Giveaway: Nordstrom Gift Card

Hey guys! It's been awhile... I have a blog post for ya next week talking about life right now and what not... BUT until then I have a giveaway for you! YAYYY!

  I am thrilled to be collaborating with a gorgeous and talented group of bloggers to bring you a $450 Nordstrom gift card, or Paypal cash (winner chooses) giveaway! Looking for the perfect spring wardrobe? Clothes for the kids? Or maybe even a birthday gift for a friend? Think of all the possibilities!

To enter, simply complete the Rafflecopter below. The giveaway is open until 11:59pm EST on March 27, 2015 and remember, the more entries you complete, the more chances you have to win! For fashion lovers around the globe, this giveaway is open internationally. Oh and be sure to go say a big hello to all the fabulous people involved. Good luck! 

Host

Kiss Me Darling

  Co-Hosts

Jimmy Choos and Tennis Shoes, Shar Style, Itsy Bitsy Indulgences, Live More Beautifully, Hearts of Gold, Dressing Dallas, Red Closet Diary, The Style Gala, City Peach. Kelli France, Team Wiking, NTYLS, Fashion by Mariah, Looks for Lovelies, Style Wish, Arrows and Apricots, Lauryncakes, The Sugared Lemon, Center Street Chic, Life of Brooke and Jane, The Mumsy Blog, With Love from Kris, Eleventh and Sixteenth, Lovely Deseret, Racheal Jade, Style by Suzi, With Lola

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Contributor Post: 1 Braid 3 Ways (Part 2)

Oh hey there guys! This post is the second part of the "1 Braid 3 Ways" series. (You can find the first one here.) Anyways, like I said before the fabulous Kali helped beautify me for an outfit shoot awhile back. I mentioned that I wanted my hair different for three outfits, so she took one braid and changed it up 3 times. It was a brilliant idea really. ANYWAY here Kali is to explain the second braid look for ya!

Photography by Saans Photography

2 Braids
Add the chunk fishtail to one said of the head. You can find the fishtail tutorial here

Add another fishtail to the other side.

Combine them and braid them together using a reverse braid method.

 Secure and pucker the entire right fishtail, making it full and loose.

Contributor Post: 1 Braid 3 Ways, Part 1

So a little bit ago I had the lovely Kali Chris  help bedazzle me for a blog shoot. I will be honest with you, when it comes to hair I am pretty darn basic. If you know me, my hair is either down and curly or up in bun and/or ponytail. BUT I wanted to give you lovely readers some other fun ideas so I called Kali in! Her ideas are so doable and I wanted to share them with you!

ANYWAY I had three different outfits at the shoot and I wanted a slightly different hair-do for each of them... but obviously that takes A TON of time. So Kali decided to give me a fancy little fishtail braid (Tutorial created by the famous Miss. Fillerup can be found here.). She used the braid for all three looks and just gave each 'do a slight change. For the post today she will be given ya'll the "Updo Braid" how-to. The rest will come later this week!

Pictures by Saans Photography


Updo Braid:
The key here is to hide the bobby pins. When you take the strand of hair place the bobby pin open end facing up and do a half turn with the hair the way you want to place the hair and then push it up into the hair, then reinforce it by placing another pin crisscrossing in an "x" shape. It won't move:) 

Take the right side a slightly turn it away from the face (twist, another braid, whatever you want) Place the bobby pin.

Take the fishtail side place the bobby pin facing up and do a half turn into the hair and push the pin in and up, then cross it with another in a x shape to secure.

 Take a piece from the left side and twist then do the same pinning technique where you want it to fall ( you can change the shape by where you pin it)

Alternate left and right twisting and placing the pieces to make a bun shape. (You can weave the pieces over and under to give it a fun texture.)

Perfect the Updo but puckering and loosening pieces to where you want them.

Spray and then you are ready to go!

Contributor Post: How Group Fitness Changed My Life

Hi guys and happy Tuesday! Mal is here with a post on how group fitness changed her life. It is a good read and she makes some great points. Enjoy!

Group Fitness Changed My Life

When I graduated high school I decided I wanted to try out to be a member of the Utah Jazz Dancers.  I was a pretty good dancer so I thought I had a good chance of making the team.  Well, tryouts came along and guess what? I didn’t make it.  It was really devastating for me.  I had really gotten my hopes up and not making it felt like I ran into a brick wall. 

When I didn’t make it I kept asking myself… why?  And then I realized something… I had never really step foot inside a gym.  Yeah I was a good dancer but was my body in top physical shape?  Nope. 

It was right then and there that I decided to make a change.  If I wanted to try out again next year, I was going to come back at my best.  I got a pass at my local Gold’s Gym.  My first day there was…interesting.  I walked around the gym a little bit.  Watched people use these weird machines (there was no way I was going to try one out and look like a fool).  By the time I actually decided to just go on the treadmill, it was already time for me to leave.

 As I was leaving I saw a bunch of people standing by this glass door leading into a large studio.  It definitely intrigued me.  They weren’t dancing in there I assumed...so I asked a guy at the front desk what was going on.  He informed me there are group fitness classes that happen every morning/night. 

The next day I came back to the gym—this time to actually work out instead of just walking around aimlessly.  I was going to take a group fitness class.  It was a little intimidating walking in to the studio.  Everyone looked like they had been coming for a while and knew exactly what they were doing.  Luckily, someone noticed that I looked a little lost and help me set up my station.  I had a bench, a mat, a barbell, and a bunch of different weight plates. I was definitely nervous.

And then the music started.

Everyone picked up their barbells and started moving in unison to the beat of the music while following the instructor.  It was beautiful.  It was a choreographed work out.  And I loved it.

When the class was over I felt sweaty, tired, fatigued, and motivated.  Something lit up inside me that is only burning stronger now.  The energy in the class and the motivation of everyone around me just completely changed my mind about what working out was.  It was fun!

I went to classes every day for about two months and then I got a call.  A call that would change my life.  It was Jan Whittaker, coach of the Utah Jazz Dancers.  She told me that she had a couple girls who were no longer dancing with the team and she asked if I would be willing to fill the spot. 

My heart dropped.

I was seriously so excited that I didn’t even know what to say.  But of course I said YES!  And the awesome thing was, I was ready.  I had been working my butt off in my group fitness classes and I not only could dance the part, but I now looked the part. 

My first practice with the Jazz Dancers I met a man named Neil Anderson.  He was our trainer.  The workouts he did with us were kind of like my group fitness classes but a little shorter and more intense.  I LOVED it.  He told us he owned a gym and we were welcome to come take classes.  I definitely took advantage of that offer.

My first day at FitZone (now GPP Fitness) was amazing.  Everyone in the class was doing the same workout and all working towards the same goal.  The motivation and drive was incredible.  Everyone cheered each other on and everyone was on the same team.  Why wouldn’t you want to be a part of that?  I was instantly addicted. 

Long story short, group fitness changed my life.  It started off with Les Mills classes at Gold’s Gym and quickly incorporated Neil Anderson’s GPP Fitness.  There is something magic about working out with a group instead of just working out on your own.  There is extra push, extra motivation, extra intensity, and a sense of community.  It will keep you coming back, wanting more, instills a love of fitness, and changes your mind and body for the better. 

Now that I live in Ohio, I miss GPP Fitness A TON.  However, I still do the workouts on my own and post my results on the GPP website (gppfitness.com) to stay a part of the community. 

This weekend I participated in a Les Mills Body Pump instructor certification boot camp.  It was awesome.  I learned so much, gained a ton of new insight, and was definitely pushed.  Body Pump was actually that first class that I took at Gold’s Gym.  I am so excited to bring that energy and excitement to the people of Ohio.

This week instead of giving you a workout, I’m giving you a challenge.  Go find a group fitness class and GET IN IT.  I promise you, you will never regret it.  If you are in Utah, check out GPP Fitness.  It will change your life.  

Contributor Post: For The Love of Protein

You guys, we have all made it mid-week! I just want to thank all of you for being so sweet about Monday's Post . I received some sweet comments and messages and I appreciate it so very much. Moving on to today's post, my Fitness Contributor Mal is back again! Yay! So, today she has an awesome recipe AND a great workout, here she is!

For the Love of Protein

How’s it going everyone?  I would have to say it is going pretty well here in Ohio.  My husband and I have finally settled in and things are starting to feel a little more normal.  My husband has been in school for almost a month now and I finally start working this week! YAY!!! It has been nice to have some time off… but when you are used to being busy all day every day, having nothing to do gets old really fast.  I am currently teaching dance at a couple studios and am finishing up my training to be a Fitness Coach at Gold’s Gym.  I’m also getting my Body Pump certification in a couple weeks!  I’m super excited. 

Anyway, lets get to the point.  All this moving and trying to get settled in has left me feeling kind of out of whack.  I still worked out every day, but I kind of got in a few bad habits with my diet… I kind of like ice cream way too much… So this past week I really kicked it up a notch and cleaned up my diet. 

For breakfast I try and get a good amount of protein so I can stay full longer.  A couple years ago I used to have a protein shake/drink every morning for breakfast.  It kept me full and I happened to be my leanest when I was doing it.  Then I started getting sick of my protein powder… I tried other ones but none of them seemed to work for me.  Too grainy, too think, too chalky, etc… Gradually I just gave up on protein and started going back to having cereal for breakfast.  Now there are some decent cereals out there, but for the most part, cereals are full of empty carbs.  As much as I LOVE cereal, I know it’s not the best thing for me and I never really feel that great after eating it. 

I had heard a lot of good things about Cellucor’s Cinnamon Swirl protein powder and it has always intrigued me.  Well, I was at Costco last week and guess what was there?  Yep, that brand and flavor.  I decided to give it a go…. You guys… It is so good.  I am a big cinnamon fan in the first place, so this just hit the spot.  You NEED this protein powder.  Here is the breakfast I have been having this past week.

I call it, Cookie Dough Oats.

All you need is:

A little less than ½ cup of milk (skim, almond, whatever)

1 scoop of Cellucor Cinnamon Swirl Protein

½ cup of oats

1 tablespoon of peanut butter (I use Jiff naturals.  Yes, I know it isn’t the “best” peanut butter but it tastes FREAKIN good so I don’t care.)

Warm up your milk in the microwave.  1-2 mins.  Watch it so it doesn’t bubble up and explode. (Yeah I did that…)

Stir in a scoop of protein

Pour the milk/protein mixture into your bowl of oats and stir it all up. (I like the raw texture of the oats…that’s why I don’t put them in the microwave.)

Warm up the PB in the microwave for about 30 seconds

Pour melted PB in the bowl of oats

Mix it all in.

HEAVEN in your mouth.  Seriously.  It tastes like something you shouldn’t be having for breakfast.  But you can.  Look how awesome these nutrition facts are:

On a side note, I was feeling like I needed a little booty work this week so I made up this work out.  Give it a try… It made my glutes SORE!

BUNS OF STEELE

4 rounds:

20 walking lunges with 60# barbell

20 jump squats

4 rounds:

15 weighted hip thrusts 25# Kettle bell (Lay your upper back on a bench and sit the kettlebell on your lower abs.  Lower your butt down to the floor and press it up as high as you can go and SQUEEZE!)

15 weighted step ups 25# Kettle bell, Right and Left (Put left foot on the platform, holding the kettle bell in your right hand.  Straighten your left leg as your right foot comes up to meet your left, and go back down.  Do all 15 reps on one leg before moving on to the other. Don’t forget to squeeze that butt!)

4 rounds: 

10 straight leg dead lifts with kettle bell

20 straight leg kick backs Right and Left (Get on your hands and knees on top of a bench or platform.  Straighten your right leg and touch your toe to the floor.  Lift it up and squeeze your butt.  20 of those, then repeat on other leg.)

Don’t forget your protein when you finish! :)

Fashion Contributor: Some Color and a Fit and Flare

Hello everyone! You have made it mid-week! A couple more days and we have ourselves a long weekend! Isn't that exciting!? Anyway, my Fashion/Beauty Contributor is back! Yes, Mrs. Whitney Fredette is here with another adorable look! Here she is!

Hello again everyone!  I wore this outfit a few weeks ago and got a ton of compliments, so I had m husband take some pictures, so I could share the outfit with you all!

This shirt is one of my favorite shirts I’ve ever owned.  Not only is it the coolest neon pink color, but it’s also a neoprene shirt.  So it has the feel of a wetsuit.  It isn’t super tight fitting, which I like, because I can eat as many cookies as I want and no one will know- muaha!  The only thing is that because it is neoprene it has ZERO shape to it.  Which can be sometimes be really unflattering.  I would suggest either tucking it in al the way, or just the front to give it a little more shape, and not make you look like a box!

The skirt is also another favorite purchase of mine.  My husband LOVES the look of a fit and flare skirt, so he is always encourages me to buy that style.  I agree though!  I think it is so flattering, and really fun. 

The shoes are so amazing.  They are so pretty and eye-catching.  They are, however, a low heel- which I usually don’t wear, but in this case I make the exception.  I think higher heels make your legs look better, and make you taller, so I tend to go for a higher heel.  These are unbelievably comfortable and look really great with a pair of boyfriend jeans, or a skirt.  The other thing I love about them is that they are completely wearable in all four seasons.  They are a pointed toe, but are hot pink so its makes them okay for winter and summer!

 Top- J Brand

Skirt- Ohne Title (from ShopBop- last season)

Shoes- Valentino

Sunglasses- Victoria Beckham

Fitness Contributor: Keeping Postive and a Workout

Happy Monday everyone! Mal is here to help you start your week off right with some fitness tips and tricks! Here she is!

This past week was one of the hardest mentally of my life!  I was flown back to Utah to do choreography for the studio I used to teach at.  I also got to choreograph for the Utah Jazz Dancers.  Doesn’t seem to bad, eh?  Well… try choreographing 12 dances (all looking very different) in one week.  I have done lots of choreography in the past, but nothing to the extent and time period of this.  As I sat down in my seat on my flight to Utah, my anxiety crept in.  I felt inadequate and overwhelmed.  I really didn’t know how I was going to get through the week.  Right then and there I realized I had a choice.  I could go through the week being stressed and let my anxiety get the best of me, or suck it up, stay positive and keep a clear mind.   I said a little prayer in my head and decided no matter what happens during the week, I would keep an optimistic outlook. 

Well, I’m back in Ohio, and I did it.  And I am really proud of myself.  How did I do it?  I kept a positive mentality the whole time.   Did everything go perfectly as planned? No.  But did I learn to overcome little setbacks and keep pushing on?  Yes.  There were times during the week where I totally could have broken down and given up.  It was really hard.  But every time those negative thoughts entered, I knocked them out with positivity and kept going. 

You are probably thinking to yourself what the heck this has to do with anything fitness…. Well guess what?  It has everything to do with fitness.  Your mind is a very powerful tool.  The way you think about yourself, your health goals, and your fitness journey is what is going to make or break your success.  We all have setbacks.  We all have struggles and trials.  We all have those days where we would rather sit on our butts, watch Bachelor, eat a gallon of ice cream, and feel bad about ourselves. (I didn’t do that yesterday…)  It is what we do and how we react to those trials and setbacks that will determine our success.  If you honestly wake up every day and tell yourself, “Today is going to be a good day.  I can do this.  I will stay positive,” I promise you, you can achieve anything. 

My goal for everyone this week is to do just that—keep positive!  You will be surprised how keeping a positive attitude and outlook can change your day.  You will be able to accomplish your goals (fitness related or really anything else) if you set your attitude meter on positive. 

And just for fun, here is another workout I came up with for you all to try!

For time complete:

3 rounds:

20 goblet squats with a 20lb kettle bell or dumbbell

20 right leg step ups holding a 20lb kettle bell or dumbbell in your left hand (right leg steps up first and down first to a 12-18 inch platform)

20 left leg step ups holding a 20lb weight in your right hand

400 meter run

3 rounds:

20 kettle bell high sumos (18-30lb)

20 OH press (10-15lb dumbbells)

300 rope jumps (Jump rope)

3 rounds:

1 min plank hold

20 v-ups

20 tick tocks right and left with 25lb kettle bell

400 meter row

Fitness Contributor: 6 Ways To Get Fit Without a Gym Pass

Hello everyone! I am back from vacation, it is a sad fact but all vacations must come to an end. Anyway, Mal is back with a fitness post for you guys AND you're going to love it. It is all about how you can get fit without setting foot into a gym- which I love. So if you are in a mid-week slump I hope this post can help ya out!

6 Tips to Get Fit Without a Gym Pass

My sister-in-law recently came to me and asked if my husband and I could help her with her weight loss journey.  I was absolutely thrilled to help!  One of the things in life that gives me the most joy is sharing my knowledge and passion of health and fitness.  There was one catch, however.  She was not going to invest in a gym pass.  At first, I was super skeptical.  I thought there was no way she was going to reach her goals without going to the gym.  But as the days passed, my thought process totally changed.  She can absolutely reach her goals without going to the gym.  For my post today I made a list of 6 great ways to get fit without a gym pass!

1)   Use your own body weight.

There are so many exercises and workouts you can do in the comfort of your

own home by just using your good ol’ body.   Squats.  Push-ups.  Sit-ups.  Burpees.  Lunges.  Side ups.  Squat jumps.  Lunge switches.  Back extensions.  Crunches.  V-ups.  I could probably go on forever and there are ENDLESS workout possibilities using these movements.

2)   Invest in some equipment.

While using your body weight is awesome, investing in some small pieces of equipment wouldn’t hurt.  First off, I would buy a set of hand weights- 15 pounds for women, 20 for men.  With hand weights you can add weight to any of the movements listed above, plus add some shaping movements like overhead press, bench press, rows, etc.  I would also invest in a resistance band.  Once again, a resistance band can be added to really any movement for increased difficulty.  Another great piece of equipment to get would be a kettle bell.  Some of my favorite workouts use kettle bells and because of the positioning of the weight, they give you a little different feel than just dumbbells.  Other ideas for equipment you could buy would be a jump rope, stability ball, medicine ball, ab mat, or body bar.  Now you don’t have to buy all of this equipment to be sufficient.  I’m just giving some ideas.  Pick and choose your favorites!

3)   Go outside.

The world is a beautiful place.  Don’t take it for granted!  Go for a hike.  Go for a jog.  Go for a swim.  Go for a bike ride.  Go skiing or snowboarding.  Go rock climbing.  There is sooo much fitness to be explored by just walking out your front door. 

4)   Find a hill.

Have you ever done a hill sprint?  They suck.  Have you ever bear crawled down a hill?  Those suck even more.  Using a hill for your workout can be awesome for your cardio and stamina.  It will get your heart rate pumping from the first climb.  Try doing different things up and down the hill.  Sprints forwards and backwards, side shuffles, skips, lunges, and the worst of them all….bear crawls (don’t forget forward and back).

5)   Utilize a local park.

If you have kids, this is an awesome one.  (Still awesome if you don’t have kids J).  A park really is an ideal place for a workout.  There are pull up bars, big steps, monkey bars, benches… once again the possibilities really are endless with this one.  You can even get the kids involved!  

6)   Go to a high school track.

This is one of my favorites.  I love being able to do sprints on the track as well as take advantage of all those lovely stairs in the stadium.  Mixing the two together will surely give you an intense workout.  You don’t have to be boring and just run around the track and run up the stairs either.  Mix it up.  Lunge or skip some of the track.  Jump up the stairs.  Hop up on one foot.  Try to skip some stairs.  The more you can change it up, the more fun it can be.

Well there you have it!  6 ways you can reach your fitness goals by not going to a gym.  Don’t get me wrong, I do have a gym pass and I love utilizing all of the benefits of holding a membership.  However, if getting a gym pass doesn’t fit your budget at the moment or you aren’t able to get to one for any reason, don’t let that be your excuse to stop you from your fitness goals.  If you would like to follow my sister-in-law in her weight loss journey, visit thelast100pounds.blogspot.com.

A Meal and a Workout

Happy Monday everyone! As usual my fabulous Fitness Contributor is here with another post for you guys! I have to say I love starting my week off right and Miss. Mal always has great ideas. Here she is!

It’s been a great week here in Ohio!  My husband hasn’t started school yet and I am not working yet, so we just get to relax and hang out together.  We’ve been able to get some great workouts in and cook up some healthy meals.  Today I’m going to share some of my favorites!

I have been LOVING the GPP workouts lately (gppfitness.com).  Every day they seem to be just what I need.  Here was my favorite from last week:

Shoulder Shocker

5 rounds of:

15 overhead barbell press (45 lb for females, 65 lb for males)

15 side lateral raises (10s for females, 15s for males)

15 kettlebell high sumos (25 lb for females, 35 lb for males)

300 rope jumps

This one may look easy, but it creeps up on you fast!  Those rope jumps will BURN those shoulders right out.  When I finished this workout, my shoulders were HUGE. Ha.  After I did this workout I did some tabata sprints on the treadmill (20 seconds of work and 10 seconds of rest, 8 times).  I love doing tabata sprints.  They are a great way to get your body warm, or finish off a workout if you still have a little more in ya!  I try and increase my speed with increment.  Here’s what I did:

20 seconds- 10.0

10 seconds rest

20 seconds- 10.5

10 seconds rest

20 seconds- 10.8

10 seconds rest

20 seconds- 11.0

10 seconds rest

20 seconds- 11.2

10 seconds rest

20 seconds- 11.5

10 seconds rest

20 seconds- 11.5

10 seconds rest

20 seconds- 11.5

After all those sprints, I walked for 2 minutes at a 3.0, then did the whole thing again!  Except this time I started at a 10.5 and built my speed from there!  Give it a try!

On Sunday my husband and I made one of my family favorite meals, Curry Chicken Bowls.  It is sooo easy and very yummy. 

Start off by marinating some chicken breasts.  I don’t really use measurements with marinades but here is the jist:

About a ½ cup of canola oil

About a ¼ cup of light coconut milk

2 TBS curry powder

1 TBS paprika

1 TBS Garlic Salt

1 TBS Onion Powder

I mix that all together and put it in with 4 chicken breasts.  Keep it in the fridge for at least 30-45 mins, but the longer the better.  Over night is the best!

Next, prepare some brown rice.  When the chicken is done, grill it up and cut it into strips or pieces. 

Now cut up your toppings!  I usually like to use apples, bananas, grapes, pineapple, mango, coconut, craisins or raisins, slivered almonds, and cauliflower.  I don’t always use all of those.  I will pick and choose a few that sound good that day.  I’m sure that there are lots of other toppings you could try as well!

After all of your toppings are ready, take some plain yogurt and mix in some curry powder to your liking.  You might even like to mix a little coconut milk in there as well!

And there you have it.  Rice, curry chicken, and toppings covered in a curry yogurt.  Easy, healthy, and delicious!  

Contributor Post: I like big butts and I cannot lie.

Hello all! Sorry the my Fitness Contributors post is being posted on Tuesday. A weird work schedule led to Monday getting away from me! Anyways, here is Mal with a post. You are gonna l-o-v-e it! It's all about making that bootay look goooood!

Mal and her hubby take bum workouts very seriously. You can tell by the sweat. Haha. 

One of the things I like to workout most when I’m at the gym is my butt.  I’ve always been impressed when I see girls or guys with nice glutes.  Those things don’t get like that on their own.  (I probably sound like a perv/creeper right now, but I promise I’m not).   It takes a lot of work to build and maintain a nice booty.  Sorry people but running on the treadmill every day is not going to build you a nice butt.  In fact, it’s probably going to get kind of loose and flat if that’s all you’re doing.  Here is one of my favorite glute workouts that will ensure you don’t get stuck with that flabby bum. ☺

Buns of Steel

Warm Up:
5 min on stair master (I go at an 8 to warm up usually)
5 min easy jog on the treadmill (about 6.0 speed)

Work Out: 
(Try and go a little heavier with each set)
3 sets of 15 goblet squats
3 sets of 12 deadlifts
3 sets of 12 wide stance squats with dumbbell 
3 sets of 20 barbell lunges
3 sets of 15 kettlebell blast off swings
3 sets of 15 stability ball hamstring curls
2 supersets of 1 min wall sit and 50 box switches

If you are completely confused with some of the lingo here are some definitions and explanations:

-When I say “sets” I am implying straight sets.  That means you stick with that movement until you are finished with it.  For example, you do 15 squats, rest a couple minutes, another 15 squats, rest, finish with 15 squats and move on to the next exercise.
-A super set is going back and forth between two movements.
-Goblet squat: Using both hands like a bowl (fingers up), grab an end of the dumbbell and hold it right in front of your chest.  Keep the dumbbell at your chest as you squat below parallel and come back up. Make sure your chest is up and back is flat.  If you don’t, you’re in for an injury.
-Deadlift: Come up to the bar with your feet hip width apart.  As you bend your knees to pick up the bar, keep your head up and make sure your back is super flat (think about sticking your butt out).  I like to keep one palm forward and one palm back.  Grab the bar and pull it upwards so you are standing straight up.  Keep the bar as close to your shins as possible and don’t forget about keeping your back super flat.  Instead of thinking of your back doing all the work, think of pushing your feet into the ground and using your butt to straighten your body out.  As you come back down, keep the bar to your shins and keep your back FLAT (I can’t say it enough)!
-Wide stance squats with dumbbell: This is a great one for your inner thighs as well as your butt.  Your toes should be turned out and your legs should be wider than they are in a normal squat.  Grab a dumbbell by the end (fingers down this time) and simply bend your knees and tap the dumbbell to the ground and come back up.
-Barbell lunges: Take a barbell and rest it on the meaty part your traps.  Make sure you don’t put the bar on your neck.  That can cause back/neck problems.  Take a big step forward with one foot, tapping your back knee to the ground.  Repeat on the other leg.
-Kettlebell blast off swings:  Rest the kettlebell down between your legs, then swing it up to eye level, and control it on the way back down.  Once again, make sure you are keeping your back nice and flat.
-Stability ball hamstring curls:  Lay flat on your back with your feet up on a stability ball.  Lift your hips and pull your heels in to your butt rolling the ball closer to you. Keep your hips up as you roll the ball back up and repeat.
-Wall sit: Find a wall, put your back flat against it, and bend your knees so your thighs are parallel to the floor.
-Box switches: Find a platform about 12-18 inches off the ground.  Stand on the platform and tap one foot down to the ground and back up.  Repeat with the other foot.

Your bums will love you for this workout, I promise.

Contributor Post: Hers and His Fashion

Happy Wednesday everyone! Guess what? Your favorite fashion/beauty contributor is back with another post! I am super excited about this one, when Miss. Whitney posted a picture of her wearing this outfit on instagram people were ga-ga over the whole look! Soooooo she is here to tell you about it. PLUS she is talking about dressing up her sweet and talented hubby Jimmer Fredette. Here she is!

My Brother recently got married, and we have had so many events lately that we have had to get really dressed up for.  This last week my mom threw them a “Patio Party” at Cherry Hills Country Club in Denver.  Jimmer and I were both really excited for an even that was a little more causal than the rest of the wedding festivities.

I knew I wanted to wear a jumpsuit- and I had been looking for the perfect one.  I searched EVERYWHERE for a red one, but I couldn’t find anything that I liked.  One day I was online shopping on Shopbop (my fav) when I came across this one.  I knew it was perfect and I had to have it immediately.

I loved the colors and the lines in it.  When it finally arrived on my doorstep- the legs were super long.  So I took it to the tailor to have the legs shortened- yay for being 5’1”- and I took that extra few inches and added a little more sleeve up top.  I have always been extremely self-conscious of my arms and shoulders- plus it made it more modest.  The tailor did a perfect job and this is what I ended up with! 

Jumpsuit – BCBG from shopbop

Shoes- Jimmy Choo

Lips- MAC “girl about town”

Jimmer has lately gotten really into fashion.  He grew up never owning a pair of jeans and only wearing sweatpants to school.  When I met him in college his wardrobe was almost exclusively basketball gear.  I think that’s maybe what drew me to him- it was adorable.  Once we started seriously dating I took it upon myself to get him a few more pieces that he could wear out to dinner and on dates.  Now 4 years later he is ALL about getting dressed up.

This look is a little bold, but I think he totally works it.  It’s perfect for a country club- and he has the body of a male model (hehe lucky me) so he can pretty much wear anything and look GREAT. 

He got both of these items while we were living in Chicago.  He didn’t get them at the same time, but I just loved it together!

Shirt – Hugo Boss

Pants- Hugo Boss

Shoes- Cole Haan

Contributor Post: No Excuses!

Happy Monday everyone! I hope your weekend was wonderful and full of summer fun! On Saturday my mom, cousin and her hubby and  I went to my favorite Mexican restaurant in Utah and I was super excited about it- probably more than I should have been. After we got back we watched A Walk To Remember- let me tell ya, that movie is a 90's classic. I can't believe I don't watch it frequently.

ANYWAY, my wonderful Fitness Contributor is here again! She has been making her move to Ohio, so I am super happy that she has taken the time to right this post for you guys! Here she is!

Hi guys! I am about to embark on day two of my move to Ohio. Yesterday we drove all day and stopped in this little town called North Platte, Ohio. Not going to lie, this drive is not the greatest of drives... Good thing I found some old burnt CDs of mine from high school to listen to to pass the time.
 
Anyway... I am supposed to be posting about fitness so let's get to it. We are trying to be frugal on this move so we are staying at the cheapest hotels we can find. Cheap hotels=CRAP fitness facility. When I went down to the exercise room this morning I was sooooo close to turning around and going back to bed. There was literally a broken treadmill, an ancient stationary bike, and an ellipitical. There wasn't even any room on the tile floor to do anything else... So, I sucked it up and climbed on the elliptical. I NEVER do elliptical and it actually kicked my butt!
 
Moral of the story: there are always going to be excuses to not work out-"I'm tired." "I don't have time." "I don't have the equipment or facilities." Hate to break it to you but guess what? Those excuses are never going to get you anywhere near your goals. Suck it up. Get it done. You will be glad you did when you finish. :)
 
Here is the workout I was going to do this morning if anyone wants to give it a try!
As fast as possible, complete five rounds of the following:
25 squats
20 sit-ups
15 push-ups
400 meter run (or .25 on the treadmill)

Contributor Post: Road Trips and Snacks

Happy Monday everyone! Can you believe we are already this far into July? It's amazing how fast the summer goes! Anyway, Mal is here to today for a post that is perfect for this time of year. Many of you will take road trips this summer and she is here to talk about snackin' on those trips!

Road Trips and Snacks

 

View from Fort Steele, British Columbia, Canada

I am finally back home from my trip to beautiful Canada! Sunday was a long day for me because my husband and I had to drive 14 hours straight to get home. The good thing was I had a looong time to do nothing but think about what I wanted to write in my post for this week.
 

Since I have been taking a lot of road trips lately and am about to take the longest road trip of my life in a week and a half (I'm moving to Ohio...eeek!), there has been one subject that has been on my mind a lot: road trip snacking. Growing up my family went on lots of road trips and I have to admit my favorite part was digging into the HUGE bag of snacks my mom would bring...Licorice. Popcorn. Muddy Buddies. Sun Chips. Cinnamon bears. Cookies. Hot Tamales. Smarties. You name it, my mom had it. Now don't get me wrong, I believe all these things are fine in moderation. (Key word MODERATION). But please tell me...who honestly snacks in moderation during road trips?? Definitely not me. If I have a bag of candy in front of me and I have nothing but prairies to look at for the next four hours, that whole bag of candy is going straight to my belly. Totally unintentional of course, but sometimes the bag-to-mouth hand motion goes into autopilot and you've done the damage before you even realize it. You've eaten your days worth of calories and all you've been doing is sitting on your butt...

Now here is the part where I give you a tip that you might not like... Don't bring snacks in the car for your road trips. I promise you can do it! Here is the first key to success: have a nice, big, healthy breakfast. My husband and I like to get on the road early, so we will wake up, drive a few hours and then stop for breakfast. That should tide you over until your next pit stop. Then you can grab a quick, healthy lunch and be on your way! Or even better, pack a lunch. Anyway, hopefully you get the gist!

Now I know there are some of you out there who just ABSOLUTELY have to snack (aka my mother). My tip for you would be to only bring healthy snacks that won't do damage. For example: carrots, apple slices, celery, grapes, pre-portioned nuts, blueberries, etc...

Last but not least, here is my favorite snack recipe that I make all the time at home that you can take on your next road trip if you really need to ;)

 

PB AND HONEY BALLS

Mix together the following:
1 cup of oats
1/2 cup natural peanut butter
1/3 cup organic honey or agave
1/2 cup ground flax seed
1/2 cup dried cranberries (no sugar added is your best option)
1 tbsp chia seeds
1 tsp vanilla extract
Form into 1 to 2 inch balls and refrigerate!