Author: Allison Schmidt

Categories
Fresh Fashion Lifestyle

Yes, Athleisure Is Still In: Here’s How To Wear It

When this year started, you probably had some sort of fitness-related goal, right? (We definitely did!) As we’re really digging into 2018, we’re still chasing those goals—and trying to look good while doing it. Our top tip for an easy way to feel fit? Pick up a few new pieces of work-to-workout attire; it’s certainly been helping us up our style game in the gym (and everywhere else).
Get on the fit and fab train by incorporating these athleisure trends into your wardrobe. After all, keeping it sporty and comfortable 24/7 is the dream!

What is athleisure anyway?

At its core, the athleisure trend involves wearing gym clothes outside of the gym—in a fashionable way. The term athleisure has been around since the early aughts but didn’t become a global trend until fall 2014, when the world decided leggings and a hoodie could be worn in a fashion-forward way. (Thank you, Vogue.)
When we think athleisure, visions of yoga pants, leggings, and sports bras dance in our heads, and shopping bags from athletic clothing companies like adidas, Nike, lululemon, and Athleta abound. Pair one or two of those items with some casual closet staples and you’ve got yourself a solid athleisure outfit.
If you haven’t seen women wearing sneakers and sweat-wicking tops everywhere from school to the grocery store, you haven’t been looking. Women’s willingness to take these sporty essentials out of the gym and studio is why athleisure has become—and remains—so popular.
This trend has been seen all over the globe on everyone from big name celebrities to fashion bloggers to your co-workers. Personal trainer Massy Arias even kicked off 2018 in an athleisure outfit on New Year’s Eve when she paired athletic leggings with metallic sneakers, a crop top, and an edgy metallic jacket.
True, some people may say the trend is dying, but a glance around during any shopping trip or coffee run will show you otherwise. If you’re late to the athleisure party, have no fear; we’ve got your back. Read on for our favorite pieces (and how to wear them).

How to Buy Athleisure (That Actually Looks Good)

The great thing about wearing an athleisure look is that you probably already have a gorgeous piece or two in your workout clothing drawer. Beyond those go-tos, we suggest you keep a few things in mind as you begin building your athleisure arsenal.
Ideally, your athleisure wardrobe should consist of functional workout wear. This is most important for leggings or yoga pants because these are items that can get worn out easily. Plus, they’re typically more expensive, meaning you won’t have as many leggings to swap out as you will cotton t-shirts or tanks.
Don’t forget to look for workout gear with interesting details. Shiny leggings that look like faux leather? You got it. Moto-inspired stitching or padding? Absolutely. These are the kinds of things that make an athleisure outfit look intentional, instead of like you forgot to change after spin class.

Athleisure That’s Worth the Splurge

We’re always on the hunt for the newest and best workout gear, and getting a stylish outfit out of the deal is an awesome bonus. That said, prepare to splurge on pieces that you’ll actually wear to work and to work out. High-quality leggings will never be a bad choice; cheaper leggings have a tendency to be see-through (or become see-through with regular washing), which isn’t ideal.
The same goes for yoga pants. “No athleisure outfit would be complete without yoga pants. I love my workout pants, but I often find them too constricting for leisurely activities. Yoga pants work better for me because they’re as comfortable as sweats but look cuter,” says NYC-based fashion blogger Claire Shay.
Other items, such as gym sneakers, jackets, and sports bras, are a great place to invest in your workout wardrobe. Ko Im, who is a yoga and meditation teacher and editor of NY YOGA + Life, says you always need a good sports bra for your favorite workout activity. “And socks—always need more socks.”
We also suggest splurging on pieces you know you’ll wear for years. If you’re just dipping your toes into the athleisure trend and your usual style doesn’t include workout gear, it can be better to save. But if you’re a regular gym-goer who’s ready to incorporate your love of function and mobility into your everyday (and night!) wardrobe, look at pricier athleisure pieces like leggings from Girlfriend Collective and Alo or a supportive bra from Vimmia.

Save your pennies on these athleisure pieces.

There’s no need to drop a bunch of cash on a whole new chic athleisure wardrobe. Pieces you can save on are hoodies, joggers, sweatpants, and your collection of workout tees. Some of these (like cotton tees) you probably already have a whole bunch of. Im, for one, says not to waste your money on workout shirts: “You get freebies all the time and you get tired of wearing the same design anyways.”
These items are pretty much a dime a dozen, and a luxury pair of joggers probably won’t look significantly different from ones you can find at Target.

Our Fave Athleisure Product Picks

“I wear athleisure when I need to run errands or if I want to look cute but don’t feel like wearing a real outfit. Athleisure is also my go-to when I need to travel!” says Shay, who even wears athleisure to work—proving that she’s dialed in to the 24/7 athleisure life.
Here are our favorite picks to get you started:

Jackets

You can’t go wrong with a classic adidas track jacket—it’s an athleisure must-have, if you ask us. If you’re not digging the ’90s vibe, try this PUMA jacket instead. It has a boxy shape and reminds us of a bomber jacket gone sporty. You can wear it in the exact same way as the adidas jacket (without looking like you’re headed to a soccer match).

Shop Jackets:

Sweatshirts and Hoodies

If you’re going to wear a hoodie in a fashionable way, we suggest looking for interesting details. A plain old hoodie can do the trick sometimes, but if you’re feeling fancy, why not try out something a little different, like this twist front or criss cross sweatshirt? They do the same job but don’t look like the hoodies you stockpiled in high school. We also love this boat neck sweatshirt for understated French girl vibes and this cropped adidas hoodie for changing up the shape of an otherwise standard piece.

Shop Sweatshirts and Hoodies:

Leggings

If you’re buying leggings specifically for an athleisure look, go for something with a little more oompf than your plain old black leggings. We’re loving moto-inspired leggings: Check out this ultra-chic matte shine and mesh pair from Alo and this leather-look pair from HPE. Both pairs are so stylish that they can be worn from the studio to the streets with ease. If you want something that’s a little more basic but still great for everyday, opt for the Athleta Organic Cotton Be Present Tight.

Shop Leggings:

Joggers

Need a break from the leggings? Keep it loose and light with a standby pair of joggers. The tapered leg gives you more shape than your typical sweatpant, and they can be scrunched to emphasize a fun pair of shoes. We love these ultra-lightweight Outdoor Voices cropped joggers for spring and summer because you won’t get too hot. For a full-length pair, go for these lululemon joggers or the more budget-friendly adidas classics.

Shop Joggers:

Sneakers

Picking the right trainer is definitely dependent on comfort and the type of workouts you do, but when it comes to both style and function, we can’t get enough of these APL Running Shoes. (We’re loving those black-and-white speckled soles.) For something less suited to running but equally stylish, you can’t go wrong with the tried-and-true adidas Superstars or Gazelles in a fresh colorway.

Shop Sneakers:

Accessories

Gym accessories are typically limited to headbands and hair ties, but when you’re styling an athleisure outfit, your options are unlimited. To keep things sporty, we’re vibing with this Bando hat (to keep your post sweat-sesh hair locked down) and this neoprene backpack from Dagne Dover that can take you from work to gym and back again—a true athleisure power move.

How to Style Athleisure Pieces

Shopping is the easy part, but styling an outfit can be challenging  if you aren’t used to the athleisure life. “Styling athleisure is so different for everyone because it’s such a diverse area of fashion,” says Shay.
We’ve broken down a few situations to help you come up with your ideal outfit:

Gym to Coffee

The key rule of thumb for all your athleisure looks: Make sure your athleisure gear isn’t dirty, sweaty, or smelly. If it was arms day and your fitness chic leggings are still clean and fresh, switch out that sweaty top for an oversized sweater and grab your favorite statement clutch bag to accessorize. You can pop out for that coffee and feel confident while doing it.

Create The Look:

A Night Out With the Girls

Comfy clubwear coming your way! Philadelphia-based fashion blogger Kylie Francis says, “Don’t be afraid to go out for a night on the town rocking athleisure! Style up a mesh tee and leggings with statement earrings and wedges and you’re good to go!” We also suggest cute joggers with a pair of pumps. (Trust us, it’s way more chic than it may sound.)
As for tops, you can try them in so many different ways. You could tuck in a slouchy tee, wear a cropped tank, or opt for a bodysuit that you can dress up with statement earrings or a bold bag. A night out dancing never felt so good.

Create The Look:

Date Night

Depending on where date night is, athleisure can totally work! Mini golf date, burgers and a movie, or trivia night at a local brewpub? Athleisure is absolutely a-okay. Think trainers, leggings, a tunic, and a jean jacket. It’ll definitely send that laidback vibe you’re going for. That being said, athleisure might not be the best choice for a more formal affair. Dinner at a ritzy upscale restaurant? Save the leggings for tomorrow morning.

Create The Look:

Wear to Work

Wearing athleisure to work depends entirely on your workplace dress code. If you have a strict business-wear dress code, don’t go around getting notes in your HR folder because you’re dying to test the athleisure trend. But for workplaces with relaxed guidelines, we suggest a cool pair of sneakers, your favorite skinny jeans, a tank of your choice, and a zip-up track jacket. Wear your hair in a ponytail and go for fun earrings!
If you can go all-out athleisure style, try Francis’ standard work outfit. She wears “leggings (think fun ones, like crop or mesh) and always pair them with a strappy back bra with a open back tee or sweater. And I always pair my outfit with my Nike Metcons, since CrossFit is my go-to workout!”

Create The Look:

Weekend Wear

Athleisure getups are perfect when you’re going for a casual, comfortable look. We love trainers, scrunched joggers, a plain white tee, and a utility jacket. It’s sporty and casual—but fashionable enough to look like you’re put together.

Create The Look:

Quick Tips: Athleisure Do’s and Don’ts

In the world of fashion, there aren’t really any rules! That’s even more true when it comes to athleisure. When the look is relaxed, so are the rules. Shay says, “I think the great thing about athleisure is that there aren’t any don’ts because you can do what you want with the style!” But we threw together a few tips that can help you get a handle on the trend. From there, you can get experimental and put your favorites together in new ways.

Do:

  • Wear your athleisure look out and about before heading to the gym.
  • Mix with other wardrobe staples. Class up your comfiest joggers with a pair of slick heels. Wear leggings and a sports bra with an oversized sweater.
  • Take notes from Im, who suggests you pair the “sporty and the soft.” She says she likes to pair classic leggings with a cozy sweater, sexy top, or cool jacket and will finish the outfit with “a rockin’ pair of boots.”

 Don’t:

  • Wear your sweaty or stinky post-Bikram sports bra as a fashion statement.
  • Wear old or worn workout shirts with jeans.
  • “Be afraid to show off a fun sports bra with a really cool cutout back tank or tee!” This comes from Francis, who encourages everyone to make sure their bra is a good fit. Shay chimes in, “I find that athleisure outfits never look good on me when I don’t wear the right bra … Most workout tops are designed to be worn with workout bras or designed to have a bit of the bra peeking through for detail. Wearing the wrong bra can really damage that look!”
  • Get too matchy. Francis advises against wearing a distressed tee with distressed leggings, for example. Instead, she suggests picking just one statement piece and rocking it with staple items.

Wearing your favorite workout gear as a fashion statement is a must in 2018. Not only can you wear athleisure trends pretty much anywhere—with the right forethought, they’ll look downright smashing. Use this guide to start you on your way to an all-athleisure, all the time personal style.

Categories
Happy x Mindful Wellbeing

How To Form Healthy Habits (And Make Them Stick)

Treating your body as well as you possibly can takes dedication, perseverance, and (you guessed it!) a whole bunch of healthy habits. This isn’t something you can establish overnight unless you have an iron will. For the rest of us, implementing healthy habits and sticking to them is an ongoing process.

How to Form Healthy Habits

Creating healthy changes in your life means that little decisions and actions need to become ingrained in your routine. You’ve heard of the term lifestyle change, right? Crafting a routine filled with healthy habits is the exact same thing. Having healthy habits changes how you think so eventually, instead of telling yourself to eat veggies with every meal, you just do it! No decision necessary.
We like to make little changes, one by one, that grow together to represent holistic change. This theory of change makes a lifestyle overhaul easier since it affords you stepping stones between your starting point and your health goals.
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If the healthy habit you want to establish is to work out everyday and you aren’t used to doing so, you may push yourself too hard and abandon ship if the habit seems too exhausting to maintain long term. But working in a few push ups a day as opposed to a full-on workout is much easier. See what we mean? Focus on stacking up bite-sized healthy habits in order to build up and enjoy the benefits of overall lifestyle changes.

Habit Formation

To form a habit, the activity you’re trying to incorporate into your life needs to become second nature. To get there, we suggest following the three Rs of habit formation. This strategy was recently popularized by James Clear but has been popping up (more or less eloquently) since at least 2010. The three Rs are:

1. Reminder

When deciding on the habit you want to establish, it’s helpful to put it in context. If you’re aiming to eat a piece of fresh fruit every day, you’re more likely to follow through if you tie the activity to a consistent cue from your day-to-day life. For example, eat a piece of fruit every day with lunch.
When you’re packing your lunch, you’ll automatically put a piece of fruit in, and you can adjust your portions to make sure the fruit—rather than an extra handful of chips or a cookie—gets eaten every day.

2. Routine

This means consistently engaging in the activity you want to become a habit. You can pack an apple in your lunch all you want, but if you don’t eat it you haven’t made it part of your routine.

3. Reward

Practicing self-affirmation—that is, praising yourself for a job well done or identifying how your habits align with your core values—after engaging in your healthy habit can help you stick to it. It may also be the most gratifying part of incorporating your habit into your day-to-day life.
You may have heard (or read somewhere on the internet) that it takes 30 days to form a good habit. This would be great, really, but studies show that it takes closer to 10 weeks or two and a half months for an action to become a genuinely habitual part of your routine.
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To keep you on track with your healthy changes for the full 10 weeks, accountability is key! This can achieved in a variety of ways—from checking in with friends or on social media to starting a fitness journal. And don’t worry too much if you veer away from your new habit momentarily. Studies found that getting off track (thanks to a weekend-long Netflix binge, a vacation, whatever) did not seriously impact habit formation so long as you jump right back in. Don’t beat yourself up about a setback, just keep on trucking and you’ll eventually be golden.

Healthy Habits You Can Aim for This Year

Although everyone is in a different spot when it comes to their wellness and lifestyle goals, we can all make positive changes. Even if they are little, these changes can have a positive impact on your health. Here are our top ideas for healthy habits to implement this year

Apps to Get You There

Healthy changes need to become healthy habits in order to have the long-lasting wellness impacts you’re after. But until a healthy activity has become an automatic part of your day, one of the most helpful ways of keeping on track and moving toward habit formation is with proactive reminders and intentional scheduling.
We highly recommend setting reminders on your phone or calendar (for example, “6:30: 7-minute Meditation”). This works for everything from setting a healthy bedtime to a reminding yourself to eat your salad at lunch. If you’re using online meditation or fitness resources, copy–paste the URL into your calendar description so you can access the resource easily when your calendar reminder pops up!
Those of us with somewhat sedentary lifestyles and office jobs can also use fitness trackers like the Fitbit that will remind us to get up and move our bodies every hour.
Whatever your healthy change may be, we know that taking the time to make it a habit will make your life so much easier. When healthy choices become second nature, your well-being can only benefit.
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Categories
Healthy Relationships Wellbeing

How To Get Over A Breakup According To The Experts

Going through a breakup can be incredibly tough. Never let anyone tell you that it isn’t! Change can be scary, especially if you were with your partner for a long while. But getting over your breakup and onto a fresh start is going to happen for you, we promise. Everyone heals from a breakup at their own rate, so don’t stress about getting over your ex on a timeline.
Settle on in and get a little breakup perspective. We’ve got the best tips for helping you [linkbuilder id=”5395″ text=”get over a breakup”], straight from the experts.

Breakup Brain

You’ve heard that being in love changes your brain, right? Heartbreak changes your brain, too. Going through an emotional breakup has an impact on very specific parts of your brain. Grief is no joke, and your brain chemistry is altered when you’re super bummed about loss.
Grief over a breakup increases activity in the cerebellum, posterior brainstem, posterior temporoparietal, and occipital brain regions. All of that is going on as activity in the anterior brainstem, thalamus, striatum, temporal cortex, insula, and dorsal and ventral anterior cingulate/prefrontal cortex decreases—pointing to physical and chemical relationships between sadness, grief, and depression.
Plus, studies show that the more sudden and recent the breakup (especially if you were not expecting it), the more impact the split can have on your brain. Experiences of rejection can actually feel like physical pain, meaning both your brain and body are involved in grieving and saying goodbye. No wonder you feel like a mess after a breakup! If you’re in that post-breakup fog, don’t worry—eventually things will settle back to normal.
If you’re living the post-breakup fog, it’s important to keep in mind that your breakup happened for a reason. Researchers at University of Utah found that the top three reasons couples break up are personality issues (they just don’t mesh), breach of trust, and a partner becoming distant.
So, whether you want to enjoy the single life or are looking forward to getting back out there so you can pursue a relationship with someone you trust and who wants to spend time with you, know that working through breakup grief is a form of self-care and an expression of self-respect.

Working Through Breakup Grief Mentally

“When someone is grieving, he or she needs to balance mourning and living life” says Jennifer L. Taitz, PsyD, author of How To Be Single and Happy. “When we feel emotions profoundly, as hard as it may feel, [be] engaged rather than repeatedly reviewing what happened and worrying about the future, [which will] will make you feel so much worse.”
This means you need to take a hot minute to grieve—to feel the pain instead of ignoring it—without giving in to wallowing. Taitz suggests going to work as normal, going to the gym, and when breakup stress or thoughts creep up on you to “mark them as mental spam and try to do the things you normally do when you feel good and hopeful.”
We also suggest trying out some positive thinking exercises, especially during the first days, which can feel the worst. Positive thinking can be a powerful tool, and can even be beneficial to your health. Make a little time each day to focus on the good. Kimberly Hershenson, LMSW, suggests making a gratitude list each and every day. She says to write down 10 things you are grateful for. “Anything from your family, legs to walk on, or reality TV. Focusing on what is good in your life as opposed to what is going wrong with your life calms you down.”
Making this a daily habit helps you reflect, too, once you’ve made it through the worst of your breakup blues.
Hershenson also suggests reading something overtly positive every morning. “Starting your day with positivity helps you begin your day on a good foot.” We suggest finding a book of daily affirmations that you love and reading one (or more!) every day when you get up.
Meditation is also a great way to use your own mental power to find peace after a breakup. We’re big fans of meditation and its power to help you soothe your mind. Hershenson suggests meditation as well, and advises establishing a meditation practice, even if it’s just for five minutes a day. You can read all about how to get into your om with our beginner’s guide to meditation.
You don’t have to do all of this alone, by the way. After a breakup it can be incredibly helpful to lean on the support of your friends, family, and other members of your support system, like a trusted religious advisor or therapist.
Female empowerment coach Emi Valerio of She Commands says, “After a breakup, it is imperative you lean in for support from your close family and friends who are not judgmental but are supportive.” She says that the support you receive helps “feed your soul with peace and not disappointment.” Your support system can also help to keep you on track with your meditation practice and self-care routine.
We suggest getting into your own unique daily mental-health routine. Combine different approaches, like meditation, gratitude journaling, and reading affirmations, concocting a mix that supports your healing. Keep at it, too! Carving out a few minutes a day to focus on your mental healthcare can be helpful for getting through the worst bits of a breakup and beyond.

Working Through Breakup Grief Physically

You know when you’re feeling bummed out and all you want to do is put on a made-for-TV movie and eat your weight in popcorn? That’s because when people are upset, they’re more likely to make impulse decisions that give them a short-term benefit (like a sugar high) rather than a long term benefit (like a healthy diet). This could be why you want to eat all the carbs and avoid the gym after a breakup. Unfortunately for your impulse control, treating your body right can be one of the best ways to handle grief.
Getting your heart pumping can be good for your brain, not just your bod. Plus, exercising is a great way to focus on something that isn’t your breakup. Taitz says, “Exercise is a powerful way to increase resilience and profoundly helps people improve their mood.” She recommends you schedule your workouts, that way when you’re feeling more motivated to eat ice cream than exercise, you’ll be more likely to actually go.  “I am constantly prescribing exercise and it’s been a huge part of my wellness routine,” says Taitz.
Specifically, she recommends taking classes that incorporate barre work or high intensity interval training to keep your mind focused on the quick pace of your workout. This also keeps you from scrolling on your phone while on an elliptical. Intensely focusing on the right workout will actually give your mind a break from your grief.  
Even if you can’t make it to the barre every day, self-care is still important, and it shouldn’t be all baths and indulging in your favorite guilty pleasure reality TV shows. Hershenson says, “Doing something just for yourself every day is crucial to [addressing] mental stress.” She recommends a daily routine that includes activities like purposively reading the newspaper with your morning cup of tea (no matter how miserable you feel) and stretching for ten minutes before bed.
Taking that little bit of time to give back to yourself can be calming and help to reaffirm that you’re awesome, focused, and can make it through this post-breakup period.
Also, it probably won’t surprise you, but a diet of ice cream and wine isn’t going to do you any favors. Besides the empty calories and sugar crash, failing to truly nourish yourself is all around bad for your body and your brain.
We all know the link between depression and serotonin, right? Boosting your serotonin levels post breakup sounds like a great plan, but it can be hard to do without the help of a mental health professional. You could try to eat a bunch of serotonin rich foods (like plantains, kiwi, plums, and walnuts) but unfortunately that serotonin won’t make it to your brain. Instead you can boost your serotonin levels without drugs through exercise, bright light therapy, and eating small amounts of carbohydrates strategically throughout your day. Not all carbs are off limits in your post-breakup diet!

Why You (Usually) Shouldn’t Be Friends Post-Breakup

We know that staying friends with your ex may sound like the ideal situation. You spent so much time with them before the breakup, and depending on the situation, it can be tempting to want to spend time with them after calling it quits, too. But staying friends with your ex isn’t always the best choice, especially at first.
Although it is possible to be friends with an ex, we don’t suggest it straight out of a breakup. Valerio says, “There is probably a good reason why your ex is your ex,” and we agree. Even if the reason you broke up wasn’t extreme, it happened for a reason and it could be better in the long run to cut your losses and move on.
After the worst bit of your post-breakup blues are over and you find yourself considering a friendship with your ex, it’s good to have some perspective on the situation. Valerio gives this advice: “Understand that everyone comes into your life and serves their purpose. It is important for you to look back at your relationship and look at the lesson you have learned.”
You might have discovered what personality traits you need in a partner, what you can work on to be a better partner yourself, or even what life goals you didn’t know were important until big decisions had to be made. This can teach you so much about the qualities to look for in the people you surround yourself with—whether they’re romantic partners or platonic friends.
We strongly recommend not trying to become friends with an ex if you’re ultimately trying to get back together with them romantically. This takes a bit of self reflection and being really honest with yourself about your intentions. Taitz says that although every relationship is different, trying to be friends as an attempt to rekindle a romantic relationship isn’t the best choice. “That’s not accepting the current reality, and [puts] you at risk of prolonging your pain. You are stronger than you know,” she says.
It will feel better to mourn your ended relationship now rather than trying to get back together under less-than-transparent pretenses, which might lead to mourning all over again in a few months.
We also have to note that if your partner was abusive or your relationship was extremely emotionally draining, it’s probably best to cut that person out entirely or—in cases that necessitate contact, like shared custody or ongoing legal proceedings—to stick to a regimented plan and maintain safe boundaries with the help of professionals if needed.
The only time we can really condone staying friends with an ex is if your decision to break up was truly mutual. If the romance has faded away and you’re really just friends anyway, maintaining that relationship can work out. But, Hershenson warns, this may not be a forever solution. “It’s also important to discuss this situation with a new partner. They may not like how close you are with an ex.” She says from there you can decide how to proceed because things really will need to be considered and settled case by case.
No matter where you are in your post-breakup journey, we know that you’ll get through it. Focus on taking care of yourself mentally, emotionally, and physically, and you’ll be golden in no time. Don’t try to buckle down and do it alone, either. A good support system will help keep you focused on your potential as you make time for grieving. Then, they’ll be there to cheer you on when you’re over your ex and ready to put yourself out there—in whatever way feels right–again.
Still feeling lost? Grab your planner and pencil in the following activities to keep you on track with your post-breakup self-care:

Today

Finish any activities you’ve already committed to, then take a hot shower or follow your favorite face-washing regimen before bed.

Day 2

Wake up 15 minutes early and grab your journal. Write down 10 things you are grateful for. Spend any additional time you have reading the newspaper or a thought-stimulating article on your favorite site.

Day 3

Get your body moving with a yoga flow.

Day 4

Let yourself go, but just for today! Pencil in a couple of hours for binge watching rom-coms and munching on your favorite junk food.

Day 5

Set aside seven minutes for meditation.
Go grocery shopping for the rest of the week with fresh nutrition in mind.

Day 6

Prepare yourself a beautiful and nutritious lunch.
Order an inspirational read or pick one up from the library if you don’t already have something on hand.

Day 7

Wake up 15 minutes early and grab your journal. Revisit the things you’re grateful for. Write down 10 you haven’t journaled about before. Spend any additional time you have reading the newspaper, affirmations, or a few pages of an uplifting book.

Over the Weekend

Rearrange your other activities so you can sign up for a fitness class. Get out of the house and get your heart pumping.
Saturday or Sunday evening, make time for a release ceremony. In her Psychology Today piece “The Five Steps to Mindfully Releasing Anger,” Andrea Brandt, PhD, MFT, suggests you consciously make space to throw rocks or shake your limbs to release negative energy. Deepak Chopra outlines a ritual of release in which you take written stories of pain and “literally let them go.”
After journaling about painful parts of the relationship, breakup, or aftermath, burn the paper and scatter or flush the ashes, or tear the pages into bits and bury the pieces outside. Make time and a safe space for yourself to grieve or celebrate after the release.

Categories
Conscious Beauty Lifestyle

How To Get In On The Clean Beauty Movement (And Why It's Worth The Effort)

Disclaimer: Just so you know, if you order an item through one of our posts, we may get a small share of the sale.

If you’ve glanced at a beauty blog or your favorite YouTube beauty guru in the last couple of months, we’re sure you’ve noticed the prevalence of so-called natural or green beauty brands. The trend of clean beauty is easy to get behind, but a lot more goes into it than you may think.

What is clean beauty?

The clean beauty movement’s defining feature is a commitment to being more discerning about the many products you put on your skin every day. It usually assumes that natural (in this case meaning not lab-made or synthetic) ingredients are better for you and that you should put in the research to find out what you’re buying and using, steering clear of the synthetic stuff. Ideally, clean beauty products exclude any known and potential toxins—providing you with options that pose the least possible safety risk.
Still, there’s no one concrete definition of clean beauty. You can find brands across the board that use vague terms that are more clean-beauty marketing than offering the healthiest product. Frustrating, we know! Clean beauty can also mean different things to different people, making it hard to pin down and adhere to a single interpretation.

Clean Beauty and Marketing

The use of certain words in describing products sold in the United States is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). But the FDA doesn’t have a definition for every word out there, and it can’t enforce standards in certain cases. For example, for the word “organic” to be used in a product description, the product must comply with both U.S. Department of Agriculture organic regulations and FDA labeling requirements. Use of the word “natural,” however, does not have to adhere to any regulations.
Using words and phrases that aren’t regulated and generally making any old product seem like the best, greenest pick is called greenwashing. The best way to avoid greenwashing is by getting your hands dirty and researching both the company and the individual product before you make a purchase. In short—learning to read labels is key to a successful clean beauty routine.

Ingredients You’ll Want to Avoid

Getting into the green beauty scene means you’re going to need to get comfortable reading labels and searching out scientific names. It’s a bit complicated if you aren’t used to it, but after a while you’ll get the hang of things. These are four heavy-hitter ingredients you may want may want to banish from your beauty routine.

Parabens

Parabens are used to preserve cosmetics and other products we come in contact with every day. These chemical substances are used in cosmetics to decrease the chance that your favorite liquid lipstick, for example, will become moldy in the tube. There is quite a lot of debate around whether parabens or other preservatives are safe for human contact and consumption. The FDA allows paraben use in cosmetics because there have not been any large-scale studies that prove they are harmful to human health. Regardless, many people still choose to avoid parabens because some studies have found them in breast tumors.
Fortunately, parabens are pretty easy to suss out of ingredient lists. Paraben ingredients’ names can start with many prefixes, but will always end in “paraben.” For example, methylparaben, propylparaben, and butylparaben are all parabens you can opt to avoid.

Petroleum Jelly

Petroleum jelly (or petrolatum) can be purchased as a stand-alone product and is also an ingredient in many cosmetics. It’s used to seal moisture into the skin because of its occlusive properties—which means it prevents water or moisture loss. Unfortunately, use of petroleum jelly is considered a threat to the environment and the human endocrine system. Petroleum is a byproduct of the petroleum—or oil— industry, meaning it’s a nonrenewable resource.
Instead of opting for petroleum-based hydration, reach for a renewable plant oil instead. Think of oils like coconut, jojoba, olive, and even shea butter. All of these come from plants that can continue to grow and produce more of the fruit or nut that contains the oil. They will all work to hydrate your skin, and the best part is you can pick and choose different oils for different levels of hydration. If you’re looking for a direct replacement for petroleum jelly, try plain old shea butter. It remains solid at room temperature and will melt into your skin as you use it, similar to petroleum jelly.

Formaldehyde

Shockingly, a 2015 study found that formaldehyde may be found in your beauty products even when it isn’t listed as an ingredient. This is an issue because formaldehyde is widely recognized as a sensitizer, meaning products containing formaldehyde can cause uncomfortable cases of contact dermatitis. You’re most likely to see formaldehyde (or formalin) in nail polish. Fortunately, nail products labeled “three free” do not contain any of the big three potential toxins or allergens commonly used in polishes, which makes purchasing safe alternatives easier.

Microbeads

Microbeads (also known as polyethylene or PEGs) are a problem for pollution, which in turn affects the environment and eventually human health. Although microbeads aren’t used as often in skincare and cosmetics as they once were, products that contain them are still on the market in some areas. The Microbead-Free Waters Act of 2015 will prevent companies from introducing products containing microbeads starting in July 2019, but until then, check the label to see if a product you’re using or considering contains microbeads.
According to the 5 Gyres Institute—a nonprofit that has special consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council and is spearheading microbead research and corrective initiatives with Procter & Gamble, Johnson & Johnson, L’Oreal, and Unilever—if you do own products that contain microbeads, do not flush them or rinse them down a drain.
Companies and consumers need to make concerted efforts to keep microbeads out of water sources. If you still want to get some use out of a product that contains microbeads, strain it through a coffee filter or cheesecloth before use, then throw the filter and microbeads away in the trash. Or if you’re done with the product altogether, squeeze it into the trash and recycle the container.

Clean Beauty and the Personal Care Act

In 2015, Senator Dianne Feinstein introduced the Personal Care Act, but the original bill was not enacted by Congress. In May of 2017, Feinstein introduced the Personal Care Products Safety Act. The goal of this act is to give the FDA more power to regulate ingredients used in cosmetics. It also requires the FDA to review five cosmetic ingredients every year to consider their potential toxicity and determine whether a concentration restriction should be implemented. This legislation could fill a gap in protection that U.S. consumers have faced for decades.
If this act is made into law, we’re likely to see a shift in the ingredients used in beauty products. Right now, though, the oversight of cosmetics is still fairly low in the United States compared to Canada and the EU, where regulation of ingredients in personal care items is much more stringent.

Clean Beauty Benefits

When you make the shift to using more (or only!) clean beauty products, you’ll not only gain insight into the ingredients that make up your products—you’ll also commit to taking control of what you’re putting on your skin. Knowledge is power, y’all, and even though we in the United States don’t have as much government oversight on cosmetics as we might like, we can choose to use products that feel safe for our health and our beauty games.

Where to Find Clean Beauty

Finding a brand that you trust is one of the first steps into the clean beauty scene. Depending on what products you’re looking for, you’ll need to check out different ingredients. To make your life a million times easier, the Environmental Working Group has a cosmetic ingredient database that can help you learn whether a given ingredient is safe or not. They do all the heavy lifting for you!
We have a few cult favorite clean beauty products that can get you started. For a natural looking base, try Juice Beauty’s Stem Cellular CC Cream. It comes in multiple shades to match your skin tone and has SPF 30. It will help even out skin tone and texture and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, all while protecting your face from the sun’s harmful rays.
RMS Living Luminizer is another favorite. It’s a super sheer, wet-looking highlighter that’s perfect for accenting your cheekbones on a good skin day. Kjaer Weis is known for their ultra luxurious products, and dreamy (refillable!) packaging. We suggest starting with their Magnetic Eyeshadow since it’s a shade that will suit all eye colors.
Taking charge of the products you use can be empowering! Clean beauty should put your mind at ease, and since the trend is really taking off, it will be easier than ever to find products and brands you trust in 2018. Welcome to the clean beauty crew!

Categories
Happy x Mindful Wellbeing

What The Heck Is Hygge? Here's Why You Need Some This Winter

Disclaimer: Just so you know, if you order an item through one of our posts, we may get a small share of the sale.

The winter months can be especially stressful. Cooking and baking, wrapping the presents, and making it to all eight of your holiday parties…when it’s all over you can really feel worn out. For the post-holiday daze, we’re advocating a little bit of hygge. You’ll thank us later.

What is hygge, exactly?

You know that peaceful feeling you get when you’re nestled snugly on the couch with your favorite blanket and a warm cup of hot chocolate and everything is just right? That’s hygge. Hygge is taking time to appreciate the feeling of coziness. It’s being present in the moment and enjoying the little things, like a nubbly sweater or hot tea on a cold day. We’re feeling calmer just thinking about it.
The term hygge is of Danish origin—there isn’t an English word that means quite the same thing (and it doesn’t rhyme with jiggy; it’s pronounced more like “hue-guh”).
Hygge is widely considered a defining characteristic of Danish culture and has been trending across the globe, thanks in no small part to the rise in popularity of self-care. Hygge places emphasis on being appreciative of what you have, seeking out comfort, and feeling good about your surroundings. The Danes make hygge a part of their everyday life, and it’s not hard to see why.

How to Embrace Hygge

Especially during the cold, gray, dark winter months, taking a moment to get cozy and be thankful is good for the soul. Who needs a frosty mood on top of the chilly weather?
When you get home after a long day and it’s already dark out, practice a little hygge with your lighting choice. Burn a few candles, opt for warming lamps over harsh overhead lights, and get comfortable on the couch with your favorite blanket. Candlelight is warm in color, temperature, and feeling (just make sure to keep an eye on an open flame).
You can also infuse a little hygge in your self-care routine to make it more meditative. You can find joy in washing your face, we promise! Enjoy the sensation of bubbles on your skin or the feeling of a warm washcloth when you remove your cleanser. Rushing through a skincare routine, taking the shortest shower possible, or not bothering to brush your hair doesn’t need to be your standard. Bring in some mindfulness and you’ll find the coziness in your self-care routine in no time.
Having friends over is an ideal time to embrace hygge. Instead of stressing about getting just the right snacks and making sure every little detail is perfect, relax into it. Pop some popcorn, grab extra blankets, and settle in for a fun night with your gals.
Not feeling like socializing? That’s okay! Everyone needs time to themselves too. Some people find it easier to wind down when they’re totally alone. A warm bubble bath is the perfect way to get your hygge on when you’re having an evening in. When’s the last time you allowed yourself to lazily soak in the tub? Take an evening to put your feet up and pamper yourself.

Enhance your hygge.

While you’re getting hygge with it (sorry, had to at least once!) you may want to have a treat-yourself moment. We’re all for cozying up, and this knitted blanket is just the thing. Tea drinkers can get their mug in the mix with this equally warm tea cozy. We also like to light a nice candle like this delicious winter woods–scented one.
For adding a little comfort to your day we highly recommend picking up some super soft socks, a wrap cardigan, and some jogger sweatpants so you’ll always feel warm and snug.
But really, you don’t need to buy anything to have a hygge moment. Appreciating what you have, warming up with the ones you love, and reveling in the calm is all it takes.

Products you’ll love:

Categories
Life x Culture Lifestyle

How To Budget For Your Wellness Goals In The New Year

Balancing your wellness needs with your financial goals can be pretty difficult. We’re fully aware that $50 a week for yoga and $10 post-workout juices aren’t in everyone’s budget. But maintaining a fitness routine is an essential investment in your health and happiness, regardless of how much money you can spend on it.
Learn how to step up your fitness and self-care games without breaking the bank this year.

Stretching Your Wellness Dollars Further

Making your fitness goals happen may mean some strategic compromises when it comes to allocating your fitness budget. Prepping your own workout snacks can help with dollars and cents here and there, but the main cost of your wellness routine probably comes in the form of a gym membership, workout class passes, or wellness treatments.
Different services vary by location, which can make budgeting more or less difficult depending on where you live. For example, using ClassPass in Pittsburgh will cost you $60 for 10 classes (six bucks a class isn’t half bad!), but the same 10 classes cost $135 in New York City. You probably aren’t going to up and move for more reasonably priced wellness services, so searching out the best deals in your area may take a little bit of time.
Surprisingly, the best time of the year to join a full service gym isn’t in January according to Consumer Reports—so you might want to hold of on locking in. Instead, they found that the best deals (like no startup fee or freebies tossed in) for gym memberships are offered during the summer months. They also suggest checking with your health insurance company to see if all or part of a gym membership might be covered by your insurance.
If you’re going to wait it out rather than taking the gym membership plunge, we suggest exploring individual classes using Groupon. Prices at local businesses like yoga and pilates studios are going to vary as well, but, in our experience, dropping in and doing one yoga class will cost you between $10 and $15. If you love the yogi life but can’t commit to hefty monthly memberships, see if you can budget for a class or two each month.
You can also use Groupon to find low prices on everything from cryotherapy and massages (a wellness must, if you ask us) to spin class sessions. Groupon deals are usually only available to first time clients, but the benefit of all the class hopping is significant financial savings and guaranteed variety.

Ultra Low Cost Wellness Plan

If your fitness and wellness budget is closer to the range of zero dollars (we’ve been there!), you can still put together a strong wellness routine—it may just require a little more creativity and doing it yourself.
Instead of splurging on fitness classes, look for local running groups (or cycling, yoga, or walking—whatever floats your fitness boat) on social media. Being part of a community can encourage you to work out and you can get together with new friends to run around a local park (which is totally free, BTW).
We also strongly recommend incorporating at-home workouts. YouTube fitness channels have made working out at home easy and—dare we say it?—fun. Our favorite fitness channels are the following:

Besides doing bodyweight exercises, you may want to invest in a couple of low-cost home gym essentials. Check out resale websites like Craigslist to find deals on weights, which can be pretty expensive to buy new. We suggest starting off your home gym with a pair or two of free weights, a kettlebell, or resistance bands (which can be reasonably priced on Amazon, too). These will help you target specific muscles and add more intensity to your home workouts. If you need a little guidance on what to do with your new weights, check out YouTube channels like BeFit and Fitness Blender for routines.
If you’re ready to take your wellness routine beyond workouts, look for free opportunities both on and offline.
UCLA, The Chopra Center, and many other mental health and wellness authorities host free guided meditations that you can use to educate yourself about the benefits of mindfulness. A yoga studio or community center in your area might offer free or donation-based classes, so make a habit of checking schedules and making calls to find out what’s available.
You can also:

Having a diverse wellness routine doesn’t need to cost you an arm and a leg. If you spend your money wisely, you’ll feel empowered in achieving your wellness goals (and maybe even save up for a treatment or two throughout the year), we promise.
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Categories
Favorite Finds Sweat

Women’s Winter Workout Clothes To Keep You Cozy And On Track Despite The Cold

Working out during the winter months takes incredible dedication. You’ve got your cozy bed, snuggly blankets, hot chocolate, and holiday cookies all working against you. But working out in winter is just as important as it is the rest of the year. Keeping your body in top shape means a regular fitness routine, all year long.
When it comes to a frosty jog you, need the best of women’s winter workout clothes to keep you comfortable and healthy. Proper workout attire can help ease the transition from the heated indoors to the cold air outside and keep you safe from the elements so you can make it through the winter fit and frostbite free.

Keep your bod protected.

Keeping your fitness routine going during the winter months is super important, but you can’t just wear the same tops and shorts that were your go-to’s in summer. You need your whole body protected from the elements to make sure your fitness routine isn’t going to do you any damage.
You know when you walk outside in the winter and the air is super dry and cold? That dry air is actually drying your skin. This means that in addition to stretching and warming up, part of your pre-run routine needs to be skincare.
Marina Peredo, MD, FAAD, says that you need a well-rounded, hydrating skincare routine in winter. “In order to prepare your skin for running in the cold weather, make sure you hydrate before, during, and after your run to avoid dehydration.” This means drinking lots of water and stocking up on your favorite facial moisturizer.
Peredo says, “Wearing sunscreen in the winter months is just as important as the summertime.” She says your pre-workout skincare routine should involve applying a layer of moisturizer, letting that soak in for a minute or two, then applying a layer of sunscreen.
“After a run, make sure to rinse and again apply a layer of moisturizer.” Keep up with your moisturizing routine all winter and your skin is sure to thank you.
There’s also the lovely issue of Raynaud’s syndrome—a spasm in your arteries that reduces blood flow to your extremities including your fingers, feet, and toes—which occurs when you’re subjected to a stress, like exposure to a very sudden temperature drop in a workout ensemble that doesn’t protect you.
One cold-weather run may not trigger an episode, but according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, women and those who live in cold climates are at increased risk and severe Raynaud’s can develop into skin sores or even gangrene (which is the death of bodily tissues—something you definitely want to prevent).
To avoid these potential issues, do a little prep work, wear your sunscreen, and choose winter workout clothes that will keep you comfortably warm and protected.

Opt for quality over quantity.

If you’re a diehard runner all year long but your budget is tight, we strongly suggest investing in a few key pieces of winter workout gear that will keep you protected. It’s better to do laundry a little more often than to go out in harsh conditions wearing workout clothes that could literally put your health at risk.
There are several things you need to look for in winter workout gear. You want clothes that are going to keep you warm and protected from harsh winds and low temps, but are still breathable. You know you’ll still sweat—even in winter—so clothing made of fabrics that wick away moisture is your best bet. When moisture comes into contact with your skin, it helps you cool down, which is great during the summer heat but can pose a risk in winter weather.

Say no thanks to cotton.

A 2011 study found that the best fabrics for cold weather use moisture-wicking technology. This means no cotton (which does not wick moisture well), at least when it comes to the first layer of clothing that will be touching your skin. Studies show fabrics with increased moisture-wicking abilities made study participants feel more comfortable, and that added comfort was noted if a fabric was ribbed.
Keep an eye out for ribbed thermal shirts and leggings made of moisture-wicking fabric. You can look for labels like Coolmax to see if an item is moisture wicking.

Outdoor Winter Workout Clothes

The colder it gets, the more layers you should wear, starting with a long-sleeve top and long pants as a first layer and adding layers of tops, jackets, pants, and accessories the colder it gets. You’ll have to use your best judgement (and maybe a little trial and error) to make sure you’re adequately prepared for the cold, but not overheating once you get into your groove.

Leggings

Start off with a pair of performance leggings as your first layer. Something nice and tight that’s made of moisture-wicking fabric is a must. If you need more layers on your legs, it’s much easier to slip on a pair of sweats over compression leggings that fit like a second skin.
Our recommendations are Under Armour’s ColdGear Leggings, ASICS’ Winter Tights and Thermopolis Tights, and Athleta’s Polartec® Sculptek Tight.

Jackets

We like winter workout jackets to be light and breathable while still adding a lot of warmth (bonus points if they have reflective elements to ensure you’re seen by passing cars, whether you’re jogging before sunrise or grinding it out after work at night).
The Under Armour Storm Layered Up Half Zip and the Nike Dry Fit Element Half Zip Running Top are perfect for when it’s definitely cold but you’re not going to be freezing.
When the temps really drop (or when it’s raining or snowing), go for the Athleta Wind Sprint Jacket. It’s made with Primaloft Eco insulation to keep you warm, has a hood that packs down into the collar, and is water-resistant to help you brave the elements.

Shoes and Socks

Breathable shoes—like those with mesh vents—are necessary to let moisture out, no matter what time of year you’re exercising. Of course, this is a major double-edged sword in winter, since shoes that let moisture out can also let the cold—and moisture like slushy snow—right back in. When it comes to winter running shoes, look for a pair with Gore Tex, since it’s both breathable and waterproof.
The Adidas Terrex Trailmaker Shoe and the Salomon Speedcross Trail Running Shoe are both great options.
If an investment in your shoes isn’t in the budget, grab some Quik Solve Traction Shoe Cleats to help keep you from slipping and falling on snow or ice.
Socks for running in winter need to keep your feet protected from routine workout perils (like blisters), keep your toes and ankles insulated, and keep your feet nice and dry.
We’re really choosy when it comes to running socks! Our favorites for winter are the Balega Running Socks, SmartWool PhD Run Ultra Light Socks, and the Darn Tough Vermont 1/4 Socks.

Accessories for Fingers, Face, and Beyond

Other things you’ll need (but may not have thought of) are mittens, ear warmers, and eye protection.
In general if it’s not too frigid, opt for gloves like The North Face Women’s Etip Gloves. They’ll keep your hands protected but won’t weigh you down. That said, if it’s particularly cold, mittens are your best bet for trapping warmth and keeping your fingers protected from the cold.
The Carhartt Insulated Breathable Mitt is an awesome option for freezing days, but they can be bulky. If you need a little more flexibility, opt for lululemon’s Run Fast Gloves, which are a mix between gloves and mittens that give you the best of both worlds.
As for ear warmers, we like fleece options that will keep your ears nice and warm while you run. The TrailHeads Ponytail Headband is great because there’s a slot for a ponytail to slip through so longer-haired gals don’t get all tangled up.
The Turtle Fur Heavyweight Headband doesn’t have the same ponytail slot, but it is kitten soft and ultra warm. If you’re headed out on a freezing cold day, up the ante and go for a full balaclava. The Self Pro Fleece Hood will keep your whole head and neck covered and you can slip off the head covering if you get a little too steamy.

Protecting Your Peepers

Although we all love a good winter snow, the reflection of the sun off an endless surface of white can be painfully bright. Invest in a pair of running sunglasses to protect your eyes from sun rays and fast-falling snow.
The RIVBOS Sports Sunglasses and the Duduma Sports Sunglasses will both get the job done.
If you’re exercising in inclement weather—or maybe skiing or snowboarding—opt for a pair of UV-blocking ski goggles. The COOLOO Ski Goggles will do the trick, keeping the sun and all the other elements out of your eyes.

Winter Gym Gear Guide

While winter workout gear may inspire a frosty jog, who’s to say you’ll do every single one of your winter workouts outside? Some of us become gym rats the second the temperature drops because even though the outdoors afford us scenic views, a treadmill gets the job done without the necessity of braving the elements.
Switching up your workout routine to include indoor-only days isn’t a bad idea during winter, but dressing to go from the chilly outdoors into the gym and back again is important. Here are our winter gym recommendations:

Tops

The dreamy lululemon Get Set Long Sleeve offers an extra bit of warmth thanks to its long sleeves while still being super cute. It has an open back that is downright fashion forward and will serve as a heat vent during sweaty spin classes.
If you need a lighter top without the long sleeves, we’re digging the Athleta Yogini Tank and Studio Crop Tee. Both offer a loose fit for days when you’re hitting the pilates studio or a hot yoga class.

Bras

We want our sports bras to have support (without being suffocating), be wire free, and—please!—be attractive if at all possible.
The Queenie Ke Cross Back Sports Bra, Adidas Training TechFit Bra, and Under Armour Eclipse Mid-Impact Bra all get the job done. Plus, each of these has a thoughtful detail on the back that would be perfect peeking out of the lululemon open-back top.

Pants and Leggings

The legging options from Girlfriend Collection are amazing. They’re compression leggings, so they’re very tight (which makes your butt look incredible, by the way) and extra soft.
We also love lululemon leggings like the Align Pant that are super soft and made of moisture-wicking fabric.
For more low-key workout days, suit up in fitted sweatpants. They’re easy to move in and keep you cozy. Our top pick is the budget-friendly C9 Champion Jogger Pants, which are also moisture wicking, meaning they’ll keep you dry and warm.
You could also wear these sweats over compression leggings if you’re going to be doing some traveling inside and out. We like to have larger layers for our outerwear so it’s sure to fit over our gym clothes. Another option is to kick it oldschool with these Adidas Warm Up Pants.

Jackets

Go for something casual that will fit inside your gym locker no problem. The lululemon Fluff the Cold Parka may look big and puffy, but it squishes down with ease. You won’t mind wearing it when you’re out and about, too, which means its versatility goes beyond the gym.
For an athleisure vibe, try the Champion Tech Fleece Asymmetrical Jacket. It’s way more interesting than your standard hoodie.

Winter Transitional Workout Clothes

When the winter weather is finally starting to let up (can we all get excited for that yet?), we like to lighten things up a bit. These transitional workout picks are cute enough that you could run errands in them before or after pounding the pavement. They’re still made of moisture-wicking fabrics to keep you comfortable, but aren’t quite as heavy duty as some of our previous picks.

Jackets and Vests

The luxe lululemon Light as Warmth jacket is made from a lightweight fleece so you can wear it over a workout top and underneath a heavier winter jacket if you need to.
Our lighter, sportier picks are the Adidas Designed 2 Move Track Top and the Urban CoCo Zip Hoodie. These both ensure that extra layer of warmth without any added bulk.
Of course, the weirdest weather to dress for is that time right between winter and spring. It’s still chilly enough that you typically want a little more than one of those light jackets on, but a big puffer jacket is just too heavy. This is when we turn to cute vests.
We’re a little in love with the lululemon Down For A Run Vest, The North Face Mossbud Swirl Vest, and the Columbia Heavenly Vest.

Accessories

Top your transitional look off with a cute scarf and a headband and you’re looking downright stylish for your pre-run school pickup or trip to the grocery store.
We’re digging this lululemon Vinyasa Scarf because you can loop it up for several different looks. Or opt for this Reflective Knit Neck Warmer, which is a great option for shorter days since it will keep you visible and safe when running in the dark.
Regardless of whether you’re hitting the running trail or the treadmill, we hope you keep your fitness goals going this winter! Not only is getting exercise in good for your whole body, but it can help you pep up when you’re feeling the winter blues. Just make sure to layer up, and don’t forget your mittens!

Categories
Life x Culture Lifestyle

Dating In The Digital Age: What Dating Apps Can Teach Us About Finding Love

Finding that special someone can be hard (and frustrating and time consuming—we’ve been there!), but it’s all worth it when you find the right person for you. The last few years have seen a huge boom in the use of online dating and dating apps. No surprise there; everyone wants love. And if technology can make it that much easier to find The One, why not use a dating app?

The Rise of Digital Dating

Dating apps are so ubiquitous that they’re just a part of everyday life for many people. According to a 2015 study, 15 percent of adults in America have used dating apps or websites. Although 15 percent may not sound like a lot, this number has almost tripled among 18- to 24-year-olds since 2013.
Part of the reason for this growth? Online dating is no longer taboo. Amanda Bradford, founder of the dating app The League, told Insights by Stanford Business, “we’re cracking a whole new demographic of people that even two years ago wouldn’t even dare to consider online dating because there was still a stigma attached to it. It used to be if you’re online dating, people thought it meant you couldn’t meet people in person so you had to resort to doing it online. I feel like that isn’t true anymore.”
New to online dating or thinking about giving it a try? There is a fairly good chance that it could work for you. A 2016 Consumer Reports survey of 115,000 people found that among those who use dating apps, 44 percent had found a long-term relationship or marriage.
Hearing a success story or seeing a friend in love with a partner they met online is enough to convince just about anyone who’s been reluctant to finally give digital dating a try.

The Best Things About Using Dating Apps

One reason dating apps are so popular is that they’re just so simple to use. You get to skip right past that awkward stage of wondering if someone is actually interested in dating because you know that they are on the market.
As dating apps grow in popularity, each app develops its own niche for what kind of date you’re likely to set up and with whom. Some are inherent in the theme of the app (looking for Jewish singles in your area? There is a dating app for that), but others have gotten a rep by word of mouth or through the media.
Doing a little research allows you to pick and choose which apps you want to use to make sure the other people using the app are looking for the same thing. This can help save you from going on a date with someone who just wants to hook up when you’re looking for a long-term partner.
Of course, even if you’re matched with someone who has the same goals as you do, it may not work out. This isn’t a bad thing, though! You can make friends with people you’ve never met before, see parts of your city you wouldn’t have otherwise, and learn more about yourself and what you need from a relationship.
Dating apps can also provide a ton of options of people to meet. Instead of hoping to connect with the couple of singles in your friend group or maybe hit it off with a friend of a friend, a dating app will allow you to meet basically as many people as you want. And you can find them through the phone that’s right there in your pocket or purse.
But having all those choices isn’t always the best thing when it comes to making an actual decision about a possible partner.

The Downside of Dating Apps

Having so many options is both a plus and a minus when it comes to dating apps. There’s plenty of choice just picking which app you want to use, let alone the numbers of potential partners you can find there. Feeling overwhelmed by choice is the one of the worst bits about dating in the digital age: You could send hundreds of messages across different apps in a day if you really put your mind to it.
This is called the paradox of choice, which boils down to the feeling that nothing (or in this case nobody) is the right choice when you’re given a great many options—meaning it’s easier to choose one person to date when you only have a few options total versus, say, considering every eligible bachelor in New York.
Paul Hokemeyer, PhD, is a licensed marriage and family therapist who tells HealthyWay that dating apps are changing the way that we see romance. “Because these apps provide what seems like an endless stream of options, romance has become a commodity. Something we acquire on the open market, like a pair of sneakers.” He says that this allows us to get easily distracted because there are always more choices.

Digital Dating on Your Brain

The growth in the number of dating apps and the number of people using dating apps leads many to wonder what kind of emotional impact this has on all of us. Psychologist and relationship expert Paulette Sherman, PhD, says that we need to be careful using dating apps because it can “depersonalize” a new relationship until you’ve met several times.
Depersonalization means “the person may not allow themselves to get too excited initially and they may be more practical and jaded” than excited. Sherman says “Romance is fueled by the heart not the head, so this initial mental (or judgmental) context can decrease romance in favor of practicality at first.” But, have no fear, you can still build a romantic relationship from a slightly awkward first date. “Things can still get more romantic after they have met offline and are connecting in real time.”
Sherman suggests that if you’re using dating apps, you should try to meet someone in person sooner rather than later. “Too many singles text back and forth for months before meeting and that virtual relationship feels intimate and real. But oftentimes that person may not intend to put effort into meeting in real time and you respective real lives would not mesh. So make this transition early on.”
It’s also a good idea to start off small if you’re new to the world of digital dating. Hokemeyer suggests treating dating apps like you would a condiment: “use them sparingly and with discretion. The main nutrients of a robust romantic life should be physical encounters with other human beings who you can experience with the fullness of your senses.”  

The Best Dating Apps

There are more dating apps right now than any one person could possibly ever use. Although they have some fundamental similarities (like the most basic goal of finding you a date) they’re all different in their own way.
These are 18 of the most popular dating apps and a little bit about each.

Tinder

The app that brought the dating world the swipe left or right feature is most popular with young adults looking for romance. Tinder finds users who are in close proximity to your location that you swipe through. If you and a potential date both swipe right you can chat within the app.
Erin Shields, a 26-year-old startup account manager in New York, met her current boyfriend of eight months nearly seven years ago, but they had lost touch when she moved to a new city. They were able to reconnect by matching on Tinder when he moved to the same city, and they’ve been happily dating ever since.
Tinder is free to start but limits the number of right swipes in a day (you can opt to pay for extras).

Bumble

Bumble is similar to Tinder in that you are matched with people based on your location, and it features the swipe left and right function. Bumble differentiates itself by only allowing the woman (in a heterosexual match) to message first. Either person can message first in a same-sex match.
No matter who is messaging, the other person must reply within a day or the match disappears. “I use Bumble most often because I have fun coming up with interesting conversation starters. Though be warned: Dudes apparently don’t like it when you ask if Amy Dunne was justified in Gone Girling herself” says Tegan Reyes, a 25-year-old publicist from New York. Bumble is free to start and you can choose to pay for extras.

Grindr

For LGBTQ+ people, there is Grindr, which calls itself “the world’s largest social networking app for gay, bi, trans, and queer people.” It’s similar to the above apps, because it chooses matches by location. You can scroll through photos and send messages to people you’re interested in chatting with. Grindr is free, but you can pay for premium features.

Clover

Clover bills itself as a mix of just about every dating service you’ve heard of. It’s got a similar setup to Tinder, except you can see everyone who has liked you. Clover finds potential matches based on location but allows you to turn your location off. You can also filter by different physical types (e.g., height, hair color), and you can set up group chats as well as one-on-one messages. Clover is also free but you can pay to get extra features.

Raya

Raya is the dating app for celebrities only—or so we’ve heard. Raya is very hush-hush about who is accepted into their “private network” and why. If you get make it through their tough acceptance algorithm, Raya costs eight bucks a month. According to Nylon, you just may be able to chat it up with celebs like Cara Delevingne, Ruby Rose, Cody Simpson, Elijah Wood, and more. Let us know if you do!

Hinge

Hinge is a subscription-based service that calls itself “the relationship app” because their goal is for you to find a lasting relationship (as opposed to a casual fling). Instead of swiping or sending a like, you can comment on people’s profiles, which puts a little more thoughtul interaction into each match.
“Hinge is great because it allows you to engage with diverse aspects of someone’s personality, rather than just a picture and their height. Through the questions and prompts that you can answer on your profile, you are able to get a sense of whether or not you might click with that person” says Rachel Benzing, 25-year-old freelance performance artist from Chicago.

OkCupid

OkCupid uses a detailed questionnaire to help find matches with similar interests through their algorithm (as opposed to finding people based on location alone). When OkCupid matches you with prospective dates you can send a message. OkCupid is free to use but you can pay for extras such as advanced filters.

Match

Match claims it’s the #1 dating app. Think of this subscription-based service as a mix between Tinder and OkCupid. You can choose to see people who are near your location, and Match can use their algorithm to set you up with people they think you will like. From there you can send winks and messages.

Tastebuds

Tastebuds seeks to match you with possible dates through your taste in music. Everyone needs a good concert buddy! Tastebuds can be used to find both romantic and platonic relationships. If music is a big part of your life, this would be an awesome app to try. Add your favorite bands and get to know new people nearby by sending them a song in app. Tastebuds is totally free to use.

The League

The League is a dating app geared toward working professionals. Unlike other apps where you can swipe through a great number of different people per day, the League narrows it down to just a few prospects. If you choose to go for the free app you get three matches per day; if you pay to become a member you get five (and other bonuses).

JSwipe

JSwipe, which bills itself as the number one Jewish dating app, is pretty darn similar to Tinder (location based, swipe left and right, chat with people who match with your right swiping). It’s free to join but it’ll cost extra for perks, such as boosting your profile to be seen more often and connecting with people across the globe (as opposed to just those nearby).

Plenty of Fish

Plenty of Fish (POF) says they have “more conversations than any other dating site,” and it has you take a “chemistry test” to help find matches who have similar interests. You can send as many messages as you want for free. You can also choose to pay to upload more photos to your profile, among other perks.

Happn

Happn tries to match you with people you’ve literally crossed paths with. Want to meet that cutie you saw in the elevator? Happn is the app for that. You can see users whose path you’ve crossed and like the people you’re interested in meeting. If they like you too then you can send messages to each other.
All of that is free, but if you want to send a hello without waiting for someone to like you back it costs one in app token (you free tokens to start, then you pay to get more).

Fliqpic

If you’ve been catfished before, you may want to use Fliqpic. Their whole selling point is that you can instantly video chat with matches before meeting in real life.
Similar to Match and OkCupid, you take a personality test and are matched with people through your answers. Another selling point? It’s totally free.

Once

Once brings you one hand-picked match every day instead of using a computer to choose matches for you. Your and your match of the day get 24 hours to decide if you like each other before the two of you can chat. Once is free to use, but if you would like more than one match per day you can pay for a premium subscription.

Align

Align seeks to match you with the perfect person based on your astrological signs. (It uses Western astrology, Chinese zodiac, and the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator to find out as much as possible about you.)
Then you can send messages and get to know your matches. This app is only available in Los Angeles, New York City, and the San Francisco Bay area. If you live in one of the three lucky cities, Align is totally free.

Coffee Meets Bagel

Having more detail makes finding the perfect date easier, right? Coffee Meets Bagel (CMB) uses your interests, preferences, and Facebook connections (so you can meet friends of friends) to help find you a match. Their algorithm learns over time what you’re looking for to help find you better matches, and the app has a new video feature. CMB is free to use, but you can pay for premium features like deeper insights into your matches.

Pure

Pure doesn’t beat around the bush with their users. It’s a subscription-based app for finding people to casually hook up with, not for long-term relationships. Pure matches you with people nearby, and you can chat for up to an hour before the app totally deletes your conversation (similar to Snapchat).
Ready to give one or more of these dating apps a try? We’ve got some tips for that!

Digital Dating Safety Tips

Once you’ve connected with someone and you’re planning to meet up, it’s important to take a few precautions just to make sure you’ll be safe. It’s not just for your sexual health (where bringing protection is a good plan) but also for your physical safety. Most of these are common sense but bear repeating.
Getting together with someone you’ve never met before isn’t a necessarily a bad thing. But if you have a roommate, friend, or co-worker you trust, letting them know your plans is an easy precaution to take. Just give them the name (and number, if you have it) of the person you’re meeting and the when, where, and for how long. That way you have some backup if things go amiss.
Also, you’ll probably want to provide your own transportation to and from the date. Being stuck in a car with someone you just don’t click with isn’t exactly fun. The University of South Carolina also suggests setting your first meeting during the day in a public area.
Finally, trust your instincts. If you feel like a date is going south, your date is raising some red flags, or you just don’t have chemistry, you don’t need to stick around. This is when having your own transportation or cab money is super helpful. Text your trusted friend to let them know you’re leaving early and head on home. No harm done.
Relationship expert Sherman reminds us to appreciate the ease that comes from dating apps. Dating should be fun, after all! She says “dating is a numbers game, and with people being so busy these days, dating apps are a good tool to meet one-on-one with other singles at a time and place that works for you.”
Now that you have a good idea of which dating app is the right fit for you, set up an account and get busy meeting your perfect person!
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Categories
Happy Home Lifestyle

Feng Shui All Day: A Beginner’s Guide To Balancing Your Home’s Energy

The practice of [linkbuilder id=”2583″ text=”feng shui”] is nothing new. In fact, it’s ancient. It’s a way to think about how deeply connected you are to your home and environment that has its roots in Chinese practical arts. And while having every room in your home arranged with feng shui in mind may not be a reasonable goal for you (we get it!), it can be a useful tool in changing the way you think about how your home makes you feel.
In fact, incorporating just the basics of feng shui can have a huge impact on the quality of the time you spend at home.

What is feng shui?

Sometimes referred to as geomancy—the art of placing buildings auspiciously—at its core, feng shui is a system of arranging rooms, homes, and even communities in order to ensure they’re in harmony with different spiritual forces and the flow of energy or chi.
Feng shui expert Ken Lauher explains that for people brand new to feng shui, the concept of chi can sound intimidating. “People know it when they feel it,” says Lauher. Instead of thinking about it as a flow of energy, you can think of it more as the vibe you get from a space.
We’ve all gone into a room and had the feeling that something is not quite right. You can’t get comfortable or relax; according to the principles of feng shui, that indicates there is something disrupting the flow of energy. On the other hand, if you’ve ever stepped inside a room and it just felt right and wanted to hang out there, you’ve experienced the indication of good chi.
At a deeper level, most of us can relate to feng shui’s emphasis on balance and healthfully responding to continual change. Even if you’re unfamiliar with feng shui, your experiences of life’s binaries—for example, negative and positive, male and female, night and day, and logic and intuition—may attract you to a system that aims to strike a balance between opposites not only in the mind, but in our actual living spaces as well.

A Brief History of Feng Shui

Feng shui has existed as a significant part of Chinese culture since around 4000 B.C. and its focus has always been on helping people act in harmony and coexist with nature. It wasn’t just practiced in China—in fact, its practice expanded through many parts of Asia including Taiwan, Korea, and Vietnam.
Feng shui greatly affected how people interacted with their environments and it had a big impact on traditional architecture. An article published out of Jiangsu University in 2014 titled “Traditional Feng Shui Architecture as an Inspiration for the Development of Green Buildings,” explains that in the diverse climates of China, people utilized feng shui to adapt their architecture to their environments, not vice versa. In the mountains, people built stone houses; in the plains, homes were built with soil. Feng shui also encouraged people to position buildings to make the best possible use of the warmth and light of the sun. This history continues to inform feng shui’s legacy in ways that might help you get back in touch with nature, regardless of where you live.
Like many traditional practices, feng shui’s popularity has ebbed and flowed both within and outside of China. While it has been disregarded as a pseudoscience and was even banned in China at certain points in history, since the ‘90s there has been a resurgence of feng shui in its country of origin.

Beginning With the Bagua Map

While the history of feng shui may interest you, your biggest concern is probably how you can incorporate feng shui’s principles in your living spaces. Feng shui in the home is largely based off of a bagua map (check out HealthyWay’s below!). Feng shui expert Marla Stone says, “Understanding the bagua, or the nine separate areas of your home, is essential to starting any feng shui project.”
The nine areas are prosperity, fame and recognition, [linkbuilder id=”2588″ text=”love and relationships”], family, health, children and creativity, skills and knowledge, career, and, lastly, helping people and travel.
A bagua map is traditionally shown as an octagon. Each of its sections, which are depicted in three rows of three, represents one of the nine areas of life. Health is positioned in in the center. One of the major goals of feng shui is to build up all nine areas in each room and your home as a whole.
Stone suggests starting by sketching out a map of your entire home. Draw a simple sketch of your floor plan, then lay a bagua map on top with the front door aligned with either skills and knowledge, career, or helping people and travel. This will show you where each area of your home lands on the bagua map, and thus what each room represents. Then you can repeat the process for each individual room to reveal its nine different areas.
“Building up all nine areas of any space that you feng shui is the goal,” says Stone. “To test out the feng shui magic, choose one or two areas to work on improving.” For example, Stone suggests focusing on love and relationships. Declutter that area of the room first, then place symbolic objects in the area. Stone recommends adding in purple, pink, or red objects that symbolize love, like a pink flowering plant.

Feng Shui First Steps

If you’re already feeling overwhelmed, have no fear. You don’t need to redo your whole home in a day. The baby steps way of incorporating feng shui into your home can be done in one afternoon.
You’ve heard of Marie Kondo, right? She wrote The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up, which went viral in 2016. Her whole approach is one big feng shui basic: decluttering. To reduce clutter for feng shui, you don’t need to get as over the top with it (no speaking of your favorite socks required). That said, paring down to what you actually need is a component of feng shui because it can help you feel calm.
Have you ever looked inside your junk drawer and wanted to scream? That’s why decluttering is necessary.
Adding in houseplants is another great place to start. Not only do houseplants add a lively element to the room, they can also help clean your air, scrubbing it of harmful gasses. (If you’ve never had a houseplant, we’ve got a whole list of our favorites you can scroll through.)
You can also focus on light. Do you have any bulky, dark curtains hung over your windows, blocking out the natural daylight? Switching to lighter curtains can allow more natural light into your home. These quick steps can make a big impact with minimal effort.

Incorporating Feng Shui Into Your Space Room by Room

Feng Shui in Your Entryway

Your entryway is one of the most important spaces in the home according to feng shui’s principles, notes Lauher. He recommends you consider not just the space inside your home, but the area outside as well. Anything that blocks your door (flower pots, outdoor furniture, and the like) can disrupt the flow of chi and set a negative feeling coming into your home. For people in apartments, Lauher says, “We focus on what we can change and not what we can’t.” So don’t sweat it if you can’t make big changes to your rented entryway.
The main goal is to make your home’s threshold clear and easy to get inside so your entryway can feel welcoming. Lauher also recommends looking at the little things that may set a negative tone like an old, dirty welcome mat or a scuff on a wall that has yet to be repainted. Cleaning up the little things is helpful for crafting a welcoming entryway.
Once you’re inside, Lauher says the area should be “clean, clear, and bright.”
He goes on to say, “It’s always recommended to have some type of life energy present so you can see it,” meaning having a houseplant inside your entryway is a good plan. He also suggests a rug to warm up the space and make it more inviting.

Dining Room Flow

“The dining room is all about eating, appetite, healthy food, community, family,” says Tisha Morris, feng shui expert. She suggests placing the focus on making sure your dining room table fits your needs. If it’s too small (or too large, or the wrong shape for you) you’re less likely to use it.
Making sure that your dining room is used is the key to keeping good energy flowing in the room. Keep in mind how you normally use the room. Do you like to host big dinner parties? Do your kids plunk down and do homework on the table? Having answers to these questions will help ensure you get the right dining room table.
The other thing to keep in mind is color. Paint the walls a color that is appealing to you, advises Morris. “You want appetizing colors; think about colors of food you would eat.” Her own dining room is a deep burgundy shade, but she also recommends green tones. “Green is the color of health and vitality.”

Chi in the Kitchen

Another one of the most important spaces in your home according to Lauher is the kitchen. It’s the space where you prepare food (and probably eat, too) and can represent wealth in your home. Lauher recommends a cleanup first and foremost. “You want it to be as clean and clear as possible”.
Anything that clutters your counters can make food preparation a pain. Bulky coffee makers, seldom used kitchen gadgets, and stacks of cookbooks can be cleared away to make room for the area’s unique purpose: cooking. Being present with your cooking is important, and making sure you’ve got a clear working space allows you to focus on your actions instead of going through the motions or working around a mess.
Other little things like not storing pans on top of your stove and making sure to use all of the burners (instead of favoring the same one) can help to add balance to your kitchen. Lauher also suggests incorporating fresh herbs into your kitchen. They bring in life, they smell good, they’re useful, and they can inspire you to cook healthy meals.

Living Room Energy

To incorporate feng shui into your living room, it’s helpful to have the purpose of this room in the back of your mind. Do you regularly host a book club? Does your whole family pack in for movie nights?
“Depending on what the primary function of the room is, is how you would arrange the furniture” says Morris. She suggests if the focus is on communicating, comfortable chairs around a coffee table would be your best bet. If you’re mostly in the living room for the TV, centering your seating around the TV will fit the purpose.

Feng Shui Works at Home

Especially for those of us who work from home, the home office needs to have a good energy so you can focus and get your work done. Feng shui practitioner Melissa Waite Stamps suggests starting first with the placement of your desk. She advises putting the desk in what feng shui refers to as the “command position.” This position should be in sight of the door, but not directly in line with it.
She also suggests focusing on lighting. “Full spectrum lighting is an excellent choice because good lighting helps keep you focused.”

The Bagua in Your Bedroom

The bedroom is possibly the most important room in your home. It’s the place you spend hours sleeping, and it’s also an important place for intimacy for couples. Lauher says the number one thing to do in your bedroom is to get the position of your bed correct. According to feng shui, energy moves along lines and pathways and through openings like doors and windows, so facing the door or a window can make it hard to relax and you know, sleep.
The ideal location for your bed, according to Lauher, is in view of the door but not directly in line with it. Other things like having a sturdy headboard (which represents confidence and stability in your relationships) can also help.

Chi for the Kiddos

A child’s room is important not only because it’s where they sleep, but usually where they play as well. Feng shui practitioner Sue Fishkin suggests the same “command position” for kids’ beds since it will allow the sleeper to see if someone is entering the room.
“Color is very important in feng shui,” says Fishkin. To inspire a child’s creativity, she recommends white and pastel colors along with metal elements. You can also use a bagua map in the room to determine the best place to set up a desk or reading area.

Flushing the Negativity Away With Feng Shui

Your bathroom can be the most negative space in your home, says Morris. “Regardless of where your bathroom is [on the bagua map], you want to negate that negative energy.” To do this, spend a little time making your bathroom as spa like as possible.
People regularly forget to decorate their bathrooms, but little things like hanging up a couple of photos or introducing a plant can help give the space some life. Instead of making your bathroom a utility driven room, prioritize giving it some personality.
“The energy of a bathroom should be about self care” says Morris.

Feng Shui For All

Howard Choy, principal of the European College of Feng Shui, says that the tradition of feng shui can expand to every culture by “going back to the basic human needs, the need to be loved, the need to feel secured, and the need to procreate and to survive as a human race.” Choy tells HealthyWay that at its deeper levels, feng shui is universal and transcultural.
Feng shui expert Susan Chu shares that feng shui runs deep in her family. Her mother learned feng shui in elementary and junior high school growing up in China in the ‘50s and early ‘60s.
“It was part of her curriculum similar to arts or music in American schools. I’m not sure when the ban happened, so my mom might have learned it being called something else.”
Chu says today the majority of her Chinese friends do not practice feng shui. “It’s something their parents might have learned and little tidbits of info passed down, but it is an art that is disappearing.”
In 2004, a study conducted by Feng Shui Institute International (FSII) polled 133,848 people in the United States and Canada and found that 77 percent of them were aware of feng shui. People’s awareness didn’t necessarily mean that they were believers in the power of feng shui, though. Of those polled, 37 percent of women and 29 percent of men reported that they believed that feng shui could improve their quality of life.
But Barbara Taylor, FSII’s executive director, said that was an increase from years past. “The data validates trends that feng shui practitioners have been observing in their day to day work: there is an increasing integration of feng shui into people’s lives.”
The popularity of feng shui in North America is also evidenced by the number of feng shui practitioners working in the U.S. and Canada, many of whom have interesting backgrounds and intensive training.
After a childhood fascination with rearranging furniture, Lauher, for example, went to work in corporate America and didn’t start officially learning feng shui until he was an adult. He says he studied under the world’s foremost feng shui master, His Holiness Grandmaster Professor Lin Yun Rinpoche as well as Steven Post, the first American feng shui teacher.
Morris also learned as an adult through the Feng Shui Training Center. She is now is a feng shui teacher herself and is one of the many North American consultants in the International Feng Shui Guild’s directory.
For those who do seek it out, Chu says feng shui can be hugely impactful. “Feng shui is about living in harmony … above, below, and within. When we are living in harmony, life naturally flows.”
It’s not magic though. Chu says that having a feng shui home doesn’t mean you won’t encounter any obstacles in life. “We, as human beings, unfortunately, [make] life more difficult for ourselves. It’s a matter of going with the flow and feng shui [can] help create that in our lives.”

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Categories
Healthy Relationships Wellbeing

32 Date-Night Ideas You'll Both Genuinely Love

No matter how long you’ve been with your partner, it’s still vital to go on dates. Keeping the romance fresh is fun, it fills up your heart, and it can help you reconnect with your favorite person.
Marriage therapist Michelene M. Wasil, LMFT, says that connecting on dates is the most important part of keeping relationships close. “Dates where you are in the same room together, like going to a movie, are okay, but not truly connecting” says Wasil.
So how can you go above and beyond to invest in the health of your relationship? Enter a carefully curated list of fun date-night ideas that will have you engaging with your special someone in no time. There’s a little something for everyone, and not a dinner-and-a-movie situation in sight.

Active and Sporty Dates

1. Skydive

If getting out of a slump is what you need, skydiving is the way to go! Nothing gets your adrenaline pumping quite like jumping out of an airplane. After the big jump, find a relaxed restaurant where you can refuel your body and share a toast to having made it! Stay as long as the restaurant will let you and have a good chat.

2. Play Each Other’s Favorite Sports

If you’re a basketball kinda gal and your partner loves hockey, make time to play both. This is especially helpful if one of you isn’t too familiar with the other’s game of choice. Lots of tender teaching moments and close embraces will be necessary as one of you shows the other how to bust all the right moves. You’ll have that rom-com sparkle in your eyes in no time.

3. Couples vs. Couples Game

Pick a sport you and two or three of your favorite couples know like volleyball, soccer, softball, or touch football. Winning team gets to pick dinner, losing team buys. This is a great way to get yourself and some friends out of that infamous dinner-and-a-movie rut.

4. Hike to a Lookout

Not only is hiking good for your body, but it will involve a bunch of romantic stops along the way to a beautiful lookout. Pack your favorite snacks, plenty of water, lip balm for post make-out session lip care, and your camera so you can capture the ultimate vista.

5. Mini Golf

Odds are you aren’t hitting up the local mini-golf course for a weekly round. But, if it’s some low-key fun you and your favorite person need, two putters await. Mini golf is basically just putting, but it can be a fun way to get out of your comfort zone and connect.

Outdoor Dates

6. Visit a Greenhouse and Pick Out a Houseplant

Both cohabitating couples and those who live separately can appreciate a new houseplant. Walking through a greenhouse you can spy all kinds of cool plants that one or both of you may never have seen before. Adding a little bit of greenery into your space is always a positive thing. It cleans your air and can bring you joy. Plus, who doesn’t love a date that involves a souvenir?

7. Take a Walking Tour of Your City

Play tourist for a day. Even if you’ve lived in the same city for years, there is always something new to see. You can download apps like Detour, Tourpal, or Urban Walks to get guided tours on your phone. Invest in a headphone splitter or go for the one-earbud-apiece approach, walk hand in hand, and explore your city together.

8. Try an Escape Room

Wasil says she frequently recommends that couples try an escape room. “It gives couples a chance to work together as a team and solve a problem”
She recommends this date specifically for “couples who just need to have some fun together outside of the kids and all the other life stressors.” We feel that! After your escape room victory, celebrate by indulging in some good food and drink at your favorite spot.

9. People Watch Your Town Square

Find a restaurant with outdoor seating facing an interesting street and plunk down. You can order some appetizers and watch the world go by. Turn your date into a playful game by guessing where people are going or what they’re up to. This can spark so many deep conversations. Weather permitting, give it a try this weekend.

Foodie Dates

10. DIY Picnic

For couples who need some time to chill out, a do-it-yourself picnic is just the ticket. Wasil says you should find a serene setting and go through some of the 36 Questions In Love. The food is really just the cherry on top of having a deep conversation with your partner.

11. Take a Cooking Class

Cooking together can be a great activity for couples who need to reconnect. You’re working together on a project and at the end you get a tasty meal to share. Taking a cooking class can be a fun way to get both of you started in the kitchen if you’re still feeling your way around meal prep and fresh ingredients.
Choose a class that focuses on a food you both love. Learning how to make your favorite dish is an enjoyable investment, and once you have that knowledge, you’ll be able to recreate it for a future date night at home!

12. Homemade Personal Pizza

Everyone loves pizza, right? Making pizza (that doesn’t start in the freezer section) at home is surprisingly easy. Follow along step-by-step with our favorite pizza recipe from The Kitchn. You can each choose your own toppings and can use your time in the kitchen getting ready for some of the best pizza you’ve ever had.

13. Find an Undiscovered Restaurant Gem

You could go to any old restaurant, but then again, why not take your weekly night out up a notch by really investing in your restaurant choice? Scour your local Yelp pages to find a little hole-in-the-wall spot you’ve never tried. You can make it into a game with your partner (a little competition never hurts). Go back and forth seeking out and choosing new, under-rated restaurants. Maybe you can even write a review together!

14. Attend a Local Brewery

Chances are there is a large brewery or microbrew pub not too far from where you live. Breweries often hold tours (some involve ticket sales that include beer samples, others are free) that will allow you to see how your favorite lager, ale, or stout is made. The same thing goes for wineries and distilleries depending on your locale. Learning about something together (while sipping on the good stuff) is always a wonderful way to connect with your favorite person.

15. Do Trivia Night at a Local Restaurant or Bar

Trivia nights, especially themed trivia nights can be a whole lot of fun. This is another date where you can invite your couple friends out as a group!

Artsy Dates

16. BYOB Painting Class

Painting classes that invite you to bring your own beverages can only be a good time. These types of classes often have instructors who will guide you as you paint a rendition of a specific piece of art. You’ll learn some new techniques and have a freshly painted canvas to hang in your personal gallery, also known as your abode.

17. Visit a Gallery or Two

While hanging your own art at home is definitely satisfying, seeing an art gallery can be moving and enlightening. Lisa Cooper, owner of Elisa Contemporary Art in New York City says a gallery date is a great idea. “It provides a fun, engaging environment and it provides insights into each person based on what artwork they respond to and why.”
As we’ve discussed before, connecting with your partner and talking about something new is a great way for long-term couples to revitalize their relationships.

18. See a Play at a Local Theater

When’s the last time you saw a play? Taking in a play (instead of a movie) can give you and your partner so much to talk about, and the joys of local theater are not to be missed. It’s also an easy way to support local businesses and your own neighbors.

19. Attend a Podcast Taping

Have a podcast that you just love? See if they’re touring or if they have open tapings. In the last few years, podcasting has really taken off and many bigger podcast productions go on tour. Seeing a taping live can be exciting and give you endless conversation starters for afterward.

20. Find a Local Music Night

Local bars and restaurants that have live music are gems when it comes to exceptional dates. Get a good meal in and enjoy a band you may never have heard before. The best way to find smaller music nights is by checking out different restaurants’ social media pages for updates that include their music lineups.

Basically Free Dates

21. Rent a Bike and Tour Your City

Not down for a lengthy walking tour? Rent (if you don’t own) bikes to see your city in a new way. Bike to a part of town you don’t get to enjoy often and just explore.

22. Volunteer Together

Giving back is good for your community and your relationship. Volunteering can really fill up your heart and is a good way for the two of you to connect over a cause you’re both passionate about. Find a local shelter and help make dinner, or call your local animal rescue to see if they need some helping hands.
Pro-tip: Many animal shelters need people to socialize with animals, which basically means playing with puppies for an hour.

23. Learn How to Give Massages

Learning to give each other massages feels lovely and can also help both of you relax. There are a bunch of different resources that can show you how to use professional techniques in the privacy of your own home. We suggest starting with Carrington College’s beginner’s guide to massage. It’s thorough and helps you get down the basics so you can help (not hurt!) your significant other.

Date Night At Home

24. Screen-Free Date Night

Turn off your phones and computers, light some candles, and get in touch with your boo. You can read to each other, chat about the future, or get giggly and tell each other jokes. Having a no-electronics rule will compel both of you to think outside the box and do something that differs from your day in, day out routine.

25. Game Night

Break out old-school Mario Kart if you have it, or turn to other nostalgic games you used to love. Check out two-player board games like Carcassone, Yinish, and Mancala, or opt for a casual game of checkers. Playing board games means engaging with both your partner and your inner child.

More Date Night Games You’ll Love:

Warm Weather Dates

26. Go Swimming

Grab your sunscreen, find a local waterpark, pool, lake, river, or wherever, and don your favorite swim suit. Swimming with your significant other is fun exercise and a satisfying way to cool off in hot weather. Getting a little sun is always wonderful, too!

27. Go Fishing

If either one of you is a seasoned angler, teaching the other to fish can be exceptionally relaxing (and potentially entertaining). Bring snacks and drinks, your fishing gear, and a permit if you need one. Fishing allows you to chat (quietly so you don’t scare the fish away!) and enjoy some time in the great outdoors.

28. Water Balloon Fight

Don’t laugh! A water balloon fight may feel a bit childish, but it can be a sweet way to cool down and have some laughs. Plus, you’ll get to talk about your epic water balloon fight for years to come.

Cool Weather Dates

29. Visit a Holiday Market

Festivals are fun all year long, but during the winter holidays they’e especially romantic. Wrap up in warming layers, nurse a cup of mulled wine, and get cozy with your one and only. Holiday markets usually have booths with trinkets that make for great in-law gifts, too.

30. Snowball Fight

If you can water balloon fight, you can snowball fight! Really, it’s one of the best kinds of fights a couple can have. Finish your snowy war with a couple of cups of hot chocolate (more on that below!) and a warm blanket to share. Curling up by a toasty fire afterward shouldn’t be missed either!

31. Build a Snowman Together

Creating together is one of the best ways to connect and get to talking with your partner without the humdrum of everyday life distracting either of you. If you have kids, this can also be a great way to have family fun all together.

32. DIY Hot Cocoa Bar

Hot cocoa is a cold weather delight. Not only will it warm you up during winter’s chill, but a little bit of sugar and cocoa will have you feeling like a cheerful couple in no time. Line up your favorite chocolate with peppermint sticks, cinnamon sticks, marshmallows, you name it! You can make your hot chocolate the exact way you like it then snuggle up for a comfy chat.
We’ve got some skinny hot chocolate ideas right here:

No matter what date you choose, spending quality time with your significant other is crucial to a healthy relationship. Making sure you have conversations about more than just the daily grind is essential for connecting on a deeper level. Take it from us, the more dates you enjoy, the happier you’ll be!