Anti-Belle Lifestyle #1

Anti-Belle Lifestyle Newsletter #1

March 2020

Hello my Friend!
I'm here in New York City. Two weeks ago, schools, restaurants, and gyms closed. Sunday, we went to "lockdown," and all nonessential services closed. (Fun fact: liquor stores are an essential service!) Wherever you are, I know that your life has also changed drastically this month. "Social distancing," "Stay home," "Flatten the curve"--we're all saying the same things. We know it's for the greater good. Meanwhile, we're feeling upside-down. Trapped in our own homes. Worried about money. Bored out of our minds. Fearful-especially for our older loved ones.

You are not alone.

The sentence above? Read it again. Say it aloud. Don't skim it; know it. Because lip service is one thing. Believing it is another. If nothing else, I am here for you. And I want to hear from you! I've been putting up stories on Instagram all week calling for DMs to discuss how we're managing this situation. I've been chatting with many lovely people on Facebook, too. So, reach out if you want more online community!

Read on in this newsletter for book news, fitness inspo, and coping strategies from your online friends! PLUS look for giveaway and event opportunities in each segment!

Book Three in the Series Coming Soon!

NEMESIS is the 3rd book in the Anti-Belle Series. If you're already on the bandwagon, this is Liv's story. I swear y'all are gonna fall in love with my sassy bombshell. This is an enemies-to-lovers, and oh my, these two are fiery! 
If you're not immersed in the Nashville-based series, I suggest you check out Not Suitable for Work and Off the Record now! They're are available in ebook, paperback, and FREE on Kindle Unlimited. 
**I need your help!** Want to be part of my NEMESIS cover reveal and have a chance to win an Anti-Belle giveaway? Reply to this email to say you're in, and I'll tell you what to do!

Finding the New Normal: Tips & Truths

The image is a handful of the replies I got on Instagram (Follow me!) when I asked how people were establishing normalcy in this new and strange time. It's easy to spend these days sitting in front of a screen, eating too much, maybe drinking too much, wishing it would all be over and we could just go back to how things were. If a chunk of your time has been spent that way, again: you are not alone. And there is NO need to guilt-trip yourself about how you "should" have managed things instead! 
There is no method that someone else has that means they're "winning the quarantine" and you're "losing" it. Stop all that talk! There is only you, doing what you can, adjusting like everyone else. 
My question to you is, how do you feel? 
Because if you feel sluggish, angry, bloated (ughhhh), and bored, well then that's information. It tells you that your strategies so far aren't fulfilling to you. Skip over any guilt about not living "your best quarantine life." Just drop that burden from your mind right now. But if you're tired of feeling icky, then take another look at that image. Start to find a routine for yourself that establishes this as normal. Let go of the hope that a couple days more and all will simply snap back into place. 
Today is what you have. Now is the moment that your life is happening. Don't waste it on pause. Work with what you have. Every. Damn. Day!

Staying Healthy
I'm a fitness instructor. I teach indoor cycling here in NYC, and I'm branching into personal training. But my beloved spin room is shuttered for now, and the weather has been rainy lately, and so I'm using this time to share fitness motivation with YOU! 
**CALL TO ACTION** If you use this routine next week, post a fitness selfie (or many!) and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter so I can shout you out AND enter you into a giveaway drawing. 

Your Stuck Inside Workout Week 1
I'm sharing three routines below, including links to examples for best form. Use the warmup and cardio for each set. Aim to do the strength routines with a day in between. *Cardio can be done daily if you want!*
**LIFE HACK** Busy? These workouts can be diced up throughout the day! Warmup while the coffee brews, do the cardio on a midmorning break, then the strength before dinner.
Warmup Stretch, jog in place
20 mins Cardio 
Options: 
a) Walk or jog your neighborhood or back yard.
b) (Indoor option) For 20 minutes, alternate between jumping jacks for one minute and marching in place for one minute. (Turbo mode: burpees, not jacks!)
Strength
Arms Day

Bicep curls, shoulder press, tricep kickbacks, chest fly
Aim for 3 sets of 12 reps each. 
Body Weight

Squats  Tricep Dips Crunches, Push Ups on knees 
3 sets of 12
Total Body
Plank, bicep curl to overhead press, lunges (alternate legs), skull-crushers
3 sets of 12, choose your weight to challenge you but be reasonable!

Slumber Party!

And finally, one more way to stay connected! Quick & Dirty Romance is the podcast I do with FAKER author Sarah Smith (on iTunes here!). Check out our 30-minutes-or-less episodes about what it's like to be a romance writer for fun distractions as you go about your new routines.
**BUT MORE THAN THAT** 
We are hosting a slumber party on IGTV this coming Saturday night, March 28, at 7pm EST! Follow us and come by for chat, games, and giveaways of our novels! 


And finally
I'm a collector of quotes. I'm leaving you with one for now. I'd LOVE for you to send me one to share with others! So in this time of newness and uncertainty, remember to let go of the battle because:
It's not the world against you. It's you against yourself.


Much love, my dear Anti-Belle!
Skye
Skye McDonald
skyemcdonaldwrites.com
@WriterSkyeMcD 


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