Why did I decide to start a new blog?

I’m not new to blogging, so why do I have a new blog? Well, it’s a combination of things and it was a decision I spent over a year making. But here is the long and the short of why I’m moving over from Eat. Drink & be Skinny and what you can expect from me now over at Teresa Marie Wellness …

A little bit of Blogging Backstory

Almost a decade ago I started Eat. Drink & be Skinny, a health and wellness blog that has stood the test of time, generated nearly 2.5M page views and over 150K in revenue. It’s hosts over 650 posts about healthy food, skinny cocktails, juices, smoothies, travel tips, product reviews and … so much more.

I picked the name because in 2009, I was the proud author of the first ever low calorie cocktail book, SkinnyTinis and I would sign all my books, “Eat, Drink & be Skinny! Cheers! –Teresa Marie” So when my publisher announced they were releasing the book in paperback in 2012, I felt it to be the perfect opportunity to start blogging.

I knew I had more to share in the digital health-o-sphere so Eat. Drink & be Skinny gave me a platform to speak beyond skinny cocktails. And while I’m proud of what I built there, here are the four main reason’s I’m starting fresh here.

1. The Messaging (not the content)

If it hadn’t been for SkinnyTinis, I never would have picked a health blog with the word Skinny in it. I’ve struggled with it since the very beginning. I spent lot of time defending, justifying and explaining the backstory to readers. And while I never used the word in a negative sense, only a fun, sassy way, it was a constant barrier and point of frustration. And at the end of the day, I’m not striving to be “skinny” these days so it’s not even a relevant term for me at this time in my life.

2. The Architecture

I didn’t know what the f— I was doing when I started that blog. It’s always been a Word Press site but I’ve rolled out so many themes, changed categories and menus. Installed and deactivated good and bad plug-ins. I’ve struggled with links and even a hack or two (trust me, I’m not deliberately selling Viagra or Xanax from Canadian Pharmacy). While I stand behind the content and concept of each post, some of the older stuff is definitely not my finest work.

3. Who Doesn’t Love a Fresh Start?

I could redirect everything on Eat. Drink & be Skinny to Teresa Marie Wellness. I could delete old posts and clean up bad links, plug-ins, hacked Viagra pages and reorganize my categories and menus. But I equate that to renovating an old house when sometimes, it’s just easier to build exactly what you want from scratch. Taking everything I’ve learned in the past 8 years and applying it to a fresh, clean space that I know every nook and cranny.

4. I Don’t Want to Say Goodbye

At the end of the day, if I convert Eat. Drink & be Skinny to Teresa Marie Wellness, that’s like deleting it from history. And while I no longer identify with it the way I did and am excited to have a fresh start, I don’t want to erase my old blog. There is great content there and it’s a part of my story and my personal and professional development. I don’t want to say goodbye by redirecting and overwriting it.

What You Can Expect from Teresa Marie Wellness

The best of what you’ve come to expect from me, but with refreshed and renewed energy. I’ll organize all the content to help you eat well, move more, think happy and travel often.

• As a part of being EATING WELL, I plan to share recipes, meal prep tips, seasonal insight and everything I know about the benefits of a plant-forward, flexatarian lifestyle.
• When I talk about MOVING MORE, trust me, my marathon days are over (for now at least) and I’m happy when I squeeze in a 21-45 minute workout. I’ll share all my favorite formats for workouts that will inspire you to get up and get moving. And YES, we will do monthly challenges!
• And whether you go near or far, seeking a little adventure TRAVEL can add value and excitement to your life. I’ll share where I’ve been and where I’m going!
• In terms of LOVING LIFE, I have some small tidbits I’d like to share about simple practices and routines you can execute to consciously keep your mind in a positive place. It’s easy for some of us, some of the time. But often, it can be a dedicated practice to achieve and remain in a true state of gratitude and love.
• I will continue to only work with brands and products that I truly know can help you in your quest for your best life.

Moving forward in one or all of those areas is a sure fire way to move towards living a life you love! I want to help you master real food, the beauty of physical movement, a zest for adventure and emotional freedom. It’s going to be great fun!

What would you like to hear about? Message me or share in the comments what you’d like to read about, do, see or learn and I’ll hop to it!