I am so excited to announce that I am now certified to teach a fantastic course for expecting mamas. The course is called LEAN Expectations, and was designed by Dr. William Sears, a well-known pediatrician and author of over 40 books.

In honor of the upcoming Halloween holiday that is celebrated in the US at the end of this month, I thought I’d write my thoughts about a topic that many find scary… Meal planning!

Motivation. It’s a challenge for all of us at different times. I’ve been thinking about the things that stand in our way when we are facing something that seems scary or new.

So our new apartment is directly over a Trader Joe’s. Temptation much? Um, yeah. As a general rule, we do not purchase items in packages or boxes or cans when it comes to things we eat. And that’s pretty much all TJ’s carries.

I was a part of a discussion group this month that tackled the topic of change. How did we handle it? Did we differ in our approach depending on whether it was planned change or unexpected change? Did it also vary depending on whether we chose the change or whether it happened to us without our input?

So, it's over. My recital was this week. I executed every move -- jumps, turns, leaps, kicks, and stretches -- to the best of my ability. I was really pleased with the end result. I haven't seen a recording yet but I really don't need to see it to know how I did. I already know.

It's the home stretch! My recital is officially NEXT WEEK!! I'm getting pretty excited. I'm also getting a bit nervous. But let's not talk about that, shall we?

Here we are, a month into this experiment. I am definitely feeling my strength returning. My balance is SO much better that I can tell my ballet teacher is impressed with my ability to not fall over in the middle of class, even when I don’t have the barre right next to me.

So this week was a biggie, for lots of reasons. 1) It was my dance recital dress rehearsal. 2) The day before the dress rehearsal, I started to feel a scratchy throat. 3) I'm moving this week.

I’m in week 2 of a transition in lifestyle. So last week was definitely rough around the edges. I really wanted some junk food, and I really had to force myself to get back into my HiiT workout schedule.