The Best Apps: How To Celebrate When You Can't Be There

Do you have friends who live all over like me? Not all of my friends live in San Francisco and I can't always show them how much I love them over the phone or by texting. I love giving gifts and I have some apps that are my go-to's to send a little love to my gal pals. Whether it's a birthday present, a congrats on their engagement, or just an "I miss you" I love to send them a little somethin' somethin'. Here are my favorite apps that are easy to use and super cute.

BloomThat: I love sending fresh flowers with BloomThat. I have used them for years and they are super reliable and always fresh! Send for a birthday, a promotion, anniversary or even Valentine's Day! I also love that you can now send cute succulents for your friends who are starting a new job or just for those who don't love flowers. Use code thean70s16 for $10 off!

Farmgirl Flowers: Farm girl has the cutest little burlap wrapped flowers. I love love love how eclectic their arrangements are and buy these often! I also love how they started doing little gift bags if your friends don't love flowers. I just sent this birthday pack to my friend and she absolutely loved it.

Packed Party: Are your friends fun and quirky? Send them a fun care package from Packed Party! What I love about Packed Party is you can even send to your friend when they are having a not-so-good day or week, if they just had a breakup, for their birthday, or even if they're getting married. These cute packages will surely put a smile on your friends face.

Saucey: Are your friends celebrating something that you can't be there for? Why not send a bottle of wine, some beers or some nice champagne? Saucey is perfect for a birthday, engagement, or just to surprise a friend when they got a new job. I love using this app, especially when you're in a bind. They deliver late!

Birchbox: Is your friend a beauty queen? Does she always have a new lip color, fresh scent, or moisturizer? Then she will love Birchbox. Birchbox is a monthly subscription for beauty products. I got this as a gift 2 years ago for my birthday and it introduced me to so many fun products. I am obsessed, and have sent to a few friends! It makes for a great gift, promise!

Doughbies: YES! You can send cookies and brownies straight to your besties door with Doughbies! How amazing is this? Doughbies are seriously delicious and when someone sent it to me with this I almost started crying. It's so cute and delicious, perfect to send to your favorite people to show them how much you love them. Use this code for $10 off : qumwmnqt.

PopSugar Box: This PopSugar Box is a fashion & beauty box in one! Look at this months box to get an idea what your friend would be getting. If your friend is a fancy pants, this may be the box for her! Click this link to join: https://musthave.popsugar.com/p/must-have?utm_source=account-overview&utm_medium=account-page&utm_campaign=referral&utm_content=u:18301864  

 

What Do I Want To Do In Life & How Do I Get It?

We are in our THIRD post on How To Transform Your Hustle. I am super pumped to be sharing my thoughts with you on this topic. Last week, we talked about what hustle is and how you can find that inner hustle. This week we are going right in to figuring out how to apply that hustle, by evaluating exactly what it is you want to do!

Is there something that keeps you up at night? Like seriously, are you the person who gets an idea and either needs to write it down or tell someone immediately. If you have this, you know exactly what I mean. MOST people have this. Some may be super excited about a business idea, others about a recipe book, some may even be super excited about song lyrics they need to write it down so they don't forget to. Whatever THAT is, whatever keeps you up, makes you want to research and learn more... is exactly what you need to be doing if you want to transform your hustle.

You see, I've had so many clients and friends who have an absolutely amazing idea they share with me. I always ask what they are going to do with the idea, and nine times out of ten they just say "nothing". At some point in our lives we were taught to not follow our dreams. At some point we were either put down, failed badly at something, or lost our motivation for whatever reason. It's an unfortunate truth most of us have to accept, but the thing is it doesn't have to stay this way for you. We all have the power to change, so why not start now? If you want to have an amazing business and side hustle, you will have to turn down the volume on those voices in your head telling you it's too hard or you can't.

The most successful people in the world have fallen and failed just like you and I. The difference between them and your average Joe is they believed in that burning feeling that kept them up at night and decided that the possibility of making their dream a reality was way better than sitting back and keeping that just an idea in their head.

Now what should this all mean to you? It means that what you want in life is not something I can teach you or a friend can tell you. It is something so deep within you that only you will know it when it hits you.

Here are some of my tips to realize what it is that will motivate you and once you find this you will be able to plan it out and start working towards it:

1. Don't watch any TV for a week. Spend that time journaling, online, reading, etc. and see what you come up with. When your mind is a bit more quiet you will find some trends in your writing, reading, searches, etc. The things your mind wander in these moments can be something BIG.
2. At the end of the day write down 3 daily affirmations (ie. I am strong), 3 things you're grateful for, 1 thing that could've made your day better. Those things may give you a bit of motivation or insight to what really makes you happy.
3. Think about your ideal day. What does it look like? If it doesn't look like your current routine, then this means you may need to make a change. Being inspired by that change can be a great thing to keep you pushing for more.
4. Who do you look up to? Talk to them! Seriously, if someone you know is a BADASS talk to them about how they do what they do. It won't hurt to chat!

Try this, and tell me if it makes you feel like you're on to something!

Stay tuned for next post: How to start your side hustle

What is Hustle? How do you know if you have it? Here's my story!

Hustle is known to most of us as working your butt off to earn a dollar. For me hustle is working my butt off to create a better future and career for myself. Like me, I'm sure you feel the same way. How do you create a life you are proud of and how do you make money doing that? Well, my answer isn't short but I promise it's meaningful.

Hustle for different people comes in different forms. Did you know for most of my life I've had multiple jobs?

Read my story: SORRY IT'S LONG...

Let me share a little about how I got my hustle. Since I was really young, I've always had expensive taste. I can walk in to any store and usually the first thing I pick up is one of the most expensive items in the store. Growing up, I would constantly ask my parents for things. They never gave much allowance ($10 a week if you finished my chores) nor did they give us lunch money (we had plenty of food at home to bring and they didn't care if that wasn't cool). Little did they know, by being this way- although it did annoy me- they drove me to be extra motivated to work for the things I wanted (thanks mom and dad). 
At 15, I got a job (under the table) serving pizza at lunch time at Dominos. I made $5, got free lunch and also saved money by not having to buy lunch. Right when I turned 16 I wanted a job. My parents weren't so fond of the idea, as I played 3 competitive high school sports along with competitive travel soccer. I convinced them that I could balance it all and got a job. I now had money to go to the movies, buy clothes, etc. The summer before college I got my first 40 hour a week job to save for school. 
The first year of college I didn't work, because I was a Division 1 athlete and my parents wanted me to focus on school and track. I absolutely hated it. I wanted my own money to spend and it felt suffocating to not have that freedom. I think this time in my life was HUGE in showing me if I want something bad enough I can make it happen. After that year, I decided track & field wasn't for me. I stayed full time at my college, but decided to go back to a sport I love (soccer) for fun. In order to play soccer, I had to also be full-time at the junior college I was playing at. This is where my hustle really took off. I went to 2 colleges full time, played soccer and worked at a restaurant. I was making money, in school learning and getting fit. All the things I love. This for one, showed me I could do anything I put my mind to and also taught me I can have fun doing it. I did this for 2 years and loved it.

After that, school was in full force working on my B.S. in Kinesiology, interning 3 days a week and I worked at a nice restaurant bringing in a good amount of cash, HOLLA! I worked on this blog in my free time and was also pretty much a fitness freak. I figured, if I kept doing things I love I will be all set!

Soon after I graduated college, I got a full-time job working at a physical therapy clinic 40 hours a week. The pay was absolute sh*!. I literally was making $12 an hour and most of my money was going to rent. I decided, why not keep your waitressing job? I loved it and it brought in extra money, score! I did this for about a year, and decided it was wearing on me. Between 2 jobs, working out a ton and feeling like I wasn't learning anything.. it was time for a change.

I decided to apply for corporate wellness jobs online. Fitness, health and people are what make me feel alive. Helping people reach their goals is so fun for me. I got my dream job at one of the biggest tech companies in the world running their fitness and wellness programs. This was an absolute dream. I moved to San Francisco for this job and was SHOCKED by not only the cost of living, but just the cost of everything in the city. My job took up most of my time, so I didn't really want a whole other job. However, about 6 months in to working there a life-changing opportunity came up for me.

I got asked to be a personal stylist. Oddly enough, I have always loved and adored fashion and with my 2 year stint being full-time at 2 colleges I even took a full years worth of fashion classes. This opportunity to be a personal stylist allowed me to be creative, do something I love and help this person feel great when they get dressed everyday. I felt like I was on to something and over the last few years this client turned in to 4 clients and 2 outside personal training clients. Making the time (on nights and weekends) for this seems to some as too much work, or not manageable. I beg to differ. When you're doing something you love it doesn't feel like work, and it opens so many other doors for you. I've learned the more apply myself, the more people I tell, the more opportunities arise.

Now how does my story let you know if you have this hustle?

My life experiences have pushed me to hustle at a young age, but you don't need to have the same experiences as me to find this. What it takes is goal setting and resilience.  You have to believe in yourself so much that failure is not an option. Of course little failures will happen, but you have to pick yourself back up. You have to take setbacks with poise and keep pushing for what you want even when you feel it may be nearly impossible. 

Figure out those goals, write them down, make a plan, go get them & don't give up!

Next post: What do I want to do in life and how do I get it? This post will be about narrowing down on what goals you want to focus on. 

Gorgeous Hair: The Best Toner Around

Do you die or highlight your hair? If your answer to that question is yes, then this product is for you. During the summer months often times the sunshine oxidizes died hair color and makes it look not so fresh. BLNDN created a toner and treatment to keep your hair tone picture perfect. Whether you are blonde, red head or brunette; this product will keep your hair from getting super brassy looking or too "orangey".

I bought their brightening trio which comes with a purple shampoo, purple toner & conditioning treatment (& it's on sale). I just started using it and had to share, and no this isn't a sponsored post I just really like their stuff. The longer you keep in the purple the more toned down your color will be.

The coolest part about this product is that it is actually clinically proven to work. Yes, they did studies on hair oxidation and this product helped prevent it!

I suggest you use:

If you're any shade of blonde

If you're brunette and have blonde highlights or even caramel highlights

Red head and don't love the way the sun hits your color

Check out their insta: here

The Best Makeup for Green Eyes

If you have green eyes like me you may or may not know what eyeshadows make your eyes "pop". Purple is usually the suggested color, but to be honest I just don't love purple eyeshadow. My go-to's are golds, browns and surprisingly oranges. I have discovered a few favorites and want to share them with you.

Tom Ford: Duo Cream & Eye powder color
Color: Naked Bronze
This is my new favorite. It is on the pricier end, but I am completely SOLD on the product. You can literally apply the cream with your fingers and it looks like you just left getting your makeup done ( a little goes a long way so it lasts forever. I love how smooth and easy it is to apply & when you want to give a little extra, the gold powder is EVERYTHING.

Kevyn Aucoin: The Loose Shimmer Eyeshadow
Color: Kunzite
I got this in a free gift bag about a year ago and I use it just about every time I go out. I use it with a blender brush just in the crease in my eye and also dust right under my outer lower lash. It is beautiful and build-able, so you can keep adding for a more dramatic look.

Urban Decay: 24/7 Glide-on Eye Pencil

Color: Bourbon

I don't wear a ton of eyeliner, but when I go out and want an extra soultry look I add this liner. It is shimmery, but not too glittery. I love how smoothly it glides on and it doesn't run!

Too Faced: Eye Shadow Palette
Color: Neutral Eye shadow collection (I love Honey Pot)
Ok, so I am VERY picky with what gold eyeshadows I like. Some are too glittery and don't stick to your eyelid, some are too yellow, too orange, too matte or they don't have enough pigment. Honey Pot from the Too Faced Palette is PERFECT. The only downside is, they don't sell it separate from the palette. If you can get your hands on it you'll know what I mean.

Mac: Eyeshadow

Color: Saddle

This color is the perfect neutral. I love it because I can put this in the crease of my eye and blend it during the day, then go back and touch up to add more and build it to an evening look. I will add some under my lower lashes and it softly enhances my greens. It was my first "green eye" purchase that I noticeably felt made my eyes look extra green.

Charlotte Tilbury: Color Chameleon

Color: Bronzed Garnet

I havent tried this yet, but it's in the mail. I've read multiple articles on how amazing it is, and I can't wait! It looks absolutely stunning.

Nars: Eyeshadow Duo

Color:Portobello 

This Nars duo is perfect for day time. The lighter color looks great on the base of your eyelid and the darker shade works well on the crease. This is less dramatic, but is sure to make your eyes stand out!

Lancome: Hypnose Drama

Color: Excessive Black

Don't forget Mascara! My all-time favorite mascara is this one.

Now you should be well prepared to create even more show-stopping eyes everyday!

My New (Affordable) Beauty Routine

Ok, let's admit it. There are millions of beauty products out there. When you start looking and reading about all of them you may end up walking away with way too many products that you may even discontinue using over time, what a waste of money! We also have to agree that having a routine with 10 products a night gets super expensive. I am trying this new routine and I've been loving it, so I thought I'd share!

The more I read the more I'm learning that the more natural the products the better. Too many beauty lines are harsh on your skin and leave your skin freaking out! My best friend is a little hippi, yogi, beautiful human. Thanks to her I am able to write this post, because she intro'd me to this new routine that I love.

1. Dr. Bronners Soap

This soap will stand the test of time. I don't know if you know this brand, but people use it on EVERYTHING. I am not kidding. On their hair, face, clothes, sink, pets, etc. Its amazing and affordable! I wash my face with this morning and night. For directions on uses, look here.

2. Dr. Gross Peel

Let me start by saying, this one isn't for everyone! I started using this after my facialist noticed I had very slight discoloration on my face called Melasma from birth control. I am lucky to have had someone notice it early, before it got too bad and she said it is SUPER likely when you take birth control. She suggested these Alpha Beta peels every few days in the evening. I love them and and feel like they've really helped keep my skin tone pretty even. If you feel like you have some skin discoloration I highly recommend trying them after you wash and dry your face.

2. Rose hip oil

I have been reading about all the antioxidant properties of rose hip oil and had been wondering about it for a while. Once I heard great reviews from someone I trust, I knew I had to try it. This is the one I've been using and I love it. I use it in the evening after washing my face. It makes me feel bright and fresh! I swear it makes a difference. I use this after I wash my face.

4. Vitamin A & E

Some anti-wrinkle creams are an upwards of $50. For $13 you have a near endless supply of an amazing anti-aging oil. This product promotes soft and supple skin. It's 100% vegan, cruelty-free, paraben-free, sulfate-free, mineral oil-free, lanolin-free, gluten free, GMO-free. I put this under my eyes and all over my eyelids before bed. I love it.

My Beauty Philosophy: Where I Save and Spend

I have enjoyed reading up on some of my favorite bloggers social media posts on how much they spend on their beauty services and which they prioritize. Let's face it, we ALL have a routine. Some may spend less & others spend more, but everyone spends on maintenance. It's usually fun, we enjoy the pampering, and we love to feel great about ourselves. However, it can get super pricey. I like to splurge on certain things, and save on others. Here's my current beauty breakdown.

SPLURGE: Hair color
I spend more than I like to admit on hair color. To me this is my biggest spend. I was tired of hating my hair and having to spend a lot getting it done every 6 weeks, so after doing some research I found a solution. I found someone amazing and get my hair done less often (2-3x a year instead of going 6-8x a year which meant getting it done every 6-8 weeks). After doing the math I spend about the same, but now I LOVE my hair and before I was impartial to it. I see Johnny Ramirez from Ramirez|Tran Salon. He is the King of Color and I suggest EVERYONE see him once in their life.

SAVE: Eyebrows
I don't get my eyebrows done as often as I used to. I can't believe salons in SF can charge as much as they do. Instead of going every 2 weeks, I go every 4-6. In between going, I pluck and trim at my house. This saves me a lot :)

SPEND: Haircuts
Hair is everything to me. As I mentioned earlier, I have gotten so many bad dye jobs and cuts I don't mind spending on amazing color or cuts. I see Anh Co Tran from Ramirez|Tran Salon. He is a sweetheart and amazing at what he does. It doesn't hurt that he has a rolodex of celebrity clientele, see it for yourself.

SAVE: Spray Tans
I LOVE a good spray tan, but I only get them for special occasions. I have girlfriends who love getting them regularly and I don't blame them. It's just not a must for me. I have used some great self-tanning products that keep me a decent color year round. My favorite is St. Tropez bronzing mousse. Make sure you wear a glove with this one. I also really like this lotion.

SPEND: Gel Manicure's
I am someone who just loves having my nails done. I don't know why, but I love a gel manicure. I think this started when I was a personal trainer. Wearing workout clothes all the time sometimes made me feel less feminine, so I made sure to always have my nails done. I don't mind spending the money as this is a little "me time" I look forward to.

SAVE: Waxing
OK. This one depends on the person FOR SURE. I don't mind going to the cheaper salon I've been going to for years. There are other salons that cost 2-3x the price, that I personally am not willing to go broke over.

SPEND: Blowouts
I love a good blowout. I am VERY particular with what I like, but every time I tell drybar exactly what I'm looking for they deliver! I splurge a little on this as it is $65 a month for 2 blowouts. With this, I can get a 20% discount on everything in store & I can also gift blowouts to friends.

SAVE: Massages
I don't get frequent massages. Since I workout a ton, I do sometimes feel like I need to get a massage. I make this happen on a budget by going to an affordable foot spa down the street. It's way more affordable than a nice spa and another bonus is I can usually just walk in when I feel like I need a massage.

SAVE: Facials
I love a good facial, but I don't frequent to the esthetician. I try to go 2x a year, rather than a monthly visit. Over time, this may change.

I'd love to hear where you spend and save, please share!

Starting Over: My transition in to a new career

I am the first to admit. I don’t have it all figured out when it comes to my career. Does anyone though? Even if you’re satisfied where you’re at now. Are you on the path to continuously grow your role? The cool thing about work is, well a few things.

You can do whatever you want. Seriously, it’s like the… what do you want to be when you grow up question we are asked time and time again at a young age. If you decide you want to do one thing and decide to change your mind, YOU CAN! That’s one of the many blessings we have living in the USA.

I recently made a really tough decision & changed my career. Ever since I was in college I knew Kinesiology, health and fitness were my passions.  I knew I wanted to incorporate these passions in to my life & set out to start my career in fitness.

I started working in a physical therapy clinic & after about a year of doing that (knowing I wanted to branch out in to corporate fitness) I moved back to the Bay Area for my “dream job”. I started working for Plus One Health Management helping run fitness and wellness programs at a HUGE tech company. Over the 3.5 years I was there I got about 5 promotions, learned a ton, and truly met the most inspiring people. I was lucky enough to be surrounded by individuals who motivated me to be the best version of myself. Over time I sort of became unchallenged and bored. I was still super happy, but not inspired. I missed being inspired and excited about work. I enjoyed it, had fun, but wasn’t learning anything or anywhere near the compensation I wanted to be making. I discovered that I am the type of person who needs to be constantly learning to be happy at work. So what did that mean for me? I had to get a new job.

I decided to start hunting for a new role & explored many options. I landed on moving in to either sales or recruiting. Sales is sales and recruiting is people sales. My passion in health and fitness stemmed from helping people get fit & healthy. Recruiting was just that, but helping people in their career. Once I made this decision to transition in to recruiting the hunt began.

I worked with a few agencies & also applied online. Many people asked, “why the switch” & my response was that I felt ready to gain knowledge and skills in something outside of fitness. I started at GoPro & learned SO much over the next 4 months. I got used to a different schedule. Actually having my mornings to myself. Being able to in a sense disconnect my passion from my life. My manager was what I like to call a BAB (Badass Bitch). This is a compliment of course. She is motivated, hard-working, intense, and someone I learned a whole lot from. I felt like I was in boot camp some days, but wouldn’t take that experience back for anything. GoPro started feeling really weird. I felt like I wasn’t supposed to be there. The communication style for lack of better words sucked & the amount of change in such a short amount of time raised some red flags for me. Peoples demeanor changed & everyone seemed to start to feel like there was “weird stuff” going on. My gut was telling me to start looking for a new job.

I had a problem with what my gut was telling me at first. One was because I just started there, and two was for the reason that I wanted to make sure it was legitimate and me not just feeling like there was too much change. I reflected for a while and realized it wasn’t the change, it was how things were being handled and communicated that made it so shady. I quickly started looking for a new job. I interviewed a bunch of places & the most frequent question I was asked was why I was looking for the change. I had to be honest, but with my honesty I think some people could’ve mistaken it for someone leaving WAY too early after just starting a job. That didn’t bother me.

I interviewed a bunch of places, and was nervous to get an offer somewhere. You see I didn’t hate GoPro, I just knew in my gut I needed to leave. After a very promising onsite interview at a company in SF on a Wednesday night, I headed to work back at GoPro. The news was broken to me on Thursday that Friday would be my last day at GoPro. Yep, I was laid off. Me, a 26-year-old passionate capable and qualified employee. I was in shock. I also, oddly enough, felt a sense of comfort. I know its weird to say, but I then knew and trusted my intuition more than ever. There was shady stuff going on, and I had a pulse on it. I wasn’t sad like many of my other co-workers, but I was a bit stressed. I was stressed on money & wanted to make sure I had an income. I talked to my mom, my boyfriend, and a few friends & I felt good. I felt supported and I felt blessed to be moving to a new company. By Friday, I had already scheduled 3 more interviews.

The next Monday I had 5 interviews, Wednesday rolled around & I already had a job offer (I wasn’t sure if I wanted to work there). By the next week I had finalized my last interviews and by that next Wednesday I had an offer. I believe all this opportunity came about for a few reasons. One, I believe God has a plan for you even if you aren’t aware of it. Two, I truly believe life gives you exactly what you need practice in. Three, if you work really hard and are kind and amazing things will happen. Four, trust your gut.

I then got connected with my old company. Not Plus One, but the tech company we contracted with. They interviewed me via phone & then asked me onsite. I was ecstatic, because something felt right. Out of all the amazing companies I interviewed with, this one was the best. However, I had to get back to another company who extended me an offer. I had to accept or decline without having all my options laid out in front of me. I asked for more time & got it. A few days later I got an offer at Facebook. I couldn’t have been more excited. I realized at that moment that’s what it should feel like when accepting a job. You shouldn’t just be inspired by money as money won’t make you want to show up to work everyday. It’s much better to make your choice based on opportunity, growth potential, company values, impact, and culture. Facebook was the company who checked all those boxes for me. I immediately accepted and my new chapter began.

Over the last few months, I haven’t posted much. I was going through so many transitions in my career I didn’t know where to start when thinking about posting and blogging. I do believe this post is very important, especially now, because much like myself I’m sure there are others out there dealing with comparable situations. Whether you’re interested in leaving your job, trying something new,  have recently started something new. Know that it will all work out. It doesn’t mean it will be easy, but you will know when you find the right fit.

Working On Yourself: Why this time will always be the most valuable in your life

Do you find that the more caught up in life you, the less you have the chance to work on yourself? Maybe you haven’t thought about it much. Perhaps you are someone who plans out the logistics of your day and as the day goes on check things off the list. You go to meetings or work, you respond to emails, go to the gym, and catch up with an old friend. If you think of it these things are work (or to you a task). You are expending energy planning, coordinating, and doing. Now it’s time to ask yourself; What are you doing to recharge yourself or fill up that energy tank?

Working on yourself is the most important thing you can do to better your life. What would you do if you had zero responsibility for a day. I like to think of this as “free time”. The free time we had in preschool where we got to do whatever we wanted for 30 minutes. You could play house, read, color, listen to music, take a nap, etc. It’s super important for you to plan out “free time” in your busy schedule. This time can be 20 minutes to 6 hours. It’s totally your call, but just be in tune with yourself to know how much you need to allot for yourself. You can go on a walk and listen to music, sit in a bath drinking wine, watch a movie, go get a mani/pedi, or whatever else you feel like doing. Be sure during this free time you aren’t working on anything. No instagram posts, no emailing, no taking calls, no texting friends; this is YOUR time. Once you take this time for yourself recharge, you will be full of energy to do the things you love doing all week/weekend long. 

I encourage you to plan out some interruption-free free time in to your weekly plans. Tell me what you plan on doing, and how you felt afterwards. It’s truly a great way to reset and recharge.

Cheers to the weekend.

Prioritize Sleep: Sleep is more important then you think

Yesterday I was exhausted. I'm not one of those people who always says "I'm exhausted"; when I say it, I mean it. For the last few months I've taken on everything I can and more. A full time job, starting my own business, personal styling, and blogging. On top of that I workout 1-2 hours daily, like to spend time with friends, and have some "me time". I have been really bad about getting enough sleep. I have probably averaged about 5.5 hours a night for the last month. If you have read about my "musties" here you know sleep is essential for my personal health.

How much sleep do we need?

8 hours is ideal.

Does sleep effect my weight?

Yes, when Cortisol(stress hormone) levels  are high you are more likely to store body fat. Studies also show you are more likely to eat more when sleep deprived. You are also more likely to find inflammation in your body or bloating when you don't get enough sleep.

Can I lose muscle if I'm not sleeping enough? 

Yes. Protein synthesis happens when you are sleeping. If you don't get enough sleep, you can experience muscle atrophy, and decreased levels of testosterone (which we all need to build lean muscle and a fast metabolism).

Can I recover from workouts without sleep? 

You don’t get stronger, faster, and fitter during a workout. You get stronger, faster, and fitter after your workout while recovering. This includes nutrition, rest, sleep, and hands on work (mobility, stretching, massage).

What else is making it hard to get 8 hours?

Stress. If you are stressed you are less likely to get 8 hours of sleep, which also inhibits recovery. When you exercise you essentially put your body in a stress state. If you are stressed outside of your workouts your tissues won't recover as quickly.

What does this all mean? I'm too busy to sleep! 

You need to prioritize sleep just like you would your nutrition or workouts. Always put your health and happiness first.