Like the pet parent that I am, I checked Yelp for dog friendliness, and their website for trail paths, leash limits, etc. just to make sure. (I know. I'm weird. lol.) I don't wanna get into trouble with a park ranger or something. 

In my workout backpack, I packed water for me, water for Simba, a face towel, poop bags (cuz you never know), a small ziploc of chewy treats, and my car key remote. I like to travel as light as I can but trying to make sure I have the essentials. 

My goal was to do three miles. We've always gone for two or just a little over but I wanted to push us a little harder. So thanks to the RunKeeper app, I can keep track of my miles. Here's our route:

...and I was like whoa. Okay, I get it. So, I started working out. I started wogging (walk-jogging) on the treadmill, doing beginner yoga, and weightlifting.

In October of last year, the first mile I wogged (I don't say run, because I couldn't at the time), my time was around 17 minutes and I was not happy. So, I worked on it. I hated the time on the treadmill so I would cover it with my face towel and just listen to music. I would run (or wog) at least a mile until I got to 15 minutes. Then I started to run/wog 2 miles until I got it to be under 30 minutes. Then, I went back to focus on my mile time. To cut it short, on Christmas morning, I ran a mile in 10 minutes and 10 seconds. That goal took three months.

In November, on top of running a mile or two on my cardio days, I started kickboxing. For a month and a half, two to three times a week, I worked with a personal trainer at 5:30am for 45 minutes to an hour. Let me tell you, that is no joke! I would come out of that workout dripping in sweat, but I absolutely loved it.

In the past couple months, I've been trying to find what makes me happy and motivated to keep me going. I found that I get bored easily so I always have to switch it up, which, at the end of the day, works out for my muscles anyway. Now, I'm starting to weight train, while still running a mile or two.

I'm not a pro. I'm not some self-proclaimed guru. I'm just someone who is doing their best to work on myself and welcomes everyone who wants to go for it as well. It's been a long journey for me and I'm still learning. I'm reading a lot of articles, doing a lot of research, and looking up circuits that I can incorporate to my routine.

The one thing that I learned (and am still learning) is that you have to find something that you love to do. If it's dance & zumba, walking with friends, weightlifting, crossfit, or running. Just experiment until you find your niche. When you find your groove, it's becomes a healthy and freeing experience.

Call me crazy, but now, I actually love working out. I don't love getting up at 5:15am to do it, but I love how it makes you feel. I love that good-sore feeling. I love entering my workout on my app and feeling accomplished. I love feeling good about myself again. And that's worth it.

So here's to progress, health, and working on being the best version of yourself. Here's to working on our fitness!

Go on with yo bad self.
-Gardenia Rose

Just like a lot of women in America, I love Victoria's Secret. But like all women, we walk in the store and we're like...

There's so many things!

...but then you realize you can't buy everything.

 So you start looking at one bra after another...

and then you're just confused.

Hopefully, this can help solve that.

:)

First, know your body. I understand how cliche that sounds, but you must. If you're about to start your period or on it, you probably shouldn't shop for a bra right now. Your breasts may get a little bit bigger when you're PMSing or on your period... depending on your body. With that, know if you've lost or gained weight. Chances are, you may have went down or up on your band size.

If that last part is all jargon to you, see a VS consultant. Most women wear the wrong bra size so it's important to get measured every now and then. Go to the dressing room and ask to get measured. Measuring on your own is pretty easy (see here for instructions), but if you don't have a measuring tape or think it's too much of a hassle, go into the store to ask for help. (There's no shame in it. They've probably measured many others prior to yours.)

Once you've gotten your accurate size, here's some suggestions to the VS bras that I love! (All the bras recommended, I actually have and use. Also, the photos and headlines are linked for your convenience. You're welcome!)

For everyday: These are my absolute favorites! They're so comfortable and lovely. It's the perfect home for your blessings. The offer the support you need without peeking through on the colder days. They're great for all day wear and come in lots of colors!

For your fitness: Both of these styles are fairly new, but I'm absolutely in love. Especially when I'm running, it keeps everything in there. I'm such an advocate for maximum support because it prevents future saginess & that's important! lol. These bad boys keep everything together so you can focus on being a beast in the gym, while still looking like a beauty.

The Incredible Strappy-Back Sport Bra

For your glam nights: Every girl needs a bra that she feels absolutely gorgeous in. I chose two very different kinds of "date night" bras depending on the need. The multi-way is exactly that. It's a convertible bra that can fit numerous ways. On the other hand, the bombshell bra adds two cups for an extra lift with a silk-like feel.




So there you have it! Do you have any faves that I didn't list? Let me know! Hopefully this helps declutter the crazyness that happens in your mind when you walk into VS.

-Gardenia Rose

Anna Kendrick's On the Steps of the Palace for Into the Woods

As you've already read, one of my must-see films this holiday season is Into the Woods. While waiting in anticipation, Disney has released a few tracks from their upcoming film that are to die for. Among them is Ana Kendrick's On the Steps of the Palace. I am just amazed at her vocal capabilities because it's SO different from Pitch Perfect. Her articulation and princess-like musical-esque way of singing is just so good that I am just in awe. So excited for this film to come out! Enjoy the track of Miss Kendrick aka Cinderella in all her princessy vocals here or below.

Tarte's Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Full Coverage Foundation with SPF 15

Source: sephora.com

So my foundation was starting to run out and wanted to get away from purchasing MAC items that weren't exactly healthy for my skin. I talked to my brother's girlfriend, Karla, and she recommended this to me. It's full coverage and has SPF, which I'm all about, so I decided to invest in it. It's not exactly the cheapest (it's $38) and it looks tiny, but it is worth it. When she told me "a little goes a long way," she wasn't kidding. I literally need a few dots to gently squeeze out to cover my whole face. It has no parabens, sulfates, synthetic fragrances, petrochemicals, phthalates, GMOs, and triclosan. Tarte is also cruelty-free so that's a plus for my dog-loving self. They say this foundation is "skin smart," so even if you're a combination or oily, it works with your skin to keep your complexion balanced. I've only had it for a week and I absolutely love it. For a 12-hour wear, it's pretty light, so it doesn't feel like you have gunk on your face. In my book, it's definitely worth the splurge.

Bite Beauty Matte Creme Lip Crayon in Aubergine

Source: sephora.com

I bought this on a whim and I am in love. The full size is $24, but there's a cute tiny one for $12, which is what I got. It's a bright eggplant color and very creamy. I love that it goes on matte, but it doesn't dry out. Since it's a crayon, I didn't even need a lip pencil, which works out great since I like to do my makeup on the go! Love this. I would totally get it as a stocking stuffer for a fierce lip friend!

Beats by Dre Powerbeats2

Source: bestbuy.com

My husband bought this for me for my birthday because I saw it and I wanted it immediately. When I'm working out or walking Simba, it's really annoying to have that extra string for my headphones. Having that factor eliminated makes me feel so free and it's so convenient! I swear it shaved a minute off of my mile time because it's one less thing to worry about! lol. I'm no fitness guru or anything like that, but thank God for wireless headphones. They keep my music blasting so I can keep my head in the game. (I hate getting distracted when I'm working out.) They come in lots of different colors, but obviously I opted for the pink one. They connect pretty easily with the iPhone and comes is a cute little case with it's charging cord. It says you can get six hours of wireless play, but I usually plug it in after three uses. A battery gauge pops up next to your bluetooth icon when it's connected to let you know how much or little batter you have left. I love working out with it. It's so freeing! For headphones, they're not cheap (it was $180 when I bought it, but I think it's $200 now), but worth it IF you use it enough.

Source: write-brained.com