Since my office and home share the same area, sometimes it can be hard for me to unwind and relax at home. I’m sure any of your who work from home know what I’m talking about. I struggle with turning work off, especially on days when my to-do list is extra long.

It’s something I’m working on though. I’m trying to set a more structured schedule for my day so that I can enjoy my nights at home with Rob without stressing about unfinished business.

Here are a few of my go-to things to do to help me instantly relax at the end of the day.

10. Work Out

I have to admit, I don’t always like doing this, especially in winter! It gets dark so early that it always feels later and for whatever reason, I don’t make it to the gym. But when I do, I feel amazing! It’s so easy to come back from there and not think about work again until the next day. Thankfully we have a gym in our building, so I don’t have an excuse!

9. Light a Candle

A calming scent floating around the house and flickering light always make my place feel more like home than a work space. This mokara candle and this scent are two of my favorites. Both candles burn for at least 85 hours, so it’s totally worth!

8. Dim the Lights

Something about soft light makes me feel so much more relaxed and calm, anyone else? This one can easily be paired with a few other relaxing items!

7. Make Mint Tea

I drink a lot of tea, but at the end of the night, I don’t want any more caffeine. Mint tea is soothing and calming and is easy on the stomach which makes it good for an after dinner drink too!

6. Breathe Deep

Sometimes when I find myself getting worked up and frustrated, I take a step back, close my eyes and take 10 really deep breathes. It sounds too simple to make a difference, but it helps slow your heart rate down and put things into perspective quickly. I always feel better after doing that!

5. Turn Your Phone on Silent

I struggle with this one! Part of my job requires me to be on my phone, checking and posting to Instagram, and it’s easy to get sucked in. It’s also easy to get caught up in what’s happening (and not happening) on social media, but if I turn my phone on silent and put it on my bedside table, it’s so much easier for me to forget about it for a few hours. Not being able to easily grab it and check, allows me to easily relax and man, does it feel good!

4. Play Calming Instrumental Music

Something about playing music with no words is really relaxing for me? I feel like it engages a different part of my brain. I’m just enjoying the way it makes me feel instead of singing along.

3. Meditate

Meditation isn’t for everyone, but it is seriously one of the best ways to relax. I actually haven’t practiced meditation in a while, but this has me thinking I should get back into it. If you don’t know where to start (I sure didn’t!), this app is my favorite. I love the guy’s calming voice and he makes meditating seem less scary. It really changes the way you think too which should help you to be more relaxed in general over time.

2. Apply a Face Mask

This falls somewhere between relaxing and pampering. Okay, it’s both! I’ve recently started doing a face mask 2-3 times per week and not only does it leave your skin feeling soft and smoother over time, but it’s also really relaxing. Just like a mini spa day! Right now this resurfacing mask and this one are my favorites.

1. Pour a Glass of Red Wine

If all else fails, a glass of red wine always takes the edge off for me. Sip it slowly and combine a few more of these relaxing elements to the mix! Just keep it to one glass though, having too much wine ends up making it harder to sleep and leaves you feeling tired and groggy!

How do you like to relax at the end of the day? Tell me in the comments!

One of the toughest things about winter is making myself eat healthy. When it’s freezing outside, it’s so much more tempting to make something warm, cheesy and gooey like a big batch of mac n’ cheese or Irish onion soup. While we do that occasionally, it’s not a good habit to get into. Remember, I’m trying to get a booty, not a gut!

To avoid gaining that winter weight, I’ve been trying to be creative with our meals and work in extra veggies and lean protein wherever I can. This past Sunday the temperatures dropped to 15 degrees and Rob and I didn’t leave the house all day other than to walk Oliver (which was miserable). Since we were stuck inside all day, I ended up cooking a bunch! For lunch I made us one of the tastiest salads I’ve had in a long time. Rob loves Asian food, so I went with that theme and made a Thai beef salad using lots of veggies and a PRE Brands sirloin steak and O.M.G. it was so good!

If you’re not familiar with PRE Brands, it’s worth checking out! Their organic grass-fed meat comes pre-packaged and individually wrapped. I keep a few of our favorite cuts in the freezer and pull them out for dinner in a pinch.

What I loved about this salad was that it was light, but still filling and packed with a lot of textures, flavors and colors — all things that make up a good salad in my book. The sesame lime vinaigrette added a much-needed winter kick and had me dreaming of warmer days. Rob loved it too!

The other thing that I absolutely love about PRE Brands is that each package gives you the ideal cooking times of the steak on the back. I always think that steak can be a bit intimidating to cook, anyone else? I used a cast iron grill pan (perfect for apartment dwellers) on medium heat using the suggested times and the steak turned out perfectly!

You can find a store near you that carries PRE Brands or order it online and have it shipped to you.

Have you tried PRE Brands before? What did you think? What are your favorite healthy winter recipes?

P.S. I included links to some of the products shown in the pictures below!

*This post was sponsored by PRE Brands, as always, all opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that keep The Fox & She up and running!

I know what you might be thinking, I don’t have much of a butt, and you’re right. Some of the things I didn’t really touch on much in Monday’s post were some health and fitness goals for this year. The first one is to cook and eat healthier (more on that at a later date) and the second, get a butt.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve always had a pretty flat rear. I blame genetics mostly. Anyway, more recently I’ve started noticing that jeans, dresses, swimsuit bottoms and skirts just don’t fit like they should because there’s nothing in the back to fill them out.

Over the break, I told my sisters about my bootie-woes, showing them snapshots of booties and wondering why I wasn’t blessed with a round backside. They laughed a bit and then made me do a few workouts with them that will surely help out my situation over time. The best thing is that this workout can easily be done at home with just a few free weights. The gym in our building has those which makes it so much easier for me to stick to it.

1. 10 Lunges, each side

   Start in a standing position and step back into a lunge. Stand up and repeat on the other side, do a total of 20, 10 on each side.

2. 25 Goblet Squats

   Start with your legs hip’s width apart and a weight in your hands. Sit deep, make sure your knees don’t go too far over your ankles and stand back up to complete one.

3. 15 Donkey Kicks, each side

   Start on your hands and knees with one leg straight out and your knee at a 90 degree andle. Press your leg straight up to complete one rep. Repeat on the other side.

4. 10 Dead Lifts

   Hold two dumbells (weight is up to you, I do 10lb weights), bend down until your back is parallel to the ground. Make sure you hold in your belly and keep your back flat to avoid injury. Stand up and repeat.

5. 10 Single Leg Dead Lifts, each side

   Similar to the exercise above, but do it on one leg and raise the other leg as you bend down. Again, hold your belly in tight!

6. 15 Single Leg Raises, each side

   Lay on your back and raise your booty up to the sky. Point one leg up and dip your butt down and then back up. Finish one side and switch to the other side.

7. 20 Plank Raises

   

   Start in a normal plank position with your body parallel to the ground. Suck your belly in and raise your butt to the sky and then back down to parallel. Make sure to not let your hips dip too far to avoid straining your back.

8. 15 Side Leg Lifts, each side

   

   Lay on your side and raise your leg up and down. For more resistance, use a rubber band.

9. 50 Bicycle Crunches

   Lay on your back and alternate sides and legs like you’re riding a bicycle.

10. 10 Tricep Lifts

    Hold a dumbell behind your head and raise it up, when you go down, don’t let it go further than your elbows.

11. 10 Curls, each side

    Start with dumbells in your hands with your fingers facing out. Curl up to your shoulders and repeat until you reach ten.

They’re pretty straightforward exercises. Nothing too complicated, but I can’t promise that they’re easy! My sisters also recommended upping the weight as you get stronger to increase booty mass, ha! I’m still working with pretty small weights, but you’ve got to start somewhere!

If getting in shape (or toning your butt) was a part of your new year’s resolutions, pin this workout to keep on hand when you need a quick, simple and straightforward workout that you can do from anywhere. If you already have a killer bootie, lucky you!

A few weeks after we got back from our Thanksgiving trip Rob came down with a cold and seeing as we live together, I soon noticed that I was feeling a little under the weather too. Before I knew it, I had a stuffy nose and sore throat. Last week’s return to Chicago also shocked my body. It had been so warm in Texas and one day after returning, we got a bunch of snow and cold weather that I wasn’t prepared for.

Thankfully with the New Year holiday, last week was a lazy one and allowed me plenty of time to relax and recuperate. Now that things are back in full swing, I’m doing my best to stay healthy because I simply don’t have the time for sick days! Life is crazy enough as it is, but adding in a cold, makes things worse, so I wanted to share a few of my top wellness tips for staying healthy in winter!

Drink More Water

I’ll admit that I’m not the best about drinking lots of water, but I’m working on it. When I’m really hungry, I always drink a big glass of water. I typically realize that I’m not quite as hungry as I thought and keeps me from over-eating. I also try to drink a glass of water between each glass of wine or cocktail when I’m out. Not only will it save you from a massive hangover, but it keeps you hydrated too.

Go Easy on Yourself

Taking a day off is pretty tough when you work from home, so I rely on Vicks DayQuil SEVERE to keep me feeling as good as possible with a cold. It wards off symptoms and let’s me get things done so I can keep from falling behind on my work and keep my clients happy. That being said, I still don’t push myself too hard when I’m feeling sick because that only makes it worse!

Make Soup

Or even better? Have someone make it for you! This soup homemade chicken noodle soup is hearty, healthy and really easy to whip up since it doesn’t have too many ingredients (your husband could even make it).

Take a Hot Bath

I love taking a hot bath or shower just before getting into bed. Not only is it really relaxing, but it keeps me warm and helps me fall asleep faster. Sometimes my muscles ache when I’m sick too, so this always feels good.

Get a Goodnight’s Sleep

Getting a good night’s rest when you’re sick can be tough — especially if you’re coughing or you have a stuffed nose. Vicks NyQuil SEVERE relieves those symptoms and helps you sleep soundly. And nothing heals you faster than lots of rest!

How do you battle colds during the winter? What do you do to prevent them?

P.S. Feeling under the weather? Make sure to pop over here where Vicks is sharing some great deals with The Fox & She readers to help you guys stay happy and healthy during the winter months!

* This post was sponsored by Vicks, as always, all opinions are my own! Thank you for supporting the brands that keep The Fox & She up and running!

It’s no secret that January is the month to kick start new workout routines, better eating habits and healthy living. I try to maintain these things all year long, but with work getting so crazy last year, my workout routine and healthy eating weren’t at the top of my priority list. But with the new year around the corner and a general feeling of excitement (and lingering thoughts about a pending beach trip), I’ve already started making choices to be healthier, especially now that the Christmas holidays are over and we’ve left my parents’ house — they’re were sweets everywhere!

Nothing makes me more excited to workout than brand new workout clothes. Anyone else? I got a new pair of cropped leggings and workout socks for Christmas and started working out more over the break too. Thankfully my sisters are really good about working out, so they kicked my butt and I’ll be sharing a few new workouts with you in the coming weeks — all of which you can do at home with just a few free weights!

Last year I bought this yoga top and I’m obsessed. Maybe I’m a weirdo, but I love the cropped cut because when I can see my tummy, I tend to workout harder, haha! Whatever motivates you, right? This top is now high on my list too and comes in a bunch of really cool patterns that remind me of Mara Hoffman (I need one of her swimsuits this year!).

What are your favorite workout clothes? What motivates you to get healthy when the new year hits?!