The Busy Mom Wellness Series: Getting Sexy at The Dollhouse Studios

Summer vacation has been anything but a vacation for The Busy Mom! For the past two months, I have been scrambling to finalize details for my oldest child’s transition to college and my youngest child’s transition to Kindergarten in the Fall! There’s also been a ton of summer camps to keep up with, in addition to the practices and other activities. With so much going on with the kids, somewhere along the line I lost sight of taking care of myself. And in doing so I began to notice a decline in how I was feeling on the inside. There’s no way that I can keep up with 4 kids for long if I keep neglecting my well-being.

 

To turn this around, I decided to commit myself to making some much-needed improvements in the wellness department—and what better way to get started with this ‘pledge of better health’ than to find ways to fit more exercise into my schedule.

 

Since I literally have to fight with myself to go to a gym (lol), I figured a great compromise would be to think of other activities that I enjoy and engage in those things more often. And of course, the best way to make sure I follow through with it is to be held accountable, right? So in this new ongoing series I will share with you my journey to better health and wellness in hopes of giving motivation that if The Busy Mom can find ways squeeze in more physical activity, you can, too!

 

And so it begins…….

 

As I stated before, I loathe going to exercise gyms and fitness centers, but one thing that I do love to do is: dance!

 

So imagine how elated I was when Clear Channel Radio Majic 100.3 host Selena J invited me to participate in her “A Month of Zumba” fitness class! So timely, this was the perfect way to ease myself back into increasing physical activity in a way that I knew I would enjoy.

 

  Me with Majic 100.3 radio host Selena J

 

What I did not know however, was how much I would in more ways than one!

 

The Zumba classes are being held at The Dollhouse Studios, a fairly new women’s fitness studio in the Downtown area. I’ve passed by the building lots of times, and always wondered exactly what it was all about.

 

 

 

 

“Where fitness is……sexy” (???)

 

Hmmmmmm……….

 

I found it to be very eye-catching, interesting, and inviting from the outside, but would the atmosphere be the same on the inside?

 

 

From the moment I stepped through the doors, the atmosphere instantly dissolved all of my anxiety.

Receptionist area

 

 

Waiting area

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The decor of the waiting area has lots of character and gave the impression that something fun and exciting was in store for me! The area has more of a boutique feel—not the typical empty beige-washed walls and stark fluorescent lights of fitness centers and gyms. This made me feel extremely comfortable

 

 

 

 

 

The staff is very friendly as well. Here is the instructor that greeted me at the door.

 

I initially assumed that she was the instructor for our Zumba class, so when I noticed that she was wearing these, I immediately panicked:

 

Luckily these were for teaching a different type of class (WHEW!!)

 

 

As I walked to the room for our class, the extra touches of detail continued to have pleasant surprises. These circular rugs along the hallway reminded me more of being in someone’s home rather than a fitness studio, making me even more relaxed.

 

 

 

Bland, tiny square room signs with lettering that the human eye can barely see? Not at The Dollhouse Studios!

 Seeing this sign made me start to feel like “getting sexy”

 

 

The 60-minute class was so much fun; I hardly even noticed that I was exercising! My initial plan was to break away to catch clips of the class in action, but every minute of it was so good, I could not bring myself to leave out of the routine that we were doing even for a moment!

 

But I did manage to get these photos of our classroom afterwards:

 

 

They have so many fun props to help bring out your ‘inner sexy’ in class!

 

 

 

Here’s Kemi—our instructor for Day 1 of the month-long class. Her energy and personality are what really made the seesion both enjoyable and memorable. And what I loved the most is that she wasn’t faking it: it was very easy to tell that she truly enjoys what she does and was just as happy to be there as we were. Kemi didn’t just shout off directions, either. Throughout the class she gave sincere encouragement, even showing alternative ways to do some of the moves if needed. She really made everyone want to give their personal best.

 

 

 Hey Kemi!

 

At the end of each class, attendees are encouraged to leave ‘notes of thanks’ to their instructors. The notes are placed on a wall in the waiting area for all to see:

 

Kemi did such a wonderful job, leaving a note of thanks for her was absolutely no problem!

 I was so happy (and exhausted) after the class that I forgot how to spell!! LOL

 

The “Notes of Thanks” wall

 

 

I had such a great experience at The Dollhouse Studios that I am seriously considering registering for classes there in the future. As a Busy Mom, the number one qualifying factor for me (besides awesome service) is hours of operation. Fortunately, the studio has great hours and even offers times by appointment two days a week. They also have a variety of classes to fit different interests, all with the focus of being sexy, fit, and most of all, fun!

 

 

Overall, I love that they have created such a welcoming and relaxed fitness environment that actually makes you want to exercise—and feel comfortable doing it, too! If you’re a Busy Mom in the St. Louis area and are looking for a place to ‘get your sexy (and active) back’, The Dollhouse Studios is definitely worth a look!

 

 

To find out more about The Dollhouse Studios, click Here.

To learn more about Selena J’s Holistic Health and Fitness Group, click Here. 

 

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Have you found that you’re losing sight of your personal wellness/fitness during the summer months? What are some ways that you stay active besides going to a gym? Share with me below or tell me about it at: meliasaource@yahoo.com.

 

 

*Disclosure*  I, MELISASource was invited to participate in a month-long fitness group class hosted by Selena J as part of her Holistic Health, Fitness, and Life Support Group. I did not receive any compensation for writing this post, nor payment in exchange for participating. The views and opinions expressed here are entirely my own.  

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