Did you guys think I was going to leave you hanging again?!?!
Happy Friday! This week’s Foodie Friday is dedicated to one of Phil’s lunchtime favorites – chicken stir fry! Now I am fully aware that there isn’t anything fancy about stir fry but there are little things you can do so your veggies aren’t soggy & the sauce packs a punch without the calories. 
One of the first things I do is season the chicken (little bit of EVOO and seasonings of your choice). Get your skillet really hot and sear the chicken on both sides to seal in the flavor…once you sear things on both sides turn the heat down to med/low and cook the chicken almost all the way through. While the chicken cooks, slice the veggies & onions, and mince the garlic. Once the chicken is done remove it from the skillet and let it rest, throw the onion into the skillet with a little bit of EVOO. Allow the onions to cook down, add garlic, and toss in the veggies…seasoning with salt/pepper, the dry spices you like. Chunk the chicken and add it back to your skillet, tossing together with the veggies. Turn the heat off before the veggies are finished cooking and let everything cool. Make a pot of brown rice w/veggie stock & a bay leaf in the pot to add a more robust flavor.
I make this on the weekend for Phil to enjoy during the week for lunch. Stir fry is one of those awesome things that can be made from anything you have lying around in your refrigerator, so get creative!
’til next time, keep smiling! 🙂
Are we all making it over the hump? This week started busy and will end just the same…story of life I guess, right?!? Anyway, since today is the last Wednesday in March this will be the last installment of my sleep series. Since I have covered most of the basics, I thought I would hit one more – the morning routine – waking up in the healthiest way to start your day. 
We’re all guilty of hitting the snooze button a few too many times in a desperate attempt to get more sleep, only to end up rushing out the door and jolting your body into a panicked start to the day – no bueno! Below are the five things, no matter what, I do every morning to ensure I have a healthy, happy start to the day.
I have always been on the fence about napping – I felt time was more importantly spent doing other things – foolish me! I did a bunch of research, tested some theories, and now I’m sharing my results with all of you to round out this month’s Wellness Wednesday. Here are 5 things I’ve learned about napping, why it works, and what to avoid.
Its been another dreadfully rainy day in San Francisco but the weather is supposed to perk up for the rest of the week; which is good because I sure need a kick in the pants! This weekend with my brother and sister in law was wonderful but teaching 16 classes, playing tour guide and managing everything else on my plate has definitely left me a bit drained. Instead of looking at things in a negative way I’ve used today’s weather as an excuse to stay in bed and recharge – well, at least in btwn my 6am & 12pm class I squeezed in a nap, and btwn my 12pm class and my 3pm shift at the studio I did some yin yoga…it’s all about making time for yourself and listening to your body, right?!?!
We’re so close to wrapping up this lovely 16wks of 2016 Motivation challenge and I think both Phil and I have become that much more in tune with our bodys’ needs and how much the food we consume plays a role in how we feel. This weekend was full of more fried food and ice cream than I would care to admit and I’m feeling it contribute to my low energy today. I’m taking steps to hydrate, cleanse, & reboot for this week by adding some probiotics, as well as my trusty apple cider vinegar & lemon tea to help cleanse my system and have my feeling sharper/more alert. It’s GREENS, GREENS, GREENS for the first week of spring & we’re hoping they’ll have us feeling good as new in no time!
This relaxing but productive weekend was much needed after a week of feeling frantic and unconstructive. Some of you may have noticed a few more spelling/grammar errors in last week’s posts than usual…not that I’m making any excuses BUT that’s primarily because I was drafting entirely on my phone. Phil and I have had three computers (all admittedly old) crap out on us in the last 6 months and the last of which did so last Sunday. I thought we’d be shopping for a computer this past weekend but when Phil came home from his business trip he showed up with a brand new MacBook Air! I am so lucky!!!!!
The computer isn’t the only reason I feel lucky right now…this week I am adding a few new classes to my schedule and am excited to announce my new permanent schedule. Check it out on my yoga page or head to MoveWith to see my schedule! 
This weekend we both decided we’d kick things up a notch this week in preparation for our coming trip to Tahoe. We’re going up for an extended weekend and its going to have snowed a few feet of fresh powder by the time we dive in…I can’t wait! We’re in double digits now and it’s about to get interesting!!
I’m gearing up for Phil to leave for another business trip and making sure to spend as much time together as possible! One of the worst things about Phil going away is getting to sleep. Some people may think it’s a blessing to have the bed all to themselves but for me, it’s hard to get settled. Thanks to yoga I have a few proven techniques to calm my anxious energy & for Wellness Wednesday, I’m going to share them with all of you.
Find a comfortable position, close your eyes, and take a few deep breaths. As you deepen your breath start to imagine yourself sinking into the mattress, one body part at a time (starting with your toes and working to the crown of the head). Once you are settled, the real magic begins… Inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 2 seconds, exhale for 6 seconds, and repeat until you are asleep. It might sound simple but is incredibly powerful. For me, as soon as I think “Man, this is taking forever, maybe it isn’t going to work” I fall asleep. A good night sleep is a foundation to a healthy life, so what do you have to lose?
I hope everyone else enjoyed their weekend as much as Phil & I. When I said we wanted to get back out on the mountain and prove ourselves (to ourselves), I wasn’t lying. We took it relatively easy Saturday and totally blew past where we thought we’d get to on Sunday…with a little help from our friends. After a lunch time pow wow we decided to join our them yet again and tackle some tougher runs. We dove in head first and went down some of the more challenging terrain – it felt great! 
I of course couldn’t have survived the 6hr ski days without my yoga practice – starting the morning with some mediation / light vinyasa and finishing the day with some yin to stretch things back out. Now, it’s back to the power yoga grind with 11 classes this week (2 advanced, 1 beginner, 8 all levels).
Obviously there is no shortage of physical activity here, haha, but the dietary routine is on point too…it has to be to stay happy/healthy! We’ve got 7 more weeks to make some real changes & it’s feeling great!
Well, we survived the birthday weekend shenanigans in Tahoe and Phil & I really challenged ourselves on the slopes. I’m feeling motivated after the rush of pushing past my comfort zone on the mountain and hoping to carry that momentum into this week!
Neither Phil nor I are venturing near a scale until the beginning on March but we know we’re on the right track because we’re both feel good – indulged this weekend but didn’t go crazy, bumped up the intensity of our cardio a bit, and are trying to cut back on booze during the week. It’s a double boost of motivation because we’re officially in the
Lenten season & now more than ever we are supposed to work on being the best version of ourselves. We were both considering ‘giving up’ something for Lent but since we’re already on this healthy living grind we’re kicking it into high gear instead…we are half way through our ‘2016 healthiest year ever’ kick start and I
pe everyone is excited for a romantic weekend, haha!! Of course, I am kicking things off with a lovely evening of FREE yoga and exclusive shopping! That’s right, tonight is the night I teach at HAVEN collective yoga’s trunk show hosted by the beautiful & talented Jacqueline Palmer. I am so excited to slip into their amazing contour leggings and share my offering with the Bay Area beauties in attendance. But enough about that, today’s Foodie Friday is sort of a Valentine’s themed because I made this recipe specially for my handsome husband. He asked me to pick up some zucchini bread ingredients earlier this week and they sort of just sat there. So I took the hit, haha, and got to work concocting a healthy but still delicious zucchini muffin for us both to enjoy this weekend & coming week.
Just like everything I make, this still needs some tweaking, but certainly good enough to share as is…I present:
I was definitely skeptical at first but I must admit, I could become addicted to these moist, delicious, little wonders!! I hope you and yours find yourselves inspired to get creative with some of your favorite treats this weekend!!
I’m excited to share this weekly dose of motivation because we’re both starting to see differences. As I have been sharing we’re still enjoying our lives, indulging in moderation, and we’re both down 5+ pounds. More than that, we’re both noticing a bit more muscle definition and feeling great! 
We had a wonderful weekend in Tahoe skiing and enjoying the amazing views! This week, in addition to my studio classes at 
But lets not get too far ahead of ourselves. Here’s what we have lined up for this week to keep us motivated and making positive changes. It’s week 6 of 16 and we’re feeling like we could do this forever!
Livingleen 