28 Ways and Days of Self-Love

Back when I was a kid, I was HUGE fan of the pastel, sweet conversation heart candies. Not only did I devour the wintergreen tasting, chalky sugar in my teeth, the messages always made me smile. While those little bites packed me with too much sugar, they also filled me with self-love. Through my own research and journey within wellness, I’ve learned that positivity goes a long way. Our minds can be a big tool for resiliency and help with our own stress reduction. While it takes time to turn around habits, including learning to self-love, at Pretty Wellness we’re here to encourage you to take baby steps toward better health and happiness. While I won’t be eating any candy hearts to celebrate Valentine’s Day, I’m excited to celebrate by sharing 28 self-care and self-love ideas so we can all treat ourselves a little better.

19 Wellness Trends for 2019

What’s new and what’s hot in wellness is right here – we’ve got the latest wellness trends for you. We’ve been attending events, reading trade publications and embracing conversations about healthy lifestyle modalities and what will be mainstream in 2019. Some of these items may stick, some may not…but we’re excited to share what in wellness will be more readily available this year. Below are our favorite 19 wellness trends for 2019.

Five Signs You’ve Graduated from Being a Yoga Newbie

Yoga can be incredibly intimidating when you’re new. As a beginner, I wore dark layered clothing because I felt self-conscious wishing I was thinner. Wanting to go unnoticed, I feared that everyone would see my stiff body. Within weeks, I bought my own gear. Using it correctly seemed easy, until my underwear flew out of my hot yoga towel. I quickly learned the importance of using fabric softener with these clingy items. So I initially separated myself from the room thinking I wasn’t as good as everyone else. What I soon realized is that it’s not easy to catch on right away. Yoga is more of a practice focused on personal intentions, rather than a class to conquer. No one was looking at me; they were all looking within themselves.

How a Disney Princess Helped Me Discover My New Normal

I was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer in the Fall of 2013. The news was shocking and sobering, especially considering I knew very few people who thrived with it. Scared beyond comprehension, filled with sleepless nights and worries dancing through my head, I thought I knew what that diagnosis meant. At the same time, publicity ramped up for Disney’s “Frozen,” but I didn’t pay attention. The movie opened Thanksgiving weekend and after the holidays, the world knew it was not only a box office hit, but the key to a young girl’s heart. I didn’t realize, it would be to mine, as well.

As the world was singing “Do you Want to Build a Snowman, ” I was anxiously awaiting my first set of scans after being diagnosed. My mind was filled with wildly ranging thoughts:

Was this the calm before the storm? Would the results show tremendous growth and I would only have a few months or years left?

If so, would my child really know me? Should we tell him or not?

Will my new treatments debilitate me? Will I feel like myself? Will I be myself?

25 Tips for a Healthy Mind & Body

I used to be that person who started her diet or training “tomorrow.” But in recent years, the power of Nike’s famous slogan, “Just Do It” has resonated. An over-thinker to the core, I learned to stop analyzing and just put one foot in front of the other toward a small healthy goal. I remember days with only few hours of sleep, rushing to drop the baby at daycare then off to hours worth of boardroom meetings. My mind was so active with the stress of getting through the day, I always thought I was too busy to take care of myself.