We were driving home after school drop off when I turned to Ryan and said, “I need my own space to teach in. I am ready. There has to be a place for me. ” I’ve had this thought for years in my soul. But I never believed it in my head. This time was different.

Every single summer I always marvel at how quickly it flies by. We start off thinking we have all the time in the world and then poof, it’s over. I suppose you can say the same about childhood. One minute they are babies in our arms during sleepless nights and the next we are waking them up for school in the morning. I always think the future seems so far away, but as I’ve come deeper in my motherhood journey I have realized everything is just around the corner.

There’s no denying it. Life is busy again. And while it’s amazing to come back to so many things we love, it can also be mentally and physically draining. Personally I’ve felt stress and exhaustion sneaking back into my own body. This is always a sign that I’m focusing on everyone other than myself. Sound familiar?

Return to Core is a 5 day group class challenge that begins on June 1st. For 5 consecutive days I will take you through a 20-30 minute online JPP class. Each class will be appropriate for all levels and feature a signature workout, which you can do in a manageable amount of time.

As a parent I want nothing more than to give my sons every opportunity to grow into their fullest potential. That’s why this past year has been so challenging. I’ve felt paralyzed by things I can’t do. This winter I decided once and for all, it’s the right time to take action over things I CAN control.

Since the pandemic hit, I’ve watched my first grader “go to school” via a computer in his bedroom. Instead of biking to school, playing with friends and exploring new activities he is stuck online and bursting at the seams with energy. “Mom, I just need to run,” he said to me one day. Then it hit me. Instead of feeling anxious and frustrated with what was happening, I needed to do something. This is how my new class JPP Kids was created.

I first created JPP Stroller Bootcamp when my oldest son was just a few months old. He was a terrible sleeper and therefore I was a very exhausted and stressed new mom. I used to bundle him up and take him in the stroller to the Bunker Hill Monument. It was my opportunity to think, plan and dream. I remember looking down at my peaceful baby and imagining all the things he would grow up to be. I think I speak for all parents when I say we never want anything to hold our children back.

Just like you, my routine has been greatly affected by COVID-19. My children are home from school, my husband is home from work, (our dog is going stir crazy!) and I am not able to teach in person. Our routines and way of life have been turned around, and it’s hard not to think of all the things that are no longer possible for us, personally and professionally. But you know what? I believe no circumstance should ever stop us from moving forward.

I wanted to give my family (and families everywhere) a daily reminder of our power. When we come together, when we move our bodies, when we observe our kids being kids - we get stronger, healthier, happier, inspired motivated and reminded that we can do anything.

A few weeks ago our family was invited to Blind Buck Valley Farmstead in Upstate, New York for a weekend getaway. Blind Buck Valley Farmstead includes an 18th century, fully restored farm house located on a beautiful 180-acre private property in the Blind Buck Valley of Salem, NY. The trip couldn’t have come a more perfect time as we all needed a little escape to nature with room to run and play freely. We invited our best friends and their two children to join us and off we went on our little adventure.

On Mother's Day weekend my Instagram page will be taken over with my very personal photo story. It's the rawest, realest thing I've ever done, which means it won't be for everyone. And that's okay. This is my Motherhood Tribute. It is dedicated to every woman who has ever dreamed about it, ached for it, embodied it, struggled with it or lost it. It is for ALL of us.

I want to encourage you, whether you want to be an instructor or not, to stop waiting. Life is short. There is no guarantee there will be another training or another opportunity like the one you are eyeing. You will never feel ready to step into a new field. The unknown doesn’t lend itself to the weary. Dig deep and ask yourself. When will you be ready? When will you have more time? When will you have that extra cash? I’m willing to bet you don’t know the answer to those questions. Because life happens and all we know is the right here. This isn’t a plug to join our teacher training, it’s a nudge to stop doubting yourself.

I hate roller coasters. And the only way I can describe the past week is by saying it feels like someone blind folded me, stuffed me in a rickety seat and barely strapped me in. There have been tiny ups and big, big downs, moving at a thousand miles per hour. I’ve almost fallen out a few times now, but luckily the people around me have kept me upright. I’ve actually never rode on a single amusement park ride before in real life and it’s safe to say I have no plans to in near future. This has all been enough for me.

I share this because I think it’s important to be open about what we go through. It’s not always pretty. It’s not always pleasant. Maybe some things feels like TMI. But I feel like you shouldn’t have to google these things at midnight and find yourself in a chatroom thread of random strangers talking about intimate topics. I wish more people would share their resources, help make connections and warmly invite their friends and neighbors to coffee or for a walk. If I have these feelings, other people must as well. (I hope?) And it’s important to always remember that things WILL get better. Even though it may feel like it, you are never alone.

I also share because you can still feel all the big things, at ALL stages of life. With the passing of one phase, comes a new one. Sometimes for the better. Sometimes for the tougher. Usually a blend of both, filling and testing the nooks of your mama flesh.

Family photo shoots. Love them? Hate them? Doesn’t matter. No matter how hard they seem, I think family photos are a must! I thought it would be fun to take you behind the scenes of my last family photo shoot with Janelle Carmela Photography this past June in Charlestown. I’m going to break down how we got some of my most FAVORITE images to date.

… Things slipped out of control right underneath my own nose. The thing is, I consider myself an organized person. I actually find great joy in cleaning, organizing and decorating. But with two small children, a busy career and a husband who does not share my passion for putting things away neatly, I quite frankly felt buried alive in our “stuff.” Suddenly every project just seemed really big and would require hours of (child-free) labor that I didn't have. And this killed me. At times I actually felt like I was suffocating inside my own house. Then in walked Aggie. Aggie is the founder and owner of PRIM - a Boston based personal organizing business…

There are no secrets to success. There is no top. There is room for us all, at every stage, in every studio and gym. People love their instructors for who are they are. So even if someone does things the same way that you do, they will never be YOU. You are the secret to your own success.

This week was Grayson’s first week of “real” school. He’s in a K1 (that’s pre-kindergarten) at Harvard Kent which is a Boston Public School. The school hours are 9:30am - 4:00pm. Quite the change from his previous nursery school which he attended there days a week for only four hours a day. I advocated for Grayson to get into this school. Hoped, prayed, wished on a shooting star - you name it. As a family we wanted this. And it happened. I was excited about the idea of all this ‘extra’ time I’d have on my hands. But I wasn’t prepared for the transition. Not at all.

Happy September! I don’t know about you but for me, fall has rushed in rather rudely knocking over all order and balance in my life. I’ve been waking up not knowing what day it is and in a frenzy to establish new order and routine for both myself and my family. More about all of that later though. Considering that I can’t keep track of all of my upcoming happenings there’s no way you can either, so I’ve complied some highlights below. This is as much for me as it is for you. Ha! There’s so much to look forward to and I hope to see many of you soon!