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This week’s wishlist is a follow-up to yesterday’s 2013 Fall Trends post.  As you may notice, almost all of these pieces are actually pretty timeless.  That’s because I’ve never been a huge “trend dresser”.  I may incorporate versions of each season's trends into my wardrobe, but most of the pieces I purchase tend to lean toward a timeless look.  Reason being, like most people, I have a budget to stay within.  I think about how much wear I’ll be able to get out of a piece before making a purchase.  But when I do decide to purchase super trendy items that have few timeless qualities, I get them from retailers like H&M and Forever21 so that if I tire of that trend, or quickly realize that it was a bad idea, I’m not out a huge investment. 

2013 Fall Trends Wishlist

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Leather

Emerald Green

Layering

Knit Beanies

Slouchy Pants

Statement Outerwear

Winter White

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Since we eat so much of it around here, I’m always on the lookout for delicious, yet simple chicken recipes.  And it’s a major plus when even my 3-year old picky eater approves!  This recipe checked off my usual meal prep requirements-  healthy, simple, quick, and less than 10 ingredients.
 
I found this recipe on a great blog called goodlife {eats}.  She has plenty of amazing, yet simple recipes as well as great lifestyle posts.  She’s also a mother of two, so she completely understands the need to keep it simple in the kitchen, as well as how to cater to picky eaters!

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First there were leggings, then jeggings, but my personal fave are treggings. They are fitted through the legs and thighs like leggings, but the material is thicker- like a pair of trousers.  I particularly love this pair because of the velvet textured detailing.  Since these treggings are constructed from such a rich, textured fabric, I paired it with a sheer blouse with according pleating in the back.

I absolutely love leather bags.  I love the texture of a quality leather bag, and how it ages.  They are one of the few materials that actually improve with age, as long as you take good care of them.  This is one of my faves- a buttery soft Linea Pelle leather bag.  I call it my biker bag because of the classic jet black leather that reminds me of a motorcycle jacket, zipper detailing and long leather fringe.  Who knew a leather bag could be so sexy?  Oh wait, I did.

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This is a great workout for vacation- when you may not access to gym equipment, or to just mix things up every once in a while.  All you need for this workout is a deck of cards and either a carpeted area or a fitness or yoga mat for the jumps.  You’re going to perform two sets of each exercise.

 

Workout Breakdown

• Grab a deck of cards.

•  Flip 3 cards.  Add up the 3 cards and perform that amount of reps for that exercise.  Face cards = 10, Aces & Jokers = either 1 or 11, depending on how ambitious you are feeling.

•  Rest 60-90 seconds between sets.  Repeat that process for a total of 2 sets for each exercise.  (You flip out 3 new cards for each set.  So for example, for Jump Squats,  you could end up doing 15 your first set, 21 for your second set).

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H&M is finally offering online shopping to the US!  Hooray!  I have been waiting for this for a while now.  Although I truly value being able to actually touch an article of clothing to feel it’s fabric and quality in person and be able to see how the piece fits and falls on my body, I love the selection of online shopping.  There’s no other instance where you can have thousands of options at your fingertips to browse through in a short amount of time than online shopping.  As you can see, I must have been in a rather classic mood when making my picks.  I actually didn’t mean to pick all black pieces, but sometimes you just can’t go wrong with that clean, classic hue.

H&M Online Shopping Wishlist

 

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We eat a lot of chicken and fish in this house, so I’m always on the lookout for healthy new recipes to try.  Unfortunately, many of the healthy recipes I’ve prepared from fitness magazines often require numerous hard-to-find ingredients and somehow still end up tasting like dirt.

With two young children to care for, a house full of people to feed, and a busy schedule, I need my meal options to be healthy, quick & simple.   This one is just that.  It has become a delicious staple in our house- one that we repeatedly remark on how yummy it is each time we have it.  Enjoy!

Mediterranean Stuffed Chicken

 

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Hi guys!  I’m pulling double duty today.  Here (below) you can find today’s post on Supplementation- find out what supplements I take and why.

I’m also excited to be guest posting for my friend Kristi over at And Babies Don’t Keep about my personal fitness and pregnancy experiences.

Here is an excerpt from that post:

“You just peed on a stick, and yay! You’re pregnant! Now your mind is racing about things like what your next workout is going to be and all the healthy foods you’re going to crave, right?! Of course not, silly. You are consumed with joy and excitement and all things baby. And you may even view pregnancy as a time to kick back and indulge. And that’s perfectly OK!

I definitely agree that pregnancy is a great time to slow down and perhaps kick your feet up a bit. After all, you are now carrying around a little person inside of you who is essentially sucking up all your nutrients, and at times, energy. But I can tell you firsthand, that an active pregnancy is much more pleasant than a lazy one. I had one of each. The active one was a breeze. I sailed through it and felt so great that after I was told I was in labor (I didn’t even realize it), I asked the doctor if I had time to grab some lunch first. (In case you were wondering, the answer was no.) The lazy pregnancy was painful, uncomfortable, and pretty darn miserable.”
 
You can read the rest, as well as check out Kristi’s blog here.  She is one witty & insightful lady.  I love her take on parenting issues and the beautiful moments in between the tantrums and dirty diapers.

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Let me preface this post with this: I am not a medical professional or supplement expert.  I am merely sharing with you my knowledge and personal experience with supplementation.

There are thousands of supplements available on the market today, and each individual has different needs and goals, so there is no one perfect mix of supplements for everyone.  As you probably know, it would be best to obtain the majority of our nutrients from a well-balanced diet.  However, for a variety of reasons, ranging from lack of knowledge on proper nutrition, to individuals training intensely for sport or recreation, many of us may need a few supplements to help keep our immune system up or boost athletic performance.

I only take a handful of supplements- a whole food multi vitamin, fish oil, whey protein isolate, bcaa’s, glutamine, b complex 100, and the occasional thermogenic fat burner and  pre-workout supplement.

My Supplement Breakdown:

Whole food multi vitamin- If you can only afford one supplement, I would suggest taking a whole food multi vitamin because it covers all the basic nutrients your body needs.  They help keep your immune system up and prevent against nutritional deficiency.  A whole food vitamin is preferable over a synthetic one because it is more easily absorbed and utilized by your body since it is made from whole foods.

Fish Oil- According to the American Heart Association (AHA), clinical trials show that omega 3 is effective in reducing the incidence of cardiovascular diseases.  Fish oil is a great source of omega 3.  It also lowers the level of LDL (bad cholesterol) and increases the level of HDL (good cholesterol).  I take fish oil for overall heart health, but I also eat a decent amount of fish, so on those days, I skip it.

Protein- I take a whey protein isolate post workout for it’s fast absorption and purity (isolates contain 90% or more protein and very little to no fat and lactose).  Another type of protein to consider is casein.  It is a slow digesting protein that takes several hours to digest.  Casein is a great option for meal replacement shakes or right before bedtime when your body is about to go 7-8 hours without a meal.

BCAA’s- Branched chain amino acids may help increase the length of your workouts and help curb exercise-induced muscle fatigue.  Studies have shown that dieting groups supplementing with BCAA’s increase muscle retention and maximize fat loss more effectively than non-supplemented groups.

Glutamine- During intense training, your body’s glutamine levels become greatly depleted.  This can result in decreased strength, stamina, and recovery.   Supplementing with glutamine can help metabolize body fat while supporting new muscle growth.

B Complex 100-  One word- energy.  B vitamins help your body pull energy from the nutrients you eat and help get oxygen to the muscle tissue.  I take B Complex 100 because it provides 100 mg of the B vitamins.  This is a great way to get a stimulant-free energy boost.

 

On occasion:

Thermogenics- I’m usually pretty hesitant recommending thermogenic fat burners, for many reasons.  Main one being that some of the stronger ones can make some people feel sick.  Thermogenics work by increasing the body temperature and metabolism, resulting in an increase in energy level, focused concentration, and often elevated mood level.  It also works as an appetite suppressant.  They should be cycled- no more than 6 weeks of continued use so you don’t burn out your adrenal glands.  If you’re new to thermogenics, I wouldn’t take them on an empty stomach the first time and do NOT consume additional stimulants or caffeine while the thermogenic is still in your system.  I usually take thermogenics on days that I know I have a lot to tackle and am low on energy.

Pre-Workout Supplements-  On days I know I have a particularly hard training session ahead of me (usually leg and back days), I’ll take a pre-workout supplement to give me that extra boost to help me finish strong and stay focused.  There are so many pre-workout supplements on the market today.  Different pre-workouts use different main ingredients.  The following two are my favorite pre-workout main ingredients.  I have found that pre-workouts with one of these two main ingredients usually provide me with great focus and energy without making me itchy or twitchy, which is an unfortunate side effect to some  other pre-workouts I have tried in the past.

Beta-Alanine-  Increases the amount of work you can perform at high intensities.  It helps your muscles contract with more force.  You may feel a slight “tingle” in your neck or arms, or slight burning, itching and redness on your scalp or ears- for me, it’s usually my forehead and chest.  This is called “acute paresthesia”.  Don’t freak out, this is a normal side effect that some people get.  No long term effects have been observed from this side effect.  It usually lasts about 60-90 minutes.  If this is an issue, simply lower your dosage.  Again, first-timers, don’t take it on an empty stomach.  That’ll only make you more likely to experience the paresthesia side effects.

Creatine-  Improve your high-intensity training ability, increase energy levels, endurance level, stamina, muscle power and speed up the rate at which your body recovers.

 Supplements are a great way to enhance an active and healthy lifestyle. But don’t expect them to fix an unhealthy one.  There is no substitute for a healthy diet and exercise.

Your supplements can’t work unless you do!

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I hate to admit it, but more often than I’d like, I do end up spending all day in workout apparel.  So it only made sense to do an outfit post featuring workout apparel, right?  Just because you’re sweating it out and hopefully hitting it hard, doesn’t mean you can’t look somewhat cute doing so.

For me, comfort is the first thing I look for in workout apparel.  I get incredibly hot, sweaty, and tired during every one of my workouts, so my attire has to be light, airy, and comfy.

I love the softness and looseness of this top as well as the back detail.  As for my Chuck Taylors, well, they pull double duty.  They’re a must for my old school leg days- I don’t squat or deadlift in running shoes or cross trainers.  You can read about why here.  And they’re stylish enough to wear outside the gym as well.   Keep an eye out for these Chucks, as I’m sure they’ll be making multiple appearances in future outfit posts.
 

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 If you live in an area where all 4 seasons actually exist, you know that at this point in the summer, your opportunities for outdoor workouts are quickly dwindling.   So get out there and enjoy what warm days are left before the leaves start falling again.

Workout Breakdown:

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When shopping, and in life, I'm always looking for something meaningful.  Not only do I love quality items handmade by artisans, but what I love even more, is purchasing those items from amazing companies that are making a difference in the world.  This week’s shopping wishlist is comprised of items from companies that have inspiring causes and charities built right into their business model.  Purchase a meaningful item, support a worthy cause.  How beautiful!

 

Shopping for a Cause Wishlist:

 

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I know what you’re thinking- “Cake bites on a fitness blog?!"  Yep.  Just go with it.  I don't believe in sacrificing everything you love in order to be healthy.  Me?  I've got a major sweet tooth, so I indulge it every once in a while.  If you're already feeling guilty just by looking at these photos, make sure you read yesterday's post- "Mind Your Macros" to find out how you can actually fit these guys into a healthy day's meal plan.  It's absolutely doable- trust me!  I want you to have your cake, eat it too- and not waste a minute of your day feeling guilty.  Just don't skip your workout too!

Summer Berry Cake Bites

Ingredients:

Preparation:

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