Wellcoin Review: Earning money to live healthy

January 12, 2016January 12, 20166 Comments

Disclaimer: I am a Wellcoin Ambassador, but I was not paid to write this post. I just love the app and think you will, too!

As I mentioned a few weeks ago, I’m so excited to be a Wellcoin Ambassador. If you’re new to Wellcoin, let me give you a little background by saying that it’s a really awesome app that encourages healthy living. And no, this doesn’t just mean working out. Healthy living can mean something different to everyone and can vary by day and time. Remember when I wrote this post where I talked about all the different ways I can be healthy? Not all of them are healthy in the sense of “eating your greens and working out”, but they are healthy in the sense of being what your mind or body needs. Healthy is all about balance and sometimes that means working out and eating well, but other times it might mean skipping a workout in favor of having wine, snacks and girl time, which is precisely what this app rewards you for.

Wondering what they reward you with? Coins! And what do those coins get you? I’m so glad you asked! The coins get you all sorts of fun things, ranging from Whole Foods gift cards to classes at local fitness studios, to gift certificates to a local sporting good/fitness store to discounts at massage offices… the list goes on and on!

And, the best part is that there are so many ways to earn earn through the Wellcoin app! I’ve been using Wellcoin for about a month and I still feel like I’m just scratching the surface with regards to using all of the different coin categories.

Here are some examples of ways you can earn coins:

Working out (resistance training, fitness class, running, etc.)
Sleeping 7+ hours a night (verified by FitBit)
Counting your steps (verified by FitBit)
Eating a healthy breakfast, lunch, snack or dinner
Choosing a healthy beverage
Choosing an unhealthy beverage
Doing something fun
Clean the house
Going to a fundraiser
Yearly doctors appointments
Taking the stairs
Parking far away
Donating
Giving blood

See? I told you it was so easy to earn coins. I just realized that I am at over 14K, which means I should probably start cashing them in!

Another thing to note is that in order to earn max coins per category per day, you should make sure your account is public (and then share to facebook and/or twitter, which also gets you more coins!) so that other people can see it and “verify” it by “liking” or commenting on it. Plus, the more likes and comments you get, the more coins you get! Also, you can earn more points by linking various fitness tracking devices or studios that have a relationship with Wellcoin such as Fitbit, RunKeeper, Strava, Prana Power Yoga and Pure Barre (both studios are the Newton ones specifically). If you want to set up these connections, you just go to the “connect & track” tab.

Are you hooked yet? If so, you should definitely download the app and use the code burpeestobubbly which will get you 250 free coins right off the bat! Or, you can use this link and sign up on your computer (again, using the same code to get yourself free “sign up” coins). When you join, make sure to follow me so I can give you a re-follow and we can cheer each other on!

Questions for you: Do you do Wellcoin already? Do you use another app that rewards you for healthy living?

Weekending: Holiday Party, Registry Fun & Visits with Friends/Family

January 11, 2016January 10, 20166 Comments

Good morning! Did you guys have a good weekend? We did! Even with weird, unseasonable weather and the constant feeling of fighting off a cold, we had a pretty great one.

Friday

My company’s party was on Friday night, which was actually a nice change from squeezing it in during the typical holiday season. It was at the Hyatt in Cambridge- a great location for us now living in Newton Corner! We were able to leave work early so I took advantage of some extra “free” hours and ran errands. I skipped the gym because my back was bothering me and I felt the onset of a cold, so I opted to walk my errands which was a nice way to still get some movement in. Nails were a must!

I didn’t take many photos at the event, but I’ll say the cocktails were flowing, the food was good and dancing definitely happened 😉 It’s so fun getting to hang out with coworkers/friends outside of the office! these girls! ❤

Saturday

We didn’t get home and in bed until nearly 2am, so needless to say, we definitely took our time getting up on Sunday morning! Lucky for me, RM opted to make us his “specialty” breakfast: all the veggies, his special beans, homemade turkey sausage & an egg. It was so delicious!

After breakfast, I cleaned the house and then we headed into the city. We had late lunch plans with another couple but decided to head in early to start on our wedding registry. We went to Crate & Barrel and had a blast scanning all sorts of things that we wanted! We have a long way to go to complete our registry, but it felt good to start on it!

It was my first time meeting Roberto’s friends, so I opted to not take photos but we had sushi at Douzo which was good- we love that sushi restaurant.

The rest of the night was very quiet and I was in bed by 9:30 🙂

Sunday

We got up early and I made some French toast- I took pictures so I’ll post the recipe this week!

I still wasn’t feeling 100%, but after 2 consecutive rest days, I was REALLY itching to move so I headed to the gym for a workout. I’d love to say that it felt so good to workout, but I’d be lying if I said that. The whole thing was just a mental battle, but I made it through the workout and did feel better after I was done so it wasn’t a totally wasted trip.

I whipped up a quesadilla for lunch since I had leftover ‘dilla veggies & chicken already cut up from making them on Thursday night. It hit the spot!

Later in the afternoon, we headed over to Brookline to visit with my cousin who was in town for work. It’s always nice to see family when they come to Boston!

I dropped RM off at home and then went to Whole Foods, even though between not feeling great and the ridiculous rain it was the LAST thing I wanted to do. I always feel better once I just do it and I bought myself flowers and a cookie to reward myself for getting it done 😉

For dinner, I decided that it was the perfect weather for a roast chicken meal. Is this anyone else’s favorite winter meal?! I can’t get enough of it. I chopped up sweet potatoes, Japanese sweet potatoes, onions & carrots and then also cooked some kale. I’m going to make a great wife 😉

And that about does it! This is a pretty quiet week which is nice- I am ready for a week with no after-work plans (and yes, I know I sound like i’m 60 when I say that!).

Questions for you: Did your company have a holiday party this year? Married friends- what’s the one think you would suggest we register for (maybe that you didn’t originally think you needed) and what’s the one thing you would suggest NOT registering for? What’s your favorite winter meal? Do you have a busy week?

Five on Friday {1.8.16}

January 8, 2016January 7, 20162 Comments

Well hello there! It’s been a hot minute since my last “Five on Friday” post, huh? I guess I just figured well all had better things to do on Christmas and New Years and visit B2B, right? 😉 Before we get into the post, can we just stop for a second and think about the fact that the holidays have officially come and gone and that most of us have nearly completed our first full week of work since likely way before the holidays? Yikes. Time flies when you’re having fun I guess, right?

Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s talk about the weekend! Any fun plans? We have my company’s holiday party tonight and then Saturday we plan on doing some shopping/holiday returns (maybe some wedding registry stuff??) and meeting up with another couple for drinks. Sunday will likely consist of a coffee visit with my cousin who is in town and then hopefully some relaxing, because SUNDAY.

Here are my Five on Friday items for the week- enjoy!

1. Me Before You and After You (both by JoJo Moyes)- Have you guys read either or both of these books? If not, stop what you’re doing and go to the library or order them off of Amazon. They were both such good, good books. So good that I barely put them down and was able to finish them each one in less than 3 days. We just talked about them at book club and it was awesome to get to hold onto the goodness of them for a bit longer. For those of you who have read them- what was your first thoughts on the title “Me Before You”? I’ll share mine in a reply to your comments! Also, per usual, book club at Jessi’s was awesome. I totally over-ate (which I rarely do), but only regretted it for how uncomfortable and sick I felt after… I did not regret all of the food I ate because it was delicious!

2. The Resolution Recap/Photos– It was such an honor to participate in the Resolution by PMC fundraiser ride at The Club by George Foremann III last weekend. And, thanks to so many gracious people donating, I raised over $100 more than my goal- whoop! I had to share some awesome/funny/intense photos that the photographer captured of me. I guess he wasn’t joking when he tracked me down after to tell me that I was “really intense”, haha!

Team “Just Keep Spinning”! and the fabulous Turnstyle Cycle instructors.

(all PMC pictures were taken from here and were shot by 13Photography)

3. Champagne is always a good idea- I mean, need I say anymore? This wall hanging is amazing- it’s almost like they made it for me (but, no, unfortunately I did not buy it for myself 😦 )

4. New hat- I got some really great gifts for Christmas, but I have to say that this hat from RM is probably one of my most favorite gifts! I use any excuse I can to wear it… literally!

5. #2015bestnine- I loved seeing everyone’s #2015bestnine photo collages all over social media at the end of 2015 and I have to say, mine pretty much summed up all of my best memories from the year for sure! Wedding, wedding, more wedding… oh, and working out 😉 What was your best memory(ies) from 2015?

I hope you all have a fantastic weekend! Catch y’all next week!

Looking Ahead: Workouts for 2016

January 6, 2016January 5, 201610 Comments

Good morning! I don’t have a workout for you today, but I still want to talk workouts with you. Sound ok? Good! As we approach and start a new year, it’s natural for us to think ahead to things we want to change and accomplish over that next year, right? I’ve never been one for resolutions- mostly because as soon as I put a rule or label around something, it makes me want it more- and this year I’m not even really focusing on specific goals, but, with that said, I have been thinking about what types of workouts I want to focus on this year and how I want to learn and grow.

Last year was a big growth year for me in terms of exploring new areas of fitness (kettlebells, barbell heavier lifting, more indoor cycling, etc.), learning to take and appreciate the importance of rest days and cutting myself a freaking break when it came to backing off of workouts and taking it easy. Was any of this easy to do? Hell no! But does it get easier as I go? Sure does! I’m getting more comfortable with kettlebells (still have a long way to go here, though) and venturing to the weight lifting section of the gym, I’m loving my rest days and I’m getting better at taking my workouts day by day, listening to my body and knowing that a few extra rest days or lighter workouts are not going to ruin all of the hard work and hours I’ve put in at the gym. It’s a really good feeling and something that’s fun to work towards!

With that said, even though I don’t have any goal-specific plans with regards to my fitness journey this year, I do have some thoughts on things I would like to do/learn/get better at. Right now, I’m having a blast learning new lifts and just getting more comfortable under the barbell. I still have a long way to go here, but every time I learn something new or get a new PR I feel more and more comfortable, which is exactly the type of motivation I need to keep going! Although I’ll always love cardio, I think it’s time for it to take a bit of a backseat for a good part of the first part of the year. With wedding planning, time will be limited so my workouts will likely have to be shortened, but that’s ok because you can get a great strength/HIIT/metabolic resistance type of workout done in less than 30 minutes and feel totally spent 🙂

Once the wedding is over, I’d like to attend more trainings and certifications and spinning is first on the list! I have gotten so much better at spinning, but I would love to really start mastering it so that I can add it to my teaching repertoire. I’d also love to take a kettlebell training course so that I can learn how to properly execute the basic moves. These are things I really enjoy, so I figure it’s wroth investing the time and money to make sure I know what I’m doing!

As far as physical goals & strength goals with regards to numbers, I don’t really have any. Last year I had a few goals: 10 unassisted pull-ups/chin-ups and 10 chest to floor push-ups. Did I get there? Well, not entirely. Most days I can do 4-5 chin-ups, but I’ve never gotten further than that. Do I think I could? Sure, with more practice, but I just kind of lost interest in that goal after a bit. When it comes to chest to floor push-ups, this is a give or take, depending on the day. Some days I feel strong and can do 10 of these in a row, other days I struggle to get 3-4 good ones, but the thing about fitness is that’s just how it goes. It’s not a linear process; there are days where you max out, PR, etc. but then the next day you may struggle to do half as much as you did the day before. That’s just the way it works, so realizing and accepting that has made life so much easier 🙂

I’d love to hear from you, though- do you have any fitness related goals this year? New PR for squats, chest press, deadlift, 5K, triathalon, etc.? Did you reach any goals you made last year? What are you most proud of with regards to your health/fitness over the past year?

I hope wherever you are in your health/fitness journey. and wherever you plan on going with it, you do it with love and compassion. You are so much more than the number on a scale, the number on the weight rack or the number on the treadmill! Health and fitness is (or at least should be) a lifelong journey- there will be high points and there will be low points- but at the end of the day, if you are consistent and keep at it, you’ll gain so much more than a new PR or a toned physique. You’ll gain confidence and a sense of empowerment that will carry on with you through all your other life adventures (good and bad) outside of the weight room. Appreciate where you are right now, and keep an open mind to all the places you can go if you put your mind to it!

2015: A Year In Review

January 5, 2016January 3, 20164 Comments

Good morning! 2015 has officially come and gone and at this point we are in our first week of 2016- wow! I have to say, though, what a year 2015 was- from work accomplishments to blogger events to the biggest and best thing of the year- getting engaged- 2015 was one for the books. Here are some of my favorite/most memorable memories:

Ridiculous amounts of snow– which was fun at first, but got old reallll fast. I will say, though, I think I gained some upper body strength from all the shoveling. And, I will also say that I was happy for the upper body strength I had gained prior to the storms because it made my shoveling job much easier.

Ski trip to Sugarbush– I hadn’t been skiing in nearly 10 years, but I was pleasantly surprised when I was able to keep up with the guys (well, for the most part!)

Snowy Valentines Day- We decided to cancel our plans as soon as we figured out we would likely be snowed in. We ended up walking to Kelly’s Pub for dinner and it was perfect!

San Francisco with some of my college bests- OMG this was an amazing trip and break from the ridiculous winter back in Boston. We did so many things, but most of all it was just nice to be with a few good friends, drinking delicious wine and exploring an amazing city. Recaps are here, here, and here.

Mom & dad came to Boston– My sister gave them a hotel room for the night as their Christmas gift and we had a blast going to 75 Chestnut and then dancing at Whiskey Priest!

Kia’s Bachelorette party & wedding- These were back to back weekend events which were so fun! The bachelorette party was in North Conway and wedding up in Vermont. Loved celebrating these two!

Birthday Celebrations part 1– wine fest & Cinquecento– 30 was a big birthday! And RM, my family and friends made me feel so special! The wine fest was awesome and dinner at Cinquecento was really delicious.

My first SoulCycle class and birthday lunch with my sister is also such a great memory! We had a blast and it was so nice of her to want to do that for my birthday.

Birthday Celebrations part 2- “surprise” party at Carrie Nation– RM wanted to throw me a real surprise party, but it wasn’t going to work out, so I knew about the date, but I didn’t know any details. He did an amazing job pulling everything off- such a lucky girl!

Italy– a fantastic nearly 2 week vacation. I want to go back! If you missed those posts, you can read them here, here, and here.

Window performance at Lululemon– I loved getting a chance to workout in the window at Lululemon! You can check out the workout here.

Participating in the #bikinirebellion challenge– I did a full recap here, but in short, this was an amazing challenge that really helped change the way I look at myself, working out, etc.

Running my own outdoor bootcamp- This was such a highlight of my year! I hope that it continues to grow throughout the years!

Lots of Cape Cod weekends– we were able to get down to the Cape a lot this past summer which was such a nice way to escape the city for a bit. So many beach days, Big Squeeze Beers & ice creams!

Vermont with my family– Now that my sister and I each have significant others, we don’t do things with just the two of us and our parents very often so it was nice getting a chance to get away and spend some quality time just the 4 of us… not to mention it was in one of my favorite cities and old stomping grounds!

Fitness photo shoot- Getting a chance to work with Janelle of Janelle Carmela Photography for a fitness photo shoot was a blast and I’m so happy with how the photos came out!

Our only summer wedding- Celebrating Meredith and Brandon up in Boothbay Harbor was such a fun way to spend a weekend away!

NBGNO events– I was lucky enough to attend a few NBGNO events this year and it’s always to great to be surrounded by so many empowering women and stories. If you’ve never made it to one of these events, it should absolutely be on your “must try” list for 2016!

Moving into a new apartment with RM– This was a big step for our relationship, but it couldn’t have been a more perfect move for us. As RM said best, it put a sense of calmness on our relationship.

Getting ENGAGED!!! Hands down this was the BEST, MOST AMAZING part of my 2015. RM literally made me the happiest girl alive when he asked me to marry him- it was such a special day and I seriously can’t wait to marry my handsome Italian!

Getting a new 5K PR- I hadn’t run a race in forever so I was a little nervous to run the Oak Square YMCA race, but I ended up getting quite a bit of a PR (23:30 I think was my time?) AND coming in 3rd for my age group.

Wedding Venue Hunting & Picking the Date/Venue While this was a very stressful time, finding The Wentworth was the best thing. We are so excited for July 4th!!

Getting out of my comfort zone in the gym– I’ve wrote about this a few times here and here), but meeting Meghan and trying out classes at her gym (Foster Fitness) has been such a wonderful part of my fitness journey. She’s pushed me in ways I absolutely needed pushing and I’ve gained so much confidence with regards to heavier lifting!

Book club-This has been something I totally look forward to every couple of months. I’ll admit that even though I love to read, these days my “spare” time is spent blogging, so having an excuse to put the computer down and pick up a book is the best. Plus, I love getting together with my girlfriends to drink wine and eat good food… and yes, we do talk about the book 😉

Friendsgiving- it was our first time doing a “friendsgiving”, but I really hope it’s not our last! I loved another excuse to do the whole Thanksgiving meal thing without the pressure of having to travel or split the holiday.

Thanksgiving in Boston– My sister and her roommate hosted Thanksgiving this year at their apartment in Dorchester so it was fun to be able to see both my family and RM’s family all in the same day without having to travel out of state!

Wedding Dress Shopping– This was probably the best part of planning our wedding! I thought I was not going to enjoy it, but it ended up being such a great experience and I wish I could do it again!

Birthday Celebrations & parties- Between my sister’s birthday, RM’s birthday and Jessi’s Christmas party, December was full of parties!

My amazing classes! My members show up every week, ready for whatever craziness I decide to throw at them and it couldn’t make me happier!

Cristmas & Christmas Eve- Having RM come up to Maine to join us for our annual Christmas Eve party was such a nice treat! We also had a nice dinner with his family on Christmas day.

Phew… did you make it this far? I realize that this list is long, but as I said, 2015 was a really great year! And with that, bring it on 2016!

Questions for you: What was the best part of your 2015? What are you looking forward to in 2016?

Burpees to Bubbly

Because good workouts deserve bubbly rewards!

Month: January 2016

Wellcoin Review: Earning money to live healthy

Weekending: Holiday Party, Registry Fun & Visits with Friends/Family

Five on Friday {1.8.16}

Looking Ahead: Workouts for 2016

2015: A Year In Review

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