My Favorite (simple) Home-Based Exercises

It’s Thursday and I’m happy (and so is my body)! I’ve been hitting the gym hard the last few days and every muscle aches. Staying in shape is not easy and it’s taken me a few years to learn how to do exercises properly and a few months to really get into a routine. I joined a local gym back in April to motivate myself to workout more. Believe it or not, it worked! I go 5 days a week for about an hour each day.

Honestly, you don’t have to join a gym to get in a great workout. There are quite a few of us that simply don’t have the extra time or money to get a gym membership and that’s fine! Many of the exercises that I do at my gym can be done pretty much anywhere. If you can’t join a gym right now, here are a few exercises I love to do that you can do at home (and it’s free).

• Lunges- I do about 40 of them (20 on each leg) back and forth across the floor. For an added challenge I hold weights in each hand to make my abs and arms work a little harder.
• Standing push-up- I can’t get on the floor and do a legitimate push-up so I like to lean against a counter top or even a wall and do about 20 of them that way. It’s much less stress on my back!
• Donkey kicks- Get on all fours and push your left leg back as if you’re kicking something behind you. Switch to the opposite leg. I do this about 20 times for each leg and it really helps to tone your butt and the back of the leg.
• Hyperextensions- Using a weight (can be anything from a dumb bell to a jug of milk) spread your feet shoulder-width apart, keep your shoulders back, and slowly bend forward at the hips until you are at a 90 degree angle. Then, come back up to a standing position. This works your abs and your back!

As always, doing 20 minutes of cardio really helps to take off those calories. I like to walk at an incline if I can to work the back of my legs and get my heart pumping faster. People who like to run might consider doing it on something softer like sand or even grass because pavement can be bad to run on for your knees.

If you have any suggestions for exercises that don’t require being at the gym to do, leave me a comment!

 

The Golden Rules of Shopping

Happy Friday loves! On Wednesday, I was super excited to find out that an article I wrote was published on the Money Saving Mom blog! I’m certainly not a mom, but I know how important it is to learn how to save money. In the article, I talk about my addiction to shopping and how I’ve slowly found ways to break free from it and save money too!

Today, I’m going to give you my golden rules for shopping so you can get the best deal wherever you are and no matter what you’re looking for.

• Read the fine print
  • I get so many emails from stores like Old Navy advertising a “great” sale their having. I get all excited at first that whatever I want is on sale until I realize that in order to get the sale price, I have to either spend a certain amount of money or I have to use my Old Navy credit card. Rarely is this a good deal. If I just need a blouse but I have to spend $50 to get the sale price, it’s not a good deal.
• Shop often
  • I get the best prices on things that I genuinely love by browsing the stores at least once a week. For example, I had been eyeing a really cute Lauren Conrad dress for awhile. I checked back at the store every Saturday for about a month. Finally, it came down in price from $64 to $34 and then finally to $15! It pays to wait awhile.
• Skip the BOGO
  • Since when did I want to buy one to get another one? Usually, I only need 1 of something, not multiples. This is only worth it if you’ve found a great layering t-shirt because you can always use several of those (necessary in every wardrobe, see post about this here).
• Shop in the opposite season
  • For example, if it’s the beginning of summer, look for things on clearance from the late winter season. I never pay full price for clothing. I don’t buy summer clothes during the summer, I only by them in the mid-late fall because that’s when they will be the lowest price.

Do you have any golden rules for shopping? I’d love to hear them! Leave me a comment!

Pier 1 Imports Style

Have you ever found something you absolutely fell in love with and then looked at the price tag? That happened to me yesterday. I went to Pier 1 Imports just to see what they had on clearance and sitting right in front of me when I walked in was this gorgeous sofa. It was a light cream with a tufted back and overly stuffed pillows. It was also $899. For some, that’s a decent price, but for a recent college grad swimming in debt, it’s too much.

I continued looking around the store and daydreaming of filling my future apartment with all the pretty things I wanted. A look at my bank account reminded me yet again that I should promptly exit the store. Nonetheless, I figured I’d share with you a few of my favorite living room pieces that I saw. Hopefully, you’ll daydream with me!

I’m confident I can achieve this look without spending the small fortune it would cost to buy it all at Pier 1. I visited Marshall’s a short while later and fell in love with similar things at a fraction of the price. When I officially move, I’ll probably be buying furniture a little bit at a time so I can pay in cash and not go into more debt. I’ll update y’all when that does happen so you can follow along in my interior design journey!

Equestrian Memories and Style

Good morning loves! I hope this Saturday is warm and cozy for you. I’m drinking coffee with my pumpkin spice latte creamer in it along with a caramel biscotti. The little things like this make everyday special!

I was thinking about my childhood the other day and had a very distinct memory of my first time on a horse. I was about 10 and unfortunately got in the saddle using the wrong foot. I ended up backwards on the horse. It was at a carnival so everyone saw. I quickly dismounted the horse and decided to try again. I finally got it right. I’m sure even the horse thought I was a total idiot.

Now, the allure of the equestrian sports isn’t the bonding of a girl and her horse, it’s the style that gets me excited. Ralph Lauren turned average people into “horse people” overnight with his timeless pieces and elegant ensembles. I never thought riding pants or boots would become a classic and yet, they slowly are. Pair that with a button up oxford and blue blazer and you’ve got yourself a classic outfit. Add some Jackie O sunglasses, matching belt, watch, and gold monogram necklace and you’ll become a stereotypical WASP of the northeast.

Besides the labels and funny stereotypes that looks like these portray, I think it says something about what you value. To me, it says that I value elegance, American history, quality, and a lifestyle of sporting and socializing. If you’ve ever seen a Ralph Lauren commercial (you can watch them on YouTube), then you’ll know exactly what I mean. Truthfully, it’s beautiful.

To create a look like this doesn’t have to cost a fortune though. I looked all through Ebay and found blazers like the one pictured on sale for much cheaper than a brand new Ralph Lauren one. During a trip to a Ralph Lauren outlet store last spring, they had riding pants on clearance for under $40. This may sound like a lot but the pants are normally well over $100. Oxford shirts like the one pictured can be found anywhere at almost any price. The key to making them look good is professional tailoring. Taking in the shirt at the waist will make you appear smaller. Riding boots are also an easy find if you go to places like Marshall’s for their deals. You can get designer boots for half the price.

Finally, invest in a great belt that matches your Jackie O (or aviator) sunglasses. I chose tortoiseshell because the print is timeless and can be found in most stores at every budget. Check out Target for great deals on items like this. The monogram necklace is definitely a splurge item because it does have to be personalized in order to make the necklace worth it. Many online boutiques like Etsy will be able to find you something to suit your tastes.

Enjoy today and go pet some horses. Better yet, put together an outfit like the one above and send it to me. My email is in the contact tab at the top.