Dear Friend! Thank you SO MUCH for stopping by!
I’m Liza Siegal, a major sweet tooth, a mama of two boys, a PsyD student, and a girl who believes that healthy baking is the best kind of a therapy (It’s basically guiltless self-care!) 🙂
So, welcome to Sweet Liza – a blog designed to help you enjoy the best of your everyday living by making it as guiltlessly sweet as possible!
(Because if there is any guilt involved… than… things aren’t 100% sweet right?) 🙂
…This simple philosophy along with my little addiction to all sorts of sweet treats were the reasons behind starting this blog!
But… let me just take a moment to tell you: although this little sweet philosophy might sound a bit too simplistic, 🙂 I honestly believe that treating yourself sweetly, sharing this sweetness with the world, and then ripping the benefits of a sweet feedback, whether it’s in a form of a little “thank you” or just in knowing that you’ve made someone who needed it (I believe it’s actually EVERYONE!) enjoy themselves a bit more, may make a whole world of difference in how you feel about your day!
So, here’s what you can find on Sweet Liza:
- An abundance of healthy guilt-free treats recipes (Note: although ALL of the SweetLiza treats are healthy & wholesome, most of them are also low-calorie. That’s because feeling guilty about having an extra serving just ain’t that sweet, right?) 🙂
- Latest updates on the best healthy treats that you can buy in the stores, or get for yourself in the coffee-shops, ice-cream parlors and bakeries!
- My tips and tricks on how to stay in your best shape ever when you’re a major sweet tooth like me!
- Some lifestyle inspiration to help you stay sweet within by guiltlessly treating yourself to some non-edible joys such as style, beauty and soul-nurturing self-care, as well as my best advice on being your sweetest self possible while interacting with people in your life!
With all that said, I am hoping that you’ll find my recipes yummy, my little sweet philosophy inspiring, and that Sweet Liza could enable you to nourish both your mind, soul and body in the sweetest ways possible!
FAQ:
Q: How did Sweet Liza start?
A: SWEET LIZA back in 2016 when I just got over my postpartum depression. I was a stay-at-home mom, with my career aspirations (I have a MA in sociology and I also studied acting & screenwriting here in LA) put on hold, feeling stuck in my everyday routine, isolated, overwhelmed and uninspired.
Emotionally and physically I was out of shape!
At the same time my two boys brought the new meaning to my life! I’d never trade having them for anything else!
What helped me overcome the blues and stopped me from turning into a bitter, sad human being, get back in shape and regain my confidence was the wise guidance of my Mom who helped me realize that if I wanted to be “sweet”, I needed to sweeten up my everyday life, but do it in a way that is healthy for both my body and my mind!
Which meant: get out of my usual tee & sweats, go out and have a treat, or bake a treat at home, to indulge myself and to share it with the people I love (which makes it even more enjoyable!)
Also – these joys don’t have to be fattening, pricey or time-consuming!
Having and sharing these little guiltless joys brought back my confidence, my good mood and returned my joie de vie. I got in shape by being kind to my body and to my mind. And now I’m hoping to share it all with you!
Q: What is your fitness philosophy?
A: Ever since my teenager years I always wanted to look my best by being in shape. Yet, it never came easy (just as it doesn’t to anyone I know!).
But after having to get in shape more than once over my lifetime I’ve learned a few very important lessons about this whole fitness and weight-loss thing! These lessons not only helped me to “bounce back”. I’ve managed to stay in shape without struggling to fight my cravings, depraving myself in the pleasures of having a “treat” or working out a storm in the gym! (Quite honestly – I don’t go to the gym. I don’t have much time for it now that I have to be there for my kids all the time! Plus gym is BORING!)
What are those lessons?
1. Don’t deprave yourself. Compromise.
You only live once. So how can you go on for years telling yourself “I’ll never going to have cake again!”? What kind of a life is that going to be? Feeling guilty about having that slice or feeling deprived from constantly battling your cravings won’t do any good!
You’ll either fail your fitness goals. Or become a bitter, sad version of yourself! Skinny? Maybe. Beautiful – I think not! (Honestly, I think that a less “shapely”, but happier person is far more beautiful than a skinny but hangry-angry one on any given day!)
This is why I’ve realized that to get in shape and stay that way I NEEDED to let myself have treats! Only the healthy, guiltless treats instead!
After years of making my own healthy treats I stopped craving whatever is sold in the stores (unless it was also healthy!). Because why would I feed my body something that may not be good for it when I can have my home-made cake and… eat it?
2. Find other sources of pleasure and comfort in your everyday life rather than food.
Not all of us can visit Bahamas or Paris “just to unwind”! But after years of “feeding” my soul with edible treats I’ve finally come to realize that it wasn’t the food that my soul really needed!
Comfort, escape, distraction – all these things that a treat can surely “fix” were what I truly needed to be addressed!
This “great” discovery had helped me also understand that while there’s nothing wrong with having a healthy treat (look up the #1!), a treat is surely not the only way to cheer myself up!
Getting dolled up and coming out, exchanging a smile with the people around, getting a compliment, sharing the food, reading books, shopping – all these things just as well make me feel joyful on the everyday basis!
Oh, and here’s the best thing about dolling up: not only it’s a treat as it is (Because what woman doesn’t like putting on something pretty to wear?). Seeing yourself look great in these pretty clothes can be a great motivator for you to start your healthy lifestyle journey!
So what do you say? What is your favorite treat? 🙂
Q: Do you often get prettied up now?
A: Oh, well… Most of the time you‘ll still find me wearing tee-shirts and sweats with my hair pulled back tight (because how else do you style your hair for cleaning a bathroom?) But… that wouldn’t be very much fun for you see… or for me to share, right?
But there are times in the day when I do let my hair down and do get dressed! And having gotten through that “sad phase” I make sure to doll up and to find the time to go out and have some “guiltless fun”!
Q: Who are your kids?
A: I have two boys, Aric and Alec, as of 2020 they are 14 and 12 year old! They are the sweetest things in the world – handsome, kind and so talented!
Q: What are your hopes for the future of SWEET LIZA?
A: I hope for SWEET LIZA to become a place of inspiration and connection for those of you who just like me, ever felt trapped in their everyday routine and needed a little a sweet outlet of joy to have and to share with the world! 🙂
