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Mother Essentials: Go Fit Jo’s Joanne Encarnacion

Written by Sara Langer

Although she’s officially a women’s health and lifestyle coach, a “self-love advocate” is how we like to describe Joanne Encarnacion. The mother of two behind the @gofitjo Instagram handle and blog is anything but extreme when it comes to fitness and self-care. Her gentle approach and openness about battling anxiety and depression, building deeper connection within her marriage, raising two young women, and also re-starting her fitness journey at 29 years old (she previously hadn’t worked out since high school), is refreshingly real and approachable. So, it was our pleasure to tap the self-described “woman in progress” to find out her current list of Mother Essentials, below.

Sonos Speakers. “I never realized how much music moved my family’s soul and my own, until we owned a Sonos speaker system in our house. Music is our life and it changes and shifts the energy and mood in our house from being dull to vibrant.”
Three Room Set with Sonos One, $549, Amazon.

Wireless Headphones. “The Bose SoundSport Free are my all-time favorite headphones. They’re completely wireless, have great sound quality, and they hold a charge pretty well.”
Bose SoundSport Free Wireless Headphones, $199, Amazon.

CBD. “I’m a huge beliver of cannabis-based healing. One of the things I noticed about taking CBD regularly is my gut issues seem to be in control and my mind gets to benefit from it.”
Lit from Within Superfood CBD Oil, $64.99, Mowellens.

Copal Incense. “I discovered Copal during a trip I took to Mexico with one of my fellow mom creatives. I remember walking by the gift shop at Hotel San Cristobal and the scent just stopped me in my tracks. I bought two bundles before diving into the meaning of it and started lighting it at home. Copal purifies any space, clears out any negative energy, and manifests positive change. We burn this daily in our home and in my home office.”
Teomati Sacred Copal Incense, $14.99, Amazon.

Black Jumpsuit. “I live for jumpsuits. They make it easy to run out of the house looking like you’ve got it all figured out. But let’s be real, I don’t. No one does.”
Belted Cropped Jumpsuit, $83.95, NA-KD.

Essential Oils. “Saje Wellness Pocket Farmacy is a must-have for every wellness warrior who’s looking for plant-based healing for most of our common issues. They come in convenient essential oil roll-on blends. I love carrying this in my purse. Peppermint Halo is one of my favorites to relieve headaches, but also to help center and ground me through a chaotic day. When my little one is feeling car sick, I rub Gutzy on her, and her sick feeling goes away.”
Saje Wellness Pocket Farmacy, $59.95, Amazon.

Away Luggage. “Away is the only luggage brand the family and I use. Olivia even has the kids one and it’s so cute to see her jetset around with it.”
The Kids’ Carry-On, $195, Away.

Journal. “This is my favorite journal to use for bullet journaling and note taking. I never leave home without it.”
Leuchtturm 1917 Dotted Notebook, $19.95, Amazon.

Belt Bag. “I travel at least once a month and this belt bag is so convenient to store all of my essentials without having to carry my wallet. It’s also perfect for those days I’m running around with my kids and need to be completely purse free.”
Crossbody and Belt Bag, $148, Lo & Sons.

YogaGlo. “I love this online subscription yoga and meditation app. When I can’t make it into a studio or head to the gym for a workout, I log on and tune out all the noise.”
YogaGlo Monthly Subscription, $18, YogaGlo.

Hair Towel. “Both of my daughters have one of these hair towels. They’re great because the microfiber material helps to quickly dry their hair while keeping it healthy. And, using one of these towels prevents Hygral Fatigue—the stretching and swelling of wet hair that makes it vulnerable to frizz and damage.”
Aquis Original Hair Turban, $20.99, Amazon.

Date Night! “Date nights are so essential for my sanity. I need that one-on-one connection with my husband and when I don’t get it, I get cranky.”

“Better than yesterday stronger for tomorrow.” “This mantra of mine has been something I’ve been telling myself for 5 years now. It used to be the thing I would say to myself when I was needing an extra push at the gym. But now it’s something I use to remind myself to stay present in the moment and release all of my perfectionist tendencies.

Bonus Points: For those of you looking to meet Joanne in person, she will be speaking alongside Mother favorites Alex Elle, Jen Garrido, and Ajolique Jude at the first-ever In Good Company Wellness + Creativity Day on October, 25th, in the Bay Area. The full-day event will include a guided hike by Joanne, a journaling workshop by Alex and Ajolique, a yoga session, and so much more. Join us!

For more on Joanne, check out her Instagram feed and blog. And for more Mother Essentials, peep our past columns with LaTonya Yvette, Morgan Walker of Make.do, Jeanne Chan of Harlow & Grey, Bekah Stewart of A Well Traveled Woman, Joy Cho of Oh Joy!, Erin Boyle of Reading My Tea Leaves, and an entrepreneur mom mash-up featuring Mara Hoffman, Jeni Britton Bauer, Justina Blakeney, A-lan Holt, Bee Shapiro, and Dominica Rice-Cisneros.

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