If you follow me on my social media profiles, then you saw that People magazine recently told my story of the adoption scam that happened to Joe and I. After reading my blog post. The Adoption Scam on the News Happened to Us, an editor contacted me for an interview and I thought my quotes were going to be part of a bigger story on scams. I was surprised and excited to see it was published as a piece just highlighting our story. My hope is that telling my story on a bigger level will help others and my full inbox has proved that it’s working. I’m so glad I can use my experiences on my journey to motherhood to connect with other women.

Today I had the pleasure of visiting my friends at NBC to do another segment on New York Live with Sara Gore and Jacquie Reid. It was so much fun, because I brought Amaya with me (and mom, of course) to meet the team. It was the first time I got to show off my baby girl in a work environment and I couldn’t be prouder. Anyway, here’s the segment in case you missed it. Out of all of the top beauty sellers on Amazon, these are my favorite and they’re all under $20.

This past weekend I had the pleasure of taking a workshop with my teacher’s teacher, Raghunath, at Hudson Yoga Project in Hoboken. My teacher, Patrick, has been raving about him and his work since I started practicing with him years ago and now I finally get it. He is inspiring, intelligent, cultured, creative and encouraging. Before our handstand workshop, he spoke to reincarnation, the soul’s purpose (to love) and labels we give ourselves, which I found extremely interesting. Here’s some food for thought…

My Instagram DM’s have been blowing up with questions about the adoption process ever since Joe and I announced the arrival of Amaya. I love connecting with women in such a positive way, sharing our story and helping to navigate the the tough decisions that come up. Here is a comprehensive guide to the adoption process. Whether you’re looking into International adoption, domestic adoption through an agency or private domestic adoption, I have you covered. Joe and I touched upon all three…

If you follow me on Instagram, then you saw the announcement that Joe and I recently welcomed home our newly adopted baby girl, Amaya Jo (more in the Insta post)! We are over the moon, full of love and joy and I couldn’t be more excited to share the news with you! As I sit here to write this, I realize I have so much to share, but am going to do so over a series of several posts on the adoption process. This one is from the heart on my journey to motherhood and what it truly means to me now.

You guys, it’s been ten years since I launched my blog! At the time, writing about my addiction to dying my hair the bluest shade of black (my first post ever) on BeautySweetSpot was a hobby. I was working full-time at a beauty PR firm in the city and missed writing editorially. I loved my first job as a beauty assistant at Cosmopolitan and was in the process of interviewing for a similar position at another publication. All of a sudden, thanks to the support of the beauty industry, my blog took on a life of its own.

When I first learned of YO1, an Ayurveda-inspired holistic wellness center nestled on 1,300 acres of property in the Catskills, I couldn’t wait to see what it was all about. As a yogi I know a bit about Ayurveda, an Indian system of medicine focusing on using nature to heal oneself, but was excited to learn more and dive in. Joe and I were invited to experience all the center has to offer over a weekend and were beyond impressed by the service, practitioners, meals, programming and property. I knew as soon as we walked in that I was in the right place when the front desk concierge greeted us by saying, “Namaste.”

Earlier this month, I shot a yoga series at the New York Public Library in Bryant Park as part of a new project showcasing my journey through life. I feel most alive when I’m practicing yoga and when I’m surrounded by places of inspiration. When there’s beautiful architecture and light, the yoga flows naturally and images speak volumes. Here are a few out takes from my first shoot. The entire series will be released slowly on my Instagram page with more context. I hope you enjoy it.

When I first went freelance back in 2009, a mentor of mine invited me to a vision boarding workshop. At the time, I thought the idea was a little “out there,” but I wanted to be a successful entrepreneur and admired her so I went. Fast forward to today and I create or update my vision boards several times per year. Here are some strategic ways to create a vision board in order to accomplish your goals.

You might not believe this when I tell you, but I was actually dragged to the Tony Robbins Unleash The Power Within seminar by Joe. Joe’s been a fan of his for a little while now. He frequently listens to his podcast, which he introduced me to, and has read some of his books. While I’m very into self improvement, I found Tony to have a bit too much masculine energy for me. As a spiritual person, I always appreciated the tone of people like Gabby Bernstein, Marianne Williamson and Oprah. That’s who I am. That’s who I resonate with.

This past weekend I had the pleasure of taking a workshop with my teacher’s teacher, Raghunath, at Hudson Yoga Project in Hoboken. My teacher, Patrick, has been raving about him and his work since I started practicing with him years ago and now I finally get it. He is inspiring, intelligent, cultured, creative and encouraging. Before our handstand workshop, he spoke to reincarnation, the soul’s purpose (to love) and labels we give ourselves, which I found extremely interesting. Here’s some food for thought…

We spoke to Martin Seligman, the father of modern positive psychology, who talks about the idea behind the “three happy lives;” which are individual pursuits that recognize your highest strengths (via this easy survey quiz) and use them to maximize your experiences. Read on for more about these lives and how to get the most out of them.

For June’s JM Approved on NBC New York Live, I had the opportunity to showcase my favorite summer travel items. From easy grab-and-go meals to baby carriers, I covered a range of items. Check out the segment here!

If you’re considering private domestic adoption, I encourage you to check out our team. Let’s call them, Team Lombardi. Throughout the months of waiting and countless potential birth mom connections, they were by our side for support and guidance. Being that our adoption happened very quickly (we found out we had a baby when the birth mom was in labor!), they all worked overtime to make sure things were done as quickly and efficiently as possible. We couldn’t be happier with the people we chose to work with.

If you follow me on Instagram, then you saw the announcement that Joe and I recently welcomed home our newly adopted baby girl, Amaya Jo (more in the Insta post)! We are over the moon, full of love and joy and I couldn’t be more excited to share the news with you! As I sit here to write this, I realize I have so much to share, but am going to do so over a series of several posts on the adoption process. This one is from the heart on my journey to motherhood and what it truly means to me now.

You guys, it’s been ten years since I launched my blog! At the time, writing about my addiction to dying my hair the bluest shade of black (my first post ever) on BeautySweetSpot was a hobby. I was working full-time at a beauty PR firm in the city and missed writing editorially. I loved my first job as a beauty assistant at Cosmopolitan and was in the process of interviewing for a similar position at another publication. All of a sudden, thanks to the support of the beauty industry, my blog took on a life of its own.

Yesterday on NBC’s New York Live I showcased some of my favorite spring cleaning tips. From jewelry organizers to an easy way to clean out your closet and make some money, check them out here.

This year is a huge year for my business.  I just hit my 10-year blogging anniversary and September will mark 10 years as an entrepreneur with my own media company.  Thanks to the guidance of my father (also an entrepreneur), support of my family, husband, friends and agent and close-knit industry relationships, I did it.