Monthly Archives

November 2015

10 Reasons Why You Need a Delonghi MultiFry In Your Kitchen

by Nellie November 24, 2015

Kitchen gadgets are my kryptonite.

Just ask my husband as he grumbles and complains about where I can store my millions of different sized frying pans, pressure cooker, crockpot, George Foreman(s), roasting pans and the list goes on and on. I love to cook, and I love gadgets and tools that make it easier (and healthier!).

Then I met the MultiFry

Last week I attended a fun media event celebrating the release of DeLonghi’s new air fry multi cooker. As soon as I walked into the door the smells of yummy were all over.

I saw several MultiFry machines going all at once. You know when you see those infomercials for products that can do everything but you don’t really believe them so you switch channels? So this is the complete opposite because I am now a believer. Some of the deliciousness that was being cooked–

Roast Chicken
Red Velvet Cake
French Fries
Veggies
Chilli

Here is the surprising part: everything was delish! (everyone said the chicken was good but I wouldn’t know because I am team NO chicken! :))

The MultiFry Magic

You only need a few tablespoons of oil to cook pretty much anything
There is a convection feature that is perfect for baking cakes
There is a paddle that you can add in that will stir French fries into perfectly crisp potato!
There is a top heating element that will give you perfectly brown biscuits, Mac and Cheese and Chicken!
Perfect for walking in the house and having a meal ready in 25 minutes!! Seriously?! I walk into the house after 6pm so this will be my new lifesaver!

Several settings from low to high so you can cook anything from cake to meats
The sides of the machine are completely cool which is perfect for my three year old that loves to reach for things!
You can cook the perfect holiday meal in much less time and a lot less oil
The unit holds a decent amount of food!
The unit is super easy to clean with parts you can easily clean in a dishwasher.

I got to sample everything–the fries were crispy and didn’t have a frozen taste, the vegetable chili was incredible and the cake was good too!

[Tweet “The #Multifry Low Oil MultiCooker is a must-have for ALL kitchens! #delonghicreates”]

For more information on the Low Oil Fryer & Multicooker click here. I will be getting a unit for review so I’m super excited to share new recipes with you guys!

Are you a kitchen gadget addict like I am? Have you ever used a low oil fryer?

4 comments

fitness gear

Must Have Fitness Apps For Your Smartphone

by Nellie November 23, 2015

Must Have Fitness Apps For Your Smartphone

Sworkit – I love this app! I had the pleasure of meeting the creator of this awesome app two years ago at Fitbloggin in Portland. My favorite part about this app is that it is completely customizable. You only have 7 minutes? Sworkit has a seven minute workout! You can also choose which body part you want to work! Perfect for those who want to do something but have no clue what to do.

MyFitnessPal – I have been a long time fan of MFP. Although I haven’t tried the premium version the free version is still pretty great. MyFitnessPal helps you to track your daily food intake and activities. It will guide you when you are eating too much sugar, carbs or even saturated fat. I have used it on and off for at least 10 years. When used properly it is super effective!

Nike Training App – This is my favorite hardcore workout app. This app plays no games. It will have you doing super effective body weight exercises while incorporating your own music. Equipment not a requirement but they have complete routines if you are in a gym as well.

Pit Fitness – This is my favorite fitness app for the gym. Sometimes you are surrounded with great equipment and you have no idea where to start. PIT Fitness lets you choose what type of tools you want to work with whether it’s kettlebells, dumbbells, or barbells and they will design a workout that will allow you to progress as you go along.

Wellcoin – I have blogged many times about how awesome Wellcoin is. Wellcoin is an amazing app that rewards you for making healthy choices. You can get all kinds of fun things from gift cards and sneakers just for logging your workouts and meals. The best part is the community–they inspire each other and cheer each other towards healthy living greatness!

Runkeeper – There are lots of apps available to help track your miles, but when it comes down to it Runkeeper is great for tracking so many different activities including running, cycling, walking and so many other exercises. Plus there is a great Runkeeper community that is super supportive and encouraging.

For more great fitness lists check out:

7 Beginner Strength Training Workouts

10 Strength Training Exercises for Strong Legs

10 Beginner Strength Training Arm Exercises

Top 10 Fitness Channels on YouTube

5 Awesome Yoga Resources For Runners

What fitness apps do you use on your phone?

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Uncategorized

5 Mistakes People Make On Social Media During Tragedy

by Nellie November 18, 2015

The Paris attacks are still fresh on everyone’s minds. Honestly, even though 9/11 was 14 years ago, it still lies fresh with me as if it happened a few hours ago. There have been so many acts of violence in the past decade it is truly enough to make your head spin.

When news breaks just as quickly as our hearts we tend to take to social media and share our feelings. Somehow, sharing our feelings turns into a lot of arguing, fighting and emotion. There are a few trends that I have noticed and they can be balled down to the following 5 things:

Blindly Blaming

When something terrible happens it is human nature to blame something or someone. Whether it’s big or small we all look to a group or a particular person to lay it all on. It gives us temporary relief and satisfaction. However, you have to be careful that you are not blaming people for the sake of blaming. Blaming an entire country, religion or color of people for an act that was committed doesn’t help any situation at all, and is often false.

Arguing over nonsense

When something horrible happens we all react in different ways. Some are sad and some are upset–all normal reactions. When we start arguing about how people should feel that is where it becomes a problem. I’ve seen it so many times where someone posts a status and people project their own angry feelings and before you know it there is a war of words and none of it is helpful to the original situation. People will always feel differently than you, arguing about it does nothing to help.

Re-sharing bad information

This one is a biggie. On Friday night when everything in Paris was unfolding I was commuting home from work. I had to depend on social media to get all of my info. That was a big mistake because the news on twitter and facebook was so conflicting that I really had no clue what was actually happening. There were so many retweets of what I realized later on was bad information. Always know your source and think twice before pressing the share button.

Comparing reactions

I think we have all realized that the media has a big say in what we see on the news. Dealing with one tragedy in one way does not make all others atrocities invalid. Do I wish that they would all the same coverage? Absolutely. But they won’t. We aren’t the ones that decide what is news. We can rehash old tragedies on a daily basis but don’t disrespect the current tragedy in the process. Whether we are in Baghdad, Paris, Kenya or NYC human lives are being lost at an astonishingly fast rate. Every life lost is equally as devastating.

Not independently thinking

As much as I love social media, the system is designed for you to think like everyone else. When 10 people share a link–you take notice. When a topic is trending because “everyone” is talking about it you automatically want to know why. It’s easy to fall down the rabbit hole and not know up from down, this is why I encourage you to do your own research and draw your own conclusions. It’s so important to know the history, background and motivation of why these things occur.

[Tweet “5 Mistakes People Make On Social Media During Tragedy”]

Any more tips for social media etiquette?

7 comments

goals

6 Simple Tips to Help You Tackle Big Scary Goals

by Nellie November 16, 2015

6 Simple Tips You Need To Tackle Big Scary Goals

In order to move to the next level we need to set Big Scary Goals

In July of 2014 I decided I wanted to run a 10k. I was a sporadic runner, running fun 5k runs and doing all I could to avoid running seriously. A 10k goal at the time seemed impossible but I was up for the challenge.

Right before I took the plunge I consulted with one of my running mentors if I could do the big one–run a half marathon. She said Yes! I had seven months to train and I did it.

Not even 3 months after that (starting to notice a pattern here?) I watched the NYC Marathon and decided right in that moment I would become a part of the one percent and run a full marathon. Crazy right? But I did it.

Setting big goals are terrifying. They honestly make me want to crawl under my comforter and take a nap. But we can’t deny the deep transformational change that happens when you set a big goal and successfully complete it!

Here are my six important steps for reaching a big goal

Be Patient

Because big goals come with time. It’s so tempting to compare to the next person or doubt your ability because you are still not where you want to be. As long as you are moving forward or taking steps to move forward you are getting closer to your goal.

Have A Plan

It’s so easy to say things right? “I want a million dollars” “I want a better quality of life” so many thing we say we want but never quite start the work. Have a plan–whether you hire a coach, download a free business model or simply list your steps to success in your journal, having a plan and executing it is key.

Expect The Unexpected

So now we are being patient and we have the perfect plan and everything goes haywire. All of a sudden you are derailed, unmotivated and ready to give up. The trick is to keep going. So many people (myself included) have given up on BIG dreams because of SMALL setbacks. The trick is to keep going–consistency always wins!

Find A Mentor (or three)

I have a lot of mentors (that may not even know they are my mentors!) I have so many people that I want to emulate whether it comes to running, blogging, parenting or just being a overall better person. Find people in your life that you want to be like and seek their advice, 99% of the time, they will give it willingly.

Don’t Get Overwhelmed

The minute you decide to do something amazing and HUGE is the exact minute that everything you can imagine will start happening. Things WILL get crazy. It will seem like too much, but it won’t be. Ask for help, gather the troops, adjust the plan and keep going the same way you started.

Document Your Progress

Whenever I am losing weight I love to use MyFitnessPal–every time you lose a pound they celebrate not only that pound but ALL the pounds you have lost so far. When you start moving towards a goal, write down your successes whether they are big or small. Registered a new EIN number for your business? That’s a win. Made your first sale? Huge WIN! Writing down your progress can not only help you make better decisions in the future but it can be your motivation for when things get tough.

[Tweet “Six Simple Steps For Reaching Big Scary Goals #goalsetting”]

What big goals have you tackled? What advice would you give?

8 comments

Weekly Wednesday Workout workout

ABS Workout: Loaded Hip Dip Abs Exercise

by Nellie November 11, 2015

ABS Workout: Loaded Hip Dip Abs Exercise

We are working on our abs and legs today! Check out this awesome video of a loaded hip dip exercise from the Fitness Youtube Channel!

This one has always been a bit of a tough move for me since I am so hip heavy. However, I can’t deny how good it is for the body!

It really targets those deep ab muscles and shows no mercy! This exercise can be done with basically any weight from dumbbells to kettlebells. This particular example is showing a medicine ball. I don’t have any at home, but I have plenty of free weight options I can use instead.

To up the ante you can add the 8lb ball on your hips and really get to work. Definitely going to be adding these to my routine! They are great for your obliques, abdominals and legs. A fantastic way to work on your balance as well!

Have you ever tried the Loaded Hip Dip Abs exercise?

If you liked this abs exercise be sure to check out these Four Effective 30 Minute Workouts For Runners!

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