This was the best year of my life. 

California has felt so unlike home for so long--we've been here for almost a year and a half and I still find myself missing the East Coast and all the people we love who live on that side of the country. But in 2017 I finally let go and said yes more, even though my goal was to simplify my life. Instead I wrote two books, became a Pure Barre instructor, moved into a new place, and had a baby.

And yet somehow by taking on what sometimes seemed like an unending number of new things, I learned what really matters to me: family, health, happiness, friendship--that's it.

We live in a cozy house with a sweet pup and our amazing daughter who has already changed our lives forever. We paid off our student loans. I worked harder--both professionally and physically--than I ever have in my life. I wrote to-do lists that were long and aggressive and somehow I managed to check most of the items off. 

And now that that's all done, maybe in 2018 I will finally slow down a bit--Sophie will see to that. More evenings on the couch nursing, more quiet mornings with coffee in hand, more afternoon walks with Ender, more visits from friends as the baby grows. Six weeks ago she was a newborn who could barely stay awake throughout the day and yesterday she looked at me and gave me an honest-to-God smile. The days are long but the years are short--I know this already; and I intend to savor every moment of this next one.

Happy New Year, friends. 

About halfway through my pregnancy, I really started to miss running. I had stopped quite a few months earlier as I got more and more into Pure Barre, and I felt uneasy starting up again since it had been so long--I didn't feel like a runner anymore.

Now I'm one month postpartum and itching to get back into a fitness routine, and I'm so excited to start running again. With a new baby and a very energetic dog I'll always have a running partner (I just need to get a jogging stroller), and it'll be so convenient to be able to grab the stroller or leash, lace up my shoes, and go (as much as I miss barre and intend to start teaching again in the spring, I know that working out in the studio is going to take a lot more planning when it comes to child care).

So when Mizuno reached out to me and offered to send me a pair of Wave Rider 21s, I jumped at the opportunity--I've been running in Wave Riders since my high school cross country days, and they always bring me right back.

I have just a couple more weeks until my 6 week postpartum appointment, and I'm anxious to see where my healing and recovery is at that point. I knew that labor and delivery would be the hardest thing I've ever done, but I wasn't prepared for how much I'd have to slow down physically after. I've done a few planks here and there in an effort to rebuild my ab strength, but I'm ready to incorporate a bit of cardio again soon. I'm so looking forward to that first chilly morning run in my new neighborhood, maybe with my new baby, finding a way to incorporate a new fitness routine into my new life.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Mizuno. The opinions and text are all mine.

Feeling so incredibly lucky in almost every way. I get a little overwhelmed with it all lately (especially after 4PM or anytime after the sun goes down...hormones are weird). Rob and I are really tired most of the time but Sophie is just the sweetest little baby and really chill with the exception of about 3 hours every evening when she screams non-stop. And Ender has been so cute and is trying really hard to get used to all the changes around here.

Eating this chicken enchilada casserole and these no-bake lactation bites. I made the enchilada casserole before Sophie was born and we loved having it in the freezer waiting for us after we got home from the hospital. We actually enjoyed it so much that my mom made another one for us while she was visiting and we're currently finishing it off--I might have to make another one soon! And the lactation bites are an awesome snack for anyone, but I have definitely found them to help me keep up my milk supply.

Drinking tons of water, apple juice, ginger ale, green juice from Pressed Juicery, warm water with lemon--basically anything I can get my hands on. I've been a little under the weather the past two or three days and I think I got a little dehydrated on Saturday, so I've been trying to catch up ever since.

Watching Difficult People, The Crown, and Brooklyn Nine-Nine. We're seriously just cruising through shows these days. 

Loving having Rob home on paternity leave. It's made everything so much easier and also it's just fun having this much time together at home. 

Looking forward to Sophie's first Christmas. We don't have a ton planned but I think that's what I'm most excited about--just a low-key holiday and hopefully a few naps.

What are you currently feeling, eating, drinking, watching, loving, and looking forward to? I want to know!