Favorite Things

I love shopping for workout clothes.  I use it as an excuse to buy super comfortable clothes in obnoxious colors.  What’s not to love!  Here are a few of my favorite new things I’ve purchased lately.

My New Favorite CaprisUA Capris

Under Armour has this new “StudioLux” line of clothes that seem to be a page out of the Lulu book. Sometimes I find the Lulu capris too thick or that they run kind of small in size. I think Under Armour did a nice job of coming up with a lux capri at a price point that is just little easier to swallow (unfortunately not too cheap).  They stay in place well while I work out, and look great too!Target CaprisI think Target is trying to jump on the same bandwagon.  I picked these up at Target the other day.  Just like the typical Lulu capris or the UA ones I got, they are a little longer than the average workout capri, and have a little extra style factor.  They don’t have quite the weight or probably durability of the other brands, but not bad.

My New Shoesnew gym shoes

I got two pairs of new shoes recently: one for running, and one for the gym.  I usually use the same pair for both but I always wondered if a wearing a running shoe to do a gym workout, or a cross training shoe to run was detrimental.  I will test them out and report back.  The above are Reebok’s RealFlex Fusion TR, my flashy new gym shoes (yes, that is the color I got)!NB

These I will only use for running outside.  I actually bought them at a running store, and the salesmen said they are a very popular lightweight option for many people. I’ve realized that lightweight is key for a running sneaker. I litterally feel like it’s easier to run if my shoes are lighter. I’m not in love with the black color, because I typically like something a little more interesting.  This was the only color they had in my size, but at least the mud and dirt from outside won’t be so visable!  They aren’t too much of a departure from my previous New Balance sneakers, and so far, so good!

Have you picked up any cute work out gear to get you motivated this new year?

Five Things

I’ve downloaded on iTunes in the last month.

1. This Kiss by Carly Rae Jepsen

This song is upbeat, fun, and extremely catchy.  Imagine that, Carly Rae Jepsen coming up with a cathy tune…

2. Feel Again by OneRepublic

This song caught me by surprise.  It’s got just of rhythmic pulsing quality.  I love the positive nature of the lyrics.  It always motivates me when I’m out for a run!

3. Beauty and a Beat by Justin Bieber feat. Nicki Minaj

The Biebs is hit and miss with me, but if he pairs up with Nicki Minaj, I’m in.  This is another fun song that keeps my workout mix fresh.

4. Anything Could Happen by Ellie Goulding

Ellie Goulding is a little more alternative than my typical playlist, but I happen to love every single she puts outs.  It’s just so catchy but soothing at the same time.

5. Sail by AWOLNATION

I actually heard this song in my pilates class the other day.  I immediately googled it with the lyrics I remembered and bought it.  It definitely adds a little intensity to my playlist.

Usually I download a lot more rap and hip hop, but recently I’ve really been digging some of these songs like Feel Again, Anything Could Happen, and Sail that have a whole different vibe to them.  I’m not 100% sure what genre it would be.  I guess alternative on the verge of a euro techno kind of thing.  Whatever it is, these are my jams at the moment.

PS- I’ve been hanging out in PA during my winter break from school.  I’m basically living among hundreds of deer, many of whom are not shy at all about having breakfast in our back yard as I drink my morning smoothie in the kitchen.  My view from the kitchen window every morning:by all means, help yourself

Goals for 2013

Happy New Year!  So I know it’s completely cliche to do the whole New Year’s resolution thing, but who cares, I’m going to anyway!  I realize that it’s hard to stick to resolutions, but I do think it’s important to take a few minutes every now and then to define your personal goals.  I find defining goals makes it easier for me to focus and make tangible progress.

2013 is a little scary for me because I’m poised to graduate business school with my MBA in May (fingers crossed, because it’s not over yet!).  So I’m not sure where I will end up after graduation(this is my theme song and favorite song right now).  It makes it hard to make specific goals because I actually don’t know where I will be living or what I will be doing after I graduate.  That being said, here are some of my goals for this year:

Personal Goals

  • Graduate with my MBA
  • Find a great full-time job
  • Make at least one international trip
  • Read more books (like maybe 10 for the year)

Fitness Goals

  • Run another half marathon
  • Push myself to run faster
  • Lead a successful Yorktown Victory Run (I’m the race director)
  • Learn the Pilates Reformer (I already love Mat Pilates so I want to take the next step)
  • Add more variety to my fitness routine (try CrossFit? Yoga?)
  • Continue to make weight loss progress, and continue to stabalize my nutrional routine

Cooking Goals

  • Make a successful challah bread
  • Broaden my savory dish repitoire
  • Try at least 3 new techniques like making marshmallows or risotto, or cooking with a new ingredient like tofu
  • Cook more dinners at home rather than using places like Panera as my dinner option too often

Carrie and I are both Virgos, so I thought I would include part of our 2013 horoscope outlook, courtesy of Yahoo Horoscopes.  I have always been amazed by how accurate my horoscope is, and I hope this year is no different:

2013 brings you sweeping change and intensity, Virgo. The biggest transformation takes place in the realm of the mind. Communication, correspondence and courses of new study carry great importance. Saturn, the cosmic taskmaster, is spending a good chunk of time in the sector of your chart ruling the mental realms and communication. If you’re not already a powerful public speaker, teacher or writer, get ready to discover your latent potential to sway the masses with your power of speech! You’re also hungry for knowledge in 2013, and will want to strengthen your skill set and beef up your resume with even more knowledge than you possess naturally.

What are your goals for 2013?  Anything else you think I should add?