My family is in Florida enjoying the final weeks of summer and I don't think I have to tell you how hot it is here. It has been sunny and humid pretty much every day so far, with little rain breaks in the evening. When you're on vacation in a hot climate like Florida, it can be difficult (especially when you're not used to it) to stay hydrated and have energy. Because you are constantly sweating, you need to make sure that you are replacing lost fluids with plenty of water. I

When you are on vacation, it can be difficult to eat healthy or on the cheap. Thankfully, if you have a kitchen, there are ways to circumvent spending money on restaurant meals by making them in your room. Whenever we stay in Florida, we always stop by Whole Foods for some groceries to fill in the extra days. At Whole Foods, or certain grocery stores, you can find healthy, frozen meals. Our favorites are Amy's Macaroni and Cheese, Amy's Burritos, Saffron Road Chicken Tikka Ma

Tomorrow starts my summer vacation! I am so excited to finally have a break from writing. I thought it would be fun to start a travel diary focused on my fitness routines and tips. If you are deciding to take a trip somewhere, I recommend that you try some of these great routines, recipes, and more! Today, I am sharing a great video of 8 quick workouts that you can do on vacation. I hope you enjoy, and don't forget to check back every week for more updates! Until next time, A

I wanted to make a quick breakfast that would last a couple of mornings and came across the Betty Crocker recipe for banana bread. I had forgotten how much I loved it! Today, I would like to share the recipe along with a few changes that I made to make it gluten-free. The flour I used was Bob's Red Mill All Purpose Gluten-Free Baking Flour. Enjoy! Best Gluten-Free Banana Bread Ingredients: 1 cup turbinado sugar 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened 2 eggs 3 ripe bananas, mashed 1

I know I've been a little MIA the past couple weeks and I apologize for that. I've been working on writing my first novel and the deadline is Labor Day, so I've been busting my butt trying to get it done. Unfortunately, when I'm writing something like that, my brain just isn't able to think about anything else. The blog fell my the wayside, but now I'm back! I won't make any promises that I'll never miss a day ever again, because that's just unrealistic. But, I will promise y

Holly Flores! Woohoo! Congratulations on winning the giveaway, Holly. You have won a signed copy of A Dancer's Diary, a signed copy of Stress Less Cooking by Deidra Howard, and 2 Yes-To Face Masks. Thank you to everyone who entered! If you would like to know about more opportunities to enter fun giveaways, make sure you are subscribed to our mailing list to get first access to new stuff. Until next time, Amanda #Giveaway #Book #Blogging #Summer

Most women like having a lifted and rounded booty. Today I am sharing with you my favorite and probably the #1 best move for achieving the perfectly toned, hamstrings and butt. Romanian Deadlift The Benefits: They are easy They specifically target the hamstrings and glutes They trigger fat-burning hormone release Doing them correctly will strengthen your lats, creating a strong back Powerful hamstrings will help you jump higher, run faster, and lift that booty They increase f

Like anything in life, exercise should be done in moderation. There are usually two types of people when it comes to fitness; those who aren't motivated to exercise at all and those who love to exercise because it makes them feel good. There is also one more type of person who takes exercise to the extreme of an addiction. This person takes up a very small percentage of the fitness community, however, I have been seeing more and more of these people coming out of the woodwork

Have a wonderful day my lovely readers! Don't forget to enter to win a signed copy of A Dancer's Diary, a signed copy of Stress Less Cooking by Deidra Howard, and two Yes-To Face masks. Click here to enter! Until next time, Amanda #Dance #Health #Quotes #Exercise #Book #Inspiration #Athletics #Sports #Support #Giveaway #Dancers #Summer

Every dancer knows exactly what I'm going to talk about today. Have you ever experienced snapping or popping joints? Most dancers, and some athletes, have. It has become a pretty normal annoyance to have to deal with. However, does it actually mean something is wrong? That is what we are going to talk about. A lot of the time, snapping joints are totally benign. Though, there are times when this popping can be from an injury. They usually snap or pop due to one or more of the

I am not a huge fan of eggs. I don't know why, I just don't particularly love them. However, this is one recipe that I absolutely love for breakfast. It is probably the only omelet I will ever willingly eat from now on. Ever since I bought my copy of Julia Child's recipe book, I've been experimenting with all sorts of different French meals. Today, I am going to share this really easy breakfast (or lunch...or dinner) recipe with you. If you like omelets, you will definitely l

Today is beach day! And, with beach day, comes the thought of which book I should bring along with me. I am always the one at the beach laid out on my towel with a book in my hand (occasionally taking a break to stick my feet in the water to cool off). With that said, I would like to share my top 10 favorite summer reads. Let me know what your favorite books/authors are in the comments below. Enjoy! #1 The Great Gatsby I love this book! I finished it in one day when I first b

Good afternoon my dear readers! There come times where I just can't seem to stay awake. Today is one of those days. I'm tired and groggy and can't get my brain to think clearly. So, rather than force myself to write an informative post and have it be sub-par, I have decided to rest and get back to you on Friday. It's just one of those days. I'll be back before you know it! I have a lot of great ideas for future blog posts so be sure to keep you eye out. Until next time, Amand

The title of this post may suggest to you that there is one perfect way to start your Mondays. However, I'm going to tell you that that is untrue. You may read blogs or books that tell you that you must have a certain routine in order to be successful or to make your week successful. Just like no two people are alike, no two Mondays are alike. Every day is a gift and every day comes with its unique challenges. I am going to share some simple ways you can make your Mondays ama

We've talked a lot about how to take care of your skin from both the inside and outside. On Monday, I shared some of the best foods to eat to help clear up your skin and maintain decreased levels of inflammation and Wednesday I shared some of my favorite skin care products and recipes. I look forward to sharing even more with you in the coming week. For now, though, I wanted to offer you a chance to win a couple of things that will help you in your quest for healthy, clear sk

I've had a lot of fun so far trying out new products and recipes for pampering myself at home. Now, I know that nothing beats a spa and having someone give you a massage or facial, however, sometimes it's just not the most affordable option. Because I haven't had enough time to try out all of the recipes that I wanted to, I'm going to extend this series into next week as well. Today, I'm going to share the products that I have tried and hopefully you like them! Some of these

If you follow me on Instagram, you will have seen that I am starting a series all about natural care products and at-home "spa" items. I've decided to try out a couple of different facial care brands as well as some easy recipes. To start off this series, we're going to discuss some great foods that will help you achieve healthy, strong skin and hair. Food is the main way to keep your body healthy and happy. Sticking to healthy foods that are high in antioxidants, minerals, a

I've talked a lot about finding balance between your agonist and antagonist muscles. Exercising one group of muscles more than the other, or completely neglecting one altogether, can increase your susceptibility to certain injuries. If you will remember, I discussed this in my post about hamstring and quadriceps. If you have tight triceps and weaker biceps, you can experience pulling on the tendons near the elbows. This can be a problem if you are a pitcher or tennis player.

So...I know it's been a couple of week since part one of this short series, however, I think it's time to pick it back up again and finish it. If you didn't see the first part, you can check it out here. As I mentioned in my last post, back pain is a very common issue among all ages. Whether they are active or inactive, athletic or not, young or old. In the last post, I shared some great strengthening exercises for increasing back strength. Today, I am going to share some cor

Today, I would like to get back into the regular swing of things by sharing a great quote that I found by Jillian Michaels. “You messed up your diet and didn’t exercise today—so what? You didn’t ruin anything. Get back on track tomorrow. If you have one flat tire, do you slash the other three? Of course not.” –Jillian Michaels Keep up the good work! Even if you didn't do things perfectly today, there is always tomorrow. I believe in you. Have a wonderful rest of your Monday!