This story was so moving, I had to share. As you may know, I have a son with a diagnosis of Autism, and stories like this bring so much hope & awareness to our community.  A very sweet local woman I met, is raising bottles of bourbon (that's right, bottles of BOURBON!!) to host a bourbon pull at the FEAT of Louisville Gala this weekend!

They are still accepting bottles, if you'd like to donate, you can contact Donna McGraw at  (502) 741-1982. You can also drop off your bourbon donation at Shane’s Window Tinting at 7701 Dixie Highway or Theraplace at 4121 Shelbyville Road. 

I really hope you'll consider donating!  Good Luck Donna and FEAT of Louisville. I can't wait to hear about your success!

 

I can't begin to explain how much I love when spring & summer come around. While I don't care much for being outside in the physical wilderness (I don't like bugs or heat - true story...), I really do not enjoy long winters. The short days, the cold, it triggers me and unfortunately seasonal depression hits me hard.

I have been an instructor at The Barre Code for three years now, and I was also the Studio Manager/Master Trainer for two of those years. In September 2018, I became the Studio Owner as a next step to keep The Barre Code community thriving in Louisville. It is truly a dream come true to be the studio owner. I couldn’t imagine my life without The Barre Code, and I know our members feel the same. The members and staff inspire me every day! They are what make The Barre Code what it is today.

I asked her what advice she would give to new moms who may find group fitness intimidating? (I've been there!)

At The Barre Code, our mission is to empower women and encourage them to find their best self. Our workouts will help you find YOUR strong, and you will have the support you need to get there. Now that I am a Mom, “Me” time is more important than ever. Motherhood is amazing, but also so challenging. Moms are always multi-tasking, and doing so much for others. Making time for yourself will make you a better person for others in the end.

I also asked if there was anything she thought new moms should know before joining The Barre Code?

Be patient with yourself and listen to your body during class just as you did throughout your pregnancy. Instructors give modifications and advancements so that you can tailor the workout to fit your needs. Week by week you will notice a difference in your strength, but patience and consistency is key.

I was so excited to hear more about her new kids' room:

Kids room is a child watch service. We take care of your kids while you get your 50-minute workout in. We keep a 5:1 child-staff ratio, and it is available M/W/F and Sat mornings. We hope to add more days and times as demand increases. You can reserve your spot on Mindbody just as you do a regular class. Cost is $5 for a drop in or $40 for a 10-Pack.

 Over the past few years, I have seen a number of our members have to cancel their memberships after having kids. I want The Barre Code to be a part of a Mom’s journey pre and postnatal. Having this option, we can hopefully keep them part of our community in the future, and bring more Moms into our environment.

I was invited by Kendra Scott in Louisville, Ky. to check out their beautiful new line of goodies! I'm a huge fan of their jewelry. (I've purchased some pieces before, so I was very familiar with the brand before I was invited in.).



Rose gold is my favorite gold! I loved all of the dainty pieces they had, it was hard to choose.

Bento (弁当, bentō) is a single-portion take-out or home-packed meal common in Japanese cuisine. A traditional bento holds rice or noodles, fish or meat, with pickled and cooked vegetables, in a box.

You know my sushi expectations heighten, when there is a sign that literally supports my sushi habit.


 Here is the menu they have stacked as you wait in line. I loved the bento idea, but I was on a mission to try sushi and their Poke bowls.

Per Wikipedia:

Poke /poʊˈkeɪ is diced raw fish served as either an appetizer or as a main course and is one of the main dishes of Native Hawaiian cuisine.

It's interesting, I had always considered Poke to be a Hawaiian dish. I never correlated it with Japanese food. I wasn't aware of the Japanese influence in Hawaii, but apparently (according to a quick google search), Japanese people are the 2nd largest Ethnic group in Hawaii. You learn something new everyday! I'm still unsure how poke came to be, but its peaked my interest. (Back to the food...)


I forgot all of the ingredients I chose, but from what I can see on my picture it was everything but the kitchen sink haha. I chose 3 different types of proteins (Salmon, Spicy Salmon, & Hamachi (Yellow Tail). I also chose sticky rice, seaweed salad, avocado, green onion, daikon, cucumber, and pretty much every seasoning they allowed on it.


It was DELICIOUS! Now, I have to admit this was my first time trying Poke at a restaurant, so I don't have much to compare it to. Although I've never had poke, I challenge you to find someone that loves sushi more than I do LOL. I *know* my sushi, and for sushi grade fish, it was great!

12951 Shelbyville Rd
Ste 114

Louisville, KY 40243

I'm always looking for new holistic practices to try out. I was feeling a bit under the weather, and I read that salt caves were a great way to boost immunity. I wasn't sure what to expect, when I read about (Halo Therapy) Salt Caves I pictured an underground cave with salt crystals everywhere.

Louisville, KY - September 2018 - Celebrate Louisville’s Most Fashionable Philanthropist and preview the hottest fall fashions at the Younger Woman’s Club of Louisville’s annual fashion show, Fall into Fabulous, on October 19, 2018. Beginning at 7:30 p.m. with a cocktail hour and the fashion show at 8:30 p.m., Fall into Fabulous will be held at The Marcus Lindsey, 801 East Main Street in Louisville.

All proceeds from Fall into Fabulous (#FallIntoFabYWC) benefit the Younger Woman’s Club (YWC) of Louisville Charity Campaign, which provides grants to area charities through a juried grant-making process. To date, YWC has distributed over $3.4 million to local non-profits. In 2018, YWC contributed $20,000 to Louisville-area non-profit agencies.

Fall into Fabulous attendees will preview looks from local boutiques while enjoying hors-d'oeuvres, an open bar, and Fab Find opportunities. Boutiques include: Peake Bowties, Peonies & A Sparrow, Peppermint Palm, Sassy Fox, Six Sisters, Something Blue, Tunie's and Work the Metal.

During the show, the YWC will award the title of Most Fashionable Philanthropist to one of nine local community-minded stylemakers. The MFP award will go to the candidate who receives the most “votes” in the form of a tax-deductible donation to YWC’s Charity Campaign. As an added incentive, YWC will donate 50% of the total amount collected to the winner’s charity of choice. For any candidate who raises over $1,000, YWC will donate 10% of the funds he or she raises to his or her charity of choice.

Also:

 The public can vote for their favorite candidate beginning Sept. 28 at www.ywcfashionshow.com. Voting will remain open through Oct. 18 at midnight.

A limited-number of VIP tickets, which include a swag bag and front-row seating, are $100. General Admission tickets are $75 each. All ticket levels include cocktails and hors d'ouevres and may be purchased at www.ywcfashionshow.com. For more information, please contact Natalie Kaelin at
president@ywclouisville.org.ABOUT THE YOUNGER WOMAN’S CLUB OF LOUISVILLE: The Younger Woman’s Club (YWC) of Louisville was founded on 1921, stating as its purpose “to promote among the younger women of Louisville, an active involvement and intelligent interest in culture and civic affairs in the community.” Ninety-five years later, the modern Younger Woman's Club strives to meet the changing demands of its members and the Louisville community while revering the history of our founding members and our association with the Woman's Club of Louisville. We invite you to learn more on http://ywclouisville.org.

This will be our wrap up celebration for our #BackToSweat2018 challenge and we will be sharing some exciting things we have in store for The Barre Code Louisville! There will be special giveaways along with drink specials (1/2 price bottles of wine) at The Goat post class. Mark your calendar for Thursday, October 11th at 7:00 PM. Event is FREE! BYO Mat.

Totally free event! Have fun!

Link to their event.

"I didn't lose myself when I became a mother. I found myself."

Tea.
♥ (n.) A hug in a cup. ♥

♥Preparation of Indian Chai (Tea)♥

Ingredients:
2 Cups of Organic Milk
2 Tazo Chai Tea Bags
2 TBSP of Raw Cane Sugar
Method:
Pour 2 cups of milk into a small pot. Bring the heat up to a rolling simmer, taking care not to scald the milk. (Milk burns very easily!) Turn off the heat. Place the tea bags, and the sugar into your cup. *Carefully* pour your hot milk into the cup, and let it steep for about 4 minutes or so. (I've never had bitter Chai before, you can let it steep for quite a while, and the spice intensifies the longer you let it steep). Enjoy!
Alternate Method:
If you prefer Iced Tea, cook as directed. Let the tea cool, and pour over ice and enjoy! Feel free to add a dried rosebud (as I did) for garnish! Dried Roses available here.