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IN: Travel

An ULTRA Weekend of Fitness and Fun in Arizona

September 25, 2018 By Melanie No Comments

Oh my goodness, where do I even begin? If you’ve been following along on my Instagram I’m sure you’re well aware that I spent the past weekend in Scottsdale, Arizona participating in Michelob Ultra’s first ULTRA Fit Fest event. This festival (think Adult summer camp meets wellness retreat) took place at the most beautiful resort, the JW Marriott Camelback Inn. The grounds were immaculately kept with various types of cacti, flowers, trees and even little babbling brooks peppered throughout. Instead of a traditional hotel style, the rooms were scattered about in these beautiful, adobe-esque houses. Mountains could be seen from every direction of the resort and Native American inspired decor, teepees, and statues were placed  in various areas of the complex. Oh and the pool!! Let’s just say it was my favorite part, especially because of the giant pool party that was held on Saturday. I think I’m getting ahead of myself…  

Let’s get down to the good stuff. A little breakdown of what I did each day and hopefully what you all can expect during next year’s ULTRA Fit Fest! 

DAY 1 

Arrival: My flight landed around 1pm PST and after checking in, I changed into my workout clothes and explored the resort. Most of the workouts were located within the main conference center within various ballrooms but City Surf was set up with all their surfboards outside and the ULTRA Oasis (a little recovery area with a braid bar + facials) was in a separate small building. It wasn’t long after exploring that I was able to bring my things to my room and head to the first workout. 

Workout: Dogpound. Admittedly, I only stayed for half of this HIIT workout that consisted mostly of planks, squats, lunges, burpees, high knees, and the like. I was trying to conserve some energy for what I knew would be an exhausting Saturday. If you’re in NYC and looking for a super tough workout I definitely recommend checking out their studio. I went once for an event with Dressbarn and Ashley Graham (strange combo I know) and it really kicked my ass. 

Dinner: As a way to kick off the festivities they served up a huge barbecue and salad bar with lots of complimentary beers. I loaded up on veggies and some cornbread and treated myself to a delicious peach cobbler a la mode for dessert. I think everyone went a little easy on the drinking since the first workouts started at 8am the next morning. After dinner, a few friends and I went to the pool to chat for a bit and then in true grandma fashion, I was in bed by 9:30pm. 

DAY 2 

Sunrise Shoot: Since my body was still pleasantly on  New York time, I woke up bright eyed and ready for the day at 5:30am. This was perfect because a few of us wanted to get together prior to breakfast and snap some pics in the beautiful morning light. As you can see, the Arizona sunrise was quite breathtaking. 

Breakfast: Since breakfast started at 7am and I had signed up for two back to back workouts from 8-10am I knew I couldn’t fill my belly too much and risk getting sick. Thankfully, Michelob Ultra came through with the perfect light breakfast buffet complete with mini avocado toasts, various fruit, coffee, yogurt and little protein pancakes. It was the perfect way to kick off the day! 

Workouts: The first workout was Meagan Roup’s Sculpt Society class — a mix of cardio and, well, “sculpting” work that really targets the glutes and legs. I’ve taken her class before at Bandier’s Studio B and definitely recommend it if you’re looking for a low intensity workout with big results. This class included sliders and lots of repetitive leg lifts that had me dying but in the best way.

Immediately following was Vixen Workout, a cardio dance style class. I’m a huge fan of 305 Fitness so I figured I would like this one… and I let me tell you, I was right. Led by Vixen’s founder, Janet Jones (a former Miami Heats dancer), it was probably one of the most fun classes I’ve ever taken! She had such an amazing presence and everyone had huge smiles on their faces as we pop, locked, dropped, twerked, shimmied, and shook our way around the room. I was feeling so energized by the end of the double workout that I was actually kind of sad my next workout wasn’t until later. Pool Party: Since I had a nice break until the next activity, I decided to head to the pool before lunch was served. It was such a brutally hot day so hanging out in the cool water, sipping on a beer, and following that up with a light middle eastern inspired lunch (lots of hummus, pita and tabbouleh), felt SO amazing. There were even giant gold swans and other pool floaties for our use, which you know I had to take advantage of. 

Meditation + Yoga: Once the pool party wrapped up it was time to change back into a fresh workout outfit and head to a 30 minute meditation with MNDFL. If you’re based in NYC and are looking for a meditation studio, MNDFL has multiple locations with over 40 teachers who all come from different meditation backgrounds. The one we happened to practice at the fit fest was mindfulness and kindness meditation. Two types that I think go really well together and had me feeling super zen by the end.

Shortly after I went to a y7 yoga class. If you’re new to y7 they’re a cult favorite and have 9 studios in the city. The real deal offers up yoga in a dark, heated room with plenty of candles and no mirrors. Each sequence is taught 3 times, once slowly, then one breath one movement, and finally a “flow on your own” period where they crank up music from Drake, Lil Wayne, etc. and you’re free to do the sequence at your own pace and in your own style. After such a long day ending the workouts with yoga was exactly what I needed. It felt amazing. 

Evening Entertainment + Dinner: I had about an hour to quickly shower, change and head to the happy hour. We were all ushered into a room for a quick performance by Kali Uchis (don’t worry, I didn’t know who she was either) before being ushered back out for dinner. At this point we were all starvin’ so I loaded up my plate with every pescetarian friendly option I could find.

There were definitely so many people partying it up afterwards! I even heard some people went out to Old Town and didn’t get back until 5am, but I was exhausted and was back in my room with a face mask and sweatpants on at 9pm.  

DAY 3

Closing Ceremony: I woke up to watch the sunrise one last time and then headed to breakfast where “grab n go” style grub was waiting. I decided to skip the yoga class I originally signed up for and just savor my breakfast for awhile. Around 9am I met up with everyone on the big lawn for a beautiful sound bath (a healing meditation experience involving singing bowls, drums, small gongs, etc.). Once that was over there was a brief closing ceremony with prizes, last announcements and even a beautiful Navajo blessing. Then it was time to pack up and head home! Although I did have a few hours to spare and sit by the pool before going to the airport. ๐Ÿ™‚ Overall, this was such a fun experience and it has me itching to sign up for a full week long wellness retreat. Obviously with the wedding coming up I should be good and not do something crazy like that but I’m making it a goal to go on one before the end of 2019. Maybe it’ll be a fun way to celebrate my 30th birthday? 

Anyway, I should say bye for now because I have another post I’m writing up for ya’ll that I’ll be releasing this week. Stay tuned!

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New Meet Melanie

New Meet Melanie

Hi and welcome to Headstands & Heels! I’m Melanie — a Digital Strategist turned Wellness Entrepreneur, certified yoga instructor (RYT 200), dog mama, and content creator based in NYC. I hope to encourage others to follow their dreams and cultivate a healthy, balanced lifestyle filled with mindfulness and positivity. ๐Ÿ’• Send me a note at: mel@headstandsandheels.com or Read More

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This is your sign to pack yourself a picnic and en
This is your sign to pack yourself a picnic and enjoy some quality time outside! โ˜€๏ธ After a very gloomy and cold winter, Spring always feels like an awakening here in NYC. Not to mention with #EarthDay right around the corner, itโ€™s even more of a reason to enjoy the warm weather, sunshine, and all things that Mother Nature has to offer! ๐Ÿ… ๐Ÿฅ’ ๐ŸŒฟ
 
One of my fav things nature gives us is veggies and Iโ€™m obsessed with how @dirtkitchensnacks has turned them into a yummy snack! Not only are their Air Dried Veggie Crisps super convenient, crunchy, and delicious but theyโ€™re also made from upcycled veggies (surplus or imperfect) that would have otherwise never left the farm! This means less food waste and more veggies for me and you to enjoy. ๐Ÿ‘ 
 
I love supporting brands that are doing awesome things for people and the planet and think you all will love them too! ๐ŸŒŽ ๐Ÿ’•
 
They have 3 different kinds of Veggie Crisps to choose from and you can find them online: grape tomato, blushed bell pepper, and zucchini. ๐Ÿ… ๐Ÿฅ’ Which veggie is your favorite? #DigInWithDKS #Sponsored

The lights are so bright but they never blind me.
The lights are so bright but they never blind me. ๐Ÿ’ซ #DateNight

2 years after saying โ€œI doโ€ and it feels like
2 years after saying โ€œI doโ€ and it feels like it was just yesterday. โค๏ธ Our first anniversary was spent in lockdown last year {Swipe for a bts} and today Iโ€™m getting vaxxed ๐Ÿ’‰. It feels like weโ€™ve come full circle and Iโ€™m so ready to celebrate with a dinner in the city tonight and a pretty big adventure to come ๐Ÿ˜Š. Love you, @bayphillips.

Give me all the iced coffee and a paintbrush and I
Give me all the iced coffee and a paintbrush and Iโ€™ll be one happy gal ๐ŸŽจ๐Ÿ„๐ŸŒธ. 
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Itโ€™s been a gloomy day in the city and I woke up with an itch to put all my whimsical, colorful dreams on paper. Swipe to see the enchanted forest landscape and the BTS of how it came to life. ๐ŸŒฟ๐ŸŒผ 
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Thereโ€™s a beauty that comes with the stillness of painting. For an hour or two the whole world melts away and itโ€™s just me, the paper and my brush. ๐Ÿ–Œ Showing up with no creative expectations has a way of making me feel limitless, and in many ways itโ€™s the most mindful exercise and expressive form of self care I can do. ๐ŸŽจ๐Ÿ’• 
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I hope you jelly beans have found your own quiet, creative moment this weekend. I promise itโ€™s the best way to unplug and reset ๐ŸŒˆ  #selfcaresunday

Iโ€™m gonna file this under cutest healthy cookies
Iโ€™m gonna file this under cutest healthy cookies Iโ€™ve ever made! ๐Ÿฅฐ๐Ÿข๐Ÿ’• These vegan matcha & tahini cookies are fun to create and are guaranteed to make your tastebuds do a lil happy dance! 
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Theyโ€™re a little sweet and nutty with a crispy outside and chewy inside. Bonus: creating the turtle shapes reminded me of playing with playdoh! (Talk about a throwback)
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Iโ€™m going to test out and share several #EarthMonth ๐ŸŒŽ inspired recipes over the next few weeks, so stay tuned! 
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You can find this recipe on @veggiekins blog. ๐Ÿข 10/10 would recommend for cuteness + a healthy treat that makes you smile๐Ÿ˜‹. #HealthyDesserts

๐“๐ก๐ž๐ซ๐ž ๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐Ž๐–๐„๐‘
๐“๐ก๐ž๐ซ๐ž ๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐Ž๐–๐„๐‘ ๐ข๐ง โœจ๐œ๐จ๐ง๐ฌ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐ž๐ง๐œ๐ฒ.โœจ
โ €โ €โ €โ €โ €โ €โ €โ €โ €
Good things rarely come easy in life and they definitely donโ€™t come quickly. More often than not, it boils down to a very underrated behavior called consistency. 
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So what does that look like? It means: 
โ €โ €โ €โ €โ €โ €โ €โ €โ €
๐Ÿ”ธChoosing to ๐ฌ๐ก๐จ๐ฐ ๐ฎ๐ฉ even when youโ€™re not feeling motivated
๐Ÿ”ธ ๐๐ฎ๐ญ๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐  ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ž ๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐ค over and over even when it doesnโ€™t seem like anything sticks
๐Ÿ”ธ ๐‚๐š๐ซ๐ฏ๐ข๐ง๐  ๐ญ๐ข๐ฆ๐ž ๐Ÿ๐จ๐ซ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ ๐จ๐š๐ฅ๐ฌ even when progress is slower than you would have liked
๐Ÿ”ธ Holding yourself accountable and ๐ญ๐š๐ค๐ข๐ง๐  ๐ฌ๐ฆ๐š๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ž๐ฉ๐ฌ one day at a time till you cross the finish line
โ €โ €โ €โ €โ €โ €โ €โ €โ €
Everyone hypes up motivation but the truth is there will be MANY days where you are unmotivated. Where you find yourself to be tired, frustrated, and impatient with lack of results. 
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But thatโ€™s where the real magic happens friends. When you can show up consistently for yourself โ€” in all aspects of your life, you WILL achieve your goals. ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿป
โ €โ €โ €โ €โ €โ €โ €โ €โ €
๐’๐จ ๐ค๐ž๐ž๐ฉ ๐ ๐จ๐ข๐ง๐ . 
โ €โ €โ €โ €โ €โ €โ €โ €โ €
On days when you feel like quitting, remind yourself of your why. Give yourself space to rest and then get back in there and keep trying. ๐Ÿ’ฏ 
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Iโ€™ll leave you with this quote: 
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โœจ โ€œ๐ˆ๐ญโ€™๐ฌ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐ฐ๐ก๐š๐ญ ๐ฐ๐ž ๐๐จ ๐จ๐ง๐œ๐ž ๐ข๐ง ๐š๐ฐ๐ก๐ข๐ฅ๐ž ๐ญ๐ก๐š๐ญ ๐ฌ๐ก๐š๐ฉ๐ž๐ฌ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ฏ๐ž๐ฌ. ๐ˆ๐ญโ€™๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐ก๐š๐ญ ๐ฐ๐ž ๐๐จ ๐œ๐จ๐ง๐ฌ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐ž๐ง๐ญ๐ฅ๐ฒ.โ€ ~ ๐“๐จ๐ง๐ฒ ๐‘๐จ๐›๐›๐ข๐ง๐ฌโœจ
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{๐Ÿ“ธ: @mikohafez}

Happy Easter๐ŸŒธ , beautiful humans. He is Risen!
Happy Easter๐ŸŒธ , beautiful humans. He is Risen! โœจ 
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Today Iโ€™m celebrating Godโ€™s eternal love for us and the resurrection of my Savior, Jesus Christ . โœ๏ธ The past 13 months have been full of challenges, discomfort and practicing patience through the unknown. Iโ€™m grateful that through it all, God has brought so much good into our lives and continues to guide us in the direction of his plan. ๐Ÿ’• 
โ €โ €โ €โ €โ €โ €โ €โ €โ €
โœจItโ€™s a comfort to know that after the darkness, there is always light.โœจ
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Even if you donโ€™t celebrate, I hope youโ€™re having a wonderful weekend filled with love and hope for beautiful things to come. ๐Ÿฅฐ  #HappyEaster { ๐Ÿ“ธ: @winilaophotos}

Lookinโ€™ for a super simple & sweet Easter treat!
Lookinโ€™ for a super simple & sweet Easter treat!? ๐Ÿฃ These 4๏ธโƒฃ ingredient HEALTHY chocolate pb eggs are for you! 
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Iโ€™ve seen these knockoff Reeseโ€™s eggs all over Pinterest and used the recipe by @ambitiouskitchen to make mine. ๐Ÿ’• {SWIPE FOR A CLOSE UP}
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Recipe:
๐Ÿ”ธ Mix 2/3 cup creamy peanut butter with 1 tbsp maple syrup and 2 tbsp coconut flour 
๐Ÿ”ธ Scoop onto parchment paper and form/flatten into egg shapes 
๐Ÿ”ธ Freeze for 1 hour 
๐Ÿ”ธ Melt dark chocolate in small bowl and dip PB eggs 
๐Ÿ”ธ Freeze for 5 min and top with drizzle of white chocolate and sea salt 
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Store them in the freezer till ready to eat! ๐Ÿ’• Happy Easter Weekend everyone ๐ŸŒธ #MelsMeals #healthydesserts

๐ŸŒฑ Just a little @cocokind chlorophyll face mask
๐ŸŒฑ Just a little @cocokind chlorophyll face mask and chillll Q&A session because there are lots of new friends on here! ๐Ÿ’•
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Since I canโ€™t believe I hit 30k followers (and 25k on TikTok!?) I thought a little โ€œabout meโ€ and fun fact sharing was in order! ๐Ÿ’•โœจ
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๐€ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ญ๐ฅ๐ž ๐š๐›๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ฆ๐ž
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๐Ÿ”ธ Hi lovely humans! My name is Melanie and I created this blog 5 years ago to share my wellness journey and healthy, positive lifestyle + connect with likeminded people such as yourself. ๐Ÿ˜Š
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๐Ÿ”ธ I currently live in NYC with my husband, @bayphillips, and our two rescue pups @chipandnina 
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๐Ÿ”ธ I graduated with a BS in Marketing and have been working in the social media/digital marketing space for 8 years!! 6 years in corporate marketing for tourism and global beauty brands and 2 as a full time wellness blogger 
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๐Ÿ”ธ I went through a 200 hour yoga teacher training course a few years ago and have been teaching online and at various branded events ever since ๐Ÿ’•. Hoping to teach at a studio once the world is back to normal 
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๐Ÿ”ธ Personality traits in a nutshell: Iโ€™m a Cancer โ™‹๏ธ, ENFJ and Enneagram 2w3 
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๐Ÿ”ธ I am a Christian and my faith is super important to me. I have a whole blog post called โ€œConfessions of a Christian Yogiโ€ if youโ€™d like to read more 
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๐Ÿ”ธ Things I love that youโ€™ll probably see a lot of on here: painting ๐ŸŽจ, reading ๐Ÿ“–, my pups ๐Ÿถ, clean & cruelty-free beauty products๐Ÿ’…๐Ÿป, cute activewear ๐Ÿ‘Ÿ, low impact workouts ๐Ÿง˜๐Ÿปโ€โ™€๏ธ, yoga & meditation, food that makes me feel good ๐Ÿฅ‘, matcha ๐Ÿต, colorful home decor ๐Ÿก, self care ๐Ÿ›, and houseplants ๐Ÿชด. 
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I hope you stick around and we can get to know each other!! 
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๐ˆ๐ง ๐Ÿ๐š๐œ๐ญ โ€” ๐ˆโ€™๐ ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฏ๐ž ๐ญ๐จ ๐ก๐ž๐š๐ซ ๐ฌ๐จ๐ฆ๐ž๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐  ๐š๐›๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ!! Where are you from? Whatโ€™s your fav kind of workout? What do you do for fun? Plz share away! ๐Ÿฅฐ #SelfCare 
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Special announcement: Iโ€™m officially a @CaliaByC
Special announcement: Iโ€™m officially a @CaliaByCarrie Brand Ambassador for a 2nd year and I couldnโ€™t be more thrilled to continue sharing their amazing clothes and accessories with you!! ๐ŸŽ‰๐Ÿ’• As a brand, #CALIAByCarrie is all about helping you to โ€œ#ChooseYouโ€and take that extra time for self-care -- which of course is a theme I can 100% get behind, especially this year. ๐Ÿ™Œ๐Ÿป
 
They have some super pretty pieces for Spring, including this matching set in the color Confetti Dot Sea Fog! ๐Ÿฅฐ Iโ€™m obsessed with the high waisted fit, subtle color block and hidden pocket details. ๐Ÿ‘‰๐Ÿผ Swipe to see how it easily goes from a workout to coffee run (or barre to brunch!) and head to my stories to shop the pieces. 
 
Canโ€™t wait to share more!! ๐ŸŽ‰ Would you like to see more styling photos like this series? Let me know! ๐Ÿ’•#CALIAByCarrieUnderwoodPartner #StayThePath

๐ŸŒฑ PINK & GREEN SMOOTHIE ๐ŸŒฑ {Swipe for the rec
๐ŸŒฑ PINK & GREEN SMOOTHIE ๐ŸŒฑ {Swipe for the recipe} 
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This day totally got away from me as Iโ€™ve been playing catch up with work, but I did have a chance to make this super pretty dragonfruit smoothie and wanted to share!! ๐Ÿ’•
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I originally was hoping the colors would layer on top of each other but I added too much liquid ๐Ÿ˜…. Even so, the combined flavors were delicious and sooo tropical, plus those pink swirls and drips were everything! 
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SAVE the recipe and give it a try! ๐Ÿฅฐ #greensmoothie

A very Spring weekend in the city. ๐Ÿš• { Swipe fo
A very Spring weekend in the city. ๐Ÿš• { Swipe for ๐ŸŒธ blooms} My dad and brother flew up to visit so I spent these past few days unplugged and fully present. ๐Ÿฅฐ 
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I didnโ€™t capture all the moments but it was a weekend full of really delicious food, great views ๐ŸŒƒ , lots of games, about 40K steps ๐Ÿ‘Ÿ and somehow an entire season of Survivor. 
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Feeling very happy and ready to take on the week. ๐Ÿ‘๐ŸปWhat is one fun thing you did this weekend? #SpringinNYC


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  • Introducing a product into the marketplace comes with an inherent carbon footprint, whether it be in the form of wasteful packaging or environmentally harmful production practices. During an age when thousands of new startups surface every year, every business now has a moral responsibility to seek out sustainable ways to offer their products. Thankfully, we have these 10 sustainable brands to lead the way. #ethicalfashion #slowfashion #ecofriendly #zerowaste #zeroplastic #ethicalbrands
  • After spending lots of time researching what makes fashion sustainable, we now present this masterlist of the best sustainable clothing brands... #sustainableclothing #ethicalfashion
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This is your sign to pack yourself a picnic and en This is your sign to pack yourself a picnic and enjoy some quality time outside! โ˜€๏ธ After a very gloomy and cold winter, Spring always feels like an awakening here in NYC. Not to mention with #EarthDay right around the corner, itโ€™s even more of a reason to enjoy the warm weather, sunshine, and all things that Mother Nature has to offer! ๐Ÿ… ๐Ÿฅ’ ๐ŸŒฟ
 
One of my fav things nature gives us is veggies and Iโ€™m obsessed with how @dirtkitchensnacks has turned them into a yummy snack! Not only are their Air Dried Veggie Crisps super convenient, crunchy, and delicious but theyโ€™re also made from upcycled veggies (surplus or imperfect) that would have otherwise never left the farm! This means less food waste and more veggies for me and you to enjoy. ๐Ÿ‘ 
 
I love supporting brands that are doing awesome things for people and the planet and think you all will love them too! ๐ŸŒŽ ๐Ÿ’•
 
They have 3 different kinds of Veggie Crisps to choose from and you can find them online: grape tomato, blushed bell pepper, and zucchini. ๐Ÿ… ๐Ÿฅ’ Which veggie is your favorite? #DigInWithDKS #Sponsored
The lights are so bright but they never blind me. The lights are so bright but they never blind me. ๐Ÿ’ซ #DateNight
2 years after saying โ€œI doโ€ and it feels like 2 years after saying โ€œI doโ€ and it feels like it was just yesterday. โค๏ธ Our first anniversary was spent in lockdown last year {Swipe for a bts} and today Iโ€™m getting vaxxed ๐Ÿ’‰. It feels like weโ€™ve come full circle and Iโ€™m so ready to celebrate with a dinner in the city tonight and a pretty big adventure to come ๐Ÿ˜Š. Love you, @bayphillips.
Give me all the iced coffee and a paintbrush and I Give me all the iced coffee and a paintbrush and Iโ€™ll be one happy gal ๐ŸŽจ๐Ÿ„๐ŸŒธ. 
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Itโ€™s been a gloomy day in the city and I woke up with an itch to put all my whimsical, colorful dreams on paper. Swipe to see the enchanted forest landscape and the BTS of how it came to life. ๐ŸŒฟ๐ŸŒผ 
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Thereโ€™s a beauty that comes with the stillness of painting. For an hour or two the whole world melts away and itโ€™s just me, the paper and my brush. ๐Ÿ–Œ Showing up with no creative expectations has a way of making me feel limitless, and in many ways itโ€™s the most mindful exercise and expressive form of self care I can do. ๐ŸŽจ๐Ÿ’• 
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I hope you jelly beans have found your own quiet, creative moment this weekend. I promise itโ€™s the best way to unplug and reset ๐ŸŒˆ  #selfcaresunday
Iโ€™m gonna file this under cutest healthy cookies Iโ€™m gonna file this under cutest healthy cookies Iโ€™ve ever made! ๐Ÿฅฐ๐Ÿข๐Ÿ’• These vegan matcha & tahini cookies are fun to create and are guaranteed to make your tastebuds do a lil happy dance! 
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Theyโ€™re a little sweet and nutty with a crispy outside and chewy inside. Bonus: creating the turtle shapes reminded me of playing with playdoh! (Talk about a throwback)
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Iโ€™m going to test out and share several #EarthMonth ๐ŸŒŽ inspired recipes over the next few weeks, so stay tuned! 
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You can find this recipe on @veggiekins blog. ๐Ÿข 10/10 would recommend for cuteness + a healthy treat that makes you smile๐Ÿ˜‹. #HealthyDesserts
๐“๐ก๐ž๐ซ๐ž ๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐Ž๐–๐„๐‘ ๐“๐ก๐ž๐ซ๐ž ๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐Ž๐–๐„๐‘ ๐ข๐ง โœจ๐œ๐จ๐ง๐ฌ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐ž๐ง๐œ๐ฒ.โœจ
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Good things rarely come easy in life and they definitely donโ€™t come quickly. More often than not, it boils down to a very underrated behavior called consistency. 
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So what does that look like? It means: 
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๐Ÿ”ธChoosing to ๐ฌ๐ก๐จ๐ฐ ๐ฎ๐ฉ even when youโ€™re not feeling motivated
๐Ÿ”ธ ๐๐ฎ๐ญ๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐  ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ž ๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐ค over and over even when it doesnโ€™t seem like anything sticks
๐Ÿ”ธ ๐‚๐š๐ซ๐ฏ๐ข๐ง๐  ๐ญ๐ข๐ฆ๐ž ๐Ÿ๐จ๐ซ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ ๐จ๐š๐ฅ๐ฌ even when progress is slower than you would have liked
๐Ÿ”ธ Holding yourself accountable and ๐ญ๐š๐ค๐ข๐ง๐  ๐ฌ๐ฆ๐š๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ž๐ฉ๐ฌ one day at a time till you cross the finish line
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Everyone hypes up motivation but the truth is there will be MANY days where you are unmotivated. Where you find yourself to be tired, frustrated, and impatient with lack of results. 
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But thatโ€™s where the real magic happens friends. When you can show up consistently for yourself โ€” in all aspects of your life, you WILL achieve your goals. ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿป
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๐’๐จ ๐ค๐ž๐ž๐ฉ ๐ ๐จ๐ข๐ง๐ . 
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On days when you feel like quitting, remind yourself of your why. Give yourself space to rest and then get back in there and keep trying. ๐Ÿ’ฏ 
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Iโ€™ll leave you with this quote: 
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โœจ โ€œ๐ˆ๐ญโ€™๐ฌ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐ฐ๐ก๐š๐ญ ๐ฐ๐ž ๐๐จ ๐จ๐ง๐œ๐ž ๐ข๐ง ๐š๐ฐ๐ก๐ข๐ฅ๐ž ๐ญ๐ก๐š๐ญ ๐ฌ๐ก๐š๐ฉ๐ž๐ฌ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ฏ๐ž๐ฌ. ๐ˆ๐ญโ€™๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐ก๐š๐ญ ๐ฐ๐ž ๐๐จ ๐œ๐จ๐ง๐ฌ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐ž๐ง๐ญ๐ฅ๐ฒ.โ€ ~ ๐“๐จ๐ง๐ฒ ๐‘๐จ๐›๐›๐ข๐ง๐ฌโœจ
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{๐Ÿ“ธ: @mikohafez}
Happy Easter๐ŸŒธ , beautiful humans. He is Risen! Happy Easter๐ŸŒธ , beautiful humans. He is Risen! โœจ 
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Today Iโ€™m celebrating Godโ€™s eternal love for us and the resurrection of my Savior, Jesus Christ . โœ๏ธ The past 13 months have been full of challenges, discomfort and practicing patience through the unknown. Iโ€™m grateful that through it all, God has brought so much good into our lives and continues to guide us in the direction of his plan. ๐Ÿ’• 
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โœจItโ€™s a comfort to know that after the darkness, there is always light.โœจ
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Even if you donโ€™t celebrate, I hope youโ€™re having a wonderful weekend filled with love and hope for beautiful things to come. ๐Ÿฅฐ  #HappyEaster { ๐Ÿ“ธ: @winilaophotos}
Lookinโ€™ for a super simple & sweet Easter treat! Lookinโ€™ for a super simple & sweet Easter treat!? ๐Ÿฃ These 4๏ธโƒฃ ingredient HEALTHY chocolate pb eggs are for you! 
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Iโ€™ve seen these knockoff Reeseโ€™s eggs all over Pinterest and used the recipe by @ambitiouskitchen to make mine. ๐Ÿ’• {SWIPE FOR A CLOSE UP}
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Recipe:
๐Ÿ”ธ Mix 2/3 cup creamy peanut butter with 1 tbsp maple syrup and 2 tbsp coconut flour 
๐Ÿ”ธ Scoop onto parchment paper and form/flatten into egg shapes 
๐Ÿ”ธ Freeze for 1 hour 
๐Ÿ”ธ Melt dark chocolate in small bowl and dip PB eggs 
๐Ÿ”ธ Freeze for 5 min and top with drizzle of white chocolate and sea salt 
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Store them in the freezer till ready to eat! ๐Ÿ’• Happy Easter Weekend everyone ๐ŸŒธ #MelsMeals #healthydesserts
๐ŸŒฑ Just a little @cocokind chlorophyll face mask ๐ŸŒฑ Just a little @cocokind chlorophyll face mask and chillll Q&A session because there are lots of new friends on here! ๐Ÿ’•
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Since I canโ€™t believe I hit 30k followers (and 25k on TikTok!?) I thought a little โ€œabout meโ€ and fun fact sharing was in order! ๐Ÿ’•โœจ
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๐€ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ญ๐ฅ๐ž ๐š๐›๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ฆ๐ž
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๐Ÿ”ธ Hi lovely humans! My name is Melanie and I created this blog 5 years ago to share my wellness journey and healthy, positive lifestyle + connect with likeminded people such as yourself. ๐Ÿ˜Š
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๐Ÿ”ธ I currently live in NYC with my husband, @bayphillips, and our two rescue pups @chipandnina 
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๐Ÿ”ธ I graduated with a BS in Marketing and have been working in the social media/digital marketing space for 8 years!! 6 years in corporate marketing for tourism and global beauty brands and 2 as a full time wellness blogger 
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๐Ÿ”ธ I went through a 200 hour yoga teacher training course a few years ago and have been teaching online and at various branded events ever since ๐Ÿ’•. Hoping to teach at a studio once the world is back to normal 
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๐Ÿ”ธ Personality traits in a nutshell: Iโ€™m a Cancer โ™‹๏ธ, ENFJ and Enneagram 2w3 
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๐Ÿ”ธ I am a Christian and my faith is super important to me. I have a whole blog post called โ€œConfessions of a Christian Yogiโ€ if youโ€™d like to read more 
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๐Ÿ”ธ Things I love that youโ€™ll probably see a lot of on here: painting ๐ŸŽจ, reading ๐Ÿ“–, my pups ๐Ÿถ, clean & cruelty-free beauty products๐Ÿ’…๐Ÿป, cute activewear ๐Ÿ‘Ÿ, low impact workouts ๐Ÿง˜๐Ÿปโ€โ™€๏ธ, yoga & meditation, food that makes me feel good ๐Ÿฅ‘, matcha ๐Ÿต, colorful home decor ๐Ÿก, self care ๐Ÿ›, and houseplants ๐Ÿชด. 
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I hope you stick around and we can get to know each other!! 
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๐ˆ๐ง ๐Ÿ๐š๐œ๐ญ โ€” ๐ˆโ€™๐ ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฏ๐ž ๐ญ๐จ ๐ก๐ž๐š๐ซ ๐ฌ๐จ๐ฆ๐ž๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐  ๐š๐›๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ!! Where are you from? Whatโ€™s your fav kind of workout? What do you do for fun? Plz share away! ๐Ÿฅฐ #SelfCare 
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Special announcement: Iโ€™m officially a @CaliaByC Special announcement: Iโ€™m officially a @CaliaByCarrie Brand Ambassador for a 2nd year and I couldnโ€™t be more thrilled to continue sharing their amazing clothes and accessories with you!! ๐ŸŽ‰๐Ÿ’• As a brand, #CALIAByCarrie is all about helping you to โ€œ#ChooseYouโ€and take that extra time for self-care -- which of course is a theme I can 100% get behind, especially this year. ๐Ÿ™Œ๐Ÿป
 
They have some super pretty pieces for Spring, including this matching set in the color Confetti Dot Sea Fog! ๐Ÿฅฐ Iโ€™m obsessed with the high waisted fit, subtle color block and hidden pocket details. ๐Ÿ‘‰๐Ÿผ Swipe to see how it easily goes from a workout to coffee run (or barre to brunch!) and head to my stories to shop the pieces. 
 
Canโ€™t wait to share more!! ๐ŸŽ‰ Would you like to see more styling photos like this series? Let me know! ๐Ÿ’•#CALIAByCarrieUnderwoodPartner #StayThePath
๐ŸŒฑ PINK & GREEN SMOOTHIE ๐ŸŒฑ {Swipe for the rec ๐ŸŒฑ PINK & GREEN SMOOTHIE ๐ŸŒฑ {Swipe for the recipe} 
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This day totally got away from me as Iโ€™ve been playing catch up with work, but I did have a chance to make this super pretty dragonfruit smoothie and wanted to share!! ๐Ÿ’•
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I originally was hoping the colors would layer on top of each other but I added too much liquid ๐Ÿ˜…. Even so, the combined flavors were delicious and sooo tropical, plus those pink swirls and drips were everything! 
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SAVE the recipe and give it a try! ๐Ÿฅฐ #greensmoothie
A very Spring weekend in the city. ๐Ÿš• { Swipe fo A very Spring weekend in the city. ๐Ÿš• { Swipe for ๐ŸŒธ blooms} My dad and brother flew up to visit so I spent these past few days unplugged and fully present. ๐Ÿฅฐ 
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I didnโ€™t capture all the moments but it was a weekend full of really delicious food, great views ๐ŸŒƒ , lots of games, about 40K steps ๐Ÿ‘Ÿ and somehow an entire season of Survivor. 
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Feeling very happy and ready to take on the week. ๐Ÿ‘๐ŸปWhat is one fun thing you did this weekend? #SpringinNYC
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