Tag:

Workout

Sambas I got my true size // Hi Rise Leggings in small // Vine pullover (I wear a small) // Quilted Jacket ( wear a small) // Twill Hat // Lasson belt bag in coffee // Sunglasses on sale!

These four pieces you need in your closet now

1. I’m loving this quilted jacket with plenty of pockets and a nice drawstring waist. I got a small.

2. These leggings are high rise and holds you in and flatters your shape. I wear a small, it fits tts.

3. The vine pullover is the pullover of all pullovers. It is oversized yet chic. It is practical, yet extravagant. I wear a small.

4. If you’re headed anywhere and need an extra hand, don’t leave home without the LASSON belt bag. It is practical and comes in 4 colors. Did I mention it has an exterior zippered pocket? As a mom of 5, it works!

Which is your favorite?

We built a home gym!

by Shalice Noel

Going to the gym is next to impossible with 5 young kids. Or even 1 kid. OK…OK….It’s
hard even if you have a gold fish. We had a YMCA membership in the past and I think I only
went half a dozen times and experienced mom guilt putting the kids in daycare while I sweated
out my anxiety, but then I had more anxiety knowing my kids were miserable in the childcare area.

Benefits to a home gym:
ï‚· Saving money with a home gym
ï‚· Own your gym instead of renting it
ï‚· Pay for what you need
ï‚· Pay for what you want
ï‚· Saving time with a home gym
ï‚· Personal freedom with a home gym

As I’ve shared my life, you have may have observed I’m much more interested in health
and nutrition than routinely working out. To improve my fitness goals, we’ve been strategically
acquiring home gym equipment over the past year. Gym equipment is a big investment, but it
does pay you back over time as you avoid gym membership dues and gas mileage savings. The
family can also workout with you, which they love and I’m happy they are off the couch. I say
pump up the music really loud and create a family circuit like we did in this IG Reel a few
months ago.
I’ve listed our personal home gym equipment that we either currently own or plan on
purchasing in the near future. I’ve also shared my design inspiration for the new home gym
aesthetic. My intent is to make the gym feel like a hotel to make the working out feel as
pleasurable as possible. The Soho Chicago gym design is one of my favorites I have
experienced. Both workout motivation and design inspiration below.

First, let’s discuss purchasing home gym equipment. You need to know your fitness
goals. If you are married, you and your spouse may have different goals. Discuss those goals
and see where you can get the most bang for your buck. Reid loves weight training and his goal
is to build muscle whereas, my goal is maintenance and toning. With weight training you can
achieve both. Therefore, we purchased weightlifting equipment both heavy and light. For
toning I do lite weight and many reps whereas Reid does heavier weights by more sets.
Squat Rack with Barbell and incline bench. Squats are great for building core strength and
toning the legs and rear. I use the bar only but do reps until I break form. The incline bench
gives you versatility in the range of motion. This is good for everything. You can do lunges,
chest press, bicep curls. The incline bench is a key piece of equipment. I suggest you buy a
heavy duty one like this (Rep fitness or rogue).
For weights, keep it simple. Buy what you think you can lift without being too easy. 5 or 10lb
plates are just fine for me. If you don’t need the bigger plates, don’t purchase any. Same goes
for dumbbells. Only buy what you need. You don’t need every weight category.
I also am a big fan of the leg squeezer. I admit I even take it on road trips and do it in the car.
This device is the best! For those that don’t have gym space, this device is essential. Through it
under your bed, but don’t forget about it.

The overall goal for a healthy, well balanced fitness routine is to get a good whole-body
workout. Invest in gym equipment that will support
5 Gym Equipment Essentials
1) Squat Rack
2) Incline Bench
3) Barbell with iron plates
4) Dumbbells
5) Leg Squeezer
Beginners Workout

A typical full body training workout:

A1 – Deadlift: 4 x 10
A2 – Bench press: 4 x 10
A3 – Rope slams : 4 x25
B1 – Static lunge: 4 x 12
B2 – Knee high: 4 x 12
B3 – Single arm row: 4 x 10
C1 – Sled push pull: 3
C2 – Med ball slam with walk out: 3 x 15
C3 – Burpees: 3 x 15
You do all the A exercises together before moving onto B then C. The first number is
the sets and the second is reps. E.g. 4 x 12 is four sets and 12 reps.

After much negotiating, Reid convinced me to finish off our home gym. We’ve been making
due with the gym in an unfinished corner of our basement. The raw nature of the gym didn’t
bother me, but as we see that the gym is actually a great investment for our health and our
home, we decided it was worth the cost to finish the space. Here is some gym inspiration that
got us thinking and dreaming of our potential gym space.

I’m motivated to work out when I love the space that surrounds me. One of my favorite hotel
gyms is SOHO Chicago. It’s Restoration Hardware meets Rocky. We’ll be adding a few touches
to the gym to bring this kind of style to the space. However, our gym will be a bit more
practical.
I also love a space that feels clean and fresh. Our gym has no natural light, so we’ll be painting
it white and adding a ceiling fan and recessed lighting. Finding a place for your home gym can
be challenging. Try to carve out a space that can either be multi-functional, under-utilized, or
use equipment that can be stored in a closet.

Here is a list of the equipment we have or will be purchasing. The items with an (*) do
not need a gym space. I’d recommend these items for those without a designated gym space.
You also do not need to buy every weight class for dumbbells, plates and kettle bells. Just buy
the weights you actually would use. If it’s lite for you, do more reps.

What do you think? Will this motivate you to start a home gym in 2022?

xx

Shalice

My go-to for quality athleisure and athletic wear is lululemon. I love this puffer coat that literally fits in a bag!! This green color is so on trend and flattering. 

I love a light weight coat to carry me from errands to soccer to date night. Versatility is key. I layered the align tank underneath with the align leggings. I linked my outfit below!

align tank // puffer jacket // align leggings // belt bag // I also love this gym bag slash everything bag

Thank you lululemon for sponsoring this post!

PUFFER VEST in beige sz 4 // HOODIE in XL // LEGGINGS in sz 6 // BELT BAG //

Probably the most exciting thing I’ve added to my wardrobe lately is this vest in beige. I LOVE the color and it just screams fall, which is my favorite season. lululemon has the cutest styles for activewear, athleisure, and let’s be honest school drop off. I love to wear their clothes just lounging around the house. Their fabric is quality and stands the test of time. Hence the reminder to add to cart, because these pieces are already bestsellers that are selling out fast. I sized up because the hoodies kept selling out.

Happy Shopping!

Thank you lululemon for sponsoring this post!

How to buy Father’s Day Gifts

Reid here. 

To prevent the cliché of getting a new ugly tie every Father’s Day, I’ve provided some fatherly insight on Father’s Day gift buying.  Let me know if you have any questions.

What to get him?  Think about his hobbies.  Is it golf, fitness, hiking, or reading?  Whatever it may be, pick a category.  Let’s take golf for example.  The kids buy small gifts under $15 and Shalice typically buys the bigger gift.  For golf, don’t buy something like golf clubs, putters or golf shoes, if you don’t know specifics.  Avoid technical things primary to the hobby.  Instead buy gifts that support the hobby.  It lets him know you know him but also trust him to make those bigger purchases.  Therefore, I advise you buy gifts like golf tees, golf balls, a golf cleaning brush or even a golf hat.  These practical gifts support the hobby and are always appreciated during his next golf game.

The DON’T of Father’s Day Gift Giving

·      Do not buy him something that you desire him to be.

·      Do not buy something that requires assembly. 

·      Do not buy something regarding career or self-improvement.

·      Do not get him something that is not his color.   For example, I look sickly in yellow.

·      Do not give him a gift card!  They add bulk to his wallet and or get lost in the trash. 

The DO of Father’s Day Gift Giving

·      Do shower him with meaningful words of encouragement.  He needs it even if he doesn’t say it.

·      Do make cards instead of buying cards.  Take the money you would have spent on a pricey card and give him cash.

·      If overly spending money stresses your husband out like it does me…prove to him how you didn’t spend a lot on his gift by getting something thoughtful or will save you money of the lifetime of the product.  Like home gym equipment or DIY stuff.  Think of something that has a lot of bang for your buck.  I always appreciate that.

Of course, this applies if you want to surprise him.  If he gave you a list, I suggest you stick to the list or play it safe and pick from my Walmart selections.  Tip: there are lots of 2 day shipping options!

Thank you Walmart for sponsoring this post! All opinions my own.

Loving my new lululemon jogger set. I usually try and find a set for comfort, fabric softness and STYLE, of course! Lululemon usually hits it out of the park with all of the above. I like to wear the beyond the studio joggers with my on my level bag post workout or with my align tank.  So many options! See my healthy lifestyle grocery list below.

My weekly grocery list

Buying groceries is incredibly stressful, so let me take out some of the fluff and share with you my essential groceries items.  This is for me and my family of 7.  This is not my entire weekly list but items I always want on hand in my kitchen.

1)      7 Celery Stalks.  One for each day of the week

2)     Cinnamon Raisin Ezekiel Bread

3)     Avocados

4)     Cauliflower

5)     Butter Lettuce

6)     Almond Milk – Sweetened (max 7 grams sugar)

7)     LaCroix

8)     Lily’s Chocolate Bar (I like salted carmel)

9)     Smart Sweets Sour Gummy Bears

10)  Green Olives

I know, totally random…but totally the truth.  A survey of CEO’s revealed that these types of people eat the same thing for lunch every day.  At first, I thought about the monotony.  But then I realized, deciding what to eat is another decision that has to be made during the day. I have 5 kids, so I strive to keep things simple and keep the guess work out of life. Repeating what you eat every day saves you from making one more daily decision and therefore reduces a little stress.    

While my diet may seem boring, here it goes.  For breakfast I have a glass of celery juice and an almond milk latte.  For lunch, I’ve been making (or Kate has been making) avocado toast on cinnamon raisin Ezekiel bread.  I take one avocado, smash it and add Chili Lime seasoning.  I then smear it on the cinnamon raisin toast.  For dinner and or pre-dinner snack I make a salad.  Levi enjoys my salads as well.  I use butter lettuce and sprinkle with sunflower seeds, parmesan cheese and green olives.  I drizzle my homemade balsamic dressing over the lettuce (link here).  Levi is practically made of my salads which is why he enjoys them with me.  For dinner, I eat whatever the family is eating and dessert is always a bite of Lily’s Chocolate Bars and or my favorite gummy bears.  

Joggers // Jacket // Align Tank // 19L bag // Align leggings

1 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Thank you lululemon for sponsoring this post!

Scallop bra // Scallop leggings // Adidas sneakers // Twist tee

Anyone else feel like it’s already been stressful year and it’s only January? One thing that has helped my stress tremendously is getting moving. We have converted our two-car garage into a gym and no regrets. I found 5 fitness favorites from Nordstrom to kick start the new year. I’m loving this scallop set from IVL, Nike cortez sneakers, the adidas I’m wearing, and this MZ Wallace gym bag slash mom bag that wipes clean. How cool is that? I’m loving that I can walk around the house with a house coat over this adorable workout se from IVL at Nordstrom. I’m going on day 3 of the workout gear and house coat combination. A Perfect post workout outfit. Do you have one? Grab a bag, shoes and new set and hit the gym!

WORKOUT GEAR

GYM TOPS

GYM BAGS

GYM SHOES

Lip Gloss // Gold Sports Bra 

Mesh Sports Bra // Scallop leggings 

A big thank you Nordstrom for sponsoring this post!

Quilted Nylon Tote // Crop Leggings ($37! Wearing a PS) // Sports Bra with crossover detail (in small)// Peplum Puffer Jacket (I’m wearing a small)

Get moving with

25″ Align Leggings // Scuba 1/2 Zip Hoodie // Bag // Sports Bra

If you’ve followed me for a while, you’d know I loooove my celery juice. I get asked a lot why I drink it every morning and what are the benefits. It has an array of health benefits from gut to bones and full of vitamins K, silicone and calcium. It been even known to strengthen bones. I’m at the point where I crave it every morning if you can believe that!

Today I’m wearing a new hoodie from lululemon, leggings and wrap. The latter is a perfect California warming layer. The latter sold out at press time, but I’m hoping for a restock! In the meantime, you can shop the following:

25″ Align Leggings // Scuba 1/2 Zip Hoodie // Bag

RECIPE:

1 bunch of organic celery (wash and cut off the end)

2 cups water (give or take here, sometimes I add more)

Add both the celery stalks and water into a Vitamix and blend. drain in a strainer, add ice and drink immediately.

Tip: drink immediately or store in a mason jar in the refrigerator. It tastes better consumed right away. To save time in the morning, chop and wash the celery stalks the night before. For my readers who want to go one step further, drink chlorophyll water! Who wants to join in and try it? be sure to let me know you did!

Thank you lululemon for sponsoring this post!

New Year, New You

Some typical goals are, eat better, discover wholesome foods and recipes, take your vitamins & supplements and drink lots of H20!

But what does that look like for you?

Shop the look:

sneakers // sports bra // leggings with side pockets // zip jacket

Shop me and Reid’s pre-workout from Walmart’s Wellness hub:

If you’re like me, I need a workout outfit to keep me motivated.

I found a great workout outfit at Walmart for a total of $40. I’m loving this hot pink workout bra with lots of comfort and padding.

The leggings have side pockets and suck you in nicely. Hello flattering leggings!

The jacket has pockets and perfect for post workout and washable. Win-win after Levi gets his hands full of oatmeal on me.

Sharing one of my favorite salad dressing recipes with you. I’ll guarantee that you’ll eat more salad once you use this dressing.

Here we go.

Balsamic Vinaigrette (recipe can be doubled)

Mince 2 cloves of garlic and add the following ingredients in a small jar with lid:

1/3 cup canola oil (I use avocado oil)

2 T balsamic vinegar

1 t. sugar

1/2 t. salt

Shake vigorously and serve. Store in fridge up to a week.

Walmart has all these ingredients and more, one click away. I even order Reid’s favorite pre-workout from Walmart’s Wellness hub. Whether you use Walmart+ or shop in store, fresh ingredients, and competitive pricing are at your finger tips to achieve those 2021 goals.

Thank you Walmart for sponsoring this post!

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