Meet Sharon McMillan

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50s, Toronto, Ontario

What do we need to know about you?

I'm the person who always sees the glass as half full and I've been that way as long as I can remember. That's probably why I lead the communications and PR department for an education advocacy group in Toronto.
I'm married to my best friend and we have two grown children who constantly light me up! What's important to me are the places we live and how those places enhance our lives. I personally believe our way forward as a world is through conscious living that protects the environment and supports greater more positive connections between people. City living is for me the solution to achieving those goals. Three years ago I put what had only been theory for me into practice by deciding with my husband to make the move and sell our suburban home so that we could purchase a condo in one of the most dynamic cities in the world - Toronto. What a change and what an enormously positive impact this has had on our life, not only in terms of geography, but in terms of our health and our over-all well-being.
We live 2 blocks away from a phenomenal farmers market which we "walk" to several times a week. We live 3 walkable blocks away from our gorgeous lakefront where there are parks and beaches and the best restaurants in the city! We're 2 blocks away from phenomenal live theatres, a local college campus and historic/heritage sites. I could go on and on, but suffice to say we live in one of the most walkable locations in the city and I've lost 40 pounds since moving to our condo by the lake!
Thankfully more people are choosing a city lifestyle and in doing so helping to improve the education, prosperity levels, health and well-being of larger and larger segments of our populations worldwide. I write about the benefits of city living in my passion project - City Living Guide. Say hi to me on Twitter: @CityLivingGuide or Instagram: CityLivingGuide.

Morning Routine

It seems the older I've gotten, the earlier I wake up! By 5 a.m. my eyes flutter open and I get out of bed. I brush my teeth, use my Oil of Olay with shea butter facial soap for a quick and fresh wake-me-up, and then quickly moisturize with a small dab of Aveeno lotion. I pull on my exercise hair band, get into my exercise gear and then leave our city condo for the gym. Our condo actually has its own gym which I used our first year living the 'condo lifestyle.' However, following the completion of a brand new beautiful Family YMCA about half a mile away from our home I decided to try it out. This was a risky move as I had been a member of too many gyms to count over the years and never visited any one of those health clubs more than 5-10 times in a year. But for the first time in my adult life I visit the gym 4-5 times a week...every week. This is a regimen that I have kept for the last 2 years since moving to the city. After my workout, I walk back to the condo and jump in the shower (I like long hot showers as it soothes my muscles and leaves me feeling really good).

Nightly Routine

My nightly routine consists of eating before 6:30 p.m. and then trying my best not to eat anything else for the evening. I'm still working at this as we live a short walkable block away from Starbucks and I love an evening chair latte with almond milk!! My favourite way to destress after a long day at work or at meetings is to wash my face again with my Oil of Olay with shea butter facial soap, moisturize with Aveeno lotion and then grab my favourite book. I may catch some news from a few of the all news networks and then grab my book of the moment. The only time I'm not reading in the evening is if the following is on: Game of Thrones or my favourite Netflix series of the month (The Crown, House of Cards, etc...). Then it's off to bed, usually by 10:30 or 11:00 p.m.

Fitness Routine

I use Fitbit to track my exercise regimen. My daily workout consists of 30 minutes on the elliptical trainer, followed by 15 minutes of core exercises which includes superman - 30 reps (each side), followed by side planks (count to 30 on each side). My workout concludes with a walk back to our condo (about 1500 steps).

When it comes to eating...

Keto, Paleo, Intermittent Fasting. After decades of trying many different types of diets the absolute best plan for me has ended up being a conscious, carb reduced diet. I've also eliminated bread as I've discovered that I'm gluten intolerant. I feel so much better since cutting bread from my menu.

Where do you draw inspiration?

All over - I actually pick some of the best tips from friends on Facebook! I like personal recommendations that are current and based on sound science.

Where can we find you online?

You can find me at City Living Guide. Say hi to me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

 

Meet Allison Sotelo

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40s, Pleasanton, CA

What do we need to know about you?

Full-time mom. Full-time side gig hustler. Part-time teacher.

Morning Routine

Wake at 4:30am 😱 Put on gym clothes, brush teeth, put hair in a ponytail (Goody bands only please). Gym from 5-6. Come home to shower! Biolage hair products. Rodan + Fields skincare (Reverse Lightening is my jam) and any old body wash. Oh, and if I'm shaving it's Gillette Mach 3 all the way! Out of the shower I finish with my R+F Reverse regimen and add Active Hydration Serum because I want to be a grape and not a raisin. While I'm getting ready I watch something from my DVR list to pass the time. Makeup is minimal because skincare's on point. A little Lancôme undereye concealer, Benefit brow zing, R+F peptides powder, and They're Real mascara (Lash Boost FTW). Blow dry my hair (or dry shampoo if I didn't wash it). Flat iron (chi) some days and curl (Hot Tools) on others. Finish it off with Biosilk and hair spray (Shaper Plus). Done!

Nightly Routine

Bra off and comfy clothes asap! Rodan + Fields Redefine regimen at night. Lash Boost daily! Then about an hour of mind numbing TV. Usually Bravo's Real Housewives or something on Netflix.

Fitness Routine

I work out six mornings a week and have a different gym class each day.
Monday: body sculpt and balance
Tuesday: p90x
Wednesday: Beast Mode OR Step and Sculpt
Thursday: Vicore
Friday: Spin Interval
Saturday: Treadmill Intervals

Any other daily routines we should know about?

I'm a morning person so I do all of my business calls before 8 am.

When it comes to eating...

I do Weight Watchers and eat Gluten-Free.

Where do you draw inspiration?

I read The Larson Lingo and Six Sisters Stuff.

Where can we find you online?

Running my Rodan + Fields business, let's talk if you're looking for a side hustle.

 

Meet Leorah M.

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20s, Colorado

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What do we need to know about you?

I'm a lab technician in a biology lab at a university. I love to read and travel

Morning Routine

I get up between 6am and 6:30am. I get up and feed the cat immediately, then I start packing my lunch for the day and make water for tea. I make tea in a travel mug and put it in the cup holder part of my lunch box. I have a bite breakfast, hopefully with some protein like toast and peanut butter or granola-type cereal. If my partner is moving at a good pace we sit together for breakfast. I feed the fish every other day. I brush my teeth, say goodbye to the cat and the boyfriend and make my 40 minute commute to work, then a few more minutes on a local bus. I read The Skimm  at my desk and check my email and then start my day!

Nightly Routine

We take turns making dinner, but if it's my night the crock pot is sitting patiently and smelling fantastic when I walk in. I feed the cat dinner and open any mail that I picked up on my way in. We usually watch TV or movies or do any chores we need to do, and then I get ready for bed. Brush teeth (with my Quip toothbrush), floss, mouthwash. Use spot treatment and night cream, say goodnight (the boyfriend stays up later than I do) and tuck myself in! The cat and I play "bed-mice" before I go to sleep and he goes back to hang out with the boyfriend until he comes to bed, then he cuddles in with us for the night.

Fitness Routine

I am just switching from a morning elliptical workout to an after-work barre class. The workout then dictates the shower time of day. I workout M-F and take weekends off, unless we go hiking or something. I use the My Fitness Pal app to track food, exercise and weight, but I'm not very good at using it regularly.

Any other daily routines we should know about?

Weekends are my chore routines. I vacuum, take out the recycle, clean the kitchen, change the pillowcases and do laundry on wither Saturday afternoon or Sunday, depending other weekend plans. My best friend and I always say we need to keep to an every-two-weeks schedule of seeing each other, but we rarely manage that often. If I've got a good book and no other plans I spend Saturdays reading.

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When it comes to eating...

Depends on the week. I love the idea of being a clean, mindful eater. But I am addicted to sugar and my partner keeps junk food in the house.

Where do you draw inspiration?

Magazines (Cosmopolitan) and Instagram.

Where can we find you online?

On Instagram @leorahm

 

Meet Kt

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60s, Florida

What do we need to know about you?

I'm a mathematician who helps people figure things out.

Morning Routine

I wake up around 5am then it's 10 minutes of oil pulling with coconut oil and tea tree oil followed by a 10 minute meditation. The I do 12 minutes of rebounding along with 20 minutes of yoga. For breakfast, I have a fruit smoothie. Then I shower (with Shea Moisture products), get dressed, and go to work.

Nightly Routine

At night, I teach a class and then I work on my online business. After that I take a walk. Before bed I rinse my mouth with salt and peppermint oil and brush my teeth.

Fitness Routine

I do a variety of fitness routines that include: Yoga, Rebounding, Walking, Cardio, and Qi Chong.

Any other daily routines we should know about?

My cleaning routine involves a hired housekeeper (love her!) and Roomba. Everyday I write a thank you note to someone. I also read 15 minutes a day.

When it comes to eating...

I'm a vegan and Celiac.

Where do you draw inspiration?

I draw inspiration from a medical medium.

 

 

 

Meet Pam

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40s, Apex, NC (the PEAK of Good Living)

What do we need to know about you?

I am an easy and outgoing 43 year old wife and mother of 3 handsome boys. I love to act like I'm still in my 20's!! I love people.. I love makeup, Younique makeup, that is. Exercising is not only my physical therapy but mental therapy. I love my family and friends to pieces-- don't mess with them or I will mess with you.

Morning Routine

After waking up 5:45am (no, not everyday) , I like to go ahead and knock out exercise for the day. It's either running with my gal pals or hitting the cheap but good gym we belong to. After that, I hop in the shower. I love using my Nivea body wash in the scent, Orange Blossom... oh my, it makes me happy! I also use Hask Keratin Protein shampoo and conditioner since I just got the Keratin treatment. They both work great-smell good and cheap. I also love the EOS shaving cream in the Lavendar Jasmine... I love, love, love my Younique makeup!!! It's high quality hypoallergenic and paraban free makeup and skin care. As I have gotten older, I need that kind of makeup. It's light on my skin yet has the coverage I need. I also sell it-- that's how much I love it!!! Since getting the keratin treatment, it takes me about 5 mins to dry my hair and I just run a flat iron to it. I need quick and easy.... there is always something going on!! I'm not a huge breakfast person but I do like one cup of International Cafe in French Vanilla to get my morning going. I love watching The Today Show. While cleaning or hopping on the computer, I love to have our Pandora music playing on our Sonos speakers... favorite stations are Zac Brown Band, Today's Hits and Dierks Bentley/Luke Bryan.

Nightly Routine

Nightly routine is having a glass or two of my beloved Spiced Rum and Diet Dr. Pepper (that will be changing though-- read in Approach to Eating). I also work my Younique biz while listening to music. I wash my face with Youniques pore cleanser. I try to remember to exfoliate my face. I put on a thick slathering of Cetaphil lotion all over body and face. Quick tip: since it's non scented, I like to put a few drops of my DoTerra lavender oil. It smells lovely!! I also use Rodan and Fields Lash Boost which is a lash enhancer (it's pretty expensive but it works). Just found out Younique is coming out with one which I'm stoked about. I like to play a little Candy Crush or Facebook in bed before going to sleep. I just uploaded the kindle ebook, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, so I will be reading that tonight!

Fitness Routine

My husband works for Garmin so we are a Garmin gear family. I have the best watch ever!!! It's the Garmin 35. It tracks GPS, calories, heart rate, steps, etc.... I run with my girlfriends every Tuesday and Thursday morning. I love to take Body Pump, Body Combat, and sometimes Zumba at our gym. All their classes follow the Les Mills routine. My goal is to lose some weight and get more toned. I am at my heaviest now that I have ever been. Read in Approach to Eating how I will be changing that. Yes, fitness is crucial but nutrition makes up for 80% of weight loss. I have gotten off track with the eating and drinking.... I'm definitely in summer mode.

When it comes to eating...

I am starting something tomorrow!! It's called, Take Shape for Life. It's a Medifast program and it is REALLY expensive and strict! I will have a healthy eating coach who happens to be a friend and neighbor. Basically, I eat their pre- portioned packages of food 5 times a day and then I prepare a lean and green meal. No alcohol, no extra sugars, nothing except this for an entire month. I'm not even supposed to do vigorous exercise. I'm super nervous but I hear that I won't get hungry. For more info, go to the Take Shape for Life website.

Where do you draw inspiration?

For mom giggles, I love the blog, Tales of an Educated Debutante. For makeup, I love to visit many Younique "sisters" FB pages.

Where can we find you online?

You can find me most days providing live makeup tutorials on my Facebook page where I share tips and tricks on how to use Younique products.

 

 

Meet Amanda Morgan

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20s, Texas

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What do we need to know about you?

I am a 29 year old woman figuring out my way through life! I moved to California after college, which was a huge leap of faith, but it taught me so much about myself. I learned to be strong, confident, and embrace all of the little things in life. I am back home in Texas now, but I carry all of those lessons with me. I would describe myself as a homebody that enjoys trying new things. I like to be home with my family but I also really like venturing out and trying new restaurants, parks, wineries, etc. I have a "Dallas Bucket List" that I am slowly but surely crossing off! 
I work full-time as an Operations Analyst so a big part of my daily routine is working on projects and doing various analyses. During the weekends I enjoy looking up and trying new recipes and I am always on the hunt for a good deal on various items for our house.

Morning Routine

I wake up around 6am on weekdays. I am guilty of snoozing my alarm several times before I actually get out of bed and get moving. The first thing I do is take a shower. I use Treseme shampoo and conditioner, Clean and Clear face wash, and Suave body wash. I always wrap my hair in a towel when I get out of the shower. Then I go into the kitchen and feed our two dogs and while they are eating, I pack my food for the day. I take breakfast, lunch, and snacks with me to eat at work and I get my coffee ready in a travel mug. After that I blow dry my hair and depending on the day, I may put my hair in a ponytail or I might straighten it. Those are the only two ways I ever wear my hair. I never use hair products, I have always gone with a bit of a natural look. After I get dressed (I work in a casual office environment, so I wear jeans every day), I put on makeup. I keep this pretty simple too and I buy almost all of my makeup at Ulta, with the exception of the lip gloss I just started wearing called LipSense. Once I am all ready, I spray perfume and head out the door. My commute is about 45 minutes - 1 hour and I listen to music the whole way to work. Typically a "Top 40" kind of station, but sometimes I listen to country.

Nightly Routine

It takes me about 45 minutes to an hour to commute home and as soon as I get home, I spend some time playing with our dogs because they've been home alone all day. I always go outside to check the mail, because something about getting mail really excites me, even though most of the time it's bills or junk mail. Right now it's summer so I am watering our flowers every day in an attempt to keep them alive in the 100+ degree weather. We eat at home 99% of the time so I cook dinner most nights. Sometimes I make sliders, sometimes I make fish, it just depends on what I've planned for the week. When my husband gets home from work, we feed the dogs, eat dinner, and watch TV. We are both early birds, so we are in bed by 9:30 most weeknights. We will usually talk for awhile and check our phones before we go to bed.

Fitness Routine

Right now I have fallen off the fitness bandwagon. But up until about two months ago, I was working out regularly. I use the Beachbody programs because I enjoy working out at home and I have had good results from their programs, 21 Day Fix in particular. I prefer weight training workouts and I will usually avoid cardio at all costs.

When it comes to eating...

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I try to eat clean and follow an 80/20 sort of routine where I eat healthy the majority of the time. I do enjoy dessert and wine, so I sneak those in from time to time.

Where do you draw inspiration?

My beauty routine is mostly inspired by Pinterest. I enjoy looking at different jean/t-shirt combinations because I am a jeans and tshirt kind of girl. My fitness routine is inspired by Beachbody because I really do enjoy the variety of workouts that are available and there are so many different programs to choose from.

Where can we find you?

You can find me blogging about my obsession with food, family, friends, and furbabies on my blog Authentically Amanda and on Instagram and Facebook.

Meet Debbie Wright

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50s, Longmeadow, MA

What do we need to know about you?

I love life! I am the mother of 15 year old twins and married to my best friend, celebrating 20 years this year. My mantra this year is to approach each day with a little more mindfulness. I have learned that each day offers each of you a million, mini miracles that help lead you to great happiness and fulfillment. It's so important to stay connected to moments so that they don't pass you by. Allowing and trusting your life to unfold in the direction of your dreams really happens and it is so powerful to fall into the flow of that momentum. It's there waiting for you!!!

Morning Routine

My day begins at 6:00 when I enjoy my morning coffee by myself, thanking God for a peaceful night's rest and for protecting my family. This helps me to start each day from a place of heartfelt gratitude and awareness. Next, it's time to wake the kids and begin getting ready for the day. I start checking email around 6:30 and everyone is off and running around 7:30. Three to four times a week I head to 8 am CrossFit class to get my body moving for the day. 10 am is typically my first meeting and I am back home around 5 or 6. My days are always a bit different and I LOVE it. The days I spend at QVC are absolutely amazing and I soak it all in: the airing, the people, the process, the meetings. It is an amazing way to connect with so many people across the country. Other days, I tape local segments, write articles and meet with clients.

Nightly Routine

My nightly routine, after dinner means sitting with the family while we watch Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune. This routine cracks me up because my husband and I both remember our families having the same routine! I am absolutely amazed at how many questions my son gets correct on Jeopardy, me on the other hand not so much :-) I usually wrap up emails while we are all together in the living room and head up to bed around 10 pm to prep for a night of restoration. I have begun to appreciate the importance of a healthy nighttime beauty regimen in order to have the best skin of your life. I use Philosophy cleanser, Purity and the Clarisonic to cleanse my skin then I apply my retinol (Peter Thomas Roth, QVC) and my other anti aging serums. I am using TULA right now, which is a probiotic based skin care system. Three to four times a week, I have also fallen in love with the results from the Osmotics, beauty tool for tightening (Soft Surroundings) and once I week I shave my face (SO IMPORTANT FOR EXFOLIATION) and to get rid of any fuzz on the lip or jawline. (it happens ladies and that fuzz needs to go)

Fitness Routine

I use the Microsoft Band to track my steps and workouts but I am going to start using the HELO, Health Band which tracks so many more healthy factors. I enjoy my CrossFit classes but also incorporate using some fitness apps and some occasional Barre classes to mix it up. I always try to work out with a friend too, its more fun and its good time together.

When it comes to eating...

Nothing specific - just try to eat clean

Where do you draw inspiration?

I listen to HayHouse Radio as often as I can for inspiration. I also have learned from many of the best beauty and fashion experts on QVC and continue to grow my knowledge speaking with the doctors and designers creating the products and brands. I still peruse many fashion magazines and attend shows to stay ahead of the fashion trends.

Where can we find you?

You can find me on Instagram, LinkedIn, and finding out more about my personal styling services at Project Closet.