Is Book of the Month worth it?

Sharing my full (non-sponsored) review of Book of the Month and if it’s worth it. If you’d like to try it out, my referral link gives you access to your first month for $5!

Hi friends! How’s the week going so far? I hope you’re having a great one. It’s been cloudy and rainy here (so lovely!) and it’s been a pretty normal week taking care of Caro (the meds seem to be helping), doing the work thing, and shuffling the crew to activities.

For today’s post, I wanted to talk about Book of the Month since I’ve been using it for over a year now! A couple of years ago, I vowed to start reading three books per month, and it’s ended up being a realistic and attainable goal that’s brought more joy into my life. Book of the Month has been a huge part of that. It’s a monthly subscription that enables me to try out new books and authors, and I’m pumped to share more details about it with you.

*Note: this review is not sponsored and my membership is not gifted. If you’d like to use my referral link, you’ll get your first month for $5!

Is Book of the Month worth it?

(my fave hoodie in all the land)

What is Book of the Month?

Book of the Month is a monthly book subscription. You can select from a handful of new curated titles each month, or browse previous reader faves. If you don’t see something that you want to read, you can skip that month and resume the following month. I currently pay $16.97 per month and have read 14 books through my subscription.

They have BFF rewards along the way and you can earn rewards like pins, a book bag (I love mine!), birthday book, Book of the Year book, and a 20% discount in their online boutique.

Benefits of Book of the Month

You expand your reading horizons

The main reason I joined to Book of the Month was to try new authors and titles that I otherwise might not find. They provide a thorough synopsis for each book, and add excellent emoji descriptors for each option (like emotional, social issues, book length, decade, LOL, light read, slow build, quirky, rural, action-packed, non-linear timeline, supernatural, etc.)

I discovered some new favorite authors and all-time favorite books through Book of the Month.

It encourages me to read more often

When I get a fresh new hardcover each month (digital books will never be as satisfying as the real deal), I’m immediately excited to dive in. I know that having Book of the Month has absolutely helped me to reach my goal of 3 books per month. I also feel like reading on my phone is distracting because I immediately open email and Instagram. This way, I have a book, which is separate from my phone, to enjoy. I also like reading physical books because the kids can see me reading, instead of thinking I’m playing around on my phone.

The downsides

Sometimes I don’t like the available selection

There have been a handful of months where the available titles and the previous reader faves weren’t intriguing to me. I’ve also had one book that was a dud. You can’t win them all, and overall, I’m usually thrilled by the diversity of genres they offer each month.

It’s pricier than simply ordering a book on Amazon

At around $17 per month, it’s more expensive than ordering books on Amazon. At the same time, they’re gorgeous hardcover books and I’ve been sharing them with friends and donating the others to our local library.

Is it worth it?

100% yes it’s been worth it for me. I think of all of the times I waste $20 throughout the month, so it’s a small investment to pay for something that brings me joy and encourages me to read more often each month. I also like that I’m not charged when I skip months, so it’s NBD if they don’t have something I want to read each month.

Have you tried Book of the Month or anything similar?

Are you in any book clubs?

What are you reading right now?

xoxo

Gina

Check out my great 2021 book recap here

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Friday Faves

Hi hi! Happy Friday! I hope you had a wonderful week. The Pilot was gone all week, so it was solo parent ops around here. We did the usual dance, soccer, homework, and school shuffle, enjoyed a dinner with madre and nana, and evening walks. The girls were awesome as always, but it takes a lot of mental energy to go all day until bedtime without someone to tag into the chaos. I’m pretty sure I’ll take a 3-hour nap this weekend lol.

Something else that’s been going on this week: sweet Caro has had a bit of a rough go. She’s an old gal and has some health issues, but things seemed to hit a peak this week. She was walking sideways and tripped over herself, and had multiple accidents in the house, so I called the vet. A few hours after it happened, she was acting normal again, but hasn’t been eating much. The vet is seeing her today, so we’ll see what they say. Thank you so much to those of you who have sent prayers and well wishes her way on IG.

What do you have going on this weekend? We have an event at the girls’ school, dinner plans with some friends, I’m catching a hot yoga class and teaching barre, and we’re celebrating my stepdad’s bday. I hope you have a fun and amazing weekend ahead.

It’s time for the weekly Friday Faves party. 🙂 This is where I share some of my favorite finds from the week and around the web. I always love to hear about your faves, too, so please shout out something you’re loving in the comments section below.

Friday Faves

Life:

A trip to the gem show with my mom! I had badges to go to the JOGS gem and jewelry show -it’s a smaller one, as the gigantic one is in February – and we decided to check it out. We were pretty surprised by the amount of vendors and the selection of sparkly jewelry, gems, and crystals. I got a couple of things for myself, bracelets and sparkly backpack keychains for the crew, and some extras to share with friends and give away here on the blog.

This year’s blog holiday giveaway is already looking pretty epic, I’ve gotta say…

Fashion + Beauty:

Let it be known that our tiny baby has an official skincare routine????? We wandered into Ulta because she was looking for face wash and moisturizer, and unfortunately the Beautycounter Coco cleanser wasn’t a good fit for her skin.

I wanted to get her something gentle with not-so-sketchy ingredients, and in the end, we decided on this face wash (which I’ve used in the past and it’s good for sensitive skin like ours) and this moisturizer. The moisturizer is hydrating without being greasy, and the combo of the two has been a good starting point for her skincare routine.

Your top picks from August! It’s always fun to look through analytics and see what products ya’ll are loving from the blog and my IG.

Here are reader friends’ top picks from August:

This ruched dress is super flattering and on sale right now! I wear mine all the time – I have a few colors – with low-top sneakers and sandals. You can also layer on a jean jacket.

The famous Barefoot Dreams cardigan. I live in mine all fall and winter and always wearing it around the house with my pajamas.

These Zella men’s shorts (on sale). They look so much like the lululemon ones are way less expensive.

My fave leggings of all-time. They have a perfect high waist, thicker fabric (but not too thick!), and can be worn for workouts and the world. $60.

These jeans! They’re a great in-between option (not skinny, but not wide-leg) at a time when jeans are weird. AG always fits well and lasts forever.

This gorgeous pink off-shoulder pullover.

This classic button-up top.

These earrings! I wear mine all the time and they look way more expensive than they are.

Fitness, health, + good eats:

If you haven’t tried this ice cream from Whole Foods, get.on.it. We had a lil dinner party last weekend and dessert with pizookie with all of the toppings (4 types of ice cream, cherries, chocolate sauce, whipped cream, the kids went crazy for it). I got this ice cream, which as chocolate chips and peanut butter swirl. Usually peanut butter ice cream is disappointing because the flavor is muted and gets lost. This had huge ribbons of salty peanut buttery goodness that set my soul free. I’m not a huge ice cream person – give me cake or cookies any day – but I’ll definitely be getting this one again.

New blue light blockers! My friends at Oura sent me these glasses as a collaboration with Ra Optics. They’re VERY red lol but I notice a difference in sleep latency (the amount of time it takes to fall asleep), when I wear these after sundown. Blue light can inhibit our body’s ability to produce melatonin, which helps us wind down and fall asleep. We’re subject to blue light through lightbulbs and screens, and by blocking it out, it can help to reset circadian rhythm. The kids think I’m a wacko when I’m wearing these, but I think they’re super cool.

Weeknight meal inspiration.

Read, watch, listen:

What it’s like to parent in Denmark (I love this series!).

Check out this week’s podcast episode about Fertility Awareness Method here.

Happy Friday, friends!
xo

Gina

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109: Fertility Awareness Method and getting off birth control with Jess Suchan and Candace Burch

Hi friends! I’m so excited for today’s podcast episode because it’s a topic that’s near and dear to my heart: Fertility Awareness Method!

I’ve been practicing FAM since the old days, when I first got off birth control in 2009. It changed my life. It was the first chance I had to understand my cycle and how it changes throughout the month and gave me key insights into my fertile and non-fertile days. It’s a non-hormonal form of birth control that can be very effective, especially if you’re diligent about tracking your symptoms throughout the month. It can also tell you if something is off, like if your cycle starts to change lengths drastically, or if you’re not ovulating.

In today’s podcast episode, I’m chatting with Jess Suchan and Candace Burch (an incredible mother-daughter duo! Candace’s daughter Ryan also works on the family business) all about birth control and Fertility Awareness Method.

109: Fertility Awareness Method and getting off birth control with Jess Suchan and Candace Burch

Here’s what we discuss:

– Why hormonal birth control can be problematic

– What is FAM and how does it work?

– Tracking apps and how to track throughout the month

– Hormone balancing tips

– and so.much.more.

It’s also worth mentioning here that birth control is a super personal topic and at the end of the day, you have to research and do what makes sense for your body and life. This podcast episode is not meant to convince anyone; we’re just sharing our experiences. You gotta do what works for you, boo. Also, friendly reminder that this is not medical advice and just intended for informational purposes.

You can also check out my previous podcast episode with Candace Burch here!

Here’s a little bit more about Candace and Jess and their backgrounds:

Jess Suchan is a board certified Holistic Health Coach who coaches her clients towards finding a life of bliss, free from fad diets, overexercising, and burnout. She believes that in order to change our habits we must address the “holistic picture” and compassionately investigate how all areas of our lives are interconnected.

Jess spent over a decade yo-yo dieting, exercising for punishment and ignoring the messages her body was sending her. This lifestyle coupled with a slew of stressful jobs, led her to develop debilitating migraines which she eventually cured with a holistic approach. When she discovered the power of food and lifestyle as medicine, she decided to become a health coach via the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, and dedicated her time to helping others find that “2.0 version of themselves!” Today, she coaches clients privately and works in partnership with Your Hormone Balance (she also recently completed a Hormone Health Extension course through I.I.N.).

She is also the creator of the Sexy Sugar Cleanse and Sexy Swaps & Recipe Guide and in the Spring of 2021, she launched a line of superfood latte blends for detoxification & energy -a great hormone balancing swap for black coffee!

Candace Burch is a Hormone Health Educator with a Masters in Health Education and over 25 years of experience in the field. In 2017, she founded Your Hormone Balance as a one-on-one consulting practice, and is now joined by her two daughters, Ryan and Jess, who have expanded YHB’s reach to women around the world (keep reading for the full story behind this family biz!).

Candace’s background includes working as a health editor, writer and investigative journalist in London, leading educational patient and provider initiatives for ZRT Hormone Laboratory (as their Director of Education for 12+ years), as well as spearheading “Body in Balance,” a hormone testing and rebalancing weight loss program at Metabolic Research Center (a nationwide weight loss company).

Candace continues to raise awareness about hormonal health and disease prevention through her work as a writer, speaker and podcaster (Listen to Candace and her cohost, Kyle McAvoy, NP, on the Women Talking Frankly Podcast).

Today she lives in McMinnville, Oregon with her husband and son/schnoodle, Riley. Outside of hormone health, her passions include sketching, reading, dancing, music, long walks, swimming, international travel, quality time spent with loved ones, and making sure that every day is filled with purpose, love and zest for living!

You can check out Your Hormone Balance here and use the code FITNESSISTA50 for $50 off any of their test kit packages.

Resources from this episode:

Beyond the Pill

Taking Charge of Your Fertility

Natural Cycles

iPeriod (this is the app I use)

Check out Jess’ latte blends here! I’m so excited to try these!

I love love love the meals from Sakara Life! Use this link and the code XOGINAH for 20% off their meal delivery and clean boutique items. This is something I do once a month as a lil treat to myself and the meals are always showstoppers.

Get 15% off Organifi with the code FITNESSISTA. I drink the green juice, red juice, gold, and Harmony! (Each day I might have something different, or have two different things. Everything I’ve tried is amazing.)

If any of my fellow health professional friends are looking for another way to help their clients, I highly recommend IHP. You can also use this information to heal yourself and then go one to heal others, which I think is a beautiful mission.

You can use my referral link here and the code FITNESSISTA for up to $250 off the Integrative Health Practitioner program. This is the certification I’m currently working towards and highly recommend it. You can check out my initial thoughts on IHP here!

Thank you so much for listening and for all of your support with the podcast! Please be sure to subscribe, and leave a rating or review if you enjoyed this episode. If you leave a rating, head to this page and you’ll get a little “thank you” gift from me to you. 

xo

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Blackberry Cucumber Cocktail

Sharing a recipe for a delicious and refreshing blackberry cucumber cocktail!

Hi hi! How’s the day going so far? I hope you’re having a great morning. I’m catching a yoga class and spending the rest of the day working on some stuff for Fit Team and the podcast.

For today’s post, I wanted to share a super delicious and EASY cocktail recipe. This one is courtesy of my brother Kyle, and we learned how to make this while we did his Cocktails in the Kitchen class at Miraval.

TBH, I haven’t experimented with cocktails too much. I feel like they can be intimidating, and while I can follow a recipe, I don’t tend to be very creative with cocktails. (Worth mentioning here that I do make a very lovely margarita, but that’s about where it ends.) He had our stations set up with fresh herbs, berries, tools, and gin, and before we knew it, we were cheers-ing each other with the freshest libation I’d had in a long time. I’m so pumped to share the recipe with you!

Blackberry Cucumber Cocktail

Ingredients

Cucumber

Mint

Basil

Blackberries

Simple syrup (equal parts honey and water)

Lemon

Lime

Gin

Ice

Instructions

Muddle all of the ingredients (minus the gin).

Next, add in the gin. Shake, strain, and garnish!

Kyle gave us an awesome tip for serving cocktails like this at parties:

Make a large batch of these and store in the fridge in a pitcher. Make one serving of these for guests while they’re over (so they can see the “wow” factor of it being prepared), but then serve the rest out of the pitcher that’s already ready to go and garnish.

I love this tip because making single cocktails has always been intimidating to me – I just don’t want people waiting around for their drinks while I prepare each one – so it’s a great idea to have a bunch ready to go and chilling in the fridge.

Another lesson I learned: I’m really into gin lately. I’m a wine or tequila girl, but I love the smoothness of gin and that it’s so neutral.

Here’s the full recipe if you want to give this one a try!!

Print

Blackberry Cucumber Cocktail

Print Recipe

A delicious and refreshing cocktail that’s perfect for parties or special occasions!

• Author: Gina Harney // The Fitnessista

Ingredients

1/2 cucumber

5 sprigs mint

5 sprigs basil

1/4 cup simple syrup (dissolve equal parts honey and lime)

Juice of 1 lemon

Juice of 1 lime

2 oz gin

Ice

Instructions

Muddle everything together except the gin.

Add the gin, ice, shake, and strain.

Serve in a cocktail glass and garnish with extra berries and sprigs of mint.

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @fitnessista on Instagram

So, tell me, friends: what’s your go-to cocktail (or mocktail)?

Gin-loving friends: what should I try next?!

xo

Gina

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Should I do strength or cardio first?

Sharing some tips on whether you should do strength or cardio first in your workout routine. 

Hi friends! Hope you’re having a great morning and hope you enjoyed the long weekend! I’m already counting down the days until the next school break. Waking up early is not my cup of tea lol.

For today’s post, I wanted to talk about strength vs.cardio and which one you should do first in your routine. There are so many different types of exercise routines, and they offer different benefits for the body (and mind!). Doing an combination of strength and cardio can help you acheive your body composition and fitness goals, and knowing how to structure these in your routine can help you maximize the benefits. Deciding which one to do first depends on your fitness goals and other factors.

In today’s post, I’m sharing tips on how to decide which one to do first!

Should I do strength or cardio first?

A balanced fitness plan includes strength and cardio components, as well as mobility and rest. You also want to make sure that you’re alternating workout intensities throughout the week. For example, if you have a really hard cardio day, follow this with an easier day or rest. How much cardio and strength training you do in your weekly routine depends on your current fitness level, goals, unique factors (like age, health issues, injuries, medications, etc.). While I am a certified personal trainer and women’s fitness specialist, please remember that I’m not a doctor. Talk to your doctor before making any fitness changes and honor your body.

Also, remember that whenever you start something new in your routine, you will likely be sore, so DON’T push it too hard. This is why I usually have beginning training clients start with bodyweight-only or super light weights; they’re going to be sore no matter what.

Benefits Of Cardio After Weights

For body recomposition:

I typically recommend cardio after strength training if building muscle is the priority.  Typically women don’t understand that if you’re looking for a more “toned” look, you need to put on muscle. For this reason, we’ll emphasize strength training (progressive training and phased programming for optimal results), and sprinkle cardio in, but not too much.

For hormonal considerations:

Also, many of the women I work with are dealing with hormone imbalances, often from years of stress, under-eating, and overexercising. Workouts can be an extra stressor on the body, especially intense cardio. So, we’ll focus more on strength training and stick to daily walks until their energy levels return and inflammation is down.

Weights first helps to prepare the body for cardio

Doing strength first can help the body prepare for more explosive cardio movements, as you’re often working the joints through full range of motion and warming up the muscles. It can be helpful to mimic some of the upcoming cardio movements during your strength training routine.

Increased metabolism through higher muscle density:

Muscle tissue is “hungrier” than fat, which means it burns more calories at rest. When you’re focused on muscle-building, you may not see a higher calorie burn during the workout, but you’ll be increasing your body’s energy demand, which increases your metabolism.

Benefits Of Cardio Before Weights

A lever you can pull for fat loss

While I think that nutrition and sleep are the most important for fat loss goals, you can use cardio before strength training as a lever. Your overall calorie burn will be higher during the actual workout, and you’ll have more energy to push yourself.

If you’re training for a race or endurance event, cardio first can help performance

You’ll have a higher amount of energy for whatever you do first in your workout. If you have specific endurance goals, I recommend warming up and then doing cardio first.

At the end of the day, consistency the most important

I wouldn’t fret too much over whether you do cardio or strength first; it what makes sense for your routine that you’re able to do consistently. It also depends on personal preference and what you enjoy. If you enjoy your routine, you’re way more likely to stick with it for the long haul, which will give you the best results.

So, tell me, friends: do you like to cardio and weights on the same day, or separate days?

Which one do you like to do first?

xoxo

Gina

Need help? Here’s how to set up a workout plan and how to determine your strength training split. If you’re looking for 1:1 nutrition or fitness coaching, you can apply here. <3

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Friday Faves

Hi hi! Happy Friday! How was the week? Ours was a bit of a blur (the Pilot was flying nights), but I’m so pumped the weekend is here. I’m going to the Sebastian Yatra concert with some friends, we’re having friends over for dinner on Saturday, and then celebrating my dad’s bday on Sunday. I hope you have a fun and wonderful weekend ahead!

We’re into Self-Care September with Fit Team, and it’s been inspiring to to dive into some self-care and nurturing habits, especially since we’re about to head into the busy fall and holiday season. If you’d like to join us, enrollment is technically closed, but email me (gina@fitnessista.com) and I’ll get you a link!

It’s time for the weekly Friday Faves party! This is where I share some of my favorite finds from the week and around the web. I always love to hear about your faves, too, so please shout out something you’re loving in the comments section below.

Friday Faves

Read, watch, listen:

Adding so many books to my to-read list. 

Don’t forget to check out this week’s podcast episode with Laura Varney here.

Mindset shifts to stop worrying about what other people think.

Another study demonstrating the value of consistency.

Fitness + good eats:

30-minute bodyweight-only barre workout.

Lots of meal inspo in this post.

Pumpkin season is HERE and I’m making these asap.

Tips for running with a baby.

Fashion + beauty:

I keep thinking about canceling RTR Unlimited, but then we have a vacation or event, and I’m so glad I have it. I realized I haven’t shopped much for myself lately (besides a couple trips to lulu!) because I’ve been enjoying rotating through these 8 pieces each month.

Wore this skirt the other day:

(tank is here, shoes are here)

and this dress yesterday 🙂

(shoes are here)

Labor Day Sales!!

Labor Day weekend is here and there are so many great sales!

Here are some of my top picks:

The BEST Labor Day sale is the one for HigherDOSE – 20% off sitewide! Use this as a chance to get your sauna blanket (so perfect for chilly mornings but I use it all year), or PEMF Go Mat. I also love their red light face mask. The link is here and the code is LDW22.

Free gift with Beautycounter purchase over $125! You’ll receive a full-sized version of the Overnight Peel, which I love using to gently exfoliate my skin a couple of times each week. It’s one of our bestsellers and you can get it for free. If you’re shopping Beautycounter for the first time, use the code CLEANFORALL30 and get 30% off, too.

Tory Burch private sale! Ordering a replacement pair of Millers since Maisey ate my brand-new tan ones… :/

Madewell up to 40% off with code LONGWEEKEND. Going to look at their jeans and sweaters!

Abercrombie is up to 50% off. I like that they’re rebranding as more of a Reformation-type vibe and targeting so many of us who used to shop there (and work there!) in high school and college.

Ulta 50% off must-haves!

Happy Friday, friends! Thanks so much for stopping by the blog today and I’ll see ya soon.

xo

Gina

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108: Prenatal fitness + shifting fitness perspectives with Laura Varney

Hi friends! So excited that the podcast is BACK 🙂 I anticipate summers being more low-key on the podcast front, but now that we’re back in a routine, I have interviews stacked up and so much content to share with you guys. Please subscribe to the show if you’d like to be notified of new episodes as they go live!

For today’s episode, I’m chatting with Laura Varney about prenatal fitness, birth experiences, and how fitness perspectives can shift over time.

108: Prenatal fitness + shifting fitness perspectives with Laura Varney

We talk about:

– Her background and how she started working in the fitness industry

– Prenatal fitness tips

– Her experience in the bikini competition world

– How fitness perspectives and messaging have changed over time

– Her tips for being Healthy in Real Life

and so much more.

Here’s a bit more about Laura and her background:

Laura’s mission is to create a more empathetic approach to wellness – especially for those entering motherhood. Laura is a National Academy of Sports Medicine certified personal trainer, nutrition coach, and registered yoga teacher in Los Angeles. Her vigorous resume includes the specialization of strength and functional training, pre/postnatal training, HIIT (high-intensity interval training), and power vinyasa yoga.

She is the founder of The Baby Body: a 35-week prenatal exercise designed to keep women strong throughout all stages of pregnancy, during labor, and while being a parent. Laura’s passion for seeking an “unrestricted” life has catapulted her into the pursuit of empowering, supporting, and inspiring the women around her.

You can check out her website here and her Instagram accounts here and here.

Resources from this episode:

If you’re listening to this episode when it first launches, it’s Labor Day Sale sitewide at HigherDOSE, the makers of my favorite portable sauna blanket. Use this link and the code LDW22 for 20% sitewide! If you’re catching up on this episode later, you can use FITNESSISTA15 for 15% off! I LOVE the sauna blanket, PEMF Go Mat and red light face mask.

I love love love the meals from Sakara Life! Use this link and the code XOGINAH for 20% off their meal delivery and clean boutique items. This is something I do once a month as a lil treat to myself and the meals are always showstoppers.

Get 15% off Organifi with the code FITNESSISTA. I drink the green juice, red juice, gold, and Harmony! (Each day I might have something different, or have two different things. Everything I’ve tried is amazing.)

If any of my fellow health professional friends are looking for another way to help their clients, I highly recommend IHP. You can also use this information to heal yourself and then go one to heal others, which I think is a beautiful mission.

You can use my referral link here and the code FITNESSISTA for up to $250 off the Integrative Health Practitioner program. This is the certification I’m currently working towards and highly recommend it. You can check out my initial thoughts on IHP here!

Thank you so much for listening and for all of your support with the podcast! Please be sure to subscribe, and leave a rating or review if you enjoyed this episode. If you leave a rating, head to this page and you’ll get a little “thank you” gift from me to you. 

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