Happy Super Bowl Sunday! (Yesterday someone asked me what I was doing for the game and I asked them, “what game is even on tomorrow?” True story.) I’m checking in with my weekly workout recap but I also have a fun giveaway for you at the end so read on! Overall, it was a great [...]
Product Review
-
Updates, Big News & Winner
January 30, 2014 { 63 comments }It’s only noon but I’ve been going since 5 a.m. Three clients trained, 150 burpees done, yoga practice and shower. I’m happy to be sitting down in front of the computer for a bit! Today I have several updates for you, some big news and the Yogi Clothing giveaway winner. SNOW! It did snow in [...]
-
Chocolate Peanut Butter Green Protein Smoothie {Recipe}
January 20, 2014 { 14 comments }Recently I had the opportunity to combine two of the things that I love the most… Green smoothies… And peanut butter. Not just any peanut butter but the new Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter from Smart Balance. I received an email asking if I would be interested in sampling their new Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter and [...]
-
Yogi Clothing Review & Giveaway
January 16, 2014 { 490 comments }I have a great review and giveaway for you today! Yogi Clothing reached out to me a couple of months ago about a review and giveaway. Since I live in yoga/workout clothes I happily agreed because I seriously need to mix up my outfits and brands. I know this sounds a little crazy but since [...]
-
2013 Holiday Gift Picks
December 9, 2013 { 15 comments }I always love new holiday gift ideas so I wanted to share some of my favorites with you. Everything that I’m listing here is tried and true and my personal recommendations. For the guy on your list. Personalized DeCapper bottle opener. I have had one of these for a couple years now and love how [...]
-
The Perfect Gift for the Perfect Cup
November 26, 2013 { 228 comments }http://ads.blogherads.com/75/7551/campaigns/14/1408/1408125/x90.jsIt’s hard to believe that the holidays are upon us. I tend to be one of those people who believe that holiday decorating and shopping doesn’t start until after Thanksgiving, and it’s game on once I’ve enjoyed my favorite feast of the year! In the last few years I have moved a lot of my [...]
-
Fun Leggings Trend Continues + Rebecca Michaels Giveaway
November 19, 2013 { 309 comments }Hi and happy Tuesday! I have had a lot on my mind lately which I think is standard for this time of year. We are moving into the holidays, it’s the season of love, thanks and gratitude and 2013 is winding down. I haven’t been sleeping especially well and there’s been a lot of tossing [...]
-
Favorite finds to snack on, listen to and read.
November 14, 2013 { 15 comments }Morning! Today’s post is going to be a hodge podge of recent favorites from music to food to reading material so let’s get right to it. Perfect early morning coffee sipping activity! :) To snack on… This artichoke spinach “hommus” from Cedar’s. So tasty! These crackers from Glutino. I tried this brand a few months [...]
-
Time For Change: Saving Money and Reducing My Eco-Footprint
November 4, 2013 { 232 comments }http://ads.blogherads.com/75/7551/campaigns/13/1366/1366118/x90.jsIt’s not unusual for me to leave the house before 7 a.m. and not return again until after 7 p.m. My days tend to be long and spent bouncing between the gym and the yoga studio. When I leave the house in the morning it’s all I can do to have a bag packed with [...]
-
Relaxation Rituals
September 17, 2013 { 12 comments }Growing up (and to this day) one of my moms favorite things to tell me when I was tired, sick, emotional or blah was, “take a shower and you’ll feel better.” It’s one of those things I wanted to roll my eyes at but I couldn’t deny that it worked. What is it about a hot [...]
-
My Five Year BodyPump Anniversary + Wine Wednesday & Erin McDermott Fabulousness
August 22, 2013 { 15 comments }It was so interesting to read everyone’s take on introvert v. extrovert. Reader Laurie encouraged me to check out Susan Cain’s book, “Quiet” and also to listen to her TED talk about the power of introverts. I will definitely be using one of my Audible credits for Quiet and I’ll let you all know what [...]
-
I had time to kill at Target. New makeup finds.
August 13, 2013 { 13 comments }What is it about Target that throws any good budgeting intentions and rationale out of the window and makes a girl feel like it’s her DUTY to take a stroll through women’s clothes, home accessories and the makeup and beauty aisle? I walked into Target on Saturday to get toilet paper. I left with Charmin [...]
-
Currently Loving: Moisturizers, Music, Reading Material, Chocolate
August 6, 2013 { 24 comments }Lots of things I’m currently into that I want to share. Two Body Products I’m OBSESSED with. Johnson’s Baby Oil Gel. I discovered this stuff about six months ago and it’s been a staple in my bathroom ever since. It’s unbeatable in its moisturizing abilities…especially during dry winter months and for exposed summer legs. It’s [...]
-
Sweet Summer
August 2, 2013 { 8 comments }I cannot believe that it is already August…and that we haven’t had a 100+ degree here in North Carolina. For whatever reason 2012 seemed to move at a snail’s pace but 2013 is absolutely flying by. Here are a few things that are giving me a sweet start to my August. Salads. This summer has [...]
-
Face Matters: Part Three – Beating Acne and My New Skincare Routine
July 24, 2013 { 40 comments }I received a request recently for an update on my skin. I first blogged about my skin struggles a little over two years ago. I was dealing with frequent acne flairs worse than I had ever experienced in my life. For some back story check out this post and I blogged about the amazing feedback/suggestions [...]
-
Violet Love {Giveaway}
July 15, 2013 { 305 comments }Happy Monday! I’m over here battling delayed onset soreness from Saturday’s workout that is so bad that my yoga practice this morning consisted of me taking the few chaturangas I did decide to do on my knees, no handstands, no backbends, no arm balances…nadda. I did feel better after I did some stretching in the [...]
-
Friday Funday {Food, Music and Things to Read}
April 26, 2013 { 13 comments }Good morning and happy Friday! I had a 6 a.m. client today so I found myself wandering the aisles of Harris Teeter at 5:45 a.m. to restock my breakfast supply that I keep at work for these early mornings. I left with a Chobani Banana (really liking this new 2% flavor) and two products that [...]
-
Yes, women should run…but along with other things.
April 23, 2013 { 71 comments }Hello and happy Tuesday. I am excited that you liked the side crow video tutorial. They’re fun for me to do and I’m glad they’re actually beneficial to you. I’ll keep doing these pose breakdowns. It won’t be all arm balances and inversions…I will cover some of the more mainstream poses and variations for those [...]
-
Loving Lately: Food Edition
March 27, 2013 { 43 comments }From time to time I like to share things I’m loving with you. These posts can cover anything from beauty to food to fitness products and everything in between. Tonight we’re going to talk food. 2% plain Greek yogurt. Y’all…seriously. Take the plunge to 2%. It’s night and day difference in texture and taste. Whole [...]
-
JayBird Blue Buds X Review {Giveaway}
March 25, 2013 { 289 comments }I like to control my own music and zone out with headphones when I’m working out in the gym. For some reason, it feels totally different to play my own playlist with headphones in than to just workout to the gym music. I am so much more focused and into my workout. My workouts are [...]
-
My First Peel at Carolina Facial Plastics
February 28, 2013 { 28 comments }A few weeks ago I made my first visit to a plastic surgeon’s office. Don’t freak out on me the way my mom did when I delivered this news…no, I am not having any procedures done any time soon. I was invited by Dr. Jonathan Kulbersh and his wife Sara to come visit their office. [...]
-
Jewelry // Food // Workouts
February 20, 2013 { 19 comments }Happy Wednesday! My day is off to a fabulous start. I subbed a 6:30 a.m. hot vinyasa class. Nothing brings me more joy early in the morning than helping people to start their day with a yoga practice. It’s just as therapeutic for me as the teacher as it is for them. Who needs coffee [...]
-
Smoothies In February + Raw Organic Whey Giveaway
February 2, 2013 { 230 comments }One question that I frequently receive is about whether or not I use protein powder and what brand I recommend. I’ll answer the first part of the question first. I don’t regularly use protein powder because I focus on getting my protein from natural food sources. I’ve cut back on my use of protein powder [...]
-
I’m Back with Chobani, Outfits, Sushi and Comfort Food
February 1, 2013 { 37 comments }I know I have been MIA but the combination of a busy work week and a special project (please pray it sees the light of day and I get to share it with you!) have kept me away from the blog. Let me give you a quick download on what I’ve been doing. First, the [...]
-
Get Your Good Going…Winter Edition {Giveaway}
January 7, 2013 { 268 comments }I love warm weather and sunshine which I am sure you have probably figured out by how much I complain about the winter months being cold and dark. I would much rather run in the heat of a 90 degree day than bundle up and deal with frozen fingers and toes when it’s 30 degrees [...]
-
Cetaphil Review And $100 Visa Giftcard Giveaway
December 12, 2012 { 288 comments }http://oascentral.blogher.org/RealMedia/ads/adstream_jx.ads/ReviewBadge/OID4166_Cetaphil_ReviewBadge_002/@x13 I continue to be amazed by how much my skin changes with hormonal fluctuations, seasons and weather, my stress level, age…you name it. Over the past few years I have struggled with acne, redness and dry, flakey skin. It seems like I’m in a constant struggle to find a skin care regimen that works [...]
-
Oral-B Electric Toothbrush Review + $100 Visa Giftcard Giveaway
December 6, 2012 { 301 comments }http://oascentral.blogher.org/RealMedia/ads/adstream_jx.ads/ReviewBadge/OID4186_PG_HYTTY_Badge_017/@x13 Dental hygiene is something to which I have always been attentive. My parents insisted I stick to the every six month dentist visit schedule when I was growing up. I remember all of the fun of fluoride treatments, x-rays and sealants. I was fortunate to avoid braces, and my dentists and hygienists have always [...]
-
Peanut Butter Chocolate Layer Bars
October 21, 2012 { 17 comments }I think many of us have heard of Ann Byrn, better known as “The Cake Mix Doctor.” She’s published multiple cookbooks sharing how to turn a traditional boxed cake mix into something special. Since cake mix is the cornerstone of most of Ann’s recipes it seems only logical that she would create her own brand [...]
-
lulu Staples + Workout Tunes
October 4, 2012 { 30 comments }Good morning! Yesterday was completely insane…as Wednesdays usually are…so I didn’t post but there wasn’t much to share anyway. I taught an early yoga class and then spent the remainder of the day alternating between sending rapid fire e-mails, sitting in meetings and working the front desk at Metro CrossFit. Luckily, the day ended with [...]
-
Baby I Like It
September 28, 2012 { 10 comments }It only seems right to bring in the weekend with a post title courtesey of Enrique Iglesias. Haha. Although every time I hear that song it puts me in BodyPump mode because it’s a triceps track. I just want to yell out “singles.” Okay, so let’s actually discuss the relevancy of the title. This post [...]
-
Friday Funday {Giveaway}
September 7, 2012 { 189 comments }Happy Friday! The short week really flew by. I can’t believe the weekend is already back. Although weekends aren’t really the breaks from work they used to be. One of the very best things about my job is the flexibility. I don’t have set hours. Sometimes (rarely) I work the typical 8-5. Other days my [...]
-
Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
August 27, 2012 { 33 comments }My Sunday activities consisted of sleeping in, making brunch, baking cookies, blogging, hot yoga, house cleaning and a meeting at lululemon. While I did keep myself busy, none of these were “have to do’s” and everything was done at a relaxed pace. It is still weird for me to wake up on Sunday morning and [...]
-
Pinterest Finds, Sock Buns, Should I Color My Hair? Random!
July 23, 2012 { 41 comments }Happy Monday! I hope that your week is off to a great start. Mine certainly is after reading your incredible comments on yesterday’s post about finding happiness in the little things and everyday moments. I have said this so many times but one of my favorite things about blogging is the opportunity to connect with [...]
-
Five New Beauty Loves
July 16, 2012 { 55 comments }From time to time I like to mix things up and stray from the standard format. I rarely blog about beauty-related topics but sometimes I have things to share. Personally, I love receiving recommendations for beauty-related products via word of mouth so here are five of my new beauty loves. I haven’t done one of [...]
-
It’s Trail Time: Final What’s Beautiful Challenge Post {Giveaway}
June 12, 2012 { 1 comment }http://oascentral.blogher.org/RealMedia/ads/adstream_jx.ads/ReviewBadge/OID2525_UnderArmour_Badge_003/@x13 It’s time for another update on my progress towards achieving my summer racing goals! As a reminder, I announced last month that I am participating in the Under Armour What’s Beautiful Challenge and running a 5K mud run on my birthday (June 16) and a 15K trail race on July 21. I think I’ve done all [...]
-
Simple Saturdays
June 9, 2012 { 13 comments }I had been craving a bagel all week and it was once again the first thing on my mind when I woke up this morning. I decided that Saturday morning bagel and coffee sounded nice so off I went, in all my bed head glory, to pick up a bagel. I got a honey grain [...]
-
Zico Coconut Water Review and Giveaway
June 4, 2012 { 340 comments }It’s no secret that I live a pretty sweaty existence. Between teaching and practicing hot yoga, running and CrossFit, most days require multiple showers and outfit changes. But it’s not just staying clean and dry that I have to pay attention to due to my high activity level, I also have to be mindful of [...]
-
Quinoa For A Cause
June 1, 2012 { 7 comments }And it’s Friday! I have a nice weekend getaway planned. It’s my last weekend of freedom before our new location opens and I’m on lockdown in the city of Charlotte so I wanted to take advantage of it. More details on that later. ;) I had a piece of toast with peanut butter and honey [...]
-
Avocado Overload
May 2, 2012 { 54 comments }Yesterday was a great day. Around 9 a.m. UPS delivered a big heavy box to my doorstep. I opened it to discover more avocados than I know what to do with. Heaven! Chiquita is moving their global headquarters to Charlotte and I am lucky enough to have blog reader in the Chiquita Avocados division. Last [...]
-
Caffeinating The Green Smoothie
March 28, 2012 { 48 comments }Happy Wednesday! We’re on day 3 of the 7-Day Green Smoothie Challenge and I got a little crazy with my smoothie this morning. I had the genius idea to make my green smoothie hybrid pre-yoga fuel + morning coffee and added a shot of espresso. Leave it to me to figure out how to caffeinate [...]
-
A New Favorite Snack – Hungry Bars
January 4, 2012 { 8 comments }A couple of months ago fellow blogger Emily who owns Bluebird Bakery reached out to me to see if I would like to sample some of her products. I happily accepted her box of goodies! Her specialty is Hungry Bars which she describes as a cross between an oatmeal cookie and a granola bar. The Hungry Bars come [...]
-
My Must Haves for Kitchen, Workout and Yoga
December 10, 2011 { 14 comments }I wasn’t planning on doing a “favorite things” post for the holidays but a few people have inquired about my favorite fitness and yoga gear and kitchen tools so I thought I’d put together a quick list of some of my must haves. KITCHEN Kitchen Aid Professional 600 Series 6-Quart Mixer. My baby. Seriously the [...]
-
Lollihop Review and Black Friday Giveaway
November 25, 2011 { 248 comments }Are you surviving Black Friday? Was anyone brave enough to fight the crowds for deals late last night (or early this morning)? I don’t do well with those kinds of crowds so I opted to spend the morning on my mat. Are you surprised? ;) Brandon and I went to Decatur Yoga for a hot [...]
-
Monday Love
November 14, 2011 { 20 comments }I hope everyone had a nice Monday. I’ve said this before but it’s one of my very favorite days of the week. I love that everyone has a “fresh start” attitude. I always say that the energy in my Monday evening yoga class is the best of the whole week. I also love starting my [...]
-
Super Fruit Friday (and a giveaway!)
April 7, 2011 { 59 comments }I was going to wait until Saturday to post this so that I could title it Super Fruit Saturday (it just flows better than Super Fruit Friday) but I know how you guys operate and more of you read on Fridays than Saturdays. Why do I care what day you’re reading? Because I have an [...]
-
A New Cardio Challenge
February 21, 2011 { 32 comments }When Brandon and I arrived home on Sunday evening I was itching to move my body after a couple of days of rest and a five hour car ride. Brandon encouraged me not to run even though my back was feeling better because of the pounding. I actually listened (that is rare) and we compromised [...]
-
Happy Friday Giveaway – Better Butter
January 13, 2011 { 131 comments }What better way to kick off the weekend than with a giveaway!? I’m really excited about sharing this product with you guys. I don’t accept product reviews often but when Marina reached out to me about her new company, Better Butter, I was interested in learning more. After spending some time on her site, I [...]
-
Cold Weather Running
November 8, 2010 { 25 comments }The arrival of November has brought cooler temperatures and shorter days. It was 31 degrees here in Charlotte this morning and dark by 5:30 p.m. This presents some challenges for running. Gone are the days of throwing on shorts and a tank and hitting the road. The time has arrived to break out cold weather [...]
-
Up and Down
November 6, 2010 { 8 comments }I really enjoyed reading your comments on yesterday’s post, “Who Are You?” Thank you so much for taking the time to weigh in on how you identify yourself. And I completely agree that we are all a unique mix of things. I’m not just a runner but also a wife, daughter, yogi, teacher, friend, cook, [...]
-
BLENDing + Bacon
October 21, 2010 { 9 comments }Since I only posted a recipe last night and no details on my day, I have so much to catch you guys up on! Wednesday night I was invited to a BLEND (bloggers + friends) party at Lululemon Charlotte. I have so enjoyed getting to know Meg and Mimi from Lululemon so I was very [...]