Fit Friday Fashion: "Favorite" Spotlight #2

So, I'm not as much of a girly girl as I'd like to be, although I do try. I put together some outfits that result in serious side eye action from my friends, and I like cigars a lot.

Needless to say, I haven't been into following fashion blogs. That is, until I had the privilege of meeting this lovely lady, Nicole Allio, and learned of her fashion blog A Dash of Gold. One of our initial encounters was at an all girls Christmas party, with a grab gift activity where all of the gifts had to be under 5$. This gals gift stole the show, a tube of red lipstick. Similar to that lipstick, A Dash of Gold has become one of the most practical, yet brilliant staples in my life. 

http://www.adashofgold.com/

The posts here, brighten your day with a fun story about a day in the life of this  "DC Transplant" from  SF, and give simple tips on spffiy-ing up yourself, and your life.

For the ladies - this blog, will hit home with you one way or another. It's creative, genuine and you are sure to fall in love with Nicole.
For the gentlemen - this blog may not be that relatable, but is has great tips around the holidays ::cough:: gift ideas ::cough::. You will definitely gain more appreciation for the well dressed ladies in the world and additionally, you are also sure to fall in love with Nicole. (Sorry, she's taken.)

What I appreciate most about A Dash of Gold is that the ideas, tips and outfits are all DO-ABLE. Even for the average, not so girly girl and for anyone on a budget. Nicole has a life, a great one, a busy one, beyond her blog, and she shares how she lives it in style. The fact that living, is not living if you're not doing so fashionably radiates throughout this blog. 

For this weeks Fit Fashion Friday, I am elated to spotlight my girl friend's fantastic work with A Dash of Gold! 

If you've been following along with La Too Fit and enjoying it, join me in thanking Nicole for inspiring me to get it going! She put the "blog bug" in my ear & I couldn't be happier to have such a fantastic blogger role model, and soon to be running buddy!

#TOTS2014

If you think this is going to be a post about how I'm going to eat clean/healthy at my first Taste of the South (TOTS), you're wrong. I'm sorry I'm not sorry, not even a little.

Saturday night I will be going to my first Taste of the South gala here in D.C. I have a handsome date and a pretty dress, and I'm very excited. For those of you who don't know about TOTS (I did not until I moved here), I will share my impression.
I frequently hear how Southerners always find reasons to get dolled up and throw extravagant parties where guests indulge in delicious food and toast to their good fortune. 
That is precisely what I envision for TOTS. Started by a few Southerners who wanted to share a taste of their culture, this event has been a long-standing tradition in D.C... Since its debut in 1982, TOTS has become a "must go"  event. All proceeds go to a different spotlight Southern charity, and then to a selected charity from each of the featured states.
All of the 13 Southern states select a few of theirfamous signature dishes that signify their own unique "taste." I am too excited to try things like parmesan grits from Georgia and jambalaya from Louisiana, and to have my new favorite sweet, Goo Goo Clusters from Tennessee. I haven't been eyeing the menu or anything.Additionally, in Southern style, it is a black-tie occasion with open bar. This will certainly be an experience, and one for a great cause!If you haven't gathered this so far, I will come right out and say it now: Saturday night I will be "cheating!" I've accepted and embraced that fact from the moment we got tickets. Let me get a few things straight:

• No, I'm not going to be shoveling food in my mouth as if I've never eaten before.
• Yes, I am going to try out and enjoy a lot of (unclean) food I wouldn't on a regular basis.
• And yes, if it comes up in conversation while I'm eating fried catfish, folks may find it ironic that I have a fitness/lifestyle blog.

My point is, if an interesting event or opportunity comes along that you're feeling inclined to do and the only thing  holding you back is your diet...then you have nothing holding you back. There are "cheats" we canschedule and should. What is life without a little indulgence? Indulgence is made even better when you've maintained a steady level of discipline with yourself. It's okay to loosen the reigns every now and then, knowing that you'll crack the whip back before it gets out of control. 
A huge part of maintaining a “Too Fit” life style is creating a balance between the days you walk by those cupcakes in the office kitchen, and the nights you eat pizza & mozzarella sticks for dinner. The balance isn't an even one. We know we need the first instance to happen more than the second, but the fact is we can't appreciate one (fully) without the other.
"Cheats" should be both spontaneous and scheduled. Don't say, "On Saturdays every week, I will cheat." A) You're going to likely binge, and B) You could not have an occasion to "cheat" on that specific day, and then it’s not worth it. The combination of both A) and B) bring me to the most important point: C) It's not sustainable.

Work in, and work around the cheats in your diet to best fit your lifestyle. T-minus 3 days until my #TOTS2014 cheat! Ya'll stay tuned for pics & food reviews!

Fit Fashion Friday: Dress for the Occasion

There is no doubt about it, we feel ten times better about ourselves when we are dressed well, for any and every endeavor.

Females usually rate 50% of their Saturday night on how pleased they are with their outfit. And there are males who get so excited about buying a new business suit; you'd think it actually did business for them. 

Being well dressed affects us both mentally and physically. Mentally, because you think you look good, and physically because well, you DO look good.

We know this, and we adhere to it. 

• We wouldn't go to a formal event in jeans.
• We know that the "That's What She Said" graphic t-shirt is not appropriate for church. 
• When it's cold outside, we bundle up.
• Bathing suits belong at the beach or poolside. 

These are some absolutes. However, there are 2 of my favorite clothing categories that overlap, and it drives me crazy. 

Pajamas and gym clothes are DIFFERENT.

Yes, I get that we've accumulated a hundred free t-shirt's from college, work and relatives. I also understand that spending money on clothes you're just going to get sweaty in, is difficult to wrap your head around. BUT, how do you expect to feel motivated working out in something you snooze in? At the gym, we're supposed to be active and there are some days we are more inspired to do so. Inspiration or energy boosts of any kind make a difference in your workout, or even with just getting you to the gym!

Don't ditch all of the free tees, but donate a chunk of them - you're not as attached as you think, and those freebies can do a lot more good for someone else than you may even realize. Reserve some of the ones you keep as strictly PJ's, everyone should have strictly PJ's. I know, I do!

Reserving these  for chill/bedtime will add to their value and the "Ahhh" feeling you get when you toss it on after a long day will be that much better. The ONLY thing you should do when wearing PJ's is rest, or drink wine and/or beer. 

Then, go out and buy some workout clothes that you're excited to rock. There's a wide array of styles and gear

to choose from; I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. I am confident the price points won't disappoint either; even our beloved Target has some awesome activewear.  When you put something on, and your first thought is how great you'll look doing your favorite exercise, PURCHASE IMMEDIATELY, and go exceed your already high expectations!

The point here is this: the gym and working out should be treated as an occasion. One which we gear up for, mentally, physically and fashionably!

You'll see the improvement in your outlook on working out as well as an improvement in how you look doing so!

Happy Fit Fashion Friday!

"If you fall on your face, you're doing it correctly!"

Low and behold, I was. After holding a pose for about 5 seconds, I face planted onto the yoga mat and the instructor said, "Lauren, thats perfect!" Once I peeled my cheek off the mat, I shot him a look that said "that freaking hurt you @ss, why did you have me do that!?"

My face, and my ego hurt for a minute, and it may have been the impact of my face hitting the yoga may that jumbled my brain to my conclusion today. The yoga teachers instruction can, and should be applied to every aspect of our lives.

As a little kid, you could tell me that something great could come from running through a brick wall, and risk vs. reward aside, I would go for it. There was nothing I couldn't/wouldn't do. Even make a mad dash onto the Patriots practice field after training camp to get Pete Carroll's autograph cause Dad told me to. The mad dash was very short by 3 police officers who started for this ambitious 6 year old, yelling "you can't do that!). Horrified, I made an immediate U-turn, my eyes filled up with tears, and I pushed my Dad, who was on one knee with his arms open for a hug. (Oh, hell no.) I think I gave him a fiercer look than I did the yoga instructor. I also refused to speak with him the whole way home, to save my energy to spill my guts to Mom about what Dad made me do!

Despite little and larger instances, I maintained this drive as I grew up, almost as if I couldn't help it. Literally and metaphorically speaking, I've fallen on my face more than once and have hit more than a few brick walls. The face plants hurt, but peeling your face off the ground is a big "screw you" to whatever/whoever put you there.  The brick walls hit hard but the ones that you do barrel through, have better things than you could've ever imagined, on the other side.

Giving it your all, and trying your best are conventional and inspiring notions we all believe in. But how we turn this belief into actual action, is where life changes.

As grown ups, we have more battle scars than a 6 year old and from those we get our reservations. Reservations that remove the justification of risk for our own "protection". They keep us from going on a big job interviews, cause we're comfortable at work, or from taking our relationships to the next level cause you don't want to get hurt/mess it up. Reservations even keep us from trying a new activity cause you might just look a little silly.

It doesn't sound like protection does it? No, it sounds outright inhibiting. But even those with the most drive, can catch themselves stuck entertaining reservations when making decisions. I know of a handful of friends, and myself personally have been here, recently too. I have, we have, once started the sprint through the brick wall, plowed it over or went SPLAT. We've even face planted, but guess what, we're all still here.

Our battle scars should remind us of how tough we are, and the people who keep us that way. Hold onto your 6 year old self, anytime you can and remember that your drive was there before your reservations. It's what has made who you are today.

If you've been heart broken, you've loved someone the right way. If you've been disappointed by not getting a job or not making some team, you've pushed yourself the right way. And if you're ever remotely vulnerable, you're living the right way.

And today, if you're not trying to run through those brick walls and picking yourself up after a few face plants, you're just not doing it correctly. 

Change it.

Fit Fashion Friday: Funky Printed Pants On Too Fit Double Duty

Gym clothes in public?! And on purpose?!...Yep!!

So call me crazy here, and I will call you wrong. Keep reading.

I've been on a bit of a workout gear/clothing kick recently. I think it's important to feel Too Fit in your workout clothes, for both comfort and confidence (more on that to come.) In doing so, I've come across some funky print pants that I love pulling double duty with. Whether I'm on the mat, the fitness floor or out on the town, I rock these unique pants for some extra flare!

I will note, this is tricky. I have a pet peeve for workout clothes where they don't belong, I think it's tacky and inappropriate. My standards are, if I'm going somewhere I wouldn't feel comfortable wearing leggings (dressed up or down), any kind of workout piece in my outfit is a no go. I feel like I've conquered some internal obstacle here by finding multifunctional pieces.

There are fashionable finds in activewear that can definitely work Too Fit double duty on turning heads, and do! I wore both of these pairs for separate fitness and social occasions, and received a ton of compliments in both instances. A gay stranger even pulled me aside to tell me, "Your pants are stunning!" If I wasn't already totally sold on wearing these in public, that sealed the deal. The gap between strictly active and social wear is being bridged, and this thrills me.

Gigantic thank you to my Kait & my Nick for photos! Although they're both be accustomed to the the whole "Can you take my picture" thing long before this blog.

Both pairs are from my favorite activewear line: Zweet Sport (Obsessed)

And here is another place you can find funky pants to put on Too Fit double duty!

Happy Fit Fashion Friday All!

Marine Corps Historic Half: Fredericksburg, VA May 18th

Yup, I'm doing that.

Call me crazy, and I will agree with you 100%. 

• Yes, I do call myself out for not being good at running. 
• Yes, a Half Marathon is twice as long as my last "big" race (6.2 miles vs. 13.1 miles).
• And Yes, I am nervous. Hell yes.

I have about 2 months to get training and in the running shape I want to be. I could (probably) finish the race now, but I want to enjoy it and the experience of training for it. I haven't been on my running game recently, so it's time to get back on it and up my distance runs, thinking of starting small & working my way up. I am convinced this is doable.

What makes me even more convinced is seeing and hearing about other Rookie runners signing up for their first races ever. I did my Dad's first race with him last week,an 80s themed, retro run, 5k and he did AWESOME. When I finished, I turned around to go run what he had left of the race with him. He said he knew I was coming back for him about 10seconds before I did, and there I was! It was SO cool to see him cross his first finish line! #ProudDaughter

Also, my gal-pal and fabulous fashion blogger Nicole signed up for her first race, a 10k! It seems I am hearing of other rookies signing up for races of various distances left and right. Starting out running and entering races can be intimidating, for even the most fit-crazy and extroverted person (Hi!) Props to them. I'm inspired.

There are lots of different avenues for support for us rookie runners out there! First off, start with the people in your circle. Someone runs, even a little, or knows someone who does. Let them coach you! And, the online/social community is HUGE for this and has a lot geared to newbies. For instance, this week @RunnersWorld is doing #RWNewbieWeek - geared to newbie runners, featuring tips for starting out, inspiring stories and fun facts about running. Check it out!

You really do anything you set your Too Fit mind to. If running is one of those things, rock on! I will see you at the finish line!

PS- If anyone would like to join me in running the Half Marathon on May 18th let me know & we can start a "Too Fit" team! Race info here.

I am not good at running, keeping my hip down in Yoga, and Math...

Just how bad am I at all of these things? Well...

Running - Did I have you fooled with my big 10k race? For the simple fact that a 10k (6.2 miles) is not all that "big" of a race, I'd guess no. However, this race, and running in general, was a challenge for me. I've always been more of a sprinter (in every aspect of life, really) and trying to adjust my pace for longer distances was tricky. Also, my form still needs work, and it takes almost a frustrating amount of time to find my groove. But I'm trying.

"Lauren, get that hip down." I hear that at least twice in every yoga class I take - usually when I think I'm doing a really good job of  dropping my hip, too. NOPE. From years of dancing, I have quite an unruly turnout that needs to be reversed to do my favorite poses properly. My instructor will come place me in the correct position, and I swear my heart rate doubles trying to keep myself there. But dammit, I'm trying.

"How do I calculate a percentage?"  Seriously, I had to ask one of my girlfriends this question yesterday. I know there are easy ways to do it automatically on my iPhone or online, but really I should KNOW how to do this. To say I've never been good at math is an understatement. I've always been horrible at it. Not for lack of trying, though. Extra credit and extra help were my saving graces. I noted the percentage equation, so next time I can do it on my own. Seven years after passing high school algebra by the skin of my teeth, and still, I'm trying.

When I told my girlfriend that I was embarrassed that I didn't know how to calculate percentage off the top of my head, she told me not to feel bad. She admitted she sometimes confuses "passed" with "past,” and that made me laugh and feel a little better. My girlfriend made a great point in our discussion: "Everyone has different strengths."

This is something that is blatantly obvious in our world, but not so much appreciated. All too frequently we settle into the little things we're good at doing and leave the things that are difficult to others who can do them more easily. NOTE: I said we settle into the little things we're good at doing. Many of us, myself included, have used our own different strengths to conquer life-changing challenges. Yet, when it comes to something small that we haven't improved upon so quickly as we'd like, we tend to throw in the towel. Whether that’s a new type of workout or a new hobby or skill, our excuses begin with, "I've never been good at it," or "I've never liked", and that sets our tone. It's ironic that with all the tough stuff we overcome, we find it easy to disregard the smaller challenges of doing something that has remained difficult and unknown.

It's not always the case, but it should be the case a whole lot less! We need to focus on embracing things we either don’t do, or simply don’t do well. Conquering mini challenges (like the ones I listed above) can give you a profound sense of satisfaction. It allows you to get into your own mind and to surprise yourself. Everyone has his/her own strengths, and we embrace them. Everyone has his/her own weaknesses as well, and they don't need to be buried behind pride. The process of self-improvement is rewarding and should be continuous. 

Start doing the small things you don’t do well -in fitness, in your relationships and in your job. Savor the satisfaction when you see and feel improvement. Enjoy the ride and the process of self-improvement. It's neither always easy nor always "fun," but it is interesting, rewarding and most of all, "Too Fit."