Eating locally has become all the more important to me in the past few years. The more I've gotten educated about nutrition and food practices, the more I've learned what is actually important versus what is just a buzzword. Eating locally has become a bit of a trendy thing, and people lump it into a bunch of healthy buzz words alongside "organic" "all-natural" "plant-based" "non-GMO." Consumers see those words and associate whatever they're buying to be healthy... but that's not exactly true.

Today, I want to share with you guys some things I've learned over the years about eating locally grown produce, and how to navigate those labels so that your dollar actually goes towards what matters and not just marketing speak. My good friend and fellow blogger Jules, of Om and the City, and I teamed up with Gotham Greens to talk about the importance of this and more about their innovative urban farming practices that...

Healthy skincare has been having a MOMENT for the past two years. Women (and men) everywhere are trading in Saturday nights out for Saturday nights in, with sheet masks and green juices because they have to get up at 8am for their Sunday yoga class. Sound familiar?

Everyone is all about caring for their skin as much as possible these days, and that extends from skincare to makeup to internal well-being and care. So after struggling with so many skin issues, I wanted to share my favorite clean skincare and makeup favorites that have made the biggest difference for me, since I know my fellow sweat-tribe can also struggle with this! 

I transitioned over to all-natural clean beauty products awhile ago because some unique issues. After struggling with exhausting autoimmune issues for the past...

Happy Friday, everyone-- hard to believe it's St. Patty's day, and there is a lot of snow still getting cleaned up here in NYC.

I've highlighted 4 amazing women so far on my Women Who Inspire Interview Series, and while we will certainly be returning with quite a few more awesome women to come, I've been stockpiling some amazing finds that I wanted to share before some of them become irrelevant. So, Favorite Friday Finds is back for this week!

9 awesome reads are coming your way + 1 RIDICULOUSLY cute surprise at the end. So either save it for reading over coffee tomorrow morning, or tear through some of the stuff that will make you feel all the feels, and inspire some thought!

I'm a huge advocate of being forward when it comes to your business. It may go against my introvert tendencies sometimes, but as an entrepreneur or a small business owner, you are essentially your only advocate. If you don't drive your business's train, it just doesn't move. 

When you are trying to create a business or further your career, you can't be complacent and wait for opportunity to come to you. You have to get out there, and yes, that tired word: network. Cold-emailing and asking people for a breakfast meeting or to coffee can be intimidating, because no one likes to be ignored or rejected right?

Well, that chance of rejection is always still there. But today I'm going to help you guys boost your chances at getting responses from people, as well as covering THE most important thing when cold-emailing someone: HOW you ask them. These are absolute musts when cold-emailing, pitching, or asking someone to meet over coffee.

It was International Women's Day on Wednesday, and March is Women's History Month. I am feeling all the amazing female power filling my life lately, and it could not be more inspiring. Not only am I surrounded by strong and wonderful women in my family, but my best friends, colleagues, and clients. Then this wonderfully crazy world of blogging and Instagramming has injected my life with some genuine female friendships that I had no idea would come of all this. Not only have I met so many people IRL thanks to Instagram, but the daily interactions I have on there with amazingly impressive souls spanning the globe is something to be truly thankful for. 

So, continuing on with my Women Who Inspire series! If you're just joining in now, this interview series taking place every Friday...

When planning this Women Who Inspire interview series, I wasn't even thinking about the fact that March was going to be Women's History Month. 

As I said in my Instagram post yesterday, this month has special meaning. So I could not be happier that I am highlighting a collection of incredibly diverse and inspiring women during a very fitting month. From multiple different continents, specialties, backgrounds, beliefs, and more-- these women all inspire me with their kind hearts, talent, and willingness to discuss some more challenging topics. If you're just joining in now...

It's the last Friday in February, yet it feels like Spring outside-- it's going to get up to 66ºF today here in NYC! Happy Friday, indeed!

Last week, I kicked off my Women Who Inspire Interview Series with Sara of Shiso Delicious, and I could not be happier with the amazing reaction we received from it. This was exactly what I was hoping for: a more in-depth discussion about the realities that happen offscreen, with women who are innovators and creators. We tend to forget that these people who command large followings on social media and/or are public personalities are just as human too. A human with their own struggles, insecurities, half the hustle you don't see, triumphs, and more. You guys know I'm all about embracing your NOW, rather than the living for the "after" pictures. I wanted to look beyond the pretty feeds and filters into reality.

If you haven't seen her mouth-watering creations and wanderlust-inspiring captures of Amsterdam on Instagram yet, I want to introduce you to the beautiful Paola Holthausen of @CravingsinAmsterdam!

You know that feeling when you are looking for something in your coat pockets, only to discover that there's a crisp $20 bill in there from last year? Yep, it was that same feeling I had after searching for some photos on my hard drive and found some gems I never shared from my Europe trip to Switzerland and Italy two summers ago. I've shared one or two of these on few on my city travel guides to Zürich (hike on Felsenegg-Uetliberg) and Rome, but I also just re-edited these photos in the vibes of the aesthetic palettes I've been drawn to lately-- more muted colors and softer shades. 

Am working on some fun content for you guys, but it's been a busy week over here with a photoshoot yesterday (check out some sneak peeks on Instagram!), training sessions, and some apartment-hunting. So today, I'm just going to leave you to soak up these wanderlust-inspiring handful of favorites I found the other day. Take a trip to Zürich, up in the Swiss mountains, Roma, Positano, and Amalfi. Happy humpday!

Happy Friday, everyone! 

Today, I'm so so SO excited to launch this interview series that I've been cooking up for you guys for several weeks now. As a biweekly complement to my Favorite Friday Finds that is every other week, on the other Fridays I will be sharing an interview with a woman who inspires...

Being a strong communicator is one of the few key skills that helps you in every single aspect of your life. Good communication helps you be a better colleague, boss, intern, parent, husband/wife, boyfriend/girlfriend, friend, daughter/son, sibling, and the list goes on. 

When I ask you, "what's the best way to be a better communicator" what is the first thing that pops into your mind? Word-choice? Body-language? Thinking through your thoughts before you speak? Talking confidently and clearly?

Actually, I really don't think the answer doesn't have anything to do with talking at all...

Happy weekend, everyone!

This edition of Favorite Friday Finds is coming to you a day late, because this past week has been quite topsy turvy in terms of changed schedules and last-minute appointments- sorry guys! But I've got a great roundup for you that I've been amped to share, because there have been a lot of great reads I've stumbled on in the past two weeks. This will also be an abbreviated version like this one for time's sake (on my end), so you can have some fun weekend reading while sipping that morning coffee 😊

You know that feeling...

More than ever, time has become our most precious commodity. So many professions now don't rely on punching in on a clock-- it's not about how much you're working, it's how much you're producing. Because we all know that busy ≠ productive. In a world where distractions are aplenty, it's really difficult to really utilize your time to the max. We all would love to nail how to be more productive, but working as a small business owner or freelancer can bring unique challenges since you have to be your own boss, secretary, and worker all by yourself. 

Working remotely from home also can make it tempting to run an unstructured day, but this leads to an unhealthy work-life balance because you're...

In the past few years, Nashville has become THE "it" destination for all kinds of weekend getaways: it's Bachelor/Bachelorette party central (seriously, I was on the plane with a crew 10 girls deep that were very awake for a 7am flight), girls weekend destination, couples getaway, you name it.

After a whirlwind weekend in this southern city, it's really easy to see why Nashville is such a hotspot. It's got AMAZING food, an endless amount of options for live music and nightlife, shopping, sightseeing, and it's also relatively affordable to do all that fun stuff. For a quick trip like this, it felt fitting to try out a more streamlined version of my city guides-- so here is my weekend guide on the best eats, drinks, things to do, and places to explore in Nashville!

Before we get to a few personal updates and my Favorite Friday Finds, I cannot not mention the biggest thing happening today.

Today is... an interesting day in our nation and world's history. Without jumping in, I will say that more than ever, I firmly believe that we all rise together. I believe in individual accountability for a greater good. It is ALL of our responsibilities to love harder, empathize more fiercely, speak up louder, and fight like hell for what is just. Today, in a day that many are inclined to feel trepidation, disappointment, fear, I encourage you to actively love on one another because we are stronger and more capable together ❤️️

+ personal updates, and a super edition of Favorite Friday Finds...

It's been one... something of a year.

2016 was something of a gargantuan cluster for most everyone around the world. When you list off all the happenings around the world in 2016, it's hard to believe all that chaos fit into 12 months. It really seemed like one massively disturbing or heartbreaking event after another. The trending memes about this year hit home all too well...

Happy Holidays, my dear readers!

Merry Christmas + Christmas Eve this weekend to those of you who celebrate, Happy start of Chanukah tomorrow to my Jewish friends, and simply wishing everyone a festive and loving time with whatever holidays they celebrate and rejoice in!

Firstly, THANK YOU to you all for your continued love and support this year. From always...

We're really getting down the wire now with Christmas presents, with only 4 more days to go! 

I'm planning on swinging through the Union Square holiday market later today on the way home from client sessions, but I did some online shopping earlier today and wanted to share one last gift guide with you guys for last-minute gift ideas. 

This gift guide is for all your health-conscious food-loving friends- because let's face it, usually a love for the gym usually means love for the food too but we all want things that enable us to keep making healthier choices. This is a perfect complement to my gift guide for the fit foodie, kitchen gadgets edition.

6 days to go, and still in a crunch to find a thoughtful gift? I got you with this gift guide is pretty universal for everyone on your list. Why do I say that?

Relaxation and stress management are major priorities for optimal health. In our lives when it seems all too rare when we take time for self-care or to disconnect, it becomes all the more important that we make it happen. And there's nothing like a fun new gift to help encourage you to take those few extra minutes in your day to indulge in a little self-care and other activities that bring you happiness and calm. 

I've rounded up some unique and affordable gifts to help bring your loved one some calm and pampering to their day- so without further ado, here is my gift guide for gifts that pamper and relax!