2019 Vikara Fitness and Yoga Retreat

04.27.2019 by awellpacedlife // Leave a Comment

I recently had the pleasure of being invited to the first ever Vikara Fitness and Yoga Retreat in Scottsdale, AZ! It was some of the best 3 days of my life, and certainly the healthiest. I’ve gotten so many questions about the event and what all it entailed, so I thought I would break it down for you!

2019 Vikara Fitness and Yoga Retreat

I received my itinerary a few days in advance and it listed all of the fitness & yoga class options for each day I would be there, and that there would be chef made meals provided at breakfast, lunch & dinner. A vacation where I get to workout multiple times throughout the day, and eat healthy, chef prepared meal 3 x’s a day=HELLO AM I DREAMING? I can’t think of anything more up my alley! Did I mention yet that it was hosted in the beautiful land of Scottsdale, AZ where it’s always warm and sunny? It couldn’t have come at a better time, since Missouri was getting one of its worst and longest winters EVER!!! To top it off, one of my best friends (who happens to be a certified Health Coach), and loves fitness and health as much as I do, got to come along with me to the event! If you’re interested in any coaching, check out her site here. She will get you onto the right track!!!

Hotel Adeline

Let me start with telling you that packing for a trip was never easier. When all you need to pack for a trip is workout gear, a swimsuit, and a yoga mat, you know its going to be great!!! I hopped on the plane to Phoenix where I couldn’t wait to step off into the warm/sunshine! I took a 15 minute Uber ride to Hotel Adeline, located in Old Town Scottsdale. VERY COOL! Immediately stepping out of the Uber, I noticed a modern, bohemian and fun vibe of the hotel. It was light, airy and very cool elements in the boutique-style hotel. When I first walked into the hotel, I immediately noticed the oh-so gorgeous white oak flooring throughout. The front desk was designed with gorgeous tiling, a 3D background with the saying “Home is where the heart is” on it. You couldn’t help but, well, feel at home! The lobby was spacious and had plenty of comfy seating with several live plants and the neatest modern fireplace with bohemian decor above it. You can find out all the details of their hotel and book a stay here!

In visiting my room, it was the cutest, modern designed and newly renovated(the entire hotel had been renovated), along with one of the most comfortable beds I’ve ever slept in, at a hotel. I literally had to check the mattress and it was a Simmons Beautyrest(for those looking for a comfy mattress)! The room had a quaint bathroom with a beautifully tiled shower and glass front. All of the rooms facing the inside of the pool overlooked the pool and gorgeous palm trees. We also had a picture-worthy view of camelback mountain!

Menu Options

It was the coolest thing that Vikara Events had actually reserved the ENTIRE HOTEL specifically for the event! That just put a personal touch on the whole event! Each day we would get up, eat breakfast from the OH SO DELICIOUS buffet that they had, freshly squeezed juices, coffee or freshly infused water. Every meal was a special menu planned just for the event, which made us all feel so special! I have to mention that the staff from the hotel was incredibly “on it” and so sweet, always checking on us. Swipe left, below, to see a sample of the menus we had to choose from. Everything was so good, I have to say. After working out multiples times each day, my appetite was huge! Each meal was very health conscious, clean eating and nutrient dense foods. It really motivated me to stick to eating clean after I got home.

Class Schedules

Typically while we were having breakfast we would figure out which classes we wanted to take each day. In the front of the hotel, outside they had a H.I.I.T area set up in the parking lot for classes throughout the day. Covering a portion of the pool they had an actual stage set up over the water for all sorts of classes, ranging from Buti Yoga(which was new for me), Hip Hop Vinyasa, Core power, just to name a few). Think of Buti Yoga like; African dance meets yoga!!! They had spinning classes, Aerial yoga, Acrobatic yoga near the pool as well, and inside the main ballroom were more of your Aroma Flow, Restorative Yoga, Goddess Workshop and classes you could sit in on. Each night they would have a night-time yoga class to wind you down for the night. One of the classes I especially loved was the Ayurvedic medicine and holistic healing system. I found it so interesting!

They had top-notch trainers there that were so friendly and definitely motivational! The amazing sound system in each workout area, pretty much made everyone want to dance! The vibe was incredible and I have to say it is such an awesome feeling being around a bunch of HEALTHY people. Everyone was happy and the whole mood those few days was just electrifying! The hardest part of those 3 days was deciding how many and classes could we fit into each day!

It was just such a casual, relaxed setting. If you wanted to just hang out by the pool and relax, you could. It was a very relaxed environment, helping you feel free to decide for yourself what you wanted to do. They even had vendors set up poolside so you could shop. Also, we watched true yogis for a couple of hours, do out of this world poses that they made look easy. I would have just fallen in the pool and embarrassed myself! Each day there were cooking demonstrations and different speakers came in and speak about nutrition, mindful eating, etc.

Camelback Mountain

On my last morning there, we decided to take a 5 minute Uber ride to hike Camelback Mountain. This was so beautiful and a must do, if you are visiting Scottsdale. It certainly was not like any hiking trail Missouri has to offer! To see the view when you get up on top of the mountain was just beautiful. I can certainly see why people move there!!! An exhilarating, sunny hike is just what we needed before we flew back to snow on the ground. P.S. Bring your water bottle with you and possibly a backpack that includes a first aid kit(you never know if you’ll get scraped up, etc. because it’s pretty steep). To read more about the mountain, visit here.

If you’ve always wanted to go on a healthy/fitness vacation, my 2 words would be “DO IT“. It would be one of the best trips you’ll ever take. This would also be a great couples trip, to reconnect or celebrate a birthday/anniversary! There were couples, friends, siblings there, etc. It’s such a great way to learn some new styles of fitness, reset your fitness routine, get in tune with your mind/body, and most importantly—DESTRESS yourself.

The top 4 things I would bring to a Fitness & Yoga retreat are:

1)Yoga Mat- Here are some foldable options that go in your suitcase easily!

2)Water Bottle

3) Sunscreen & your swimsuit!

4) workout clothes

Easy enough, right?

Thanks for reading! If you have any questions on the event, please email me at heather@awellpacedlife.com. The next Vikara Fitness & Yoga retreat is being held in San Diego-August 22-25th. Visit here to sign up, you wont regret it!!!

My Recent Skincare Haul

04.05.2019 by awellpacedlife // Leave a Comment

Hi Guys! I thought I’d share with you, my most recent skincare haul with you, since its such an important part of our everyday. If its NOT, it definitely should be!!! Skincare is what helps bring our skin to life, giving it that moisturized,youthful, clear and bright glow that we all yearn for. Not to leave out the benefits of drinking plenty of water, has on your skin as well. Drink up y’all!

Holy Grail of Skincare

Ever since I worked as a territory sales manager in the cosmeceutical industry, I really discovered the benefits of medical grade skincare. It has stronger ingredients in them, than what you can buy products at Sephora or Ulta or any other big box store. They also are allowed to have certain ingredients in them, that only a place where a physician or medical director is in charge of the place of business, such as Vitamin A/RetinA. The Holy Grail of youth!!!

I have really been taking good care of my skin for the past 13 years now, and heavily regret ever sunbathing without sunscreen or using tanning beds in my 20s! It all just wreaks havoc on your skin and leaves it damaged, only causing you the need to correct it, later on in life, or worse yet, remove skin cancers. I have a great article I wrote about the best sunscreens for your body here, and my top choices for face sunscreens here, if you want to read them.

Since I’m in my early 40s, I’ve noticed a change in fine lines, elasticity, and moisture levels, and I now have Rosacea on my nose(which will have to be a later blog post about that separate topic). I notice I am dry in the winter, and oilier in the summer, I think that is fairly common. So in the winter, I usually choose a heavier moisturizer in the a.m. and p.m., than I will going into Spring/Summer. I focus on anti-aging skincare, exfoliating, preventing and regenerating new skin cells alot!

My Recent Skincare Haul

Ever since I tried the Pixi Glow Tonic toner with Glycolic Acid last year, I was hooked! It literally did give my skin a clear glow after using it each night. The 5% Glycolic Acid gives my skin just enough exfoliation that I need, plus its for all skin types. I have been out of it for about a week now and I can tell that I havent been using it. I especially like this product, because with going to the gym and sweating a lot, this helps keep my pores clean and helps get rid of the excess oils that soap can leave behind.

I also became hooked on the Epionce skincare line last year and LOVE LOVE LOVE it. Its ingredients really are focused on a plant based skincare, along with medical grade ingredients. I use their entire line of products, just FYI! I was almost out of my Renewal Facial Lotion for normal skin, so I needed more. If you read the ingredient list, its chalk full of natural oils like Safflower, Meadowfoam, Orange Peel oil, Lemon Peel Oil, Linseed oil, & Avocado Oil, which are all very moisturizing, non-comedogenic and paraben free. Just a small detail that I appreciate, is that the bottle is see-thru, so you can tell how much product you have left in it and when you need to get more! I love that!!! Most bottles, you have no idea how much product you’ve got left, and all of a sudden there’s no more product to pump out and so you’ll be out of that product for a few days, long enough to have to wait for it to ship to you! It really is the small things in life!

The 3rd item I purchased because one of my favorite skincare youtuber: Brianna Stanko. This woman knows what she’s talking about. She’s worked for a physician and with medical grade skincare for so many years and is WONDERFUL for tips and advice: She has tons and tons of very useful videos! Ok, so back to the product: It is by Glowbiotics, and its their Probiotic Hydraglow Cream Oil. I have been hearing how beneficial probiotics are as a topical in your skincare, not just as a supplement for your gut! This product says its supposed to help you achieve just a nice dewy glow to your skin. It goes well under your foundation, or you can even use it to highlight your prone areas of your face, on top of your makeup. You can read more on their site at www.glowbiotics.com

The 4th Item that I recently purchased again, thanks to Brianna Stanko is the Osmosis Renew Vitamin A Serum. My skin is pretty acclimated to Retinols, so I chose their strongest product of the RetinA line, which is the Renew, level 4 that you can find here. I have heard Brianna rave about the Osmosis line for years, so I finally decided to try it for myself. It’s supposed to have the same effects of a RetinA cream, however, without the dry peeliness that you can get from a RetinA. If you want to read more about the osmosis line, you can visit their website at www.osmosisskincare.com

My last item that I’ve been using for a few weeks now is a Vitamin E oil. It has helped my skin become incredibly soft, and I swear my skin simply glows now! It helps improve fine lines, skin texture, tone and aging! One of my all time favorite bloggers Jennifer Reed with The Sister Studio blog raves about this all of the time, so I broke down and had to try it. I could rave on and on about it, but you just need to get it and see for yourself. I even tried it on the ends of my hair because I’m way past due for a trim, and my ends are so dry. It made a huge difference!!! Also, my hands are still dry and gross from our awful winter that we had, and I put it around my cuticles and knuckles. Guys, I can’t even explain how much better my hands and nails are! It’s like that one product that has so many uses and tons of benefits!!! It says it can even be used on stretch marks!

Thanks for reading guys and I hope you love them as much as I do!!!

Take care of your skin and it will take care of you!

The Spring 2019 FabFitFun Box

03.27.2019 by awellpacedlife // Leave a Comment

The Spring 2019 FabFitFun Box

I am beyond excited to show you guys what all is in the Spring 2019 FabFitFun Box! If you don’t know what one is, it’s an amazing subscription box that is chock full of awesome(full size) products, ranging from the latest wellness, beauty and fitness products. The box comes 4 times a year, giving you plenty of time to use your items all season long. The box is only $49.99,which is completely affordable, giving the items total well over $200! Did I mention the products are FULL-SIZE!!!! You can receive $10 off your first box with coupon code: “Heather10” Visit www.fabfitfun.com to start customizing your first box!!! This is the absolute perfect gift item for any female in your life! Who wouldn’t love something like this???

Member Perks

As a FabFitFun member, you also get to enjoy up to 70% off exclusive sales! You can choose add-ons and capsule sales exclusively from their brand partners. You can connect with other FFF members and share your favorite tips, box items and recipes! Also, you get access to their FabFitFun TV, which you can work out anywhere, anytime. They post new content each month! They also have 24/7 customer service support, should you have any questions or need help.

Let’s check out the items in my Spring 2019 FabFitFun Box

1) Quay Australia Sunglasses 2) Eleven by Venus Jump Rope 3) Sip by Swell Water bottle 4) Dr Brandt No More Baggage Eye de-puffing gel 5) Quai Leave in Hair Conditioner 6) Lavido Body Lotion 7) Relax-Champagne Charcoal Body Scrub 8) Deux Lux Backpack

I have wanted to try the Quai hair conditioner for so long now, and it smells amazing, guys! I have already put my jump rope in my gym bag. The backpack is the perfect size to take with me when the kids and I head to the park or any school field trip! The Swell water bottle has already replaced my other water bottle I take to the gym, and the charcoal body scrub is perfect to use before my self tanner, plus the Sunglasses are on point and the body lotion smells ahhhhhmazing! So many great items, and I LOVE them all!