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Melinda Strauss

Melinda
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therealmelindastrauss

❤️Teaching you how to LIVE with intention
🙏🏻Transforming your health➕business as a Certified Optavia Coach
🐶Sharing INSPO on my morning dog walks

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In December one year ago, I decided on my word for 2019. TRUST.
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I’d never picked a word of the year before so last year seemed like a really good time to start. A word that I could rely on, a word that could keep me moving forward. So all throughout 2019, I reminded myself to TRUST. Trust my mentors, trust that people are listening, trust my gut, trust the process.
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2020 is coming soon and that means I time to start thinking of a new word. I’m pretty sure I know what it is but I’m still on the fence. This word can hold a lot of power if I choose wisely. This word can help me when I’m tired, when things get tough, when I’m not sure what’s next.
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Do you have a word of the year? I would love to hear yours!
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#trusttheprocess #trust #wordoftheyear #growthmindset #personalgrowth #livewithintention #livewithpurpose #motivational #2020goals #2020vision #visionboard #lookingforward #healthyhabits #healthymindset

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THIS! I am in love! I can’t stop staring! Her eyes, her hair, her lips, her dreams! And let’s not forget the butterflies. This woman is everything that the @kavanaconference is about and I am so grateful to @sefiracreative for creating her for all of us!!!!
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She will be all over the KAVANA Conference and she doesn’t even have a name. Want to name her for me???
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Go to kavanaconference.com for tickets and you’ll get your hands on this beauty too!
#kavanaconference #learntodream #livewithintention #sefiracreative #artistsofinstagram #womensupportingwomen #wegrowtogether #dreamingtogether #madeformore #jewishwomenofinsta

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I did something crazzzzzzy tonight!
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I went out on a Monday night 🤣 Yes, for me, that’s craziness! And it was snowing!!! I feel like I’m growing here 🥰
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The truth is, I sometimes commit to things and then I wish I could take back the commitment. Do you know what I mean? I say yes and then I wish I had said no. But I’m learning to take more responsibility for my decisions. Say yes when I want to say yes and say no when I know I really want to say no. It’s not easy to do bc sometimes I don’t want to hurt people’s feelings or I’m not sure if I’m making the best decision, but I’m working on it.
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So I said yes to an event with @fleishigsmag @adeenasussman and @sage.kitchen ❤️ I said yes because I legit wanted to go! And when the snow started falling, I reminded myself that I made the choice to say yes. I decided I wanted to be there! And then I did it! I put my boots on and I drove in! And I had a freaking blast!!!
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So here’s to learning how to say yes more AND no more!
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#personalgrowth #selflove #livewithintention #learntosayno #learntosayyestoyourself #nightout #growthmindset #letitsnow #motivationmonday #thankgoodnessitsmonday

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It’s officially December 😱 One more month of the decade seems so crazy to say out loud but it’s true! And December also means Chanukah season 🥳 Latkes, donuts, and all things olive oil!!!!! Can you tell I’m excited?!?
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9 years of food blogging and I’ve accumulated a huge amount of Chanukah recipes on kitchen-tested.com 🙏🏻 Anyone remember the epic Thanksgivukkah of 2013. It will live on in history! Chocolate Gelt Pecan Pie, Orange Sage Olive Oil Cake, Turkey Gizzard Stuffing, Almond Goat Cheese Scones with Red Wine Cranberry Sauce, Pumpkin Bimuelos, and these Brussels Sprout Latkes. Like I said, EPIC!
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This year, Chanukah and Christmas are going down at the same time...is it time for another mash-up of holiday recipes? Chrismukkah recipes?
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#happyholidays #chanukah #hanukkah #brusselsprouts #latkes #latkesfordays #jewfood #jewishfood #chrismukkah #recipemashup #decembertoremember #thanksgivukkah #holidayrecipes #f52grams #letmypeopleeat #huffposttaste #saveurmag #eeeeeats #bonappetit

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If there’s one thing I want right now, it’s to inspire change; to be a spark. To help you realize that you DO deserve more. You ARE more than just a mom, a sister, a daughter. You CAN take time for yourself without feeling guilty. Your commitments are worthy. Your honesty is important. You CAN take the day for yourself and do something that matters to you.
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THAT is what the @kavanaconference is all about: YOU! It’s a day to figure out what YOU want, what’s holding YOU back, how YOU can get what you want, how YOU can push through your fears.
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I created KAVANA because I’ve learned that life is worth living for my own dreams. I’ve realized that it’s just as important to say no as it is to say yes. And how amazing to get a day to yourself, right?!?! A growth conference that’s one day, all Jewish women and Jewish speakers, not on Shabbos (woohoo!!). If you’ve been thinking of coming, NOW is the time to decide that this event is right for you. That YOU are important. You have the power to make the change you want in your life.
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KAVANA tickets are on sale for 15% off through Monday with code KAVANABLACKFRIDAY so go to kavanaconference.com and buy your ticket ❤️
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#kavanaconference #youreworthit #youdeservethis #livewithintention #inspireothers #inspirechange #motivationalspeaker #selflove #personalgrowth #growthmindset #goallin #blackfriday #onedayatatime #healthyhabits #healthymindset #ownyourlife #ownyourpast #createyourfuture

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Wrapping up Thanksgiving 2019 with this guy ❤️ So grateful to all my friends and family who joined us for dinner tonight and thank you to some of those friends and fam for their patience while @busyinbrooklyn @cookinginheelss @joyofcakes and I had a photo shoot with all the food 😂
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Big shout out to @fleishigsmag for inspiring my menu this year! You can see it all in my Thanksgiving highlight 😘 I had such a blast trying so many new recipes and getting to watch everyone fill up at dinner always makes my day! 1 year until we get to do it all again 🥳
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#happythanksgivng #thanksgivingdinner #buffetstyle #grateful #thankful #feelingblessed

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Do you know what makes my day? When someone reaches out and says “hi, are you working with new clients right now?”
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I think we ALL do this...we assume other people’s lives are so busy so we don’t reach out. We decide for them that they are too busy for us. “I don’t want to bother her”
“When she’s done with that thing, I’ll reach out”
“I know she’s busy so...”
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Why decide that I don’t have time for you? What if I do??? When someone tells me they wanted to reach out but they KNOW how busy I am, I like to ask “how do you know?” 😂 What you see on social media is a portion of my life, as it is for every person out there, but the rest is the unknown. Maybe I’m sitting around eating truffles all day 😱 Okay, yeah, that’s definitely not happening but I can tell you that coaching is my job, it’s my passion, it’s the reason I’m still contending. And I MAKE time for it because it’s a priority. .
So if you want to reach out and you’re worried that I’m too busy, reach out anyways! I’ll let YOU know how busy I am 😘
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Do you ever assume people are too busy for you?
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#healthcoachlife #busypeoplegetthingsdone #optaviacoach #greatcoaches #mypassion #helpingotherssucceed #growthmindset #livewithintention #gettingthingsdone #prioritizeyourself #coachlife #onehealthyhabitatatime #habitsofhealth #successhabits
📸cred @estybphotography

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I am DRIVEN!
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And I’m also obsessed with this sweatshirt from @drivendaybrand 😘 Legit, it’s so flipping soft and warm and I want one with a hood and pockets and in every color, k?
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Now that I’ve put in my request, I want to tell you what this sweatshirt really means to me. The old Mel did not consider herself driven. I thought I was so lazy. I thought I was happy watching TV all day and sometimes creating a new recipe 🤷‍♀️ Funny thing is, I think I have always been driven...I was just hiding behind the fear of hard work and judgement. I never gave myself enough credit for all of the awesome things I was doing between reruns of Buffy and watching Sister Act on repeat. I started the @jewishfoodmedia Conference! I started a blog and actually kept up with it for 9 years! I learned how to take beautiful pictures of food! I lost 20 pounds! I became a health coach! I gave birth to 2 kids! I work on my marriage every day! All of these things happen because I am driven and I am owning that now!
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I am so excited that @drivendaybrand is a VIP sponsor at the @kavanaconference 🎉 Each VIP will be receiving their very own Driven Day Planner! How sick is that?!?!?!? Makes you want to come to KAVANA, amiright? You can buy your tickets at kavanaconference.com ✌🏻
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#kavanaconference #driven #drivenbypassion #drivendayplanner #iamdriven #grit #givingmyselfcredit #personalgrowth #growthmindset #personalgrowthconference #livewithintention #intentionalliving #kavanasponsor #madeformore #iamstrong
📸 cred @tamar_abikzer who stood out in the freezing cold with me to take this pic like the rockstar she is!

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