checkout on Poshmark. As the seller, you are then emailed a pre-paid, pre-addressed shipping label to package your sold item with. Once the package has been shipped and the buyer has confirmed that they have received it, Poshmark deposits your payment into your Poshmark account-balance.

I, myself, have made over $500 off Poshmark! Therefore, I wanted to share a tutorial on "how to list" your items, as well  as share a few, key tips for selling on Poshmark "like a Boss." 

I hope that you now feel prepared to make some extra cash by selling your unused items hanging in your closet on Poshmark. Pin these tips in order to ensure that you know how to Poshmark "like a boss." 

I am also very excited to report that there are some pretty amazing Friday Favorites coming up in the near future. So keep an eye out for those posts over the next couple of Fridays. Below is your daily dose of inspiration.

   

Create a great Friday and stay warm! 

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Thrifty Thursdays: DIY New Year's Vision Board

To me, New Year's resolutions feel like an abusive way to handle your goals. Perhaps this is because I worked as a personal trainer full-time, and saw many new faces enter the gym in January, never to return again in February. Or maybe it’s because I have seen many people, myself included, treat resolutions like a heavy weight that sits on one’s shoulders; fearful of that  haunting ticking time bomb that can be detonated at any point in the year.

To clarify, this is not because I don't think goals are important. In fact, I perceive goals as a core component to one's success. Resolutions are just an incomplete way for one to manage their goals. Instead,  goals must be clarified and continuously reinforced in order to carry out the life you seek from them.

 After all, if you wanted to build a house, I'm sure you wouldn't  simply lay down your bricks onto the grass surface. Instead, you need to create a plan and build a foundation for the bricks to rest upon. So consider a vision board a blueprint for your goals.

 Making Your Vision Board:

This step, in particular, has been a great way for me to really
 freely explore my creative side.

Cut out anything that makes you pause for a moment to say: “Oh I love that.” For now, don’t think about “why” or where you are going to place a certain picture, etc. 

 You may feel the need to organize all the pictures at first, or list out your goals alphabetically, but tune that feeling out. Soon you will be so wrapped up in the process.Just enjoy the process of cutting out the images. 

During this step, you may even be surprised to learn of something
 you would like to have happen this year, that you didn’t even know about. 

Now is the time, that if you want to write down your new year's resolutions to further clarify your goals, you can. Once your goals are understood, look through your pictures and choose which images connect with your 2014 intentions. 

Once all of your images and photos have been arranged in places that are aesthetically pleasing to you, apply a little glue to the back of each and secure them onto your board.

Displaying your Vision Board

Place your vision board in a place where you will see it every day. Such a visual reminder of your aspirations will not only hold you accountable, but will help to train your mind to develop more positive habits.

My Vision Board Process:

I hope you all create a wonderful Thursday and stay warm! Below is your daily dose of inspiration, inspired by attaining your goals. 

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Wordless Wednesdays: Looking Upward

"I avoid looking forward or backward, and try to keep looking upward"-Charlotte Bronte
Photo Courtesy of: Tory Stone
Deer Crest Trail- Park City, Utah
December 31, 2013

Quote by: Edith Lovejoy Pierce
Photo courtesy of: Pinterest

For my special New Year's message to the Creatively Lu community: see yesterday's post. 

Create a great new year's!

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Take Out Tuesdays: Cocktails edition

New Years Eve is a time to celebrate the past events of 2013 and say cheers to the new.  We countdown the clock til midnight, enthusiastically ready for a new beginning. Maybe, you are looking for a fresh start on your journey to weight loss or are trying to get back into the dating world. Or perhaps you are simply hoping to place less money in the swear jar. Maybe you want to make a better effort towards being on time or  arrange a plan to travel the world...whatever your resolution is, you toast at midnight to "another go at it." 

My resolution is for Creatively Lu  to be a place for you to come to realistically achieve all that you want. I thoroughly believe that it is you, yourself, who withholds the power to do great things. Every single moment up to now has prepared you for better moments to come.

Creatively Lu is a creative outlet for you to come to feel inspired to make ordinary things extraordinary. 

On Mondays, this means taking one of your routine meals and adding a little more oomph to it.  That being said, I don't expect any of us to debone ducks and become Julia Childs every night for dinner. This January, I will dedicate "Make it Monday" to easy, healthy meals. Meals in which are easy to store, can brown-bagged for lunch, and are freezer friendly. I want you to better your life this upcoming year and so I want the meals to feel as easy as picking up takeout. 

Starting next Tuesday, I will be running January's "Tone It Tuesdays" series, in which I will cover healthy workout plans, energy-boosting playlists, and other healthy tips. 

The Wordless Wednesdays series  will continue to share inspiring photos. These photos are chosen  and shared by the Creatively Lu community. So please continue to message me on the Creatively Lu FB page, tweet @Creatively Lu on Twitter, and email me: creativelylu@yahoo.com. Photos will be shared on the Creatively Lu Instagram account every Wednesday at 3pm. 

Thursdays will remain Thrifty Thursdays with DIY crafts, beauty routine tips, and other helpful, thrifty tips. 


 





Friday Favorites will continue to feature interviews with some of my favorite companies, musicians, blogs, people etc. I will also devote one Friday a month to a list of my favorite things such as beauty products. 

The weekends will remain Weekend Adventures with tips on how to unwind and fully create a beautiful life in your downtime. And as always, every post will end with an inspirational quote. 

I hope that you all have a wonderful New Year's  filled with lots of celebrating. Below are some healthy drinking tips for your New Year's party tonight, as well as a Champagne Mojito recipe perfect to make up with your leftover champagne.

Cheers to a healthy and happy New Year! Tonight, I will be toasting to you all! Below is your daily dose of inspiration...

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