Laurel House and her husband on their restorative honeymoon in Punta de Mita, Mexico.

My idea of a vacation is more of what most might call an adventure trip. I love packing my days with tours, visiting villages, and exploring an area’s culture and people. But when it came to planning my honeymoon, I decided to do something outside of my regular habit. What I needed and wanted more than anything else was to do absolutely nothing with my newly minted husband. When it came time to choose a restorative honeymoon, we looked south to Mexico. We specifically to the Pacific Coast village of Punta Mita. I’ve been to Punta Mita before. It’s a quick three-hour flight from Los Angeles to Puerto Vallarta. (Puerto Vallarta is the nearest airport, which is approximately 45 minutes away by car).

The W Punta de Mita has recently opened, and I was attracted to the opportunity to be able to check in, immediately be handed a margarita, then walk down to our private cabana on the beach. That was exactly what my new hubby and I experienced. Plus, a plate of ceviche freshly caught that morning. Our ocean view room satisfied my lingering need for a unique and sometimes eccentric holiday, with its brightly colored decor and heart-shaped pillows that gave a Dia de los Muertos/fun lovers vibe.

Our dinner was at the W’s onsite Spice Market, just like the one that used to be in the Meatpacking District of NYC with its big bold flavors and bright and biting spices. Unlike New York though, we were accompanied by bikini-clad guests lightheartedly strutting along the tiled walkway crossing over the pool to the edge of the sand. Everyone was having a good time. This created a perfect energetic balance of relaxation and revelry. It was just what we wanted for our honeymoon.

Romance and Relaxation for a Restorative Honeymoon

We spent the next day bouncing between the bed, bathtub, and one of our two patios – all with ocean views. We needed some time to just be… together. No interruptions, no computers, no social media, no meetings, no plans. The next afternoon was our beach day—similarly filled with non-activities. We had a private cabana on the sand, with champagne, ceviche, and books. We lingered with actual printed books that we had time to read… such a luxury!

There was one scheduled adventure though – a three-hour escape to the Away Spa. We first spent a couple of hours in the jungle-like outdoor area while dipping into the three temperature pools: hot, body temperature, and an invigorating ice cold plunge! Then we eased into a couple’s massage, where the therapists poured hot candle wax that turns into massage oil onto our skin. They gifted the remainder of the wax to us so we could continue the hot activity in the bedroom.

The Difference Between a Trip and a Vacation

After four nights (too few, but we had to get back to reality and our kids), we felt even further solidified as a couple and set up to start our life together. What became apparent to me was that there is a difference between a “vacation” and a “trip.” I usually take trips. I love adventures, experiences, and explorations that make me feel expanded and, honestly, a bit exhausted.

Vacations, on the other hand, are opportunities to take a moment to relax, reset, and reconnect. There is a time and a place for each. My honeymoon was the time… and the place was W Punta de Mita.

Communication is Key!

Are you craving a relaxing vacation but your partner is more of an adventure type? Communicate! Before planning for any trip, it’s essential to have a conversation about the purpose of your getaway in order to align your hopes and expectations.

Set a time to talk about it, during which you both can be focused and listen to each other’s needs and wants. Don’t have this conversation in passing or when you come across a couple of minutes to bring it up.Be sure to think through and have clarity around the kind of trip you are craving.

Ask yourself some of the following questions:

What are your criteria for a destination?
What variety of activities do you want to do?
Do you want to meet up with any friends or family?
Do you want to have a schedule or play it day by day?
If you want the flow to be more relaxed, are there specific activities that will require reservations and some planning—like special meals or spa treatments?
If your partner has a different perspective, see how you can merge your needs so you can both come away feeling like you are taking your perfect trip.

Vacations are meant to be connecting and rejuvenating. If the getaway doesn’t start with having a conversation about how you envision the trip and how you want to feel, it can end up creating conflict. Communication creates a powerful experience.

Area Explorations

Really, there was no need to leave the resort for our restorative honeymoon. But, we did venture out to the small fishing village of Sayulita, known as a village of love. The streets are lined with little shops spilling out with artisan crafts, interspersed with outdoor restaurants specializing in tacos and beer, and dappled with hearts and signs that say “Amor.”

After strolling around for a few hours, we took a car to Imanta Resort in Punta de Mita, which you absolutely cannot miss. This place defines personalized, individualized service. Imanta is in a completely private and comfortably upscale setting. After a 10-minute drive on a jungle road, we were greeted by staff and escorted to the observation deck. There we had 360° views of the jungle and ocean, plus a private bartender to make fresh cocktails from local fruits plucked that morning. Dinner was an equally unparalleled and private experience.

Another Imanta must: the spa. The completely outdoor spa has just three treatment “rooms,” with palm fronds and plants separating each space. You are massaged, you shower, you even use the bathroom without a roof over your head. It sounds rustic, but it redefines luxury.

Punta de Mita Travel Resources

The W Punta de Mita: wpuntademita.com
Imanta Resort: imantaresorts.com

Laurel House

Laurel House is a Santa Monica-born, bred, and based dating and relationship coach, helping to empower her clients to be their best selves so that they can find the love the deserve. She has a no-games, rule-screwing approach, teaching her clients exactly what to say and do, how to present themselves online and in-person, and the specific strategy to find love- hard, deep, and fast, just like she and so many of her clients have. Laurel believes that dating is about clarity through communication, and with clarity comes confidence. Laurel is called a “Man Whisperer,” Dating Jedi Master, Relationship Fairy, and Cyrano. More than anything else, Laurel demystifies dating so that you can confidently date with integrity and purpose.

www.LaurelHouse.com

The post Relaxation Meets Revelry: A Restorative Honeymoon in Punta de Mita appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

A Getaway in Santa Barbara

I have always considered Santa Barbara to be my exhale. I went to college there, then I later co-hosted a radio show, which had me making the oceanside drive from LA every other Thursday morning to be on the air. Subsequently, I always found excuses for a weekend or even an afternoon escape to Santa Barbara from LA.
 
My trips have often been solo as it was the me-time I needed to root and reset. Because I was ready to fold a relationship into my life as a new mom in a more substantial way, Santa Barbara felt like the most soul-serving place to test and hopefully take that step.
 
We set out for a two-night retreat that had just enough activity to satisfy my needs for structure and just enough free playtime to fulfill his vacation sensibility. We reserved a cottage at the Simpson House Inn, a secret celebrity hot spot known for its personalized luxury in a relaxed and homey garden environment.
 
Reminiscent of a hobbit house, our cottage had a wood-burning fireplace, a large jacuzzi tub near the bed, and skylights that let us lay there looking up at the trees and flirting birds overhead. We arrived at wine time, a daily afternoon ritual where local wines and appetizers (including homemade cookies) are put out for guests to enjoy.
 

Settling In

After a glass of wine to shake the drive out of our systems we visited the spa at the recently renovated Belmond El Encanto. Robes were at the ready and we were escorted to a couples spa room, where we were shown flower images (all native plants grown on property) and asked to select the one that stood out most. The selected flower indicated our current emotional state and our needs. It was no surprise that mine begged for deep emotional calm and rooting.
 
In those 60 minutes, I could feel our energies ease and I experienced a sense of clarity combined with calm. Post-massage, we strolled the meandering paths through the property until dinner which was perfectly cued up to the sun setting into the ocean, which we watched from our table at El Encanto’s storybook romantic patio restaurant.
 
We returned to the Simpson House and slept… in. In fact, we slept in so late that we barely got up in time for breakfast. Thank goodness we did because, wow was it good. Included in the stay is a made-to-order daily house special, as well as a selection of eggs and cereals served in your room, private patio, or on the wraparound deck of the main building overlooking the garden and fountains.
 

Time To Get Going

After eating and relaxing, it was time to rev up and move. We headed to the beach to Wheel Fun Rentals for a surrey, a golf cart-style bike. In order to ride it, you have to drop your “this makes me look uncool” guard. It was so much fun riding on the bike path which takes you along the beach, then crosses the street for a behind-the-scenes peek at the Santa Barbara Zoo giraffe environment.
 
Adequately exercised, we returned our bike and walked to the Funk Zone to visit the local Santa Barbara wine tasting rooms. To wash down the wine, we licked up multiple scoops of McConnell’s ice cream, and then it was official- we were in heaven.
 
That evening, we went to Olio Crudo Bar for perfectly delicate and beautifully presented crudo (raw Italian-style seafood), plus a seriously delicious craft barrel-aged Old Fashioned. We returned to our cottage for an relaxing night of 80s romance movies, a little fireplace action, and some seriously craved snuggling.
 

Those Three Little Words

In the morning, we enjoyed a bath with the fireplace crackling, then walked down the street to Alice Keck Park Memorial Gardens where he let his playful side come out and encouraged mine too. We watched the baby turtles sunbathe and plop off rocks into the pond, and we climbed trees beside the lake.
 
Then as we packed up our room and prepared to leave, we stood for a moment and held each other by the edge of the bed, knowing that this was the last Santa Barbara moment to say it…
 

“I love you,” I thought I heard him say. “I love you too” I whispered, hoping that I heard right!

 
“I love you,” I thought I heard him say. “I love you too” I whispered, hoping that I heard right! His eyes somehow smiled even brighter than his lips and I knew it was true. Love.
 
Laurel House is a born and bred West Angeleno, celebrity dating, and empowerment coach on E!’s Famously Single, travel and food writer, and most importantly—a new mom. Learn more about Laurel on her website: LaurelHouse.com. Follow her on Instagram @LaurelHouse
 
Laurel’s Santa Barbara Recommendations
Simpson House Inn (check out the Romance Package)
Belmond El Encanto
Wheel Fun Rentals
Olio e Limone and Olio Crudo Bar
 

Laurel House

Laurel House is a Santa Monica-born, bred, and based dating and relationship coach, helping to empower her clients to be their best selves so that they can find the love the deserve. She has a no-games, rule-screwing approach, teaching her clients exactly what to say and do, how to present themselves online and in-person, and the specific strategy to find love- hard, deep, and fast, just like she and so many of her clients have. Laurel believes that dating is about clarity through communication, and with clarity comes confidence. Laurel is called a “Man Whisperer,” Dating Jedi Master, Relationship Fairy, and Cyrano. More than anything else, Laurel demystifies dating so that you can confidently date with integrity and purpose.

www.LaurelHouse.com

The post “I Love You…” Santa Barbara: A Romantic Weekend and the Three Words that Make a Relationship appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

Private Pool in the Spa Suite at The Spa at Park Hyatt Aviara

Sometimes a date over coffee, tea, or even dinner just isn’t enough time to determine if someone is playing games or looking for a forever partner. As a single mom, I have no time to waste and I’m ready to settle into a relationship. When I find someone who I think has real potential, I’m ready to see the reality of who they are. So it becomes time to spend double digit hours together on a make-or-break vacation date. By the end, I’ll know which direction the date—is going. In fact, we might just might return home from our 24-hour vacay with newly minted relationship status.

So, where to go?

Getting out of town is ideal (though staying at a local hotel works too), just be careful to go only so far that you have a quick out in the case that things quickly go south. Since I live in LA, I chose Carlsbad; just north of San Diego, the seaside spa town is in that sweet spot for an easy driving overnight.

“He” and I had been dating for just over a month and we were had similar relationship goals. We booked a room at Omni La Costa Resort and Spa, a luxury spa treatment at The Spa at Park Hyatt Aviara, and dinner at restaurant Campfire to balance out the day—all located in Carlsbad. This plan gave us 24 hours to get to know each other on a more intimate level—physically and emotionally.

A lot is exposed during an out-of-town overnight. Of course, there’s the obvious sleeping in the same bed. But, consider the many other often forgotten details: changing, getting ready for dinner or bed, brushing your teeth/washing off your makeup, sleep habits (snoring or tossing and turning), negotiating bathroom time, packing styles, how you treat staff, awareness of each other’s comfort levels and needs, morning moods and breath, moments of silence while sitting in traffic, and more. There’s a lot to consider, pay attention to and take in when getting to know someone up close during a getaway.

More than the excepted, it’s the unexpected that often reveals the richest insight and lessons. For us, it was a migraine (for me) and lingering nose-blowing colds (for both of us). The morning we were scheduled to leave, I woke up with a debilitating stress-induced migraine that had me curled on the cool bathroom floor beside the toilet, my eye pillow strapped on my head to block out the light. He took control while simultaneously being tender, made me feel safe and cared for, and his thoughtfulness said a lot about his character and how he would be in a relationship. Thankfully, during the 92-mile drive to Carlsbad, my migraine melted away, and soon we were both ready to enjoy the process of getting to know each other.

After checking into our spacious suite overlooking the golf course and within walking distance to the famed Chopra Center, we relaxed for a minute, claimed our sides of the sink and bed, then took off for the Aviara Spa for the “Couples Spark at the Park.” The two-room spa suite, complete with a fireplace, shower, and lounge, opened out to a private pool. Enough said! Our massage therapists quickly harnessed and tamed mangled muscles. After the 60 minutes sped by, champagne, chocolate, and strawberries were waiting for us beside the fireplace in the suite we had to ourselves for the next hour. With muscles and minds relaxed, our hearts were opening, and we cuddled in our robes beside the fire, skinny-dipped in the pool, and then collected ourselves to re-enter the world for dinner.

We drove into Carlsbad Village and onto trendy and charming State Street just blocks from the beach, with a string of yoga studios, galleries, restaurants, and wine bars. Campfire is one of the hottest new dining spots, and it’s no mystery why. The casual vibe is inviting, the décor simultaneously familiar and intriguing, and the food and cocktails so good that you almost can’t stop. Then there’s the S’Mores plate with thick slabs of rich chocolate, house-made fluffy yet chewy marshmallows, flavorfully layered graham-style cookies, and a mini campfire to cook them on. The food is exactly as described: “Live Fire + Market-Driven Ingredients = So Damn Good,” and the energy creates the feeling of glamping with a group of awesome friends.

The next morning at La Costa we enjoyed breakfast on our balcony while watching the bunnies run around in the grass and the bees enjoying the sun. in an attempt to soak in as much relaxing time as possible before heading home, we sat on rocking chairs by the golf course, with Chopra Center tea and Peet’s Coffee in our hands, talking and connecting for hours… until the last possible check-out time. Everything was perfect: the company, conversation, connection, and every experience during our 24-hour vacation date.

Needless to say… it was a Make.

Laurel House

Laurel House is a Santa Monica-born, bred, and based dating and relationship coach, helping to empower her clients to be their best selves so that they can find the love the deserve. She has a no-games, rule-screwing approach, teaching her clients exactly what to say and do, how to present themselves online and in-person, and the specific strategy to find love- hard, deep, and fast, just like she and so many of her clients have. Laurel believes that dating is about clarity through communication, and with clarity comes confidence. Laurel is called a “Man Whisperer,” Dating Jedi Master, Relationship Fairy, and Cyrano. More than anything else, Laurel demystifies dating so that you can confidently date with integrity and purpose.

www.LaurelHouse.com

The post The Make or Break Vacation Date: Getaway with a Potential Partner to Carlsbad appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

Moms Date Too

Dating is different when you have a child, and so are you—your priorities, schedule, needs, and your body. Your fantasy of forever has been busted open. You are on your own again, with a little one at your side. Speaking from experience, here are some single mom dating tips–along with questions to ask yourself and a few affirmations to repeat to know you are ready.

When it comes to dating, recognize that you have baggage. That’s not a bad thing! It simply is. If you gave birth to your child, your body has changed. You may have stretch marks, a bikini-line scar marking your child’s entrance, or you’re carrying weight differently. Those early hours that you used to spend at the gym, have been replaced by morning nursing, early school drop off, or attempting to squeeze in some much needed me-time (or sleep).

And while, yes, you’re a mom, you’re actually MORE than that! You’re a woman! You feel the pangs for companionship, the desire to be desired, and the craving to be touched by someone who isn’t your child. But more than that, you don’t want to feel alone anymore and you want a partner in all of this—someone to share this life with, the ups and downs, and the daily new experiences.

Parenting is one of the most deliciously fulfilling experiences of your life. But it isn’t the only thing happening in your life. If you’re ready to make your love life a priority again, it’s time and you deserve to be loved and cherished without excuses.

You deserve to feel like a woman again. It’s time to put some effort into your love life so that you can find love again.

Some single parents re-enter the dating pool may be afraid, ashamed, feel they are not good enough; others may be angry, jaded, insecure; and yet others are possibly even excited!

Regardless of the array of confused emotions, many single parents share some of the following same questions:

How do I know when I’m ready to date again?
What type of person should I look for?
How do I redefine myself and what I’m looking for in the future?
When and How do I have the “I’m a parent” conversation?
How do I reconcile my guilt for leaving my child, who I love, to meet some “random” person who I don’t know, for a first date?
How do I make myself the priority and rediscover myself without being a delinquent parent?
What do I do? What do I say? How do I not sabotage it by doing/saying the wrong thing online, in text, email, phone, or in person?

Before you dive headfirst into the dating pool, you need to be honest with yourself.

Are you ready? You are once you  can confidently say these seven statements:

1. I accept and own my single mom status!

This may not be your fairytale. You might not have wanted to be a single mom. But you are, and you have come to terms with it, accept it, and be ok with it. You’re not proud, and you’re also not jaded. You are able to be confidently vulnerable about the reality. This is your fairytale truth.

2. I am comfortable being alone.

You don’t feel like you “should” be out doing things, aren’t ashamed of going to bed at 8pm because you are seriously exhausted, and you don’t feel the need to be attached to your phone so cyber friends can keep you company.

However, you don’t want to get too comfortable being alone and lose the urge to date again. You won’t let yourself get into the mindset of, “I have my child, career, and social network, so why go through the motions just to fall for someone who needs my energy, time, and in the end may break my heart?”

3. You can not complete me, because I’m already whole.

This is something that I call “sticky.” You are a complete, interesting, magnetic, intriguing, alluring, memorable person and you leave others wanting MORE! You are Perfectly Imperfect, and Real…because that’s what makes you Love-able.

4. “I know that being a mom makes me MORE desirable, not less.”

You have a child and that’s a great thing, not a pain point! You are now instilled with traits that are essential for mommy’ing, and are also surprisingly desirable characteristics as a partner. You are strong, know what you want and need, aren’t playing games, are a nurturer and caregiver, know how to have fun, are organized, you know how to give to others, and you know how to truly love.

5. “YES! I am a mom, and I am a WOMAN first.”

Yes you are a mom. And you’re also a woman. Don’t forget that. What do you need to do to feel like it? Start taking care of and putting effort into yourself again. Take a bubble bath (with candles in the corners), go to the gym and feel sexy as you sweat, buy yourself a new lacy bra, just do something that makes you feel like a hot woman (in addition to a hot mama). Nurture yourself! Buy yourself a present! BE the priority. Show yourself love.

6. “I have Integrity! My Feelings, match my Words, match my Actions.”

Having integrity is more difficult than you may realize. In fact, most of us think we do, without realizing that there is a disconnect between feelings and words, or even before feelings—because we don’t take the time to check in with ourselves to be clear on what we are truly feeling and what we need.

Not sure if you do or not? Next time you have a decision to make or an opportunity to contribute your opinion, stop for a second and think about what you want to say. Strip off your feelings of insecurity, shame, anger, “shoulds,” past pain, or the need to prove yourself, and allow yourself to come from a place of confident vulnerability. Be honest with yourself first—that’s your “feeling.” Now make sure to voice, and them act on those feelings—confidently with vulnerability, and without apology.

7. “I will BE It, so that I can BECOME It!”

As much as the idea of “Dream it and you will Become it” is beautiful, there is a lot more to it than wishing and hoping your dreams to reality. There are steps and actions that must be taken in order to actualize them. So, from now on, you will no longer sit back and wait for your dreams to come true. If you are really ready to make them come true, start being them, acting them, living them! Be sure that your attitude, actions, and associations align with all that you want to Become, and soon you will, in fact, BE it.

Laurel House

Laurel House is a Santa Monica-born, bred, and based dating and relationship coach, helping to empower her clients to be their best selves so that they can find the love the deserve. She has a no-games, rule-screwing approach, teaching her clients exactly what to say and do, how to present themselves online and in-person, and the specific strategy to find love- hard, deep, and fast, just like she and so many of her clients have. Laurel believes that dating is about clarity through communication, and with clarity comes confidence. Laurel is called a “Man Whisperer,” Dating Jedi Master, Relationship Fairy, and Cyrano. More than anything else, Laurel demystifies dating so that you can confidently date with integrity and purpose.

www.LaurelHouse.com

The post Single Mom Dating Tips appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

Photo of Laurel House by Jenny Taylor Boudoir Photography

I’m a new mom. Which means I have a new body, new curves, and a new C-section scar. I’m also a single mom and a dating coach, so I am aware of the life/confidence-shifting realities when it comes to being a new mom vis-a-vis dating and romance. Entering the dating world with a new baby, new body, new identity, and new priorities, I was in need of becoming more comfortable with, and feeling sexy in, my new skin. As part of this process I decided to do a sexy boudoir photo shoot with one of the most reputable boudoir photographers in the country: Jenny Taylor Boudoir Photography.

Over the last two-and-a-half years, I am living in what has come to feel like a constantly evolving body — its size, sensations, and purpose — that has grown, stretched, lost sensation in some areas and gained sensation in others, filled out, became heavy, got tired, and ached. Then, after 11 hours of scary and painful laboring, including too many hands belonging to too many people I didn’t know exploring my insides, I had an emergency C-section that saved my baby but left me with a nasty scar. A few weeks later, someone told me that it was “so disgusting I can’t look at it,” leaving an emotional scar too.

After a year and a half of breastfeeding, my body is starting to feel like my own again. Thanks to running after my curious son, picking him up and carrying him for comfort, plus time to get back into my exercise routine, I feel fortunate that my body has returned to its pre-baby size. I have even grown to appreciate my C-section scar as my son’s entrance into the world. But, with the memory so much pain, both physical and emotional, I was still struggling to see the beauty of my body.

In order to do that, I needed to experience myself in a non-mommy way. I needed to feel and see my curves as sensual again. I needed to pull out my lingerie, hoping it would fit, and develop the confidence to slip it back on and face the mirror.

I’ll admit it… for research I scroll through galleries of photos of gorgeous women on sites like AskMen.com, flip through the pages of scantily clad women in Maxim, and peruse the seductively posed celebrities in GQ and Esquire. When I do this, my eyes roll over their curves and my mind reaces; how can you not get just a little turned on by peeking at such a sexy scene? It’s more than looking at their bodies; I’m imagining myself in those positions, wearing those clothes, and feeling that beautiful. I want to look that sexy. But more than that, I want to feel that sexy. Of course, then that critical voice in my head spits out venomous comments like, “Your thighs are too fat,” “Your face is too round,” “Your butt is too wide,” “You could never look like them.“

I’m not alone. As a dating coach who makes frequent TV appearances, I hear from thousands of women who reveal their own body insecurities. In fact, some of the women who seem most “perfect,” the women you gawk at and wish you could look like, are often the ones who put the most pressure on themselves to embody perfection, and fixate on the most seemingly minute and practically unnoticeable flaws. We tear ourselves apart, cut ourselves down, and destroy our self-confidence and self-worth in the process. This behavior has got to stop.

As a coach, I lead by example and put my many mistakes on display. It became time to prove to myself that I could be as sexy as the girls in those magazines. Okay, maybe not quite that sexy. But, at least I wanted to feel desirable. I decided to strip down.

The moment I walked into the studio, I felt like a supermodel. They seated me on a makeup chair in a room with inspiring boudoir photos of other everyday women hanging on the walls, each of whom oozed confidence and beauty. My nerves began to untangle.

My makeover began: my skin tone was evened out, tired under-eyes enlivened, false eyelashes affixed, and my hair bolstered with curls and hairspray. Feeling sexier by the second, I walked through the photography studio with multiple sets, including bedrooms and living rooms. Jenny came in, and we discussed my purpose for taking the photos: I explained I wanted to look and, more than that, feel sexy again.

Photo of Laurel House by Jenny Taylor Boudoir Photography

I was clearly in the right place and from the beginning of the process I felt safe—and I felt like I fit in with the rest of the everyday women who are photographed in this studio. Jenny Taylor’s clients range from women in a variety of professions who want to try out the lingerie variety of feminine, brides-to-be who are giving photos to their fiancé to amp up the pre-aisle walk excitement, women who want to celebrate weight loss, to single ladies ready for a confidence injection before going back out into the dating scene.

We decided on four outfits: sweet, sexy, hot, and naughty. I loved feeling my body move as the photographer offered tips to enhance my curves. I felt liberated, energized, and gorgeous. And it was so much fun!

A week later, when I saw the photos during the big reveal, I was shocked that I could look so good. I allowed myself to see my body through someone else’s eyes—my photographer’s. Within that fresh view I saw, and felt, beautiful; this is an attitude that I can wear as an accessory in any outfit or state of dress or undress.

A boudoir photo shoot can be a confidence-boosting, self-loving gift for yourself. If you’re in a relationship, it can a gift you can give your partner. Look good/feel good. Feel good/look good.

In the end, my boudoir shoot allowed me to not just see beauty (though in the photos I definitely did), but to simultaneously feel vulnerable and confident—which made me truly feel sexy. Within that space, on those sheets, in that outfit, with my hair and makeup done—my true radiance was revealed—and it had more to do with how I felt on the inside than anything else.

Safety Tips Before You Book A Boudoir Shoot:

Don’t just let any random person take sexy pics of you.
You don’t want your sexy pics to get into the wrong hands.
You must trust the person/company who is shooting the pics.
You must feel and actually BE safe. You are opening yourself up to be very vulnerable. Some people could try to take advantage of that, and of you.
If you are having an individual (as opposed to an established company) take the pics, you can have them take the photos in YOUR camera only, so that you have complete control of the images after the shoot. If you choose to hire a company, do your research first. Don’t be embarrassed or feel like you are inconveniencing them by calling and asking more questions.

Laurel House

Laurel House is a Santa Monica-born, bred, and based dating and relationship coach, helping to empower her clients to be their best selves so that they can find the love the deserve. She has a no-games, rule-screwing approach, teaching her clients exactly what to say and do, how to present themselves online and in-person, and the specific strategy to find love- hard, deep, and fast, just like she and so many of her clients have. Laurel believes that dating is about clarity through communication, and with clarity comes confidence. Laurel is called a “Man Whisperer,” Dating Jedi Master, Relationship Fairy, and Cyrano. More than anything else, Laurel demystifies dating so that you can confidently date with integrity and purpose.

www.LaurelHouse.com

The post A Camera Captures Confidence–The Sexy Secrets of a Boudoir Photo Shoot appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

Where to go?

Sure there are child-centric resorts, but with pools stocked with screaming kids and restaurants overrun by tots on the loose, those spots may feel like less of a vacation and more of a babies-gone-wild hangout. You want your little one to have fun, yet you are also desperate for some reprieve. Good news: you can have both! Find a mommy or daddy-friendly location that also caters to the needs of young ones.

My destination: Miramonte in Palm Springs. Yes, it is a premier luxury resort known for its expansive rooms, award-winning spa, and world class golf, but the relaxed and casual energy will instantly put you at ease. It’s the ideal destination for couples to escape and for their children to be entertained. Reserve a suite and you’ll have plenty of space to set up a makeshift playroom. You can also play as a family in the main pool where kids of all ages—from infants to adults who want to feel like kids again, float on pool toys, play Connect 4, or just play around the property—including a game of bocce on the property’s court. (There is also an adults-only pool when you’re ready for quiet time.)

Every Saturday night is Dive-In movie night when family-friendly movies are projected onto a giant screen at the end of the pool, seamlessly allowing daytime fun to float into night. If you choose to bring someone to help with childcare or hire a babysitter on-site (the eager-to-please concierge can help), make sure to make time to experience one of the best spas in the valley: Miramonte’s Well Spa. I recommend the Pittura Festa treatment where you playfully get to paint your partner with healing mud within a private spa suite, followed by one of the best couples massages you will ever have.

Once sufficiently relieved of stress, head over to bartender Jeff in the Vineyard Lounge where you can enjoy a specially crafted cocktail from his herbal apothecary bar using house-made concoctions from the on-site garden. Bring the kids to the Grove Artisan Kitchen where everyone can dine on California fare made from ingredients from local growers. The restaurant is completely kid-friendly, but it’s also an ideal place for parents to escape for a wine pairing dinner later. Call ahead and the chef will even make you an off-menu meal that will define special occasion.

Suggestions for Choosing the Right Location for You

Decide on your vacation purpose such as fun, relaxation, adventure, sports, or spa getaway.

Pick a destination city that is far enough away so it feels like a vacation but close enough that you can easily get there without too long of a kids-losing-their-mind drive or flights.

Find a hotel that can accommodate both your needs and your child’s needs. You want a place that suits your adult vacation purpose and is also very child-friendly. When a hotel has designated adult and family pools, it is generally a sign that children are welcome and expected to be playing (loudly) in the family pool.

Do some research and call ahead to ask the hotel what services, activities, toys, and necessities (crib, high chair, pool toys, etc.) they have available.

Essentials on the Road
You already know that for a toddler you need to bring the Pack n’Play, diapers, wipes, clothes, and bottles. But here are a few items that you may not have considered:

Sun/Pool/Beach Needs
More than the just adorable printed diapers that make changing your baby multiple times a day fun(ner), The Honest Company also has all of your pool and beach play needs. Don’t forget the SPF lotion, UPF shirt and hat, sunglasses, and swim diapers, plus, sanitizing hand spray for post-play.

Pack it Up
When packing your diaper bag for a trip, consider packing all of the en-route essentials and appropriate temperate food. My recommendation is to choose from either of these multi-purpose bags:

A. The LifeChanger from Anna And Eve.
This is a diaper bag that converts into a diaper changing station that can be used on your lap or any stable flat surface. Suddenly airports and restaurant bathrooms are perfectly manageable places to do your dirty work while keeping you’re your mini-me clean.

B. Six Pack Bags
If you are traveling with temperature-sensitive foods for your baby or yourself, you need a bag that can help you keep it cool. This bag has space specifically for cooling foods, plus room to store your other on-the-go needs, like a pocket for your babe’s no-sticky MyDrinky juicebox holder. The bag is also great for family picnics when you need to be prepared for anything.

Gear to Go
High chairs, booster seats, and Pack ’n Plays can be bulky, heavy, and seriously inconvenient to trek around. Which is why POP Travel Gear is a parental must! Their portable high chair is easy to setup, breakdown, and pack up, and includes its own travel bag with a shoulder strap for easy portability. Take it on trips or just to the park or family BBQ.

Monitor Anywhere
If your mini me is napping and you want to enjoy the afternoon sun on your patio, wear the Babble Band wrist monitor. It vibrates, lights up, or projects the sounds of your baby waking up, alerting you that it’s time to return to his side.

Laurel House

Laurel House is a Santa Monica-born, bred, and based dating and relationship coach, helping to empower her clients to be their best selves so that they can find the love the deserve. She has a no-games, rule-screwing approach, teaching her clients exactly what to say and do, how to present themselves online and in-person, and the specific strategy to find love- hard, deep, and fast, just like she and so many of her clients have. Laurel believes that dating is about clarity through communication, and with clarity comes confidence. Laurel is called a “Man Whisperer,” Dating Jedi Master, Relationship Fairy, and Cyrano. More than anything else, Laurel demystifies dating so that you can confidently date with integrity and purpose.

www.LaurelHouse.com

The post Tips for Family Travel appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

Is it vain? Well, maybe, but I admit that one of my fears before, during, and after my pregnancy was that I would not be able to lose my baby weight.

Six months post birth and I now weigh less than I did before becoming pregnant. What’s my secret? Simple: smart eating and a healthy, fitness-based lifestyle.

Before I became pregnant I struggled with my weight and was constantly aware of it. Every day I woke up too early so I could run along the Santa Monica boardwalk for an hour or hike the Kenter Canyon trail for an hour and a half. Every day. I never allowed myself to eat chocolate chip cookies (my favorite) until I did—which led to overdoing it in the cookie department. The preoccupation began when I was a six-year-old competitive ice skater and then a college dance major.  Body image was always an issue. Then I get pregnant.

Suddenly my diet, fitness, and mindset shifted from my body image to my baby’s body. Aside from my cravings (first trimester sandwiches, second trimester meatballs, and third trimester chicken quesadillas) everything I put in my mouth was purpose-driven. For breakfast I ate sardines with avocado on toast because of the omegas in the sardines and folate in the avocado. For lunch I ate spinach for the iron, eggs for the choline, and bananas for the potassium. Crazy? Maybe. Before any meal I thought, “What does the baby need today?” Of course, this mama-to-be also craved chocolate chip cookies, which I indulged in daily.

I also changed my fitness regimen to benefit both my baby and me. When I began to experience back pain, I went to a chiropractor, then a personal trainer. Kevin Atkinson is a performance coach who has trained everyone from actors to chefs to pregnant women. He designed a program with the goals of managing body aches, sustaining my waning energy, increasing overall strength, and supporting physical confidence in my changing body. We focused on exercises like planks that required me to support my spine with my core/abdominal muscles. We also chose routines with free weights and body weight exercises that maintained a neutral spine position. We trained for an hour twice a week and Kevin helped me continuously surprise myself by just how strong and capable my growing body really was. On days I wasn’t training with Kevin, I walked for 45 minutes. Beyond my fitness, Kevin monitored my diet and me-time, making sure that I was staying balanced in both mind and body.

Thanks to this combination of fitness and healthy eating, I gained weight exactly as prescribed by my doctor. I worked out until I was 38 weeks pregnant. Then, three weeks after Finley was born my stomach was well on its way to flat. Six months later I have done the unthinkable: I am below my pre-baby weight.

How?

My secret sauce had a few ingredients including training with Kevin while pregnant, breast feeding, and slowly getting back into my workout routine two months after birth. I started with stroller walks, added plank pose to tend to my abs, and started working with Kevin again. While my hips are wider and my breasts are huge and full of milk, my legs have leaned out, my stomach is flat, and Kevin has been helping me to “sew” my rib cage back together with exercises to engage my core. I never would have thought I would be more confident about my body (albeit C-section scarred and stretch marked) post-pregnancy. It affirms for me that my commitment to eating for a purpose and engaging in daily fitness activities serves my body—and my baby.

Body Boost Cold & Thirsty in Culver City

While a juice cleanse isn’t a good idea while breastfeeding, supplementing my pregnancy-induced habit of Starbursts with bright nutrient-rich juices helped increase my vitamin intake while satiating my sweet tooth. Making breakfast solo with a baby on my hip and a dog at my feet is a challenge. I quickly became attached to Glow—a juice with pineapple, cucumber, spinach, kale and apple. Pineapple was a regular fixture in my diet as of my second trimester, a craving that never quit. Radiant Skin with chia and pearl powder was also a weekly treat; I swear my skin glowed.

Cryotherapy shocked my system into submission. Two minutes in the negative 250 degree Fahrenheit cold sauna upped my daily calorie burn and helped my body heal. The frigid temp also woke me up, combating the sleepiness that, as a new single mom, is a common daily experience.

The good news for me is that Cold & Thirsty is mere blocks from my house, allowing for instant gratification. coldandthirsty.com

Laurel House is an international dating coach and the cofounder of MomDadDating, a single parents dating community offering mingling events and dating coaching. Watch her coaching single celebrities on the new E! television series Famously Single airing in May. laurelhouse.com

Kevin Atkinson (mycoachkevin.com) trains at 34-north.com

Laurel House

Laurel House is a Santa Monica-born, bred, and based dating and relationship coach, helping to empower her clients to be their best selves so that they can find the love the deserve. She has a no-games, rule-screwing approach, teaching her clients exactly what to say and do, how to present themselves online and in-person, and the specific strategy to find love- hard, deep, and fast, just like she and so many of her clients have. Laurel believes that dating is about clarity through communication, and with clarity comes confidence. Laurel is called a “Man Whisperer,” Dating Jedi Master, Relationship Fairy, and Cyrano. More than anything else, Laurel demystifies dating so that you can confidently date with integrity and purpose.

www.LaurelHouse.com

The post Body Beautiful After Baby appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

By Laurel House

Two weeks before I finally went into labor, I started craving a vacation. I imagined my non-pregnant body, barely covered in a bikini, tanning on the beach in Maui or Mexico beside a man I loved. But instead I continued to lie there, uncomfortably rotund, alone, and stressing about the birth. Then at 3:30am on a Wednesday, with a forced induction scheduled for the next day, my contractions began. I called my parents, and within 15 minutes they were in my driveway.

Ten hours of laboring later, my little man’s heart rate started to crash and I was suddenly wheeled into the operating room for an emergency C-section. I went into shock, started shaking, and couldn’t speak. Then it was merely four minutes to deliver my son and 20 minutes to sew me up; I didn’t feel a thing—physically or emotionally and I was afraid that something was wrong. Where were my tears of happiness? Once the drugs and shock dissipated, I started feeling so much deep love for him. But I didn’t cry. I just transformed from the inside. Imbued with a new purpose and responsibility, I felt calm, with a strong sense that I knew how to do this—how to be a mom. It was as if I awoke a side of myself that had been there all along. For the next week I stared at him. I watched him practice facial expressions, quickly shifting from a smile to a frown to my favorite serious face.

Five days after returning from the hospital I went back to work. Thankfully I work from home so I was able to spend ample time with my curious little man who made life make sense. For the first few weeks I worked only couple of hours (one-two clients per day), then I upped my workload to as many as six clients per day. My days were a daze and my nights were focused on Finley and his regular feedings. Soon I was able to establish a routine and life eased into a new normal. And then the vacation craving again took hold.

I couldn’t stop thinking about sun-bathing on the beach, but knew that a plane trip with a four-month-old could be difficult at best. So, in a vacation state of mind, I booked a room at Casa Del Mar in Santa Monica. I loaded up my car with a portable bassinet, a play mat draped with squeaky toys and light up shapes, a week’s worth of diapers and wipes (just in case), and a rolling bag filled with clothes and accessories. I brought a friend whose experience with children was sure to bring me at least a few moments to exhale.

Casa Del Mar was a perfect setting for a first vacation. We checked into our ocean view room to find a teddy bear and baby bath essentials on the bed. Finley was due for a nap so I situated his bassinet at the foot of the bed and shushed him to sleep. Then, per my friend’s suggestion, I eased myself into the deep jetted tub, and indulged in a candlelit bubble bath. The peek-a-boo shutters between the bedroom and bathroom allowed me to fully relax, knowing that all I had to do was sit up and my son would instantly be in view.

I wanted to do nothing more that day, so instead of getting dolled up for a romantic dinner for three, we opted for room service; dining in bed was just the right indulgence.  Panini, fries, a plate of cookies plus a friend to help hold Finley and help bounce him to sleep allowed me to be hands-free to eat—and exhale.

The next morning, after a fruit plate breakfast (the vacation convenience of room service again), my nanny arrived to help take care of Finley while my friend and I enjoyed adult time at the spa. Having my nanny nearby without the need for an additional hotel room was definitely a benefit of staying local! My massage therapist’s hands kneaded my muscles so thoroughly that I felt devoured, and even fell deeply asleep for a much-needed moment of respite.

Finley awoke from his nap as we re-entered the suite, perfect timing to feed him, slip on his waterproof diapers, and head to the ocean view pool. At first he was unsure about being chest-deep in lukewarm water, but quickly he started kicking his feet and finding it funny when he splashed water in my eyes. Every moment of newness for him was a treat for me.

After a group nap we dressed and headed to the Viceroy nearby for an outdoor dinner in a poolside cabana complete with sofas that allowed Finley to stretch out, play, and eventually nap while we indulged on Dungeness crab salad rolls, deviled eggs, and short rib grilled cheese. This dining location was perfect for allowing for me to eat without having Finley on my lap.

Slipping into my robe, easing into my slippers, and listening to the waves breaking back in my room was the ideal close to a perfectly nourishing day.

Brunch at Casa Del Mar’s Terrazza may have been pushing Finley’s patience (you can only ask so much of an infant). After a couple very fussy minutes, we relocated to the lounge where I lay Finley on a sofa and he immediately fell asleep. We toasted with mimosas to a successful staycation.  

5 Suggestions for Traveling with an Infant

1. Keep your baby’s needs and routines in mind. If your infant doesn’t enjoy being in the car (like mine) then make sure not to go far; the last thing you want to do is bookend a relaxing trip with hour-long backseat baby meltdowns. If nap time is at 10am, don’t schedule brunch for 10:15. If a room spray puts him instantly at ease—don’t forget it. If he can only sleep in that one bassinet—bring it!

2. Be flexible with your schedule. The less you plan the better. If this is your baby’s first trip, being in a foreign environment with new sounds and smells could make for a fussy baby and a sleepless night for both of you.

3. Bring a bassinet, familiar smelling blankets, favorite toys, and LOTS of diapers and wipes. It might feel like you have enough gear for a month, but if that one extra item will keep your little man occupied and calm for one extra hour, it will absolutely be worth it.

4. Give yourself and your baby a break. If he doesn’t stick with his sleep schedule, if he isn’t pooping as usual, if you feel more exhausted than normal… it’s okay.

5. Give yourself permission to stay in the hotel room the entire afternoon. Doing absolutely nothing is still doing something—you are caring for an infant, tending to their every need, and trying to fit in some relaxation for yourself. In fact, the only plan you might want to make is a bed day. Have room service, watch TV, take a bath, and snuggle.
   

Laurel House is an international dating coach, born and bred Angeleno, and single mom. SingleMomDatingCoach.com

Laurel House

Laurel House is a Santa Monica-born, bred, and based dating and relationship coach, helping to empower her clients to be their best selves so that they can find the love the deserve. She has a no-games, rule-screwing approach, teaching her clients exactly what to say and do, how to present themselves online and in-person, and the specific strategy to find love- hard, deep, and fast, just like she and so many of her clients have. Laurel believes that dating is about clarity through communication, and with clarity comes confidence. Laurel is called a “Man Whisperer,” Dating Jedi Master, Relationship Fairy, and Cyrano. More than anything else, Laurel demystifies dating so that you can confidently date with integrity and purpose.

www.LaurelHouse.com

The post Renewal through a New Momma Vacation appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

By Laurel House

Being a new mom means an entirely different set of accessories than you may be used to carrying. From stocking the hospital bag, driving home after delivery, scheduling breast feeding, venturing out in public, and everything new to the routine of a new mom with a newborn, here are a few of my suggestions for packing the bags with ease.

What’s in YOUR Hospital Bag? Here’s Mine:

• I’m obsessed with the TWELVElittle Allure Convertible Satchel. Mine is beige and the multifunctional design allows it to serve as my bag to pack for the hospital delivery as well as my go-to diaper bag. It’s waterproof, has multiple interior pockets, and big exterior pockets for easy access.

Here’s what I packed to have close by during delivery:

• Bellybuds. During labor, I want my baby to stay as calm as possible, so, I continue feeding him the soothing music that he’s been listening to since his hearing developed in utero at 20 weeks through the Bellybuds headphone style sound system. He likes Vivaldi (and, it has been said to up his IQ). 
• 2 sets of comfortable PJs. Even better if they are breastfeeding tops.
• 1 soft nursing bra. Zulily.com is my best friend for high quality maternity, nursing, and baby clothes.Breast pads.
• Maxi pads.
• Face wipes.You will sweat during delivery. You will feel sticky and dirty and gross. Give yourself a little relief with the quick swipe of a face wipe. KAIA Naturals Juicy Bamboo cleansing cloths act as a three-for-one cleanser + toner + makeup remover. The super soft, biodegradable, individually wrapped bamboo cleansing cloths are soaked in heated and liquefied honey, vitamins B12, C and E to hydrate and gently clean the skin.
• Concealer.
• Mascara. My fave is Pur Minerals Volume Vixen.
• Dry shampoo. Saving Grace Hair Powder in blonde. Since I haven’t been able to color my roots, this naturally fills in my roots and instantly ups my confidence.
• Toothbrush and toothpaste. Slim Sonic portable, mascara-sized “electric” toothbrush.
• Stretchmark preventing oil. Bon Skincare travel wand spray (I use it every day and have ZERO stretch marks!)
• Slippers. I am all about my Isotoners!
• Socks.
• Prepackaged or premade snacks. Momme meals Go Chews are the perfect bite-sized snacks; stuffed with figs, peanut butter, apricots, and a ton of nourishing vitamins and minerals they are both delicious and healthy.
• Phone charger.
• Birthing Playlist preset on my iPhone.
• Bluetooth stereo. Beats by Dre Beats Pill.
• Going home cotton dress. (Yes…trying to be like Kate Middleton). I’m a fan of the Dressed to Deliver Chloe Birthing Gown because it’s soft, stretchy, and made for breastfeeding.
• Baby going home outfit.
• Celebratory Bubbles! You might not want to drink actual alcohol (since you will be breast feeding), but how about a glass of celebratory bubbly with 9Months, a sparkling non-alcoholic bubbly made from grapes grown in southern Australia.

Once Finley (my little man) has arrived, I have my diaper bag contents picked out and ready to go to show off his adorable face.

What’s in YOUR Diaper Bag? Here’s Mine:

• Face Wipes. NeatCheeks stevia flavored face wipes (babies love it… or rather, like it more than a dry face wipe).
• Blanket. BonnBonn Baby Antimicrobial Moisture Wicking Amazing Wonder Blanket. It’s perfect for swaddling, burping, and changing.
• Diapers. The quantity depends on the number of hours you’ll be away. Always plan on a couple more than needed… just in case.
• Wipes. I love Honest diapers and wipes to keep him fresh and clean. Naturally.
• Booger extractor. You might not think about it until you need it, but your infant doesn’t know how to blow his nose. Particularly after a tantrum, he might need a little help getting the boogers out. Oogiebear has a stopper to avoid going too deep into the nasal cavity, plus the two-sided extractor is made for both wet and dry boogers.
• Skin-to-skin action accessory. The SleepBelt is a hands-free skin-to-skin support system that literally belts your sleeping baby to you. It’s not a wrap, sling or carrier. It has no knots, clips, or buckles that can strain the neck, back or shoulders. Recommended by La Leche League International, the four-way stretch naturally mimics the womb and will ease your antsy baby.
• Change of Clothes. Always be ready to change your top. The Lalabu Soothe Shirts will be a complete lifesaver. It’s stylish and functional with its discreet kangaroo pouch to keep your baby held tight to your chest without adding an additional heat-increasing layer. Because it’s made with super strong (yet incredibly soft) material, it doesn’t quickly stretch out from babywear. Plus, it allows you to hold your baby close, hands-free.
• Gripe Water. Mommy’s Bliss Gripe Water is an all-natural herbal supplement that relieves fussiness by easing stomach discomfort often associated with colic, gas, and hiccups. It’s one of the best natural infant crying solutions.
• Spit up Eraser. Dried milk from leaky breasts, forgotten spit up, and baby powder is quickly erased with the Unmarx eraser.
• Breast Soother. Fishbellies microwave/freezer hot cold packs that look like a stuffed animal, but offers relief to breastfeeding mommies.

On-The-Go Mommy MUST!

• The BEST Breast Pump for Working Moms. The Medela breast pump is the Rolls Royce of consumer breast pumps, and your insurance might even cover it (call and ask). The double electric pump is ultra-lightweight, easy to use, and gets the job done efficiently and effectively. Because it simulates natural nursing patterns, it can even help improve milk flow. It’s more expensive but worth it.
• At-Home Pumping. Evenflo Manual Breast Pump is significantly less expensive and perfect for at-home moms who want to alleviate the pressure of engorged breasts, but don’t need to suck the life out of them. Refrigerate or freeze the extra milk in the Evenflo storage bags or deposit it directly into the glass vented bottles to start intermittently training your baby for bottlefeeding.

Laurel House is a writer, speaker and coach. SingleMomDatingCoach.com

Laurel House

Laurel House is a Santa Monica-born, bred, and based dating and relationship coach, helping to empower her clients to be their best selves so that they can find the love the deserve. She has a no-games, rule-screwing approach, teaching her clients exactly what to say and do, how to present themselves online and in-person, and the specific strategy to find love- hard, deep, and fast, just like she and so many of her clients have. Laurel believes that dating is about clarity through communication, and with clarity comes confidence. Laurel is called a “Man Whisperer,” Dating Jedi Master, Relationship Fairy, and Cyrano. More than anything else, Laurel demystifies dating so that you can confidently date with integrity and purpose.

www.LaurelHouse.com

The post Not Your Momma’s Pregnancy: Bag it Up appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

Your little one is weeks from making his debut and suddenly you have become a decorating diva, despite never before having a ruffle, chevron, or gingham-patterned bone in your body.

But before you get caught up in the cutest matching and themed designs you can find, let me fill you in on some of your nursery necessities.

NURSERY NECESSITIES:

The Furniture Basics

Changing Table, Crib, and Bassinet, Cradle, or Co-Sleeper

Forget the massive baby stores designed strategically to inspire your dreams of putting your baby to bed in jungle-themed or hearts-and-flowers-etched bassinets. You can save money by shopping for the basics at online retailers, cutting your expenses by as much as 70%. So, what do you need and where should you shop? My go-to is Overstock.com.

Specifically, here’s what I purchased:

Changing Table: Badger Basket White six-basket Changing Table

Stock it with: You can pass on the wipe warmer, but stock up on plenty of newborn diapers (I love my giraffe print from Honest Co.). You’ll also need lots of wipes, plus diaper rash cream, shea butter or emollient lotion (if you plan on circumcising your son), changing cover, and washable changing pad. You may also want to keep a pacifier and soft colorful toy on the table for sensory distractions during dirty diaper changes.

Crib- Child Craft Parisian 3-in-1 Stationary Crib in Matte White

Unless they’re mesh, bumpers are no longer considered safe. Keep toys, stuffed animals, blankets, pillows, and top sheets out in order follow SIDS concerns. But that doesn’t mean you can’t make it cute. An overhanging musical mobile will keep your baby entertained with shapes and colors, and soothed with sounds.

Bassinet: Portable 2-in-1 Bassinet and Cradle with Toy Box Base

If your baby is starting off sleeping in your room, a bassinet is a petite sleeping option. Get one with a toy box base that you can stock with diaper-changing essentials for mid-night changes.

Cradle: Now & Forever White Cradle

Between a bassinet and crib in size, a cradle’s soothing rocking capabilities will ease your baby to sleep.

Co-Sleeper: The First Years Close and Secure Sleeper

Let your baby lay right next to you in bed, but in his own little compartment that keeps him safe from accidentally rolling over.

SAFETY FIRST

Because You Can’t Go Home Without It: Car Seat

You’re anxious (and maybe a bit nervous) to head home from the hospital and start your life with your little one. But you won’t be able to take your baby anywhere without your car seat installed first. The Chicco KeyFit30 is the ideal infant car seat. It’s lightweight, reigns supreme in safety tests, and easily clips into an array of strollers. As simple as it may seem to belt your seat in yourself, it’s a good idea to have a professional do the first install and learn the do’s and don’ts so that you can confidently buckle in your baby yourself.

Clean Air

Creating a clean environment starts with air quality. Research has shown that polluted air can have lasting biological problems for infants, impairing lung function, neurodevelopment, and exacerbating asthma. Which is where an air purifier comes in handy. Rabbit Air’s MinusA2 has a HEPA filter that removes allergens (even from animal dander), can be whisper quiet, and cleans up to 800 square feet. Plus it’s anything but an eyesore—even stylish! A less expensive yet functional choice is the Crane Air Purifier. The petite purifier comes in fun baby-pleasing shapes like a shark and penguin.

Baby Monitor

Whether it’s a video or sound monitor placed on your baby’s crib or cradle, or even a monitor attached to your baby’s clothing, you will rest easier knowing your baby is.

Technology has come a long way when it comes to monitoring your little baby. Many video monitors hook up to your smart phone so that no matter where you are, you can see what’s going on in your baby’s crib. Try the Summer Infant Baby Link WiFi Internet Viewing Baby Monitor.

The Mimo baby monitor uses a sensor shaped like a turtle that you attach to the included onesie to send live audio, breathing pattern, skin temperature, body position and sleep activity data straight to your smartphone. You can also use the Mimo to track diaper changes, feedings and more to help ensure consistent care across different caretakers. Pretty amazing.

Diaper Changing Help

A Diaper Genie will save the scent of your nursery. Plus it’s a hands-free way to dispose of those many many many daily dirty diapers while keeping your eyes and hands on your little wiggling tot. Your little wiggler gets even more wiggly when laying on his back being changed. Unless you have an extra set of hands gently attach your babe to the changing table. How? Wiggletot Diaper Changer. The super soft cream-colored vest gently secures your baby to the changing table, while entertaining your infant with two soft toys attached to the vest. Changing your little man is immediately easier and faster without the fuss.

CREATING COMFORT

Swaddle

A tight swaddle has been shown to improve sleep, decrease irritability, and calm your baby. Ollie swaddle uses a Velcro closure and wicks moisture, making your swaddle strategy easier. And when it comes to an infant, easy is everything! You can also try the Nested Bean Zen Swaddle, a lightly weighted swaddle that is used to mimic a mom’s soothing touch that can help ease colic. Now you can exhale as both you and your baby are calmed.

Entertain Her

Sometimes you just need to keep baby occupied for a little while so that you can have a momentary mommy exhale. So how do you keep baby safe, in one place, entertained, and possibly hush him to sleep? Try the Fisher Price Auto Rock ‘n Play Sleeper, a hands-free rocker complete with music and sound effects. Easily fold it up for easy on-the-go and storage.

Photos

Don’t go out and buy every single cheesy picture frame that will be an unusable eyesore after a few months. Instead, place your favorite mom and baby or family photos in a beautiful frame with longevity. I love the Beatriz ball fine metal by hand Giraffe picture frame. It will last a lifestyle and never become an eyesore.

Used, Borrowed, Pre-owned

Gently used baby supplies are perfectly acceptable and even welcome, particularly those items that only get a few uses. Since all babies have different preferences, there’s no reason to spend a lot of money on items that your little one will reject. If you have a friend with a crib, cradle, bassinet, stroller, or baby seat—great! Just make sure that: 1. it hasn’t been recalled, 2. You thoroughly clean it before use. Even swaddles, entertainment play yards and mats, and of course clothes, are great to pass on from new mom to new mom.

Thrift stores and discount stores are the ideal places to buy baby clothes. Make sure to throw in a trio of socks too. You want to always keep your little one’s toes covered and warm.

What NOT to Buy IF You’re Having a Shower: Swaddles, blankets, and bibs.

Friends and family who want to throw in a little extra inexpensive item into your gift will grab one. I got 20 swaddles at my shower!

What to Skimp on: Newborn clothes

A newborn baby at 5-8 pounds is very small, and chances are that your baby will either be born bigger than that, or they almost immediately outgrow it. Take it from someone who bought and washed a couple dozen adorable newborn outfits… that were never worn.

Laurel House

Laurel House is a Santa Monica-born, bred, and based dating and relationship coach, helping to empower her clients to be their best selves so that they can find the love the deserve. She has a no-games, rule-screwing approach, teaching her clients exactly what to say and do, how to present themselves online and in-person, and the specific strategy to find love- hard, deep, and fast, just like she and so many of her clients have. Laurel believes that dating is about clarity through communication, and with clarity comes confidence. Laurel is called a “Man Whisperer,” Dating Jedi Master, Relationship Fairy, and Cyrano. More than anything else, Laurel demystifies dating so that you can confidently date with integrity and purpose.

www.LaurelHouse.com

The post Not Your Mama’s Pregnancy: Nursery Needs appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

Walking has become more like waddling. Sleep, as much as you need it right now, is fleeting as you fight to find a position that’s comfortable. Every moment of silent relaxation is interrupted by the thought, “In two months, I will never experience this peaceful solitude again.” So what do you do? Get out of town!

A Babymoon is a pregnant woman’s must-have. Like a honeymoon where you steal away with your new hubby for some much needed post-wedding downtime as you focus on this life-changing next phase of life, a Babymoon is a pre-birth vacation that allows you to get away from it all, relax, and focus on the true joy of pregnancy and imminent next life phase. Unlike a honeymoon, however, this vacation is experienced before, as opposed to after the event, as taking a few days away is simply not in the cards for at least several months once the baby arrives.

A Single Mom’s Babymoon

This pre-baby trip is traditionally taken with your partner, allowing for some serious couple time. However, if you two are no longer an item, that might be the last thing on the planet you want to do! So take this opportunity to indulge in girl time. After all, once the baby has come into your world, your focus will shift from friends to the little peanut that needs your full, undivided attention… at all times. If it’s a weekend of solitary me-time, indulge in a friend-free getaway! If your mom is your bestie, this is an opportunity for a mother/daughter trip before you become a mother yourself. As a single and pregnant woman, I decided to spend my Babymoon with my sister, Julia.

Our destination: San Ysidro Ranch in Montecito, California. An overnight bag stuffed with two bathing suits, flip flops, and a couple of casual pregnancy dresses (for dinner) was plenty for our two night stay, plus my Snoogle pillow, since it is my absolute pregnancy sleep must-have. It was clear that the staff was accustomed to pregnant guests, informing me upon check-in that the hot tub on our private patio had already been turned down to 100 degrees to accommodate me.

We walked through our cottage’s private garden gate, the stress easing away before getting to the front door where a sign saying “Houses,” for the House sisters, marked this home as our temporary residence. Inside was a living room with a fireplace, bedroom, huge bathroom, and gigantic flower-adorned patio with a private hot tub. Complimentary champagne, chocolates, chips, local salsa, olives, caramel popcorn, sodas, juice, and waters were set up for our enjoyment.

With the exception of taking advantage of the hotel’s afternoon wine and cheese hour in the main building, and dressing up for dinner at their acclaimed (and aptly so) Stonehouse Restaurant, we stayed robed and en suite and relaxed for the entire two-and-a-half days. We even ordered a movie and took advantage of the complimentary popcorn delivery service as our evening activity.

My typical vacation includes sightseeing, miles of walking, extravagant dining, and enough activities to pack a day and exhaust me to sleep at night. Doing next to nothing was extreme for me and it was exactly what I needed in celebration and preparation for the amazing, challenging, tiring, scary, thrilling, fulfilling next phase that is imminently approaching.

Laurel House

Laurel House is a Santa Monica-born, bred, and based dating and relationship coach, helping to empower her clients to be their best selves so that they can find the love the deserve. She has a no-games, rule-screwing approach, teaching her clients exactly what to say and do, how to present themselves online and in-person, and the specific strategy to find love- hard, deep, and fast, just like she and so many of her clients have. Laurel believes that dating is about clarity through communication, and with clarity comes confidence. Laurel is called a “Man Whisperer,” Dating Jedi Master, Relationship Fairy, and Cyrano. More than anything else, Laurel demystifies dating so that you can confidently date with integrity and purpose.

www.LaurelHouse.com

The post Not Your Mama’s Pregnancy: A Single Woman’s Babymoon appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

You know your body.  You know what makes you feel sexy and look slim when it comes to its size and shape.  That is . . . until you get pregnant.  And it’s not just your body that’s going through a serious transformation; it is also your wardrobe (and potentially your self-esteem).

So how do you hide until you’re ready to show, style, and find comfort?  Here are my suggestions:

Hide It! Styling tips to hide your pregnancy

Depending on your body, it may be possible to hide your baby bump for several months especially if you are waiting to tell people until after the first trimester.  I hid mine through much of month six, thanks to strategic dressing, draping, and styling.

Look 1: Leggings, Loose Shirt, Long Cardigan, Boots

This casual look allows you to hide any small side view bump as the cardigan and leggings combo are comfy and forgiving and boots are chunky enough to create balance from bottom to top.  If you notice an increase in cleavage and you’re comfortable flaunting it, a lower cut top will train the eye up and away.

Look 2: Fitted to Flowering or Straight Dress

Dresses are a great way to hide the bump.  But before I tell you what to swear, let me tell you what not to wear:

DON’T

– Pass on dresses too tight in the belly, making you resemble an overstuffed sausage.

– Avoid dresses that are too loose all over, looking like you’re wearing a curtain or a bag.

– Don’t pick dresses that define the waist, your newly protruding middle will look even bigger.

DO

– Choose a dress that is fitted on top, has a slight A-line tapering, and flowering or straight the skirt.  (Slight tapering, because if the fabric is too fitted under your bustling, you will actually be advertising your bump.  However, if the tapering is only slight, your bust will protrude beyond your belly.

– Opt for a dress that drops from a slightly fitted bust to straight down — no flare, no tapering, no butt or belly-hugging.  Unless your bump goes beyond your bust, the straight drop should hide it.

Style It!  Styling tips to accentuate your pregnant belly

Once you’re over the, “Do I just look fat or pregnant?” phase, it can be a blast styling and showering off our bump.  Here are a few favorite and flattering looks:

Work It While Working Out

Choose a capri pant with a fold-over waist.  The fold-over serves dual purposes: it’s looser on the belly (and therefore on the bladder), and it frames your baby-to-be!  Your bigger breasts deserve to be highlighted in a bright sports bra.  You’ll need to buy new bras no matter what, so you may as well make the most of your engorged assets!  Top it off with a comfy T-shirt.

I recommend Fabletics Salar Capri fold-over in black and coral, Fabletics Kemi Bra in flamingo, and a simple Old Navy buttoned T. Cozy Orange also makes comfy yet functional performance maternity wear.

If traditional sports bras are starting to feel too tight, the Tom Girl Bra with a Velcro back closure allows you to adjust the band eight inches for the perfect expanding fit.  Plus, it’s a nursing bra, designed with open hooks or nursing clasps for easy access once the baby is born.

Dress It Up!

Continue to stay away from dresses that taper along your belly button line, as those styles just make you look big.  Now is the time to pull out those A-lines!  Wrap dresses are even better, allowing you to adjust it.  Choose a wrinkle-free fabric that is washing machine safe.

I recommend: Loeta Perfect Wrap Sleeveless Dress (pictured above).  Mine is in Navy Robin’s Egg.  The 100% Made in New York designs are printed in-house and using the softest luxury wrinkle-free stretch fabrics.  I’m obsessed.

Look 1: Baby Shower Dress

Show off what you’ve got!  You can go cutely and loose or take advantage of the opportunity and wear a body-hugging dress that does your body justice.

I recommend: Leota Wiggle Dress.  Ruched on the sides, this style is completely on-trend for all style-conscious women!  Mine is in Whimsy Rose.  The fabric is sweet, but the style is sexy.

Look 2: Bye-bye Heels!  Hello Fabulous Flats!

While they make you look taller and slimmer, high heels are the last thing you want to wear.  Beyond the fact that you have more weight to carry, high heels can increase leg cramps and water retention.  But that doesn’t mean that you have to stick with flip flops or sneakers; try a pair of comfortable flats.

I recommend: Ja-Vie flats (pictured above).  Designed to feel as though you are walking barefoot, these super lightweight jelly shoes have an inside lining made from soft double-ply breathable cotton.  But, it’s the sole that will have your feet singing their praises.  With arch, ball, and heel cushioning, your feet are supported and protected from impact.  And, let’s not ignore the too-amazing styles!  From bright reds to basic black, and pretty pink lace, your heels will not be missed.

Look 3: Goodnight

You’re exhausted and need a good night sleep.  While a solid night of zzz’s may not be in your future for quite a while, you can stay comfortable with a super-soft cotton nightie slinking along your skin.

I recommend: Starlit Mom & Baby Gift Set from Belabumbum, a rookie but sexy nightie that features easy pull-aside nursing access you’ll need once the baby arrives.  Plus, you’ll love that it comes with a matching unisex infant outfit.

Laurel House is the dating coach and five-time published author, including her most recent book Screwing The Rules.  She has appeared on The Today Show, Good Morning America, and E! News as an expert, where she shares her fitness, healthy lifestyle, and dating expertise. notyourmamaspregnancy.com

Laurel House

Laurel House is a Santa Monica-born, bred, and based dating and relationship coach, helping to empower her clients to be their best selves so that they can find the love the deserve. She has a no-games, rule-screwing approach, teaching her clients exactly what to say and do, how to present themselves online and in-person, and the specific strategy to find love- hard, deep, and fast, just like she and so many of her clients have. Laurel believes that dating is about clarity through communication, and with clarity comes confidence. Laurel is called a “Man Whisperer,” Dating Jedi Master, Relationship Fairy, and Cyrano. More than anything else, Laurel demystifies dating so that you can confidently date with integrity and purpose.

www.LaurelHouse.com

The post Not Your Mama’s Pregnancy: Styling (or hiding) your baby bump appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

It can seem to be a surprising statistic at first. From now until the two weeks before Christmas, breakups are steadily climbing to the number one spot of the most popular time of year to end the relationship. That number instantly drops on Christmas Day, which is the least popular day of the year for a breakup. It spikes again in March: Spring cleaning!

Why all of the holiday heartbreak?

The holiday season is all about love and family, office parties, overindulging, overspending, stress, and cold weather. All of which can lead to cold feet. Let me break it down for you: there is a connection between the holiday intensity and its cause for heartbreak.

Love and Family

During the holidays you want to be around people you truly love; you don’t want to be involved with someone who you are not so sure about, who you know doesn’t have everlasting potential, or with whom your love has fizzled. You also don’t want to introduce your not-so-serious other half to family members. The more you focus on being with your loved ones, the clearer it becomes that your lover isn’t one of them.

Office Parties

Sure, a friend’s party would be much more fun. Even a quiet night at home with a glass of wine and some TV would be a welcome break from hectic holiday festivities. But, your significant other’s office party is tonight and, whether you like it or not, you’re going to go…and like it (or at least act like it). This is important, and it’s an expression of your dedication to the relationship. But, you may feel uncomfortable or resentful.

Overindulging

You’re eating too much, drinking too much, and your nerves are on high alert. As much fun as the excess can be, it can also lead to blowout fights that quickly escalate to the biter end.

Overspending

Like Valentine’s Day, there is the expectation of a gift exchange. And when you’re on the fence about whether this relationship is going to last through the end of the season, you may opt to end it instead. A lot of it is the un-experienced glee of gift giving! Giving is, yes, oftentimes as great as receiving. Picking out that perfect present that you just know your partner will love leaves you almost giddy! But when the last thing that you want to do is think of something clever, special, or even decent for your partner, you know there is a problem. But it’s not just about the giving. If we know that we are likely going to end it soon, we don’t want them to spend money on us! Yes, many of us are truly that selfless.

Stress

Your partner is supposed to be your shoulder to cry on, your chest to decompress on, your ear to listen, and the sage advice to ease your stressed mind. But if your partner is actually the last person who you want to go to for reprieve and comfort, the holiday season will make that repulsion even more obvious.

Baby, It’s Cold Outside

And if you have no interest in snuggling with your partner at night or stealing some romantic couple time by the fire or in a hot tub, you just might feel more iced over when you’re close to their body heat than when on your own.

So, should you end it or endure the holidays and wait for a “better time?” After all, flights are booked, the family already knows they are coming, and you are honestly looking forward to that ski trip that you planned. If you know that it’s over and that it’s just a matter of time until the inevitable conversation, then end it. Believe me, you don’t want to force togetherness, deal with the incessant triggers that will confront you, pretend to be happy and in love, wish you could be anywhere else with anyone else, and grate on each other’s nerves to the point of a near breakdown and maybe even a nasty in-the-moment breakup.

Breakups are never easy. Best advice: tell each other what you appreciate about each other, acknowledge the good in them–the reason you fell for them in the first place, thank them for what they have taught you, and authentically and lovingly express why you’re saying goodbye.

Tis the season! Now get ready for a New Year, and for the best you!

Laurel House is a dating coach and flirting expert, four-time published author and go-to lifestyle expert on E! News. Her YouTube videos that have received over 12 million views. Her fifth book, Screwing the (Dating) Rules: The No-Game Guide to Love will released in January, 2015, with Running Press. ScrewingTheRules.com

Laurel House

Laurel House is a Santa Monica-born, bred, and based dating and relationship coach, helping to empower her clients to be their best selves so that they can find the love the deserve. She has a no-games, rule-screwing approach, teaching her clients exactly what to say and do, how to present themselves online and in-person, and the specific strategy to find love- hard, deep, and fast, just like she and so many of her clients have. Laurel believes that dating is about clarity through communication, and with clarity comes confidence. Laurel is called a “Man Whisperer,” Dating Jedi Master, Relationship Fairy, and Cyrano. More than anything else, Laurel demystifies dating so that you can confidently date with integrity and purpose.

www.LaurelHouse.com

The post Tis the Season to… Breakup? appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.