Are you still working from home? So am I. In a world where remote work is now the norm (even in the somewhat post-COVID world), it’s still important to remember productivity tips, even if you’ve been working from home for a while.

Work from home productivity tips: list making, energy boosting, and more

If you’re looking to get the most out of your work from home routine, begin your day with exactly that— a routine.

Before beginning my work day I like to wake up early enough to have my coffee and my workout completed before I even have to log in to work. Having an hour or two before work actually starts allows me to start my day on my terms and come into my work day with a clear head. Take time for yourself before logging on— don’t just roll out of bed and get to work, in other words.

In a similar vein, I believe it’s still largely important to separate your work area from the common lounge areas in your home. For example, in our new home I have an office, but even when I didn’t, going into another bedroom that wasn’t mine or going into a finished basement area to work helped me separate my work space from my relaxing space (like my bedroom, my living room, etc.) in my mind. Don’t let work spill over into other areas of the home, as it makes the mental bleed-over feel disorienting and like work is never “over” at the end of the day.

No longer taking a proper lunch or coffee break when you work from home? Well, maybe you should. I find taking half an hour or fifteen minutes here or there to eat, caffeinate, and otherwise be a human is just as important when working from home as it is in the office. Work will still be there if you step away for a moment, trust me. And, if you’re properly fueled your energy will be higher and more sustained throughout the work day.

So, do you work from home? What are your favorite WFH tips? Let’s discuss,

Xoxo, MM.

Recently, I’ve been looking at cardio options outside of running to fill up my FitBit rings and get my body moving. I stumbled upon Tabata (which I’d heard of before but never tried), and I’ve been hooked.

Not only are Tabata workouts full-body cardio and toning focused, they’re also mood boosting as they shift movements rapidly and focus on HIIT style training, making you feel stronger and more confident as you continue to progress in your workouts. Want the scoop on my favorite Tabata workouts lately? Here you go—

Miranda’s favorite Tabata workout

My favorite fitness influencer, Grow with Jo, has one of my favorite, low-impact Tabata workouts I’ve found thus far. You can do the whole workout here, for FREE, on YouTube. Jo runs through a warm up and cool down cycle, too, which makes you feel your best as you level up, go all in, then cool down with a series of stretches to lengthen and relax your muscles after all that high-intensity.

Have you tried Tabata workouts? Drop your favorites in a comment, let’s discuss!

Xoxo, MM.

Lately, between moving into a new home, working a full-time job, working on my brand building, and everything else in between, I’ve been feeling a little out of it.

Today, I took the day off of work and decided to relax. Why? Because self-care is so important, and here’s how a good self-care day can play out and aid in healing your mental health, and beyond.

Why devote time to self care?

You can’t burn a candle at both ends. It’s an old saying that’s just true, and something I’ve talked about before in my discussions around boundaries and boundary setting. However, it now feels more important than ever as I’m going through major life changes to take some time to care for me right now.

How would I show up as a wife, a friend, a human if I wasn’t feeling my best? Not as my best self, that’s for sure.

How to practice self care

This may look different for everyone, but some ways I practice self-care include the following:

• Put the phone away. If you’re dedicating a day off of work, don’t look at your laptop or work phone. Maybe don’t even look at your personal phone, as “doom scrolling” on social media can get me in a real funk, and fast.

• Take a walk, or do some kind of joyful movement. Set aside time just for this— trust me, it helps.

• Mediate, journal, or zone out however you see fit. Taking some time to turn your brain “off” from the world and on to things that will bring a sense of healing and calm makes a world of difference. Do it— just trust me.

So, how do you practice self-care? How often do you set aside time for you? It’s more important than you’ll ever know.

Xoxo, MM.

This article is for my 21+ readers only: thanks!

Anyone who knows me knows I have one retirement dream— to own a vineyard, with horses and lots of room to roam, making fine wines and selling them to the world.

During the pandemic, I became something of a wine lover. I’ve recently learned to home-brew my own small batches and everything— but that’s a story for another time. For now, I want to discuss the wines I’m currently obsessed with (from cost, to clean ingredients, flavor profile and beyond) in the wines of summer, 2022 edition. Here goes:

The wines of summer 2022: crisp whites, spritzers, and more

My current summertime favorites include the following:

White wines—

• The Wonderful Wine Company Chardonnay. Clocking in at only $15-ish a bottle, and made of organic ingredients with a vegan-friendly focus, this crisp, semi-dry white wine leaves a refreshing floral profile on the tongue and doesn’t give you the nasty headaches some less clean wines can give.

• Coastal Rosé Spritzers. These refreshing, part Rosé part sparkling water spritzers are a great alternative to seltzers alone for the wine lover, still clocking in at just 100 calories and maintaining yummy, Rosé goodness all the while.

• Tempo Vero, any of them. White or red, this cost-effective low sugar wine is delicious, sparing no flavor while remaining more health conscious for those on the low-sugar or keto craze.

What’s your favorite summer wine? Let’s discuss: cheers!

Xoxo, MM.

Lately, we’ve been working on doing a light remodel to our new house— meaning, we’re strapped for time in the Martin household.

It’s still super important to me, personally, to get a daily workout in to help manage my anxiety. That said, here are my favorite 15 minute workouts I’ve found that allow me to get maximum effort and movement in, in a shorter amount of time.

The best 15 minute quick workouts

1. PopSugar Fitness: these quick workouts (both on their website and on their YouTube channel) are quick, easy, and can be tailored to your favorite style (strength, cardio, etc.) in your desired amount of time. My favorite is their STRONG by Zumba workout!

2. Grow with Jo: my favorite Grow with Jo workout is the 15 Minute EDM Dance Party, but Jo’s YouTube channel has a ton of great workouts to choose from, like strength, HIIT, dance, and more!

3. Jump roping: hate running, or don’t have time for a long run? Kourtney Kardashian has a 20 minute jump rope routine on her website that I love.

4. Take a brisk walk: yes, 15 minutes of walking still counts. Take what you can get!

So, what are your favorite quick workouts? Let’s discuss,

Xoxo, MM.

A lot of you have asked me how acupuncture feels since I started having it administered once a week— people ask things like, “does it hurt? Does it feel bad? Does it feel good?”

Here are things acupuncture has made me feel, in my recent experience:

Acupuncture can make you feel THIS, actually

For one, no— it doesn’t hurt. At least for me, and for most people. The needles are far too thin to really feel like much of anything going in, and actually, they can feel very pleasurable once inserted.

For example, when needles are placed in me (even without being electrically charged, which some of them are), I begin to feel a sensation of heat and pressure. Not in a bad way, in a great way— the heat makes me feel like my cells are vibrating or heating up, and the pressure feels like a steady hand or pulse pressing on certain areas of my body. After the needles are removed, I feel a release and usually, after sleeping, I feel like my body has been “flushed out” in a way. I feel lighter, like toxins have been taken out and a lightness let in, and that’s probably the most beneficial part for me personally.

So, have you tried acupuncture? It may be great for you, too!

Xoxo, MM.