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      in health and weelbeing

      Every Hack I’m Actually Trying to Get Healthier in 2021

      by

      I started 2020 pretty strong. I went to my gym about four days a week. I was trying new recipes. I started a bullet journal. I felt very prepared to take on the next decade of my life. And yada yada, one thing led to another, and here I was, July 2020, and I, like many others, had fallen off. For the record, there was a global pandemic, but I wasn’t doing so hot. I reignited myself, made some updated goals that fit the times, and went on my merry way. I’m here to say: I feel 100 times better now than I did then, and I’m carrying that same fervor into the new year. But I’ll be the first to admit: health “trends” are not my jam. I need something that’s going to stick. I don’t want to completely overhaul my life and routine, and I’ll never dare give up socializing over food and alcohol. So, what’s a girl to do? Here are the health hacks I’m actually planning to implement into my life in 2021. 

      1. “32 Before Brew”
      I saw this on Instagram a while ago, and it has changed my life; however, after the holiday season, I’m sure I’ll need to reassign this goal to myself. Basically, it’s the idea that you drink 32 ounces of water before you drink your cup of coffee in the morning, which I found genius. It’s an easy, pretty straightforward concept, but I love that it gets me drinking water first thing, and it reminds me to keep drinking water after I’ve had my coffee. If I don’t drink water during the workday, it’s so hard to catch up and drink enough later, and this keeps me accountable all day, starting with the morning.

      Source: @lolaomonaija

      2. Controlling volume instead of portions
      I will never be someone who eats like a bird. If I’m eating a meal, I’m eating a meal; that’s all I’m going to say. But adjusting portion sizes is often a recommended hack for being able to still enjoy all the foods you love without eating in excess. Instead, I’m opting to try focusing on the volume of food I’m consuming versus how much. I can eat an entire plate of pasta, but I also want to bulk up the meal with protein, a side salad, and a big glass of water. I feel fuller, faster, and it builds my meals upon nutrients rather than going into it controlling how much I’m eating, which can often lead me to disordered eating. If I want to go get McDonald’s, I’ll drink a lot of water and add extra veggies or protein to my cheeseburger (highly recommend—one of the best hacks I’ve ever seen is asking for double meat and splitting the sandwich in half to eat two open-faced sandwiches!). 

      3. Finding alternatives to the foods I crave
      If I tell myself that I can’t have pizza or pasta or chips, it’s all I’ll want, and it’ll lead to a binge. Always. No foods are “bad,” so I can easily find or make alternatives to my favorites that feel better (and sometimes taste better too!). Currently, I’m loving MyBizzyKitchen’s healthier pizza dough recipe, I’ve swapped regular chips for baked versions (Peetos are my current favorite spicy chip alternative!), and I’m using the above hack to enjoy pasta and other foods that are easy to overindulge in. 

      Source: @gabbywhiten

      4. Creating “ceremony” in the evenings
      Mental health is important as well, and it’s especially necessary to create goals around this too. A therapist once recommended creating “ceremony” around normal day-to-day routines as a way to reorient your brain into a specific task and make these feel like an event more than another thing to tick off your to-do list. 
      One way I want to practice this is through working from home and separating my workday from my evening. When the clock strikes 6 p.m., I’m closing the computer, lighting a candle, drinking something other than water (see the next tip!), and reading 30 pages of a book, or maybe I’ll watch a YouTube video or an episode of a show. (As long as it’s not work or scrolling on my phone, I’m game!) I want to create a ceremony, or a ritual, around ending the workday. When I light the candle next to my bedside, it’s time to finish work for the night. 

      5. Swapping to a different drink in the evening
      Drinking water is not my strong suit. I have to really force myself to stay hydrated, especially working from home because it’s easy to sit at my desk and not fill up my water bottle all day. So, I’m taking a slightly different approach to fixing that problem this year, and it’s allowing myself to drink anything but water in the evenings. Don’t get me wrong, I will still drink water with dinner, to take my medicine before bed, or just simply to sip throughout the night. But right after work ends, whether I’m hankering for a bubbly soda, sparkling water, or an adult libation, I’m letting myself have it instead of forcing myself to stick to water only. It encourages me to stick to water as much of the day as I can, but I know I can “indulge” with something else to change it up.

      Source: @theplussizedprep

      6. Create challenges for workouts
      Motivating yourself to workout at home when the gym isn’t an option is hard. Why would I push hard if no one can see me? Why would I create or follow a routine if I don’t have to? There’s nothing holding me back from stopping in the middle of a workout just because I don’t feel like it. So to keep myself motivated and inspired, I’m creating challenges for myself. I’ll tell myself to work out three times a week, and then after I do that for four weeks straight, I push it to four days a week. Maybe I’ll try to do yoga every day for seven days straight, and then the next week I focus on doing 20 minutes of cardio a day. Making these small, reachable goals every week rather than some overarching goal of “work out more” is much easier to follow and accomplish.

      7. Keep your phone in another room while sleeping 
      I can’t be the only one who wakes up in the middle of the night, checks their phone, and ends up staying awake for way too long because I end up scrolling for no reason at all. I really try to limit how much I use my phone before bed, but if I keep it next to me, I’ll inevitably use it any time I wake up (including first thing in the morning). By keeping it away from my bed, I’d have to get up to grab my phone if I want to use it, and when I’m half-asleep at 4 a.m., that’s unlikely to happen. Prioritizing better sleep is a major goal of mine in 2021, and I’m trying this first!
      This hack also might help me hit snooze less because I’ll have to get up to turn the alarm off. Win-win!

      Source: @crystalinmarie

      8. Add movement into every part of your routine
      If starting from no workouts to five a week feels daunting (for one, it is!), try just adding different forms of movement into every part of your day. Turn on some music (maybe a glass of wine!), and dance around the kitchen while you cook dinner. Maybe you do some stretches from the couch while watching your favorite show. You could try setting a timer during the day to get up and get more water and move around for 10 minutes. You don’t have to follow an eight-week intense HIIT program to feel the benefits of moving your body more, and finding small ways to add that in (especially while working from home) is beneficial too. More

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      in lifestyle and culture

      ANNOUNCING: The Everygirl 2021 Planners Available at Target!

      by

      When my cofounder Danielle and I sat down in August 2011 to brainstorm what launching an online magazine would look like, we had a lot of lofty goals for this not-yet-existent company.We were 28 and 25-years-old respectively, basically strangers. We both had full-time jobs to tend to, and let me just say, we had no idea what obstacles stood in our way. We simply believed the sky was the limit. 
      As I feverishly transcribed everything we were saying, pen to paper, I noted the seemingly attainable, low-hanging fruit goals… but as all big dreamers know, you don’t settle for low-hanging fruit. You set the bar high.
      As we drank coffee and excitedly talked over one another, rattling off one idea after the next, and visions for what this site could become danced in the air around us, one of us may or may not have suggested “a product line in Target!”
      Suuuure! Why not?! Add it to the list! What a dream that would be! “The products would be stylish, affordable, and practical, of course.” Items that would help women everywhere reach their goals of living a well-rounded, creative, career-driven life with purpose.
      Well, fast forward ten years, and let our story be another example of not settling or giving up. As we’ve said many times before, we’ve grown this business slow and steadily, patiently and staying true to our mission, as we encourage all of you to do the same with your dreams.
      And we are elated to say that as of today, The Everygirl 2021 day planner collection is now live at Target.com and will be in a store near you over the next few days!
      How did this come to be, you may ask? Let’s rewind to 2018.

      I remember the moment like it was yesterday. Our partnership director gave us the exciting news that she’d be talking with Day Designer–the premiere name of planners and notebooks–and they wanted to partner with The Everygirl on a 2021 collection of day planners. Gasp. As if that wasn’t thrilling enough, she told us that we’d be pitching the collection to Target.
      I’m fairly certain dogs in Indiana heard our screams of excitement at the news. Sure we dreamed of seeing The Everygirl name on products, but planners are to The Everyirl team what books are to Rory Gilmore. Lists, goals, charts, stickers, reminders, all organized neatly in one specific place–Ooo boy! It gets our blood rushing.
      The Day Designer team are true experts in the planner space and we can’t thank them enough for making this whole process so easy and fun. Collaborating with them meant we’d get to design a large collection of planners, front to back, choose the formatting and content, curate and design stickers, pick out the details, all of it. Truly one of those 2011 pipe dreams coming true.

      Once we got the news and details, we immediately got to work, pinning inspiration, mood-boarding color palettes, brainstorming creative details to include. 
      Unsurprisingly, we settled on our signature color palette: a base of white and grey neutrals paired with soft blush, mint green, and pastel blue and finished with gold foil accents and spirals. We wanted beautiful texture and went with a linen material for our two signature planners: The Career Planner and the 30 Day Challenge Planner. 

      As for patterns, thick stripes, striking ikat dots, and feminine florals round out a collection that is as classic as it is beautiful. Our graphic designer hand-lettered quotes for each month page, and we pulled helpful resources from our archives to include to help inspire and guide your year.

      It’s crazy to think we had this entire collection finalized over a year ago and were so proud of the pieces we put together and presented to Day Designer. So you can only imagine our elation when we found out The Everygirl planners were being picked up by Target to be sold in stores all over the country and on their website! That’s right–as of today, you can shop the entire collection of 2021 planners on Target.com and in a few days, they’ll be in a Target store near you!

      The collection comes in a range of sizes, from desktop calendars to wall calendars, spiral-bound and book-bound notebooks. They’re all so beautiful, it’s almost impossible to choose one. How many planners is too many, we wonder? The limit probably doesn’t exist.
      We hope you enjoy!

      available at Target More

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      in health and weelbeing

      How to Support Friends Who Are Spending the Holidays Alone

      by

      While this time of year is traditionally full of opportunities for celebration, there are many for whom the holidays can be an isolating and difficult season to get through. With the year that we’ve had, it’s also likely that for some, this is their first holiday season alone. And while spending time with ourselves is a great way to explore and invite growth into our lives, it can be particularly challenging to find the positive in being by yourself during a time of year when we’re expected to feel nothing but happy holiday joy.The good news is that while virtual chats have become our go-to—albeit exhausting—means of communication, there are many ways you can connect with and support loved ones from a distance. From dropping off baskets filled with homemade goodies to exchanging cards expressing your gratitude and love, below are 10 ideas that’ll help you foster connection and build community this season.

      1. Check in
      Reaching out is a great place to start. Be sure to ask before you assume how they’re responding to being on their own for the holidays. It’s possible that they’re looking forward to not having to endure a long family meal, and of course it’s also possible that they’re heartbroken over not being able to go home or gather with loved ones. By checking in, you’re inviting your friend to share their truth, and you’re offering them the space to be heard. 
      This is also a great time to provide additional outlets for your friend if they need extra support. Maybe that’s encouraging them to connect with their therapist or schedule a phone or Zoom call with their family. Listen as they voice their needs, and respond with resources that can further support them.

      2. Support their rest
      Many of us have at least a couple days off from work around the holidays, and 2020 plus a busy season means everyone is in need of more than a little rest. Curate a line-up of their favorite holiday episodes, send them a roundup of books they’ll love, or put together a soothing playlist of songs that will put them at ease. Not only are you sharing tools and resources that will help them unwind, but you’re also letting them know that their health and well-being is important to you.

      3. Marathon your favorite holiday movies 
      I’ve waxed poetic about The Holiday being my favorite Christmas movie more times than I can count. And while a Nancy Meyers script combined with scenes of a picture-perfect English village is enough to make me happily burrow away for several days without human contact, there’s really nothing better than watching your favorite holiday movies with friends. Whether that’s telepartying on Netflix or FaceTiming while you watch Happiest Season, there are plenty of ways you can still connect over the beautifully-cheesy films we can’t get enough of during this time of year. 
      Pull on your coziest PJs, mix up a batch of your favorite holiday-themed snack (I’m going for Muddy Buddies), and get ready for hours-long texting convos about whether or not The Princess Switch or The Princess Switch: Switched Again is the superior Vanessa Hudgens performance (we’re awaiting your honest thoughts!).

      4. Dream together
      Next time you’re chatting with your friend, let your focus shift to the future for a bit, and share how good it’ll feel when you can get together, go for dinner, or even just see each other from closer than six feet again. While a disheartening news spiral can make us all feel a little hopeless at times, it’s important to remember that it won’t always be this way. Dreaming up possibilities for a future trip to Europe together can brighten up any challenging day, and the only thing that’s better than travel planning is taking the vacation itself.

      5. Drop off a basket filled with their favorites
      There’s a reason sharing gift baskets with new neighbors was once a staple of every guide to etiquette. Putting together a collection of your friend’s favorite things—snacks, baked goods, the cedar-scented candle they can’t get enough of—and dropping it off on their front step is a thoughtful surprise anyone would be happy to receive. You can even pack your friend dinner plus a bottle of wine or pair store-bought jam with an assortment of homemade baked goods. Whatever it is you think they’ll look forward to the most, fill the basket with that.

      6. See the lights 
      Pack up your holiday beverage of choice (I’m pouring peppermint hot cocoa), and set out in your respective cars to find the prettiest holiday lights. A quick Google search for holiday light displays in your city will likely turn up helpful results, and you can always ask around for recommendations from those in the know. When you get to your destination, bundle up, walk around, and get ready to ooh and aah at all the winter wonderlands you find.

      7. Go virtual, but challenge yourselves to get creative
      With months of Zoom-only interactions behind us, Zoom fatigue is very real. But it’s also possible that it’s the way that we’re interacting virtually that’s contributing to the drain. Virtual happy hours were fun for about a minute, but it’s time that we branch out and find all the many amazing classes, performances, exhibitions, and more that we have access to now that we’re all online. DIY a winter wreath, tune in for a virtual performance, cue up an online workout, or learn how to create gorgeous lettering like an artist. Whatever you decide to do, it’ll be an opportunity for you to connect, grow, and learn something new together.

      8. Go for a socially-distant walk
      Walks are the real MVP of quarantine, and if you live in the same city, send a text to see if your friend wants to go for one together. Not only are endorphins, sunshine, and connection a game-changing combo for your mental space, but you’ll also get the opportunity to catch up in-person, even if from behind a mask.

      9. Volunteer together
      Whether you’re spending the holidays alone or not, giving back can raise anyone’s spirits and reminds us of all we have to contribute. See what opportunities are available right now in your community or go online for ideas. Connect with an organization that’s distributing hand-written letters to senior facilities or gather up donations to bring to your local food bank. Any option you choose will have the same effect: Boosted empathy and a reminder of what this season is really all about.

      10. Send a little “thinking of you”
      What are the things about your friend for which you’re the most grateful? Maybe it’s their vulnerability, their strength, or their kindness. Maybe it’s their ever-expanding imagination that keeps you inspired. Make a list of all the things you love and appreciate about them. Write your list in a card and drop the little love note in the mail.
      Whether that’s a DM, text, or a small note in the mail, it’s a simple gesture that can have an amazing impact. Sometimes the simplest things matter most. More

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      in health and weelbeing

      Do Not Disturb: 5 Vibrators to Spend The Holidays With

      by

      I’ve always been a little bummed about spending the holidays without a significant other. (Why yes, I have been single for every holiday since birth, let’s not discuss.) I’m so lucky to be with my family every year, and I have friends to boot to share the holiday joy with. But there are enough Christmas rom-coms out there to make me wish I had someone to introduce to my family in a chaotic way or worry about what to get them. However, not once have I ever wished that I’d have someone to have sex with, because frankly, my vibrator is better. Listen: it packs so neatly into my luggage, doesn’t require any talks about what to say when my mom asks, “When are you getting married?” and it shuts up the second I click off the off button. Whether you also don’t have a partner or you’re not seeing each other this year, these five vibrators are the next best thing—we might even argue they’re a little better.

      Deluxe Rechargeable Mini Massage Wand Vibrator

      If you’ve never tried a wand vibrator, now’s the time. These magical vibes are entirely for clitoral stimulation, but the large head makes it extra powerful. With seven patterns and 10 intensity levels, you’re bound to find the exact combo you need to have amazing orgasms on your own. It’s available in four colors and USB rechargeable (unlike the original wands you might recognize that plug into the wall—very ‘90s).

      Wild Flower
      Enby Vibrator

      This is the first truly gender neutral vibrator on the market, aptly named the Enby (which is a short term used to describe non-binary). It can be used in a number of ways, making it one of the most versatile vibes I’ve ever seen (and I’m a sex writer—I see a lot of vibrators). You can rub on it, tuck into a harness, place it between you and a partner, and mold it to fit almost any need. It has three speeds and five patterns of vibration and is USB rechargeable—which, if you can’t tell, is a major selling point (who wants to buy batteries?).

      Womanizer Starlet USB Rechargeable Clitoral Stimulator

      This vibrator is a best-seller on The Everygirl, and I can’t even count all the reasons why on one hand. From personal experience, these suction vibrators are the most unique sex toys on the market in recent years because they truly mimic oral sex in a way that makes me worry that finding a partner could become obsolete. This one is special because it’s petite, has four levels of intensity, and is USB rechargeable.

      Fifty Shades of Grey Greedy Girl G-Spot Rabbit Vibrator

      Everyone needs a classic rabbit vibrator in their collection if they receive orgasms from both oral and vaginal stimulation. They can all be pretty similar, but this one caught my eye because it’s luxe and high-quality without an outrageous price tag (sex toys can be astronomically expensive!). This one has two motors for each side, giving you 36 different combinations to achieve your best orgasm.

      Dame Zee Vibrator

      No matter what you’re doing this holiday season, a classic bullet vibrator is nothing short of a good time. This tiny vibe is made from ABS plastic instead of silicone, so it’s really easy to clean, ultra-soft on the body, and can be used with water and silicone-based lube. It’s water-resistant (happy bath season!), and—you guessed it—USB rechargeable. With three speeds, this is all the company you need. More

    • 138 Shares

      in beauty and fashion

      The Cutest Jewelry Gifts to Give or Ask for This Year

      by

      If there is one gift to give that is always loved by the recipient, it’s jewelry. I truly don’t know anyone who wouldn’t love to receive a beautiful and thoughtful jewelry gift. It doesn’t even matter if the person is more of a minimalist or doesn’t wear a ton of jewelry daily, I would still bet money that there is something out there that they would love and wear. Classics and everyday staples like chain necklaces, signet rings, and hoop earrings are effortless and timeless, so you know that whoever is receiving them will be able to wear the items for years to come. And the personal factor of something like an initial, monogram, zodiac sign, etc. just makes it that much more special. 
      And don’t forget about yourself this holiday season! If you’ve been on the hunt for the perfect layered necklace or chainlink bracelet, what better time than now to gift it to yourself or add it to your wish list. 
      Keep scrolling for 25 of our favorite necklaces, earrings, rings, and bracelets to gift or ask for this season:

      Necklaces

      Earrings

      Source: @stellaandhaas

      Rings

      Bracelets More

    • 113 Shares

      in beauty and fashion

      What to Wear for Your At-Home New Year’s Eve

      by

      In a few short weeks, we’ll all be nestling up in our homes, ready to ring in the Near Year in a way that, of course, is a bit different than we’re used to. But hell, we’ve made it, guys, and that deserves a celebration—even if our New Year’s Eve is spent from our couches.New Year’s Eve attire is usually a dream come true: sparkles, jewel tones, and a lot of fun, and we’re big believers that you can make things feel special just for yourself. Even if the only thing seeing you will be your champagne flute, you deserve to feel elevated and a little bit special at your at-home New Year’s celebration.
      Break out your favorite jewelry, throw on something one step up from your go-to sweats (velvet joggers, anyone?), and try one of these combinations out to say goodbye to 2020—good riddance!

      1. 

      joggers / joggers (plus-size) / top / earrings / slippers

      2.

      dress / champagne flute / earrings / nail polish

      3.

      top / joggers / joggers (plus-size) / earrings / nail polish

      4. 

      top / pants / matching set option (plus-size) / earrings / nail polish

      5.

      cardigan / jeans / lip cream / necklace

      6.

      joggers / bodysuit / hair clip / noise maker More