Monday MOETivation: Celebrate Life

Monday MOETivation: Celebrate Life

As I write this blog, it's thundering outside, there is heavy downpour, and I am preparing for 2 days of hell. We lost my great aunt Dolores this weekend. She was a beautiful woman; kind, caring, selfless, young at heart, with the warmest smile you could ever imagine. You'd never know anything was wrong, but I knew she didn't have an easy life. Nothing was handed to her, she had her share of problems, yet you'd never know. Her bright eyes and her beautiful spirit revealed nothing but happiness, appreciation for life, and beauty.

Funerals are never easy. I have an incredibly hard time grasping death. No matter how spiritual I am, there is just something so unreal about it to me. No matter the age of the person, how sick they were, whatever the case may be - you are never prepared to say goodbye. There's no doubt today and tomorrow will be brutal, but I am choosing to try my hardest to view these two days as a celebration of Dolores' life...of all our lives.

I find that the happiest people are those who have been through the most. When you experience a loss, or even come close to it, it really puts things in perspective. You realize that nothing is guaranteed, and every peaceful moment is a gift.

So no matter what you're going through right now, take a few moments to celebrate the good stuff. Celebrate your health, your family, your home, your friends, your love, your career, your children - whatever it is, embrace it, appreciate it and know that it is meant for you to enjoy and to cherish. This life is short, it is unpredictable, and it is precious. My mantra is to celebrate each day, and although I remind myself of that daily, it really hits home at times like these.

Sunday morning mantra: The more you associate yourself with positive people, the more you will find a sense of calm and happiness in your life. Let the toxic people ruin their own lives, not yours!

Monday MOETivation: The Spiritual Bitch

Monday MOETivation: The Spiritual Bitch

I started reading Deepak Chopra's "The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success" this morning. Now, before you go rolling your eyes and handing me a yoga mat, please understand this: I am not one of those hoity toity crazy meditating bitches. I do not set aside two hours a day to silence, and I sure as hell am not calm. But I'm working on it.

What inspired me to read this book was the fact that I could relate to it. I've been struggling lately with the word "success," and anything you read about success has to do with money and business 99% of the time. So when I saw that there was a spiritual take on it, I was in.

The word "success" can have many definitions. According to the dictionary, success is "the accomplishment of an aim or purpose." But what does that really mean? Are you successful when you are doing what you love? Do you have to be making money at what you love to really be successful? Are you successful because you have a big title at your job? Are you successful because you raised your child to be a law abiding citizen as opposed to a serial killer? Or is success just being able to pay your rent and bills?

Chopra has a really interesting point of view on spiritual success and it's something we should all pay attention to. In short, he wants us to look beyond the material wealth of success. He wants us to view success as the "experience of the miraculous." That means putting aside all the big houses, fancy cars, and shallow aspects of success, and finding the creativity and divinity within us. Success is about creating and cultivating fulfilling relationships, maintaining good health, and having energy and enthusiasm for life. DING DING DING! 

I literally felt as if a giant weight was lifted off my shoulders as I read that. I think we get so caught up in defining ourselves, our careers, and our passions by tangible items that we often lose sight of what really matters. I have definitely gotten caught in that vicious cycle more times than I can count. I do not make a living off The Champagne Diet, yet I continue to work hard by using this blog as an expression of myself and my creativity in order to connect with everyone who reads it. That is what matters to me. Would it be lovely to give up my day job and have a stream of income to do this all the time? Absolutely. But that is not the driving force behind it. And it never will be.

So I encourage you to really think about what success means to you today. If you can let go of all the BS and really get in tune with the creativity and passion deep inside of you, I guarantee you will uncover something amazing.

Cheers!

The Champagne Diet's Ten Commandments of Being Fabulous

The Champagne Diet's Ten Commandments of Being Fabulous

Learn it. Love it. Live it.


I. Thou shalt be aware of thy best asset and work it like the rent is due tomorrow.

II. Thou shalt never leave the house looking like a hot mess. At the very least – apply a  little lip gloss. You can spare 35 seconds.

III. Thou shalt not compare thy self to others. You are a diva in your own right.

IV. Thou shalt find thy passion and make it a part of your everyday life.

V. Thou shalt never settle. Life’s too short. There are other fish in the sea. You know the drill.

VI. Thou shalt toast to at least one accomplishment each night. Preferably with a glass  of Champagne.

VII. Thou shalt take risks. Fear is not sexy.

VIII. Thou shalt indulge in only high-quality, nutritious foods. Fast food is so 1990’s.

IX. Thou shalt always leave room for Champagne.

X. Thou shalt believe, with every bit of thy being, that you are one fabulous bitch.

Toast to Hope

Toast to Hope

Up until last year, Valentine's Day for me was never anything special. As a chubby, freckle-faced kid, I used to sit by each year in school while the pretty girls got carnations sent to them by the boys I had crushes on. I always hoped that one of those "secret admirer" deliveries to science class would be for me, but they never were. Instead, I got a box of Russel Stover chocolates from my grandmother (not complaining, those things are fucking delicious).

Then, as I got older, I dated, but somehow never wound up with the guys who actually celebrated Valentine's Day. Instead, they'd either hide out or stage a fight with me to avoid the holiday, leaving me to either stay home or hang out with my girl friends at some "lonely hearts club" party at a dive bar.

If someone had told me back then that I'd not only wind up with a Valentine, but that Valentine would be waiting for me at the end of an aisle, ready to marry me, I'd tell you that you were smoking crack. Me? The awkward, nerdy girl who was obsessed with mixed tapes and John Hughes movies that nobody else my age related to because they came out when we were 5? I was not the girl who got the hot guy or the happy ending. But there I was last year, dolled up in a big white dress and feeling like the most beautiful girl in the world, getting married at the top of the Empire State Building on Valentine's Day. I was living out the ending to a cheesy romance novel, and I was loving every minute of it. The only thing missing was a black stallion. But hey, you can't have it all.

Photo by Aaron Almendral

And I know why I found my happy ending. It's because no matter how bad things seemed for me, I always had hope. I never once threw in the towel and expected that my life would be less than amazing. I knew there was something better out there for me, and I knew it was in my hands to make it happen.

My wish for everyone this Valentine's Day is that your day is filled with hope. Hope for love. Hope for a happy ending. No matter if you're in a relationship, teetering on the edge of a break-up, or single, this day is about the hope and excitement of love. Real, honest, genuine, love. Today is about looking at the little old couple that still holds hands after 60 years of marriage, and thinking, that will be me. It's about thinking back to your first date with your significant other and remembering how sweaty your palms were, and how you lost your breath when you first saw them walk into the room. It's about your husband eating like a slob in a stained sweatshirt and still being madly in love with him. It's about believing that love exists, even if right now it's just between you and your pug.

So get out there and take today on with an open heart. And tonight, toast to hope.

Cheers!

I Am A Fighter Baby, I Will Not Stop

I Am A Fighter Baby, I Will Not Stop

So if you've been keeping up with my tweets, you've noticed that I have developed quite an obsession with boxing. Muay Thai, to be exact. It started back in October. I was at my therapist's office, in tears, wondering why I was so damn depressed. I have everything I want in life! Why am I feeling this way? What's wrong with me? I'm miserable. Do I need drugs? This isn't normal!

"When's the last time you went to the gym?" he asked.

I bowed my head in shame and flicked the sleeve of my Starbucks cup. "I don't have time. I'm SO busy. I just can't fit it in my schedule anymore!"

Truth was, I had become much too accustomed to coming home and drowning in a couple glasses of red wine each night rather than burning off the anxiety at a Spin class.

"You need to leave my office right now and go put on your gym clothes and workout," he said.

"But I'm exhausted..."

"Doctor's orders. GO."

I left his office, wiping the mascara off my cheeks that had drizzled down my face during my pity party. I took out my phone and paused to remember the number to my gym. There had been a time where I had it programmed in my contacts, and could recite it backward and forward by heart.

I googled the number and contemplated calling. Could I really do this? I wondered. I knew the only way back into the gym was with a great trainer and a new workout plan. I had to go hard or go home. The treadmill was not gonna cut it this time. I had collectively logged dozens of hours on the elliptical machine over the past few years and I knew my body had gotten used to it. I needed someone to push me, and something to inspire me again. I needed to feel challenged.

I made an appointment that night with a personal trainer who specialized in Muay Thai. I had no idea what Muay Thai was when I signed up (it sounded more like a Chinese dish to me), but I knew it involved kicking and punching things. And in the state I was in, that was music to my ears.

The next night, I had my first Muay Thai session and never looked back. I've been training for 4 months now, and I'm getting stronger each time. I'm more toned, more empowered and most importantly - happier than ever before. There's something about watching your body -- and mind --  transform that is so amazing. The fact that during my first lesson, I could barely raise my leg high enough to do anything that resembled a roundhouse kick, to now doing combos and flying around my gym like a character from Street Fighter is mind blowing.

But it was at my last session when I realized just WHY I love boxing so much. I was on my way to the gym, and Christina Aguilera shuffled onto my iPod. "Fighter" came on, and I started listening to the words. I remember listening to that song a few years ago when I really felt like I was hanging on by a thread and fighting with every piece of me just to get through the day.

Makes me that much stronger
Makes me work a little bit harder
It makes me that much wiser
So thanks for making me a fighter
Made me learn a little bit faster
Made my skin a little bit thicker
Makes me that much smarter
So thanks for making me a fighter

Boxing a fighting sport. It's about endurance, and picking yourself back up again after you fall on the floor. It's about perfecting your skill and technique so that each time you're in the ring, you can fight better and smarter. It represents everything I believe in about life. I've fallen down and gotten back up more times than I can count. But the point is, I got back up. 

And I always will.

And that is something worth toasting to.

Lucky Number 13

Lucky Number 13

I woke up this morning and realized it was a Friday, and it also happened to be the 13th. This didn't affect me much, aside from the news anchors focusing on all the bad luck that is typically associated with this day. "It's Friday the 13th everyone! Beware!" Facebook and Twitter posts galore all warning everyone of the gloom and doom headed our way. Black cats were just WAITING to cross my path and bring my life to a screeching halt, weren't they?

I was pissed off. Why were people paying SO much attention to such negative energy? I mean, I typically call Fridays "Champagne Fridays", mainly because it's the best day of the week and what's better than Champagne? So I decided to throw all the negativity away and make Friday the 13th my lucky day. I vowed that I would make something good happen today (plus, my horoscope told me there was nothing I couldn't do, so I had to believe it, right? NY Post knows all!)

Photo courtesy of weheartit.com

 I set my mind to a positive frequency and went about my day. I even totally forgot it was Friday the 13th by the time I got to the office. About an hour later, I had one of the most inspiring conversations with a friend which led me down a path of a new business venture that I could not possibly more thrilled about.

So, take that, Friday the 13th! You ain't gonna get in MY way with your witchcraft and scary spells. I just flipped you around and made you into a good luck charm. It's really all in the way we perceive things. I blog about the power of positive (and fabulous) thinking all the time. So go ahead and perceive this to be an amazing day, with an amazing bottle of bubbly awaiting you this evening. You'll be delighted to see just how much more fun things are on this side of the house.

Cheers!
Cara

Monday MOETivation: Turning Gym Time into Champagne Time

Monday MOETivation: Turning Gym Time into Champagne Time

I often write about my love/hate relationship with working out. From my adventures in pole dancing to my experiences Spinning to the 80's, I'm always looking for a way to enjoy (read: tolerate) the gym. I am not athletic nor am I skinny, so I need to find creative ways to balance my passion for Parmesan and still be able to zip up my jeans. And for the record, that passion is border line obsession...

My trips to the gym are usually fueled by massive amounts of Starbucks and major pep talks to myself. It takes a village to get me going. Outfit changes, Rocky soundtracks, you name it, I've tried it. I have been known to stare in the mirror and slap my own thighs just to watch them jiggle. Even that doesn't work at times.

But a few weeks ago I got to thinking, so much about life is mind over matter. We really do control the way we see things. That I am a firm believer in. Focusing on the positive attracts more positive, and we are in total control of our own happiness. So why should the way I view working out be any different? Couldn't I just brainwash myself into loving exercise?

I decided I was going to give it a shot.

I vowed to convince myself that going to the gym was like going to the spa. Now don't go rolling your eyes -- I am not insinuating workouts shouldn't be work. The gym should absolutely be a time where you step outside of your comfort zone and push yourself. You can't just go sit in the steam room and sip on a bottle of Moet with a straw and eat chewy chocolate chip cookies (but Jesus Christ that does sound amazing).

Gym time was going to be MY time. "Champagne time", as I like to call it. The precious moments where it's all about you. You don't have to look at your phone, there's nobody asking you for anything, no deadlines and no judgement. It's completely self-indulgent and it's critical to your well-being. The gym was no longer a chore for me, it was my special hour that would produce nothing but good. That time would make me stronger, happier and healthier.

So far, so good. I've been averaging about 4 workouts a week, and I haven't set the gym on fire nor have I broken my own legs to avoid going, so that's a plus! I'm boxing now and it's been amazing. There's nothing like finding a workout you love, and I honestly think that's half the battle.

My Monday MOET-ivation for you this week is to change the way you view exercise and truly think of it as your Champagne time. Find something you enjoy and do it. Treat that time as sacred. You might surprise yourself with how easy it is.

Cheers!

Cara

Monday MOETivation: Last Night Phil Collins Saved My Life With a Song

Monday MOETivation: Last Night Phil Collins Saved My Life With a Song

Oh, Spin class. How I long to go sweat in places I have never imagined and breathe in the fumes of others sweating in places they never imagined. There is no feeling quite like the pain you feel in your ass cheeks after being mounted on that bike for an hour, or the aches you get in your wrists and forearms from propping up your body on said bike. But there is also no other class that reshapes your body and burns 4279382039232 calories per session, leaving your face looking emaciated from nearly perspiring to death.

I haven't gone to Spin in (eek) about a year. I think the last time I went was when I was preparing for my wedding, last winter. When I woke up this morning, something came over me and I felt compelled to go. It was 8:45 am, and I was on my first cup of coffee, curled up in my silk  leopard PJ's, squirming at the creepy banter between my local newscasters. It was my fifth day off in a row from work, and though I had been hitting the gym regularly, I felt like I should take advantage of the empty schedule ahead of me and just go power through the class. I looked at my gym's website, saw a class slated to start at 9:30, and immediately slammed my coffee and left the house (don't worry, I changed out of the silk leopard PJ's).

I get to class 15 minutes early, and immediately stake out the best seat in the house. Far enough away from the instructor so I won't get yelled at for sitting when I should be standing, and close enough to the door should I have to bolt outta there if I feel death is imminent. 9:30 arrives faster than I expect, and before you know it, the strobe lights are on and I have mounted the bike of doom, ready to tackle the next hour without suffering from a severe heart attack.

I start pedaling, and I'm totally feeling it. The music is pumping, and I'm not winded - yet. The only distraction was the fact that the instructor is about 4'5 and 90 pounds, and she's cycling so fast she looks like she's about to take flight. Aside from that I think I can handle this without being too distracted of freaked out.

Photo courtesy of weheartit.com

Fast forward 25 minutes later. I am DYING. Actually, dying is an understatement. I am beyond death at this point. I actually don't know how I haven't fallen off the bike, and I keep looking in the mirror envisioning myself slumped over as hot firemen come in and try to revive me. I contemplate leaving. Could I do it? I'm never gonna see this people again. It won't matter. No, don't go, you wimp! Stick it out, bitch. Plus, if you get through this, you'll burn enough calories so you can drink an entire bottle of Champagne tonight.

I keep pedaling and praying to the gods of Spin for something to give me the boost I need to make it through the next 35 minutes. Then all of a sudden, BAM. I hear the first chords of "Easy Lover" by Phil Collins, and immediately I am transformed. If you don't know by now, I am an 80's music FREAK. I love the 80's. LOVE LOVE LOVE. My iPod is comprised of every 80's song you can imagine - from the obscure to the embarrassing to the downright amazing. Hearing a familiar beat literally breathed life into my veins, and suddenly I went from fat girl (who gets sent home on week 1) on The Biggest Loser to a leading competitor on the Tour de France. I'm spinning away, up, down, out of the damn saddle and loving every minute of it. And it wasn't just me - I caught the girl next to me mouthing the words as she cycled, so it was clear this retro pop infusion was just what the doctor ordered.

60 minutes later and I finished the entire workout. Legs shaking, body soaked from sweat, but I did it. I kept thinking what a horrible way to start the New Year by skipping out on my first workout of 2012. I powered through, and that, my friends, is what Monday MOET-ivation is all about.

Now on to pop that bubbly...I earned it, baby. Every last drop.

Cheers!

Cara

Resolution for 2012: Live Your Most Effervescent Life!

Resolution for 2012: Live Your Most Effervescent Life!

“We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day.” ~Edith Lovejoy Pierce

Photo courtesy of weheartit.com

I was never one for New Year's Eve. In my past life, as I like to call it, New Year's Eve was very sad for me. It was a time to look back and reflect on mistakes; where things went wrong. I thought about who or what I missed, and all the things I didn't get to do. That attitude was reflective of the way I felt about life in general, and it was pretty shitty.

As I've said before, I started living The Champagne Diet lifestyle by accident. I had gotten to the point where I was fed up. Things needed to change for me. I was not going to tolerate the negativity anymore. I wasn't going to tolerate it in my job, my relationships, my friendships, the way I felt about my body, or my eating habits.I was ready.

My first step was drinking Champagne (great way to start, huh?) But I was on a mission to find a low calorie drink that I could enjoy regularly, and bubbles were the perfect option for around 100 calories a glass. I was sold on that alone, but as soon as I really started drinking it, everything changed for me.

I fell in love with everything about Champagne. The sound of a fresh bottle opening was like poetry to me. The swift pop filled me with excitement, and pouring a glass was an experience in itself. Watching the gorgeous golden bubbles tower over my flute and finding a new reason to toast each time I drank it became a ritual. Drinking bubbles made me feel luxurious, beautiful and worthy. I wondered why people didn't drink Champagne all the time. Why were they saving this magical drink for New Year's Eve and birthdays? Why weren't they all indulging in something so wonderful every day? Weren't they worth it? And just like that, The Champagne Diet was born.

Champagne has truly become a metaphor for me. I have made it my priority to live my most effervescent life. To settle for nothing but the best. To truly live a Champagne life. To celebrate everything, no matter how small it may seem. To raise a glass each night and toast to something - anything. To me, life is best lived through rosé colored glasses.

I also found passion in sharing my "sparkling" new ways with all of you. The network we have built on Twitter and Facebook is remarkable to me. I remember when I launched this blog in 2009, I had no concept of where it would take me. I remember saying, "If I could change one person's way of thinking, my job would be done." Now, two years later, with press across the globe from Australia, to India, to the UK, to Italy, I think I may have done just that. There is nothing like touching someone else, and if I have touched any of you, I am eternally grateful for that. I want you all to live the sparkling, Champagne-filled lives you deserve.

Now, here we are, New Year's Eve 2011, and this holiday has become a true celebration for me. It's a chance to reflect back on all of the amazing things we have accomplished over the past 12 months, and really set our minds to achieve all of the goals in front of us in the coming year.It's a chance to learn from the mistakes, and celebrate what we've learned from them. It's a chance to be better.

I don't believe in traditional New Year's resolutions. I think we should make resolutions all year long, whenever we want to change. I don't believe in waiting until December 31st to decide you want to join a gym or stop eating carbs. But I do believe that you should think about the way you want to live your life in 2012. If there are things you want, go get them. You deserve them all. If there is negativity in your life, kick it to the damn curb. Fulfill yourself. Dream, and do. Don't be afraid to fall. Don't be scared of rejection. Only accept the best in your world. Live your most effervescent, Champagne life.

Go get it girls, it's all waiting for you.

With Love,

Cara

A *Sparkling* Holiday Wish!

A *Sparkling* Holiday Wish!

Hi from London!

I can't believe it's Christmas eve!

Another year is winding down and there is so much to be thankful for. 2011 has been amazing. The Champagne Diet has really exploded and reached the next level. We've been featured all over the globe, the book is about to take off, I've traveled overseas to meet friends and fans, and people are really starting to understand the true message of what The Champagne Diet really is. Living your most effervescent life means taking chances, not being afraid to fail, pursuing all of your dreams (no matter how silly they may seem to others) and loving life with every fiery part of your heart.

Truly embracing The Champagne Diet means allowing only the best into your body and your life. But none of that stuff happens magically. The first step is really believing you deserve it all. The first step starts with you. Forging a truly amazing relationship with yourself is the key, and once you create that, nothing can shake it. That self-love leads to love in all other areas of your life; career, passion, relationships, friendships and family.

I hope that you all know how beautiful, special and worthy you are. You all deserve a "Champagne Life" and don't let anything or anyone else tell you differently.

I want to thank all of you who continue to read the blog, tweet, Facebook and LIVE The Champagne Diet. You have all changed my life through your unwavering support and dedication. Please know how much it means to me. I am so excited to see what 2012 has in store for all of us.

Cheers!

Cara