Category Archives: Fitness
Work It Out Wednesday: Edition 1
Yes, edition one because this is my very first Work It Out Wednesday. Pumped? You should be. Do you know why? Because you are going to look forward to Work It Out Wednesdays. And why is that? Because they’re gonna be freaking awesome. Now let’s get started.
What is “Work it Out Wednesday”?
Well this is going to be my weekly post about something (anything really) workout related. This week, I want to share some of my workout tunes. I think music totally makes or breaks a workout. Have you ever tried to run to a lame mix that you have had on your ipod for about 3 years? It just doesn’t cut it. So here are my workout jams (some are older, some are newer) that I want to share with you guys!
1. Church (T-Pain)
2. On Top of the World (Imagine Dragons)
3. Me and Julio Down By the Schoolyard (Paul Simon) PS – Don’t judge.
4. Can’t Hold Us (Macklemore)
5. Who’s That Chick (David Guetta feat. Rihanna)
6. All Night Longer (Sammy Adams)
7. Crank it Up (David Guetta feat. Akon)
8. Diva (Beyonce)
9. Drop it Low (Ester Dean & Chris Brown)
10. I Like to Move It (Workout Music Team)
That’s all I’m going to give you for this week. If you want to leave a comment and share you favorite workout jam, please do!! 
Til next time,
Sarah
My Lululemon Workout Favorites
I’ve been wanting to do a feature on Lululemon for quite some time. They are a brand known for their high-end yoga and workout wear. The first piece of Lululemon that I owned was a pair of black Groove pants and I have been hooked ever since. Why? Because it’s quality workout wear that you could (and I seriously do) live in.
So for my little feature today, I wanted to feature my favorite pieces from Lululemon that I adore. I now own too much to count, some I like, and some I love. Here are my favorites:
Of course, there are many items that I still want to try and have not yet (namely their headbands, yoga mats, and the free to be sports bras which are super cute). But I’m hoping that will come in time!
For now, I am just obsessed with all things Lululemon. There is one thing that I tell friends and family when it comes to buying their stuff. You will want to try it on first because personally, I think they run a little small. I am usually a size 4 and at Lulu, I’m a size 6. Some of the tops, I even purchase as a size 8 (like the Run pullover above) so that it isn’t tight. But that is a total preference factor 
It also makes a difference what types of workouts you typically do. I find that for yoga, I can go with any of their tops and be comfortable (however, the tighter tanks do work better for things like down-dog and such, because they will not flip upside down on you! For my hip hop classes, I like to wear the Practice Freely and No-Limits tanks because they give me room to move around and not have any chaffing with high-impact workouts.
For the pants, I love any of them for yoga. But I especially love the wunder under crops for my hip hop and zumba classes. The Groove yoga pants get a little warm when you’re doing the high level cardio though, so I stick to the capris. I also have a pair of Groove crops that work well for the high-impact classes as well.
Do you have a favorite piece from Lululemon? Share in the comments!!!
Hearts,
Sarah
Healthy Food Box, Bestowed: Review & Giveaway!
You’ve heard my raves about Birchbox and how much I love getting little packages in the mail every month. That’s why I was so excited to try out another fun little box filled with goodies; this time it was healthy food!!
You also know that I love to try out healthy foods and snacks at any chance I get. Now, are you ready? Meet Bestowed.
What is Bestowed?
Bestowed is a company created by Heather Bauer, a nutritionist and author. Each month, you get a box sent straight to your door that is packed with five healthy food and snack product samples for you to try. Each item, hand-picked by the celebrity nutritionist herself along with her team of diet and health experts to bring you the best of the best.
What types of things can I expect in a Bestowed box?
What kinds of things can you expect to find in these boxes? Well, you’ll be wonderfully surprised with items such as nutrition bars, breakfast cereals, snacks and supplements (just to name a few!)
It’s always nice to be able to sample things before you try, I think we can all agree on that! This box is packed with several new things to try every month. And once you find that gem that you’ve been searching for, you can go out and buy a big stash! Less money wasted, more healthy and nutritious items for you; now that is a winning strategy!
How much is it to join Bestowed?
Well I’m glad you asked You can join Bestowed by purchasing a monthly or annual subscription. And, note that shipping is included in the price of subscription!
- Monthly is $19 a month
- Annually is $209 yearly
What if I just want to give it as a gift?
Well aren’t you just so thoughtful! What a good friend/family member you are to want to give someone the gift of health and nutrition samples! You can choose subscriptions in the lengths of 3 months ($57), 6 months ($114) or 12 months ($209). These are billed once.
What was in last month’s Bestowed box?
Aren’t you a curious one. Care to see a video of the grand reveal?
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qId_0KB0t7g&w=480&h=360]
I’m so excited to show you guys what came in my very first Bestowed box! I’m always on the hunt for new and healthy snacks so this was totally up my alley (side note to self: need to find a new phrase to replace ‘up my alley’) and I was SO impressed with my box! Here’s the picture that I snapped of everything that was included.
And in case it’s a little tough to see or read, I thought I should probably break it down for you in order from top left to right, then bottom left to right. I’ll mention the middle item (the iTrain gift card) at the very end.
1. Happy Family-Happy Squeeze Smoothies – This little to-go pouch is made from organic ingredients and are packed with protein and fiber. Not to mention just around 100 calories! Perfect for little hands, lunch boxes or just for your purse for those ‘just in case’ moments. Love these!
2. Manitoba Harvest Hemp Hearts – This bag is filled with tiny little seeds that are packed with protein and vitamins. They will also help to add omegas to your diet, so now you have no excuse! This nutty crunch snack comes in a convenient pouch, and it is actually good for you! Forget the sugar-packed trail mix, this one is the one to grab for.
3. Nature’s Earthly Choice – Easy Quinoa Lentil Soup Mix – Okay this one totally sold me! I’m a huge advocate and believer in quinoa and now you’ve given it to me in a soup too?! I’m in heaven. Pair this item with a salad or some chicken for protein and you’ve got a meal, easy peasy!
4. Oloves Hot Chili Mama Olives – Num! If you like a snack that packs a little punch, then you will adore these habanero and lemon olives. Pit free and flavored, plus only 50 calories? This is one snack that you’ll definitely enjoy.
5. Nature’s Bakery Fig Bars – I could not get over how yummy these fig bars were, and the fact that they are Kosher, chocolesterol-free, dairy-free and vegan just totally won me over! Instead of reaching for the chocolate bar or preservative-packed granola bar next time, grab one of these and you will not be disappointed. I will definitely be purchasing these again!
6. Artisana Coconut Butter – I’ve told you guys before that I use coconut oil when I cook because it’s a lot healthier than butter or vegetable oil. Well this coconut butter is no different. This creamy product is made from coconut flesh and offers fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals too! An added bonus: This contacts no additives! Use this on crackers or in a smoothy for a yummy snack.
7. iTrain Gift Card $25 – Last but not least is this little gem! If you wish you could afford a personal trainer, then this might be just for you! You download the workouts right to your mp3 device and you can customize your workouts to fit what you need. Each workout provides you with your personal trainer’s voice giving you instructions, plus music and motivation throughout your whole session. Worth a try, right?
Purchasing the Products You Like
I. Fell. In. Love… with Bestowed. What a super neat concept and such wonderful products! After I tried them out, I quickly wondered, “Alright, now where can I get these for my family?” Well there is a Featured Products section of the Bestowed website that gives you information on each product and also tells you where you can buy them! I noticed that most of them you can find on Amazon – how great is that? It’s like you can grocery shop from your house. Taste it, buy it, serve it. Now that is easy!
One-Month Subscription Giveaway!
Bestowed has very graciously offered to give away a one-month subscription to one lucky winner!!! If you think you’d enjoy receiving all these wonderful samples, then enter to win today! Contest ends April 12th at midnight CST. Contest has ended! Congratulations Joan T, our winner of the giveaway!
Keep Up With The Brand:
- Follow @bstowed on Twitter
- Become a fan of Bestowed on Facebook
- Subscribe to Heather Bauer’s Channel on Youtube
- Check out Bestowed’s Featured Products and comment with which item you’d want to try!
- Like Real Housewives of Minnesota on Facebook
- Follow @MNhousewives on Twitter
AND – Even if you don’t win, I have a treat for you too.
They’ve given me an exclusive $5 off code to share with you if you want to try Bestowed anyways! So go onto their website, click on “Join Now” and enter code: 5OFFBSTOWED01 to save $5! Woo hoo! You lucky ducks!!
Contest Rules:
Maximum of 6 entries per participant. Open to US residents only. Contest ends on Friday, April 12th at midnight. Winner will be chosen randomly using random.org and will be announced by April 15th. Winner must respond within 3 days, otherwise a new winner will be chosen.
Enjoy!!!
Hearts,
Sarah (Ruby)
4 New Apps You Need to Download Today
If you know me, you know I’m obsessed with apps and finding ones that make life easier. I frequently (and very geek-ily) use the phrase, “There’s an app for that!” as ashamed as I am to admit it. Anyways, I’ve done some scouting and I’ve found some awesome new apps that you must check out. You can thank me later
Wunderlist
This is by far my favorite and most used app for productivity. This app allows you to make different lists and add things to them quick and easy. But there’s more to that. You can share lists with people. So I installed this app on my husbands phone as well and shared my grocery list with him. Now when either of us need something, we put it on the list. When we’re at the store, it’s easy peasy to find what we need. Never again will we forget the list at home!
Not only that, but I’ve made lists for our Youth Group, for the blog (duh!) and for other Shopping needs like socks or shampoo. And as a bonus feature, you can set your email preferences to let you know when things are added to the list or completed (so if hubby stops at the store and gets that chocolate ice cream, you won’t make a special trip to get it too!) Awesome.
SoundHound
The other day I was at the store and I heard a song being played. (It doesn’t matter, but for those of you who are curious kittens, the song was “Piano in the Dark” by Brenda Russell)
Anyways, I couldn’t believe that the song has the same lyrics as “I Cry” by Flo Rida. I would have never been able to find out that the song was Piano in the Dark, if I didn’t have SoundHound. I just held up my phone and let it listen to the song. Within seconds, it had the title and artist for me. Winner!
Gravy
Now this app works better if you live in the cities. Specifically, Minneapolis. The app gives you the choice of what you feel like doing. You can click that you want to do: Whatever, Lively, Classy, Brainy, Playtime. From there it gives you a list of things nearby that fit the bill, on that given date. Fun, right?
Gym-Pact
This app is one that me and my husband have been using for about 6 months now. We started setting a pact to workout 2 times a week. Now we are up to four! Anyways, you set your own pact for how many times a week you will workout and if you achieve that, you get paid! If you miss though, you have to pay. You’ll have to scrounge up $5 for each day that you miss of your pact. The goal of this app is to motivate you with money. And it works! I’ve got about $40 in my reserve, just for working out! Gotta love that. Let me know if you join! I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Check out these apps, and let me know how you like them. If you have an app you adore, be sure to leave the name of it in the comments for others to check out too!
Hearts,
Sarah (Ruby)
All Plant Diet Lifestyle – Testing it Out
Since we cancelled our cable a couple months back (though it feels like a couple years at this point) I really haven’t found too many great shows that I like to watch. So this weekend, as I browsed Netflix for something to watch, I came upon their Documentaries section. I’m kind of a nerd when it comes to learning, so I browsed to see if there was anything that piqued my interest. Sure enough, I actually found a few!
Now my husband and I had already watched Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead (which I would recommend!) but there was one similar to that as well called Hungry for Change. I sat back and enjoyed the bits of information this program provided me with, and I’d definitely say check it out if you are interested in learning more about your nutrition and dietary needs. They made an interesting analogy in this documentary, they said, and I’m quoting loosely, “Imagine if we were put in a zoo, much like they do to chimpanzees. What would they feed us? What would they give us each day to sustain us?” It sure wouldn’t be pizza, cheeseburgers, french fries and pop, would it? No. Makes you think now, doesn’t it?
Here’s a clip from Hungry for Change:
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QwSuPUBLxY?rel=0]
What I really took away from it is that we really are eating just a bunch of crap and engineered ‘food’. Your body is made to store fat to burn later, but we’re eating so much fat and we’re not burning it later. So here’s my task that I’d like to try, and I’m not saying this is going to be a permanent thing because I know it’s going to be hard, but I’m going to try eating a strictly plant diet. So far today, I’ve had an orange for breakfast, lots of water, and a big salad with iceberg lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, and carrots for lunch. Surprisingly, I was full after lunch. That doesn’t usually happen when I eat salad! And the calorie count on that lunch was 112 calories – for a big plate full of food! Real food.
Another great documentary that I had the pleasure of watching was Forks Over Knives, and no surprise here, I would recommend this one too! There is so much quality information out, and so many studies that have been done, that there’s no excuse to not learn a little bit about the foods you put inside your body every single day. Not only that, but into your children’s bodies too!
One last tidbit for you guys, because I know this is an object of desire for many of you! Here it is: Diet Coke. If you’re drooling right now after reading those two words, then I have some bad news for you. The combination of the ingredients in Diet Coke, including aspartame and caffeine can be an exciting but horrible combination. It’s actually causing you to lose brain cells due to the over-stimulation (in less words than I’ll explain) as explained in this article by Livestrong.
So, today is day one of the all plant diet. I’m going to hold onto it as long as I can because I would love to share the results with you guys and have them be positive
In the meantime, do you or have you seen any of these movies? If not, are you going to check them out? I love hearing your feedback!
Hearts,
Sarah (Ruby)
