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Gym Bag Must Haves

I hate it when I get super excited and ready for a workout and I get to the gym and I've forgotten my head phones. That is the worst feeling. It's a mood killer. No one wants to be the girl on the elliptical reading subtitles on ESPN. After that happened to me I decided to keep a gym bag in my car. It has been a true lifesaver. When I'm ready to leave for the gym I can just get in the car and go. Getting my workouts in are important to me so I have to stay ready. Want to know what's in my gym bag?  I'm so excited to partner with Vaseline to share my gym bag must haves.

1. Start with a great bag.

This tote has been my 'gym bag" for years. I love it. It holds so much stuff. So before you start grabbing all the goodies I'm about to share choose a spacious cute bag.

2. Music is life.

The very first thing I have in my bag are headphones. You can not do the gym without music. I mean you can but squats are so much better when Yo Gotta is playing.

3. Shower caddy in a gym bag.

Don't forget to pack a bar of soap, flip flops and a shower cap if you plan to shower at the gym. Leave your loofah at home and use a wash cloth. Gym showers are meant to be quick. Get the job done and get out of there.

4. Moisturize.

I live in the Pacific Northwest and it is cold here. After working up a sweat and drying back out I need to moisturize my skin to keep it healthy. Vaseline® Intensive Care™ Cocoa Radiant™ Lotion contains pure cocoa butter to leave skin deeply moisturized plus Vaseline® Jelly that absorb deeply to heal dry skin, revealing its natural glow. 

Save $2.25 when you buy two Vaseline Intensive Care Cocoa Radiant Lotion 10oz or larger.

5. Sticky socks & gym shoes.

If I decide to take in a class these socks help me keep a grip during yoga, PiYo or barre. I don't like wearing my gym shoes anywhere but the gym so I keep them in my bag/car.

6. Water.

Staying hydrated is super important. I never leave the house without a bottle of water.

So what do you think? What's in your gym bag? As a fitness instructor, I motivate people everyday to live stronger healthier lives from the inside out. You can help make someone feel that way by purchasing a Vaseline lotion or jelly. Every purchase will support Direct Relief in a buy one to help heal one promotion. Learn more about The Vaseline Healing Project to find out how you can help.

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Vaseline® Intensive Care™ Cocoa Radiant™

Cold Weather Workout Tips with Mizuno #BreathThermo

This post is sponsored by FitFluential LLC on behalf of Mizuno. All opinions are my own.

They are calling for snow in the forecast this week. Snow. I haven't seen, touched or felt cold crisp air in years. I'm excited for a real winter and all of the different weather changes that come with it. Getting outside for runs has been challenging with all of the rain that we get here in Washington.

I have managed to figure out how to get my workouts in despite the weather and I'm going to share my secrets with you today.

Secret One:  Get the proper workout attire for cooler weather. Your workout will be cut short if you are too cold and wet. Catching a cold isn't an option for busy Moms like us so we have to be dressed appropriately while running. I like the Breath Thermo line by Mizuno. This shirt generates heat using moisture from my body. It's lightweight and it stays dry. I wish I had this shirt in every color. Maybe Santa will see this post and gift them to me. I've been a really good girl this year.

Oh. And I don't want to forget to share that the gloves I'm wearing have storage pockets! Don't we love surprise pockets?! They also have a swipe finger making it easy to manage your running playlist.

Secret Two:  Have a plan. This one might be a no brainer but you have to plan your workouts. I plan for the entire week. There's a weekly calendar on my fridge that manages my entire life. If you're ever at my house and want to get all up in my business read that thing. You'll find our family meal plan for the week and my workouts for each day right there with all of our appointments. I don't skip it if it's on that calendar.

Secret Three: Keep it simple. Try following the same workout plan for an entire month. I like alternating between cardio and strength/toning workouts. For example, M/W/F might be toning days and T/Th/Sat might be cardio days. I also limit my workout time to 30 minutes a day. The only exception to this is when I run or attend a group fitness class.

Secret Four:  Don't take December off. This time of year isn't exactly fitness focused. Do you know what that means? That means your favorite running trails, machines and classes will have low attendance and more space for you! This is the perfect time to learn a new machine at the gym, try a new class or discover a new running route. When January comes you'll already be so ahead of the curve. Don't wait for 2017. Start now!

Does cuffing season keep you from getting Summertime fine? It doesn't have to. Check out the #BreathThermo line from Mizuno to stay warm and dry. Let's push through the cold weather season together. What's your favorite cold weather workout?

Moses is ONE!

Moses turned one over the weekend! Can you believe how fast time has gone by? I feel like I just had him. My little #grandfinalebaby is doing so well. I actually have to remind myself of his birth story sometimes.

We had a very low-key celebration for his birthday. If you follow the Facebook page you know that my kids had a vomiting spell. That spell morphed into some virus that hit us all. By the time I caught it I'm pretty sure it was the flu. 

After what seemed like the longest two weeks of my life our family is finally symptom free. Moses and I still have little coughing spells here and there but for the most part we are all doing so much better.

Due to the sickness being passed around and the lack of energy that went along with it we celebrated his birthday with homemade (from the box) cupcakes. All of the kids seemed happy with that. I am almost convinced that much of the pomp and circumstance of a kid's birthday has more to do with the parent than the kid.

I'm picking up on the fact that they are just as happy with these little at home family parties.

I'll still throw birthday parties though. Cause Mom guilt won't let me be that laid back and chill. 

Back to Moses - these days he's a dancing machine. His personality is so sweet and funny. He says Mama and Dada and he's very vocal with his baby talk. He can stand but he isn't walking just yet. Moses enjoys playing with his siblings and dragging all the tupperware out of the cabinets.

He's a good eater and sleeper. His top teeth are coming in and that's causing him some discomfort right now but other than that he's doing well.

He'll see his hematologist again during his 12 month well baby check up. If all of his blood work comes back okay they won't need to see him again for another year or so. 

I am so thankful for his good health and our health as a family. 

Holiday Gifting: Accessories For Every Woman

Can you believe that they are already playing Christmas movies on TV? Like, really? Many of the stores have started displaying trees, decorations and everything else you would need to make your holiday season merry and bright.

Since many of you are probably already putting together your gift list for friends and family I thought it would be fun to share some easy gift ideas for the women in your life.

Accessories are absolutely necessary to complete any look. Today I am going to share my faves with you.



Watch

Every woman needs a nice watch that can be worn everyday. Something that goes easily from day to night. The Jord Wood Watch that I have been crushing on lately goes perfectly with my wardrobe. Visit their site to check out their other styles for men and women. Jord is currently giving away a $20 e-gift code to all my readers when you enter to win a $75 voucher to buy a timepiece of your choice. Everyone wins!

Statement Necklace

Statement necklaces will never go out of style. They can be worn day or night with just about anything. I love the berry color necklace featured in the pic above. It's perfect for this time of year.

Ear Rings

Leaving the house without ear rings is an instant buzz kill. Ear rings take ANY look to the next level. Even if you're having a tee and jeans sort of day you can still rock some hoop ear rings or some beautiful statement ear rings. Love. Love. Love ear rings.

Sunglasses

My black aviator sunglasses are quite possibly one of the best purchases I made this year. They're prescription (cause I'm blind as a bat), affordable and super cute. I always feel so chic in them. These sunglasses also keep me looking stylish on the days when applying eye makeup seems like a ridiculous idea.

Favorite Lippie

So, this isn't exactly an accessory but it's still a very important part of any look. Every woman needs a go-to lip color. There are so many shades out there to choose from. Find one that looks good on you. Consider gifting a friend or sister a gift card to their favorite makeup counter. 

These are my everyday must-wear accessories. What's on your list? Don't forget to enter for your chance to win a $75 voucher from Jord Wood Watches. All of my readers will receive a $20 e-gift code for entering! Happy Shopping!

This post was sponsored by Jord Wood Watches.

Cool Watches

Giving Thanks: Our New Home

We are officially a month away from my favorite holiday, Thanksgiving. I have always wanted to do one of those cute Thankful trees or Thanksgiving advent calendar with my family but I never seem to make it happen. Maybe I should head to Pinterest to find some DIY ideas...

Anyway. With Thanksgiving coming up I thought it would be fun to share some of the things I am thankful for. I have been such a bad blogger lately while working on my fitness business but I'm trying to find my balance and make more time for this space.

Today I am thankful for our new home. The place that covers my family's head and the beautiful area that surrounds it. I have never seen trees so big and tall. On a really clear day you can see great views of the mountains. Breathtaking. My iPhone pics don't do the scenery here justice. I'll go out one day with my real camera and get better shots.

There is also a calmness about living here that I think I needed. Maybe it's the rain but the vibe here is so calm and chill. It blows my mind when I here people say they don't like living in this area. There is tons to do. The first two pics from this post are from a trail I walked on Friday. It was perfect.

I am so thankful that we get to call this place home for the next couple years. It is my goal to explore and see as much as we can during our time here. I'll probably cry when my husband gets his next set of orders. I know a new adventure will be amazing but I can't imagine it getting any better than this.

What are you thankful for today?

Luvvie Ajayi's I'm Judging You: The Do-Better Manual

One of my goals this year was to read more books. I shared a couple books that I'm currently reading a few posts back. Today I want to share my most recent read with you, I'm Judging You: The Do-Better Manual by Luvvie Ajayi, known around the internet as Awesomely Luvvie.

If you have never read her blog or clicked to follow her on social media you are messing out on so many things. First of all, she's funny. Like, so funny and so extremely smart. Her status updates, tweets and captions (and the comments of her followers) always give me the laugh (or gut check) I need to make it through the day.



She's like the funny co-worker I wish I had but since I'm a stay at home Mom I just have to pretend that we're cubicle besties thru the web. When she announced that she had written a book I knew I had to read it.

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It was everything that I thought it would be. Witty and real. She covers everything from friendships, Facebook behavior, racism and internet fame. Luvvie covers every relevant cultural topic of discussion as well as some of the not so important (but internet relevant) topics of pop culture in her book.

I'm Judging You: The Do-Better Manual is exactly what every person in the 65 and younger crowd needs. We have all had those moments where we've either said or done something we shouldn't have. Or maybe we have a friend that is constantly breaking all the "how to do life right" rules. This book points out the dos and don'ts in a way that is straight to the point and light hearted.

Grab her book for your coffee table or night stand (cause it's cute) and gift a copy to a friend so that we can all be on the same page about life. Follow Luvvie on social media to get your daily dose of act right.

Oh. And I just have to mention that Luvvie was listed on Oprah's (OPRAH!!!!) SuperSoul 100 list. So, if you were doubting my review just know that Oprah and I (cause she's another one of my cubicle besties) both recommend Luvvie's presence in your life. 😉

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.