Hello from Chelsea Gossett. So, I went to Nashville this past Thursday with my friend and workmate, Terrah. She's a Nashville native so we hit some really cool, local places. We had a meeting with Universal Music Group, checked up on a couple of boutiques and apothecaries that sell Count Me Healthy and then I met up with my best friend, Marisa, who was in town from London visiting her sister at Vanderbilt. I had an amazing time and just in case you want to take a trip to the "LA of the South," here are some cool things to do and see.

STAY
We stayed at Nashville's trendy Hutton--a hotel with lots of eco-sustainability initiatives including "card disabled guest room lighting." I found this so cool. It's a card-holder to the right of the door when you walk into your room. To turn on the lights, stick the card in the holder. Voila! Then, when you are leaving, pull the card out of the slot and the lights shut off within 30 seconds. Sweet. I believe the Europeans have done this for a while, but this is the first time I've seen it in the states. Other eco-friendly touches include bamboo flooring and a recycling program.

Their lobby also rocked, even offering an organic wine mixer everyday from 5-6:30. Plus I saw Jillian Michaels from "The Biggest Loser." I wish I could say Hutton's service was up to par with their green goals. Rooms are so-so and service was sub par. The three friends who stayed in other rooms at the same time had similar scenarios. I'm all for being eco-conscious, but service is still critical in the hospitality biz. (http://www.huttonhotel.com)

EAT
Province Breads & Cafe in Hillsboro Village for breakfast with our friend and internet guru, Greg Hallmark. Amazing coffee along with a sampling of their organic multi-grain crusty bread. Yum. What a way to start the day. (http://www.provencebreads.com)

Viragos. If you want to get your sushi on, this place is for you. Awesome ambiance and a great place to hang with your girls. They actually made me a steamed shrimp roll with just shrimp and seaweed--no rice. That scored huge bonus points from me. (http://www.viragosushi.com)





Tasti-D-Lite. Frozen Yogurt is my all-time favorite treat, especially Tasti-D. Up until last year, I would have had to visit NYC or South Beach to quell my crave, but they recently opened one right in the heart of Nashville. Their yogurt is low-cal (70-90 calories per half cup), but doesn't taste like it. This time round, I had a cup of butter crunch and dutch chocolate swirl. For Memphians reading this, I heard we may get a franchise soon. Cross your fingers! (http://www.tastidlite.com)









Grill 1808. Voted the top new restaurant in Nashville for 2009, Grill 1808 delivers both ambiance, fabulous wine, and beyond good food. It also helped that we dined with really intriguing girls, including one of Miley Cyrus's stylists. The conversation was never dull. Some of the plates we sampled and loved were: Saganaki, Roasted Eggplant Hummus with Goat Cheese crumbles, Mojo Tuna Taco with Ancho sauce (I ordered this as my meal and it was fabulous), Crispy Miso Trout, Mac & Cheese with Maytag Blue Cheese, and 1808's specialty fish dish---Mahi Mahi. Service was top notch. For wine, we had an Argentinian Malbec at an unheard of price---$45 a bottle.

SHOP!!!
H. Audrey
Okay, I put this on my facebook profile page as well because I've never been so taken with a store. Voted the number 1 boutique IN AMERICA by Elle Magazine, H. Audrey is heaven with clothing racks. If you go, look for Rick Owens leather waterfall jackets that fit like gloves, Yigal Azrouel tanks and dresses, and Helmut Lang draping. All brilliant. Not to mention the boutique is owned by Hank Williams granddaughter. (http://www.haudrey.com)



POSH (Hillsboro Village Location)
There are two Posh boutiques in Nashville. Both cool. This location is a little darker, a little edgier. I lean more towards the dark and neutral so this store is right up my alley. With brands like Daftbird, G-Star, and Linq, you are sure to find a punch piece for your wardrobe. Ask for Maisha. She manages and has an amazing style.

Cool places to visit are The Parthenon, Music Row and the Grand Ole Opry. Do you have any Nashville Hotspots you want to share? Do tell. An as always, keep counting.

Labels: chelsea gossett, fashion, nashville, travel

So I was creating my travel calendar for the next four months out and I think I'm home two weekends! I'm not complaining though--traveling is up there on my list of favorite things... right next to online shopping and wine (which don't mix, by the way).

A couple of these upcoming trips require international travel, with connections and being on the plane for 10 hour stints. This is no issue, but you have to plan. Travel is broadening, but it shouldn't be for your waistline.

Here are my tips for maintaining a somewhat healthy lifestyle while traveling:

Bring Your Own Food
I'm not saying you have to lug around a full course meal or a cooler, but you do need to have back up snacks. I never eat the airplane food because I don't know what the mystery sauce is and there is ALWAYS a mystery sauce. It's not the time to be an adventurous foodie. You'll have time to do this when you land. You are stuck in a small space with lots of people for a long time. Sketchy cuisine = bathroom time.



Here is what I bring:
- Plain, instant oatmeal packets (if you have a nice flight attendant, she will zap this for you or at least ration you some hot water and skim milk)
- Tuna or salmon steak in a packet (they don't smell, promise, and you will be opening them when the airplane food smell is wafting in the air anyway)
- Light salt (low sodium salt) or Spike
- Almonds
- Energy bars (I know I preach against these, but I do use while traveling)
- Baggies of dry cereal
- Liquid stevia & splenda packets

I swear this doesn't take up a lot of room in your bag, and at least you know you'll have a fall-back snack.

Create a Comfy Environment
Here are some of the non-food items I bring to ensure a comfortable and awesome flight:

- My ful Gibson backpack
- Laptop with a stocked itunes movie library (I realize you can watch in-flight entertainment, but I prefer my screen)
- iPod
- Skull Candy headphones
- A splitter so my hubby can watch a movie with me if he's traveling too
- Kindle
- Those Colgate disposable toothbrushes
- Bottled water
- Extra thick socks because my feet are always freezing
- Lotion
- Eye drops
- Cuticle Pen
- Chapstick
- Magazines
- Huge Sunglasses (I don't wear eye makeup so I put these on when we land so I don't scare anyone)

Train in a foreign land
Just because you are overseas, it doesn't mean you have to abandon your workout. Sometimes it's hard. The treadmills aren't in English, there's nowhere to run outside, jet lag, they don't believe in air conditioning in the workout facility. There are a thousand excuses. You just have to push yourself and I swear you will feel better after the sweat session. Here are a couple things to bring to help you along:

- iPod
- Exercise bands (they take up no room)
- Workout clothes and sneakers
- A zip-front hoodie
- Workout DVDs to play on your laptop (Tracy Anderson's Mat Workout is awesome)
- My Count Me Healthy bracelet (I count water so I don't get dehydrated)











Believe me, I can pack as compact as a marine. But girlfriend, if you're traveling with me and you need something... I got you covered. What do you bring to stay healthy while flying? A little planning goes a long way. As always, keep counting.

Labels: chelsea gossett, count me healthy jewelry, countessess, fitness tips, healthy living, travel

So, it's officially the weekend and as I'm writing this I'm shoving an apple cinnamon rice cake in my mouth. Problem is, it's my fourth and there are "ecstasy amounts" of carbs in each one. Um... and I've already had two bowls of cereal. BUT IT'S THE WEEKEND!








"BUT IT'S THE WEEKEND" is the lamest and most used excuse for today's women! I say this because I use it almost every weekend--so I'm just taking a stab in the dark that it applies to a large percentage of America's female population. I say "America's" because I just can't see a French woman or Tokyo native using this excuse as often as we do. If you can prove me wrong, please let me know.

Why do we use this excuse time after time? I think it all comes down to 1) a lack of moderation and 2) stress. We read so many articles about "how to lose those last 10 pounds" that deprivation gets the better of us and we cave. At least I do.

So I'm making a vow to try a different angle for next weekend. Instead of saying "BUT IT'S THE WEEKEND" and so having another drink or falling off of the clean-eating wagon, I need to take that "split-second" moment before the backslide happens and say "No." I think the weekends are for rewarding one's self, but not so much that it undoes all of our hard work throughout the week.

As I mention often, a lot of damage can be prevented by having a sense of moderation and stress management. I'm trying to make daily efforts to work on both of these points.

Instead of... "BUT IT'S THE WEEKEND," so... :

-I'll have a snack MARATHON. Let me lace up my tennis!
- I'll chill on the couch all day
- I won't do my ab exercises
- I can abandon my healthy lifestyle
- I'll drink what I want, when I want
- I'll party like it's 1999

Let's try... "BUT IT'S THE WEEKEND" so:

- I'll eat healthy snacks so I'm ready to hit the ground running come Monday
- I'll get in some "active rest" like taking the dog for a walk or cleaning the house
- I'll do my ab exercises because I'm on a constant "Abs like Alba" quest
- I cannot abandon my healthy lifestyle
- I will curb my drinking somewhat
- I'll reach out to the people I can't catch up with during the week due to "strestic mode." ("Strestic" is a made up word combo of "hectic" and "stressed" that shouldn't be used when talking in certain circles, such as the educated).

Come next week I will be brutally honest and blog about how it turned out. Regardless, making a plan is always the first step. Count Me Healthy helps to prevent weekend slips. Look down at it. It's on your wrist for motivation. Count your glasses of wine, snacks, or just move a bead over when you've had a "clean eating" weekend day. It will keep you motivated to move over that next "clean-eating day" bead. As always, keep counting.

Labels: chelsea gossett, count me healthy, count me healthy jewelry, eating healthy, fitness, fitness tips

I recently had an amazing, quick trip to Austin for the South By Southwest (SXSW) music festival. Thousands of music lovers gathering to listen to hundreds of established and up-and-coming artists. I rendezvoused as a guest blogger for ful (www.ful.com) since my "other career" is with ful. Below is a fun little minute on the street trends at SXSW. Enjoy!

So the "Hipster Runoff" worshipers and music makers were in full swing at SXSW this year. As the Creative Director for ful, I went down to be a part of our party with Paste Magazine and Vanguard Records. What a ride. What amazing music!

It was my first year at the festival and I heard from devotees that the event was "going back to its roots," despite the fact that the band count and wild parties surpassed last year. All I can say is that SXSW was a feast not only for the ears, but for the eyes. And so let's discuss "Street Style" at SXSW.

Shades
Some types weren't surprising, like the Wayfarers and the Aviators dotting the crowds. However the new front-runner was Carrera and I need me a pair. I want the sun to shine into my office windows right now so I can justify putting them on at my desk!












Boots abound!
For the women, it was all about the boots--flat, faded, black or rich brown tones. All-out Western style was nowhere to be found, replaced by a pull-on, slightly rounder toe.


The Watson Twins


















Love the woven leather toe



















The Skinny on Denim
The skinnier the better, for gals and guys. Dark wash or black was the staple (dark washes elongate and also don't show when you sit in the mud or some jack spills a Heini on you).

Everything about her ensemble just "worked"



















Sweet Prints
Sweet prints were everywhere, from spring dresses paired with booties or eye-catching, billowy tunics paired with tight William Rasts.




















Bags
Lots of backpacks, cross-body Rocker bags, and messengers. Hands-free bags to hold your swag and clothing are essential at any music fest. I'm partial, but ful was everywhere!

ful "Smoke N' Gun"

Labels: chelsea gossett, count me healthy, street style, sxsw, travel

March is officially Nutrition Month so I wanted to share some "food for thought." A lot of us get discouraged when the warm weather rolls around because we feel we need to overhaul our physique. It's been burned into our brains that we need to have this rock star workout routine, but sometimes our lives don't support it at the moment.










(Pink and her Rock Star abs)


My earlier post was my personal "Spring Cleaning," which included my workout routine I HOPED to achieve. HOPE is stressed. There are many times when my day starts at 5:00 am and I don't stop until late at night. And I realize that you are no different (um... especially new moms who are up at all hours of the night). However, I think it's important to maintain a positive attitude and continue to plan your workouts like you would appointments even if you know you'll have to miss some.

But, if you are at a place in your life when you can't hit the gym on a consistent basis, remember the golden, 70% rule. Your physique is determined by 70% nutrition, 20% sweat sessions and 10% genetics.

Based on your diet, the 70% rule can be a God-send or your demise. If you are a consistent, clean eater, isn't it fabulous to know that you can forgo that extra snack and two glasses of wine because you didn't get to pilates and still come out ahead?

Or that you substituted white fish for the hamburger you may have eaten if you ran those three miles (workouts and eating "entitlement" is a whole other topic) and you are still on your way to having abs like Alba? The first step toward a better body is a nutritional adjustment.









Guest Blogger: Susie Rahaim

I thought there would be no better person to blog on the positive life changes clean eating can bring than Susie Rahaim. Not only is she schooled in holistic nutrition, she's also the busy mother of three beautiful girls, ages 5, 3, and 1. Her personal quest for better eating is inspiring and I've had friends tell me that they've learned so much from her about how to raise their children to eat (and enjoy) whole foods.

Stay tuned for Susie's first blog with us, "Do You Know What You Are Really Eating?" And as always, Keep Counting for a balanced and beautiful spring!

Labels: chelsea gossett, count me healthy, eating healthy, healthy living

So, I have to take a minute to blog about the Oscars because 1) Count Me healthy bracelets were featured in the official Oscar baskets last year (Yay, it was amazing) and 2) It's the most fabulous of all Hollywood events!

There is no better excuse to throw a get together with girlfriends to dress up and try really flashy cocktails that you would never go out and even attempt to order in public!

I've been reading up on Oscar parties and sorry to say, I just don't feel like sending out the invitations that look like movie director clapboards or giving out Golden Boy statutes (there is such a thing as prop overkill). Sometimes I think themed parties go just a little too far, like wearing a sequins blazer AND skirt. So, if I was going to throw an Academy Awards Soiree, this is how I would do it. And, I just might. So all of the girls who read this and see me on a regular basis, I am divulging all of the surprises that may be awaiting you.

Invites:
VIP passes, of course. Since this is last minute, it will be an "E-VIP" pass. Please note, I am all about beautiful paper invitations but time is of the essence.

Attire
It is a "Cas (as in Casual) Oscar Gathering." This is a twist to try. Friends can dress in their favorite denim, casual tops, but wear the biggest, funkiest earrings, cocktail rings, tiaras, and necklaces you can find. If you want to take it a step further, try an updo to accentuate your massive CZ earrings. If you wear the real thing, I have my gun license and would not only act as hostess but also as your bodyguard. Top it off by wearing satin evening shoes that we can all Ooooh and Aaaahhh over. So fun!


Festivities
Everyone will have to arrive early to watch the pre-Academy Award show on the E! Network for the Red Carpet arrivals. The hits, the misses, and the "Trash Your Sylists." I would hand out a form to each friend with the Award categories and contenders and before the Oscars start everyone would need to turn in their picks (in pen, no erasing!) It would be like Super Bowl betting, only better. Then, when it was over we'd tally up who had the most correct answers and the winner would get a fun prize. Okay, the gold statuette as a prize would be appropriate here I guess.

Oscar Cocktail:
I'm normally a vodka soda with lime (or red wine) gal, but signature events call for signature cocktails!

Red Carpet Martini

Ingredients
- 2 ounces vodka
- 2 ounces pomegranate liqueur (recommended: PAMA)
- Champagne
- Gold leaf, for garnish

Directions
Pour vodka and pomegranate juice into a cocktail shaker with ice. Strain into a martini glass rimmed with gold sugar and top with a splash of chilled Champagne. Float gold leaf and serve.

Menu:
For a minute I tried to be all creative and "channel" appetizers based on the nominees. Then I realized that I would probably just make or buy what I like and what I think my guests would enjoy!

Just a sampling of the appetizers (taken from of all places, Disneyfamily.com)

Spinach-&-Brie-Topped Artichoke Hearts
These made my mouth water, plus they are (somewhat) healthy. Plus, they are a pretty twist on the classic spinach and artichoke dip, so people will think you are uber-creative. Creamy brie is the topper, but parmesan would also work for a lighter version.

In this deconstructed version of hot spinach-artichoke dip, we stuff artichoke hearts with lightly seasoned cooked spinach and melt brie on top.


Prep Time: 15 minutes
Ready in: 15 minutes
Yield: 18 servings
Ease of Prep: Easy

Ingredients
- 1 9-ounce box frozen artichoke hearts
- 2/3 cup cooked chopped spinach
- 1 teaspoon lemon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 18 thin slices brie

Directions
Preheat broiler. Prepare artichoke hearts according to package directions.
Combine spinach, lemon pepper and salt in a small bowl. Top each artichoke heart with the spinach mixture and brie. Broil until cheese melts, 1 to 2 minutes.

Tomato-Basil Skewers
These are for the hostess who is Oscar glam but short on time. Skewering mozzarella balls and cherry tomatoes makes them easy to nosh at a party.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Ready in: 10 minutes
Yield: 16 pieces
Ease of Prep: Easy



Ingredients
- 16 small fresh mozzarella balls
- 16 fresh basil leaves
- 16 cherry tomatoes
- Extra-virgin olive oil to drizzle
- Coarse salt & freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions
Thread mozzarella, basil and tomatoes on small skewers. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Spicy Sweet Turkey Meatballs
So, since we're only having apps, it's good to serve something hearty for those who like a little more than the fruit and veggie scene. These bake in the oven which makes for fuss-free cooking and quick clean-up.

Hands-on time: 15 minutes
Total time: 40 minutes
Yield: 24 meatballs




Ingredients
Meatballs:
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 2 scallions, very finely chopped
- 1/2 cup very finely chopped cilantro
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1/2 cup fine, dry bread crumbs (unseasoned)
- 1 egg, lightly beaten

Sweet Soy Dipping Sauce:
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 or 3 slices fresh ginger smashed with the side of a heavy knife

Directions
- To make the meatballs: Heat the oven to 400.
- Gently mix together the ingredients (hands are best for this), then form meatballs by rolling tablespoon-sized scoops between your palms.
- Arrange on a lightly oiled or parchment lined cookie sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes, until well-browned and cooked through. Serve with toothpicks for dipping.
- To make the dipping sauce: In a small pot, stir all the ingredients together over medium-low heat until the sugar dissolves.
- Simmer 3 or so minutes, stirring frequently, until the sauce thickens a bit.
- Fish out the ginger and serve in small cups for dipping.

Are you throwing an Oscar soiree? If so, what are you serving? May the stars align for you and as always... keep counting!

Labels: chelsea gossett, count me healthy, countessess, entertaining, party

Aggghh it's finally March and THE BEGINNING OF SPRING! What comes to mind when you hear the word spring? I imagine flowers, green grass, spring cleaning and the start of my own personal "bikini body ready" routine! Yep, shapeless tunics won't cut it. I'm going to have to give in and show some skin.

I think you should read the health mags and blogs with their "bikini body ready" plans to get you in shape. But while reading, remember that no two people are the same. Motivation, taste buds, and "vices to adjust" are all personal. Read the articles with an open mind and always remember to adapt a program to you.

This year, I'm looking at my own bikini body ready prep as just a facet of the larger, overall spring cleaning of my current life. I think that winter naturally throws our lives out of balance due to poor eating, lack of sunshine, and the "laziness of a hibernating bear" that comes with darkness greeting us so early each evening. If you Spring Clean Your Life as a whole, I truly feel it is easier to lose weight and keep it off.

Here are some steps to Spring Clean Your Life (write these steps down and build your plan)

1). Choose your Motivation
2). Choose your Workout Plan
3). Change Your Eating Habits for the better
4). Healthy Habits that need to be priority
5). Organize Your Work Space

Please just use my personal plan below as a rough template to adapt to your own spring cleaning!

The 2010 Spring Cleaning of My Life

1). CHOOSE YOUR MOTIVATION (both "body" and "organization" motivation)

My Body Motivation! Hmmm... nice weather, my cousin Corey's June wedding in Michigan, photo shoot in late April, and getting body "baby ready" for whatever may come my way in a year (or three).

My Organization Motivation! Everything is easier when you have a clean work space. Plus, being organized means feeling less scattered, which would make me way more apt to stick to my workout plan.

2). CHOOSE YOUR WORKOUT PLAN

My Workout Plan (I plan for six days a week, but if I only hit 5 because of a busy schedule, no problem). I'm a morning person, so if I don't do it in the morning... it's not happening):

- Monday: 30 minute treadmill and pilates with Crystal B
- Tuesday: Rest
- Wednesday: 30 minutes on treadmill and pilates with Crystal B
- Thursday: 30 minutes on treadmill and Tracey Anderson video
- Friday: 45 minutes on treadmill
- Saturday: 40 minutes mix on treadmill/elliptical + legs
- Sunday: 40 minutes mix on treadmill/elliptical + abs & arms

3). CLEAN UP YOUR EATING
My Clean Up! These are the personal "eating vices" I hope to address, as well as healthy foods that I enjoy and would like to add more of in my diet. Everyone's tastes are different, so please insert your own. For some of the foods, I added my favorite brands and/or how I prepare. By the way, Count Me Healthy is great at tracking some of these bullet points!

- Ditch sweetener
- Reduce diet soda
- Ditch energy bars full of fake stuff because all they do is hurt my stomach
- Ditch soy crisps
- Reduce caffeine
- Reduce sodium
- Reduce I Can't Believe It's Not Butter (yes, I'm admitting that I spray it on everything)
- Drink more water



Foods I love and want to eat more of:
- Eggs
- Spinach
- Fish (love all white types)
- Brussel sprouts (broiled at 450 with olive oil spray, sea salt and pepper )
- Broccoli & cauliflower
- Sashimi (the salmon sashimi with chives from Whole Foods is AMAZING)
- salads
- Almonds and Unsweetened almond - milk (I am going to turn into an almond I eat so many. I need to watch my portion size)
- Green tea
- Stevia, (I prefer the liquid in the dropper)
- Decaf coffee (Newmann's Own)
- Oatmeal with fiber (I mix 1/4 cup of the dry organic with almond milk, cinnamon, stevia and Renew Life Fiber Smart)
- Protein pancakes
- Kombucha (GT's No. 9 is my fave and found at Whole Foods)
- Red grapefruit
- Hummus
- Kashi bars

4) Healthy Habits to Make and Break
Here are mine:
- Limit my drinking to one glass of wine a night (or not at all)
- Remember I owe it to myself. I AM WORTH IT.
- Stop eating snacks that are over 5 grams of sugar and don't contain fiber
- If I want to snack late at night... go to bed
- Read more (book club bound)
- Get more sleep
- Take my Vitamins
- Schedule my health maintenance: Doctor, chiropractor, dentist, hypnotist (yes, I want to try a hypnotist... it worked for Fergie, enough said)

5) Organize Your Work Space

This means cleaning my office at ful (picture below is my purple office at ful) and my home office. This also includes backing up my Mac on my hard drive, shredding documents that I no longer need and organizing my notes.

Here's to a healthy, fabulous spring. Remember, Balance=Beauty! As always, keep counting.

Labels: chelsea gossett, count me healthy, eating healthy, health tips, healthy living, March, spring cleaning

I LOVE Valentine's Day. I'm being totally honest when I say it's not only the affection I get from my babe that I love about the holiday--it's largely the symbolism surrounding the heart shape and the power of the color red that I love.

Oh, how I dig the candy hearts, heart-shaped doilies, heart-boxed chocolates, and tiny hearts stitched on hand towels and children's socks! (On a related note, don't even get me started on how fun those Target dollar bins are at the front of the store. They are Valentine's Day "party prop heaven" for anyone throwing a soiree.)



And what would the holiday be without the color RED? When Valentine's Day comes around, entire store aisles turn crimson, red velvet is the cupcake of choice, and head-to-toe garnet seems totally doable for a night out on the town. Yes, red is the color of fire, of passion!












However, this symbolism has changed a bit for me. This past year, I've been working with WomenHeart: The National Coalition of Women With Heart Disease, to design a special, Count Me Healthy "Helping Hearts" bracelet. It has heart-etched beads and is used to count things for heart health, such as fruit and vegetable servings or miles walked per week. Twenty-five percent of every sale of Helping Hearts goes toward WomenHeart's heart disease prevention programs.

I feel blessed to have worked with this amazing team because 1) they are a fabulous group of people and 2) I've learned so much about the dangers of heart disease and how it is critical to raise awareness. Heart disease can strike any woman, even the young and supposedly fit.

So this February, for me, the heart and color red has come to symbolize, not just cute aesthetics or a passion for my sweetie, but a passion for a healthy lifestyle. That's why Count Me Healthy is celebrating American Heart Month in a big way! We are proud to be part of some of the upcoming NYC events celebrating strong, accomplished women and their fight against heart disease---the number one killer of women in this country.

I'm going to focus on all things "heart-esque" on Counting with Chelsea all month long, including coverage on the "Getting Red Dress Ready" with Womenheart and Nutrisystem, the Woman's Day Magazine's coveted "Red Dress awards," and the "Red Dress Fashion Show" in Bryant Park. Count Me Healthy Helping Hearts will be on the wrists of many of the women as they "wow" the crowd in their red gowns. We'll also do a Q&A with Kathy Kastan, a recipient of this year's Women's Day Red Dress award, as well as feature fun recipes to help you get sexy and Red Dress Ready!

Labels: chelsea gossett, count me healthy, friendship, helping hearts, inspiration, red dress, women heart

Dear Countesses

I recently asked my 21-year-old sister what she wanted to do as a career. She had just received her cosmetology license and was looking for apprenticeships. She was also tossing around the idea of going back to school to do something in the marketing field. "What do YOU want to do?" I asked. "Not what mom, dad, or your friends want you to do." She replied with, "I want a job where people look up to me and I feel fulfilled." Yes, a little bit general. We continued the talk and she said she'd love to own a salon and specialize in color.

Her statement got me thinking about when I was 21. The deep need to have people take you seriously, even though it's almost impossible. You can't take yourself seriously until you figure out who you are and what you want to do with your life. At this age, so much hinges on what other people think of you that discomfort in the career world is two-pronged. It comes from not yet having the skills and experience and also this deep desire to have everyone like you.

To protect ourselves, we focus so much on our looks in our early 20's (I'm generalizing here and you could be the welcome exception). It's exhausting! I'm not saying we abandon all sense of grooming when we enter our late 20's/early 30's (I am a fashion junkie), but I think we know the routine and start to focus more on things that are a little more substantial, like family and job fulfillment. Oh, keep in mind that we are also man-hunting in our early 20's. They say that babies are intentionally adorable so that mother's will take care of them. Maybe that's why we have the most perfect booties we will ever have when we're in our early 20's (again generalizing) so people will want to take care of us. By the time we're in our 30's and the booty is starting to sag, we have the skills and experience to take care of ourselves. It's a wicked tradeoff!

I loved my 20's. But I wouldn't want to go back. I know I'm going to age and I'm cool with it. I'm really looking forward to my 30's. I look at how happy my grandma is in Florida, playing cards and drinking Manhattans at 2 pm, and so I'm even excited to, (GASP!) grow into my 60s and 70s (God willing). I'd love to hear how you feel about aging. Do you dread it? Are you embracing it? Enjoy your day and keep counting.

Labels: aging, chelsea gossett, count me healthy jewelry, countessess

Dear Countesses,

Welcome to the new Count Me Healthy Jewelry.com! Based on the amazing positive feedback we’ve received about the jewelry, I thought it was important to have a platform for you to share your goals, success stories, and suggestions.


Also, check back for frequent blog posts about new health trends, CMH happenings, new products, interviews, and topics sent in by you.

Count Me Healthy isn't a magic bullet, but it is a great way to keep you accountable while looking beautiful. Remember, the real magic happens when the small, positive changes you make lead to life-altering, life-long positive changes. You can do it.

Hope you enjoy the new site -- and remember, you can drop us a line anytime. Looking forward to hearing from you!

Make the most of this day and keep counting..
--Chelsea Gossett

Labels: chelsea gossett, count me healthy, count me healthy jewelry, healthy her, sassy stacks