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

Yoga Teacher Training and Upcoming Travel

A very zen koi pond at the Yoga Barn in Ubud, Bali. 

Hello my friends! A personal post coming atcha today. :)

A peek at my first homework assignments. 

As many of you may know, my preferred form of exercise is yoga (for more of my thoughts on fitness read here). My first experience with yoga was in my second semester of my freshman year at Indiana University (Go Hoos!). I enrolled in yoga as an elective, thinking it would be fun to try. It changed the way I felt about exercise, and opened me to the mind-body connection. I hadn’t been an athlete in high school, so moving my body wasn’t something I had realized could affect my body AND mind for the better. I fell in love with the movement, and how yoga made me feel. 

Sometimes I am more into the physicality of the practice, other times for the mental peace and clarity that comes from the focus on the mat. Through my practice I have cultivated a deeper sense of mindfulness that has led to a career changes and other shifts on my journey. 

The Yoga Barn in Bali (2012)

All that being said, I have decided to pursue yoga teacher training this spring. I have been contemplating teacher training for at least 5 years at this point, so it is time! I am hoping to deepen my own practice, and also bring my new knowledge to create some Zen for the Wed in your lives!  

I haven't decided how much yogi stuff to share with you guys, but would love to hear if you are interested in my learnings, asanas (poses), guided flows or meditations or anything else related to teacher training. 

Doing TT locally (not somewhere warm!!), just thought this pic captured my excitement and vibe at this moment. Xx

On a related note: one of my long term goals is to practice yoga on every continent. So far I have practiced in (North America - duh), Australia/ Oceania, Africa, and Asia! Europe is up this month. I will be traveling to London this month for a week celebrating my birthday! I would love your recos - particularly for some healthy eats and yoga studios. 

Today is my first day of teacher training, so please send some good vibes my way! 

Namaste :) 

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).