Day Trips From Paris: The Champagne Region

If you're in Paris and have even the slightest interest in wine, making a day trip to Champagne should be on your list of "Must-Dos". The terrain is gorgeous, the wine and food are magnificent and it's a relatively easy region to access....once you figure out to get there.

The first time we tried to visit Champagne was in June 2013. I consulted a number of my friends who work in the wine industry and represent the likes of Dom Perignon, Moët & Chandon and Ruinart in the states for help. They told me it would be impossible to get into of the Champagne houses for a tasting. Taking that into account, we didn't make any advance reservations. We ended up visiting not one but two houses without any advance reservations on that trip but it cost us. A lot.

On Thanksgiving 2014, we visited Champagne again having learned our lessons: we made tasting reservations in advance for only one house and took the train to get there. It was a much more enjoyable experience and affordable to boot.

Visiting Champagne

There are 320 houses (and growing!) Champagne houses in the region. Gaining access to these houses is, for the most part, different from typical tasting experiences in the states. In Napa, for example, you can pop into most wineries without a reservation or make a reservation the day of your desired tasting. (Click HERE to learn about visiting Napa Valley with kids).  In Champagne, most tours are by appointment only and it is suggested that you make reservations a few weeks in advance.

This can be done easily online at the Champagne house's website or you could work with a tour company.

Getting to the Champagne Region

The 1st Time
When we went in 2013, we hired a driver to take my husband, my daughter and me from our rental apartment in Paris to Moët et Chandon in Epernay and then on to Tattinger in Reims. This cost us a fortune. Like $1,000 for the day. Jaw. Dropped.

A salon at Moët et Chandon

Granted our driver was able to finagle all three of us into Moët et Chandon and Tattinger without a reservation but the cost was ridiculous. (btw...and I almost divorced my husband over this).

The 2nd Time
In 2014, there was no way I was forking over that kind of cash for a private car. We booked two TGV tickets (our 2-year old daughter traveled for free) on Thanksgiving Day from Paris' Gare d'Est station to Reims, the older station in the heart of the city, which takes about 45 minutes. This cost about $92 per ticket. You can also take the train to the Champagne-Ardenne station in Bezannes. We met a couple from Houston on our train who bought a tasting tour which included train tickets, transfers to the chateaux and entry fees. They had priced out the package and determined it was comparable to piecing everything together on their own.

Reims train station

Having gone the private car route and the train route, I can wholeheartedly recommend using the train. Once you exit the main entrance at train station in Reims, there is a line of cabs waiting to take you anywhere. Beyond that, cabs are easy to get throughout Reims. Any restaurant or Champagne house will call one for you.

Visiting the Champagne Houses

For our visits to both Moët et Chandon and Tattinger in 2013, we did not have reservations. Our driver, Amadeus, was able to get us into a group tour at each house. These tours were informative and thorough but they were packed with about 20 people in each group.

The grounds at Ruinart

For our visit in 2014, we made reservation at just one house: Ruinart, the oldest house in Champagne producing the bubbly since 1729. They were quite specific as to when we could visit and at what time. We were invited to enjoy either a 10am or 2pm tasting.

When we arrived in Champagne, it was a cold, rainy, French day. Our cab took us straight to Ruinart which got us there around 9:30am. The guard at the gate would not let us in, even simply to sit and wait for our appointment. This annoyed the heck out of me. I pleaded with him in my bad French to accommodate my daughter, husband and me and let us just stand in a covered area out of the rain. He wouldn't budge. So we paid the cab driver to drive us around the city.

Moving on.

Once we did get into Ruinart at around 9:50, we were greeted by a lovely young woman named Kelly. There were only two other people on our tour, a couple from Brazil. This made for an intimate, educational and overall much better experience.

The Ruinart Visit 

Any chateau in Champagne is impressive but Ruinart was stunning. The house had recently been renovated but the "sprucing up" resulted in timelessly elegant French style that can withstand another 100 years.

There are 38,340 bottles of Ruinart aging here!

Sediment in a Ruinart bottle

We learned about the family history of Ruinart (started by Nicolas Ruinart), the reason behind its bottle shape (it results in a better product) and why Ruinart is in a class by itself (the Blanc de Blanc is made exclusively of chardonnay grapes, for one).

Climbing down to visit the caves at Ruinart

Riddlers turn 50,000 of these a DAY

Our tour took us deep into the caves beneath the beautiful Ruinart gardens where we saw a glimpse of Champagne's heritage. Ruinart bottles are aged on decades old racks, where riddlers twist them 1/8th of a turn daily. Kelly claimed Ruinart's two riddlers can manage 50,000 bottles a day!

The visit concluded with a tasting of our choice of two of four wines offered: Blanc de Blanc, Dom Ruinart, Dom Ruinart Rosé and R de Ruinart. I went with the R de Ruinart and Dom Ruinart.

Where to Eat in Reims

On our first visit, we had lunch on the patio at the popular Brasserie Flo centrally located on the main promenade. It's one of those places you can't miss.

For our second visit, we had a stunning lunch at Au Petite Comptoir. I couldn't tell you how to get there to save my life. Kelly at Ruinart drew directions for us but it's located on one of those typically French side streets that disappear the moment you blink. When I stopped at a police station to ask for directions, the station chief smiled and told me I was in for a phenomenal treat. God, I love how the French flirt! I simply ordered the specials. My daughter was asleep in my lap while my husband left his phone at Ruinart and had to run back there to grab it. While I enjoyed my meal alone, alas, there are no pictures to capture the experience as my phone's battery was dead. #1stWorldPains.

EVERYONE recommends Les Crayeres, the 3-star Michelin restaurant located in the Relais et Chateaux property, Chateau Les Crayeres. We couldn't get in there for lunch.

There are a number of decent places to eat on the main promenade in Reims, Les Basses Promenades.

If you're on the fence about visiting Champagne, don't be. Go! It's an easy day trip from Paris! 

France is full of stunning, historic and magical places. Champagne's beauty is in a class by itself. If you are in Paris you should, without question, try to visit this region.

My suggestions to approaching a day trip to Champagne: 

• Find a producer that interests you and start from there. I have always loved Moët et Chandon and Ruinart. I would love to visit Krug and Veuve Cliquot on my next trip.  
• Email the maison about reservations a few weeks prior to your trip. You will likely have pay at the time of booking. 
• Do some Googling about your trip to get a general sense of where you will be going. The train and cab route was a breeze but it might not be for you. 
• Tentatively schedule your day but bring an open mind. You never know where the day may take you. 
• Most maisons will accommodate children. Check, though, to ensure they do. At both Moët et Chandon and Ruinart they provided juice and snacks for our daughter. 

Find More Stories About Paris on TheGinaMiller.com:

• My Paris Travel Tips Video
• 5 Observations About Paris
• 58 Tour Eiffel Restaurant Review
• How To Rent A Great Apartment In Paris
• The Best Paris Restaurants Right Now (4/2015)
• Paris Travel Tips
• How To Do Paris With A Baby
• Paris Travel Tips | VIDEO

Resources

• A definitive guide to getting to Champagne.
• Comité Champagne trade association - a US-based organization that has tons of useful information on Champagne.
• TGV - the train we used to get to Champagne.
• Reims Tourism Office
• Epernay Tourism Office
• Via Champagne Ardenne - a tour company that arranges visit to Champagne. 
• Ruinart
• Tattinger
• Moët et Chandon
• Brasserie Flo 
• Au Petite Comptoir
• Les Crayeres

Super Bowl XLIX Weekend Survival Guide

Twitter.com/EliteDaily

Whether you're a passive fan or a rabid one, here's all you need to know about the Super Bowl XLIX matchup between the Patriots and Seahawks. 

As for Deflate-gate/Ballghazi (which name do you prefer?), the NFL says the 108 balls used during Super Bowl XLIX will be under extra security before the game.

Here are 19 of the craziest Super Bowl XLIX prop bets including:

• What will halftime performer Katy Perry be wearing at the start of her performance? 
• What kind of hoodie will Bill Belichik be wearing?  
• How many times Tom Brady's wife Gisele Bundchen will be shown?
• Will Marshawn Lynch grab his crotch after scoring a touchdown?

YouTube.com/10Everything

A ton of Super Bowl ads are already on YouTube. You can watch 10 of them in the box above, including the Victoria's Secret one. You're welcome, gentlemen.

Are you going to a Super Bowl watching party? Here are the 25 rules for Super Bowl parties.

My Super Bowl XLIX Plans & Prediction. Share Yours!
I'll be watching the game at home. We're leaving for Beaver Creek on Monday to attend the Alpine World Ski Championships in Vail. We won't be cooking anything special. Our menu will likely be a takeout salad or Tex-Mex.

I believe this will be a phenomenal matchup and think the Seahawks will become the first team to win back to back Super Bowl titles since the Patriots did in 2004 and 2005. I like Seattle's edge. Given how closely matched up these teams are, I am going with the one that has the better defense. Good defenses usually beat good offenses. I can hear my old coach now:

Defense wins championships. Seahawks win 24-21. 

What are your Super Bowl plans? What's your prediction? Please share in the comments section. 

Valentine's Day Gifts For Her

Click on any item to learn more about it.

Guys, I'm here to help. I told all my gals what you REALLY want for Valentine's Day. Now, it's your turn to step up to the plate.

I'm the aberration: I think this is a lame holiday. Maybe it's because I was never much of a dater. I was always too busy working to date much. But for 75% of the women out there, Valentine's Day and its gifts are a big deal.

I have had girlfriends complain about getting Tom Thumb carnations, cheap jewelry and bad dinners. If you focus on these categories when it comes gifts, you will likely have the best Valentine's Day ever.

Purses & Jewelry

Purses and jewelry are great gifts. Most women go crazy over a new purse. They go even crazier over a designer one. Think Louis Vuitton, Prada, Gucci, Tory Burch (a relatively affordable designer brand). You can't go wrong.

TIP: if you're at the point in your relationship where that engagement ring might be expected, go with a purse. She'll be heartbroken if you give her some earrings and she was expecting an engagement ring. That's happened to three of my girls.

If you're married, get some bling. Designer stuff is better. She can get the cheap stuff for herself. A simple Kendra Scott necklace is a nice touch. A Cartier Love Bracelet? Amazeballs. Anything in between, ranging from David Yurman to Lagos or gorjana, would be awesome.

Nice Flowers

Women really do love flowers. Don't go the cheap grocery store carnation route. Get some nice flowers. In Tom Thumb's defense they have lovely bouquets. The thing is you will probably have to order them in advance because most guys who wait until Valentine's Day are stuck with those cheap carnations.

If she is a girlie-girl, you can get the bouquet of roses (Gilt City is running a special HERE). If she kills weeds or has a more sophisticated eye, a gorgeous orchid bouquet will knock her socks off. Bonus? Orchids last forever.

Good Champagne and Chocolate

I am not an advocate of dining out on Valentine's Day (AKA Amateur Night). Restaurant menus are usually dumbed down to appeal to the folks who dine out only a few times a year. Get creative and cook dinner or order something. Buy some good champagne (Ruinart, Moët & Chandon or Veuve Cliquot are all wonderful) and chocolate or chocolate covered strawberries (Gilt City has a deal on them HERE) to end the night. My favorite Valentine's Day memory involved a bottle of Krug and chocolate covered strawberries.

Have Fun

Don't be afraid to have some fun with your gift. If she's not into the holiday, like me, this cute pajama set or something else that will make her laugh is perfect.

What Are Your Plans?

Thinking about something for Valentine's Day? Don't be afraid to share your plans in the comments section.

Shop Valentine's Day Gifts For Her

What He Really Wants For Valentine's Day

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I have worked with men my whole life. I am more comfortable having cocktails with a group of guys than I am with a group of girls. They tell me things they don't tell their girlfriends or their wives.

Girl, I'm here to tell you:

He doesn't want a tie or cologne for Valentine's Day. 
He wants your booty.

He's buying some cute trinket or purse for you. All he wants for February 14th is some V-Day action. Sorry. 99.8% of the men I know complain about the lack of booty. So to make your man's Valentine's Day, or any day for that matter, give it up. Give something up.

Now that we have that out of the way, these are fun gifts he might actually like. Again, this is from years of mingling with guys who complain about the lame gifts (most of them) and brag about the cool gifts (rare) the women in their lives give them.

Do you celebrate the Hallmark holiday? Personally, we stay in on Valentine's Day. It, like New Year's Eve, is another amateur night when people who never go out venture out for dinner at restaurants that dumb down their menus to feed the masses. Man, I sound old and bitter.

What are you Valentine's Day plans?

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SkinPen Review: Dynamic Results With Little Downtime

Press play for a sneak peak of my SkinPen facial at Luxury on Lovers

If you're anything like me, you're over wasting money on beauty treatments and products that don't work. I am at the point where I'm willing to spend a bit more to get results from a treatment versus some bargain procedure that doesn't really do anything. That's why I am always on the lookout for beauty innovations that work. Friends, the SkinPen facial does the job.

RELATED: DermaPlane Review: A Simple Way to Get Glowing Skin with No Downtime

What Is The SkinPen?
The SkinPen is a micro-needling device, created by Dallas-based Bellus Medical, featuring 12 tiny surgical-grade needles that produces microscopic punctures in your skin. That, in turn, stimulates the production of collagen and elastin which give you a more youthful appearance. There are no lasers or heat involved. It mimics what a fractional laser does but with little downtime.

"(There is) no risk of burning, hypo or hyper-pigmenting the skin," says Lisa Cobb, owner of Luxury on Lovers, a leader in the SkinPen treatment.  "We can do it any time of year. Sun exposure should be limited for a week or so after but one does not have the risk of photo-sensitivity like with lasers."

Interested other beauty gamechangers? Read my photofacial review, DermaPlane facial review find out about 10 instant beauty treatments that work.

The Nike Training Club App Review: A Butt-Kicking Virtual Trainer

The Nike Training Club App is the nuts. It's a booty kick and personal trainer all rolled into one downloadable package of workout brilliance.

A hair dresser introduced me to it when she told me she simply exercised at home. She had a phenomenal figure and was around 40. I took her advice and downloaded the app with extremely low expectations. 

It blew me away, literally and figuratively.

Is This The Week New Year's Resolutions Die?

The third week of January is critical when it comes to New Year's resolutions. It is the week most of them die, according to the Wall Street Journal. Gym attendance declines, that commitment to eat better weakens, you know the routine.

The thing is, three weeks is barely enough time to give a resolution a chance to stick. A 2009 study by University College London found it takes about 66 days to develop a habit (Tweet this).

How can you stay committed to reaching your 2015 goals? 

• Stay Focused. Being focused on a goal can help you reach it. How do you do that? Read blogs, websites, magazines and news articles about the particular area in which you're interesting in improving. Want to get in better shape? Read Shape or Women's Health. Want to cook healthier meals? Make Eating Well part of your regular reading. Shameless plug: sign up for The Real Skinny, a digest of diet and fitness tips for the real world, like this one. Or check out my blog every Monday for News To Help You Have A Healthier Week. Reading about it, helps you think about it and keep those goals present in your mind. 
• Write It Down. Research repeatedly shows that writing down your goals helps you reach them. Failing to write your goals means you will forget them or won't focus on them. Put them somewhere you will see them every day. Here's a 2015 goals worksheet.
• Be Specific. Don't be vague in your goals. For example: "I will wake up by 6am five days a week" is one of my goals for 2015. That's a better and more specific goal than "I will wake up earlier this year".  In fact, according to experts, being specific about when, where and how you will take action can set you up for success. 
• Be Realistic. You probably won't lose 25 pounds in one month. Five pounds? That's doable. Don't set goals that are completely unattainable. Take it a step further and create that specific action plan (see above) for you to achieve this. 

So if you do abandon your 2015 goals this week. Don't stress it. You can always start again next week.

How You Doin'?
How are you doing with your 2015 goals? Are they too tough to attain or are you rolling along? Please share in the comments section.

Me? I am struggling with the wake up at 6am thing. I am getting up about 6:30am which is at least a step in the right direction.

News To Help You Have A Healthier Week

Image via Cell.com

I hope you had a great weekend. Full disclosure: I have been dieting like a mad bitch for a photo shoot today. The nice thing about the diet (which I will detail in an upcoming post) is that I really haven't craved anything. I have been a bit of recluse, though, and avoided going out to dinner all week. I am a night eater and didn't want to be tempted.

Here are a few things that caught my eye. Hope they help you have a healthier week!

Fasting 12 hours a day can help you lose weight. I try to do this most days of the week (think 5) and it is so much easier than you would think. Eat dinner before 7pm, have breakfast after 7am. That tends to be the most manageable window in the real world. If you need to eat a bit later, try to do it before 8pm and eat your breakfast after 8am.

Writer Andy Leeks tried 10 different diets in 50 days and lost 25 pounds. He lost the most weight on the 5:2 Diet and the Special K Diet.

Dr. Oz has a new diet plan: the Total 10 Rapid Weight Loss Plan. On it you ditch coffee for hot lemon water (the bitterness of the lemon stimulates bile flow which helps emulsify and remove fat-soluble toxins, according to Dr. Oz - Tweet this), eat protein in the morning (smart!) and two healthy snacks a day are allowed (think kale chips, lentils and almond butter quinoa balls).

Need more motivation to exercise? A sedentary lifestyle can be twice as deadly as being obese, according to a new study. 

Still not moving most days of the week. Here are three ways to find your exercise sweet spot.

Get The Real Skinny 
Looking for more diet and fitness news? Sign up for The Real Skinny. It's my email newsletter featuring diet and fitness tips for the real world, like this one.

Barrington Gifts St. Anne Tote: A Golden Globe Swag Bag Darling

St. Anne Tote Swag Bag Assembly

North Texas will be well-represented at the Golden Globes this Sunday night. Dallas-based Barrington Gifts' St. Anne Tote is THE swag bag for Golden Globe nominees. According to Barrington Gifts, they were delivered into the private hotel rooms of nominees on Friday.

 Click on any bag to learn more about it!

The likes of Julia Louis-Dreyfuss (I LOVE her...Veep is my favorite show), Emily Blunt, Helen Mirren, Viola Davis, Mark Ruffalo received the bag in various patterns: Checkerboard, Navajo Mesa, Glen Plaid, Black Watch Plaid, Reptile and Axis.

Best actress nominee Reese Witherspoon is the only celebrity gifted with the tote in the French Stripe pattern. It's personalized with her initials, LRW. That's the cool thing about Barrington's products: you can get virtually anything debossed with your initials.

I first met the Barrington Gifts team when I discovered their gameday line (click HERE to learn more about it), which allows you customize any of their bags in your alma mater's favorite colors. It's brilliant. They also have a slew of goodies for guys and great corporate gifts.

Get Your Own Golden Globes Bag
Barrington's St. Anne Tote may become a new celebrity favorite but it has an incredibly real world price. It's only $145. You order it online and get your initials on it for an additional $5.

Buy Barrington Gifts St. Anne Tote Bag

The Best Diets Of 2015

DASH Diet meal planner/Image via www.nhlbi.nih.gov

When you're a former fat girl like me, you're always interested in diet news. U.S. News & World Report's diet rankings are out for 2015 and once again the DASH Diet tops the list. The DASH Diet which stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, (Tweet this) was designed to combat high blood pressure but it gets high marks for its nutritional value and ability to prevent and/or control diabetes. Weight loss is a nice side effect.

Travel Resolutions To Make In 2015

Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Tallin, Estonia 

Are you making travel resolutions for 2015? So many people I know say "I will finally take that trip to ___________ (insert your dream destination here)". 

Wherever it is you want to go, do it. Don't wait. Save your money. Research and plan your trip and then GO. 

Taking a selfie before it was even a thing at Parc de la Ciutadella on my solo trip to Barcelona in 2008.

That's one thing I have always done. I wanted to go to Barcelona by myself a few years ago. I did it. Israel solo? Done. Travel is one thing in which I fully follow through on my intentions. Pretty much all the time. 

The New York Post lists 13 Travel Resolutions for 2015 and they're pretty good: 

• Check that trip off your bucket list.
• Invest in good luggage. This was a gamechanger for me. When I finally punted my hand-me-down suitcases, I bought a fabulous Bric's suitcase. One of my best investments, ever. 
• Plan a solo trip. These are my favorite trips. No matter what your age, this is one of the best ways to learn more, not just about the world, but also yourself. 
• Brush up on a language you learned in school and use it. Also try to learn a few key phrases in the language of the country you're visiting. I do this every time I visit a foreign country. You can't imagine how tough Turkish and Greek were for me. Simply attempting the language will endear you to locals in more ways that you can imagine.
• Go to a new US city. This is something I try to do at least once a year. Discovering a new city is an absolute treat. We can get swept up in the romantic notions of Europe or South America but, don't forget, the United States has awesome towns, too. Go. Visit them. Get lost. Have fun. 
• Explore your own city. Great advice. So many times we think our city is SO boring or SO lame. Taking time to be a tourist in your own city can lead you to discover parts of the city that are completely foreign to you...and fabulous. 
• Set out on a road trip. I love a good road trip, complete with small town diners and fun local stores. A good road trip is a wonderful experience.
• Unplug for a weekend or week. Digital detoxes are easier said than done. 
• Use all of your vacation days.
• Travel with a close companion. 
• Check out a festival.
• Take a walking, hiking or biking tour. 
• Book a last minute trip. 

What Are Your Travel Resolutions?

Do you have any travel goals for 2015? Please share them in the comments section.

Pin this!

Me? I have three:

• I want to travel more for work. Yes, I am one of those crazy people who likes business trips. 
• Take a road trip. I am due for a good one. I would really like to do the California coast again with plenty of time to spare. 
• Spend more time in France. I'm an addict. Sorry. 

Whatever you decide to do, make this the year you plan a trip you love. 

How To Own 2015...And Keep Your New Year's Goals

Make 2015 the year you make it happen. Whatever your "IT" is.

For many of my friends and family, gaining control of their weight and overall health is a priority. For me, staying the course is the goal but that's never easy. I am a recovering a fat girl and and am always a Golden Corral buffet away from my orca phase.

The thing is, whether you're at your ideal weight or fitness level or still trying to get there, your health should be one of your top priorities. If you do not have a healthy body and spirit, nothing else matters (Tweet this). Simply put:

If you don't have your health, you don't have anything.

Click HERE to download this worksheet.

We know that resolutions, many times, fail. I prefer not to think in terms of resolutions for a new year but in goals. It's scientifically proven that writing down goals helps you achieve them.

So to help you do just that, I have created a simple download that you can print and write down your goals to help you rock them. Click HERE to download your 2015 goals worksheet.

Be Realistic
Don't put too much pressure on yourself. We're all human. There will be days that we eat too much candy or miss a workout. We will yell at people we love and feel fat. We WILL get off track. The key is to jump right back on when we do get off track. Little missteps are a part of life. It's how we rebound from them that help define us.

Get Easy Diet & Fitness Tips In 2015
Looking for extra motivation this year? Sign up for The Real Skinny. You will receive smart, practical advice that you can use in the real world (like THIS ONE) to help you reach your diet and fitness goals.

Share Your Goals 
Please share some of your 2015 goals in the comments section. I would love to learn what you have in store this year. Check back on Monday. I will share my 2015 goals worksheet.

Happy 2015! 

Make it your best year yet! 

 

The Pilates Barre's Pilates Body Class Class Review

Performing lower abdominal work on the Reformer at The Pilates Barre, Devonshire

If you're looking to tone and tighten in 2015, there are a slew of workouts to help you do that. I am a fan of pilates workouts but, to be candid, they can sometimes be too easy or routine.

There is nothing easy about The Pilates Barre's 50 minute Pilates Body class, one of the five classes the studio offers.

Stylish Dallas Cowboys Gear To Wear To The Lions/Cowboys Game

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 

Hello playoffs. If you're heading to the Cowboys/Lions game on Sunday, you can take two approaches: dress up or wear Cowboys gear. Dressing up is easy. I have focused on that for months. Here are great options if you want to dress up.

There are decent options if you want to wear Cowboys-branded gear. Pair a Cowboys t-shirt with a blazer or faux fur vest, add some jewelry and you're good to go. Guys have it so easy. All they need is a cool top (love this one) and some jeans or pants. There are awesome boots out there for men. Alas, all the women's Cowboys boots I have found online are all sold out. Order any of these today and you will get them just in time for the weekend.

Looking for more gameday style inspiration? Check out my Dallas Cowboys board on Pinterest.

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Resolving to Lose Weight In 2015? Start NOW With This Simple Diet Tip

Are you resolving to finally lose that unwanted weight in 2015? Don't wait until January 2015 to begin. Start now to jumpstart your new year's resolution. It serves two purposes:

1. It gets you mentally ready to prepare for your weight loss journey.
2. It works. You WILL lose weight. Bonus! 

This is one of the world's easiest diet tips and you won't even feel like you're dieting. You don't have to starve, over-exercise or avoid certain foods. All you have to do is this: leave two bites on your plate at lunch and dinner.

Here's How To Do It
Enjoy both lunch and dinner but leave two substantial bites on your plate during those last two meals of the day. Don't leave baby bites. Leave two solid, full-fork bites.

Simple is that. The thing is, this works.

By leaving two big bites on your plate at lunch and dinner, you will save roughly 100 calories a day (Tweet this). If you start today you can cut about 700 calories by January 5th. Not a ton, but it's a step in the right direction and helps you get ahead of the game when you start that weight loss journey for real.

Now, if you're eating spinach and broccoli for lunch and dinner, that's a different story. But if you enjoy a sandwich and chips for lunch and pasta, steak or some other big meal for dinner, this tip is for you.

A Few Calories Here & There Add Up To Serious Weight Loss
Those little caloric savings add up. If you do this every day, you will shave about 36,000 calories over the course of the year. That's 10 pounds, friends. Without even trying! If you do it only five days a week, you will lose about seven and a half pounds in a year.

Get Simple Diet & Fitness Tips In 2015
This is one of the easiest diet tips ever. There are more. Tons of them. Do you want them? Looking for extra motivation this year? Sign up for The Real Skinny. You will receive smart, practical advice that you can use in the real world to help you reach your diet and fitness goals.

Me, circa 1999, close to 200 pounds

Why am I an expert? Friends, I'm a recovering fat girl. At one point in my life, there wasn't a Golden Corral buffet I didn't love. I have lost more than 50 pounds and kept it off for a decade. Most importantly, I know how to do it while juggling work, studies, parenting and other aspects of our chaotic lives that can derail even the most dedicated dieter.

I have been there....and am fighting to the good fight every day to avoid going back there.

Sharing 2015 Goals. What's Yours? 
Are you trying to lose weight in 2015? Share your goals in the comments section. Publicly stating your intentions keeps you accountable.

Me? I want bikini abs. That's all. A stomach that won't embarrass me while wearing a bikini. That's my goal. I'd love to hear yours.

Exhale Core Fusion Barre Basic Class Review: It Never Gets Easier

Image via exhale spa

After an indulgent trip to Paris where, as usual, I lost weight living on cheese, chocolate and wine (granted I did walk about eight miles a day and eat small portions) it was time to return to the gym. I had done some light weightlifting on my own but nothing too regimented. This past Saturday I took one of exhale's Core Fusion Barre Basic classes, my 56th of the year but first in a few weeks. I felt like I was taking it for the very first time.

Core Fusion Barre Basic may sound like an easier version of an Open class. That couldn't be further from the truth. The movements are targeted, tiny and effective. Each time I take one of these classes, it is challenging. I was sore the next day, in a good way. In fact after Saturday's class, I am still sore on Monday.

Core Fusion Barre Basic Movements
In Core Fusion Barre Basic, you will do movements for both the upper and lower body with an emphasis on glutes and thighs. You will use a combination of light weights as well as your own body weight.

After a three to five minute warmup, you will spend about seven to 10 minutes doing a variety of weighted movements for your arms, shoulders and back with a quick set of pushups thrown in. The movements are rapid and deliver a good burn, despite the light weight.

Lower body movements for Core Fusion Basic

You will focus on your lower body for the next 30 minutes. You will spend roughly 15 minutes on your thighs and 15 minutes on your bootie. You will do plié squats, leg lefts and circles on a ballet bar and, sometimes, on a floor mat. The movements are tough and ALWAYS make my legs shake.

For the last 15 minutes, you will focus on your abs after a quick set of bar pullups. The ab work combines rollups, planks, leg lifts and extensions. For me, the ab work rarely burns in class but I usually feel it the next day.

You always finish with a good stretch, something I love. I could spend an extra 15 minutes stretching at the end of class. I feel like that's something I always need.

There is not a heart-pumping cardiovascular component to this 60-minute class like there is in exhale's Core Fusion Cardio Barre class (read my review HERE). Taking that into account, I rarely feel like I need to do cardio on days when I do a Core Fusion Barre Basic class. I consider it "enough" of a workout.

The Gear
You can wear pretty much anything to Core Fusion classes. I recommend yoga pants/leggings simply because shorts tend you leave you a little, um, exposed. Grip socks are mandatory to keep you from slipping on the wooden floor.

The Takeaway
exhale's Core Fusion classes are never routine. The class size is small enough that the instructor can deliver individual attention to you. Sometimes you love it because it helps you perform a movement properly. Most times, candidly, I hate it because it makes the movement infinitely more difficult. That's what you want, though, because these classes deliver results. The movements target those tiny muscles which truly give your body a lift in the areas that need it.

Core Fusion classes are always a challenge, no matter how experienced you are with this type of exercise. That's a good thing.

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5 Tips To Avoid Holiday Weight Gain

If your days are packed with office goodies and your nights are full of holiday parties, I feel ya. There is temptation at every turn. You don't have to gain weight during the holidays, though. A few simple tricks can help you start 2015 without adding a single pound.

RELATED: Which Produce Is Best For Weight Loss?

Do Juice Cleanses Really Work?

With the indulgent holiday season up on us, a number of my friends are planning juice fasts to "get rid of the toxins" they consumed in November and December. Heck, after having wine at just about every meal in Paris, Lord knows my liver needs a break.

I love a good juice fast as much as the next person. It can help you drop a few pounds quickly and are a good way to get a large amount of nutrients efficiently. I have a green juice three of four times a week. As for the whole "ridding our bodies of toxins" thing, I am not so sure. Scientists have repeatedly said that a quality, produce-heavy diet does the job.

Dr. Linda Lee, the Director of John Hopkins Integrative Medicine and Digestive Center in Maryland, tells the Wall Street Journal that the term "cleanse" is nothing more than a marketing tool and there is no science to prove that fasting cleanses the system.

That marketing is working. Sales of "superpremium juice" was more than $1.4 billion in 2013, up from $1 billion in 2010.

This is a situation in which you need to do what works for you. Will your body be free of the damage caused by a month-long feast of champagne, cheese, steak and indulgent desserts with a 10-day cleanse in January? Probably not. Will you drop a few pounds? Likely. Will that make you feel better about yourself? If so, go for it but be smart and do your homework.

Finding Juice Fasts That Work For You

There are a TON of juice fasts to choose from. I have done the Blueprint Cleanse, Suja Juice and a variety of my own. Prepared fasts are expensive which is why I enjoy making my own juice. That, however, can be labor intensive and messy. Gilt City always has sales on juice fasts. They're currently offering deals on American Juice Company and Oui Juice. Bliss is also offering the Joule Body Cleanse, which I have done in the past, too. 

I use a Breville Juicer and make my own recipes adapted from a variety of books I have read over the years. The 3-Day Cleanse is a good one.

Are you a juicer? Are there any juice fasts you swear by and love?

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5 Observations About Paris

Christmas carousel on the Place du Trocadéro next to the Eiffel  Tower

We're back from 10-plus days in Paris and are already planning a trip for 2015. Friends ask "Why do you continue to go back to a place you have visited so many times?"

Many reasons, really. In a foreign country, no matter what it is, you will always find something new to love and appreciate no matter how many times you visit. We enjoy revisiting favorite experiences like people watching at the George V hotel or visiting the Christmas markets. But we also enjoy discovering new places, like we did on our visit to Château de Fountainebleu.

Regardless, there are some things I distinctly noticed on this trip. Here are my most recent observations. Please tell me what you think in the comments section.

Better Kids Meals

We took our daughter, Jordan, with us for the third straight year. This was the first time she was able to eat pretty much what we did. At many restaurants, there are kid's menus but they're nothing like we have in the States. There isn't a chicken finger or mini pizza to be found. Most kid's menus consist of a steak or hamburger patty and potatoes, guinea fowl (offered everywhere), fish and vegetables or sausage and potatoes.

Jordan eating her steak and potatoes at Restaurant Astier

Jordan, who is going through the fussy eater phase, usually ate the steak and potatoes after filling up on a ton of bread. Interestingly, by the end of the trip she was much more interested in trying what we were eating. I had an epic seafood tower at Bar a Huitres on our last night. She wanted to try my clams as well as my husband's fish soup. I guess there is something to be said about French kids eating everything (I love the book, btw).

It's Not All Three-Course Gourmet Lunches And Wine

Don't be fooled that every French meal is a three course feast with wine. Parisians will eat a grab and go meal faster than you can break a baguette. Because of that, I think there's a real need for more fast-casual spots in Paris.

The checkout line at the Monop'

On multiple occasions when I tried to grab a quick lunch while walking the city, I ran into lines 20-30 people deep. At the popular fast-casual London export Pret-A-Manger, there were at least 50 people in line to buy a quick sandwich or soup. At the Monop', something akin to an upscale grocery store, the lunch line was at least 25 people deep.

This was at our local grocery store.

Other things I saw: diet food and the French version of DIY Mexican food, Old El Paso. I swear I could make a fortune opening up a Tex-Mex joint in Paris.

French Formality is NOT Rudeness

I have blogged about this before but the French get a bad rap for being rude. They are polite and expect more of the same. In the half a dozen times I have been there, on trips of 10 days or more, I have only encountered one rude waiter. One. That's it. For the most part, everyone has been cordial, warm and downright fun. Flirtatious, even.

RELATED: My Paris Travel Tips Video

A simple 'bonjour', 'au revoir', 'merci' and 's'il vous plait' go a long way. Take it a step further and practice your high school French. You will be rewarded with an impromptu French lesson and perhaps a new friend. Every time I spoke (really bad) French, it was appreciated and complimented.

They want politeness, manners and....

Dressing Up Still Counts

Despite how much more casual we seem to be getting as a society, people still dress well in Paris. Tennis shoes are a dead tourist giveaway. I wore Cole Haan and Alexander Wang booties with black denim jeans all over the city and felt fine.

I had an in-depth conversation about this with an Air France flight attendant. Her point was clear: their city is beautiful. They are a formal country and expect our appearance to reflect that. That is just one woman's opinion but her point is well-taken.

Interestingly, I didn't see a lot of makeup. I noticed more women sporting a natural face, not the done-up face I usually wear and see in Texas.

RELATED: 58 Tour Eiffel Restaurant Review

Et Finalement, Everyone Smokes.

Yep, they still do. I saw a few e-cigarettes. They might be slowly catching on but the classic Marlborough Light still rules. 

What Do You Think?

Despite what any cynic says, Paris is still one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Being there is an inspiration. While the country is overwrought with exorbitant taxes and bureaucratic red tape, it's a magical place.

Le Village Royal, Paris

What do you think? Am I totally off or spot-on? What have you noticed in your travels abroad? Please share in the comments section!

Thanksgiving 2014: Why I Am Thankful For Failure (Among Other Things)

Wednesday at the Trocadero

Thanksgiving is such a wonderful holiday. It is one in which we pause for a moment to celebrate and reflect on what it is we appreciate and love in our lives.

We are spending Thanksgiving week in Paris. I am writing this from a tiny, stereotypically Parisian apartment we rented on the Ile St. Louis. We will be spending the actual holiday in Reims, starting with a 10am champagne tasting at Ruinart. Believe me: I am incredibly thankful for this experience.

On this day of reflection, I am sharing what else I am grateful for this year. I would love for you to share what it is you're grateful for in 2014. Please post in the comments section