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Pumpkin spice is the unofficial fragrance of fall. As soon as I opened my computer on September 1, I expected to see visible waves of sparkly orange pumpkin spice aroma pouring out of Pinterest, lifting people up by their noses and carrying them through the air like in the old Bugs Bunny cartoons.

When Starbucks first came out with its Pumpkin Spice Latte, everyone thought it was just one of many seasonal flavors that seemed like a good idea at the time. But pumpkin spice has become a juggernaut well beyond lattes. If you search for “pumpkin spice” on Pinterest, you’ll find everything from DIY latte recipes to pumpkin spice bath bombs. “Pumpkin spice” is even a hair color trend, which I thought sounded funny until I saw the pictures, and now I’m thinking I need some light auburn highlights for fall, to go with all the lattes.

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Up until a year ago, I avoided sardines at all costs. They seemed antiquated and a bit weird — the bones, the skin, all packed in a tiny can— and my life was perfectly fine without them. Then I went to Portugal for my honeymoon, where tinned fish is king, and my newly wedded bliss gave me the courage to give them a go.

Sure enough, I became an instant fan. I loved their rich flavor and meaty texture and, as soon as I came home, I cleared room in the pantry for a few tins. They can be polarizing, no doubt about that, but I firmly believe if you’re willing to try them and you try the right kind, you might join me in my Sardines Fan Club.

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It may be a cliché, but I’ll admit that my husband and I have had actual arguments over how to load the dishwasher. Turns out, we’ve both been wrong a few times, according to the dishwasher pros I’ve interviewed. Here are the 10 best things you can do when loading the dishwasher.

A bonus thing: Don’t fight with your significant other. After all, it’s just one load of dishes.

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https://www.girlsgonestrong.com/

Name: Gina DeRoos
Age: 40
Location: Manteca, CA

What does it mean to you to be part of the GGS Community?
To me, it means unapologetically loving and valuing yourself as a masterpiece and a work in progress. It embodies living in the present moment and loving the version of who you are right now.

How long have you been strength training, and how did you get started?
I started strength training around 2013 as preparation for my first NPC (National Physique Committee) competition. It was a whole new world for me, but I quickly came to love how strong I was becoming, not just physically, but mentally as well.

I also quickly came to realize that training strictly for competition was not my thing. It was incredibly demanding and deep down I wasn’t really happy. Sure I was happy with my stage-ready body, but at what cost. After injuring my sacroiliac joint prepping for my last competition, I decided it was time to give up competing for good.

Unfortunately for me, what seemed like a small injury turned into a full on lower back and hip problem. It has taken several years, multiple doctors and therapists and even an acupuncturist to get me to the point where I’m not in chronic pain. Because of this my training slowed down tremendously, but I still managed to stay active through teaching pole fitness and bootcamp classes.

It was my next injury that would lead to an almost complete standstill in training and overall activity. It’s been a long and frustrating process but I’m hopeful that I will regain my strength and resume a normal training schedule. Until then, I’m focused on the present and loving myself just the way I am.

What does your typical workout look like?
Right now my workouts consist of mainly physical therapy-type exercises. In late 2017 I injured my left shoulder, followed by my right shoulder. While my left shoulder healed wonderfully, my right shoulder continued to give me problems — subsequently I lost most of my range of motion.

Right now I’m focusing on bodyweight and banded exercises to rebuild strength and hopefully regain range of motion and full use of my shoulder.

Favorite lift:
I’ve always been a fan of the Romanian Deadlift, but I’m not allowed to do that right now, so I’m embracing my modified resistance band deadlift, which is no joke. Like seriously, those bands sneak up on you.

Top 5 songs on your training playlist:
I don’t have a playlist (gasp!!) I know, I know. I prefer to let the music flow to me and through me during my workouts. I find it freeing to have no expectation and be completely surprised and taken over by the music.

Do you prefer to train alone or with others? Why?
I have always enjoyed training alone. I’m very much in my head when I train, even now. When I’m training it’s just me against the world. Head down, headphones in and completely focused.

Favorite meal:
I love a good salad, and it has to be homemade. I’m a vegan, so greens are my jam. I love creating a buddha bowl-type salad with lots of roasted chickpeas, tofu, peppers and olives.

Favorite quote:

“The present moment is the only moment available to us, and it is the door to all moments.” — Thich Nhat Hanh

Favorite book:
The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam. I can spend hours reading and interpreting this book with my husband. It’s one of our favorite things to do.

What inspires and motivates you?
Watching others persevere against all odds. To be quite frank, being injured sucks.

There are moments when I feel like it’s never going to get better, and then I see someone rise above their challenges and suddenly I feel like I can see a light at the end of the tunnel again.

It inspires me to have patience, accept where I am right now, and keep moving forward.

What do you do?
I work for Diane Flores (another GGS community member and featured spotlight) at Venus Pole Fitness. I teach Pole flexibility and stretching classes, mindful movement and HIIT style bootcamp classes. I’m also a certified crystal healer and reiki practitioner. I help people balance and align their chakras through the use of crystals and intuitive healing.

What else do you do?
I’m actually quite the introvert. I love being at home and spending time with my husband and animals. A perfect evening for me is curling up on the couch with a great book and a really good glass of wine. I also collect crystals and minerals for my practice and for personal use. I could spend hours in a gem and crystal shop just soaking up all the good energy.

Your next training goal:
I’m trying to take it one day at a time on work on little goals. My next small goal is restoring range of motion to my shoulder so that I can reintroduce push exercises into my routine.

For what are you most grateful?

I’m grateful for the women who came before me and paved the way. Their sacrifices and the stories they shared have allowed me to be my authentic self.

Which three words best describe you?
Quiet. Loyal. Empathic.

How has lifting weights changed your life?
Lifting weights has shown me that I can accomplish anything I put my mind to. No matter what stage I am in my life, I know that consistent lifting at any range can make a difference.

What do you want to say to other women who might be nervous or hesitant about strength training?
It’s normal to be nervous or even intimidated by strength training. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t when I first started. This is what I know for sure, and it’s so cliche — you have absolutely nothing to lose so just go for it. As long as you have great training and support you will see results — physical, mental and emotional.

You can discover more about Gina on her website, and connect with her on Instagram.

Pole performance photo by Albert Martinez Photo; all other photos by Angela Castro.

The post GGS Spotlight: Gina DeRoos appeared first on Girls Gone Strong.

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Basic and budget recipes don’t have to mean boring — especially when it comes to dinner. I’ve been working on my own grocery budget as much to add cash to my vacation savings account as to reduce waste and keep a cleaner pantry — both pleasant side effects of buying only what you need!

Relying on staples that stock our pantry and freezer, we can save our budgets with those basics for delicious and filling dinners every cook should know.

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How often do you pay attention to your ears? If you are like most people, you tend to ignore your ears – they are just kind of there on the side of your head. Ears actually have a few critical jobs to do including regulating balance and transmitting information about the position of your head […]

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Five hundred bucks is nothing to sneeze at. You can get a lot of groceries for $500, book a weekend away, or have a few nice meals out on the town. You can’t, however, usually renovate a kitchen for $500, but you can buy at least one thing that’ll make a huge difference in how you use or feel about your kitchen.

We asked three of our favorite designers to tell us the best way to spend $500 on a kitchen. Here’s what they had to suggest.

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If there’s one Costco fact we’ve been trying to prove to you lately, it’s that the warehouse store carries plenty of healthy foods. For starters, there’s the top-quality produce. There’s all sorts of healthy snacks for a lunch box, good-for-you frozen items, and there’s even a pretty healthy food court option.

We actually have a favorite among the many healthy options — and it happens to currently be on sale.

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My new mantra is “just get me to October!” September has been busy with back-to-school events (Parents’ Night, Harvest Fest) and lots of solo parenting. Here’s the magic of meal plans, though — when a calendar week is hectic I can use meal planning to make one part of each day easier. (In this case dinner.)

This week’s meal plan includes one slow cooker recipe we stashed in the freezer a few weeks back, plus three new but ultra-easy recipes that everyone will love. There’s still our regularly scheduled pizza on Friday, which uses up leftovers but doesn’t use the slow cooker. Here’s how a week of slow cooker dinners is making my week easier.

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If you’re feeling like your dinner plate is missing something, it’s probably missing potatoes. The crowd-pleaser rounds out just about any meal and can be cooked countless ways. These 10 recipes are tried-and-true, and feature both standard spuds and sweet potatoes. Keep them in your back pocket and you’ll always have a side dish to lean on.

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