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Kmart Shopping Spree For Charity & An Easy Last Minute DIY Christmas Gift

by Nellie

Spreading Christmas Cheer with Kmart & St. Jude

Christmas shopping can be hella stressful. Waiting on long lines, figuring out budgets–all of it can get really crazy really fast! Last week I had the opportunity to work with Kmart to go on a shopping spree for the kids of St. Jude in the Astor Place Kmart location and it was a blast!

Marlo Thomas

The National Outreach Director of the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Marlo Thomas, was on hand to help shop for the kids.

She was super fun and personable as always and did a quick tour with the kids, then it was our turn!

All of the bloggers present got to fill their carts with as many gifts as possible, and the sky was the limit. I of course, had to be super strategic with the shopping so I could get as much as possible for the kiddos.

This wasn’t my first rodeo, as I did this event a few years ago–so I knew the key to getting the most is all about cart organization. Oddly shaped toys tend to take up more space than needed, and perfectly square toys mean that we could put a ton more toys in the cart!

We filled up our carts to the brim with tons of toys for every age with a special preference for playdoh and legos, of course. I sure hope the kids of St. Jude Children’s Hospital enjoy their toys because they were picked with love!

Last Minute Christmas Gift

This is super late considering that we are just two days out for Christmas, BUT I decided to actually activate my (very latent) DIY side and make a craft as a gift for some of the teachers and staff at the boys’ school. I scoured the internet because as you guys know, my crafty side only goes SO far but lately I’ve been gaining more confidence in creating with my hands.


 

 

I decided to create these awesome looking Hot Chocolate in a Jar from Love Grows Wild. The ingredients were super easy to get and honestly even easier to assemble.

I got a some tan card stock paper ($2) and Ribbon ($2.50) from Michael’s and I already had Mason Jars in the house because really can you ever have enough?! I printed the tags, punched a hole in them and boom! I had a handmade gift from the heart. Who knew?!

–>5 Fun Mason Jar Gift Ideas<–

Next year, maybe I will be more adventurous, but for now I’m happy. 🙂

 

 

 

I will be around next week, but not much. I’ll have our popular monthly Workout For Runners on Wednesday but that may be the only time you see me. 🙂

I wish you all a VERY Happy Holidays filled with laughter, love and delicious treats. Don’t let the kids drive you nuts on Christmas Break and remember to take some time for yourself too. <3

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NYC Fitness Classes

Orangetheory Fitness is the most intense (and fun!) workout EVER and here’s why!

by Nellie

This post is presented in partnership with Orangetheory Fitness.

Orangetheory Fitness is the most intense (and fun!) workout EVER and here’s why!

A few days ago I got the opportunity to finally try Orangetheory Fitness in Williamsburg Brooklyn. The workout has been all the rage among my fitness friends, and I’ve always been super curious about how these classes work and what is all the rage?

I gathered two of my favorite NYC Blogger girls so we could make it a fun time. Plus, it is a lot easier to to do hard workouts when you have your friends around!

What is Orangetheory Fitness?

It is a heart-rate monitored, high-intensity workout is scientifically designed to keep heart rates in a target zone that spikes metabolism and increases energy. They call it the afterburn.

I went to the Williamsburg location which is right on the tip of Brooklyn and reasonably close to Queens and just one train stop away from Manhattan. The location was gorgeous. The decor and vibe of the facility was really nice!

Once we got in, we were introduced to Corey our trainer for the day and given specific heart rate monitors that were individually assigned to all of us. Your actual heart rate, calories and heart rate zone was put on a big monitor in the room along with your class members so you can see how hard you are working at all times.

Before the class we got introduced to all of the equipment including the specially designed treadmills and rowing machines (with actual water in them!). Right after our quick intro, we were ready for class. The rest of the class members joined us and we were ready to work! I had no idea what I was getting into, but I would find out really quickly!

The Orange Theory Fitness Brooklyn Workout

The first thing we did was jump on the treadmill for a few sprint intervals. We had a base speed–what your regular running pace is–and a turn up speed of 1.0 – 2.0 mph faster than the base. We varied between then two and pushed the incline higher than I’ve ever pushed before. Most of the time we were running on 4-6% incline! I never thought I could actually do that but there I was, doing it!

After the treadmill there was no time time to catch our breath as we went straight into deadlifts, TRX training and abs–once we completed two full sets we pushed right into getting on the row machine for 200 quick meters, then back to strength training and BACK on the treadmill again! It was crazy!!

Overall Thoughts

As crazy intense as it all was, I had a really good time. I never would have run max speed on a six percent incline–like that is something I’d NEVER make myself do! Our trainer Corey had the BEST music! He played everything from rock to some amazing throwback Notorious B.I.G. which helped me through the entire second treadmill interval. The facility is huge so all 12-13 of us were able to get our own individual machines. The towels were complimentary and it was really awesome to see how much work was done on the big board of results.

The Orangetheory Fitness Brooklyn location even has a cute promo going $99 for four classes and it comes with a really cute hoodie!

Thank you to the Orangetheory Fitness Brooklyn team for such a fun and intense workout! I can’t wait to go back!

Why the @OTheoryFitness Class in #Williamsburg #Brooklyn is the BEST Fitness class in NYC! #OrangeTheory #Fitness #ad Click to Tweet

Have you tried an Orangetheory fitness class? When is the last time you took interval training?

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fitness gear

A Fun Workout with Celebrity Trainer Gunnar Peterson & LG Tone!

by Nellie

If you are looking for a last minute gift for a fitness focused person in your life (or YOU!) I’ve got the perfect item for you. But first, I wanted to share with you about the fun event that I attended with LG last week!

Even though I am knee deep in training with the Jamie Eason program, I was super excited when LG invited me to a fun event in Manhattan to check out their new headphones, the LG Tone.

The LG Tone is not your set of typical bluetooth headphones. First, they are gorgeous–super sleek and fashion forward. When I arrived there was a fun display or a wall of hands that the headphones were hanging on, I know this all sounds SUPER weird but somehow the display worked!

When I arrived I got a quick demo of the LG Tone bluetooth headphones.First, they are water resistant–which is huge because I have been known to run more than a few races in the rain! Second, they have created a technology that you can play your headphones around your neck and you can hear it all without being obnoxious to your neighbor.

Fuel your fitness with the LG TONE Active+™ and amp up your exercise with peak sound performance optimized for athletes. Advanced Quad-Layer Speaker Technology™ and dual MEMS microphones take audio excellence to the next level, and the addition of EXTERNAL STEREO SPEAKERS gives you a personal surround-sound experience.

We actually tried it out in a group setting. I was able to hear the music through the headphones but everyone around me didn’t! This new technology is crazy!! It’s actually nice for when you want to not zone all the way out and be super aware of your surroundings.

The New @LGUS #LGToneActivePlus is the latest in bluetooth headphone technology! #LGTone Click to Tweet

The Workout With Gunnar Peterson

Gunnar Peterson is most known for training the Kardashians, and a host of other celebs, but THIS night he was training us! We did a really awesome quick workout that could be done in any living room anywhere. Including biceps curls, push ups on the bench, running in place and more. Check out the video below for some workout ideas from Gunnar!

https://youtu.be/DRegZ3JbouM

It was a quick but super effective workout and afterwards we were able to chat with Gunnar, who was SUPER chill by the way. I can totally see how he is a popular trainer, he is so calm and knowledgable but doesn’t ever let you slack off either!

For more information on the LG Tone Active Plus Bluetooth Headphones, check out this link!

What is your favorite at home workout?

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Friday Fitness Check-inweightlifting

Pushing Past My Limits!

by Nellie

Happy Friday!

Can you believe the Christmas is already here, practically breathing down our necks, causing all kinds of anxiety because you haven’t bought any Christmas gifts yet? Or is that just me? 🙂

This week was a doozy because my workout week was INSANE, but more on that later. On Tuesday I was invited to have dinner with The Moms at Marie Callendar’s Pop Up restaurant in SoHo. Let’s be honest people: They had me at dinner. 🙂

 

What is The Dining Room by Marie Callender’s?

The Dining Room by Marie Callender’s, located at 68 Greene St, New York, NY 10012 (SoHo), is the answer to New Yorkers’ entertaining woe of little – to no – dining room space. This three-dining room storefront space, co-created with Jennie Garth, Stacy London and Daphne Oz, can be rented for hosting a holiday dinner party that includes a three-course dinner menu of elevated comfort foods inspired by and featuring Marie Callender’s frozen meals, pot pies and desserts in an inventive, unique way. All proceeds will be donated to Habitat for Humanity New York City.

The decor was just STUNNING. The food was delish too. It was SO nice to step out of my comfort zone again and get to know blogger friends that I don’t normally hang out with.

This week was HARD. I’ve never challenged myself like this with weights, EVER. This was the start to phase 2 and I completely underestimated what was in store for me.

Monday: Back & Cardio – Up until this week I had been adding a little bit of cardio here and there, so adding a full 30 minutes to my routine today was well…challenging! There were some new exercises introduced like the assisted pull-up and a superset of barbell and cable rows.

Cardio: 30 minutes arc trainer

Tuesday: Chest & Abs – This workout was extra hard because it called for not only push ups, but two different kinds of push ups. Say what now? It also called for a chest press on the Smith machine, which I have only ever done squats on. It took me a full 10 minutes just to set up the chair correctly under the bar! hahaha

Cardio: 2.3 miles on the treadmill

Wednesday: Leg Day – Thankfully there was no cardio today but clearly Jamie Eason knew exactly what she was doing because I couldn’t do much after completing the intense workout which includes step ups on a bench with a 30lb dumbbell! I DID do something major–I legpressed 210lbs for the first time ever! QUADGOALS!!

I also had a bonus workout on Wednesday at an event with LG later on that night–details to come next week!

Thursday: Arms Abs & Cardio – Yesterday’s workout wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t the best either. I’ve been running on very low amounts of sleep so my workouts have been lacking oomph. I DID graduate to the 40lb barbell for bicep curls. 🙂

Cardio: 2.80 Miles on the treadmill

Friday: Shoulders & Cardio

Saturday: Leg Day (Part Two)

I am so excited to announce that I got into the Cherry Blossom Ten Miler in DC! I have been wanting to run this race since forever, but always missed the application period! I’m all the way in on my first try. 🙂 I really want to run different races next year (along with my favorites) so i’m happy to be IN!

Phase two of the #JamieEason #LiveFit Program & #CBCU10Miler acceptance! #FridayFitness #FitnessBlogger #Exercise Click to Tweet
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giveawayhealthy living

7 Day Transformation Plan with NutriBullet LEAN! {$100 VISA GIVEAWAY}

by Nellie

After a marathon, you have to press reset on a lot of things. Everything you do, from the type of foods you eat to your schedule; to the amount of time spent running changes dramatically. I spent a solid four months training for this year’s marathon. It was tough, it was humbling and to be completely honest I am so happy that training period is over. It’s a new season and it is time to try new things and see what else I’m capable of. nutribullet-lean-6118 I’ve decided to incorporate more fruits and vegetables, which has always been a weak point of my diet. An easy and worry-free way is incorporating them into smoothies! nutribullet-lean-6132

I decided to join the NutriBullet LEAN™ 7-Day Transformation Plan, which consists of two satisfying smoothies, one balanced meal and 2 snacks per day. I received a brand new NutriBullet LEAN™ to facilitate my new challenge!

The Unboxing

The minute I got the NutriBullet LEAN™ I ran to the grocery store to get my greens (spinach) and my fruit (give me all the strawberries!). The NutriBullet LEAN™ was super easy to put together – it took me less than five minutes to get it going!

SAMSUNG CSC The cup also makes things super easy. I think I struggle a lot to figure out the right amount of ingredients when it comes to smoothies. The cup shows clear lines of how much greens to add, fruits, protein and everything else you might want to add. nutribullet-lean-6137 The NutriBullet LEAN™ also offers a really cool app and a 7-day transformation plan book filled with recipes, meal ideas and even exercises. In addition to the blending system, you’ll get one free tub of the LEAN™ Boost, which is a 3-in-1 superfood powder that is meant to be incorporated into the LEAN program. It’s a healthy combination of metabolism-boosters, prebiotics, and plant protein.  If you are familiar with certain protein powders, it can dramatically change the taste of the smoothie. This one didn’t! It still tasted super good. nutribullet-lean-6150

The Smoothie

I added a few simple ingredients to the smoothie. Spinach as the base, frozen strawberries, a little water, and LEAN™ boost. I screwed on the cover and placed it on the base. Within a few minutes everything was blended to perfection and it was so good! The protein helped keep me full and I’ve been making them daily ever since! nutribullet-lean-6152

Easy Green Protein Smoothie Recipe

  • 1.5 Cups of spinach
  • 1/2 cup frozen fruit
  • 2 tbs coconut oil
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 scoop LEAN™ Boost

nutribullet-lean-6144nutribullet-lean-6152 nutribullet-lean-6157

Now I make these green smoothies daily, its super easy and delish and don’t forget healthy! NutriBullet LEAN™: the perfect way to stay on track during the holiday season!

Over the course of the 7 day transformation, I lost 2.1 pounds, and I never felt hungry or as if I was missing out on anything! I’d call that a win.

I don’t want you to feel left out – you can purchase your own NutriBullet LEAN™ and receive 25% off by using the code LIVE LEAN!

SAMSUNG CSC

You can win a $100 Visa gift card just in time for holiday shopping! All you have to do is answer the following questions in the comments!

What is your favorite smoothie recipe? What do you need to press reset on?

Entry Instructions:

No duplicate comments.

You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:

1. Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post

2. Tweet (public message) about this promotion; including exactly the following unique term in your tweet message: “#SweepstakesEntry”; and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post

3. Blog about this promotion, including a disclosure that you are receiving a sweepstakes entry in exchange for writing the blog post, and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post

4. For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.

This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older (or nineteen (19) years of age or older in Alabama and Nebraska). Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. The notification email will come directly from BlogHer via the [email protected] email address. You will have 2 business days to respond; otherwise a new winner will be selected. The Official Rules are available here. 

This sweepstakes runs from 12/14/16-12/31/16.

Be sure to visit the NutriBullet Page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ posts!

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