Girly Stuff: Rimmel London Moisture Renew Lipstick

I don't chat about it much in this blog but I do go gaga for girly stuff like make-up. I may not be an expert at applying it, but I love collecting and trying make-up and I swoon over skin care products daily.
I am lucky to be a part of Influenster and the most recent treat I received is the Rimmel Moisture Renew Vox Box, in which I found a complimentary tube of the newly formulated Moisture Renew lipstick.
The shade is "As You Want Victoria", a deeply bright pink.
I don't often wear lipstick, I tend to opt for gloss or stains, so this vivid color is a shock when I first apply it. A shock in a good way. It is a punch of pink color that stays on for hours and leaves lips moisturized. The texture isn't too heavy or sticky...if it weren't for the bright color I wouldn't even know it was on! This will not be a color I wear every day (my Pilates students would think I had lost my mind!) but I will keep it in my make-up drawer for special occasions.

 

Rimmel London does quite a few giveaways and other fun things via social media so you may want to check them out on
Facebook
or
Twitter



I also have a few Influenster invites to give out. If you would like to be a part of this awesome social group and you like to review products and share on social media, let me know your email address and I will send you an invite. The more active you are on the site the more opportunities open up to try and review products so you have to be active!

 I WAS NOT COMPENSATED FOR THIS POST, HOWEVER I DID RECEIVE A SAMPLE FOR MY REVIEW.  ALL OPINIONS ARE MY OWN AND NOT INFLUENCED IN ANY WAY.

Liebster Award

This is so fun!  I just love getting to know other bloggers and helping you get to know me.
The lovely Sarina from Nerd Craft Librarian nominated me for a Liebster Award.  It's less award and more opportunity.  Opportunity to spread the word on who I am and to help other bloggers do the same.

How it works:

1. Highlight the person who nominated you (Sarina of Nerd Craft Librarian) to help spread the word about their blog as well.

2. Tell 11 facts about yourself.

3. Answer the questions from the blog that nominated you (Sarina) 

4. List 11 blogs with less than 200 followers.

5. Post 11 questions for those blogs to answer.

6. Notify the blogs you nominate via email. 

11 Facts about me, Sally

• I have a crazy sweet tooth.  I would eat sweets all day if given the chance and will never, ever turn down cake or cookies at a party.
• I don't like to drink.  I used to enjoy a beer or glass of wine, or three, once a week or so.  But now drinking just stresses me out.  I get about 3/4 through and am totally done.  I don't like feeling tipsy in the least bit, so I stop sipping before that can even happen.
• I was in marching band and LOVED it.  I played the flute, second bass drum and was drum major my senior year.  
• I would drink unflavored, 2% lattes all day, every day, if I could.
• I love running but hate how commercialized races have become.
• I have a weakness for handbags, workout clothing and perfume.  Okay.  Everything.  I love to shop.
• I love airplanes, airports, flying and traveling, but flying also causes me to become very anxious. It's the not knowing if we are going to land that freaks me out.
• I love going to waterparks.  Waterslides are the bomb.com.
• My first car was a Jeep Cherokee and I miss it every day.
• When I first met JF I thought he was years older than me, married and a homeowner.  He is only 9 months older than me and was so far from being married and even further from being a homeowner back then that it is laughable.
• I need a lot of positive feedback or else I think people hate me.

Questions from Sarina of Nerd Craft Librarian

1.  Pick one place on planet Earth you would like to go tell us why.

Santorini, Greece.  The way the architecture is built right into the mountainous landscape is beautiful and so intriguing.  I would love to see it in person.

2.  What is something you have done that is completely unexpected and out of character for you? 

Hmm...that is hard.  I am pretty boring and predictable.  I threw a sandwich from the back of the bus to the front in high school.  The look the teacher on the bus gave me was of completely shock and I have always felt bad about it.  See.  I am a super rebel.

3.  Name some weird exotic food you would like to try and tell us why. 

I would love to go to that Indian restaurant in NYC where the Man vs. Food guy went and try the dish that the chef has to prepare wearing a face mask because it is so hot.

4.  What do you want your wedding song to be? If married, what was your wedding song? 

We didn't have an actual wedding reception, but we did get married on a roof top and we had our friend playing guitar.  He sang "Up on the Roof," which was pretty perfect.  I guess that is our wedding song.  We never request it to be played or dance to it, though.  We should.

5.  Star Wars or Star Trek? 

Star.  Wars.  All the way.

6.  Doctor who fans: Who is your favorite doctor? (non who fans can skip this one) 

Sorry, gotta skip this one.

7.  If you were going to be sorted at Hogwarts, what house would you want to be in? 

I would want to be in Ravenclaw.  I am way too chicken to be in Gryffindor.  But, c'mon.  We all know I would be in Hufflepuff.  And I am totally fine with that.

8.  Why are you blogging? 

I started blogging so that I would have a place to direct my friends and students to for advice about fitness, Pilates, wellness...all of the things I get asked about on a regular basis.  I try to base a good portion of my posts on what to eat, sample workouts, things along those lines.  I also like to share a little about my daily life, too.

9. Do you use your public library? If not you should! If so, what do you use specifically?

I do!  I get books for myself to read.  A few years ago I made a pact with myself that I would never return a book without finishing it and so far it has worked well.  We also get books for the boys there and I get CD's to use for classes. 

10.  What is your one karaoke jam? That one song that comes on and you're like, "yes this is my ultimate theme song!

Well, it's not necessarily my theme song, but my favorite song to sing at karaoke is "Dead Skunk in the Middle of the Road."  I used to listen to it on my Fisher Price record player on a little 45.  Not many people have heard it and I like to think I blow the crowd away.

11.  What did you eat for breakfast? (sorry I ran out of ideas) 

A bowl of blueberries and raspberries sprinkled with cinnamon.

And my nominees are...

Ribollita Reboiled

Real Food Runner

Running on Happy

Life Style Love

Piecing It All Together

ps-if I nominated you and you have more than 200 followers, please don't be offended.  I can't tell unless GFC is posted on your blog.  If I nominated you, it means I like you!

Questions for the newly nominated

1. How long have you been blogging?
2. What motivates you to blog?
3. Sweet tooth or salty dog? (Do you like sweet treats or salty snacks?)
4. Coffee or tea?
5. What are your thoughts on carbs?
6. Favorite type of exercise?
7. What is your current fitness goal?
8. Have you ever done Pilates?
9. Favorite work out song?
10. Are you going on vacation this summer?
11. Real books or Kindle/e-Reader?

Thanks so much for taking the time to get to know me!  I hope you will go check out Sarina's blog and all of my nominees!  PS--if you are a blogger and want to play along, let me know and I will add you to my list!

Workout Wednesday - Darren Johnson

Say hello to Darren.  I met Darren on Instagram and love his pictures of running, the Oklahoma plains and his beautiful boys!
You may have noticed that SO many of my Workout Wednesday guests come from Instagram.  This is one of the many reasons I love that social site.  It has helped me to meet some really cool people that, even if we never meet "IRL" we share a hello, a well wish, and moments of our day that would otherwise be unknown if it weren't for this photo sharing site.

Name:  Darren Johnson

Age: 38

Location:  OKC

Occupation:  GIS Analyst

Fun Stuff:  Photography, Running, and Family Time

Website:  Darrenisreal.com
Instagram: @darrenisreal

How long have you been running? 

Ever since 9^th grade I believe, which is over 20 years.  There have been a few years in there where I did not run or do much of anything.  Saw the scale numbers getting bigger and knew I had to get back to it.  I remember trying to make the 9^th grade soccer team and I didn’t make it.  At that point I had never not made a soccer team so I was sort of lost as to what to do.  I decided to give cross-country a try since it was going on the same time as soccer and of course, you can’t get cut from a cross-country team, right? 

What is your favorite part of going out for a run?

Today I just enjoy the solitude and time to myself.  Back in high school and college it was very competitive and, while I enjoyed running, I never took it all in as I do today.  Most of my runs now I leave the watch behind and just enjoy each run.  Conversation pace is what I enjoy nowadays. 

What is your typical mileage each week?  Do you goal yourself for mileage, time, days ran?

Right now I am in the buildup phase and increasing my weekly mileage by no more than 10%.  So, for this week my target is 22 miles.  If there is one thing 20 years of running  has finally taught me it’s that the body does not recover like it used to.  I have tried to do too much too soon and it always lead to injuries.  This 10% increase has been working well so far so we’ll see how it goes a year from now.  The ultimate goal is to train up for the entire year and run another marathon.

Do you run with or without music?

I prefer to run without music or anything except for a watch sometimes.  There are a couple days out of the year I am forced to run on a treadmill, then I will put the headphones on just to help keep me in a zone.  Treadmills are not a favorite piece of equipment of mine that man has invented.  And the not listening to music is mainly because that’s how I started running back in the day.  I find the wires bouncing around a distraction.

Have you suffered any injuries because of running?  How did you heal/overcome the injury?

Oh plenty of injuries, especially now with age.  Last year, in leading up to the marathon, I had bad plantar fasciitis in my left foot and some swelling in my right forefoot.  It got so bad that when rest did not help I finally saw a local doctor who specializes in running.  He checked my foot and MRI and formed up inserts for my shoe.  He even took my laces off my shoes and redid the pattern in a way that would relieve pressure in certain areas.  He told me I could start running the next day.  I was very skeptical and nervous, but it worked like a charm.  He also mentioned that I really needed to stretch my calves more and that they are basically the gateway to a lot of foot problems.  So before and after every run now I make sure to stretch them.

Back in college after cross-country season during the transition to the track I would always get shin splints.  Nothing really you can do about them.  The trainers used to tape them up, but it never really did much.   Today I have a little bit of discomfort in my hip flexor, but as long as I stretch properly (which I have not been doing) it will work itself out. 

Trail, track or road?

I prefer trail runs out in the woods but rarely get a chance to anymore.  Most of my runs are on the pavement.  There is a lake near us with an out and back trail of 14 miles and it’s pure bliss.  Lots of rolling hills through the trees and many times there are deer out and about.

Do you do local races, such as 5K, 10K, half or full marathons?

    Details on a specific race event that you want to share?

I do occasionally run a local race, mainly half and full marathons now though.  I do plan on doing more 5K and 10K’s leading up to this next marathon just to have some fun and get my son involved. 

Do you prefer to run alone or with a buddy(buddies)?

Generally my runs are solo but it is nice once in awhile to have some company.  Miss the days of college when we would head out on long runs and challenge each other on the track. 

What is your biggest challenge when it comes to staying motivated?

Most of the time it comes from being tired.  I find that when my body and mind are worn down it’s really hard to get motivated to get started.  And there is definitely a period after a marathon where it’s difficult to stay focused and look forward to running again.

How do you juggle your career, family life and running?

With a newborn baby it is very difficult.  The best way for me is to bring my lunch to work and run during my lunch hour, and on the weekends hope I can get a long run in. 

Do you do any other sort of exercise?  Weights, yoga, Pilates, etc.

I do like to ride my road bike in the warmer months of the year.  Gives me a chance to see the back roads and country views in Oklahoma.  I do like to play sports such as softball and basketball but as far as training goes the weight lifting and yoga I have yet to embrace.  I keep telling myself yoga would be perfect to help with my body as I get older, but finding the time is hard.

Favorite source of pre-run fuel?

Peanut Butter on wheat toast.  Nothing better.

What shoe do you run in and why?

For the longest time I was a Nike lover.  But a couple years ago I tried a pair of Brooks Ghost and then their Pure Cadence and I have been running in them every since.  I switch off the two pair now mainly using the Ghost for longer runs.

Do you follow a strict nutrition program?  If so, what?  

What is nutrition?  Just kidding, I have not learned to eat healthy or correctly and sooner or later it is going to catch up with me.  You’d think as many miles as I’ve put into this body I would learn to fuel it right.

Favorite treat?

This will show you how bad my nutritional program is, but I absolutely love Peanut Butter and Chocolate ice cream from Baskin Robins.  There any many imitations out there with peanut butter cups from other places, but Baskin Robins has it nailed.  I will go out of my way to get a scoop in a cake cone. 

Please provide a sample run workout that you do: 

My favorite workout after my buildup phase and transition to speed workouts is 400 repeats.  Simple but they are so effective.  I normally warm up with a 10 minute jog.  In between in each repeat I rest the same amount of time I run each quarter in.  Each week I increase the number of intervals by one and will normally make this my Wednesday workout.  My main focus is not so much speed but pace and make sure that each quarter is run at a pace just below my intended race pace. 

Thank you SO much, Darren, for sharing about your running and for sharing your amazing photography!  Make sure your check out Darren's website and his Instagram!

Sunday Social May 19th

Wow!  I can't believe we are already in mid-May.  I need to go get a poster board and get started on our Summer To-Do list ASAP!

On to Sunday Social.  I just love this link-up because it allows you, the reader, to get to know me and for me to get to know you.  That is, if you leave me comments.  So, please...leave me comments with your answers! (sticks bottom lip out and makes puppy eyes.)

1. What is your favorite kind of surprise?
I love all good/happy surprises!  Even the not so fun surprise moments, like a friend with a flat tire that needs a ride, are great in my book.  It is the unexpected that makes life what it is.  As long as everyone ends up healthy and safe, bring on the surprises!

2.  Flowers or chocolate?
Chocolate for sure!  I know neither one lasts very long, and yes, flowers are beautiful, but I just love a good sweet treat.

3.  What is your favorite summertime activity?
Going swimming!  It is so fun to get a little (sunscreened) sun, splash around and cool off, and then head home tired and ready to lounge on the couch and watch a movie.  I also feel like pizza after is a must :)

4.  Do you have any vacations planned this summer?
Not yet!  We will hopefully be going out of town for a baseball tournament and maybe a small road trip, somewhere that is around 4 hours away from KC.

5.  Favorite summer holiday?
The 4th of July!  It is one of THE best days!  Warm weather, great food, lots of time with family and friends.  And daylight until 9 pm.  Followed with fireworks.  Always a fun time.

I love fireworks faces.

Patriotic selfie.

6.  What is your dream vacation?
Hawaii.  I went when I was a teenager and would love to go back now with JF and the boys.

Your turn.  Tell me all about YOU in the comments below or link up with Ashley and Neely.

Enjoy your Sunday!

I have a button!

Wow. Just wow. It has taken me two attempts over the last month, both lasting hours, to finally get this whole button thing right. Please, just take a moment, glance to the right, look at the "Grab My Button" widget and admire its beauty. Ahhhhh... Doesn't that feel nice. It is no secret that I am not a computer wizard, but I can usually do okay by using tutorials and such. For some reason this button thing eluded me.

For those of you interested it was finally this tutorial that worked magic for me.  This blog now has my undevoted love and if I could hug a blog, this would be the one!

Let's take a closer look:

Eeek!  Gorgeous!  I would say it is nearly as thrilling as looking at my boys baby pictures.
Take that HTML!  I conquered you.
For today, that is.

Now, if you are a blogger, c'mon!  Grab my button!

Thanks for the challenge!

Thanks to Katherine for organizing the Green Smoothie Challenge and for asking me to co-host.
It was such a fun week of getting to know new people, trying out new recipes, and really thinking about the foods I put in my body.  I have a month's worth of smoothie recipes now that I can't wait to try out!
Thanks also to my super-friendly and fun co-hosts:
Kristine // Ashlee // Jezz // Hope  
I noticed many friends posting on Instagram, Twitter, and even blogging right along with the challenge.
A special shout out to my bestest Eva for sharing her photos!
Strawberries, blueberries and spinach make for a purply-pink smoothie that is without a doubt GREEN!

Thanks to my hubsy-bubsy baby boo JF for sharing his recipe yesterday and putting up with photo shoots and me stealing his produce for my smoothies :)

Go check out Elle's blog!
She has a beautiful rainbow smoothie today and yesterday she posted a savory smoothie.  I had toyed around with creating a savory smoothie but wasn't brave enough to try.  I am so glad Elle posted this recipe.  I think it will be perfect for a hot summer day when a meal just is too much to fathom.


I hope that you have enjoyed the last week as much as I have!

Honey Stinger Review + GIVEAWAY

The first time I tried a Honey Stinger product it was as a free sample at my local health food market.  It was their Energy Chews and, I have to admit, I was expecting a vitamin-y/dry taste like some other energy products out there.  I was pleasantly surprised by the natural taste and the great texture.  That got me to read more about the product and it turns out Honey Stinger has many organic options, natural options and uses natural sweeteners like organic tapioca and honey.

That free sample experience led to todays review and giveaway!

Honey Stinger sent me a generous case of Lemon Waffles, Energy Bars and Energy Gels.
They arrived at a perfect time, the day before my Piloxing training.  Teacher trainings are a true test of my fitness level.  I love attending trainings, but with a day that lasts 9+ hours and typically includes no less than half of that time being spent actually working out my body, I have learned to pack lots of healthy snacks that will keep me going.
So, I packed a Blueberry Buzz bar and a few Organic Lemon Stinger Waffles--one for me and enough to share with my friends in the training.
The Blueberry Buzz bar tastes like real blueberries!  And, again, the texture and taste is great.
As for the Lemon Stinger Waffles...I feel like I could write an entire post about them!  One post about them on Instagram and I had tons of comments from followers attesting to the absolute ymminess of them.
Imagine a waffle cone and creamy lemon filling all wrapped in a convienient package.  One friend that I shared with at the training said that she normally doesn't like lemon but the waffle had such a smooth, natural taste that she loved it.
While it was great for an energy sustaining snack I can also see it being a healthy alternative any day to silence my sweet tooth.


A typical work day for me is not very much more relaxed than a teacher training day.  I am on my feet spotting, cycling, demo-ing and stretching for anywhere from 4-7 hours.  I need lots of protein but in small portions.  I tried the Caffienated Dark Chocolate Mocha Cherry Protein Bar on one of my busiest teaching days.  My plan was to eat half a bar mid-day and save the other half for after my shift.  My plan was quickly foiled when I had my first bite.  I swear, in a blind taste test, you would think this was a candy bar!  With ingredients like organic honey, evaporated cane juice and real chocolate, yes, it is more sweet treat than health food, but it's a great source of energy (it has coffee IN the bar) and a perfect way to keep an active body energized.  10 grams of protein provide fuel to keep you going. Pack it for your next bike ride or hike.

Now on to the Energy Gels.  I am not an expert on gels.  My longest distance as a run is right around 7 miles.  I have stayed away from gels and goo in the past because I was uneasy about the ingredients.  And then came Honey Stinger.  Their gels are organic which means that I can read the ingredients and see words I know and want to put in my body.  And I just love any and all things honey!  I tried Fruit Smoothie, Vanilla and Acai Pomegranate.  All three are tasty, but Fruit Smoothie is my favorite.  It has a dessert-like feel to power me through my workout.
I also enlisted some help from my marathon-running, name-sharing friend Sally. She runs marathons several times each year and half marathons just for fun, so you know she knows her stuff when it comes to energy gels. Her thoughts:

"My favorite of the 3 stingers was the vanilla. I felt like they gave me the boost I need to push through 
my workout. I loved that they are organic!"

And now it's your turn to try Honey Stinger!  Enter to win below.  The drawing ends April 28.  Good luck!

Check out Sally's Facebook page for another awesome giveaway going on TODAY!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Studio Style

What should you wear to Pilates class?  How can you go from yoga to a trip to the mall or dinner with friends?  How do I piece together an outfit that can take me from teaching cycle to meeting with my boss to interviewing a new instructor?  This is what Studio Style posts will be all about!

Shirt: OmGirl; Jacket: Gap; Leggings: New Balance Running Tights; Shoes: Naturalizer; Neck Warmer: lululemon

A silly car shot, but it's a great close-up of my mint & black neck warmer.  I love it!  So soft and warm and adds a stylish pop of color!
I hope you enjoyed the first Studio Style post.
If you aren't already, I would love it if you followed me on bloglovin'!

Green Smoothie Challenge!

Happy Monday!
You may remember me linking up with Katherine from The Real Food Runner blog in the past.  She did a Workout Wednesday post for me and I have taken part in her Green Smoothie Challenge as well as the always fantastic Fresh Friday link-up!

She is hosting another Green Smoothie Challenge, this time bigger and better than ever, and has asked me to join her as a co-host!  

What a great looking group I get to be a part of!

Katherine  // Hope 

Ashlee  // Sally 

Jezz  // Kristine

My Instagram friends know that I have a Super Drink Week coming up in May, so this is the perfect prelude to that!

So, what is the Green Smoothie Challenge?  This 30 second video sums it up:

Easy, huh?  For the week of April 22-28 just add one green smoothie to your regular diet.  Nothing wacky or restrictive, just ADDING a nutrient-filled smoothie to your day so that you get more power in your diet, feel better and look better!


And the best part?  You won't be alone!  Link-up here for recipes, advice, support and more!  You will also find more details on the challenge from Katherine herself!  Make sure to tell her I sent you ;)

You will sign up for the challenge on Katherine's blog, but don't forget to let me know in the comment section below!  I wanna know who is in for the challenge!

What's that?  You aren't yet following me on bloglovin'???  Well, click here so that you never miss a post!