Lindsey & Krista from Almost 30 on Friendship, Passion & Wellness

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When I learned about the Almost 30 podcast a few months ago, I listened to it immediately and loved every second of it. I knew from the very beginning that these girls were my kind of girls. Definite “Happsters” at heart!

They are so down-to-earth and interview the most amazing guests on everything from the juice craze to psychic mediums to hormones in a fun and compelling way. I was excited when the podcast hosts, Krista (blogger at The Hundred Blog) and Lindsey (actress, singer, model and SoulCycle Instructor) agreed to an interview. Krista and Lindsey answered separately, so you can see both of their responses to each question below! Enjoy ♥♥♥

1. I love love love your podcast, Almost 30! Why did you decide to start it?

LINDSEY: Krista and I were introduced by a mutual friend who knew that we would connect immediately.  Our friendship is SO DAMN EASY.  We have supported each other and have been one another’s sounding board from day one.  Almost 30 was inspired by our deep chats about who, what, and where we are, as well as hilarious recollections of our early 20’s.  We are both obsessed with finding the experts and guru’s, the practices and habits, the products and innovative ideas that will help us to be the best versions of ourselves.  Sharing this with our listeners has been the BIGGEST GIFT.

KRISTA: That means so much ☺ we love you. I can’t even remember the genesis behind starting the podcast, but we recorded for a few months in a closet before we shared anything. I have been a podcast fan for years, and felt like there wasn’t a podcast out there that spoke to women in their twenties and thirties about bettering themselves and navigating life’s transitions. We also wanted to bring together a community of women who could support and encourage each other (that’s our secret Facebook group!).

2. How did you two meet?

LINDSEY: As I mentioned above, through a mutual friend!  What’s funny is that we both lived in NYC before LA…and then both settled on the west side.

KRISTA: Through SoulCycle! I was auditioning to be an instructor and Lindsey offered to help me out with my audition. After I moved to LA from NYC, I remembered how cool she was and asked her to hang out. We knew instantly that we had something special. Lindsey and I are super similar because we have the same dreamer mentality, plus we work wayyyyy too hard.

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3. What has been the biggest thing you’ve learned since starting the podcast?

LINDSEY: I’ve learned that when I am passionate about something and I have a clear vision, I have the power to commit and follow through.  In the past, I had convinced myself that I should be grinding and miserably over-worked in order to achieve what I wanted.  The moment I realized that the space between A and B was the best part, that I could actually enjoy the process and thus be inspired to create even more, was the moment I felt free to unapologetically take pride in my path.

KRISTA: Podcasting has taught me so much! It makes me feel like there is something out there for everyone and to have faith that if you persist to do what you want to do. It may not be the first or second thing, but to keep trying. I LOVE my blog, The Hundred Blog, but knew I wanted to incorporate something else. I would have never done the podcast if I didn’t blog for a few years prior. Also, we’ve had the greatest guests on the podcast ever so each time we record I learn so much. As an example, in the Be Well By Kelly episode, I learned about incorporating the ‘Fab Four’ into your diet: Protein, Fiber, Fat and Greens. I try to incorporate that in most meals that I eat!

4. Do you have morning routines? If so, what are they?

LINDSEY: Oh, yes!  When I wake up, I put my phone in my night stand drawer for 30 minutes.  Within those 30 minutes, I will:

  • meditate on my little balcony
  • write three affirmations that I will turn to throughout the day
  • write down three things I’m grateful for
  • write down three things I will get done today
  • take my vitamins
  • make tea or a small amount of cold pressed coffee with a lot of almond milk
  • make a healthy breakfast

By then I am awake and have a clear sense of how I want to feel today.  Then I can hop on my phone and computer and start to tackle the day!

KRISTA: I do! I am in love with a good morning ritual. It’s super important and sets the tone for your entire day. I would much rather get up early than sleep in and feel late any day. I don’t keep my phone in my room, so my alarm in the kitchen will most likely wake me up. I get up around 5:30 AM and once I do, I’ll take a moment to put my hand over my heart and say thanks. Thanks for waking me up, for my house, for everything! After that I’ll drink warm lemon water (because people have said it works, ha) and then I’ll meditate on the couch for 10 minutes. I usually do a TM meditation and if I can’t get into it, I’ll just do affirmations. After that I’ll leave and go workout (I always get them in early) and then have breakfast when I return. Usually a protein shake + avocado + collagen + pearl powder + maca. I love Sun warrior Protein in Vanilla or Vega Sport (super smooth and delicious).

5. When you’re having a bad day, how do you pull yourself back up?

LINDSEY: A great workout never fails to raise my vibration.  It helps me to shake up any mental, physical, creative, or emotional blocks I might be experiencing. I also love being by water when I’m feeling off. Water is so calming and humbling to me, so I will usually take a walk on the beach to reset and recommit to the day.

KRISTA: Meditation really helps me to navigate any bad day. It’s changed my life in that way. I know that if I do have a bad day, or a bad week, that it’s temporary and it won’t last forever. I also don’t attach myself to the feeling. So if I am stressed for some reason, practicing un-attachment really helps me to stay happy. I remember that feeling just ‘is’ and it’s not Krista. Or I’ll have a good vent session with my sister because what else are sisters for?

6. What is your favorite mantra that continues to be relevant in your life and why?

LINDSEY: My potential is greater than any problem I have.

My dreams are big. As I pursue them my mind tends to create problems, because, well, that’s what the mind does. It tries to protect me by looking for what could go wrong or what isn’t so perfect in the moment. This mantra/affirmation reminds me that the problems are specifically for me and I am more than capable of finding flow in any situation.

KRISTA: My mantra is ‘I am’, which reminds me to always ‘be’ wherever I am, and that I can always consider myself at home. I repeat it whenever I need to be reminded to be more present. I also use it when I am saying my affirmations, I’ll use ‘I am…’ then add whatever I need to hear that day like “strong” or “golden” or “love.” After I meditate, I always do a few affirmations before I start my day.

7. Do you have any wellness rituals that you swear by?

LINDSEY: I’m learning that if I don’t take care of me now, I will be useless for my dreams later.

  • massage every two weeks
  • facial every three weeks
  • move my body every day
  • YOGA YOGA YOGA
  • I sleep with my crystals (placing the appropriate crystals on my chakras to balance and ground me)

I use Saje essential oils before bed and to wake up in the morning!  “Cleanse” is one of my favorites. I put it on the bottom of my feet before bed and I AM KNOCKED OUT and feel amaaaazing in the morning!!

KRISTA: Honestly I have tried them all. Everything under the sun! I love trying new things, seeing how good I can feel and experimenting! I’ve tried LED Light Therapy, Cupping, Acupuncture, Reiki, Crystal Therapy, Cryotherapy…to name a few! This is so weird, but I swear by not taking birth control, ha. I stopped taking it 5 years ago, and have never felt better. My mood improved, I felt clearer, and my hair, skin and nails looks so much better – especially my hair! It’s never been so thick. I have the copper IUD which is amazing and non-hormonal. Once I got off birth control, I was also able to pay close attention to my hormone levels and feel so much more connected with myself.

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8. You two have such a great bond. Do you have any tips on how others can find friends as adults?

 LINDSEY: Such a good question. It is so important that you follow what makes you happy and what fills you up.  You will find like-minded people there. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve become more aware of what my authentic self feels like. The more I stand in that truth, the more people I attract who have similar goals, visions, love, light, and balance.

KRISTA: YES. Definitely. A lot of the way that Lindsey and I met I felt like was divine timing. It helps that at this stage we know who we are and have similar interests. Along with that, we have a deep respect for the other person. Not only do I love Lindsey, but I respect her. She’s someone I would introduce to my parents, my lifelong friends, and my co-workers because you want to be around people that you’re proud to know. If you’re looking for to listen to you complain all day about your job you hate, how will that serve you? Find people you want to be like and be friends with them. You can also find friends as an adult by doing things you love, and standing in your light, you’ll attract the right people. I found Lindsey through SoulCycle and through that activity I did for me, I was given this friendship.

9. Do you think finding “balance” is possible? If so, what are your tips on finding balance in your life?

LINDSEY: At this point in my life, balance means working really hard and loving it.  I think balance will mean something different at various stages in my life. Right now I am happy and fulfilled in the work that I do, so that feels balanced.  I have a wonderful group of friends, but I also truly value my alone time…that feels balanced. Krista and I are contributing so much to the podcast and putting in so many hours, but we are also having a blast and receiving so much from it. #ALMOST30NATION makes us so happy. That is balance.

KRISTA: I love this question! I do believe that you can ‘have it all,’ but ‘balance’ I am not so sure! Both are in the eye of the beholder. I would not say that anyone in my life thinks I live a balanced life, but I’m so happy! I work 7 days a week – I have a 9-5, my blog and podcast. I don’t watch TV or relax much, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Oh and if you think that you can have it all, you will. I believe that I have everything in my life that I need, and the universe responds to that by actually giving me everything I need.

Also with balance, I’m vegan and gluten free both by choice and don’t drink alcohol at all. But again, this is what makes me feel good and happy.

If there’s something that’s telling you that you’re not living a balanced life, then listen to that, but not to anyone else that could tell you that your life is unbalanced. I’ve had moments where I’ve pushed myself a little too far and I make sure to note that and chill out for a few days.

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You can find Krista and Lindsey online at www.almost30podcast.com. You can also follow them on Instagram at @almost30podcast and be sure to join their secret Facebook group where all the good stuff goes down here.

This interview is part of Happsters Happy Questions, an ongoing series of interviews that take a peek inside the lives of inspiring women around the world.

Top 5 Inspiring Snapchat Accounts to Follow

Top 5 Inspirational Snapchat Accounts to Follow

Snapchat is my new obsession. I cannot get enough of the behind-the-scenes looks at peoples’ lives. Unfortunately, I’ve discovered that it isn’t easy to find inspirational accounts to follow so I wanted to solve that problem! Here are 5 motivational and inspirational Snapchat accounts you should follow.

1) LoveSweatandFit
Katie is a southern California fitness professional and blogger who kills it on Snapchat. I love watching her days whether she’s filming a new YouTube video or just showing what her grocery haul is and chatting about her favorite products. Love her! Add her at: LoveSweatandFit
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Screenshot this to add LoveSweatandFit on Snapchat
2) MichelleObama
Michelle Obama recently just got her own Snapchat account. I love her personality and have found it incredibly inspirational to peek into her life and see all the good she’s accomplishing in the world on a daily basis. Add her at: MichelleObama
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Screenshot this to add MichelleObama on Snapchat
3) SophiaBushSnaps
I’m a fan of Sophia Bush from her days on “One Tree Hill” and her Snapchat does not disappoint. She snaps lots of photos and videos on set of her TV show and highlights causes that she’s an activist for. Add her at: SophiaBushSnaps
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Screenshot this to add SophiaBushSnaps on Snapchat
4) Rachel_Brathen
Rachel Brathen is also known as “Yoga_Girl” on Instagram with 1.9 million followers. She gives a glimpse into her life being a yogini in Aruba with her husband and adorable dog. What you see is what you get with her and I love her down-to-earth real vibe. Add her at: Rachel_Brathen
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Screenshot this to add Rachel_Brathen on Snapchat
5) KelliDav
This is my Happsters Snapchat account! I post happiness Snapchat challenges, happiness tips and a peek into my daily life (which lately has a lot of art, my fiancé, friends, beach time, and neighborhood walks). Add me at: KelliDav
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Screenshot this to add “KelliDav” AKA Happsters on Snapchat
Happy snapping!
Kelli
P.S. I just realized all of these inspiring Snapchat accounts happen to be women – girl power!

Happy Quotes Delivered Straight to You!

I share a positive quote a day on my Instagram page with over 72,000 followers, but many of you have requested another way to access these quotes. So, here we go! If you don’t have Instagram or would simply rather have them delivered to you via email, this is your chance!

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Get the happiness boost you deserve.

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happy quotes a week.

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Inspiration delivered straight to you.

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Sign up here to get the best happy quotes of the week delivered to your inbox!

Exciting Updates!

Hi happy friends!

Happy *almost* Thanksgiving! I wanted to share with you a few things that have been happening lately:

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1) $250 WHOLE FOODS GIFT CARD GIVEAWAY: I’ve teamed up with some incredible Instagram friends to bring you the best giveaway I’ve ever run. All you have to do is click on this like to enter. It will just take 30 seconds. Think of all the delicious food you could buy!

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2) INTERVIEW ON WHATSHAPPYNING.COM: The other day, I had the pleasure of chatting with Jessica from whatshappyning.com about the importance of social connections as they relate to happiness. The interview just went up! Check it out here.

new happiness podcast

3) I’M STARTING A PODCAST: I’m hooked on podcasts and loving them so much that I’ve teamed up with my friend, Gina at fullonhappiness.com to create one! We will interview all kinds of people, from happiness experts to happy people we look up to, about their happiness secrets and their definition of happiness. Do you have happiness questions that you want us to ask our guests or suggestions on who to interview? Comment below or email me at happsters@gmail.com. Launch date coming soon!

That’s all for now! As always, you can keep up with me on a daily basis on Instagram. Tell me: Do you ever listen to podcasts? What are some of your favorites?

xoxo,

Kelli

Q&A with Dr. Happy

Today I am thrilled to welcome Dr. Timothy Sharp, better known as Dr. Happy!

Q&A with Dr. Happy

I was fortunate enough to be able to interview him on his thoughts regarding happiness and positive psychology. Below are his answers. Enjoy!

First of all, can you tell us a little bit about your background?

My background is in clinical psychology and specifically, in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy. I completed an undergraduate Bachelor of Science degree with Honours in Psychology, then a Clinical Masters Degree and then finally, a PhD. So I started off specialising in stress, depression and misery before I’d even heard about happiness!

I worked in and thoroughly enjoyed my career as a therapist for many years but then when I discovered positive psychology (some time around 1999 or 2000), it was like a life changing epiphany; it was literally as though a light went on and I had to follow the light!

So for the last 15 years I’ve dedicated my life and my work to promoting the principles of positive psychology.

Can you describe positive psychology in a nutshell?

The simple answer is that Positive Psychology is “the science of happiness”. But more accurately, it’s the science of thriving and flourishing because living our best lives involves more than just experiencing positive emotions such as happiness. Positive emotions are very important and valuable but to thrive and flourish, to be our very best, the positive psychology research also points to the importance of engaging fully with our strengths and with the world, building and fostering positive relationships, creating meaning and purpose in all we do, and setting and working towards meaningful goals for us and those around us. In addition, it’s important to take care of our physical health by eating well, exercising and ensuring adequate sleep and rest.

What originally got you interested in happiness as a subject?

Like most people it was always something I was interested in but as a clinical psychologist it just wasn’t, unfortunately, something we focused much on. Thankfully, positive psychology came along and set out to redress the imbalance. In some ways what Positive Psychology was saying is that for too long we’ve focused on what’s wrong with people and with life but what if we were to focus on what’s right? Accordingly, I began to focus much more on strengths and successes and happiness and gratitude rather than just faults and weaknesses and distress and problems.

Are there certain habits that you think are essential for maintaining happiness?

For sure. At The Happiness Institute we advocate that happiness is something you choose; check out our core model here.

Consistent with this there’s much research to support the following happiness boosting behaviours. You can find those here.

Can you tell us about The Happiness Institute that you founded and what goes on there?

The Happiness Institute is a positive psychology practice; that is, we deliver a range of services and produce a range of products all designed to enhance happiness and wellbeing in individuals, couples, families, organisations/businesses/teams and even schools. We do this via, for example, coaching, small group programs, workshops and seminars (as well as by giving away and selling self-help products based on empirically proven methods).

If you had to give one piece of advice for living a happy life, what would it be?

 I’m always reluctant to say that there’s “one” answer; because there’s not. And even if there were one answer for me it would be different for you and every other person out there. Instead, I recommend people CHOOSE to be happy and then develop their own unique “recipe” that works for them. That being said, I very much encourage people to remember that happiness isn’t just feeling good, it’s also doing good so don’t ever forget that other people matter!

Be the reason someone smiles today

What is your favorite quote about happiness?

 Achieving happiness requires nothing more than practising a few simple disciplines each and every day.

Happy Quote

A huge thank you to Dr. Happy for the interview! You can find out more on Dr. Happy here and learn more about the Happiness Institute here.

Question of the day: Have you ever heard of positive psychology? What do you think about it?

5 Ways to Get Yourself Out of a Funk

It’s normal to be in a bad mood every now and then. You may even feel like you want to hide like this kitten at times:

5 Ways to Get Yourself Out of A Funk

But if you notice that you aren’t snapping out of your funk for a few days, try these 5 tips to shake your bad mood:

1) Journal

5 Ways to Get Yourself Out of a Funk

Writing down your thoughts is a great way to let go of something you’ve been holding onto. Another one of my favorite things to do is to write down 3 things I’m grateful for. If you don’t want to write them down, just think about them. It’s surprising how effective it can be!

2) Watch something that will make you laugh

Laughter reduces stress and releases endorphins into our body.

3) Hang out with a friend

5 Ways to Get Yourself Out of a Funk

Spend some quality time with a friend. Bonus: Give them a bear hug! Hugging someone releases oxytocin (also known as “the cuddle hormone”), making us feel better.

4) Go for a walk

5 Ways to Get Yourself Out of a Funk

Researchers at Cal State Long Beach found that there was a clear and strong relationship between the number of steps people took and their overall mood and energy level. 

5) Lend a helping hand

5 Ways to Get Yourself Out of a FunkPhotography by Jack Bates

Help someone out or pay them a compliment. It’s helpful to take the focus off of yourself so you can get some perspective.

What do you normally do to get yourself out of a funk? Let me know in the comments!

5 (More) Happiness Movements You Need to Know About

Last year I posted about a few Happiness Movements I was loving at the time, so I thought it would be fun to make an updated list because there are so many amazing ones out there! Here we go:

1) The Chalk Project

5 Happiness Movements You Should Know about - Chalk ProjectSource


I stumbled upon Chalk Project on Instagram and have been a fan ever since. Their purpose is to spread messages of kindness and inspiration. They “create uplifting messages with chalk on neighborhood sidewalks, with hopes that this anonymous message will collide with the person that needs it most.”

Learn more about Chalk Project here: http://www.chalkproject.com/ Continue reading “5 (More) Happiness Movements You Need to Know About”

5 of the Sweetest Mom Quotes in Honor of Mother’s Day

Happy Mother’s Day to all of you moms – You rock! And a very special Happy Mother’s Day shout out to my mom (I know you’re reading this)!

Here are a few other my favorite quotes about moms in honor of Mother’s Day:

#1: “Most mothers are instinctive philosophers.” – Harriet Beecher Stowe

Most Mother's are Instinctive Philosophers - Mother's Day Quotes

Continue reading “5 of the Sweetest Mom Quotes in Honor of Mother’s Day”