Over the past few years, I’ve learned to love cooking even though I’ve had just as many cooking “fails” as I’ve had successes. Last week, I attempted a new baked fish recipe that I’m pretty sure our two dogs wouldn’t even touch … and they eat twigs and leaves. But, for every kitchen flop, there’s an opportunity to learn, tweak…
This week, I’m excited to once again have TOPS Member Content Associate Taylor Patton as my special guest blogger. The first day of spring is officially less than a week away, and if you’re anything like me, you’ve probably gone through at least two bottles of face moisturizer, a jar of body butter and we’ll say three tubes of ChapStick…
As someone who has an interest in nutrition and wellness, I’m always curious about the latest research, trends and articles about these topics. There’s no shortage of healthy eating advice available from your newsfeed, from your gym buddy, from your chiropractor and so on. I tend to get a little concerned by how trusting many can be of one-size-fits-all diets…
My husband and I recently adopted a 5-month-old puppy named Stevie. She came to us with zero training, but the cutest little squishy face and sweet personality that would make even a non-dog lover melt. As she’s jumping on my back and eating my hair, messing in the house and chewing every household item that isn’t nailed down (and even…
Imagine the following: You’re eating a salad. But, this isn’t just any salad. This is your first salad on the first day of your new nutrition plan after years of yo-yo dieting, fast food drive-thrus and late-night snacking. You feel a sense of accomplishment in choosing this salad over the drive-thru or vending machine. That is until a well-meaning friend…
Thinking of consistently doing something or changing a habit for the next 362 days seems incredibly daunting no matter who you are. So how about shortening it up a bit? Instead of a New Year’s resolution, consider setting New Weeks’ resolutions. Each week, for the next 12 weeks, focus on one area that you’d like to improve. The beauty of…
If you have a fairly sedentary job, you may have noticed that it can be easy to let the pounds creep up. And it’s not just the prolonged sitting or job stress that influences our habits. Turns out our office mates can affect our choices, too. According to research by Cornell professor Brian Wansink (who also wrote the foreword for…
I feel like I say this every year, but I don’t know where the summer went. While fall may not be officially here, football is gearing up, summer festivals are winding down and school is back in session. Fall is my favorite season and is a great time to kick start, or restart, your healthy habits. It’s also the perfect…
I recently watched a documentary about the founders of a popular outdoor sportswear company where one of the founders noted, “when everything goes wrong, that’s when adventure starts.” I heard this at the perfect time – during a vacation to visit family in the Pacific Northwest where things didn’t go quite as planned. Prior to my trip, I had hoped…