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March 2017

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A Simple and Delish Green Protein Smoothie Recipe + A Giveaway

by Nellie

This post is sponsored by Premier Protein.

I’ll admit it. It took me a super long time to jump on the green smoothie craze. Somehow whenever I thought of green smoothies, I was instantly grossed out. I mean spinach and kale is yummy and all but I’m no rabbit. I like to make it all taste good. 🙂

That was up until a couple of years ago when I was at a fitness event and someone suggested that I take a taste of a green smoothie. I instantly turned my nose up in the air and said “no, thanks”. They asked again and I said okay and tasted it just to be polite. It was SO good! I had to verify what the ingredients were–it was like my eyes were opened to a whole new realm of smoothies.

Since I got my Nutribullet, I have been making quick and easy smoothie recipes daily. I stress the quick and easy part because no one has time to be making smoothies with dozens of ingredients. I definitely don’t.

Today I am sharing my favorite daily recipe which only uses 4 ingredients and it is packed with 30g of protein from Premier Protein! The best part about using the Premier Protein Shakes is that you don’t have to worry about adding any other liquid to your smoothie! Plus it has lots of great benefits like:

  •  They are packed with 30g of delicious protein to give you the good energy you need every day – they are low in fat, with 160 calories, only 1g of sugar, and 24 vitamins and minerals.
  • Perfect for breakfast on the go, a healthy afternoon snack or post workout recovery, Premier Protein Shakes are available for purchase in 4-count, 12-count and 18-count 11-oz packs. They come in five rich and creamy varieties: Chocolate, Vanilla, Strawberries & Cream, Bananas & Cream and Caramel. (I’ve been a fan of the Vanilla shakes since just about forever! I love the fact that the protein taste is not overwhelming.)

A Simple and Delish Green Protein Smoothie Recipe

  • 1-1/2 cups of fresh Spinach or Baby Spinach
  • 4-5 frozen strawberries
  • 6-7 small frozen sliced frozen peaches
  • 1 full container of Premier Protein Vanilla Shake

Combine all ingredients in order. Blend until smooth. Add a little orange juice if you want a sweeter taste.

Enjoy!

A super easy tasty 4 ingredient #greensmoothie recipe using @PremierProtein Shakes! #TheDayisYours ad Click to Tweet

As a Premier Protein Ambassador I am giving away a box of Premier Protein Shakes in the flavor of your choice! Enter the rafflecopter below to win!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

What is your favorite smoothie recipe? Are you into green smoothies?

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racesrunning

6 Expert Running Bloggers Share The Best And WORST Race Advice EVER.

by Nellie

6 Expert Running Bloggers Share The Best And WORST Race Advice EVER.

Now that I have run a TON of races I finally feel like I have the right formula for racing. I fully understand the deep commitment of marathon training, and that my pace will be significantly different for a 5k or a 10k. There are so many little nuances when it comes to racing and it differs for every runner.

However, when it comes to race advice I have heard it all whether it was wanted or not.  Today I’m sharing some of the WORST advice I’ve heard as a runner, and the reality of why I don’t recommend any of it. For some of the BEST racing advice check out 7 Simple Tips To Prepare For A Half Marathon.

  1. “Load up on those carbs the night before a race!“: I remember for years watching marathon coverage of the NYC Marathon where runner would pour over trays and trays of pasta. Carb loading was a MUST and obviously pasta was the only way to go right?! Wrong. I don’t know any runners that carb load before a race, we all eat regular balanced dinners.
  2. “Start off fast! Use The adrenaline!“: uh no. It is crazy important not to start off too fast during a race, you just end up depleting yourself and dragging across the finish line. Who doesn’t want to finish strong?!
  3. “Drink all the water“: I mean it’s free, it’s there–so why not drink it?! Because it can quickly become the type of situation where you are using the potty more than normal. Or even worse you could experience what happened to me during my first marathon where I drank wayyyy too much liquid and suffered for it. Make a plan to test out how much hydration you really need and stick to it! I was much better off for skipping water stations during my second marathon. Also be smart about it, if in a particularly hot race make sure you hydrate enough!
  4. “Run in whatever you want as long as you are comfortable“: I agree with this a little but if you are going to be running regularly it is advisable that you get actual running gear. Having moisture wicking material on is crazy helpful to prevent chafing (or worse).
  5. “You ran a half–you can totally run a full marathon–tomorrow!“: I had run 8 half marathons before I decided to run my first full. It wasn’t until those first training runs of over 14 miles did I realize that the difference between both races is HUGE. Always respect the distance and the training it takes to get you there!
What is the BEST or WORSE race advice you have ever received? #runchat #bibchat Click to Tweet

This month I am also teaming up with my favorite running bloggers to share some of the BEST and WORST running advice out there so I’d check them all out as you will learn something new from these very established and amazing runners.

Laura @ This Runner’s Recipes

Angela @ Happy Fit Mama

Sarah @ Run Far Girl

Allie @ VITA Train 4 Life

Carly @ Fine Fit Day

What is some of the best/WORST running advice you have heard recently?!

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fungiveawaySpring fun

5 Unconventional Ways to Spring Clean Your Life

by Nellie

This post is sponsored by Hanes.

5 Unconventional Ways to Spring Clean Your Life

Spring is (finally!) in the air. With the mild exception of insane snow and ice storms in March, the temperatures have started to creep up and the flowers are beginning to bloom. Spring always triggers such a need to clean for me, I love opening up the windows and finding areas in the house that aren’t normally cleaned with my cleaning cycle.

There are some other areas in your life that may need a spring cleaning however and these may be a bit unconventional:

  1. Emails: I am the queen of hoarding emails. We all get tons of emails a day whether its business related, blog related, KID related or even a newsletter from a company you bought one very small thing from in 2008. A great way to spring clean your email box is by using unroll.me a email un-subscription service. Also, if you use gmail you can create filters for certain senders and it will completely bypass your inbox! (I do this A LOT)
  2. Spiritual Practice: This can be applied however you need in your life, religious or not. Take time to see what you might want to do to take care of your spirit. Do you need to adjust your bedtime? Do you need to spend some time volunteering? Do you need/want to go to church? Maybe try a new meditation practice? Assess what you may need to make your spiritual self it’s best self.
  3. Learn New Things: Spring is a great time to take to learn new things. Whatever you are working on, you can always get better. You can find a new book or a new class that will improve the skills you need for your craft.
  4. Your friends: This one can be super tricky. But honestly, people change. Is your circle still super supportive? Have your friends attitudes changed towards you? Sometimes it’s easier to hold on to a bad relationship than to let it go. Take stock of the people around you and make sure that you want to enter a brand new season with them.
  5. Your Underwear drawer: I know, this one is tricky. I LOVE comfortable underwear. It legit makes me happy. I probably hold on to pieces a bit too long. My mom came over the other day early in the morning and she was STUNNED because there I was–wearing the same PJs from 12 years ago before I moved out of her house. *covered eyes emoji* Get some new underwear, and get rid of the old stuff!

Giveaway!

To kick off the spring cleaning of your new underwear drawer, I’ve partnered with Hanes to giveaway a brand new Oh So Light Comfort Wirefree Bra PLUS a $50 Hanes Visa Giftcard to get your new underwear drawer started!

The Hanes Oh So Light Bra is the most comfy bra ever! I was able to try a sample and its pretty great.

  • Feather lite fabric for second skin comfort
  • ComfortBand provides stay in place support
  • Available in sizes S-XL at Walmart and Target for only $15.99!

All you have to do to enter is follow the directions in the rafflecopter giveaway below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

You can also spring clean your favorite underwear drawer by using the special offer code of “HappyHanes20” on Hanes.com through April 15 to get $20 off and Free Standard Shipping with purchase of $100 or more.*

5 Unconventional Ways To #Spring Clean Your Life + A $50 Giveaway from @Hanes! #HappyInHanes #ad Click to Tweet

OFFER DETAILS: $20 off and Free Standard Shipping with purchase of $100 or more! (Offer excludes the Champion Life Collection and all Clearance items. These products do not count towards the qualifiers. Promotion may not be combined with other promotions.  U.S. delivery addresses only.)

What do you need to spring clean in your life? Do you also get the urge to clean once the weather gets warmer?

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NYC Fitness Classes

The Grand Return To Hot Yoga

by Nellie

 

If you were reading my blog in the early days (read almost 6 years ago) you may remember that I had a very interesting whirlwind romance with Hot Yoga. I tried a local place on a whim and was completely NOT in love. I wasn’t bendy. I couldn’t do basic yoga moves. Downward dog was like torture. (Still applicable by the way)

I kept going though because I started to like how hot it got in the room when it was a smooth 20 degrees outside. Once a week became 3-4 times a week, easy. I got more bendy. I grew in my practice. It got to the point where the only yoga that I could do was Hot Yoga.

When I got the invitation to try a media class at YogaSpark, I was excited because I was so ready to reclaim my glory days (which wouldn’t quite happen, but more on that later).

YogaSpark Hot Yoga

The first thing I absolutely LOVED about the studio was how spacious it was. Usually with fitness studios in NYC you are squeezed in like the L train at rush hour. This was the total opposite. The locker room was not only spacious but it was filled with beautiful sayings that made you feel good.

The studio was also spacious and we had the luck of being taught by the studio owner. We would get a fun combination of the variety of classes YogaSpark offered. We were also gifted these awesome tees which quite honestly I’m pretty obsessed with.

Once class started and the heat was on full blast I was quickly reminded that I haven’t done this in 5 years. After about 30 minutes I took frequent breaks in child’s pose but got right back up and into it. I love yoga but I don’t practice nearly as much as I should. Ever since I became a runner, I’ve been way more focused on mileage vs. getting bendy.

There was even a fun park of class where she turned on the black light. All of a sudden my pink socks and white shirt were glowing brightly which visually made the class even more fun. When we got through the 60 minute power yoga class, we ended–of course–in corpse pose and had the option of having a cool washcloth placed on your forehead. This. Was. Heaven. It was just the perfect way to end class and such a nice touch!

View this post on Instagram

snowdays and savasana… stay hot yogis.

A post shared by YogaSpark (@yogasparkstudio) on

Post class we were treated with green juices.

I would absolutely recommend YogaSpark! The location is fantastic–TriBeCa and close to all the train stations. They have a few really great deals for new customers, so go try it out–especially if you have been in a workout rut!

A Hot and Sweaty good #Yoga Class at @yogasparkstudio in #Tribeca! #nycfitness #sparkitup Click to Tweet

Have you ever taken hot yoga?

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friendsfungetting social

That One Time I Saw A Knick Game In The Kia Motors Suite

by Nellie
There aren’t many times when I get squeal in pure excitement when I get an email in my inbox.

However, when I got the invitation to join Kia Motors in the private suite to watch my beloved Knicks play against the Brooklyn Nets.

I begged my mom to watch the kids until my hubby came home and just like that I was off! I have been to Madison Square Garden many many times since I became a Knick fan on that fateful day in the early nineties. We were upstate in early June and it was the height of the NBA playoffs. The Knicks were playing an intense game vs. Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls–The atmosphere was intense with people cheering for both sides–my uncle looked me in the eye and asked me Who I was rooting for? I said the Knicks. The crowd went wild.

A fan was born at that very moment.

It’s been a rough *cough* 10-15 years of being a Knick fan but the early glory years are what keep me coming back year after year.

Kia is an NBA Official Automotive Partner so it was so cool to be able to enjoy the suite with some fantastic blogger friends including my friend Staci from November Sunflower. We attempted to take some photos and absolute silliness ensued.

 

 

 

The food was so good! There was plenty of yummy eats from rice balls to stuffed egg rolls–there was also a really yummy kale salad too! There were plenty of sweets, popcorn and drinks.

 It was a similar experience to my Armitron suite experience last May. It’s just REALLY nice to be able to roam around watch the game with friends, private bathroom, coat check and unlimited food. A girl can really get used to this.

It was also Latin night at the Garden, which was extra fun because the dancers did a lot of salsa inspired moves which was just the best and had me wanting to Zumba right in that suite. There were also plenty of stars in the building like Chris Rock, Jimmy Fallon, Ronnie Devoe, and the Knick LEGEND John Stark was in the building too!

Unfortunately after playing really well in the first half, the Knicks collapsed on themselves and lost to the Nets. I still had a wonderful time and I’m super thankful to Kia for the opportunity! I definitely hope to have more suite experiences in the future because I am completely spoiled now!

Wondering what it's like to watch a #Knicks game live @ the Garden from the @Kia Suite? #KiaNBA Click to Tweet

Do you like basketball? What was the last email that came into your inbox that made you squeal?

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