08 November 2012

Three Things I'm Loving Now...

As promised, today's post is more upbeat. November is a month to be thankful, and I am grateful for...

BIRCHBOX
Yessss! I got my invitation to join Birchbox. I must admit that one of my favorite parts about ordering or buying new make-up is getting the little samples. Now, I will get my very own box of beauty and lifestyle samples delivered to me each month for just $10.


Birchbox's site also has tutorials, celeb picks, and how-to's, like this one on applying self tanner (We've all experienced the streaky, oompa-loompa effect). By the way, I am a huge fan of Tan Towels. But if you're looking for a bargain, give L'oreal Sublime Bronze a try.



MY ELECTRIC BLANKET
Love, love, love my electric blanket, which was a Christmas gift from my mother-in-law two years ago. It makes life in the northeast bearable from November through the end of March. There's nothing like falling into a warm bed at the end of a long day. 



Reaaaallly want one of those fuzzy throws at the foot of the bed. How cozy! 

HEALTH AND FITNESS BLOGS
So, the cold weather has arrived, the clocks are set back, bringing darkness before and after work. And suddenly, I can't get enough of nesting and comfort food. Pasta, grilled cheese, muffins, pizza, you name it. On top of the clocks, the nip in the air isn't very encouraging for outdoor workouts...or even running back and forth to and from the car to the gym. 

But the good news is that I've found a couple of blogs that are keeping me on track with workouts and healthy eating. The bloggers mentioned below are both personal trainers and amazing chefs-- how they find the time to blog, I don't know! Their blogs are filled with photos of healthy, appetizing food, workouts, and reviews of gear

Meet Courtney, former teacher turned fitness trainer, from upstate New York. I know she's local, so I am going to have to get more deets on where she teaches classes. Other than yoga, I've never really been a big fan of taking classes in the past due to ...lack of grace ... But Courtney's bubbly personality shines through on Sweet Tooth and seems so inviting that I just might be comfortable. 

Courtney not only posts breakfast, lunch and dinner recipes, like this one-- Tilapia tacos with roasted corn relish (Can't wait to try it!) -- but she also whips up some pretty delicious looking desserts and salads




Peanut butter and running- two of my favorite things. Jen is a woman after my own heart! Like Courtney, she also abandoned the grind of a traditional job as an ad/marketing professional to become a full-time yoga teacher and personal trainer.





Jen is open about eating peanut butter almost every day...I say it like it's a sin, but Jen can indulge thanks to her intense workout schedule. I'm jealous! Peanut butter is something that I can't even keep in the house because I can't stay away from it. In any case, I'm dying to try some of her recipes that use peanut butter like  the Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars. I'd also like to sample some of the different peanut butter brands mentioned in the reader survey of favorites...when I learn some self-control!



Here's a little peek at the photos and recipes featured on Peanut Butter Runner--Serious comfort food. Oats, almond milk, water, dried cranberries, pumpkin pie spice and apples. Topped with pumpkin butter and peanut butter. YUM!

Like I said, Jen does some pretty intense workouts in addition to managing a fitness center. One thing that I am inspired by from reading her posts is the variety. She lists the activities that she's doing each day of the week, and she really mixes it up from BodyPump to running to yoga to Crossfit.

Since I joined the gym a month ago, I've been pretty good about getting in at least three workouts a week (my goal). Buuuut I've strength trained only once and used the elliptical only twice. I've definitely fallen into the routine of pounding out the miles on the treadmill. And that's it. Have to work on that...

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