Glam Up Your FitBit

When I heard that Tory Burch was making a line of jewelry to house FitBits, I made an audible gasp. Tory Burch is not usually my style of choice, but anything- ANYTHING- is better than the FitBit bracelet or the clip that inevitably gets tossed in the wash because you forgot to take it off your clothing. Guilty of that one many a time. And no, Fit Bits are not water proof.

These Tory Burch bracelets and necklaces range in price from $38 to $195, but really, the pricier ones are where its at. For $38 you, pretty much, get a FitBit bracelet with Tory Burch's logo on it. But, for a mere [almost] $200 you have the choice of a brass necklace or bracelet. Let me just say that I LOVE the way these look. That bracelet could be worn perfectly with any day or night outfit and the necklace is such a neat statement piece. I even like that the black Fit Bit shows through the geometric patterns.

There are two things, however, that I am not a super big fan of. The first being the price. For nearly $200 I would hope to get something that is gold plated instead of brass. Sure, it is Tory Burch, but $200 brass? Really? Wear that for a few weeks straight and you will probably be needing a new one- at least you will if you have my skin or live in a warm, humid environment.

The second thing I am not a crazy big fan of is that they are on pre-order and will not be shipping until November. Usually this would be completely fine and put you right in line for the holiday season, but this year, Apple Watch trumps Fitbit jewelry on every Christmas list I will have. And talking about the Apple Watch, we will definitely be having a whole post dedicated to it's health benefits and uses quite soon. Because, there are a ton!

Anyway, if you are not planning on getting an Apple Watch, pre-ordered the second they become available, than the Tory Burch line might be perfect for you! For me though, I cannot justify spending [nearly] $200 on something that will be replaced in less than six month's time. And, for all those ladies feeling the same way, here are some currently available and lower priced Fitbit hiding jewelry pieces.

Gold pendant necklace $39

Customs colors $39

Gold, white, coral, blue, and yellow accent bracelet $30

Gold, black, and white accent bracelet $28

Silver pendant necklace $49

Leather pouch that is cuter than it sounds $74

Coffee motivation $13

Motivation for Your Monday

This quote by Walt Disney is almost always on the fences separating new work projects from the visitor area at Disney World. It is also one of my favorite Disney quotes and another at the front of my daily planner. Actually, this quote was the foundation of this blog.

Hopefully, this quote will help all of us (including my super sleepy self) get up and get this Monday done! What are some of your favorite quotes from Walt Disney?

Confessions of a Fitness Blogger

It is funny how often I go out with friends and people bring up that I probably do not even eat fat or never miss a workout. The truth is, I do both those things. And really, I do a whole lot of other not-so-healthy things too. We all have our weaknesses and I have said before that carbs, Netflix, and cats are just a few of mine.

There was once a time when I thought that everyone who had a fitness blog or taught a fitness class was in peak health and athletic performance. Then, I read an article by a fitness blogger in which she drank beer. It was a jaw drop moment and man, was it nice. Yes, we all have those guilty pleasures. And yes, that includes fitness bloggers, fitness teachers, and chances are, it just might include you too ;) Do you do any of the things on my confessions list?

1. I love carbs and eat them often. Really, it does not take much for me to sit down and eat and entire loaf of bread or down an entire basket of those bread rolls restaurants bring you to fill up on. Guilty as charged.
2. Sometimes, I choose watching TV, sleeping, or doing nothing at all over working out. Gasp! Sometimes, the day is just too long and that wonderful workout I planned to review gets pushed to another time. Or, I do half the workout because half is better than none.
3. I eat before bed.
4. One of the main reason's I run on our gym's treadmill is because I can watch HGTV or E! while doing it.
5. My husband eats more salads than I do. I think food runners think we are purposely tricking them when the hubs gets a salad and I order the veggie burger with onion rings. Onion rings should be a confession all on their own.
6. Sometimes I fall over in yoga. Yes, this can happen to anyone. Those poses be hard!
7. I often simultaneously envision my fitness instructor applauding me for my hard work and me hitting them for what they are doing to my body.
8. I hate arm workouts. So much.
9. When my scale reads a number that shocks me, I will often turn it off and move it to different areas of the bathroom. Because it must be the scale's position that is giving me a bad reading.
10. I opt for the lowest weight option, always. This is not as much a confession as a belief that there is no reason for me to be lifting more than 5-10 pound weights. Sorry Orange Theory, it just makes no sense.
11. Last week I had three Pumpkin Spice Lattes from Starbucks. Three!
12. I will go to a workout class because I got a new pair of leggings or cute top.
13. I will not go to a workout class because I have nothing to wear and my butt is still sore from yesterday's workout.
14. I get cellulite.

Well, don't I feel better :) Do you have any of these fitness confessions in common with me? What are some of your fitness secrets?

5 Ways to Increase Productivity and Get More Out of Life

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This year has been a massive growing experience for me. Not only did things start taking off a lot more for this little blog; life took off. I accepted the role of President Elect for my local All Children's Hospital Guild and, subsequently, the chair of our black tie event and co-chair of our fashion luncheon. Business has also taken off and we have big goals with big rewards that take big work over the next year. The hubs is also working on a project that you will hear more about in October and that has really taken both his effort and my own... Along with a whole other massive team of people to make it happen.

That being said, I have had to redo a lot of my usual habits in order to get everything done and stop from going crazy in the process. When I accepted all these roles it really seemed like a nervous breakdown was inevitable. How could I do everything that was expected of me while still having time for family, friends, and all those little but vital things in life? Since May I have mentioned this fear to the hubs a few times. His response was that I have taken on A LOT more than I could usually handle and would either have to change how I do things or be ok with failure/massive stress/a breakdown. Don't you love people who tell it to you straight? I sure do!

Thankfully, that is not where his advice ended- that would be considered the worst thing ever. Below you will find what he recommended I do along with a few things that I have found work for my own life as well.

Make a Weekly, Duplicateable Schedule

Those who work at a job know that they have to get in at a certain time, leave at a certain time, and do a certain amount of work in between. Since my jobs this year will run the gambit of meetings with professionals to volunteering with injured dolphins, I needed something a bit more strategic and defined. This is where the hubs recommended that I make a weekly duplcateable schedule that will include all the areas I need to work at daily along with a few that are not needed all the time.

That is when I came up with this schedule that has me not working later than 7:00 PM and still has two days where I am able to relax- something vital for all of us. There may be some things on it that you don't quite get, but that's ok. The main idea is that I now have more time to spend with family and less stress while I am with them. This is because I know exactly what I have to do and when. Sure, life does not work out as pretty as this calendar, but having a round-about idea is way better that feeling my way around in the dark :)

Keep Your Space Clean... and Pretty!

No matter if it is a notebook or an office, I will not use it if it is not a) organized and b) at least a little pretty. As difficult as it can be, set aside time each week to organize your office and all those things you need in it. Computers, iPads, notebooks, calendars all of it should be kept clean. Because, let's face it, if the stuff we use is not organized, we probably are not either.

Make Graphs, Charts and Reminders- Whatever it Takes!

For me, an organized office also includes bills. I have an Evernote that is updated yearly for the next 12-months. This Evernote has each month along with each bill that is due that month and amounts we want to put into a savings account. Everything has the date due, a reminder set for the week prior to the due date, and a check mark denoting completion. This makes sure that a scatter brain like myself does not end up with late fees for one thing and payments three months ahead on another. It also takes mental energy away from having to worry about bills. When we let other things think of the details for us, it leaves our brain open for the really important stuff.

On That Note...

Finances are not the only thing that I need checklists to keep organized. I recently purchased a notebook for the sole purpose of listing all the must-do's of my day in. Yes, I have a calendar that I [now] update, but that was not enough. I am not going to put a calendar event for "clean the litterbox" or "call that one random person about that one random thing". But, if it is not written down it will either not be done, or I will stress over all the things I need to do that I forgot about. Bad. Instead, I make a list of all the things that must be done tomorrow, today. Then, my heart gets to feel as giddy as a two-year-old with a puppy when each thing begins to get checked off.

For all those that HATE making lists, I get you, completely. It is not my favorite thing either. What is my favorite thing is the lack of stress I have when I know that nothing is slipping through the cracks.

Do Everything with Intention

At the beginning of the year I saw nothing wrong with sitting down and binge watching Netflix or jumping into the internet's black holes for hours on end. It almost felt like I deserved it (gag). Well, once I realized how busy this year was going to be, I came to an understanding that this had to stop. It has been a messy process and one that is still ongoing, but being intentional with everything I do leaves me more time to do the things I really love. Daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly goals help make this happen and keep me on track. It is way harder to binge watch a season of a show when I know what I am working towards and why.

It may sound difficult, but I had to sit down and think about why I really do all the things I do and what was really helping me become the person I wanted to be. Then, I had to take out the things that lead me nowhere and replace them with productive and meaningful daily choices. Nighttime TV was replaced with reading. Online window shopping has become getting things done around the house and listening to things that make me a better person. Facebook/Instagram time has been pushed out and is becoming writing, playing with our cats, or spending time with the hubs.

There are a few other things that I would like to add to this list, but these are the top five that have helped me be more productive. Next week, I may take a closer look at one or two of them, especially the last one since it really is such a broad topic. Hehe, I am sure one or two of you rolled your eyes at the, "everything with intention" bit. I mean really, everything- should we all brush our teeth with intention? Well, let's talk about it next week.

For now, I hope these five things I am doing will help you as well. Or, that you are doing them already and find my list hilariously juvenile. If that is the case, please let me know what you are doing that helps you the most!