Thursday, June 30, 2011

Tabata Training

4 minutes of Tabata Training x 5 days a week x 6 weeks = 120 minutes or 2 hours of exercise over 6 weeks


For those of you who don't know what Tabata Training is: It's a workout regimen that uses 20 seconds of ultra-intense exercise followed by 10 seconds of rest, repeated continuously for 4 minutes (8 cycles).



I've been doing tabata's at the gym a lot lately and it's an amazing work out!! The secret to making this effective is in your sprint interval. You have to go all out, so do as many reps as you can in the 20 seconds, put it down for 10, then pick it up again and go all out for another 20 seconds.

 

What Can Tabata Do For You?

Aside from burning off pounds and pounds of excess body-fat, Tabata Training can help you:
  • Improve your cardiovascular function (aerobic endurance)
  • Improve your anaerobic endurance
  • Improve your muscular endurance
  • Make you strong and fit and look fantastic
I would suggest getting some sort of tabata timer like a watch where you can see exactly where you are in the workout, you don't want to have to think too much, all of your concentration should be on the exercise. If you have an iPhone-there's an app for that! Tabata Timer in the app store.

My inspiration is this chic-she has an amazing body and I want it!!

Monday, June 27, 2011

Color Craze

Color is in! Colored denim has been one of the hottest trends this season. J Brand has a great line of colored denim in a selection of primaries that are sure to add a fantastic pop of color to your wardrobe!

J Brand Mid-Rise Skinnies $176

I work in an office that buys Junior bottoms and denim. We have an array of colored denim in our sample closet right now and I can't wait to get some down time to try it all on ;) See how others are wearing it...





Love it paired with a great blazer



I will have this pair, thank you


Monday, June 13, 2011

My Top 10 Guilty Pleasures + 2

A Guilty Pleasure is something that you like but don't want others to know. It's something someone enjoys and considers pleasurable despite the feeling of guilt for enjoying it. We all have them!!

Here's a small list of mine...it was hard to narrow down to only 10! (Notice how I couldn't even do that...)

12. Really high heels. These days i'm a sucker for a really high heel and a platform! If it's not higher than 4 inches, I don't want to buy it! Go big or go home, ladies. High high heels are sexy-show off those legs!
11. Gossip Girl. Love watching this show for the fashion, the city and the Upper East Side drama!
10. Starbucks White Chocolate Mocha. Heaven in my mouth. This is certainly a guilty pleasure at 500 calories for a Grande. I usually get it 'non-fat' in a Tall with a extra shot of espresso...and no  whipped cream. That's about 270 calories-still not great but SO worth the calories!!
9. Shopping. If I have a Saturday open, and you ask me what I want to do...shopping will ALWAYS be my answer! I get so much enjoyment out of envisioning how i'm going to wear something once I buy it!
8. Eating gummy worms and diet coke on road trips. This is a little random, but when i'm driving or riding on long road trips-I always get a craving for a bag of gummy worms and a diet coke.
7. Airplanes : BOB I L-word this!
6. Reading fashion and tabloid magazines rather than an intellectual book. I try so hard to be intellectual and be a good reader, but even when I try to do that I find myself reading books like "Twilight" or "LA Candy" by Lauren Conrad. I've decided it's best that I just admit it and continue on with my In Style, In-Touch and US Weekly, OH...and I can't forget People: Style Watch.
5. Nutella and Pretzels. This was a fairly recent discovery by my husband, Russell. Ever since he shared this brilliant combination with me, it's impossible for me to leave the grocery store without a new bag of pretzels and jar of Nutella. And I usually can't just stop at one spoon full of Nutella....
4. Working Out. Some might not say this is not a guilty pleasure, but rather the opposite! Over the past couple years, i've become a little obsessive (as my husband would call it) about working out and eating healthy. If i'm not hitting the gym or going on a run at least 3-5 times a week...I feel terrible about myself. I do splurge a little on the weekends to keep my balance though :)
3. Facebook
2. Massages/Manicures/Pedicures. The older I get, the more enjoyment I get out of pampering myself! A mani/pedi is a necessity at LEAST once every 2 weeks...and a massage is nice all the time!
1. Taking a nice long shower, putting on my silky robe, lighting my Wood Wick candles along with some incense all while surfing the Internet and watching my favorite TV show Friends. THAT is my all time guilty pleasure!!

What are some of your guilty pleasures??

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Stock the Kitchen!

This weekend we hosted a bidal shower for my best friend Alisha! (noted in previous post) It was a huge success and it was so nice to get to see some of my girlfrends that I never get to see! Here are a few pics from the shower




Party Favors



Saturday, June 4, 2011

Back Home

Happy Saturday everyone! I'm home in Simpsonville, SC. Me and a couple friends are hosting a bridal shower for our best friend, Alisha Donald (that's me and her below)
Other than the kitchen shower i'm hanging out with my mom, doing a little shopping, might get dinner with the girls and then i'm going with my mother-in-law to help her decorate the new lake house! (tune in later for future blogs about the lake house)
Here's a sneak peak though!
View of the new lake house from the lake! and I get to help decorate!!
Russell is in Charleston this weekend deep sea fishing with his brother so it's girl time for me!

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

The Romper

Rather than filling my closet with yet another dress this summer, i've decided that the romper is taking over. These one-pieced wonders are perfectly playful, hip and sexy at the same time! They can be worn with some flat sandals for a day of shopping and lunch dates or with some high high heels when you go out with your ladies :)

Here are just a couple that are fabulous...



Perfect for mid-day fun!

Not sure if it's Blake Lively that I love more or the romper....


This girl's face doesn't look too happy but her romper is adorable and so classy

Love a romper paired with a blazer

Perfect with some high heels and great accessories