Allow me to reintroduce myself…

Hello! Anyone there? My last post was April 2021. And wow. So much has changed. I knew from my first go around that having a baby rocks your world, and for myself personally, I tend to go inward in the post partum period. But going from 1 to 2, took me straight into survival mode. And I’m not very good at opening myself up when I feel… messy. I felt very out of control for a long time. I also felt not in alignment with who I was on this platform. Survival mode meant a lot of processed foods, not taking care of myself, and not living how I wanted to. I needed the space to just be in it and not worry about how it was perceived or trying to create content when I was hanging by a thread. I needed time to be offline and to process outside of this website and social media. And beyond that, the way I viewed health changed drastically at that time. Whatever I could do to make our lives just a little easier, simpler, less exhausting was of hirer importance to me than ingredient lists or nutrition facts.

At the same time- this time has absolutely flown just being in the magic and mess of babies and toddlers. My life has looking like baby kisses, tantrums, sickness, snuggles, food on everything, toys everywhere, exhaustion, and unbelievable joy.

So while I am nowhere close to perfection in my current lifestyle, I definitely feel like I am taking steps in the right direction. I’m feeling more in alignment with myself and in doing so, wanted to come back here to share. 1) because I’ve always loved this community and platform but 2) more importantly, I know that there is actually beauty in the mess and that is actually where I would be the most in service to others.

Over the past (almost!) 2 years, I’ve grown in my approach to health and have even changed my mind about some of my favorite health topics.

I don’t plan on opening up coaching anytime soon. As for now, this is just a blog and Instagram revival. I also will continue to not share much of my children here. It’s a tough call but as this is a public space- I want them to be able to make those calls for themselves as they grow.

I’m excited to be back and I’m looking to sharing here again with you. And if this doesn’t sound up your alley anymore, no worries at all. But if does- thank you for sticking around!

Cheers, AHS

New mom living and the direction of SHED

Our big strong 6 month old man! (We have decided as a family to not share pics showing his face to any public social media at this time.)

My sweet baby boy turns 6 months old this past month, and it has given me pause for reflection. These 6 months have been some of the most contented (albeit exhausting) months of my life. During this time, I have taken a maternity leave of sorts. Along with this, I’ve taken a hiatus from the SHED social media account, and have taken steps to limit my consumption on my personal social media accounts as well. I have tried my hardest to focus my energy and attention on this precious muffin.

That being said, living this way is really isolating. Being a mom is hard. I’m alone with him most of the day, (and especially in winter) sometimes we never leave the house (I’m actively working on changing that!). Not having other adults to talk to and not being able to relate to much of the professional workforce is challenging. It’s an exhausting, never-ending job with no pay, and you never know if you are doing the right things. But yes, it is incredibly rewarding too. Waking up and spending our days together, while monotonous at times, are filled with precious moments. Nothing makes my heart happier than when James finds me in a room and gets the biggest smile on his face. Doing my best for him every day has given me so much joy and honestly, I feel like it is the best job in the world.

“At the closing of the day,
Strengthen what remains.
And oh, what a beautiful season.
Oh, what a beautiful life. ”

— Tedeschi Trucks Band

So after a lot of time and deliberation, I have decided to scale back my coaching business significantly. Right now, baby is too unpredictable to have a consistent schedule with regular calls, and I want to spend as much time as possible with him at this stage. I will still be coaching, but only a very limited number of spots will be available. I will be focusing on finally launching the printed edition of the SHED cookbook. Guys it’s so close, I can’t wait to share it with you!! I also will be focusing a bit more on mom life- just because that is what is happening with me right now!

I will be coming back to social media, slowly but surely. I do miss the real connections I have made with many of you and I’m looking forward to connecting again! Cheers, AHS

It's here... LAUNCH DAY

Heeeello, friends! Today is a BIG day. First and foremost, it is my fourth wedding anniversary! (Some may say it’s our “golden” anniversary since we were married on the fourth!) Second and also very important–we are now LIVE! Meaning you can finally buy and download the Shed for the Wed Nutrition Program on our website! YAY!

My goodness, this has been a labor of love. And I am beyond excited to be able to share it with you. I have been working on this program for the past 4 years. While I’ve had many brides go through different iterations of the program - it is now here and packaged up neat and tidy and easily accessible for all of you! I’m not going to lie I feel like I birthed a child. Feeling a bit emosh right now.

To thank you for following me on this journey I have a special 20% discount on the Silver plan just for blog readers! Use code: TWOSHEA20 at checkout. Code expires 10/11/18!

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Curious about the plan?

SHED stands for Soulful Healthy Eating Decisions. It’s what the program is all about. This plan makes you feel good from the inside out! When you eat this way you will find your way to the healthiest version of yourself, slimmed down for the gown, if you will!

The Shed Nutrition Plan has 3 components:

The Handbook

This is your comprehensive guide for healthy living during your Shed journey. 

With this helpful handbook you’ll set your goals to achieve while gaining essential nutritional education as well as 

• Portion control

• Dining out guide

• Detox guide

The Cookbook

The life essence of the Shed program. 

The cookbook is comprised of original recipes that help you lose weight and taste great. All were created with three main goals in mind:

• Anti inflammatory - zen for the body

• Low glycemic load - low sugar

• Nutritarian - phytonutrient dense

The Meal Plans

The 8 weeks of Shed for the Wed meal plans are the suggested sequence of meals for the 8 week duration of the program. 

Each unique plan is flexible so that your eating habits fit with your schedule.

The premium programs (Gold and Platinum) have one-on-one coaching sessions with yours truly!

To learn more about the plans check them out here:

Questions? Read this first!

Have more questions? Send me a note - alexandra@shedforthewed.com! Or slide into my DMs on Insta ;).

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Cheers to many more adventures to come!

FREEBIE Alert! I'm giving away one of my favorite coaching tools for free!

A lot of times when I tell people I’m a health coach, they don’t know what exactly it is what I do. They say, “Like a nutritionist?” or “so you’re a personal trainer.” I respond, “Kinda!”

Yes, I focus on foundational nutrition and activity but there is a large part of the title that people seem to miss– “coach”.

When I work with clients one on one, I coach them, first and foremost. Some of my job is sharing resources and education, but really it is about YOUR life and meeting you where you’re at. Everyone is different and each person has their own challenges in meeting their health goals. Coaching is a personalized tailored experience to you- so we base it around where you are at in your life right now.

The first thing I do when coaching clients is I have them fill out one week of this food and wellness tracker–100% accurately and judgement free. That means writing down every single thing you put in your mouth. It is an incredible tool. After one week of using it - it becomes super clear to me, and to most of my clients, where they need to clean up their routine. You would be surprised how many people walk into it thinking they know the positive and negatives of their routines, but a week later have completely different findings. If you are just getting started on your health journey this is the perfect place to start. Good news for you: if you sign up to be on my email newsletter- I’m giving it to you for free!!

how to use the journal:

I fold up the journal and tuck it in my planner (which comes everywhere with me!). The key is to keep it on you- whatever is convenient for you. If you prefer to be paperless, it’s an interactive pdf- so you can type in each box.

After you eat or drink anything, write it down. It’s important to also document your water intake (it’s programed for your standard 8 glasses a day), work outs and self care too. There is a box dedicated to gratitude- and I like to set a gratitude mantra for the week, such as, “I am grateful that my body supports me in all that I do.”

When you do this exercise for the first time, don’t let the fact that you have to write it down deter you from your current habits. It just skews your data. For example, a coworker has Starbursts on their desk to share. You normally would grab one, but the thought of writing down one Starburst is just annoying so you choose not to have it. That’s a missed opportunity to see how often this happens throughout your day and week!

At the end of the week, go through the journal, day by day, and see what stands out to you. Are you having a lot of carbs at lunch? Are there more snacks than you realized? Do you not do any self care? Were you nowhere close to hitting 8 glasses of water a day? Are you skipping breakfast?

Pick one thing to focus on during the next week and set a goal for yourself. Bonus points if you tell someone else the goal so you have an accountability buddy! If you hit the goal, see if you can do it again the next week, and maybe add one more item to your goals for the week. See how quickly you begin to reform your habits!

You can continue to use the tracker as you make progress towards your goals, but try not to get too reliant on tracking. It isn’t sustainable forever, and sometimes can lead to obsessive behavior.

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Are you going to try the wellness planner out? Have questions? Want to tell me your new goals? Slide into my DMs on the gram or shoot me an email alexandra@shedforthewed.com. XX -AHS

SHED Retreat Recap and Exciting News!

I just had the pleasure of hosting the first ever SHED Retreat in Wisconsin! And it was AMAZING. We ate exclusively Shed meals (#shedapproved and oh so yummy), drank lots of wine (not #shedapproved and oh so yummy), and took lots of food pics (#alwaysshedapproved and oh so...wait a sec..). 

And when I say "we"- I mean #TEAMSHED! It was the first time we had the whole Shed team together in the same room since we began working on this project. The powerhouse of talent absolutely rocked it all weekend.  With combined experience in food styling, art direction, graphic design, cooking (though none of us are professional chefs!) and marketing - this crew knows how to get the job done. 

We escaped from the outside world to embrace the beautiful nature surrounding us. We tuned in, focused on our mission, the food, the program and, of course, those pesky little details. 

We documented the beauty of harvesting, cultivating and eating whole real foods as well the joy of the cooking experience. We strategized around what YOU are looking for by listening to TONS of feedback from brides and their bride tribes. And we heard you loud and clear: We're making the meals tastier, easier to prepare, faster to serve and more accessible for all of you! 

We have been through the Shed program, and understand the joys and pains of going through a large lifestyle change, especially before your wedding! One of the most consistent themes we heard was MAKE IT EASIER! And we truly believe Shed is now even easier for our brides to be. 

BONUS: We built the foundations of a robust and beautiful photo library where you'll start seeing these gorgeous images on the website, in meal plans, through all our emails and more!

Added BONUS for us: We got to eat our way through it! 

This fabulous fall weekend provided the foundation for a TON of new Shed content. Stay tuned for amazing photos, recipes, laughs, new meals and more! I literally can't wait to share it with you all, but in the meantime enjoy some of the behind the scenes action and get hyped! 

DON'T FORGET: There is still time to participate in the #shedgratitudechallenge! Tis the season to count your blessings! :) 

-AHS

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We bought A LOT of groceries. Can you tell I'm excited? 

All of the props prepared, clean, and ready to go! 

I'm an amateur photographer, but no better way to improve than to practice! If we brought in a professional, it would only be a disservice to myself later- because I'm the one in my kitchen every day! #pushyourlimitseveryday

Emily on my left, Katherine on my right! See below for their bios! 

We drank champagne...

... and danced/photographed on the tables! 

Drankin 'booch with 2 of the our #shedteambabes (Emily on left, Colleen on right!) 

The #TEAMSHED also happens to be some of my oldest and dearest friends in the world. 

Colleen Connolly- Graphic Designer, extraordinaire! She is the brains behind our soon-to-be released new logo and program materials! (Her portfolio is currently offline for revamping, but will update with her link when available)

Emily Carlson - Advertising Executive by day, food stylist and recipe developer by night. You can follow her instagram @traveling_gourmand! 

Lastly, Katherine Finnegan aka marketing genius, skincare guru, and incredible dishwasher. Google her (yes, she is one of Hinge's most eligible bachelorettes).  

Weddings on my mind... A 2016 reflection

Hello again, dear friends! 

Well, 2016 was not a year of blogging for me, clearly. However, That does not mean we were not hustling! 

Shed took on quite a bit in this past year. We ran 3 rounds of beta program, constantly refining the program so it can be everything you need and more. Collectively, we lost more than 100 lbs! I was astonished by all of you incredible people who did the program with so much joy and intention. I am so excited about what 2017 will bring for the program and you soon-to-be-brides-to-be. 

On a personal note, Conor and I attended 8 weddings this year, with many of our Shed brides! It just about killed us. We traveled all over the country from Northern California to Cape Cod, Detroit, Indianapolis, Washington, North Carolina, and lastly, good 'ole, sweet home Chicago. It was busy (and we are pretty much broke now) but we had the best year celebrating all of our favorite couples. Our hearts are still bursting from all of the love we witnessed throughout the past year. It has been an adventure. 

I should also note - my wedding mantra is "Good people, beget good people" TM - and that couldn't have been more accurate for a description of all of the beautiful souls I spent my time with over the past year. At its essence, this is why weddings are the best. More friends, more cake, more dancing, and more love. 

Oh, and did I mention the CUBS WON THE WORLD SERIES?! 

2017, bring it on. We are ready for you. 

2016, hello beautiful

Hello, friends! 

First, I want to apologize. I have basically taken a 1-year hiatus from blogging. I never stopped writing, but I realized that I wasn't dedicating enough time to creating actual Shed programs, which is why I even started to blog in the first place. So, I apologize, for not doing. Full stop.

But January (ahem... February) is here. And with this new year comes renewed commitments. We have our first ever beta program in progress. So Bridal Bootcamp is FINALLY going to be launching this Spring. I could not be more excited. 

With that, you will be hearing from me more. I will have more recipes, tips, and wedding fun coming your way. More blogging. More programs. More everything. 

Cheers, 2016!

Alexandra

photo credit: Jessica Zoob