iChill is The Blonde Side’s favorite sleep-aid

There are things people are good at. Take me for instance – I’m good at a few things – most notably left-handed layups (note, I’m right-handed though) and perfecting the fishtail braid. Not exactly resume material, but I’ll take it. 

And then there are things I suck at. Like sleeping. I suck at sleeping. Isn’t that sad?

I was recently turned onto these iChill sleep shots – they are basically the opposite of 5-hr energy drinks and I will admit I was beyond skeptical (especially because a guy I was dating is the one who turned me onto these and well, trusting guys is never easy for me). But guess what? THEY WORK.

And they are not gross. I kind of pictured this really gross chalky-tasting liquid, but nope. They are easy to travel with (overnight bag, traveling, etc.). Since I spent 262 days on the road last year as a travel writer, I will be packing these with me from now on!

They have no sugar, no carbs, no calories, nada. I know what you’re thinking – what’s the catch? There isn’t one (at least not one that I’m aware of, but maybe they haven’t started tested lab rats on iChill yet…), but just wanted to share these are my new favorite things.

The sleep shots are available at over 10,000 retail stores, but I buy mine on Amazon. (Don’t judge – I work from home so the UPS guys and gals are kind of my co-workers, it’s nice to see them!)

Of course I cannot promise it will work for everyone, but I can promise (and I’m not being paid to say this) that this is the first thing that has worked for me in a really long time. And I don’t wake up tired either. It’s quite surprising really.

The Blonde Side is headed to Belize with The Reset Retreat

In case you’re looking for me next week, I’ll be in Ambergris Caye, Belize getting my shit together. Literally.

Timing is everything right? That’s what everyone says and for once I think I’m buying it. It’s hard to meet like-minded badass women, and last week I MET TWO – two (Cierra and Natalie) of the founders of The Reset Retreat.

I’m still not totally sure what to expect for the seven days in Belize (except for pampered massages, the beaches, boating, yoga, running on the beach, bikinis, champagne…did I mention the beach?), but it’s more than just a vacation. I know – “more than just a vacation” is probably copyrighted by a totally cheesy travel company, but THIS ONE is for soul searching, healing, getting back on track (hence the name The RESET Retreat), prioritizing life and figuring out how to make yours the best possible. I realize it all sounds totally Oprah-y, but there’s got to be something to that – that woman is a bazillionaire and everyone cares what she’s doing and saying every second of the day.

I write a lot about health and fitness and it’s a huge part of my life, but a huge part of health and fitness is having a healthy and happy mind. A clear one. A focused one. One up for the task of tackling every new day.

Again, I’m probably making this sound cheesy, but the truth is the truth. I’m excited to share all the fun things I do while in Belize with these women and what I learn about myself, so stay tuned here and Girls Getaway.

For now, here’s a look at some of the questions (and answers) that were sent to me to prep for this trip.

1. What is your proudest accomplishment? 

My proudest accomplishment has been without a doubt starting my sports column (TheBlondeSide.com) and subsequently my own business as a freelance sports, travel and fitness writer, which has been going (I won’t say strong, but going) for the past five years.

In college I had always dreamed of working for myself, but Corporate America seemed to suit me well for seven years. It wasn’t until I was laid off that I wanted to take a “break,” which actually resulted in creating my own job. I’m the kind of gal that doesn’t fit within molds and never have, which definitely includes your standard and typical job description. I still think I may go back to Corporate America one day, but it will likely be someone who knows me that recruits me into a role that we create together – you certainly won’t see my future job posted on Monster (at least I don’t think).

2. What is a small pleasure that can transform your mood?

I feel like this changes quite often. Sometimes it’s carrot cake from my favorite place here in Houston, sometimes it’s watching a super cheesy movie  (a Lifetime movie actually, don’t judge!), sometimes it’s just literally sitting outside in the sun and taking in my surroundings. I’ve started going to Memorial Park (a park and running trail here in Houston) a lot lately and just taking a long walk or run and then stretching and relaxing and watching the other people around me. The sun feels good, but being outdoors is definitely something that feeds my soul.

3. If money wasn’t a factor and you could choose to do anything for a day, what would it be?

I love boats – any kind of boats. Any day that I can just jump on a boat is my kind of day – I’d love to have access to one of those yachts (and chefs, and expensive champagne, and gorgeous waters and all that other stuff) like on Real Housewives, so maybe that’d be it. But then it’d spoil me and I’d want to do that everyday, not just one day.

4. What activity brings you the most joy?

Again, this changes a lot. I sometimes end up OD’ing on my favorite things – my favorite song on repeat FOR DAYS (and then it makes my ears bleed I can’t stand to hear it anymore) or my favorite dessert and then I’m on to something new.

Although I’m a writer by trade, I’d have to say CREATIVE writing brings me joy. I often get so bogged down doing athlete interviews or having to insert so many great quotes, that I don’t get to actually do much writing – my job has become a lot of fitting quotes into a few paragraphs and then writing a few filler sentences. It’s still fun, but when a subject just hits me and I feel like I can write for days – that’s kind of the stuff life is made of, right?

5. What is your most significant current challenge?

Is it bad to say EVERYTHING?

It’s become a challenge to find new stories to write about, new outlets to pitch to, meeting new people (also known as dating), getting my book published, handling rejection (being a freelance writer, this is a HUGE part of my business, which is tough), paying bills, spending time with my friends, eating healthy…and pretty much everything in between.

I like the path my life has taken, but there is A LOT missing and still want (i.e. a family), so I’m having a hard time figuring out what stuff I need to stop focusing on and what I need to spend more time doing. Many would say that I don’t need to sacrifice or give stuff up to get the other stuff, and it’s not about that. My lifestyle hasn’t helped me be the easiest or best person to date and I know there are a lot changes I need to make. I recently went through a lot at the beginning of this year and it’s absolutely changed the path of my life. I’m still learning how to deal with all of that.

I guess if I had to sum up my MOST significant current challenge, even though it’s rather cliche, would be to wake up everyday and create a life I love – that’s not something I’m actively doing anymore. I kind of keep trucking along at minimal speed and then at night reflect on why so much sucks and hurts. I know I’ve got to change that, I just need to find the energy and motivation to do it.

Blonde Hair: check.
White Teeth: check.

I’m not a huge fan of Rhianna, but I do LOVE white teeth. (And yes, I realize the song is shine bright like a diamond, but you catch my drift…)

I recently tried the Crest Pro-Health HD 2-step product line and I’m pretty pumped to have already noticed a difference in just a few days.

As much as I crave bright white teeth, I also have a huge craving for red wine and coffee, which can put a damper on my pearly whites.

The Crest Pro-Health HD line is pretty simple, but what I love about it is that it gives me a set routine (brush for one minute with the first paste, then brush with the polish, then rinse). As silly as it sounds, having a routine and set amount of time to spend on my teeth makes me feel like I’m making a real effort. My friends would probably disagree, but I’m a big fan of following instructions, so knowing that two-minutes in the morning and two at night can make my teeth brighter is a huge plus. Plus, it’s not an additional product, it’s just a better product – the system will become your new toothpaste.

Bring on 2015

When I say I’m kissing the year goodbye, understand it’s not a loving kiss, but more a get the hell out of here kiss. Kiss my ass really. I rarely ever look back on a year and can easily categorize it as amazing or terrible – it just came and went and like most had its ups and downs.

If you read my 2013 Year in Review, you’ll remember I dealt with a lot of pain and loss. I guess by default it stands to reason that much of 2014 was spent dealing with that loss and trying to make sense of it all. A lot of that was anger if I’m being honest. If you know me, you know that I can get angered pretty quickly – horrendous road rage, my significant other flirting in front of me, people doing me wrong in a business sense, friends wanting more than they give – those things REALLY make me angry. But losing your best friend and having to deal with the financial burden of running your own business (as a writer especially!) and copious health issues can really let the anger set in. The longer it sets in and the more you hold on to it, the harder it is to let go.

If I had to describe the year as a whole in just one simple word, it would be: rut.

I spent the year stuck in a rut, which is probably the worst place you want to spend an entire 365 days. I didn’t really move forward and I definitely didn’t push myself as hard as I should have. Even though I write a column called The Blonde Side and sometimes make fortuitous grammatical errors, I’m actually a pretty smart cookie.

My job. People look at my life (via social media mostly) and assume I live this amazing and adventurous life,

I feel this was a pretty incredible selfie in Pittsburgh

and it’s true for the most part. I don’t juxtapose my photos or lie about where I am, what I’m doing or who I’m with. I don’t think people realize how incredibly hard it is to do what I do for a living. Being a writer/blogger/whatever-you-want-to-call-me is my full-time job. This pretty little website you’re reading right now is what pays my bills – ALL OF THEM. It’s not easy and this year really got me down on what I do for a living.

Have you ever looked at someone and wonder how on earth they’re able to function on a daily basis because they are so far in left field or lacking just an ounce of common sense yet realize they make 3x (if not more) money than you do? It’s pretty disheartening.

My solution: I’m going to work harder this year than I have in the past three combined. I’m going to aim higher than most can imagine and I’m going to make sure all my work sells for what it’s worth. If I hit that disheartening feeling again, then I’m lucky because I have one hell of an education to back me up and hopefully welcome me back into Corporate America with open arms. And I will always remember: never wish for it harder than you work for it.

My friends. I spent a majority of the year being angry at certain people. You know the kind – those who invite you to their bacherloette party, bridal shower, wedding, then baby shower all in one year and you’re expected to travel and buy a ton of gifts? You don’t mind because they are your friends, but you realize they soon stop calling you and inviting you out. Fact of the matter is, you live with a man and have a ring on your finger, but our lives didn’t all of a sudden get so different. What happened is you either A) thought you got too good for certain people (i.e. me) or B) were never a good friend in the first place.

My solution: The end of 2014 was a little different for me when it came to friends. It truly is all about quality over quantity – that adage we’ve been told for years. I’m being very selective with the people in my life from now on. I can probably count 10 people this year alone I thought were good friends – not one of those called me (or texted me) on my birthday, most didn’t attend my annual Jingle BALLS event benefitting Ronald McDonald House Houston (or even call to say they’d miss it or wish me luck or donate) or really just gave a damn about me all year. It’s funny how you travel to Vegas for someone’s birthday and yet they can’t even send a text or buy you a drink for yours. Instead of staying angry at that, it’s no sweat off my back. I reconnected with some pretty great friends and met some new ones this year. That’s where I’ll focus instead.

My Happiness. I won’t go too much into this, but in November I attended Wanderlust Austin. During that weekend, I ventured into a session where our instructor, Liz Davis, asked us to tell a complete stranger about the last time we were truly happy. She asked us to describe it and tell them why it made us so happy.

It probably won’t surprise many, but my answer to my last happiness was simple: Hawaii. There are no words to how much I miss living on the island and just learning about myself. What sucks about that being my “happy place,” is it’s so damn far and expensive to get to. You know what this complete random stranger responded with? Find more Hawaii in your everyday life.

Yup, shirt says KARMA

It really is that flipping simple and that’s what I’m aiming to do everyday.

My solution: I won’t lie – pretending Houston is anything like Hawaii is a downright difficult task, but that doesn’t mean I can’t see the beauty in things that I saw there. Like all things in life, it’s a work in progress.

In no particular order, here are a few goals (not to be confused with resolutions) for 2015:

– GET MY BOOK PUBLISHED. I slacked on this, and I’m ready to write the second one already.

– Learn to smile more. I admit it – I’ve got an aggressive resting bitch face and it’s time to turn that frown upside down. Isn’t that what Oprah says to do? 

– Get back to sending handwritten letters. I’m pretty good at this, but I want to do it more and make it a habit.

– Get dressed every morning. No I don’t walk around naked all day (not usually), but I work for myself (i.e. no coworkers unless you count my 23lb teacup Chihuahua) and finding the energy or need to brush my hair and put on clean clothes sometimes gets overlooked. I keep reading “dressing the part” is key to success, so why not? Go ahead, judge me all you want…

– Stop buying shit. I have moved SO MANY times in the last two years and I’ve already gotten rid of so much stuff – I don’t need any of it. I want to simplify and stop buying.

– Streamlining my work. I freelance for so many publications (print and online) that it’s hard to keep up with all the formats, pitching, editors, invoicing, etc. I want to create a hit list of publications I have a constant voice in and actually make some money and write quality work. If you’ve got ideas for a magazine or website I should write for, please let me know. Editor’s contact info is a bonus.

– My phone is not my friend, my friends are my friends. I want to be more present and not text or worry about my phone when I’m with good company – it’s just plain rude. But that also means striving to find good company – I’m not sure everyone will make the cut.

– Travel better. I know this sounds crazy for someone who spent 262 days on the road this year, but my goal for 2014 was to travel bigger – abroad and such. I love my weekend trips for NFL and to visit friends, but it’s time to expand my horizons. Unless of course it’s a trip home. 

x’s & o’s to all of you that have followed my journeys as a sportswriter as well as just an all around crazy person. I appreciate all your support and comments – I’d love to hear what your goals are for 2015…

Seiko – Keeping me on track in the New Year

As I look to the New Year, one of my goals is to remember that my phone is not my friend – my friends are my friends. It sounds simple, but like many, I spend way too much time on my phone – even to check the time.

Another goal of mine for 2015 is to be more productive, especially during the hours of 9-5, which is nearly impossible when you work from home. I want to make the minutes count and virtually “clock out” as close to 5 everyday as possible. I think this will help me prioritize things more, and stay on a schedule as well as help me sleep more regular hours (which is much needed!).

What better way to make some of these goals happen than with a shiny new watch? I realize buying a new watch doesn’t help with my goal of “not spending as much money,” but I consider my new Seiko watch a great investment.

I think a watch says a lot about someone and I love that Seiko has a ton of amazing athletes (like Landon Donovan and Hope Solo) as their brand ambassadors. If these watches are durable enough to keep up with their lifestyles, I’m fairly confident it’s spot on for me as well.

I choose the Sportura Quartz watch ($695) which comes with: