Where do you find *Inspiration*?

I was lunch-time reading one of my *favorite* blogs today (Peanut Butter Fingers) and she mentioned wearing these athletic socks that say "No Nonsense" across the toes...
 

{We mean business!!!}

::P.S. I'm pretty sure I scooped these up from a Wal-Mart, Wal-Greens or the like!!!::

I giggled to myself because I also have these 'No Nonsense' socks - mine are black, like the picture above.  And as Julie blogged - sometimes a simple phrase can really put you in the mood!  Her workout today was "No Nonsense" (As I believe most of her workouts are -- and if you're looking for some inspiration, she posts about them here).

This got me thinking - what other items do I have that can set the same type of inspiration in my mind? 

{Just Click to Keep Reading!}

*Inspired* - Fitness Must Haves {omg I love way too many things}

This post was inspired by a Get Fit for 2011 Challenge posted by FitSugar {a very addicting site!}.

As I've continued on my journey of becoming even more active and living a healthier lifestyle I've picked up some new gear on the way and here are some of my favorites:

K-Swiss Tubes (Running Shoes)

I had never owned anything K-Swiss prior to these, but am a *huge* fan of Jillian Michaels and decided to try them out.  I found them in a Famous Footwear, put them on, and ran up and down the aisles countless times to make sure the shoes were legit.  I'm not sure if it is the tube technology, or just in my head, but I really do feel as if I'm springing forward slightly when I wear them.  I think they're great for cross training, squats, lunges, and short runs

My other athletic shoes are the Mizuno Wave Rider 14's
 

(Found in a post by a fellow FitSugar Reader) I saw them on sale at Nordstroms and loved the color (black & lavender) because darker sneakers don’t get dirty as quickly when you’re running outside! Okay… they get dirty just as quickly but they don’t show it
 

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The Look for Less - Friday's Fashion Fix

Work has been so busy around here lately I feel as if I've fallen behind on supplying adequate *fashion fixes* to the world... ::not that the world reads my blog::

{crickets chirping}

::sigh::

BUT for those of you who do - and who might have a love affair with Christian Louboutin shoes as I do, then this post is for you!

Extremely sexy pumps:

{Christian Louboutin - "Maggies"  Price - clearly-if-you-have-to-ask-you-cannot-afford-me}

wow, so even if I HAD $1k + to spend on shoes... I still could not own these because they're waitlisted?!

{Wanna See the Look for Less?? Just Click to Keep Reading!}

Fun, Fit Friday!!

I've been seeing a lot of NEW BALANCE toning shoes on celebs lately...

{Jordana Brewster - courtesy of imnotobsessed.com (addicting site)}

{Ashley Greene - courtesy of imnotobsessed.com (addicting site)}

and today's sale on HauteLook.com features NEW BALANCE SHOES!!!

for more than 50% off retail!!!

{New Balance Muscle Toning Shoe Orig. $89.95 SALE $40}

{New Balance Muscle Toning Shoe Orig. $89.95 SALE $40}

{New Balance Muscle Toning Shoe Orig. $89.95 SALE $40}

{New Balance Wild Lime Running Shoe Orig. $114.95 SALE $64}

I'm a big fan of fashionable fitness wear -- it can pump me up and get me excited & motivated to make it to the gym!  And nothing beats running in a new pair of shoes... ::queue song - "New Shoes"::

"Hey, I put some new shoes on and suddenly everything's right!"

listen-to/watch-song-here

Seriously? I have no idea what I'm doing right now.... TGIF! 

Deal of the Day - Naughty Monkey Monday!

Nordstrom has posted their

Naughty Monkey 'Parisian' Sandal

at 50% off -- for only $29.90 !!

Sizes are going quickly.. mine's already sold out but the wedges are TOO cute, so if they still have your size scoop them up while you still can!



Pink & Gray Color Blocked My Way

The perfect matchup that I've stumbled upon...

And since I have absolutely no clue how to use tumbler or 'stumbled upon' I'm just going to blog about it.

{If you are a fan of tumbler -- any hints or advice on how to use??}

Forever 21 Color Block Dress $17.80

Light Pink & Gray

Heels: Penny Loves Kenny Tetra in Pink Multi $89

Does anyone else agree that there's something flirty and feminine about this color combination?

Surprise -- and Welcome Home!!

I came home to my apartment today to find.. ::dah dah DAH::

  N  E  W      T  H  I  N  G  S       !  !  ! 

Yay!!!!!!!!! Nothing cheers me up more than seeing that brown box on my counter meaning a prize has finally arrived in the mail! [Yes, a 'prize' -- when I really really want something not only do I stalk it online searching out the best detail, sometimes for MONTHS, but I also make myself earn it whether it be with a lil healthier eating, cleaning, or pushing myself in my workouts]

Step #1.  Open Box

Step #2.  Get *this* excited about what's inside!!! woohoo!!



What was inside do you ask??? NEW WORKOUT GEAR!!!

My Bubble Gum Pink Jillian Michaels "Sexy" Bra

Definitely the most money I've ever spent on a sports bra... but after watching [eh em... getting my butt kicked by] her last DVD I've been wanting to try it out soo so so badly!!

And LuLuLemon Run Speed Shorts in Pink Mist

First LuLuLemon run purchase and probably won't be my last!  I'm typically a Walmart/Target workout fiend all the way... with a little Victoria's Secret yoga wear thrown in, but it feels very rewarding to know I've worked towards my goals and now I get new things - and I especially like that they're things that will keep pushing me towards harder workouts and better runs!  Yes.. sometimes I do simply reward myself with a delicious cookie, but I feel that giving myself the gear that will help push me to succeed is a much better use of the rewards system - don't you agree??

{Prepare yourself for the self-timed try-it-on shot}

Doubt I'll actually be wearing this bra out in public without some sort of a loose fitting top over it but wanted to give you all an idea of how it fits on someone who isn't blessed with Miss Jillian Michael's incredible abs of steel ::sigh::

.. my fault really.  I haven't yet completed her "Ripped in 30" DVD... heard Level 4 is killer.  Maybe that's where I'll find those abs...

Do you ever 'reward' yourself for maintaining a healthy & active life style?  What is your favorite splurge?

What is the most expensive workout gear you own?

 

Talking Turkey

So after the boyfriend's campout this past weekend we ended up with a lot of extra turkey burger patties so I was in need of a recipe that would use up all this ground meat!

Luckily I'd seen a recipe in a magazine for a delicious looking Turkey Loaf so I decided to try and whip up something like this.  Please note, I have had NO experience making any type of a meat loaf - let alone a turkey loaf - but I digress...

The Recipe I ended up using turns out as follows:

**analysis by CalorieCount.com

I apologize for the next picture... I'm not sure there is a way to make Turkey Loaf look incredible -- but I promise it tasted that way!!

We paired the Turkey Loaf with some whole grain brown rice cooked up in our rice pot while chopped green & red bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, green onions, peas and spinach steamed on top!!  Cooking with a rice cooker is one of the BEST ways to make a meal -- the only downside is that brown rice takes over an hour and a half before it is done.  For this reason I usually make a big pot of this veggie rice the day before and separate it into mini tupperware containers to eat throughout the week. 

{My Aroma Rice Cooker! With Steam Pot on Top!}

{yummy rice bowl}

Have you ever made a type of Meatloaf?  Are you a fan? 

Maxi-mum Style

The right Maxi length can be tough to figure out - how short is too short and what shoes can you pair your maxi with? 

Personally, I love for my maxi to almost skirt the ground - which would make it impossible to buy something that I could wear with both heels and flats.  Until I discovered the Express Maxi Skirt (thanks Ashley for the recommendation!)

The skirt comes in a lightweight, jersey knit and comes in a handful of colors.  It's $59.90 but Express is constantly offering deals like buy-one-get-one-half-off and $25 off your $75 purchase so keep an eye open!  The *best* feature of the skirt though is its fold-over waist band.  The super thick band is about 4-5inches so fold it all the way over and keep the skirt short for flip flop days and simply un-fold it to add 4-5inches of length for your wedges at night!  This is especially a good buy for you model-esque tall women out there as you have the option of wearing the skirt long! 

This skirt is very figure flattering -- I only have one picture of me in it so far though, on travel this summer:

Hi!  This is me in my Express Maxi Skirt! 

I've got it folded to wear with sandals in the picture.

{Yes, all the way folded over it is still long on me - I am not blessed with long super model legs!}



:(

A great Maxi Dress I've found that is generous with the length is this one from Victoria's Secret:

Currently on SALE for $59.50 :)

So that you can get an accurate feel for the length, here's the dress on me {I'm 5'5"} :

{Meet my boyfriend, Mike!!}

I was honestly stepping on the dress for half the trip and should most likely invest in getting it hemmed or only wear it with wedges from now on... I'm klutz-y enough as it is without setting myself up for disaster!!

{For the record - I only came back with 3 bruises of unknown origin from our trip - WIN!}

Now to answer the question of "How short is too short?" [for a maxi]

As I mentioned earlier, I'm a fan of the longer the better in my personal style, but that causes problems when it comes to walking in general and my shoes don't really get all that much attention. [and Mike thinks it's ridiculous and that the maxi's actually look significantly better when they end slightly above the ankle - so if you're looking for a guy's perspective there it is!]

{  I also love extremely LARGE sunglasses.  And bags. And rings. He's learning to deal :)  }

So here's an example of a shorter Maxi done properly:

Photo Credit: Broke & Beautiful

So chic.

Do you own a maxi dress or skirt?  What do you pair it with - heels, wedges or flats?  What do you think is the ideal length for a maxi?

* Blueberry Fantastic-ness *

BlueBerry Muffin Recipe

I found a box of Fiber One Blueberry Muffin Mix at the store yesterday and had to try it out!

If you follow the recipe directly it makes 1 dozen (12) muffins and each one has 130 calories and 5g of fiber!!

I made two changes to the recipe on the box.

#1 - I swapped 6oz plain Greek Yogurt - Chobani - for the Canola Oil

This will make them creamier, less fattening and have a higher amount of protein!

#2 - I used fresh blueberries and raspberries in my mix which makes them EXTRA delicious!

Final Product:

This muffin made my morning oh-so-enjoyable!!! and at < 130calories per muffin (not sure exactly how many calories my greek yogurt swap from canola oil saved per muffin) they're the perfect filling high fiber snack!  morning OR afternoon!! 

Question for the Day:  Have you ever cooked with Greek Yogurt? What's your favorite recipe swap? :)

ENJOY!!!