Fitness Friday: Favorite Websites and New Program

Oooh Fitness Friday it has been a while!!

 

So today I wanted to go over my go to fitness websites.

 

I donno about you guys but I enjoy sticking to preplanned workouts or programs.

I never go into the gym without one.

I feel like they make me more accountable for each day and I am not in there wasting my time.

 

So my top three websites for grabbing workouts are.....

 

1. Fitness Rx- a website (and also a magazine) dedicated to training and nutrition for women.

I love this website (and the magazine which I recently subsribed too) because they will have print and go workouts. They will breakdown each day, each exercise, and they are super motivational too.

Be sure to check this site out, their recipes are pretty delicious too!!

 

2. Bodyrock.Tv aka The Daily HIIT- I cannot rave enough about how great this site is for short workouts that will kick your ass!! Basically they provide you free workouts that you can do at home or take to the gym (which I do). I am still getting use to the new site but I have always loved Lisa and Freddy!!!

 

3. Bodybuilding.com- I recently fell in love this site as I stumbled acrossed it on the internet. My girl crush Jamie Eason (don't judge me shes fantastic!!!) promotes different series on the website so of course I was in! The website is great and jam packed full of information, including workouts, supplements, calculators to see how much calories or proteins you should be intaking....

All and all a great site.

 

 

 

So I decided I am going to begin Jamie Eason's LiveFit Series on Bodybuilding.com. Basically its a 12 week program broken down into three phases and assists you in monitoring what you should be eating and supplementing. i really need to get back into a program to monitor my eating and really enjoy a healthy lifestyle.

Especially since I will be traveling more for work I need to monitor myself better you know?!

 

I will be preparing my meals for the week on Sunday, would you guys be interested in seeing me pack all my meals for the week?

 

 What are your favorite places to get workouts or health advice??

 

Love Always xoxo, Steph

Moment of Clarity

I donno about you guys, but when I get down, I get down.

But hey thats apart of life!

 Life is full of obstacles that can change they way we act and feel sometimes.

But what matters most is picking ourselves up, dusting ourselves off and moving forward.

 

To be honest I have been in a little bit of a rut lately.

I have been tired, sick, and well lazy.

I have been letting myself and my home go lately and its driving me insane!!!

 

Because I was sick I was unable to workout, feel pretty, or clean my house.

I feel like everytime my boyfriend sees me I am down and out looking like a bum lol

Does this stuff devastate you the way it does me??

 

But rather than complain anymore than I have...

I woke up this morning and said "Alright lets do this!"

 

I might get mopey and down sometimes but that moment of clarity

when you tell yourself if you wanna change it YOU gotta do it!

 

And so I am.

 

What do I wanna do you may ask?

 

Nothing well too drastic...But here are somethings on my list

 

I love this look from Nars

 

I am going to buy new makeup, get my makeup done and get a fresh new look.

Its little things girlie things like this that need into my next topic..

 

 

I am going to make more ME time.

I want to pamper myself more and feel pretty and sexy 

(This does include working out lol)

and maybe buying some new unmentionables ;)

 

I am going to start redecorating my home.

And this includes cleaning the hell out of it!!!

I have already been searching for a new couch (preferably a sectional) and the bf will soon be remodeling my bathroom and bedroom so I should start buying things for that. We decided on a Tiffany color for the bed and bathroom so I should start getting together my ideas.

 

You know when I first started writing down these things I wanted to accomplish as I want...

after I finished writing them down I looked and thought to myself "I want?"

scratch that "I am..." I am going to do these things.

 

Do you ever do this?

How do you get out of your ruts?

I would love to hear about what you guys do to pick back up.

 

Love always xoxo, Steph

 

Lets Talk: Acne part 2

Hellooo my loves!!

I can't believe this is my first post in the new year!

Trust me, I have already gotten my hand slapped for not blogging lol

 

Okay so I know many of you wanted a full review of the Clinique Acne Solutions line and here it is!!

And the question on every ones mind.... Hows my skin??!!

Well drum roll please......

 

My skin is CLEAR, ya that's right CLEAR.

(Well I do have one spot... but hey its that time of month and it doesn't count okay lol)

I cannot believe how well these products worked on my skin.

 I couldn't be happier with this line and will definitely repurchase in the future.

Okay each product in details....

Cleanser: I originally used the foaming face wash and hated it. It never felt like a deep clean using the foam. It claims to remove makeup (which I always remove before washing anyways) and even with these "properties" it just didn't work for me. Not to mention the foam was a waste of money!! I went through it so fast, not even a month and it was gone... I was like umm oh heck no!!

 

I went to Clinique and told them I hated it.. and then they introduced me to the love of my life...

The cleansing bar... this bar goes!!! It even comes in a cute little case to keep it safe from bacteria and water getting on it if your in the shower. I love this bar!! It gets deep down in my pores and I can lather up as much foam as I want without worrying I'll run out. I have had the bar for about a month and haven't even made a dent. I expect this to last for a long time.

The clarifying lotion aka toner..... hands down the best toner I have ever used and I am a toner whore. No really I probably have 5 different brands in my bathroom that I barely used. I could tell a difference in my skin right away after I started using this. It cleans my face and gets rid of all the oil without stripping or drying out my face. When I did have little bumps I would put a little extra of this on those spots and they would dry out in no time. Its like a little miracle worker!!

 

Moisturizer Dramatically Different Lotion.... Best moisturizer I have ever used. This little bad boy has won all kinds of awards and I am sure everyone has heard of this stuff. Since my face is dry combination I didn't get the acne solutions moisturizer in fear it would dry out my face. I love this stuff, I never feel greasy or look oily. For a lotion its pretty lightweight but gets the job done.

 

So its official I am in love! I have never seen my skin so clear, it really has been years.

I hope you guys enjoyed the review.

Please feel free to leave me questions in the comments section below!!

 

Love always xoxo, Steph

Holiday Tag

Can you believe there is only two weeks left till Christmas?!! Omgosh I really need to start shopping, especially since this year my family is celebrating this weekend! But luckily my family does the secret Santa (we pick one person to shop for that year) so I really only need to go get my person something. You might be asking why are you celebrating so early? Well a couple months ago the bf and I booked our trip for Christmas in…. Disneyland!! Omgosh I couldn’t be more excited to go. And to think next weekend we will be headed down!

 

We set up our Christmas tree on Sunday isn’t she pretty??! We always have a themed tree for the last couple years we have done red and gold, this year we decided to go with blue and silver.

I decided to do a quick holiday tag because... well I thought it would be fun!!

 

TAG questions:

1.Whats Your Favorite Holiday Movie?

Christmas Vacation, I watch it every year on Chirstmas Day in my pjs its my favorite holiday tradition

2. Whats Your Favorite Christmas Color?

I love the combination of red and gold

3. Do You Like To Stay in Your PJs Or Dress Up For Christmas?

I usually dress up on Christmas Eve and stay in my pjs on Christmas

4. If You Could Only Buy One Person a Present This Year Who Would It Be?

My Mom. I plan on buying her the Quentin Tuerintino box set

5. Do You Open Your Present Christmas Eve Or Christmas Morning?

Christmas Eve

6. Have You Ever Built a Ginger Bread House?

Of course!

7. What Do You Like To Do On Your Christmas Break?

I just want to relax and spend time with my family and friends

8. Any Christmas Wishes?

All my wishes are coming true J

9. Favorite Christmas Smell?

Those candles that smell like Christmas cookies yummmm!!!

10. Favorite Christmas Meal Or Treat?

Pizza and beer!! That’s right, its quick, easy and stress free!!!

11) Which holiday do you celebrate?

Basically all of them

12) What are you doing for the holidays this year?

We are going to Disneyland J

13) What's your favorite holiday drink?

Ummm idk wine?! and mimosas in the morning

14) Candy cane or Gingerbread men

Strawberry candy canes are delicious! But I am not a huge fan of either one!

15) What's your favorite holiday/Christmas song?

Jingle Bell Rock.. I always think about Mean Girls when I hear it lol

16) What's the weirdest gift you've ever received?

I’ll share a tradition my bf and I do EVERY year… we always buy each other new socks for stocking stuffers lol

17) Have you ever made a snowman?

Yea but not since I was a kid, I really need to add some snow to my life!

18) What is your favorite winter fragrance?

Like perfume? Or scent?? I use the same perfume year round, but I like vanilla or warmer body wash scent in winter

19) What is at the top of your list this Christmas? (or whichever holiday you celebrate!)

Honestly I really don’t ask for anything… and don’t really have a wish list. I do really want a Keurig that would be pretty wonderful!

20) What is most important to you about the holidays?

Spending time with my family and counting my blessings. Christmas is especially important to me and the bf it is kind of a long story (save it for a blog post)... but lets put it this way it is truly a blessing to be a part of each other’s lives and it really brought us together.

 

What are some of your holiday traditions? Be sure to let me know if you do this tag, I would love to see your answers!!

 

Love Always xoxo, Steph

Lets Talk: Acne

Acne… ughh the dreaded word!! And whats even worse than that… adult acne.

Its like so wait… your telling me, even after surviving high school and all those crazy hormones.. I am having acne as an adult?? Wtheck?!!

I was blessed throughout my teenage years of having clear skin. It wasn’t until I hit my twenties I started battling with acne. It was the weirdest thing, it was like one day my skin thought it would be fun to switch it up!!

I have dry combination skin, which basically means my face is pretty dry, except my t-zone I tend to get a little oily throughout the day. The problem with having dry skin and acne is it’s a vicious cycle… let me explain

When you have dry skin, your skin wants to produce more oil to keep hydrated.

Okay go on…

But most acne products out there are developed for oily skinned people to dry out the oil that causes acne.

Still with me?

But when dry skinned people use acne products that dry their skin out even more, the skin reacts by creating more oil that….

Causes more acne!!!

Welcome to my life. I constantly have to struggle with finding the right products that will work for my skin type.

I recently decided to go back to Clinique and try their three step system. I went to my local Clinique counter to see what they recommended for my skin. The girls working there were WONDERFUL and I couldn’t believe I had three girls (including a manager) trying to figure out what exactly I needed to clear my skin up.

 

After much debate we decided to go with the Acne Solutions foaming cleanser, toner, and the dramatically different moisturizing lotion for my three step system (I didnt get the acne solutions mositurizer because I was worried it would dry me out). I use system twice a day, once in the morning and again in the evening.

My results so far….
I have been using the system for about three weeks now and am starting to see some changes.
 Within the first week it dried out some small bumps I had on my chin area (which is where I mainly break out). But on my second week I started to experience some really bad spots, which I am assuming is from cleaning deep down in my pores and getting all that nasty out!! I do have to say the toner is working wonders, especially by drying everything out without over drying my skin. This week my skin is looking much clearer, and all those bad spots have calmed down.

I will do a thorough review of each of these products in about a month or so. I want to give my skin a chance to see how these products work for me and my skin.

Then I will be able to tell you what wokred for me and what ended up being thrown out the car window!! JK
 

Love always, Steph

 

Confession: Why Can't We Be Friends?

 

 Hi I am Stephanie, I am 23 and I don't really have any friends. This post actually took some time for me to write just because admitting you don’t have any friends is pretty rough like yeah…. Who doesn’t have friends? Well me.

 

I’ll admit I do have a handful… some close and some very far away. And the crazy thing is I am closer to my bestie on the other end of the U.S than I am with the one I had here... It seems as I have gotten older the relationships change, and the people I considered my best friends are no longer around. Life grabs a hold and priorities and interests change along with the relationship. It is really pretty sad. I am left with this empty feeling of having no one to talk to.

Don’t get it twisted though my boyfriend is seriously my best friend and I couldn’t ask for a better partner. We tell each other everything and he knows me better than I know myself! He has always been my shoulder to lean on and has always been supportive of me no matter what the situation.

But wanting girlfriends is different… I have always longed for a close knit group of girlfriends that shared the same ambition as me, that go out shopping, have drinks, and share secrets with. You know like sex and the city? Hahaha but really…

So I am on the hunt to meet new friends… But it is seriously no joke!! Meeting other women to become friends with is kinda hard! Like striking up a conversation with a complete stranger and not coming off as creepy?

Lol omgosh please tell me some of you know what I am talking about and I am not weirdo!!

I decided to join Meetup.com it is basically a web site dedicated to different types of groups that well... meet up lol I had been looking to join a women’s group to meet some people with similar interests as me and stumbled across what seems like a good one in my area. Tonight is my first one… YIKES I am so nervous and not really sure what to expect. I am hoping that the happy hour drink specials will help ;) Not to mention nobody knows each other so we’ll all be on the same level!!

Wish me luck tonight as this is totally out of my comfort zone, but maybe its time to try something new?

Have you guys experienced losing friends? Struggles making new ones? Tell me about your experiences !!

Also here is a sneek peek of what I am wearing tonight...

 Jacket by Jack and Tank from Target

Love always xoxo, Steph

Get to Know Me Tag

Hey Loves!!!

 

So since I decided to get a little more personal on my blog… I thought why not do a Get to Know Me Tag? This way you guys can learn some random fun facts about me! I would love to see yours so be sure to tag me if you decided to hop on the bandwagon!! Enjoy xoxo

1. Are you named after anyone?

Yes I am!! I am named after the singer Stevie Nicks, my mom calls me Stevie J

2. When was the last time you cried?

Hmmm a couple weeks ago, I was watching the Walking Dead (lol yes I cried) when Rick found out his wife died during child birth.

3. Do you have kids?

Nope, just my dog J

4. If you were another person, would you be a friend of yourself?

Heck ya I would!!

5. Do you use sarcasm a lot?

Ummm no? Just all the time! I actually have to tone myself down with new people because I always come off as a bitch when I am just being funny!!

6. Will you ever bungee-jump?

Hmmm honestly probably not just because I would be worried I’d break my back or something. Jumping out of a plane yes… cable tying me to a bridge probably not lol

7. What's your favorite cereal?

I actually don’t like cereal… I’m a weirdo I know lol but I do enjoy hot cereals does that count?

8. What's the first thing you notice about people?

Body language, eyes, face, outfit. I am actually really good at reading people; I like to observe people how they walk, talk, act.

9. What is your eye color?

Blue sometimes grey.

10. Scary movie or happy endings?

Scary movies all the way J I love anything spooky!!

11. Favorite smells?

Marc Jacobs Daisy (my signature scent), flowers, Old Spice anything and a couple weird ones… bleach and gasoline!

12. Summer or winter?

This is actually I tough one because I love fall and spring… but if I had to choose… Winter just because I love the fashion.

13. Computer or television?

Television and the reason for this is I am on the computer 24/7 and I enjoy catching up on my shows.

14. What's the furthest you've ever been from home?

I have never left the U.S. so I guess Hawaii?

15. Do you have any special talents?

This is probably the hardest questions!! I did a tag a while back and said video games, lets go with that J

16. Where were you born?

Texas.

17. What are your hobbies?

Exercising, watching TV shows, shopping way too much, blogging, spending time with the bf and dog.

18. Do you have any pets?

Yes I do

19. Favorite movie?

I have so many its not even funny but probably True Romance and Anchorman.

20. Do you have any siblings?

No I am and only child.

21. What do you want to be when you grow up?

Successful! Professionally and personally :)

 

Love Always xoxo, Steph