This post is full of things I’ve been loving lately, but the absolute most-favorite of all the month’s favorites? Today’s weather. I think we’re finally done with winter. I swear you can feel the collective good mood vibrating throughout the city of Boston.
Favorite Products
Eddie Bauer Motion Leggings
Leggings: Pic 1, 2, 3
I know…Eddie Bauer for workout clothes? The list of designers and retailers who now have a fitness line is constantly growing. The kind folks over at Eddie Bauer sent me some samples from their new motion collection and I seriously love the leggings! They’re high quality with thick, supportive material, and comfy to boot. I also like the higher waistline on them. If I’m doing a workout like yoga or Btone where your hips often come up above your head (down dog, plank to pike, etc.) it’s nice to have a higher pant rise. They’re not sheer, but because of the light color, I wouldn’t wear dark undies with the green pair–the others are totally opaque and definitely pass the squat test (i.e. not see-through in the least).
Nakamol Wrap Bracelet from Rocksbox
I mentioned Rocksbox in a previous post, but essentially it’s like Stitch Fix for jewelry. For $25/month, you get three items sent to you that you can keep on loan for as long as you like. You can also buy any/all of them at a discounted price. When you’re through, just send the pieces back and you’ll get another box of three in the mail. I lose jewelry like it’s MY JOB so instead of wearing the pieces I get on loan, I just immediately send back what I don’t want and buy what I do. This wrap bracelet hasn’t left my wrist since I got it! ($38 with the member discount.) I wear a ton of black (do other colors even exist??) so it goes with almost every outfit I put on. If you’re interested in trying Rocksbox, you can get your first month free (the $25 you’re usually charged will be credited to your account) by using THIS LINK. Hop on it!
My New GoPro from New Balance
HI CAN YOU SAY SPOILED?? When New Balance asked for my shipping address, I figured a new pair of sneakers? Their latest workout top? Not only did (my new BFFAEAE) NB send me new sneaks and a couple shirts but A GOPRO. I am so excited!! I almost bought one myself before Australia but decided that money would be better spent while abroad. Welp, that turned out perfectly. Can’t wait to start playing around with my new toy–THANK YOU, NEW BALANCE!
(I think I just hit my caps lock limit with this one…)
Favorite Eats
CoffeeBars from New Grounds Food
New Grounds Foods offered to send me some of their CoffeeBars to try, and after looking at the ingredients (all real foods I can pronounce: dates, gluten-free oats, almond butter, brown rice syrup, vegan dark chocolate, coffee beans, crisp brown rise, cashews, chia seeds, agave fiber, cinnamon, sea salt), I happily accepted. It’s like your morning cup of coffee meets a LARABAR. I munched on mine before teaching early the other week and really liked it. I will add though that it’s probably not for those who dislike the taste of coffee.
G.H. Cretors Organic Popcorn
This is a great option for all you popcorn lovers! Only three ingredients: popcorn, olive oil (or sunflower oil), salt. Whenever I have popcorn in the house, I end up eating the entire jumbo bag in one sitting, but it’s so low in calories that it’s really not the end of the world. Gotta love guilt-free snacks.
My Latest Go-To Dinner: Fish + Fruit/Avocado Salsa Topping + Quinoa
This has been on repeat for dinner–it’s so easy! Broil up some cod; make a topping with cilantro, red onion, lime juice, avocado and whatever fruit I’m in the mood for (pineapple, kiwi, mango, strawberries, etc.); serve with quinoa and maybe a simple salad. Easy, healthy and so stankin’ good.
Speaking of this combo, my friends had Joe and I over for dinner the other night and she served the most delicious salmon prepared on her George Foreman grill. I usually always bake or broil fish in the oven and had never thought of using my GF grill–it’s so easy and the fish turns out great! It gives it a crispier outer layer to thicker filets that I love. Try it!
Sweets from Magnolia Bakery
I was sent a package from Vaseline packed with treats from Magnolia Bakery–so yummy. Dangerous though. Took me all of two days to devour the whole box. The white ones were rice Krispie treats coated in frosting and the chocolate ones (my favorite) were cookies coated in frosting. Hey we can’t be healthy all the time.
Favorite Workouts
B/SPOKE via Gilt City
I haven’t taken a class at B/SPOKE in a while since they went off ClassPass, so I was pumped when Gilt City gave me a free class in celebration of their Best Of Gilt City sale (–>check it out!). Steph is one of my favorite spin instructors in Boston, and per usual her class kicked my butt.
Fighter Conditioning at Peter Welch’s
I’ve heard amazing things about the boxing conditioning classes at Peter Welch’s in Southie for ages now, and finally went to one last week. I loved it–so fun! I highly recommend going with a friend for your first class though–there’s a lot of partner work and if you’re unfamiliar with boxing, you’ll have no clue what you’re doing when they first give you numbered hitting combos. I’m pretty sure I looked like an idiot half the class but whatever, I had a blast.
The Synergistics Fitness Method at Life in Synergy
I got invited to try a class at Life in Synergy, and can’t believe it took me this long to check it out! Think bodyweight, resistance bands, weighted balls with high reps–similar to barre, you’re not going to leave the workout covered in sweat. What I really loved about it is that the class focuses on areas of the body that need the most work. In general, people in our society have similar muscle imbalances (from spending so much time sitting at a desk/computer), and the class will hone in on those. I look Helena’s class (she’s also the founder of the Synergistics Fitness Method), and she was phenomenal. Within five seconds of talking to her she was like “you need to work on your lats.” That’s a pro for you right there. Although my upper body posture doesn’t do me any favors in hiding my weaknesses haha. There’s personal training at Life in Synergy in addition to the group classes, and the studio is gorgeous. They’re on ClassPass, too, so if you’re in Boston definitely check them out! I actually just started reading Helena’s book, Nutritional Alignment, so this isn’t the last time I’ll be talking about LIS on the blog.
From the Blog: 3-Circuit Kettlebell Workout
I’m all about kbs for my at-home workouts lately!
Favorite Reads
Killing Pablo by Mark Bowden
I’ve been dying to read this book for a while now. It was fascinating! It tells the story of the Pablo Escobar and the massive manhunt that went into finding and killing him. Escobar’s impact on Colombia (and the US) goes so far beyond his reputation as a cocaine kingpin—I had no idea what a disaster he caused. Highly recommend this book—especially if you’re into historical nonfiction.
Articles/Blog Posts
5 Reasons Banning Is Bad for the Fitness Industry via The Sweat Life | This is an older article, but it’s still relevant as I continually hear of other fitness instructors getting banned from certain studios. I think it’s so stupid! Two different instructors could teach the exact same routine with all the same moves and the classes would still be different because you can’t replicate that personality X factor.
20 Embarrassing Phrases Even Smart People Misuse via Inc. | I’m a total grammar/language nerd, but am still guilty of a few of these (sneak peak gets me every time).
Are Rest Days Necessary Even If I’m Not Sore or Tired? via Lifting Revolution | Oh man did this post speak to me. More often than not, I have to literally force myself to take rest days because I love working out—it’s part of my job and going to classes is a fun, social part of my day. But even if they aren’t always welcome, they are important, and it will eventually catch up to you if you don’t give your body the rest it needs.
Clean Beauty via goop | Gwyneth. I KNOW. But pretending to dislike everything on goop would be like pretending to dislike Taylor Swift songs. T Swift creates damn good music and this article on non-toxic beauty products is extremely informative.
Blog of the Month: Pinch of Yum | I just started following Pinch of Yum, and besides the delicious recipes and beautiful photography, I love that they share their blog traffic and income reports every month. The reports are so insightful! It’s always helpful to see how other bloggers are monetizing their sites, so their candidness is really appreciated. If you’re a blogger, check out their reports (here’s February’s) and if you love food, check out the rest of the blog!
Favorite Watches
On Netflix
Scandal | Can’t. Stop. Watching. I honestly didn’t like the show at first and thought it was stupid for the entire first season (yet kept watching … not sure what that says about me haha). But oh man. I am HOOKED. Is it weird that Olivia’s dad is one of my favorite characters? I know I’m supposed to hate him, but when he ripped Fitz a new a**hole for being a child, he won me over. My boyfriend has major secondhand embarrassment about my obsession (pretty sure he wanted to break up with me when I started crying after a major character died in season three).
Vietnam in HD | I love History Channel specials, and this one on the Vietnam war is phenomenal. There are some negative reviews on it saying it’s all propaganda, but I really enjoyed the six-part mini series.
All This Mayhem | Thanks to my boyfriend, I’ve watched just about every skateboarding documentary out there, and surprisingly am totally into them. This one is about Ben & Tas Pappas and their rise (and drug-and-murder-riddled fall) from the top of the skateboarding world. Most documentaries out there put Tony Hawk on a pedestal and it was interesting to watch this one show him as a total sellout. I know … who am I? Talking as if I’m some skateboarding pro …
Around the Web
This is so stupid but I dare you to not laugh (you need volume to fully appreciate it):
A video posted by Hello@fuckjerry.com (@fuckjerry.tv) on
Mar 29, 2015 at 9:38am PDT
Favorite Moments
Nailing My Headstand without a Wall
Inversions are scary when you’re 100 feet tall. Handstands still shoot terror through my veins, so I am soaking in the small upside-down victories. During a yoga class this month, I got into a headstand without using a wall for support—whoop! I know it’s easy peasy for a lot of people, but I was so afraid of falling over backwards that I never even tried it without a wall. You’d think I just won an Olympic gold medal by how proud I am…
Reading My Childhood Diary
Any time I’m at my parents’ house, I go right to my old bedroom closet and take out my childhood diary for a good laugh. I kept one throughout high school, too, but I don’t read that one—the wounds are still too fresh (kidding…but not). The one I kept throughout elementary and middle school though…comedic GOLD. I posted a picture of one entry on Instagram earlier this month and may have to make these a regular #TBT share—they’re just too good.
Spending the Weekend in Maine with My Dad
I had an extremely refreshing weekend up in Maine with my Dad earlier this month. We did some snowmobiling, but for the most part just relaxed—which was exactly what I needed. I get to see my mom almost every month because she helps me with blog pictures, but I don’t see my dad very frequently so I loved the time with him!
Getting a Shout Out from Cindy Crawford
I’m not dumb—I know there’s a 99% chance this was her PR team and not Cindy herself, but whatever. Cindy Crawford read my blog and you can’t tell me otherwise. When I saw she shared my blog post, I may or may not have run around Starbucks high-fiving strangers…
Favorite Announcements/Upcoming Events
HAIRraising on Sunday April 12th
On Sunday, April 12th, participating salons across the country will be donating all proceeds from the day to Boston’s Children’s Hospital. There are a ton of salons participating in Boston and several over states (full list here). Hair cuts are $25 that day, but if you’re not due for a chop, you can still be involved by opting for a blowout. I got one the other day from Nathan at blo who is one of the co-chairs. Last year, blo alone raised 10K (on just that one day!) for the charity. In addition to a blowout, you can also buy raffle tickets there for uh-mazing prizes: a year of blowouts, Sox tickets, a dinner party for four with a private chef–the list goes on. If you’re looking for an excuse to get your hair did, this is it. Children’s Hospital is an amazing organization!
North Face Teaming Up with November Project = More Free Workouts in Boston!
The Mountain Athletics/November Project workout series begins tonight! Every Tuesday & Thursday, free workouts will be offered in Boston’s Back Bay, similar in design to the super popular November Project sessions. Here are the location details: Tuesdays 6:30PM @ Boston Commons at Soldiers and Sailors Monument Thursdays 6:30PM @ Esplanade at Hatch Shell I live close by so am definitely going to check one out–let me know if you’re local and decide to go!
Favorite Window Shopping: Lululemon
Some teaching days, I swear I spend more time asking clients where they got their workout clothing than actually instructing. Lately, the answer has been nonstop “Lulu” so I did some online window shopping … game over. I want everything.
What were some of your favorites from March?
These roundup posts are a great way to share a ton of different things all at once, and as you’ll probably notice, a lot of the products and opportunities were blogging perks. I’m not being paid to mention anyone/thing in this post, and although I do get a lot of freebies through blogging (no complaints here!), not even a fraction of them make it onto the site. I only share stuff that feels like a good fit for P&I. I appreciate your support!