Happy Holidays.. and Some of My Favorite Things!

Happy holidays! 2020 is almost over... which means we have a lot to look forward to in 2021! I wanted to take a moment to thank all my readers, and wish you each a healthy, happy holiday season - it means so much to me, this community of warm, positive, helpful people, so thank you! I also wanted to link to a few blog posts I did this year that I really enjoyed writing, and think helped many of you, as well, so check those out below.

In addition, I had some personal accomplishments I was able to achieve this year, despite everything going on, that I share at the end of this post. I think it is so important to recognize when we do well in our lives... we are worth it! So I hope you enjoy this, and I'm looking forward to a healthier, happier 2021 with you all! xoxo, Denise

Some of my favorite posts in 2020:

Healthy Kitchen Staples To Stock Up On. With so many of us staying at home this year, navigating the kitchen was more important than ever - even I had some learning curves with having to cook so much more at home! The good news is that cooking at home can mean eating a lot healthier - you know what is going into your meals, and the process of preparing and cooking can be almost meditative and certainly creative! It can also be cost-effective... which is why I created a list of the staples you should try to always have in your kitchen. This helped me (and my daughters!) to stay stocked up on healthy, versatile pantry and fresh food items to get us through our more limited grocery shopping trips. I hope this list helps you, too!

My Secrets for Staying Healthy and Hopeful! I was so excited to be on the cover of Woman’s World Magazine this past May with my daughter Katie - it was such a fun experience, and I looooved the topic of the article: staying healthy and positive! This post covers some of my tried-and-true tips for keeping your emotional and physical well-being in check. Each are simple to do, so give them a try this year and in 2021!

My Monthly Wake Up Morning Stretch Workouts. These were popular with you all, month after month. I loved filming them as much as you enjoyed doing them!! And the good news is that I will continue on with this series in 2021, so check your inbox at the beginning of each month! In the meantime, you can see all of the 2020 Wake Up Stretch Workouts on my YouTube channel.

This year also brought so many fun and amazing professional milestones as well. I am so proud of this list and grateful to everyone who helped me achieve these! In 2020 I:

• Celebrated my 40th year in the fitness industry - can you believe it??!!
• Launched my all new EVER BETTER™ Protein Bites line of healthy cookies (I love them - try them today!!!).
• Achieved a life-long dream of having my own magazine!!! Fit Over 50... Thanks to Bauer Publishing!!! Two issues came out in 2020, Spring and Fall, available on newsstands and online, with more to come in 2021 (including a January digest-sized issue!).
• Rolled out my Shape, Strengthen and Sculpt Kit to help make working out at home a little easier!!
• Launched my all new Denise Austin Shop, for one-stop shopping for healthy fitness, nutrition and lifestyle items.
• Produced new videos and a free At Home Workout Challenge for quarantine - a feat in itself!!! But offering up free content to help everyone stay healthy physically and emotionally during this trying year was super important to me, and with my team we did it!

Here's to more goals set and achieved in 2021 - love you all!

Denise