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Jen S

@jenexpresso

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High-protein meals • Fitness • Real-life wellness • Art
For the woman doing a lot and choosing herself, too.
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20 years ago, I put down the paintbrush and chose the safer path.

Recently, I picked it back up. 🎨

My first piece. My first reveal. And this time, I’m taking my art seriously.

Follow this next chapter → @jensharmilan (my art account) 🖌️

#artist #art #artoftheday #painter #creative by @jenexpresso

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a month ago

✨ A U T H E N T I C I T Y ✨

It’s easy to get caught up in a world that’s always trying to sell us the next thing… something to buy, fix, or change about ourselves.

I’ve spent a lot of time chasing “better.”

Lately, though, I’ve been wondering if the goal isn’t to become someone new, but to feel more like myself.

That’s why this photoshoot felt different.

I wasn’t trying to prove anything. I just wanted these photos to reflect who I am in this season… not a perfectly curated version of me.

Maybe that’s what authenticity feels like. Not perfection. Just showing up as you are. 🤍

#wellness #authenticity #mindfulness by @jenexpresso

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3 months ago

From Paris With Love 🖤🤍❤️

Listen… when @paris_photo_love was like “okay dad & kids, let’s get some solo shots of mom”, I was like “umm… what?”. As if this was some foreign concept that was not allowed. I felt a bit guilty at first, but now, I am SO grateful she thought of this and gave me a special little moment amidst what felt like utter chaos at the time.

I have no words so express how incredible Ana is to work with. You couldn’t tell by these pictures how stressful the whole experience was trying to wrangle two little ones to capture some memories together 🤣 I was stressed for us, and her. But she pulled through, with empathy, understanding, and grace!

No words. Just pure gratitude! 🤍 Nearly a decade later, after she took our engagement pics, we made it happen again. But this time, with kids added to the mix 🙏🏽

#paris #parisphotographer #france #travel #eiffeltower #toureiffel taken in Paris, France by @jenexpresso

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a year ago

You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take…

So maybe it’s better to just f*** around and find out!? 🤣

#motivation #art #artist by @jenexpresso

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5 hours ago

But where is the lie? Send help! 🙏🏽😅

Boss mamas, I see you! 🤍✨

#momlife #balance #wellness by @jenexpresso

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a day ago

Choosing ME! 💪🏽💥

#fitnessmotivation #health #wellness #lifting by @jenexpresso

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4 days ago

I will NEVER regret investing in myself.

A few years ago, after having my second child, I started taking my health more seriously.

I knew 40 was getting closer, and I made a promise to myself… I wanted to be the healthiest, strongest, most confident version of myself by the time I got there.

Then, about a year ago, something shifted. I got even more serious. And now? I’m getting even more serious.

Not because I’m chasing a number on the scale or want to look a certain way. But because I finally understand that taking care of myself isn’t selfish. It’s an investment in the woman I want to be, the life I want to live, and the example I want to set for my children.

My priorities have changed. My habits have changed. My mindset has changed. Everything has shifted.

I’m stronger. I’m more intentional. I feel more connected to myself. And I’m nowhere near done. ✨

Here’s to continuing to choose yourself - at every age, in every season, and through every version of you 🤍 👊🏽 💥

#health #fitmom #fitness #wellness by @jenexpresso

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5 days ago

Just make / do the damn thing ✨
No one can do it quite like you can… in your style, in your way.

Here’s my second piece taking art seriously after a 20 year hiatus. It’s not finished yet, but I’m already loving the process and how it’s turning out 🤍

#artwork #artist #artoftheday by @jenexpresso

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9 days ago

We need to give ourselves more credit. Especially those of us who grew up in South Asian households.

Because we can look back at our childhoods with gratitude for the love, sacrifices, traditions and values we were given… while also recognizing that some things don’t need to be passed down. We’re breaking generational cycles.

WE GET TO CHOOSE.

We get to keep the things that made us who we are.

We get to question the things that didn’t serve us.

We get to soften where things were once harsh.

We get to communicate differently.

We get to let our kids have a voice.

We get to create a home where certain things we normalized growing up simply aren’t normalized anymore.

And choosing differently doesn’t mean we’re blaming our parents. Most of them were doing the best they knew how to do with what they had.

We just happen to be the generation with a little more awareness, a little more information, and the opportunity to say:

“This part ends with me.”

And honestly… my little self would be so damn pretty proud of that 🤍

#breakingcyles #healing #wellness #mentalhealth by @jenexpresso

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11 days ago

Okay… grab your popcorn. 🍿

I’ve been wanting to jump on this trend for a LONG time, and I figured if I’m going to do it, I might as well make it a zinger 💥 😂 So here’s me being 100% honest and vulnerable.

A lot of you have been here for a long time, and you know that what you see is pretty much what you get with me. I’ve always been an open book. But being open doesn’t necessarily mean I’ve always been willing to put my failures on display.

So… welcome to my Museum of Failures.

Not the polished version where every mistake magically turns out to be a blessing.

The real ones.

The choices I’d make differently. The things I got wrong. The relationships I held onto too long. The parts of myself I had to unlearn.

And I’m not going to wrap each one up with a neat little “but everything happens for a reason” bow.

Some things were mistakes.
Some things hurt.
Some lessons took me way too long to learn.

But I can look back now and see what each one taught me… and, more importantly, what I chose to do with what I learned.

Because I don’t think the goal is to pretend our failures were secretly successes.

It’s to own them. Learn from them. Grow through them. And refuse to let them be for nothing.

So here’s my museum. 🏛️ by @jenexpresso

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12 days ago

Yesterday, I ran my first-ever 5K… and somewhere along the way, I started crying.

And I mean crying crying. Maybe it was the period hormones 😂, but I think it was something more.

Because in that moment, I wasn’t just seeing a 38 yr old woman crossing the finish line. I was seeing every version of me over the last decade.

The woman who became a mother and watched her body change in ways she couldn’t fully prepare for.

I see the seasons where I felt strong, and the ones where I barely felt like myself.

The workouts squeezed into already-full days. The starting over. The stopping and starting again. The friendships that carried me. The family I’ve built. The tiny humans watching me become who I am while I’m still figuring it out myself.

And somewhere along the way, I realized that taking care of myself wasn’t taking away from anyone else.

So when I was reflecting in real-time about the woman running (me), I didn’t see how far she ran. I see how far she’s come.

And maybe that’s something we don’t give ourselves enough credit for. 🥹😭🤍

To every woman juggling motherhood, relationships, work, friendships, a home, her health, and a million invisible things:

I hope you’re proud of the woman no one else gets to see becoming YOU.

#mom #wellbeing #resilience #wellness #running by @jenexpresso

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18 days ago

*listen to the beautiful raw audio of people just enjoying*

At 38, here some things I’ve learned over time about living well:

1. A full calendar doesn’t always mean a full life.
2. Rest doesn’t need to be earned.
3. Not every invitation deserves a yes.
4. Your body usually knows you’re overwhelmed before your mind admits it.
5. Being present is more important than being productive.
6. Some relationships change when you stop doing all the work to maintain them.
7. You’re allowed to outgrow traditions, expectations and versions of yourself.
8. Taking care of yourself isn’t always bubble baths and workouts. Sometimes it’s boundaries, uncomfortable conversations and walking away.
9. The people who love you will adjust to your boundaries. You don’t have to abandon yourself to keep everyone comfortable.
10. You can still be ambitious without living in a constant state of urgency.
11. Your kids won’t remember how productive you were. They’ll remember how it felt to be around you.
12. There’s no prize for getting through life the fastest.

Still learning. Still unlearning. But these days, I’m much more interested in building a life that feels good to LIVE than one that simply looks good from the outside. 🤍

#wellness #life #thoughts #momwisdom #ancientwisdom taken in Annecy, France by @jenexpresso

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21 days ago