What I'm Loving...

It's been a while since I've done one of these posts and since I've been loving so many things lately, I thought it was appropriate to start again this week! Let me preface by saying this is not a sponsored post. It's just a smattering of some things I'm loving so much lately, that I just have to share with you =)

So lets start with my latest beauty savior. I have really crazy skin, lets just get that out of the way right now. And depending on my diet, it can go from bad to worse in a minute. If I eat ice cream or frozen yogurt, I get dermatitis with a side of sinus infection. I kid you not! If I eat too much sugar, I break out like a teenage girl. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to have the face of a teenage girl, but the spots, eh not so much. Lately my skin has been crazy and I finally pinpointed that it's due to too much sugar in my diet. Whether it be from too many candy binges (yes, some of us health nuts eat candy from time to time) or foods that turn to sugar in the body. I'm looking at you white rice! So while my skin has calmed down, the weather flux and the breakout treatments have me dealing with some uneven skin. Enter Shea Terra's Cape Aloe.

I've had this gem for quite a bit. When I first bought it and tried it, it didn't seem to work for me. Maybe it was my skin at the time, or the manner in which I was using it. But things change I guess. And lately it's been my skins "knight in shining armor". I wash my face like usual and put it on at night and then in the morning before I apply my makeup. It gives a nice little dose of moisture and even helps keep my face a little more balanced (aka not an oily mess) during the day. Aloe also helps with blemishes as well. So it's a win win. Shea Terra is one of my fav natural beauty brands by the way. If you don't know them, you need to check them out! Moving on...

Another thing I'm crazy over right now is this amazing book that was released fairly recently by Juli Bauer of PaleOMG. I just bought her book a few days ago, and wow. Amazing!!! I mean, every single recipe looks SO good. Obviously if you're a vegetarian or vegan, this won't be appealing to you, since it is a Paleo cookbook. But if you're one of my meat-eating friends, then you will love! All the recipes are healthy, and look so flavorful. I have yet to make one from this book in particular, but I've made a couple recipes from Julie's blog and they turn out delicious. I can't wait to start meal planning. This book might actually make food shopping exciting again!

And last, but definitely not least..... I have been infatuated with Spotify lately. I've always been a music buff, having grown up with a Drummer Dad who was probably playing me Zeppelin in the womb. But Spotify has me enamored. I've been a subscriber for several months and I love it. I go running outside all the time and I like to have the option to listen to my curated playlists while being out in the woods with no wifi signal. But my favorite couple features are the Weekly Discovery playlist they send you every Monday, and also the suggested artists. I have found so many amazing bands this way. Definitely some that I might not have found otherwise. If you're on there, stop by my profile and check out a couple of my lists!

So that's my latest roundup of favorites. What are you loving lately? Have you tried any of the items above? what do you think?!

Christy
xoxo

Mizuno Wave Inspire 12 - A Review

Hey Babes! Recently I was given the opportunity to review a pair of sneakers by a company I'd been dying to try, and I'm so excited to finally share my review with you! I've become an Asics die-hard, but my current loves had started giving me some problems. Shin splints and muscle pain are no bueno during a several mile run. So when the opportunity to try Mizuno's new Wave Inspire 12 presented itself, of course I jumped at the chance.

I follow lots of marathon runners on Instagram, and aside from seeing my beloved Asics, I kept seeing many feet bearing the Mizuno symbols in slews of Marathon photos. My interest was piqued immediately. Over the summer to my dismay, I had tried and sent back many trainers - Brooks, Altra, and even another model of Asics. Nothing seemed to work and the shin splints would get worse and delay my running progress with each new pair I tried.I started to give up and figured that maybe I wasn't destined to be a runner after all.

Until I tried my Mizuno's. Upon receiving them, my first impression was that they were stylish and I would be able to wear them out and about as well. Trust me, as far as all my running woes, I would wear bags over my feet if it meant that my legs wouldn't hurt, so quality over style is definitely most important. But this was definitely a plus! I love the bright colors and they are made really well. No glue showing, no unraveling stitches and no gapes or tightness. They fit perfect.

But I have to say that when I ran in them for the first time, I did have a bit of a Cinderella moment. It was like I had finally found my perfect fit! In all honesty, it took a run or two for my feet to adjust. I believe that certain sneakers and how they are made can help to position your foot and ankle just so. And when you're in a new shoe that you aren't used to, it can take a bit of time. Even though I knew I had finally found the shoe for me, they did have a small adjustment period. But I was good by run two!

They offer the perfect amount of ankle stability without being too loose or too tight. The key for me was not tying them too tight, which I tend to do. I have higher arches in my feet and they give some structured support while being cushy and kind of even squishy, which I love! They are truly like running on little clouds. The only drawback that I had at all, is that I'm not solely a runner. I also come home and train as well. I did not like the feeling of the Mizuno's while doing Tabata, Plyo, etc. But that's fine because they are a running shoe and that's not what they're made for. And honestly, it's just personal preference. I thought I would love the squish factor while doing broad jumps across my floor, but I found they just didn't work in that arena.

It's any easy fix to do a quick change before doing my other training, though. And it's worth it to have such an amazing shoe to run in! I'm definitely a convert after running in them for a couple weeks. Me and my happy little feet highly recommend Mizuno!!!!

Christy
xoxo


DISCLAIMER: This post is sponsored by Mizuno Running. I did receive a small financial compensation, as well as product for review. All opinions are my own and have not been influenced in any way.

What I'm Loving - The FasciaBlaster Part 1

Happy Friday Babes! Whether you stumbled on my page from reading your blogroll, came here on a google search, or saw my latest pic on Instagram and just had to know what the little gizmo I posted was..... I'm about to let you in on one of the most amazing self-care secrets I have ever come across. Having gone to Holistic Nutrition School and being a fitness addict, it's no secret that I'm HUGE into self-care. Not that I don't love getting a massage here or a facial there, but I'm all for having the opportunity to do treatments in my own home and on my own terms - with some guidance from an expert of course ; )

A couple months ago I was perusing Facebook and I kept seeing these videos pop up on my feed. I don't normally love the whole sponsored post thing, but it can be great when you come across someone that you might not have seen otherwise. The video that popped up was by Ashley Black, and it was her demonstrating her FasciaBlaster. Fasciawhatta??? I know.... Unless you're in bodywork, physical therapy, or in the medical field, you might not know that term. Even knowing as much about health as I do, I sure didn't. And being the curious little health nerd that I am, I had to know.....  What exactly is Fascia? I clicked on the video and was immediately sucked in. I watched video after video and was just blown away in general and by Ashley overall. She's a pretty damn amazing human! Here are just a few of the benefits of the FasciaBlaster:


- Reduce the appearance of cellulite
- Restore your fascia
- Break down fat cells (spot reduction!!!)
- Improve muscle performance
- Reduce scar tissue
- Reduce pain & inflammation
- Accelerate muscle recovery & performance
- Improve circulation


Check out her video to learn more about her and Fascia...




So now that you know a little more about Fascia, you can probably see why someone like me - a person with a background in healthy living and a fitness freak that loves to work out 5-6 days a week, might be interested. I have struggled with various muscular injuries (which I now believe are indeed fascia related) and last year my skin started getting really dimply. Since working out on a pretty regimented training schedule for the last year, it has since decreased a bit. But I would love to remedy it, and most important, remain injury and pain free!

I was lucky enough to hear back from Ashley on Facebook after reaching out and we messaged back and forth a bit. She sent me videos and lots of information. Having used a foam roller for recovery, I found the video below pretty interesting...



So after chatting with Ashley, she was so generous to send me a FasciaBlaster to try out! I have used it twice since I've gotten it and did see a slight difference after the first use. I do have some bruising, but not as bad as I thought. This is normal by the way. All I can say is that I think I have a lot of Fascia that needs to be broken down!  I'm so excited to see where I am after a month of use. This will definitely become a part of my regular self-care routine. BBG Babes, you need this!!! Make sure you stop back next week to see my before pic and my first results after a few uses!

ps - Make sure to check out Ashley's Facebook page! She posts lots of excellent information and tons of amazing videos!

UPDATE: To see what I think about the FasciaBlaster over a year later, check out my latest post HERE 

Christy
xoxo


DISCLAIMER: I was not compensated for the above review financially in any way. I was, however, provided product for sample purposes to review as stated. This did not influence my review in any way. All opinions are my own.

My Fit life 1 Year Later - Getting Real.....

So I had a couple personal milestones the last several weeks and have been doing a lot of thinking. I hit my 1 year mark living my Fit lifestyle and I also turned 35 within a couple weeks of each other. This brought a lot of positives and a few negative feelings for me. I truly believe as Bloggers, that it's easy to lose yourself unintentionally in "putting on a brave face". Myself being included in this. I don't do it because I don't want to share with you or because I want to pretend I'm something I'm not. Trust me.... Life isn't all sunshine and rainbows 24/7. I'm generally just a positive person and training myself not to dwell on the negative keeps me blissful for the most part.

A year ago I went for my yearly check-up and my Doc was concerned with my slightly higher than normal heart rate. Even though I tend to get very nervous at the Doctors, I still took this very seriously. With an extensive family history of high blood pressure and heart problems, as well as my own past with Preeclampsia, I didn't want to take any chances. I knew it was time to really kick things into high gear. I had already started working out again, but I needed something that was a little more structured. Enter Kayla Itsines Bikini Body Guide. I'm pretty sure that if you're active in the blogging world, on Twitter, are into working out, and are on Instagram, you've probably come across at least a member or two of Kayla's Army. I purchased the BBG and started immediately. In the beginning I could hardly do 5 burpees without getting winded, I kid you not! But I made it through the program... not once, or twice, but 3 times through! And I loved to hate every second of it.

Last Holiday season I got into the best shape I had been in a really long time (after being about 2 months into the program) but after some issues with Endometriosis (I have it) and Holiday eating (I did it), I started to gain a little fat back. This started my struggle. I still continued with the program as I said above, but I never did hit that level of progress again. However, this past summer I achieved one very important goal - I got my legs in good enough shape to wear shorts in public! You have no idea how big this was for me!

Basically what I'm trying to say is that everyone has high points and low points. I'm lucky enough to have become one of those people, that despite the level of difficulty of the workout - I'm now finally on BBG 2 - I do truly enjoy working out for the most part. Unless I'm so sore I can't walk and feel like I'm dying, it really is never a chore for me. But I have had some lows as I've approached the very middle of my Thirties. Somewhere along the way after the holidays, I started eating in a way that totally threw a curveball at my already fragile hormones. The pudge around my middle that I worked so hard to lose, came back and so did my "love handles". The last several months have been a constant trial and error, trying to figure out what works best for me. My Hormones are out of balance and at this point I think I might be suffering from Adrenal Fatigue, but I've found a great supplement regimen that seems to work well and am just fine tuning my eating. I'm thinking about trying Paleo at this point. I've dabbled for a while.

I even started running last spring, something I thought I would never do, and after a couple weeks into it, I really started to love it. I did it regularly all summer long and just a few weeks ago starting having issues with a high heart rate, lots of discomfort and my usual routine just not feeling good anymore (hence the adrenal fatigue). So I'm back to LISS and only running a few miles one day a week if I can. At the end of the day it's just as much of a mental battle as a physical one. I'm slowly learning to let go of my perfectionism and be happy with who I am. Which if you know me, you know is very very difficult. Right now I'm just happy that I'm happy 90% of the time. Even though I still haven't attained all of my health goals, I went from an Average Resting Heart Rate to an Excellent, almost Athlete's Resting Heart Rate! And this is the most muscular and healthy I've ever been in my life, despite the fat I still need to lose. My outlook isn't perfect all the time, and I do have my days. But I'm ok with that! So whether you're prepping to take the leap into a Fit lifestyle, are currently a Fit Girl or are dealing with a low right now, here's my personal advice....

1. Progress is Progress. It doesn't mean it's ok to excuse multiple binges in a week, or not staying on your training schedule for multiple days - giving yourself a free pass. But sometimes life happens and we need a break. A break from the everyday, from ripping ourselves apart, from breaking and rebuilding our body, and from the mental taxing.

2. Everything takes time. Let go of your unrealistic goals. This was a tough one for me. I had these crazy goals in the beginning and they were so hard to live up to. I was putting unnecessary pressure on myself during an already vigorous lifestyle change. I learned to dream the big things, but make the small things attainable and be happy with it. Like wearing those shorts this past summer. I may not have been as fit as I would have liked, but I was happy with where I was. Sometimes that's ok.

3. Listen to your body. Don't push yourself so hard. I'm competitive even with myself. My perfectionism truly shines when I'm sticking to a schedule like the BBG. This is both good and bad. Good in the sense that I have no issue sticking to a 6 day weekly training schedule. But bad because I am really hard on myself all the time. Sometimes I push too hard and it ends up costing me a day. Especially with my current health hurdles. Listen to the signs, your body is pretty darn smart.

And last.....

Never give up. I know it's hard. I know it hurts. And sometimes it's just not fair how hard you work and you're still not where you want to be. Everyone has a different body makeup and we all respond to food and fitness differently. You need to find a way of eating that makes you feel vibrant and healthy, not what fits the expectations of some dogma you might have gotten sucked into. Trust me, I've been there. If a workout plan isn't for you, find the plan that is for you. Find something that you look forward to doing even when it's hard. Something that challenges you and makes you feel strong. And don't stop until you find it. But never ever give up on you. You are worth way too much and are way too important to ever do so. Our bodies are the only place we have to live after all. ; )

I hope my little ramblings help you in a small way. I'm still learning about myself even at my age. Life really is a never ending lesson. It truly is. And I'm grateful for it =)

Christy
xoxo

Fall Must Have Staples!

Hi Lovelies! I hope you all had a fantastic summer! Though this was one of my better summers and I enjoyed day after day of fresh air, trail running, hiking, and taking long walks, I have to say that I'm not really sad to see it go. If you're familiar with me and my blog, you know that Fall is one of my most favorite times of the year and I start lusting after cozy sweaters, rich hued colors, and pumpkin spice latte's long before the leaves start to change!

Being a Fall baby (my birthday is September 19th), I always start creating mental gift lists for my loved ones so that way when I'm asked what I want, I have a couple options. Lately I've been all about slouchy styles, dark rinses, and distressed saddle colored leather with a touch of gold.

I've been trying to come up with my top pieces for Fall that I think are major must-haves for any closet that will last, and aren't so trendy that you can pull them out again and again. They also vary on the price end too! Nothing too high, and the most expensive item is a true investment piece!!!

This charcoal sweater is chic with the dark, but unexpected color, and though it has a more relaxed fit, it looks effortless rather than homely. I bought this Ensign necklace in Gold last year on a whim. I wasn't too sure how much I would wear it because it is a chunky piece and a bit more of statement, though subtle. But I absolutely adore it! I wear it most days and I love it so much, that I even considered purchasing another to keep on standby for when my current one is too weathered for wear.

J.Crew Factory has the most amazing dark rinse denim this year! It truly looks like higher end denim that would find on Shopbop and the like, without the high-end price tag. I plan to grab a couple pairs of these bootcut jeans during the next sale. And these booties are the perfect accent to the dark rinse, the rich color and material look expensive, they are made so well that you would never believe I got them at Target! I purchased them in black last year and they were so comfortable and lasted through the winter weather. I found myself reaching for them again and again. Both for work and home! They are also currently on sale and have a coupon right now! Run to Target to get them NOW!!!

And last, but certainly not least..... My most favorite piece of all.... The beautiful Duluth Crossbody bag in Brown! Last year Duluth was so very generous to send me the convertible messenger in brown. I have not stopped using this bag since! Love is an understatement. I try not to wear too much leather. However, I also think if I'm going to spend money on a bag, it needs to be a true investment piece. Something that embodies my true style, that I'll never tire of wearing, and will also last the test of time. These lifetime leather bags just get better and better with age. They are absolutely beautiful craftsmanship and I highly recommend!

I'll definitely be getting my hands on this beauty soon! It's certainly a NEED for me this Fall/Winter season!

So that rounds up my current favorites! What items are you looking to add to your closet this season? I would love to hear your picks!!

Christy
xoxo

DISCLAIMER: All items mentioned above are recommended from personal purchases. I was not provided any monetary or product compensation for the post above. There are, however, ppc links that do provide small compensation. Thank you for supporting my blog!