Favorite Workout Gear for the New Year

This year there will be no resolutions. Just my new year "word."

Prioritize.

I felt the serious effects of putting myself last, or not on the priority list at all, last year. My back (and the scale, sadly) are the direct result of not doing some of the things I love to do.

While I loved our weekend trips to the aquarium or trying new Charleston restaurants, I rarely broke a sweat unless I was being my typical helicopter mom self chasing my toddler around the playground.

One of the ways I'm carving out time for me this year is heading to the gym during my lunch break. It's not always possible but I feel so.dang.good. when I do! I feel even better when I have new high rise leggings to contain the "current situation" while I throw down some intervals on the treadmill.

And when I say throw down, I mean I go between 4 and 6 miles an hour. I know, I'm so fast.
 
Is it just me or is it so much easier to mentally prepare for the gym when you have new gear to wear?! I thought I'd round up some of my favorites in case you're like me and need a little gym wardrobe update. Also have I mentioned how much I love high waist leggings?

My newest favorites are leggings with mesh cutouts and tops with an open back. I'm normally so gross after basically any cardio so I feel like cute workout clothes make up for my hot mess appearance.

Right now those GapFit gFast leggings and the strappy bra are 40% off and you don't have to wear them as stirrups! And my top two favorite Athleta leggings, the mesh Plié Tight and Quest Chaturanga (which are SO dang comfy and have pockets for your phone) are on sale, plus 20% off! Sizes are limited for the Chaturanga tights though so move quick!

And FYI, you can pick up my favorite Nike running shoes at Nike Outlet stores for much less. They are so light weight, I love them!

You'll note there is no Lululemon here. I cannot justify the cost and have heard so many complaints about pilling! So far all of my Athleta leggings have been washing great so I'll take that budget for sure!

And for the record, I own almost all of the favorites below and highly recommend! I'm just waiting on a sale to take that Athleta sports bra home with me! (You can also click on the items in the collage above!)

7

Taking Care of Self

Last week I attempted what I can easily say is the most strict diet and workout regimen I've ever been on.

And technically, I failed.

After feeling increasingly bad about myself over the course of the last few months I needed something to kick my self into gear.

Probably the biggest eye opener for me was how quickly you can pack on the pounds after weaning from breastfeeding if you don't also adjust your eating habits. Towards the end of my breastfeeding journey with R I was only nursing once a day but I had no idea how many calories I was still burning at that point.

Fast forward 4 months and it finally hit me that I've been focusing so much on my son, that my health, self confidence, and appearance had gone downhill. As a mama, its so easy to fall into this kind of rut.

So I decided to try the Tone it Up 7 Day Slimdown.

To summarize in the briefest way possible: you drastically cut carbs (this was a major problem or me pre-slimdown), up your protein and vegetable intake, cut sugars (also a huge challenge for my sweet tooth), and put in 40-90 minutes of workouts per day.

Meal Planner (Prettier versions that I love here and here)

Believe me when I say I set my expectations low for actually following this because, real life. I mean, if there is a mom that can make it to the gym twice a day she deserves a medal.

BUT.... I was hoping it would give me a jump start that I needed to take care of myself better and for that reason I don't think it was a total failure.

What I learned:

1. I was overeating, overdoing the sweets, and severely lacking in the vegetable department. I mean honestly why did I need to eat 3 macaroons instead of one? Did I really just eat 3 pieces of toast for breakfast? Why am I finishing the pancake Rowan left behind?

2. I actually do love to workout. I have always been an athlete. I worked at our gym in college. But the physical act of getting myself to the gym these days seems impossible. There is always a sick or teething babe to tend to, toys to clean up, sleep to catch up on, or a house to clean.

3. I can totally function without carbs after breakfast. Eating a burger without a bun isn't as bad as I thought. Riced cauliflower makes me feel way less terrible after dinner.

4. Meal planning (and prep!) is key. If I don't chop up all of those vegetables when I get home from the store, all hope is lost.

I may have only lost 2 pounds and worked out 4 of 7 days, but I truly think challenging myself with something like this was such a good decision.

Am I going to go sans hamburger bun forever? Heck no! But cutting back has made a huge difference in getting rid of that heavy feeling I get at the end of the day.

And a good sweat sesh on the treadmill, rowing machine, or even at home with a Tone It Up video has been so, so good. It just takes one or two workouts to break out of my slump and realize what I've been missing.

Oh and I also plucked my eyebrows, treated myself to new makeup, and picked up some new summer clothes that make me feel good. I'm still a hot mess most days, but I do try harder now.

Congrats if you made it this far with this post. You're the best. I hope if this does anything it motivates others in a similar place to do what makes you feel good!

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Also I would be remiss if I didn't express my sadness over the events in Florida this past weekend. My heart aches for the families and loved ones of those involved. I hate that it's become so political so I'm just going to leave it at that.

16

Operation: Shorts Season

Notice I didn't say swimsuit season? Yeah, I think that goal might be further off than the shorts thing since I'm still going through my carb and sweets withdrawal after our trip. Baby steps, folks.

I am constantly in a cycle where I really love working out and go about 4-5 times a week, then I take a month off and lose whatever muscles and tone I previously gained.

{Via}

So today I'm publicly challenging myself to try harder. Life gets busy (plus I'm really good at excuses) but I'm making myself a realistic workout schedule so I'm not a ball of insecurity when my thighs rub together in shorts, or worse, in a bathing suit. Ew. Damn you high school volleyball... I should have stayed in ballet.

I loathe running, even though it feels really good afterwards. I'm also not into cardio classes, though I do love a good Barre or Yoga class. I'm thinking of trying something similar to this Elite Body Trainer or maybe paying some attention to my fitness board again.

Anyone else have the same workout habits? What helps you stay motivated? I need all the help I can get right now, tonight's workout is going to be rough.

16

Five on Friday!

SO happy its Friday! Work is getting busy and I've been setting up some fun things for the blog so I'm really happy to have the weekend and catch up on things, such as sleep! We've got some fun plans in Charleston this weekend with Ally and her husband so I'm excited to get through today, have a strong cocktail after work, and relax!

As usual, I'm linking up with Christina, April, Darci, and Natasha for my favorites from the week!

Acrylic Desk Accessories

Polka Dot Notebook, Push Pins, Tabs, and Washi Tape {Target}, Gold Glitter Notebook {J. Crew Factory}

I mentioned a couple weeks ago that I want to give my home office a facelift since I basically live and work in it every day. I haven't done much yet but I did pick up these cute acrylic boxes from TJ Maxx for organizing my desk accessories. I plan to add an acrylic monogram decal on the note card holder, you know, because it's not girly enough with all of the pink and gold items being stored in it...

I also ordered this acrylic tape dispenser. And I'm wishing it was acceptable to pay $30 for this gold stapler. I'll share more photos of the office upgrade when I make some more progress!

New Phone Case for Workouts

iPhone Holster Case

A long, long time ago, I shared some of my favorite workout items which included an iPhone holster. I have since lost one of the two parts to that holster and its been driving me crazy that I have to carry my phone or stick it in the sweaty waistband of my yoga pants while working out. I finally found a new one and I'm loving it so far! There is only one part to it so I don't have to worry about losing it. It stays really snug when hooked onto my yoga pants, even when I run like an elephant.

New Wish List Item: J. Crew Silk Snood

J. Crew Silk Snood

I saw this in the store and immediately became obsessed with it. The colors are gorgeous and it's J. Crew, so of course its great quality (and pricey). I think I need this for our Europe trip. I mean, of course I'm using that as an excuse to buy it but it would go well with a lot of the items I want to pack!! I just hope it doesn't sell out before it goes on sale and I can rationalize buying it, that tends to happen to me with J. Crew!

Free Language Apps: Duolingo and SpeakEasy French/Italian

I know it's not necessary to learn a lot of the language when we go to Europe, but I am on a mission to refresh my memory on the French I took in college and at least learn the basics of Italian. I really enjoy the Duolingo app for French, its basically like a series of tests that you go through, each of which build on the last lesson you had so everything stays fresh in your memory. SpeakEasy is great too for basic greetings and words you would need while traveling, plus it works offline. I upgraded for the French but the free Italian version has been great. If you're traveling abroad I definitely recommend both of these apps!

Festive Nails

Pardon the manhand...

I've mentioned before that I'm pretty terrible at doing my own nails but this Essie color is one of my absolute favorites, it's called Off the Shoulder. It's an oldie but goodie. I'm going to be so sad when it runs out! I might try my hand at painting a heart on my ring finger this weekend... we'll see how that goes!

So what are your plans for the weekend? Anyone as excited about Olympic snowboarding and ice skating as I am?! I watched the new Slopestyle event qualifiers last night and the girls were great but the guys blew me away! I wish I could do that, I mostly just rotate from falling on my ass to getting a beer in the lodge while snowboarding. Ha!

Happy weekend, friends!

37

It's that kind of week...

Every once and a while I do something dumb and I file it in my memory bank so I (might) not do it again. This week, I've done some dumb things so instead of letting all of them go, I'm calling myself out on them.

This post isn't going to have many photos, but feel feel free to laugh with me and agree at the high level of dumbness. (Is that even a word?) This post also kind of reminds me of a book I saw recently called First World Problems.

Today I'm feeling good and I think I'll be productive, but it's just been one of those weeks!

1. Dinner last night: Yesterday was a cold-ish fall day and I got totally amped at the thought of having my mom's chili and homemade mashed potatoes for dinner with the hubs. So I got in the car during my lunch break and picked up all the ingredients at the grocery store. In an unusual fashion, I made everything before my husband got home so he could have dinner waiting for him and I could win the "Wife of the Year" award. Okay, maybe just wife of the day?

Well, after 6 years of dating and 6 months of wedded bliss, I forgot that my husband doesn't like chili. FAIL. On top of that, he came home with a new vacuum.

You win, husband. Now my fat ass gets to eat a gallon of chili for the next week. At least I have a new vacuum that doesn't spit the dirt back out at me to help work off some of those calories.

2. Another food failure. I dumped a whole bag of Stacy's Pita Chips on my lap. Yes, a WHOLE bag. You know when you try to catch it as it falls and you make matters worse? And yes, I ate some of them off of my lap... after dipping them in hummus. Don't judge.

3. Vitamins and my inability to swallow them. This week I'm trying to get back into a workout/healthy eating routine (we'll come back to this) so today I tried to get back into taking my multivitamins. After 15 minutes and 2 glasses of water, I threw the half-disintegrated vitamin away while gagging at the taste and texture in my mouth. I thought, someone else has to have problems swallowing these gigantic pills, right? Apparently I'm not alone... One-a-Day makes "petites" and I'm totally buying them. I also contemplated chewable Flinstones but thought I'd give the petites a try first...

4. The sewing machine that hates me. I'm trying SO hard to make some progress on our master bedroom (if you remember, I told you here how it takes me forever to make decisions). Unfortunately my mom's sewing machine is being a little bia. Note I'm blaming the machine, not the user. Cue my hissy fit. "All I want to do is make my euro shams and everything keeps working against me!"- Me, right before yelling at my husband for telling me to take a deep breath. God I love him for putting up with my craziness.

Don't worry, I'm determined to get said shams completed and share the progress with you this week! (I know you've all been waiting on pins and needles for an update...)

5. Working out begins again this week... or not. Made a whole workout sched, put it on my massive to-do list, and then found other more important things to do like watch movies, search the internet for lamps, and write more to-do lists.

So far I'm 0 and 5 here folks. Someone get me a cocktail. Oh wait... I already ate seven four pudding shots.

Anyone else feeling a little defeated this week? Or just feeling intimidated by your to-do list like me?

On a good note, both the hubs and I got approval from our bosses for our one year anniversary Europe trip. Buying tickets to make it official today... OMG!

15

Workout Essentials

Happy Hump Day! Its been a slow week so far in this household, we've had to force ourselves to get to the gym let alone do anything else productive after work! I mentioned earlier this week that I'm trying to get back to my workouts after a ummm... 4 month... hiatus. I've gone here and there, but I haven't made it a habit like I did before the wedding.

I usually like making up my own workouts but I came across the Lee Labrada Lean Body Trainer, and maybe its because deep down I'm just that lazy, I decided to try his plan rather than make up my own workouts. It's a 12 week plan so I'll keep you updated on how it goes.

I decided to put together some of my favorite workout items that help me have a good workout.

1. Under Armour UA Tech Short Sleeve V-Neck- I found these at the outlet for $10-12 and have them in 4 colors, including 2 neon colors (woo!). They are longer than most of the women's dri-fit shirts and are so comfortable.

2. Nike Air Pegasus +30- I just got these in the mail and love them, especially the "atomic pink" color! FYI- They run about a half size small so size up. They have a lot of support in the heel and the arch. You can get these from Finish Line with a promo code for cheaper than Nike offers them.

3. Nike Dri-Fit Running Capris- I also find these at the outlet for about $30. They have different color strips on the side of the thigh, so I've got 3 different pairs. They are so lightweight and comfortable, I don't think I'll ever go back to shorts for workouts.

4. iPhone Holster- I like to keep a list of my exercises in the Notes app so I use my phone to listen to music when I workout. This clip stays in place even when I'm running like a buffoon, and allows me to remove the phone easily so I can see my workouts or change the song. Plus the arm bands annoy the shit out of me so this was kind of my only other option.

5. Tervis Water Bottle Tumbler- If you haven't heard of Tervis tumblers, go get one now! They are great for hot or cold drinks, they don't sweat, and this particular one comes with a lid. I attach my locker key to the top of this so I don't lose it at the gym. I've also dropped it multiple times and it hasn't even chipped. (Plus, they are dishwasher safe and made in the USA)

I am trying to revamp my cardio playlist because lets face it, I find running intensely boring, and I need something besides new kicks and sweet pants to keep me going. I tend to like alternative when it comes to working out so here is my current playlist, its a work in progress.

Warmup

Red Hands by Walk Off the Earth

Be Your Man by Ivan & Alyosha

Intervals/Workout

Rubbernecking by the Big Pink

Anything Can Happen by Ellie Goulding (random, reminds me of the New Girl.. anyone?)

Drunk in the Woods by Walk the Moon

Closer by Tegan and Sara

The John Mayne by Little Green Cars

Darling, It's Alright by Francis & the Lights (Have you seen the video for this? love his dance moves)

I Love It by Icona Pop

Sex by the 1975

Free by Graffiti6

Cool Down

Ho Hey by the Lumineers (Reminds me of our wedding- we played it during the cake cutting)

She Got the Honey (iTunes sesh) by Mat Kearney

Anyone have any other favorites for their workouts? Any songs that really get you moving?? Wish me luck on tonight's workout... its a leg night. Ugh!

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