Holiday Update

One of my favorite ways to spend the holidays is by catching up on my movie watching. It's a great way to get a few in before awards season begins, plus spend some time with my friends and family. Earlier in the week I met up with my best pal and we saw The Fighter. Highly highly recommend it. Christian Bale's performance is captivating, while Mark Walberg's abs will have you thinking about the gym pronto.
Today I'm going with my mom, dad and sister to see The King's Speech. I've heard great things and it's getting a lot of Oscar buzz. Stay tuned!
If you have any movie recommendations, I'd love to hear it!

Reading Material

Never one to shy away from a little self promotion, I'm writing to remind you to pick up the latest copy of the mag. January 2011, featuring the iconic Monica Brant on the cover, is on sale now. What better way to treat yourself to a little something between gatherings during the holiday season.
Enjoy!

Happy Holidays!

Hi friends,
As I write it's December 23, the last day of work before we break for the holidays. And although we're super busy trying to meet deadlines and get the latest issue out the door, the mood is festive, spirits are high and energy levels are soaring. The Oxygen staffers work so hard year round, they deserve this time off to spend with family and friends and dare I say put clean eating on the back-burner for a few days. But if our staff are anything like Oxygen readers, they may take a break for a day or so, then be right back at it!
I hope all of you have a wonderful holiday and all the best in the new year. For me 2010 was a fantastic year, and I can't wait to see what 2011 has in store!

Frequently Asked Question

Quite often I'm asked "how do I get into Oxygen magazine?" Now while there's not enough covers to go around—only 12 a year, there's still other opportunities. Are you proud of the way your physique looks? Send us your photos for Future of Fitness. Or have you lost a significant amount of weight and transformed your body? You could be featured as a success story. What about your skills in the kitchen? Submit an original creation to myrecipebook@oxygenmag.com!
The opportunities are endless!

Modelling, it's not easy!

I just have to give a round of applause to the models that participate in photo shoots for Oxygen. It's not easy, and I can tell you that from experience. Just the other day I had the painful task of getting a new batch of editor's photos done. This is something I always procrastinate, because although I'm always happy with the final product, getting there can be painful.

Don't get me wrong, I love having my picture taken. But there's a huge difference between fun shots taken with family and friends, compared to in a photographer studio, standing on a stage, with hot lights and just feeling completely exposed. But luckily with the hair and makeup magic of Valeria Nova, and the talent of photographer Paul Buceta, I always walk away with shots I'm proud of. Val knows how to do my hair and makeup just so to make me look natural, with an added bit of glam. Paul knows how to make me relax and coax that natural smile out of me.

At the risk of repeating myself, modelling is not easy. And it's not just about a friendly smile and stellar physique. There's much more that goes into it. Thanks to the fitness gals that appear in our magazine and do it with grace and ease. It's definitely an art form.

Paul Buceta captures a shot of me goofing around on set.

Be Prepared

There’s no denying it, there’s a lot to be said for doing your prep work on the weekend. Now I’m still a little rough around the edges where my dinners are concerned (I could give you a million excuses but I won’t waste your time) but I’ve got my weekly lunches down pat. It’s such a load off knowing whatever comes up, I’ve go food at the ready. On any given day whether I choose to do a lunch time workout, run errands, or am just so busy with deadline there really is no time to do anything except eat while editing layouts, I’m stocked.

This particular week pans out like this:

Monday/Tuesday—leftover steak with asparagus, yellow peppers and baked potato

Wednesday/Thursday—chicken breast with spinach salad in a whole-wheat pita

Friday—spicy beef and black bean stew

Making time

Well, it’s official, I’m a genius. I single handedly figured out the key to getting to the gym and not skipping an evening workout. Are you sitting down? Because it’s earth shattering. If I want to hit the gym after work, I change into my gym clothes before I leave the office. That way, once I’m on the road, I just have to get to the gym. Okay okay, so maybe I built it up a little too much. But last week, when things were super crazy in the office, I didn’t have an extra little kick to make sure I got to the gym. Sometimes I feel like getting changed into my gear is half the battle. But let’s just say it’s working for now, and I’m making time for the gym!

Here we go

Hello friends! Welcome to my very first blog post. First things first, thanks so much to all of you who read the magazine and my editors letter each month. I always appreciate your comments and feedback, and welcome more of the same here. And if there’s anything in particular you’d like to know about me, or about the goings on at the world’s best fitness magazine, ask away! Looking forward to it!