Free To Be Lovely

Amy Cuddy is a social psychologist, author, Harvard lecturer, and public speaker that did a TED talk years ago on body language and how power poses can boost your confidence. These are postures that encourage you to be big and tall and take up space. For example, standing up straight with outstretched arms overhead. Doing this might make you feel confident, proud, or invincible. Compare that to sitting down, arms folded, body hunched forward. Are you hiding something, ashamed, or scared? I have tried some of these power poses when I’m feeling insecure to give me a mental boost and stretch. For me, they work. They give me a moment to breathe and give my brain a distraction. I feel like I’ll be seen and taken seriously. And this is just with Karl. (I’m joking, of course) .  After hiking the West Coast Trail (WCT) in August, I believe I’ve discovered the ultimate power pose. Peeing standing up. Yep, you heard me correctly. Right now, you’re probably wondering where I’m going with this...

How’s your life going? It has been a while since I checked in. Are you living a life of joy and passion? Are you living your values? There’s nothing like shaking up your routine or getting out of your comfort zone or confronting your demons to get you back on track to living your best life. On August 26th, Karl and I, and five of our dearest friends, finished the West Coast Trail hike in British Columbia, Canada. We started the hike in the north at Pachena Bay and ended at Gordon River across from Port Renfrew. We walked 75 kilometers over 8 days. And, EVERY SINGLE day was a challenge of mind and body. I’m pretty sure if I asked each person in our group whether the hike was hard, each person would say a resounding YES. But, I’m guessing the challenges would be slightly different for each person. Some confronted their fear of heights as they climbed up tall ladders with missing or slimy rungs and walked over tree trunk bridges one foot at a time. Some might say trying to figure a way ar...

After not traveling to Mexico for a few years, eight of us finally went back last November to our happy place, Isla Mujeres. During this trip, Karl and I also explored a new island called Isla Holbox. This island was more rustic and laid back than Isla Mujeres, but every bit as fun and exciting with phenomenal restaurants and shops that sold art and clothing from local artists. As I usually do when I travel with people I love and admire, I return home with a list of cool things that I need to check out either for myself or others. I originally wanted to post this before Christmas, but here we are at the end of January 2022. If you happen to be looking for a gift for someone, look no further. These goodies have been vetted and given multiple thumbs up! These Are Worth the Hoopla Rose had several Missoma hoops in her ears. They were cute, shiny, and classy. All of us girls, and maybe some of the guys, noticed them because they seemed perfect for looking polished at the beach. The final ...

I love traveling. What’s more, I love celebrating and sharing life with friends and family. We just spent 12 days with 3 fabulous couples in one of our most favorite places on earth, Isla Mujeres, México. This place has it all...the people, the food, the beaches, and the mezcal. We had 12 luxurious days to play and we lived life. Here is my must-have travel list for 2020. Have Your Bun All us women not only coveted Nicole’s thick and luscious locks but her foldable straw visor with a large brim. This hat was perfect for keeping her hair piled high and dry while bobbing around in the warm Caribbean Sea. Unpack In 0 Seconds While I needed several bags, including a packing cube, to pull all my makeup, skincare, and hair products together, Nicole enthusiastically said, “Voila!” And showed me the answer to life, the universe, and everything, all neatly packed and organized in a lovely waterproof lightweight bag .  Unpack in 5 Seconds The second “voila” moment h...

For 3 weeks, over Christmas and New Year's, I went to Zambia and Zimbabwe to visit family. I had never been to Zambia before and I hadn't been to Zimbabwe in about 21 years. These countries were shocking and beautiful at the same time. While in both countries, I saw police asking people directly for money at police checks, lots of garbage strewn about, and plenty of non-functioning toilets. In Zimbabwe, I saw cars lined up around blocks waiting to get gas and heard countless comments about how hard it is to get anything done without bribing someone. Despite this, my extremely generous African family welcomed our motley crew of 7 with open arms and showed us all there was to love about both countries. They gave us a taste of what everyday life was like and took us to various game parks, tourist sites, and local hangouts. In addition to this, I saw some of the world's most beautiful women. With their brightly colored clothing, fitted dresses, strong-looking bod...