Disclaimer: This is actually an old post I did on Instagram while I was in my blog rut. As a matter of fact, I’ve been pulling a lot of inspiration from the microblogging I was doing over there…sssshhhhh don’t tell anyone. Just enjoy…
I bought these boyfriend jeans during the summer and wasn’t able to wear them until recently.
The tag said they were my size, but sadly, they were too tight when I got home.
(Lesson here…always try shit on…our sizing system is total bullshit and varies from store to store and from style to style. I would think boyfriend jeans would run larger than skinny jeans…I was mistaken.)
In the past, after losing weight and busting my ass in the gym, having to put on a “larger” size would have depressed me. Much like the scale, I allowed a number, this time on a tag, THAT NO ONE COULD EVEN SEE, depress me.
What the actual fuck?!?!
Looking back on stuff like that makes me want to smack myself. Really hard.
I allowed stupid things to rob me of happiness during my journey.
The scale, a tag inside of a pair of jeans…let’s not forgot comparing yourself to others on social media. <insert gigantic eye roll here>
SO. DAMN. DUMB.
My point with all of this is simple….
Keep your eyes on your own journey.
Celebrate every victory you have. (Especially non-scale ones.)
Don’t allow the scale to dictate your life.
Don’t squeeze yourself into a pair of jeans or not wear a pair simply because the tag inside has a certain number on it.
Wear what makes you feel confident and don’t worry about wether it says S/M/L or if the number is 2/10/16 etc.
The size you wear doesn’t matter…your confidence does!
As you all know, I haven’t blogged much over the last year, but that doesn’t mean I wasn’t eating heathy(ish), working out or working on new things.
Earlier this year I launched a t-shirt shop!
It features fitness and lifestyle t-shirts, with a snarky/sarcastic edge to them. I wanted something that allowed people to show their sense of humor without having to say a word.
Funny. Fit. Fierce. You.
That’s what I was going for. Something to balance out the world of perfectly filtered, social media highlight reels. A way to embrace progress over perfection….to find the humor in your imperfections, celebrate the little things (like putting on non-gym clothing).
A way for you to be fierce as you pursue your goals and share your sense of humor as you set new PR’s….but most of all, to JUST BE YOU!
There are many other fun designs over in the shop! Please stop by, check them out and let me know what you think!
Like what you see? Use code GETFITWITHNIKKI for 10% OFF your order! SHOP NOW
I also have an Instagram page for the shop @NicoleHynesDesigns – so be sure to follow to see the newest designs, promos and giveaways!
Last week I announced that I would be hosting my first ever giveaway over my Facebook page and today a winner was chosen!
and the winner is….
You are the winner of Nora & Jac’s super cute color block infinity scarf and two sailors knot bracelets!
A big thank you to Nora & Jac for providing such an awesome prize package for me to giveaway to the fans of this blog, it’s been a pleasure watching your business take off!
I’d also like to thank everyone who entered this giveaway and take the time to read what I write. You are all awesome! (or really bored…I’ll go with awesome, though!)
Hosting my first giveaway was actually pretty nerve wrecking for me, but it was fun and I look forward to hosting another soon!
Click the summer giveaway tab on the top to fill out the form.
(There are also links to Nora & Jac’s Facebook page on there if you prefer)
One lucky winner will be randomly chosen on July 1, 2013 by 3:00 pm to win these great items (which are valued at approx $45):
So hop on over to Facebook to enter today and keep an eye on the Nora & Jac page….she has some great sales going on now to make way for new items which are in the works and will be launching soon!
No, no, no…there is no baby on the way here, or in the future. This mama is done with that road in life, but let me tell you… If you are expecting and are into fitness, you have to check out FitBump!
I had the pleasure of meeting the founder of FitBump, Kira Kohrherr, as well as her PR rep Liz Graham a week ago, while attending The Brooklyn Baby Expo. At the time, I didn’t realize that Kira also designed a full line of maternity fitness apparel, but as soon as I saw it, I was in love!
This line, which is due out in July 2013, is full of fun colors and cute prints, plus it sports flattering silhouettes that celebrates the bump, while the active-chic styles easily transition from the gym to everyday wear!
One of the things I hated most while pregnant, was constantly having to buy new clothes to fit my ever growing belly. With FitBump’s revolutionary design you don’t have to, because it expands over nine months and then retracts as your post-baby body gets back into shape. How awesome is that?!
Seeing this line almost made me wish I was pregnant, but then reality hit me, I heard a room full of fussy infants and I remembered how much I love to sleep.
FitBump just launched their new website about two weeks ago, and it was created as a one-stop-shop to help wellness-focused women make mindful, educated decisions throughout their pregnancy and beyond.
Their site offers a community with advice from wellness experts and real moms. There are also categories you can browse including Fitness, Nutrition & Recipes, Mommy & Baby Care, Style, Holistic Health, and Green Living.
FitBump doesn’t stop there! They also offer products to make living a healthy life easy and fun. One of the services they offer is called Thrive Foods, which is a specialty meal delivery service. It provides nutrient-dense dishes for moms-to-be and new moms. This farm-to-table option is delivered in 5 or 7 day meal plans. The plant-based, gluten-free meals are prepared in Oxnard, CA and shipped overnight in sustainable, recyclable packing. Nothing is frozen and an air-lock system keeps food fresh and healthy. Click here for more information on this service.
As you can see, FitBump has a lot offer to mom-to-be, so make sure you visit their site, check out the amazing fitness apparel and maybe even give this Total Body Workout a shot!
If you order something from their maternity fitness line, I would love to hear what you think about it, so be sure to stop back and give me a full report!
Also, a big thank you to Kim and Nicole from A Child Grows and Melissa Chapman for allowing me to be a part of the #BklynBabyExpo!
I am a jeans and t-shirt type of girl. I am known for my love of hoodies and my hatred of heels. My idea of accessorizing, is grabbing an elastic band for my hair that matches what I am wearing.
This summer, I have decided that I need to put a little more effort into my clothing. I need purchase actual outfits, as well as a few dresses and non flip-flops for my feet.
You can quit laughing now.
No really. Stop it.
As you know, I spend a lot of time on Pinterest, so I began pinning outfits I liked and I even picked up a few things for my birthday and over the passing weeks. Do you know what I keep gravitating too? Nautical style prints.
Honestly, I’m obsessed with it.
If it’s blue, red or yellow, my eye goes straight towards it. Add stripes to that color palette and I instantly run to it. I don’t know what it is. I just can’t help myself. Even when it comes to accessories, if I see a sailors knot, I want it.
Quick! Someone stage an intervention!
Which summer fashion trend are you gravitating to this year?
Welcome to Part Two of my #FitBlogNYC recap! I hope you found some helpful info from my first post about the amazing speakers who FITNESS lined up for us! If you somehow missed it, please take a moment to check it out here: A Day In NYC for #FitBlogNYC (Part One)
After our information packed morning of seminars, FITNESS provided lunch for all of the bloggers in attendance and an opportunity to visit all of the sponsor tables that were set up inside of the Mercedes Club. When we arrived at the event, we were given a program and on the back of it was a list of all of the sponsors. We had to use this as a sort of passport and collect stickers from each vendor in order to earn an amazing swag bag!
First up was Saucony, since we encountered their table immediately upon going inside. They had a table set up with amazing running shoes, in bright, fun colors. Looking at the array of colors just made you instantly happy, so you could image how I was about to burst with joy when I found out that we were all receiving a pair of them!! The shoe being featured were the Kinvara 4’s and they are simply #Kickassimus and will help me #FindYourStrong!
Next up was the Athleta table. They had a table full of swimwear on display for us to check out and two racks full of different athletic wear. While taking everything in, we were told about an Instagram contest they were running. We were to pick out an outfit we liked from the rack and Instagram a photo of it with the hashtag #PowerToTheShe. A winner was selected at midnight based on who had the most likes. Obviously, I did not win, but it was fun anyway!
From there we moved over to the Marmot table where we met Paige Claassen who is a Professional Climber. She will be taking part in the Lead Now Tour, which is a global tour to inspire people through rock climbing. While speaking with her, I learned that she will be traveling the world for year during this tour and that she is most excited to visit South Africa, which is where the tour kicks off.
The next table I visited was sponsored by Tonalin. I had never heard of them before, but learned that their products are used for reducing body fat and are sourced from natural safflower oil. Tonalin CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) is natural and environmentally sustainable. I don’t know how much I buy into supplements like these, but if you have ever used them and have seen good results, I’d love to hear about your experience.
From here I moved on to the Reebok table and it was fabulous! They had a great display of their CrossFit sneakers set-up for us to check out, along with some of their new #LiveWithFire apparel! There was also a photo-op set up here. We got to write a catchy phrase on a white board, along with our blog/twitter information and have our photo taken. Later, we found out that Reebok had also given us all a pair of their SubLite Train 1.0 sneakers (not featured in this photo) to try out! Score!
Vichy Laboratoires was the next table I visited. Upon arriving there, we were presented with an iPad and earbuds so we could watch this funny video, which is part of their #celluliteconfessions campaign:
After laughing for a while and joking with Violet Zaki (Fitness Expert, Owner of ZakiFitness and Equinox Instructor), we were introduced to CelluDeStock and their new Capital Soleil Lightweight Foaming Lotion SPF 50, which smells amazing and doesn’t leave that gross sunscreen feeling on your skin. Vichy was kind enough to offer us a full size bottle of each in our swag bags, so I’m sure I’ll have more to offer on these products soon!
Our next sponsor was Smart Balance and they had a very fun set-up for us. First, we were offered a little snack made with Smart Balance peanut butter, of course! They were No Bake Peanut Butter Cocoa Cookies and they were yummy! They were also kind enough to have the recipe printed out for us to take home, so I figured I’d share with you, too!
Smart Balance No Bake Peanut Butter Cocoa Cookies
Ingredients:
1/2 cup Smart Balance Fat Free Milk and Omega 3s
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 Tbsp Smart Balance Blended Butter Sticks
2/3 cup sugar
2 1/2 cups oatmeal
3/4 cup Smart Balance Rich Roast Chunky Peanut Butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
Directions:
Boil the Smart Balance Fat Free Milk and Omega 3s, cocoa, Smart Balance Blended Butter Stick and sugar in a small pot for two minutes.
Remove from heat and add oatmeal, Smart Balance Rich Roast Chunky Peanut Butter and vanilla.
Drop by heaping tablespoons onto parchment paper or way paper. Let cool for at least 1 hour before eating.
They also had a fun aspect to their table. There were headbands for us to wear with the hashtag #BalancedBlogger on it and we had to attempt to do a fun pose on a Bosu Ball while wearing it. It was an interesting couple of minutes as I tried to balance on one leg for a photo. Luckily the representative taking the photo caught it right before I fell off. Good times! For our efforts we earned a jar of their peanut butter in our choice of chunky or creamy. If you Instagramed and tweeted the photo, you also earned the chance to win free Smart Balance peanut butter for a year.
The final sponsor we visited before giving into our hunger and breaking for lunch was Crystal Light. They had a table set-up with cups of water and a few sample flavors of their new #CrystalLightLiquid flavoring. We had a choice of trying Blueberry Raspberry, Pomtini or Strawberry Lemonade, which is what I opted for. I liked that you could control how much flavor was added to your water and that it wasn’t overly sweet because of that.
From here we took a break to grab some food and head back outside to socialize and enjoy the gorgeous weather NYC was having that day.
I wish I had taken more photos of the bloggers I met during the event, but it complete mental overload and I was honestly more into socializing than documenting by this point. It was nice to meet up with Jen (@MomsGottaRun) since we went to High School together and it had been years since I’d seen her.
After lunch we headed inside to visit the final sponsor table, which was brought to us by Ford Fiesta and their #FiestaMovement. They had a fun photo booth set up so myself, Sylvia (@Frolic_Life_Syl) and Susan (@SusanFishback) participated together.
Our final event of the day was the group workout. Those of you who read my blog regularly already know we had a choice of three workouts. A Cardio Dance Party, Yoga or a Group Run. I chose the run so I quickly changed into a tank top and met my group. The run was being sponsored by Saucony and was being lead by Dorothy Beal (@MilePosts) who is a marathoner, mom of 3, cover model and running coach. Our group wasn’t very big, but it was full of some runners who know their stuff and could easily do the 3 miles we set out to do. I felt great at first and was keeping pace with some of the newer runners, like myself, but as we continued our run along the Hudson River, I suddenly felt the familiar tightening of my chest… the one that has driven me crazy since I was Derailed By The Plague back in March.
I was starting to have an asthma attack and I didn’t have my inhaler with me. Awesome! I slowed down and walked, tried to run again to catch up and then realized I had to walk if I wanted to make it back to the venue. I instantly felt like I failed and tears began to stream down my face. I called my husband to vent once my breath returned and he tried to reassure me that it was okay and I didn’t fail, but it’s hard to accept in the moment. I felt embarrassed and I felt like my body let me down. I eventually came to terms with what happened but it still sucks.
Upon returning back to the Mercedes Club, many of the bloggers had already grabbed their swag bags and were leaving. I quickly changed my shirt and headed over to claim my bag awesomesauce before meeting a few of my new blogger friends for a drink and some snacks.
Photo Credit: Susan Fishback
My bag full of Awesomesauce! (Ignore the mess behind it)
This was hands down and amazing event and I hope I am lucky enough to be invited to attend next year. I promise to share more information about what was in this amazing bag as I use the items, but the brands include Saucony, Reebok, CamelBak, Vichy, KIND, SparklySoul Headbands, Smart Balance, Marmot, Goody, Pure Barre, Three Jane, Athleta, Julep, Bliss Labs and many, many more!
One quick one I’d like to feature is Sugarfina.
They gave use a beautifully packaged, delicious box of dark chocolate covered goji berries that even my kid liked!
They are offering our readers 20% off their antioxidant collection until May 31, 2013. Just visit Sugarfina.com/antioxidant and enter the code FITNESS at checkout!
I don’t know about you, but money is always tight in this house.
My biggest fitness splurge to date, are my Brooks Glycerin 10 sneakers which I LOVE! I purchased them last year while picking up my race packet for The Color Run and while I cried as I forked over the cash for them, they were worth every penny. I think if you can only choose one item to splurge one, running shoes should be that item.
Now my daily fitness attire is another story. Because I need enough clothing to support my daily fitness activities, I need them to be cost effective. When I was just doing P90X or Insanity, I wore tank top and shorts that I already owned. I didn’t care if I matched, because I was in my own living-room. My biggest worry was a sports bra for Plyometrics workouts. Since I started running, I’ve had to think about different types of gear. An arm band for my phone, the type of socks I wear, moisture wicking shirts, compression pants and different types of jackets for the different types of weather I’d encounter, as someone who runs outdoors.
When I asked for recommendations, many people said Lululemon, which is completely out of my budget. (I do like to “window shop” on their site, in case I ever hit the lotto, which I rarely remember to play.)
I had looked at Under Armor, Nike, New Balance and other brands at Sports Authority, but most of them were also pushing the ever shrinking limits of my budget, too.
Thankfully, I discovered Old Navy’s Active line!
It’s truly been a budget life saver and I adore the colors and styles they offer. I have quite a few of the t-shirts, tank tops and compression pants. I even recently picked up the compression jacket shown above, on clearance and used some Old Navy cash, to get a nice haul for very little money.
I was really skeptical when I first tried the t-shirts. I wasn’t sure how they would hold up during washing, and my gear is used often, so it’s washed a lot. To my surprise they held up great and I haven’t seen any signs of shrinking or fading. (which is amazing because I sometimes forget to double check the recommended washing techniques.)
There honestly isn’t an article of clothing I’ve purchased from the Active GoDry line, that I don’t like. The compression pants were my favorite piece of gear when it was cold out. They never rode up or slipped as I ran, which drove me crazy with a pair I purchased prior. The bubble tanks (like the black one on the top left, in the photo above) are adorable and add a little of fun to workout gear. I snagged a few of those in some bright colors on clearance and I can’t wait to wear them now that the weather is warming up.
Do you have a favorite, budget friendly place to buy your workout gear?
(This is not a sponsored post. I did not receive any kind of compensation from Old Navy for this post. I’m just simply sharing something that I like.)
As many of you know, I am a true t-shirt whore. I love them and have collected many throughout the years. Since losing all of the weight I have, many of those t-shirts have ended up in bags and gone to Goodwill. There are others that I have not been able to part with or have recently gotten too big on me and I have finally found a way to still wear them and not look like a complete and total bum.
I’m sure many of you are familiar with a Pinterest, you know, that website full of neat stuff that sucks you in and eats up all of the precious time that you could have been productive in? I have been guilty of pinning many crafty things and then forgetting about them, however yesterday, I found a pin that really intrigued me and before I knew it, I was going through my dresser drawers, grabbing a pair of scissors and dusting off the sewing machine.
The pin I am referring to is a tutorial on T-Shirt Restyling or Recycling and can be found HERE. That blog also links to where she found the idea so if you decide to give this a try, be sure to visit both sites to see all of the photos!
I ended up doing two t-shirts last night and I LOVE the way they turned out. Of course I got all caught up in making them and forgot to take step-by-step photos to go with this post, but both of the blogs I mentioned above did.
There are so many possibilities for these! I used a fun cord from a pair of old sweatpants on the Star Wars t-shirt, instead of the original collar as the tutorial suggests because I wanted a looser fit to that one. I’d actually love to do the top in orange on both of these and I’m almost positive I have an old orange t-shirt somewhere I can cut up and use just for that purpose. I also didn’t worry about swapping out thread colors. I just went with plain old white on both of these and I think they look just fine. (I also stuck with white because I forgot how to change the bobbin on my machine…sssshhhh!)
I’m so glad I found this and decided to actually try it instead of just pinning it and moving on. Buying new clothes over the past 3 years has gotten very expensive, so now I have a fun new way to wear my old clothes while saving a little money!
One quick one I’d like to feature is Sugarfina.
getfitwithnikki.com 