![Quantcast](http://pixel.quantserve.com/pixel/p-GS-HF4BKvzCmv.gif)
![Fitness Influencer Sara Hunt Shares Her Favorite Ways To Enjoy Summer In Chicago](https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8zMDAzNTEwNC9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTc1NTA3MzAxNH0.JYvYd5CooNqLQlBl6LfSZH5z_VWz1u0w3mdGzw7Stfg/img.png?width=1200&height=600&quality=90&coordinates=0%2C70%2C0%2C640)
Fitness Influencer Sara Hunt Shares Her Favorite Ways To Enjoy Summer In Chicago
This post is in partnership with Toyota.
Whether it's the lazy afternoons spent laying out on the beach, or nights spent sipping cocktails at your local rooftop hangout, there are so many reasons to love and look forward to summer. It's a time for respite, fun in the sun, and adventure. But as any Chicagoan can tell you, there's something particularly special about "Summertime Chi." The vibes in the Windy City are on 100 when the temperatures rise, and the city literally comes alive in the most magical way.
Chicago-based personal trainer and fitness influencer Sara Hunt knows this all too well. The Grand Rapids, Michigan native came to Chicago for college in 2008. After falling in love with Chicago, she decided to stay and put down roots in the bustling city. And the summers spent in Chicago really underscore her love for the Chi each year. "My favorite thing about Chicago is 'summertime Chi,'" she tells xoNecole. "There's just so many festivals and things to do. There's a plethora of really good food, whether it's healthy or not-so-healthy food. Summertime in Chicago is unmatched [compared to] other places, with the amount of [activities] that are available to you."
Just like the Toyota Corolla Cross, Sara is always on the move. She's a mom with a busy career who maintains an active presence in the gym. Throughout all of life's demands, Sara is diligent about showing up for herself. It was her motivation to make fitness a lifestyle in the first place. But that discipline has carried her through in so many ways. "I used to put everybody else before me. Now, I put myself in a category that I would put other people in," she tells xoNecole. "I'll even put it in my calendar that I need to book a massage or go and get my nails done. Because if I don't do that, then sometimes my own personal things will go under, be left behind."
She sees her fitness journey through the same lens: a way of giving back to herself that isn't motivated by external sources. "Before getting serious about my fitness journey, I was starting and stopping. I wasn't really doing it for myself. I had a boyfriend at the time and it felt like I was trying to look good for him. And then when I started [working out] for me, that's when I started to love it."
See Sara's Chicago city guide below:
Swallow Cliff Stairs, 8999 W 123rd Street Palos Park, IL 60464
"There is a place in Palos Hills, a suburb of Chicago, called Swallow Cliffs, and there are these massive stairs. Sarah. It's very daunting to look at. People look at it and think, 'I don't know if I'll be able to survive.' But all the extreme fitness people will drive from the city to go here. One round is up and down, and then you have to walk around [to go again].10 rounds for me takes about an hour. So there's that."
Cryobar, 1205 W Webster Ave, Suite 1 Chicago, Il 60614
"I love going here to get cryotherapy done. It's the equivalent of taking an ice bath. There are a lot of benefits to getting cryotherapy. For instance, if you did a really intense workout and your muscles are really sore, doing cryotherapy helps out with that soreness so that you can continue working out the next day and not be in pain."
Lou Malnati's, 439 N Wells Street, Chicago, IL 60654
"I think Chicago has the best pizza, and I can agree with other Chicagoans that deep dish pizza is overrated. We like tavern-style pizza, and we have the best. Don't get me wrong, we have great deep-dish pizza too, but that's a touristy thing. There's a place called Lou Malnati's, and they're my favorite place to get pizza. I personally like veggie pizza."
Mesler Chicago, 1411 East 53rd Street | Chicago, IL 60615
"One of my neighborhoods to hang out in Chicago is Hyde Park. I personally feel like that's an area where it is pretty diverse and it's also safe. There's a lounge in there that I like to go to sometimes called Mesler. It has a nice little upscale vibe to it. The drinks are great and it's the perfect place to take someone who is visiting from out of town."
Lake Shore Drive
"Everyone's favorite place for a drive in Chicago is Lake Shore Drive. It's the perfect place to just clear your mind, see the city, and look at the skyline. And if you go when the sun is setting, it's the most beautiful time to drive down because you'll see the sun setting on Lake Michigan which is breathtaking. And then you see the skyline. I think Chicago has one of the best skylines, but of course, I'm a little biased."
This article is sponsored by Hulu.
UnPrisonedhas returned for its highly anticipated second season, delving deeper into the complex dynamics of the Alexander family.
The series premiere comes a year after its debut season garnered rave reviews from fans and critics and earned record-breaking ratings for Hulu's Onyx Collective brand. UnPrisoned's success can be attributed to its raw, relatable themes and comedic appeal.
Inspired by creator Tracy McMillan's life, the show follows Paige (Kerry Washington), a therapist and single mother whose life takes an unexpected turn when her father, Edwin (Delroy Lindo) --who was released from prison-- moves in with her and her teenage son, Finn (Faly Rakotohavana).
Throughout UnPrisoned's first season, viewers witnessed how Edwin's incarceration deeply affected Paige's life and relationships. In the series, Paige unpacks her trauma through interactions with her inner child and her online followers. Meanwhile, Edwin is overcoming specific struggles with his own past that led to his life of crime, including a dysfunctional upbringing and his mother's arrest. As the Alexanders attempt to reconcile, new challenges arise.
This new season promises to further explore their unconventional family dynamic. Here are several compelling reasons why season two of UnPrisoned should be on everyone's watchlist.
The Alexander Family Life Is Still In Shambles
UnPrisoned's second season resumes where the series left off, with Paige grappling with the fallout from her troubled therapy practice and Edwin navigating life independently after moving out. Meanwhile, Finn faces his own challenges. The teenager is battling anxiety and seeking information about his father—a topic Paige avoids discussing.
The Alexander Family Are Attending Therapy To Resolve Their Underlying Issues
Amid the chaos in their lives, the Alexander family decides to mend their bond by confronting their past traumas. They seek professional help and attend therapy sessions with a “family radical healing coach,” played by John Stamos, a new cast member. This collective effort aims to unravel the complexities of their shared history and strengthen their relationships.
The process of unraveling each character's internal conflicts and their potential impact on future relationships may clash with Paige's textbook therapy approach. While Paige is used to being in the therapist's seat in both career and family, this forces her into the unfamiliar role of a patient during therapy sessions. This shift would compel her to look in the mirror and try a radically different approach.
The Alexander Family Learned A Big Lesson During A Therapy Session
In therapy, the Alexanders are tasked with addressing their individual traumas to salvage their remaining relationships. One of the family therapist’s eccentric suggestions was an exercise involving a family wrestling match. During this session, Paige faces tough questions about her refusal to share information about Finn's father.
While it's unclear whether this scene is reality or fantasy, the image of the family duking it out in the ring certainly makes for hilarious yet compelling television.
Paige Tries Dating Again Following Failed Relationships
Amid her life's chaos, Paige decides to step back into the dating field. However, her many attempts have left her with mixed results. The dating apps have turned out to be a fail, and an outing with her ex Mal (Marque Richardson), who is also her father's parole officer, doesn’t go quite as expected after he brings an unexpected guest – his new girlfriend.
The situation takes an awkward turn when Mal's new partner learns why the former couple split, partly due to Paige's self-sabotage.
UnPrisoned Is A Perfect Balance Of Comedy And Drama
As a dramedy, UnPrisoned takes a comedic approach to its heavy subjects. The show takes us on a ride with Paige's dating misadventures and navigating a friendship with her ex.
Other lighthearted moments include Edwin's attempts at CPR based on online videos and, of course, the antics of the Alexander family's unconventional new healing coach.
The second season of UnPrisoned is now available on Hulu.
UnPrisoned | Season 2 Trailer | Hulu
Feature image courtesy
Mariee Revere On Her History-Making Million-Dollar Sales And The Future Of MoonXCosmetics
If the name Mariee Revere sounds familiar, it's probably because you heard of her beauty and skincare brand, MoonXCosmetics, or you may have heard about her history-making achievement of making $1.8 million in less than eight minutes. But before starting her million-dollar brand, Mariee was just a teenager trying to cure her acne.
While she grew up in the skincare capital of the world, South Korea, Mariee didn't really experience breakouts until her senior year of high school. Like many people who get their first breakout, she didn't know what to do, and there weren't many products out there at that time. So she decided to experiment. What she didn't know was that what she came up with would ultimately be her ticket to success.
"When I graduated high school, I moved back to America, Georgia, and I ended up making, like, the oil, the Rose Galore oil, which is like the staple product of my brand. I don't know what made me make it, but I did, and it literally cleared my face up," she tells xoNecole in an exclusive interview.
"I end up selling it as a body oil first because, obviously, I'm 17, [and] don't have any background as an esthetician or anything like that. I just made a product that worked for me, but people bought it and was using it, and I reformulated it, and then it just stuck like with me."
While MoonXCosmetics is known for its facial products, it wants to expand to body care and home. It just released its new product, Moon-Gel body wash, and it's only up from there. As Mariee continues to grow the brand, it's more than likely that she will see more history-making moments. And so far she has.
Photo courtesy
When asked if she feels pressure to obtain more of those milestones, she says yes and no. "I did $1.8 [million] again, and then I did $2 million but I feel like now, currently, I don't look at that as one of my goals anymore because [of] the headache and just everything that came with it, but I was thankful and blessed to have that milestone, but now I'm looking for more," she says.
"I want to say more reach than more like fast-paced sales. I do want that. Obviously, every girl wants that, but I do want to have a better overall reach for my brand because I did take two years off so I was able to learn, [and] study a lot of different things. See how things have changed from 2020 to now."
"I did $1.8 [million] again, and then I did $2 million but I feel like now, currently, I don't look at that as one of my goals anymore because [of] the headache and just everything that came with it, but I was thankful and blessed to have that milestone, but now I'm looking for more."
Another part of expanding for any company is hiring people. Finding the right person to help you can be a hassle, especially for business owners who are used to doing all the work themselves. Mariee can relate to this, and she touched on this topic in her documentaryThe Million Dollar Story. She recommends having someone be your "right-hand man" who you trust to handle the ins and outs of the company.
"I could say, definitely get, like a right-hand man to help you within the process because that really was what helped me. I never had a job. I literally was 18 now, being like, you know, the boss of over 30+ employees at one point in time, and I didn't know anything. I didn't know anything about no W-2s, no taxes, no clock in, clock out because all I [have] ever known was my brand," she explains.
"So I definitely partner with people who are very skewed and versed in those areas, and they helped me get through it. Even to this day, I still have my same person helping me with hiring, firing, [and] doing everything that I can right now because I'm still learning. But obviously people get jobs young, so they have way more experience than me, but still learning."
And though she is still learning, one thing she makes sure to stay on top of is being consistent. Consistency is what trips many people up when it comes to achieving goals, but Mariee says it's all about scheduling. Whether it's when to post on social media or email marketing, scheduling it out can make a world of difference. That same practice also works when planning out her future goals for the company.
"Right now, future goals would be to drop at least five more products before the end of the year. We always do outreach, where we do drives and all that, but definitely do way more this year, she says. "Then really dive into body [care], and then hopefully open up MoonXBody underneath MoonXCosmetics to let that branch out and be open and definitely get back consistent."
For more information, visit moonxco.com.
Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
Feature image courtesy