(Even More) Tips to Get Motivated to Workout

The struggle. Is. REAL!!!! I cannot for the life of me get myself up to workout these days. I guess along with sweater weather comes sweater WEIGHT!! ;p But it makes sense to lose motivation right? I mean, it's cold out and the crave for coziness is in...there will be no warm weather for a while and therefore no showing of skin. Loose, oversized sweaters and ginormous scarves are everywhere, and the couch has turned into your most favorite place on earth because, Hello?! Fall TV!! Now someone please hand me my fuzzy socks and pumpkin spice latte while I continue to validate my laziness...

(Just kidding. For the record, I never had a PSL.)

But truthfully speaking, this is a difficult time for me to stay motivated. Therefore, I thought I'd write this post to help me and anyone else out there that's finding it hard to hit the gym these days!

I came across this article and pulled out a few of the tips that I like and know work for me, and also created some of my own. Enjoy!

1. Hold yourself to other commitments in your life. I find that whenever I find myself slacking, it helps to take a break from that one thing I'm trying to achieve and turn my attention to another part of my life that needs it, such as organizing a part of my house, paying off debt, checking something else off my to-do list...doing this reminds me that I'm capable of keeping a promise/commitment and therefore motivates me to continue pursuing other things I've committed to.
2. DONUT...oops, I mean do not...bring those donuts home. They say out of sight, out of mind, right? Leave those fatty snacks at the grocery store and only bring home what's going to help you in your weight loss journey. Or, if you must, limit how much you buy (for instance buy 5 individually wrapped snacks to last you through the work week.) This way, going out for a Gotta Have It cup of Coldstone ice cream will feel more like a treat. I find that this works best in the winter, because at times when I'm really craving something that I don't have in the house, I end up telling myself it's too cold to go out to get it. :p
3. Compete. I've participated and took lead on coordinating the Biggest Loser competition at my work for two years now. I'm not one to get ridiculously motivated by competition, but because I spearheaded the whole thing and because I was simply participating, I felt the need to show up!! I knew that I wasn't going to be first (others had more weight to lose and therefore had a greater advantage), but I sure as hell didn't want to be last! So I did what I had to do and in the meantime, reached some of my personal fitness goals.
4. Dress up. I know this may sound weird...but this is one thing that really works for me! I first noticed it works when I was packing for my trip to Hawaii about a month before my actual trip. Lol! What can I say? I was excited... But I'm glad I did it because it got me to try on everything I wanted to wear and I saw how it looked on me before I had to go out in public in it. When I didn't like how it fit, I was left with two options--ditch the outfit or make my body fit in it better. It also allowed me to recall how certain clothes used to fit. I'm packing for a cruise right now, and I can tell you...there are some items from my Hawaii trip that do not fit like they did just a few months ago!! And unfortunately, since it's winter, I can't just go out and buy new shorts/tanks/t-shirts, because the stores aren't selling them! Which brings me to my only option: Get your ass in shape, Jessica.
5. If you did it once, you can do it again. I learned to tell myself this early in my childhood. My father is an artist and I used to try to draw as well as he did--for some reason I was convinced that he passed down that trait and I had to learn it in some way. Well let's just say there were many mistakes and "abstract" pieces, and there were some masterpieces that came about while I "practiced." I hated that I would finally get it right after a million tries, but it was on my practice paper and not my actual "canvas." Lol...so I started telling myself, if I did it once, I can do it again. And nowadays, I apply that mindset to other aspects of my life, including fitness. I once was at my ideal size/shape/health...and I can get there again.
6. Set fitness goals, not just number goals. "Losing weight" is associated with fitness, but it doesn't encompass all that "fitness" is. Instead of only focusing on what the scale is saying after two weeks, two months, 1 year, etc...set goals for your entire fitness journey, such as: Running a longer distance, eating a fruit everyday, packing a healthy lunch everyday for a month, increasing your water intake each day, increasing your speed, running (without stopping) for a certain amount of time. These little accomplishments all tie in to your overall goal, and celebrating each of them will ultimately keep you motivated and keep you moving in the long run.

As always, good luck on your own individual journeys! Please wish me luck on mine. I'm thinking this all-inclusive-cruise idea is not going to agree with my fitness regimen. Should I really be complaining though? Lol! Until next time,

Romper Love

Another one of my favorite things to wear in the Fall are rompers!

 

For some reason, I like wearing them more in the Fall than I do in any other season. Maybe because I like layering and layering and layering, and I like the long seamless look that rompers provide to break up all the many layers I put on top of it.

 

I also like how rompers are thigh length--I have short legs so I like to wear shorter length shorts/skirts, as I feel like it makes my legs look longer. However, I also do not want to look like I'm just walking out of the house wearing just a t-shirt...lol. So I like that rompers appropriately allow for this kind of look. And since they're shorts (as opposed to a skirt or dress), it keeps it casual in a dressy kind of way. It also allows me to run around and play with/pick up my kids without having to worry if my stuff is gonna hang out if I bend over!! LOL ;p

 

 

I found this romper earlier this season (around Sept or early Oct maybe?) at Forever 21. I had to get a Medium--the small wouldn't fit my hips. I like the fit around my waist, but not loving it at the top. It's loose and doesn't fit my arms or bust area so it makes it look waaay to big for me! But thanks to my favorite sweater (H&M from like 5 years ago--maternity gift from my bestie, thnx bee!), I was able to pull it all together and "hide" the looseness that's happening at the top. But don't get me wrong! The romper is really cute on its own! It's also 3/4 sleeve so very appropriate for this time of year (especially with the 60 degree weather we've been getting here on the east coast!). I would just try it before you buy it.

 

 

Can we talk about how good my photographer was doing on this day?! She was on top of her game. Lol! --thnx Kimbo :p

 

I need to shout out these boots really quick--because they haven't been getting enough attention from me. Lol! They were only $10 at DSW! Very cute and very comfy, but honestly, I do not wear them enough!
 



 

Side note--I've been living in this hat for the past few weeks now! I never thought I'd fall into the wide-brim fedora trend, but look at me now. Lol :p Never say never!

Hope Fall is treating you all well. :)

 

Until next time,

6 Ways to Avoid Burnout

 

Sometime last week, the thought of writing this blog post came to me--probably in the midst of running my kids back and forth between school and daycares, going to work, and running around Baltimore for work events. It's certainly very very challenging to be a full time mother, housekeeper, worker, and friend all at once. I constantly struggle with the balance of my time--between work, my social life, my love life, my career, (this blog!), and being there for my kids. With "so much to do and so little time," it can be easy to get burnt out. And since this blog is partly about balance, I was inspired to write this post for you!

B A L A N C E . . . it's something I have committed to working on every. single. day. It's taken a lot of time and a lot of effort to try to achieve a "well balanced life," and while I am still on my journey to finding it, here are some things I've learned:

1.  Time management is everything! I've learned to value my time more. At home, there are a million things I could be doing, and choosing wisely is key!! Prioritize, prioritize, prioritize! Trust me, I hate coming home to "more work" as much as the next kid, but the truth is--the dishes have to be done and the clothes have to get washed. And unless you can afford to have it done for you, you have to do them yourself, Superwoman. But during the week when I come home, I don't want to spend the only 2-3 hours I have each night with the kids doing housework. So I started looking at my time, rather than looking at the tasks. Instead of going down my list of chores, I give myself a time limit to do them. My week-night schedule is now limited to 45 minutes of chores TOPS when I get home. I've acknowledged that not everything will get done in one day, and I've learned to be okay with that. Whatever I can get done in that time will get done, and what is not done can wait until the next day. This has forced me to prioritize my chore list better, and do them a hell of a lot faster too! But the biggest benefit is that it ensures time with my family and for myself every night. This may not work for everyone (some people can't go to sleep with a messy kitchen--I get it!), but it works for me! I used to not be able to sleep until the job was done. I got over that quickly once I realized how much time I was missing with my family. That was more important to me...which brings me to my next point...
2. Think about what you really want and need. Is what you're doing really worth your time? Are the people you make time for really worth your time and energy? Or are there more important things you'd rather be doing? This speaks to your career aspirations as well. If you get that job you've been dreaming of, will you have to make any large trade offs for it? And will those trade offs affect anyone else that's important to you? My time is very valuable to me. And as I make my decisions day by day, this is one that I put a lot of thought into. I am your number one people-pleaser, and what I needed to learn was that if you try to please everyone, you end up pleasing no one. I had to figure out what was most important to me and determine if my trade offs were worth it or not.
3. EAT. Seriously. Eat. Have you ever had something big that you were working on and you spent so much time working on it and focused on it, you go a whole day without eating anything? It's like the moment you get busy, adrenaline rushes in and you forget all feelings of tiredness, pain, and hunger! Make time to eat...and eat well! I just recently switched my diet to being...well lets say 80% of my diet...all organic foods. (Hey, all about the balance, right?!!) Not only have I lost 5lbs in two weeks, I find myself more focused, more efficient, and constantly eating!! That is...constantly eating throughout the day to keep my metabolism going. Workout too. Even if you walk at least 30 minutes a day, every little bit helps. Taking care of yourself physically will definitely help you mentally as well. Keeping a well balanced diet and exercise routine, I stay energized and it forces me to do the next thing:
4. Take a break! Walk awaaaayyy--just walk awayyyyy! :p But really. Walk away from your desk if you need to. Has anyone ever told you to "take a chill pill"? It's because you really need one. 1) No one wants to be around a grouch, and 2) You won't be able to do anything to its full potential if you don't take a break! Are you a stay at home? Call someone and have an adult conversation at some point during your day while you're at home with the kids. Nap. Read. Watch a show or a movie. It's important for your mind to rest. I was told once before--we are not superheroes (as cool as it would be to my kids if I was one, I am not.), and we need to learn how to take the cape off.
5. Prepare. Staying prepared saves you from so much stress! I learned the hard way. HELLO. I am your number one procrastinator!! I used to have a magnet on my fridge that said, "I'll procrastinate later." :p Yup, that was me. Until I had kids. And until I was put into a role at work where I couldn't be! Life was teaching me a good life lesson. What takes you 5 minutes to do the night before will save you 10 minutes in the morning! Getting things ready while your mind is active is much more efficient that trying to get things ready while you're just waking up and probably rushing.
6. Last but not least, turn it off. I attended a woman's conference this past week and one of the speakers talked about how we now live in a 24/7 society. She mentioned in the past how TV stations used to turn off at a certain time at night so that people could sleep. Nowadays, you not only have the option of watching TV all night, but you can get on social media, play games, text/chat with people...all from the palm of your hands, and at anytime, 24/7. While it's good to stay connected, it's also good to disconnect. After Thanksgiving, I plan on "fasting" and getting off of social media until Christmas. As much as I'm nervously anticipating it, I'm also looking forward to it! See ya'll lataahhzzz ;) (jk...I will most likely still post on here.)

All in all, these are just some things to keep in mind while we try so tirelessly to save the world. I think it's important for everyone to find their own ways--as I said before, what works for me may not work for the next person. But the key is to make the time to not lose your mind! Do what makes you happy, fulfill your purpose, and do it with passion, and you will always feel blessed. :)

Until next time,

Holiday Green

One of my favorite colors this season has been dark green. I have never been a green kinda girl, but something about that color makes me feel classy and elegant. (Which is a hard feeling for me to come by nowadays as a mommy of two! So let me live.) I also love to wear this color over the holidays as a non-red holiday option. Not that I have anything against red...red is just your typical "holiday" color, aaaannd let's just say I like to go the non-traditional route sometimes. ;) #rebel (Not.)

Anyway, I had time this weekend (shocking!) and I thought I'd play around with this dark green top I bought from Express earlier this year. I guess you can say I did a form of the day-to-night concept with a dressy/day/work look, then a keep-it-casual look. Really I just couldn't make up my mind on how I wanted to style it, so I did all three! :p (Imagine how my mornings are like!) So here it is three different ways!

This is an easy wear-to-work outfit (holiday season or non-holiday season).....that will likely be on repeat over the next few months for me. The shirt is one of the Portofino shirts from Express. These dress shirts are so comfortable--I could buy them in every color! I've listed a few of my favorites at the bottom of this post. I have two, this dark green one and one in burnt orange and can pair them with anything (dress pants, jeans, skirts, etc.). Love em!


















Last year I splurged a little bit and bought this faux fur vest from Francesca's and I LOVE it--but I don't wear it enough! So I feel like I need to get my money's worth and wear it as much as I can...but that just ain't happening...I just don't go to enough cool places to break out my faux fur. Lol! So anyway, I'm constantly on a hunt to find casual outfits that I can make using this vest. Yanno, working around my accessories. Nothing wrong with that, right?

Aaaand just in case the vest was "too much".... :p

By the way...this is the first time I did a photoshoot with my kids around. It wasn't easy trying to keep them busy and out of my photos! I broke a sweat!!
And I may or may not have let them eat a jar of cookies to stay still................

Alas--gotta have the gold!

Hope you enjoyed! I hope to post more non-red holiday looks for you soon, so stay tuned for that!

As promised...my fave portofino shirts out right now: