Get the Recap of My Recent #GiveItAWeek Challenges

I’m proud to say that I’m nearly 25 weeks into my #GiveItAWeek challenge on Instagram — whoa! Time sure flies when you’re talking to strangers, learning Spanish, and raising money for a good cause — right? ;)

My seven-day journeys are still far from over, but I can say that having the support from all of you guys has been HUGE. I’m hoping you all will continue to share the love and advice with me over on IG @brit as I put more personal challenges to the test. I have about six months to go, and there are a LOT of fun adventures coming. But for now, here’s what I’ve been up to for the last few weeks…

WEEK 14: Cake Decorating

I went into this week with some previous decorating experience. I’ve always enjoyed cake, cupcake, and cookie decorating and for the past several years, I have made custom cakes for my kids’ birthdays. That said, I wanted to take my skills to the next level (think buttercream ranunculus, brushstroke icing ensembles, and fondant polka-dot accents). I used a few online tutorials, got my organic mixes and frostings from former B+C employee Sarah Jones (@missjonesbakes), and recruited the help of one of my favorite pastry entrepreneurs Melissa Ben-Ishay (owner of the cult cupcake brand @bakedbymelissa) to brush up on my piping, cake pop, and tie-dying skills. Throughout this delicious adventure, my takeaways were that tools matter and a lot of time is involved, especially if you’re baking AND decorating together at once. But ultimately, I loved the zen-like creative state and ability to share sweets with others throughout this process. Now excuse me while I go on a bit of a frosting detox for the next few weeks!

WEEK 15: Limited Hair Washing

I work out a lot, so I typically wash my hair every other day. That being said, I’ve always heard that limiting your sudsing time is actually better for your locks. So I decided to go seven days without washing — eek! The best part? I exceeded my goal and actually made it through EIGHT DAYS! (How was this possible!? I am still shocked.) Big props to everyone who gave me their best dirty hair tips and dry shampoo recommendations, which I definitely used. Ultimately, I found that by skipping my shampoo, I drastically improved my hair’s volume and saved about 20 minutes a day. Not too shabby of a life hack, eh?

WEEK 16: Intermittent Fasting

This one was a big challenge for me since I love my breakfast! Since I’ve heard there are so many great health benefits of eating intermittently throughout the day, I decided it was at least worth trying to forgo those a.m. pancakes. (Spoiler alert: I found out it really wasn’t for me!) Long story short, my stomach was RUMBLING by 10am. Thank goodness I could even make it that long, thanks to the ability to have coffee. And while I discovered that 14-hour fasts were wayyy easier than 16-hour fasts (and I learned that getting used to the process can take up to two weeks), I think I’m happiest sticking to my usual eating routines with the rest of my family. Pass the syrup, please!

WEEK 17: Meditation

Speaking from complete honesty, I never thought meditation was for me. When I would sit down to relax, I simply couldn’t keep my mind from wandering! I’m definitely a Type A person with schedules and to-do lists taking over my mind at all times. (Hence the reason I NEED meditation, ha.) However, after a week of embarking on this zen-filled experiment, I gained a new opinion of it. The entire experience was like having a best friend give you a pep talk and an abbreviated sermon at church all at once, if that makes sense! I most enjoyed myself during moving meditations, like those jogging meditation exercises found in the Nike Run Club app in partnership with Headspace. The good news is that I learned it’s perfectly fine to let your mind stray, as long as you can reel it at times (which I certainly did!). P.S. If you’re interested in kick-starting your own meditation journey, tune into my favorite apps, Headspace or Calm.

WEEK 18: Talking to Strangers

Yes, this sounds like a challenge your parents would convince you NOT to do. However, as someone who is more of an introvert, I decided to step outside of my comfort zone and talk to a different stranger for a few minutes every day. While the initial days were a bit rough (it was tough to come up with a great icebreaker!!), I finally found my groove and walked away having had amazing conversations with everyone from a cute Starbucks barista to a costume-clad doorman. Bonus: I got to attend an NYC Broadway show with a really awesome Instagram stranger-turned-friend, Colleen. How cool is that?

WEEK 19: Learning Spanish

This was a fun one! I grew up taking Spanish classes but hadn’t practiced in forever, so I wanted to motivate myself to use it every day with the goal of holding an entire convo with someone en español. To me, the trickiest part of Spanish is always the conjugations, but the daily practice of listening, reading, and even writing (to many of YOU in my IG messages!) made it much easier by the end. Pro tip: Converting your phone settings to Spanish forces you to spend hours a day reading it. SUPER HELPFUL to me. By day seven, I held a lengthier discussion with a willing IG fan which really surprised me (in the best way, of course!) ;). I give major credit to Duolingo, which was an immensely helpful tool (along with tuning into some v. entertaining telenovelas on YouTube… everyone should do a search on there for Miramar; it’s quite cheesy in the best way possible!).

WEEK 20: Zero Waste

If we’re being honest, I was mostly inspired by @trashisfortossers — as well as many, many requests by all of you — to do a no waste challenge for a week. So for seven days, I attempted to fit all of my trash into a mason jar. Crazy, huh!? I will say that kids, a hectic travel schedule, and an affinity for La Croix proved to make this harder than I planned for. BUT, I legitimately made some progress and learned new products, tips, and insights about how to live with less emissions. I will forever judge myself for using a plastic straw, and I now have converted all of my plastic water bottles at home to glass, plus swapped out plastic baggies for cloth or paper. Even weeks later, I’m still so conscious of how I can reduce my own waste. I wish everyone would try this challenge for a week! Think of the collective good we could do for this world.

WEEK 21: Making $1,000

For these seven days, I was inspired to raise $1,000 for a cause that’s near (it’s in my hometown) and dear to my heart — @raciestexas. With some crafty thinking, I was able to review websites, write poems, and sell dresses on Instagram to hit my goal (and then some!) of $5,000. By the time the week was over, I walked away with some serious cash for a worthy cause and gained some new rhyming skills in the process. I’d consider that a win-win! The bigger takeaway was learning about all the random ways it’s now possible to make some money on the side. I’ve already seen many women try them out for themselves for added income. Love it!

WEEK 22: Wearing Braids

You guys, I love braids. But because I haven’t yet mastered all of the techniques (there are SO many types of braids these days!), I decided to embark on a week-long mission to sharpen my skillset. With expert tips from online tutorials (Brit + Co has a helpful braid how-to here!), I experimented with milk-maid braids, fish tails, dutch braids, and of course, the ever classic French braid. Weeks later and I’m still rocking a braid every few days, now with WAY more confidence. Here’s to switching up my hair game more!

WEEK 23: Going Vegetarian

Believe it or not, this Texas gal has considered converting to a veggie lifestyle before. So this challenge felt like the perfect time to officially try it! My thoughts? I had a travel-heavy week, which was incredibly frustrating for this challenge. Trying to find nutritious vegetarian meals in airports is near-impossible! You end up eating almonds or terrible salads. During other parts of the week, I leaned on lots of eggs, cheese, rice, and beans to get me through, which didn’t always feel super healthy. I also experienced a rather, um, unwanted side effect of intestinal gas, which I was reassured by all of you was perfectly normal during this new eating phase. (Still SO awkward.) All things said, I gained respect for all vegetarians out there who have to navigate their diets in a meat-heavy world. It isn’t easy, and it’s always uncomfortable being “that girl” asking for the substitutes. Veggie eaters, I feel you! (PS One of our editors captured her own foray into being vegetarian here that’s definitely worth watching!)

Have you been following along with my #GiveItAWeek challenges? Share your feedback with me @brit!

In 2019, I took a chance on fitness: I set out to try a different kind of fitness each week of the year. That's 52 different kinds of fitness. I was inspired by Brit + Co Founder and CEO Brit Morin and her #GiveItAWeek challenges. (You can check out Brit's full year of weekly challenges @brit on Instagram.)


I've been a runner for almost 10 years now. Being a runner is part of my identity, it's part of who I am. I can't tell you the number of times people have said to me, "I could never be a runner!!" And the number of times I've responded "Yes, you can!!"

Or, they'd say, "I hate running, but I want to be a runner!"

It hit me one day, when I was talking to someone who loved dance fitness as much as I loved running: there are SO MANY types of fitness out there. There are so many different ways to be active. And I wanted to try more of them.

That's what inspired #fitforsevens.

Below are some of the lessons learned during my 52 weeks of different kinds of fitness:

  1. There are so many ways to sweat and be active. I didn't even make it through my entire list of different kinds of fitness — which included way more than 52 — that I wanted to try!
  2. The fitness industry capitalizes on body shaming, insecurities and diet culture. Unfortunately the majority of the gyms or new workout regimens I tried had a weight loss focus. One trainer even asked me during an introductory assessment, "How long have you hated your body?"
  3. Fitness culture is real and can be hard to break into. It can take a couple visits to know if you fit with the community of a particular gym or fitness space. Be brave and be patient.
  4. You have to do it for you, not anyone else. When I would invite someone to join me on one of the weeks, often they wouldn't show up or would cancel right beforehand. I think that fitness is one of those things that people choose to bail on — it's just too much of a commitment for some — so you can't rely on other people to help you reach your goals. You have to do it for you.

My favorites workouts

A few of my favorites were honestly surprising to me! I did not expect to love axe throwing (Week 13) as much as I did. If you haven't tried it yet, you need to!! I also loved Bar Method (Week 6) and pilates (Week 39) — both were such different kinds of fitness and movement. I was so sore from Bar Method!

My all-time favorite week though was visiting a women-owned CrossFit gym (Week 42) that is new to Fresno/Clovis. It was so different than any other CrossFit gym I've ever visited and the environment that the coaches and members created made me feel at home instantly. It confirmed one of the biggest lessons that I learned all year: that environment and community matters so much to a fitness experience.

Least favorite workouts

I don't love big box gyms (the ones that just have rows and rows of equipment and machines). I need more structure than those spaces offer for me and I need a greater sense of community. The price point for these gyms usually make them more accessible but for me they don't provide the accountability and community that I want and need.

I also had a really disappointing experience at a boot camp gym where I experienced an unfortunate amount of body shaming and weight-loss-only focused goal setting. Fitness is not always about weight loss, and it was disheartening to see some gyms capitalize on body shaming as a marketing technique.

What I learned about my fitness language

I need community. I care much more about how a place makes me feel than the kind of workout that I'm getting. Ideally, you'll find a place or a kind of fitness that makes you feel both. Because I work from home, I appreciate the community that my gym now brings me. It helps me to have somewhere to go and something to schedule my days around.

Would I do #fitforsevens again?

Maybe someday, but not someday soon, haha. It was so fun and I'm so proud of myself for completing the challenge, but I'm ready to focus more on my fitness in CrossFit, swimming, biking and running. There are still so many kinds of fitness that I did not get to try though, so overall, I think this challenge encouraged me to be more adventurous with my fitness.

Looking ahead

As a long-time runner, I never thought I'd find another kind of fitness that I love as much as running. Running is still my greatest fitness love, but I learned that there are so many ways to move your body out there. My #fitforsevens challenge made me realize that I'm stronger than I think I am and inspired me to quit my full-time job to chase a huge dream: training for an Ironman!

THE LIST

Below are all of the 52 kinds of fitness that I tried. You can find videos and more @sweatytearsofjoy on my highlights:

1. Weighted vest workouts

2. Burpees and SUP

3. Yoga

4. CycleBar Fresno

5. Run 5 miles 5x

6. Bar Method

7. Fit Body Boot Camp

8. Blue Moon Yoga

9. Double Unders

10. EmPack

11. TRX Suspension Training

12. Biking

13. Axe Throwing

14. Hip Circle

15. Resistance Bands

16. Juggling and Lunastix

17. Plank

18. Old Town Yoga (online)

19. Old Town Yoga (class)

20. Weight Vest Running

21. Orange Theory Fitness

22. Rollerblading

23. Fitness Social - TRX focus

24. Fit Body Boot Camp

25. Aerial Yoga

26. Swimming

27. 9Round Fitness

28. Driving Range

29. Night Running

30. Stretching

31. Tai chi

32. Dance fitness

33. Esports

34. Hiking solo

35. Peloton

36. Garmin

37. Kettlebells

38. Trail running

39. Pilates

40. Pumpkin workout

41. High altitude running

42. Uncaged CrossFit

43. Fitness Social - Kettlebell focus

44. Park workouts

45. Tennis

46. Step aerobics

47. Body pump

48. Tabata fitness

49. Open-water swimming

50. Open gym

51. Fitness apps

52. MURPH/Hero workouts

I hope that you spend 2020 trying things that you're afraid to try. I hope that you try things that you might be bad at. And I hope you get sweaty.

The holidays are here, people – now is the perfect time to gear up your holiday decor game! Luckily, Fortunoff Backyard Store is here to help you get a jump with plenty of holiday decor options like Christmas trees, ornaments, outdoor lighting, wreaths, and charming indoor pieces. We scrolled their entire site and found these 17 total hidden gems that will undeniably fill your home (inside and out) with cheer.

Scroll on for our favorite holiday decor finds from Fortunoff Backyard Store!

Fortunoff Backyard Store

7.5-Foot Norway Spruce Classic Christmas Tree with 800 Twinkling Dual LED Lights

This affordable Christmas tree is at the very top of our holiday decor wishlist. Plus, you can't beat cozy lighting!

Fortunoff Backyard Store

Terrafab Weathered Grey Barrel Gas Fire Pit

Though this gas-powered fire pit will sure come in handy during the cold holiday season, you can definitely still use it in the spring and summer for family bonfires and well into the following fall and winter for s'mores parties. Did we mention it's 64% off right now?!

Fortunoff Backyard Store

8.5-Inch Light Up Musical Water TV with Santa & Sleigh

This adorable battery-powered TV decor piece features a very charming Santa in his sleigh. We love the retro flair! When powered on, Santa's pictured in warm light and plenty of dazzling glitter to some of your favorite Christmas tunes.

Fortunoff Backyard Store

Wooden Triangle Santa Head Advent Calendar

We're all about advent calendars this season. The best part about this Santa design is you can use it year after year. This is definitely a fun and festive way to count down the days until Christmas!

Fortunoff Backyard Store

87-Inch Midnight Gas Pyramid Patio Heater

This 50%-off pick is perfect for keeping your holiday guests warm, especially if your patio or backyard tends to be your main hosting spot. It can cover about 210 square feet for a super cozy effect.

Fortunoff Backyard Store

Indoor Infinity Light Deer

This tiny deer fitted with a fun infinity mirror is ideal for decorating small spaces. You could also display it in your entryway or a front window for a bright and energetic "welcome home!"

Fortunoff Backyard Store

7.5-Foot Fraser Fir Full Christmas Tree with 2800 Twinkling LED Lights

Nothing beats a Christmas tree with some warm lights. They help supply that classic Christmas look we know and love. With pre-strung LED lights, you can spend more time enjoying the season instead of decorating!

Fortunoff Backyard Store

3.4-Foot Natural Reindeer with 360 Warm White LED Lights

Don't worry: we've got some goodies for you, all you yard decorators! This plug-in reindeer is crafted from a rattan material, giving it an unmatched cozy feel. It also comes ready to go with warm white LED lights that'll shine once the sun goes down.

Fortunoff Backyard Store

30-Inch Flocked Noble Fir Wreath with 100 LED Lights

This faux snow-sprinkled wreath looks great on its own with its collection of cozy lights, but you could also fix it up with some ribbons and other playful holiday accoutrement to show off on your front door.

Fortunoff Backyard Store

9-Foot Flocked Noble Fir Garland with 100 LED Lights

The coordinating garland is so gorgeous, too. Hang it across your mantle or along your stairwell to really up the holiday vibes!

Fortunoff Backyard Store

9-Foot Douglas Fir Full Christmas Tree with 4500 Twinkling Dual LED Lights

If you prefer your Christmas and holiday decor to lean more traditional, this is the tree for you. It gives a soft, warm glow that's sure to complement any interior!

Fortunoff Backyard Store

Red Shiny Shatterproof Christmas Ball Ornament

Of course, a Christmas tree wouldn't be a Christmas tree without some ornaments! We love Fortunoff Backyard Store's selection, plus you really can't go wrong with a classic ball shape.

Fortunoff Backyard Store

9-Foot Red and Green Poinsettia Garland

Poinsettias always provide a warm welcome to the holiday season. Embrace Christmastime with a pop of poinsettia blooms placed tastefully throughout this decked-out garland!

Fortunoff Backyard Store

11-Inch Framed Star with 400 Warm White LED Lights

The lights wound around this cheerful star-shaped decor piece have a magical twinkling effect that'll cover your front or back yard with tons of holiday cheer. The 11-inch frame is fitted with 26.2 feet of clear cable, so you can hang it how you really want it.

Fortunoff Backyard Store

4.9 x 6.6-Foot Christmas LED Warm White Net Light

Net lights like these are the premier choice for decorating your yard's shrubs and bushes. They're extremely easy to install, plus the net construction ensures your lights are always evenly distributed.

Fortunoff Backyard Store

23.5-Inch Infinity Light Snowman

If jolly's what you're looking for, this handsome little snowman will be the piece to complete this year's holiday decor setup! He can happily sit in a window or on top of your mantle, emitting an eye-catching design all the while.

Fortunoff Backyard Store

4-Inch Glass Mercury Plaid Ball Ornament

Plaid will never go out of style when it comes to holiday decor, as far as we're concerned. Snag a few of these glass ornaments to truly deck out your tree in timeless Christmas spirit!

Subscribe to our newsletter to shop more editor-approved holiday decor!

Brit + Co may at times use affiliate links to promote products sold by others, but always offers genuine editorial recommendations.

At Brit + Co, we believe that courage, curiosity, creativity, and confidence are contagious. The more we encourage these qualities in women, the more empowered they’ll feel to empower other women, and the better the world will be. We celebrate all folks from all walks of life, and representation is important to us. That’s why we’re reaching out to you, our community, in search of diverse faces that represent our audience and the world. If you or someone you know is interested in joining our modeling team, we’re holding an open casting call! Join us:

WHEN: Friday, March 29, from 11am-3pm and

Saturday, March 30, from 10am-2pm

WHERE:Brit + Co Headquarters, 550 Sutter Street, San Francisco, CA 94102

WHO: We are looking for all different types of people! Bring your moms, your pals, your partners, and your kiddos!

(Local to Bay Area only)

HOW: Please fill out this questionnaire!

EXPECT: To spend about an hour of your time.

We can't wait to meet you!

Chad Michael Murray has many names: Lucas Scott, Cal Jones, Jake — and Dad! The actor (whose new movie The Merry Gentlemen is on Netflix now) just revealed that he always brings his kids to work while filming, and my daddy's girl heart is simply melting.

If you're an One Tree Hill fan, there's a good chance you're a die-hard Lucas and Peyton shipper, but IRL Chad currently has three children with wife, Sarah Roemer: a son who's nine, a daughter who's six, and another daughter who just turned one.

Here's why Chad Michael Murray always brings his family to set with him.

  • Chad Michael Murray has three kids: a 9-year-old son, a 6-year-old daughter, and a 1-year-old daughter.
  • The actor revealed why his family, whom he calls "The Pack," joins him on every film set.
  • He also spills on why he's "really proud" of new Christmas movie The Merry Gentlemen, on Netflix now!

The reason Chad Michael Murray always brings his fam to set is actually really simple. “I want to be there," he tells Variety of why his family is inseparable. "I got to be there for my daughter’s first steps. I got to take her trick or treating for the first time. And she crushed it!"

The actor really views his family as a unit, and proudly calls them "The Pack," which sounds exactly like something Austin Ames from A Cinderella Story would call his family. But don't worry — even though the family was with him on the set of The Merry Gentlemen, which follows a group of guys who stage a steamy revue to rescue a local venue, the kids don't have any innocence lost.

“It’s not gratuitous by any means," he continues. "We threaded the needle on that film. You go too far and you’re making one movie, you go too under, and it doesn’t work at all. It’s in the perfect space where people won’t feel wrong having it on the TV in the background. It’s the sweet spot, and I’m really proud of that."

Chad and his wife recently celebrated their 10th anniversary on September 19, and he posted the sweetest tribute in honor of the special day. "We’ve jammed more into this 10 years than I ever could’ve imagined. It’s truly astounding," he says on Instagram. "It’s been the Best decade of my life by far- sharing each and every moment with you. We’ve grown this little pack together and seen so much of the world as a family. I’m so grateful for you Sarah. Every day is a better and much brighter day with you in it:)"

"I hope and pray for at least 50 more anniversaries with you," he continues. "Till we’re old and gray… new hips, new knees, our elbow skin will be touching the ground, all the kids will think we’re senile but really we’re just f-ing with them… coz that’s what you do when you’re old and together:) I love you Sarah- Happy 10th Anniversary❤️❤️❤️"

In addition to his new holiday flick, the One Tree Hill actor recently made headlines for commenting on his potential return to the One Tree Hill sequel series that's (hopefully) coming to Netflix soon. We know Sophia Bush, Hilarie Burton, and Danneel Ackles are involved, but will we see Lucas join Brooke, Peyton, and Rachel? "No clue," he says, although he hopes it “comes together for the fans.”

“I mean, this fandom that has grown, I mean, literally, I was just in Halifax a week ago and, sure enough, I’m running into 11, 12, 13-year-old kids who are in love with Tree Hill,” he continues. “They’re seeing it on Hulu and they’re going, ‘Oh, my gosh.’ It’s stood the test of time and I think to have some new stories, whatever iteration of the show that’s created, I want it for the fans.”

C'mon everybody let's sing together — I DON'T WANNA BE ANYTHING OTHER THAN WHAT I'VE BEEN TRYNA BE LATELY!

Does Chad Michael Murray seem like the ultimate girl dad? Let us know in the comments and tag us with your hottest The Merry Gentlemen takes!

Miley Cyrus and boyfriend Maxx Morando are extremely elusive, TBH. We've gotten snippets of their relationship status here and there, from them moving in together to their adorable appearance at the Grammys, but not much more than that. Thankfully, Miley opened up to Harper's Bazaarabout her budding relationship, making rare comments about her curly-haired beau.

Here's what Miley Cyrus had to say about Maxx Morando!

Francis Specker/CBS

Like most millennials, Miley needs help staying up-to-date on all things Gen Z, including (and maybe especially) when it comes to memes. Luckily, apparently Maxx keeps her in the loop by sending her what he sees online — a time when their eight-year age gap really seems to come in handy. She told Harper's Bazaar, “He looks at life really differently than I do. He grew up with a laptop. I had a desktop computer that I shared with my brothers and sisters."

The Grammy-winner went on to explain that Maxx even uses his Gen Z-ness when it comes to their dog (OMG they have a dog together?!). She said, "Honestly, he’s raised our dog off Reddit. I’m like, Are you sure we’re supposed to be doing this? And he’s like, On Reddit it says blah, blah, blah."

She went on to explain that Maxx is "very similar" to her. She said, "We just don’t take life too seriously." This all plays into their ability for the two musicians to collaborate on creating, meshing their personal and professional lives pretty seamlessly. According to the article, Maxx helped write the song "Something Beautiful" on her upcoming album, which is apparently the title track...I'm not crying, you are!

While so many couldn't intertwine their careers with matters so personal, Miley clearly feels differently. She said, “I worked with my dad forever. That’s how me and my ex-husband met each other. I’ve always worked with the people that I love. And Maxx just inspires me so much.”

BRB while I anxiously await this new album...and any other updates on these two love birds!

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