Are Long Distance Relationships Worth It?

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Are Long Distance Relationships Worth It?

I have had a few long distance relationships in my time, and I can tell you that some of them were worth it, and I have met some great men. I will be the first to tell you that long distance is hard work, but anything in life that is good does not come easy.  My good friend E and I were talking about this recently, and he said that long distance relationships are very sensitive and difficult.  They take an enormous amount of effort.  He said there has to be a happy medium and you lose out on the “real-time” companionship.  On that note, I feel that technology makes long distance a little easier.  With Skype and FaceTime, it allows for face-to-face communication.  You get to know the person by talking to them and getting to really know them to know if they are worth it.  It becomes more than physical.

You always get mixed reviews from people.  You will always have the friends who are positive and would be happy for you if you were in love with an antelope, and there will always be the Debbie Downers who will be negative and discourage you.  As you know, everyone has an opinion, and it is up to you not to let those opinions affect your relationship.  If you are in a relationship where you are a few hours away or a few time zones away, you are in a long distance relationship.   If you both care enough for each other, you can make anything work. It’s your relationship… enjoy.

Chemistry plays an enormous role, and I always say the heart wants what the heart wants, and some of the time you do not pick the person who lives next door.  I have always loved to travel and have met the most amazing people in my traveling adventures, and when the person you love is your destination, then that makes traveling to see them even better.  Traveling to see them or traveling to new places together, you will find out if you still like them after a few days together. I know I have had the most memorable vacations with that special someone.  

Long distance makes the heart grow fonder, and you have something to look forward to.  You will value messages from your partner and have things to catch up on… no small talk.  If you are like me and have always loved “me” time, you will never feel guilty.  It has given me time to get to know and love myself by finding out who I am by having my own life.  It is easy to lose yourself in a relationship.  In any relationship, it is important to remember you are your own person.  I know you are thinking that if you don’t see that person every day, you can develop trust issues.  Well the truth is, you can have trust issues when you see that person every day.  It is the experiences you have that build your relationship and help you become better people.

No matter what situation you are in, if you put your heart and soul into your relationship, it can work, and having a long distance relationship should not change that.

My advice, in a world where there are options and not enough time to do everything, be efficient with learning who you are.  Find the person that is right for you no matter where they are.  Find what works for you and who you are and are not compatible with.  Everyone who comes into your life can enrich your life. Be honest and open about what you want and need, and distance should not change that.  Life is short and there are thousands of cities… happy and safe long distance dating. xo

Morning Routines

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I go to bed late and wake up early hitting the snooze button many, many times.  Are you one who can never seem to be able to get it together in the morning?  When you finally do get out of bed, you spend time going through your phone, browsing social media, and going through your emails only to get yourself anxious about how hectic your day will be.  Most of us are running around trying to get ready, and if you have children, it is even harder.  The truth is that most of us do not follow through on a morning routine.  Things happen that are not under our control.  If you are one to jump out of bed and love mornings, I salute you.  I need a morning squad to help me get moving along with a massage therapist and glam team.  Since I don’t have any of those, here are some things that I learned that have changed my morning routine from the above to productive.  Morning routines help start your day and if the start of your day is good, the rest can only get better, and if I can do it, so can you.  Here are some morning routines that you might find useful.  We can’t make every day perfect, but we can sure try.



Stretching – You can start this one in bed. Most of us ignore stretching but don’t realize that it increases your blood flow, circulation, and sends oxygen to the brain.  Start off with some knee to chest back stretches.  

Water – Drink a glass of water with a few drops of lemon.  This will give your immune system a boost and aid your digestive system.

Let there be light – Open those blinds.  Natural light will help enhance your mood.

Breakfast – Fuel your body and eat breakfast. Get your metabolism going.

Exercise – Get in a light workout that will get your blood flowing and help release dopamine, the
happy hormone, into our body and mind.

Affirmations – In our hectic world where we can put ourselves down and not feel like we are enough or doing enough, we need to build up our self-esteem and fill our minds with some positivity.  Take a minute or two and speak positive phrases, and you will begin to believe how much you can do and how amazing you are.

Meditation – Meditation helps you maintain focus and blocks out distractions.  Some people have a meditation practice. There is no right or wrong way of meditating.  I could not sit still without a million things going through my mind.  Don’t get caught up on the how.  Even if you do it for 5 minutes, that is a great start, and if that goes well, increase a little at a time.

Shower – My morning shower sets the tone for my day.   With my shower system and body care products, I feel like I am at a spa.

Music – Play your favorite music as you are getting ready.  Music is the soundtrack of your life.  Listening to your favorite songs makes you feel happy.  I have my music playing as I get ready, and I continue with my music on my way out the door to work.

The hardest part of starting a morning routine is getting started, so find the ones that work best for your situation.  You can create time for yourself to focus on You to have a better day.  Life is too short, so here is to starting your day right… good morning everyone. 
 

 

30-Minute At-Home Workouts

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A lot more of us are embracing a much healthier lifestyle.  For those who do not belong to a gym but want to stay on track, technology can be personalized for at-home exercises.
to fit into your on-the-go lifestyle and meet your fitness goals.  Mobile apps are making it easy to track your progress, keep you motivated, and help you create your own exercise routine.  You can turn your iPhone or iPad into a personal trainer.
And yes, motivation can easily get lost when you are at home and want to go on the internet, but it’s not impossible, and it is important to make time and get into a routine and stick with it.  By adding variety and changing up your exercise routine, it will help keep you motivated and provide balance.  It is motivation that gets you started, habit that keeps you going, and at-home workouts can get you into amazing shape.  Here’s to getting motivated and getting in shape with your at-home workouts.

I was once told by a trainer that the best piece of equipment you own is your body.  Here are some basic exercises that you can do for your at-home workouts and some of their benefits.  Squats to tone your legs, while keeping yourself balanced, it will give your leg an entire workout and it also helps tone your butt. Planks for your abs. Planks work all the muscles in your core, and the benefits of strengthening your core will improve your posture.  Push-ups for your arms and chest.  The standard push-up activates most of your muscles in your body and also defines your abs, shoulders and triceps.  Lunges for better balance and posture, improve your core strength, and is another exercise that is good for getting a tone butt. The goal is to do at least 3 sets of 10 reps for each move.  If you want to increase calorie burn, take a 20-second rest between each move.
More great at-home exercises you can do are Jumping Jacks which elevate your heart rate, burn fat at a rapid rate, and also have great strengthening benefits.  It is a full-body workout that moves all of your large muscle groups, and Jumping Rope improves muscle tone in your legs and lower body, and by making you focus on your feet, it improves coordination.  If you do not have the room to use a rope, you can mimic the move without the actual rope while jumping to the beat of your workout music.  It is a great way to tone both your lower and upper body while keeping your heart rate up.
If you have a sturdy door or beam, then Suspension training is great for resistance training. Each exercise you do requires balance so your abs are constantly engaged. They are perfect for at-home workouts.
There are many variations and poses, but one of my favorites for increased flexibility and muscle strength and tone is Yoga.  All you have to do is unroll a yoga mat and you get a great calorie burn.
Sharing progress on social media can help you get motivated by others who are getting their bodies ready for summer, or you can share your own progress and get someone inspired.  Knowing you are not alone and sharing stories of success helps to motivate one another.  Persistence will make your at-home workouts a healthy habit.  You are your own fitness hero, inspire those around you, so start your at-home 30-minute workout now.

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London Calling

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I love to travel.  We all work and play hard and want to enjoy our hard-earned dollar.  Travel always makes me feel alive and gives me a new perspective on life. A lot of us have that need for adventure, and there are a ton of reasons why you need to get off your butt and do it!  There are so many great countries/cities to visit.  It opens you up to an adventure, gives you the opportunity to dive into a new culture and gets you out of your norm.  I can’t think of better reasons to get out there and explore the world.
I was in London six months ago and had an amazing experience.  I was lucky to have good friends who live there, and they made it a great trip for my friend Jess and me.  From the moment I landed in its beautiful airport, I fell in love.  The people are friendly and diverse, and there is a great vibe to the city.  My friends who live there call it New York’s little sister.  London’s vibrant city puts it on my map as the capital of cool.   We found it easy to get around – the Tube was clean as were the stations.  It’s home to some of the best museums and galleries.  London has the best sights and attractions to see such as the London Eye, Tower of London, Buckingham Palace and Big Ben.  Whether you want to dance until dawn, take a cheap bus tour, see the changing of the guard, shop the markets, visit the iconic department store Harrods, dine at Michelin-starred restaurants, gastropubs, or have afternoon tea, you will not be disappointed.  It has beautiful parks, and some of them have amazing views over the city.  You will have a terrific experience, amazing photos, and great stories to share on social media.  

For the tech savvy, heavily tech dependent to stay on top of the game, or those travelling on their own and want to be in the know, London’s trendy hotels and bars have free Wi-Fi, and most lobbies are designed to be social hubs with ample outlets for personal devices and digital guest books for streaming video and pictures via Instagram to share your travel experience in real time.  
London’s tech innovation has the greatest potential to drive its future growth.  The Golden Triangle, which is the unofficial name for a set of leading universities in the English cities of Oxford, Cambridge and London has more science and tech growth than California.  London is leading the way.
There is an app for everything that can give you online reviews and read personal travel blogs.  Most of us do online research and most likely read reviews before we book travel in order to identify the must-see attractions and locations.  Your research findings and word-of-mouth are important and have a strong influence on your determining your next destination.
I think the best reason to travel is because you can.  Be spontaneous.  Many airlines offer last-minute travel online. I hope you are inspired to do some travelling and visit London.  I highly recommend it!  Below are some links that offer great vacation packages for London.  I will definitely be booking my trip back to London very soon… London is calling my name.
https://www.go-today.com/london.aspx
https://www.kayak.com