April 30, 2019

5 Ways to show self-love on a daily basis


In order to be truly happy in life, we must first love ourselves.  Loving ourselves doesn’t mean being egotistical or a narcissist.  It means showing yourself self-love and truly being happy in your own skin.  This is easier for some people but with a little daily maintenance, self-love will become natural and all aspects of your life will begin to fall into place.  



When we seek acceptance from others, it is very difficult to ever truly be happy in our own skin.  We have to unconditionally love who we are, the good and the bad.  If we focus on our accomplishments and achievements instead of comparing ourselves to others, we can truly be happy in many areas of our lives.  

If you were to ask me about my weight a year ago, I would have taken offense to it. I was going through this weird stage due to all the health problems that prohibited me to be at the gym six days a week (hence the weight gain). We often compare ourselves to our peers, celebrities, Instagram models, athletes and honestly up until the summer of last year, I was in the same spot and was self-conscious about my image (even though there was nothing I could do about it due to my health).

That quickly changed once I accepted that this is my body and I should be proud of it! It also changed because I started to show self-love daily. So, if you are struggling with this right now, here are some ways you can begin to practice self-love on a daily basis:

Accept Yourself.  This isn’t always easy but accepting that you have strengths and weaknesses and that is okay is the first step in truly loving yourself.  Not everyone is good at math or cooking or maybe even walking and chewing gum at the same time, but for every person that isn’t good at one of those, there is another that is.  That is okay.

Set Boundaries.  Every relationship you are in, whether it be friendly or romantic should have a set of boundaries.  If you are not okay with something, stand up for yourself.  If you don’t like how someone is treating you, talking to you or making you feel it is okay to tell them that.

Set Personal Quality Time.  Everyone needs time for themselves.  We all need hobbies and time to do the things that make us happy.  Ensuring you have time to either do a hobby, read a book or just meditate can help you to relieve stress, Make time for YOU.

Talk to yourself.  No, you don’t need to walk around having a full-on conversation with yourself, but you should take the time to check in with yourself.  Listen to yourself and pay attention to ensure you are getting what you need.  Are you feeling down?  Figure out what it is that is making you sad or stressed.  Paying attention to yourself and getting to the core problem can make a huge difference in your overall well-being.

Be kind.  It’s easy to beat yourself up when you make a mistake, or something doesn’t work out as planned.  Have patience with yourself and understand that it isn’t the end of the world.  We make mistakes but we learn and move forward.  It is okay to not always be perfect.  It’s easy to give someone else understanding, but you must do the same with yourself.  Speak to yourself kindly and with patience.  Reflect and learn.




The pictures you are seeing in today's post would have never been put on my blog had I not been on feeling confident in my own skin. I'm wearing a set from TOMBOY X Earth Day Collection in the whale shark print. 

ABOUT TOMBOY X:
TomboyX was founded the way many brands are, trying to fill a need that had gone unfilled for far too long. We asked ourselves, “How hard can it be to make good underwear?” And by that, we meant underwear that fit regular bodies and fit how we saw ourselves. And underwear that anybody could feel comfortable in, regardless of where they fell on the size or gender spectrum.   In trying to fill a need, we unwittingly unleashed an outpouring of emotion. 


ECO-FRIENDLY 
The majority of our cotton underwear and swimwear are Oeko-tex 100 certified—a highly-regarded international standard for non-toxic fabrics. Additionally, the process that gives our activewear it's quickdry, antibicrobial and moisture-wicking properties uses crab and shrimp shells instead of finishing with synthetic chemicals. Our luxury MicroModal fabric is made out of sustainably harvested and processed Beechwood fibers. And our Signature Prints use a water-based, earth-conscious method, recycling water well above the standards required. We are always looking for the greenest, cleanest method for everything we make.

SHOP HERE:


xo,
Nina



Disclosure: Nina Talks LLC was gifted TomboyX product for an honest review. All opinions and decisions for sharing my thoughts about it on the blog are my own. 

April 23, 2019

Nina Talks Podcast Episode #9 - Hopes for Fertility

Today's episode was a great one! Tedi and I used to work together years back, and I'm so thankful for technology because I have been able to keep up with her amazing story. Listen to today's episode so that you know what I'm talking about ;)

For now, I would like to leave you a few links from topics that were discussed during the episode:

Things to Say to an Infertile Couple

Top 10 tips to pay for IVF

Running and Fertility Treatments



Find her on Social Media: 

Running with Infertility, typically where I hang out.
IG: @runningwithinfertility1

Hope for Fertility handles
IG: @hopeforfertility

Listen to the episode below: 





April 16, 2019

Remember Twilight?

Oh, Twilight, the 2005 Saga that every mom and a teenage girl were obsessed with... 

For those of you that have yet to hear about TWILIGHT let me give you a little background story: 

According to Wikipedia: Twilight is a series of four vampire-themed fantasy romance novels by American author Stephenie Meyer. Released annually from 2005 through 2008, the four books chart the later teen years of Isabella "Bella" Swan, a girl who moves to Forks, Washington, and falls in love with a 104-year-old vampire named Edward Cullen.

from https://stepheniemeyer.com/the-twilight-saga/

Now that we have that out of the way, you might be thinking why on earth am I bringing up the Twilight series right now? Well here is why: My friends Emily & Maren are the biggest Twilight fans I know and have recently decided to start a brand new podcast together named: 

Each episode the girls dive into a chapter and dissect every little detail as well as take us down the memory lane. They have been to Forks three times and have pictures to prove it: 

 



It was such a pleasure to have these two lovely girls in the studio! They are truly a fun duo! 
We laughed-cried and remembered the Twilight times. Right towards the end of the episode, we tested to test out their knowledge which it was so much fun to put them on the spot. 

Go show these girls all your support and love because they deserve it! Listen to our episode below: 



xo, 
Nina

April 14, 2019

Avocado Chocolate Mousse Recipe!


One of my favorite memories from when I was a teenager was the fact that my momma would make us "avocado anything" shakes, mousse, ice-creams-you name it! It would always turn out delicious. 
Fast forward to now, I'm in my 30s and I still love Avocado treats! Here are some great nutritional facts if you are still on the fence about eating this delicious fruit:

One-third of a medium avocado (50 g) has 80 calories and contributes nearly 20 vitamins and minerals, making it a great nutrient-dense food choice. The avocado is virtually the only fruit that contains heart-healthy monounsaturated fat–good fat! California Avocados are naturally sodium-, sugar- and cholesterol-free.

·        Avocado Is Incredibly Nutritious.
·        They Contain More Potassium Than Bananas.
·        Avocado Is Loaded with Heart-Healthy Monounsaturated Fatty Acids.
·        Avocados Are Loaded with Fiber.
·        Eating Avocados Can Lower Cholesterol and Triglyceride Levels.

Amazing right? Which it brings us to today’s post, this delicious guilt-free recipe:

AVOCADO CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

This is a great alternative to traditional chocolate mousse.  The flavors are wonderful, and we promise you won't miss the dairy at all!  Plus, the avocado's make this a really healthy treat.  It's easy to make, and looks dramatic in small individual dishes, for a grand presentation.  This is one that will definitely go in your favorites!

HERE'S WHAT YOU'LL NEED:
2 large ripe avocados
1/4 cup of cocoa powder
3 Tablespoons of coconut or almond milk
3 Tablespoons of honey, or 1/3 cup of Stevia
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1/2 banana
4 teaspoons of dairy-free chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups of red raspberries

HERE'S WHAT YOU DO:
In a food processor or blender, add the avocados, cocoa powder, coconut milk, Stevia, (or honey) vanilla, and banana, and blend until all ingredients are blended and smooth.  Scrape down sides of the container, and blend again, making sure all ingredients are blended.  Remove the blending container, cover, and place in the refrigerator for at least one hour, until completely cold, before serving.  Serve 1/3 cups of Mousse, topped with a sprinkling of chocolate chips, and raspberries.  Enjoy!
Serves 6






 The macronutrients for this yummy dessert per serving is as follows:


Try this out next time you are looking for a quick and easy dessert! 


xo,
Nina 


April 8, 2019

Nina Talks Podcast!

We are back baby!

It's been a long time coming and I couldn't be happier to announce the re-relaunch of 

I have missed talking on a microphone. I missed that sense of community that comes with the Podcasting world!

So in order to come back at it full force, I knew I had to make a few changes! Starting with my podcast cover. I had an extremely talented photographer named Vanessa - check her Instagram out @itsvanessphotography take these for me, and I created the artwork on canva.com What do you think?


Then I wanted a new intro created because although I loved my previous one, it just wasn't cutting it. So I went back to the same guy that did my first intro with some ideas and he created this brand new one for me:


She is a lifestyle blogger, published author, bucket list crosser, and a girl that’s a little obsessed with pandas. Her Mission? To bring you Utah’s most influential people. Each week, Nina will get personal with her guests as they share their messages in hopes to you inspire you! Are you ready? Welcome to The Nina Talks Podcast!

Lastly, I wanted to change my directions and the mission for the podcast. So with that in mind, I decided that I would only interview locals and focus on Utah brands/influencers and just anyone that has a voice! With this, I figured that having a studio to go record it would be ideal and after researching a little bit on it I was able to find one in Sandy thanks to the awesome people at the SLCC Miller Campus Incubator. The building is all about start-ups, small business owners and other podcasters like me. I was lucky to get set up with the Professor from the Communications Department at SLCC and he has the coolest setup. 

The studio is one of the best things that has happened to me! Being able to connect with my local friends while they are sharing their messages really has inspired me.

The schedule for the episodes will be on every TUESDAY from this week on! So stay tuned for the episodes to come and don't forget to check back here for show notes and links to my guest's socials. 

Hope you are all ready! 

xo, 
Nina