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My Latest Stitch Fix “Fix” {#4}

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If you’ve been reading B2B for a while, you’ve probably seen me talk about Stitch Fix (Referral link- you get one if you sign up!) before. I’ve had “meh” fixes, good fixes and great fixes- you can read about those here:

My first Stitch Fix: Why didn’t I love it as much as everyone else seems to?
My 2nd Stitch Fix Review {Hint: I loved it!}
My 3rd Stitch Fix: so hard to pick just 1 thing!

My 4th fix was another pretty good fix! Some pieces I loved, some were just ok, but regardless, the whole process of scheduling a fix, waiting for it to arrive and then checking it out is so fun!

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I try to just schedule fixes when I know I have an event coming up, otherwise it gets to be a pretty expensive habit 😉 Since I’m going to Italy AND since I received a gift card from my gym friend, Jen, for my birthday, I figured it was the perfect time to schedule one. Here are the goods!

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Market & Spruce Barrymore Solid Pleat Detail Top- $48

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While I liked this top, it just didn’t fit that great so I sent it back. I know they are supposed to fit loose and flowy, but this one just seemed to be baggy and just didn’t do anything for my figure.

Market & Spruce Lawford Knit Top- $58

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I LOVE this top! I think the pleather border on the collar is cool, I love the material and I like the little detail on the arms. While it’s more than I’d normally spend on a top like this, I just liked it too much to send back!
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What’s Your Favorite App?

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Hi there! I’ve got a funny story to share with you today… I’ve only told it in person previously, so I hope it transfers to text in a way that still makes it funny 😉

A few weeks ago, a new indoor cycling company reached out to me to say they are coming to Boston (I know, another new cycling studio?! I’ll take it!) and asked if I was interested in answering some questions so that they could do a spotlight on me on their blog. I thought this was a pretty cool opportunity, so I quickly said “yes, please! Send me the questions!”.

They sent me the questions as well as some examples from other cities they’ve opened in; what they do is each time they open in a new city, they reach out to various bloggers/fitness professionals in the city to do a spotlight on them, asking them all their favorite things about the city. I was so excited to answer the questions, although kind of nervous, too, because I wanted to make sure I had the “best” answers, which can be hard to come up with when you’re specifically asked them, right? Ask me my favorite place to grab a drink or dinner offhandedly in casual conversation and I’d answer with surety. But when I have time to think about the answer and know it will be published, I second guess myself. In order to make sure I had the “best” answers, I went over them with RM.

It was awesome because every response he suggested matched what I had put! Love that. So, we kept going. Here are some examples of the questions:

“Favorite date night spot” (Eastern Standard)
“Best drink spot” (DRINK or Eastern Standard)
“Best outdoor area” (Piers Park in East Boston)
“Where you frequent with your girlfriends” (Barcelona in the South End or Anthem near Quincy Market)
“Favorite workout song” (Pray to God by Calvin Harris, Ft. HAIM)

… and then this one came: “Favorite app”

So, I ask the question to RM, thinking in my head that he was DEFINITELY going to nail this one… and he goes “Ohh, Facebook or that Instagram thing or something”. My facial expression immediately dropped and RM asked what I put.

My response? Shrimp cocktail

I had though “app” was an abbreviation for appetizer not application… clearly I’m obsessed with food! But, it gets better. When I explained to him that I struggled with the response, we both lost it. My inner dialogue went something like this “hmm shrimp cocktail. But I really love oysters, too. Should I put that? But quesadilla’s are so good, too, but not very healthy. I guess I’ll put shrimp cocktail.” So not once was there EVER a thought in my head that APP meant application, not appetizer. To say we both got a kick out of it is an understatement… even as we were going to bed we were cracking up.

So, my question to you is:

  • What’s your favorite app?  😉
  • And, when you saw my title were you thinking application or appetizer?

I’m so happy we caught this misunderstanding BEFORE I sent in my responses… that would’ve been so embarrassing had I sent it in with shrimp cocktail listed!

Can’t wait to hear what came to mind first for you- I’m REALLY hoping I’m not alone here…

Why I’m Over the Skinny Arm

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The “skinny arm”. Confused by what I mean? It’s basically the arm most girls are trying to achieve when they do the hand on the hip pose in pictures.

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We do it because it’s more flattering than the arm straight down against your side because-God forbid- that could show off arm dimples or make your arm look larger than it really is. Instead, we pose so that our arm looks as skinny/toned as possible, right?! And, notice how I’m saying “we” here? It’s because I’m often guilty of this same thing, although recently I’ve been trying to do less of the skinny arm pose.

Why, you ask? Because it’s not worth it. And because I’m over it.

I don’t want a skinny arm- whether just by how I can make it look in a photo or just how it looks in real life- I don’t want it. Rather, I want a STRONG looking arm. I want arms that look like I can lift heavy things. Arms that look like I can do pull-ups and push-ups. Arms that look like I’m doing work in the gym. Strong, fit, muscular arms. Those are the arms that I want…#becauseMUSCLES (as Neghar Fonooni would say)

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Instructor Insider: Review Your Ride!

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If you’re like me, before you take a class you want to make sure it’s worth your time, right? For me, there’s nothing worse than taking 45 minutes to an hour out of my day for a fitness class and leaving there feeling like it wasn’t a good workout or what I was looking for. I HATE wasting time, so often times if I don’t know who the instructor is, I’ll usually opt to just do my own workout because I know I’ll accomplish what I’m looking to accomplish for that particular day.

And, on the flip side, maybe a tough, challenging workout is NOT what you’re looking for. Imagine how that would feel walking into a class and feeling intimidated by the type of workout- maybe too much jumping or heavy weights or complicated moves. Maybe the music is too loud or the instructor is too “in your face”.

Whatever the reason may be, we all have different likes and dislikes when it comes to exercise and fitness classes, which is where Instructor Insider comes into play. Instructor Insider is a site where you can find out more about various instructors at boutique indoor cycling studios in and around the Boston area (think: Flywheel, Recycle, Velo-City, Handle Bar, Pursuit, Turn Style, Soul Cycle) by reading the reviews that other people have posted. Right now, this is only a site for indoor cycling studio instructor reviews, but my contact said that based on requests from users, they plan on adding in other boutique studios to the mix soon (think: Barry’s Bootcamp, Barre classes, yoga classes, etc.).

As far as what the site offers right now, there are a number of different categories to rate your instructor on such as Motivation, Choreography, Clarity, Music, Attendance and Soreness. There’s also a place to write out some thoughts/comments/feedback in case the categories don’t touch on everything you want to talk about.

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When the founders of this site reached out to me to see if I wanted to help spread the word about Instructor Insider, it was something I was excited to share with all of you, especially since boutique studios are pretty much taking over the city and city suburbs, right?! I just love the idea of getting to rate your instructor which not only gives THEM feedback about what people think of their class, but also gives others like us a glimpse into what we can expect to get with various instructors and allows us to pick classes that align with our fitness goals and class preferences.
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Guest Post: Strong & Lean Yogamoto Yoga Sequence

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Good morning! I’ve got a really great post for you today- something you don’t see much of on this blog: Yoga! My cousin in law, Malinda, is a yoga instructor and the creator behind and author of Yogamoto. I recently saw Malinda at a family wedding and we had so much fun talking fitness and health and sharing our passions with each other. On top of teaching yoga in Maine, Malinda and her husband are super active with outdoorsy things and traveling all over the place. I hope you enjoy this post and learn something and are able to maybe get a little at-home practice in. I know I could use some of this a few times of week!

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Thanks to Monique for letting me share some yoga goodies with you all! I’m Malinda, and I created a practice called Yogamoto. Yogamoto is all about being present and living your path. Aside from teaching yoga, I love travel and adventure. I ride motorcycles, scuba dive, ski, sing. Yoga helps me get the most out of life… afterall the present is life! So let’s live there… right?! That’s what Yogamoto is all about – living life to the fullest.

I have been doing yoga since I was a kid, playing around with poses on the livingroom floor with my mom. I had NO IDEA we were doing yoga – acroyoga even – I just loved it! I started taking classes in high school. I got my 200 hour certification last year and have been having so much fun sharing yoga with my students!

Here’s a short sequence that strengthens, arms, core and legs, while increasing your range of motion. The sequence closes with a grounding balance pose. Here’s a misnomer – yoga isn’t all about flexibility! It’s about strength, balance, range of motion, and mental clarity. These are powerful poses that you’ll find in many beginner-intermediate yoga classes. While they look simple, they are challenging! Take time to do a little every day to build up your strength and stamina.

1. Tadasana (Mountain Pose). Stand with feet hip width apart, spine straight, palms facing front, rib cage lifted, shoulder blades back and down. Hold for 3 breaths. (see the top left photo in the image under #2 for this pose)

2. Swan Dive to Uttanasana (Standing Forward Bend). Inhale arms up overhead, exhale arms to the sides while hinging at the hips to bend forward. Back remains straight while bending forward. Bend forward as far as you can comfortably. Though legs are straight, keep the knees soft with a micro bend. (Bend knees if you have lower-back issues.) Hang like a rag doll, relaxing arms, neck, back. If you like, grab your elbows to create a window for your head. Hold for 5 breaths.

Malinda guest post Swan Uttanasana

3. High Lunge. Bend your knees, bring palms to the mat, and step the right foot back on your inhale. Step back far enough so the left knee is over the ankle. The right leg is straight, right heel is raised, resting on the ball of the foot. Press back through the right heel. Tent fingertips to lift the heart forward so the spine and neck are held in a straight line. Place hands on blocks if this is more comfortable. Hold for 5 breaths.

Malinda guest post high lunge

4. Plank. Place palms on the mat. On the inhale, step the left foot back to meet the right, resting on balls of the feet. Hands are directly under shoulders. Shoulder blades are flush across the back (not sinking down through shoulders or pressing up to round shoulders). Create a straight line from crown of the head to the heels. Think about holding the core strong to stabilize you. Hold for 5 breaths.

Malidna guest post Plank

5. Side Plank (Vasisthasana). Place the left hand to the center of the mat, and start to pivot the feet so you are balancing on the outside of the left foot. Right foot stacks on top of the left. Bring the right hand to right hip as you turn the torso to the right. Inhale right arm up to the sky. Create a straight diagonal line from the head to the feet. Hug core in to stabilize. If this version is too intense for you right now, start by placing the left knee on the mat. If you are up for more of a challenge, lift the right leg up to be parallel with the floor. Hold for 5 breaths. Exhale bringing right hand back to mat to plank.

Malinda guest post Side Plank

6. Chaturanga Dandasana. Starting in plank, align shoulders slightly ahead of the wrists. Inhale, press back through the heels, engage the core, draw shoulders back. Exhale, slowly begin to bend elbows, hugging elbows to sides. Lower body keeping the plank position of a straight line from head to heels. Lower slowly taking about 3 seconds. Continue to lower until your shoulders are at the same height as the elbows at 90 degrees. Hold for 3 breaths.

Malinda guest post Chaturanga Dandasana

7. Downward Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana). Exhale, press through the hands, lift the pelvis, press down through the heels. The heels may not touch the floor. Tip the pelvis up, draw inner thighs back. Focus weight in the hands in the fingers/finger base, not in the base of the wrist. Spin elbow creases forward. Elongate the spine, keeping neck neutral between the arms. Hold for 5 breaths.

Malinda guest post Downward Facing Dog

Repeat 1-7 on the other side.

8. Tree Pose (Vrksasana). Start in Tadasana. Slowly shift weight to the left foot, peeling the right foot off the mat heel to toe. With the hand, help bring the right foot to the inner thigh of the left leg. Press the foot into the thigh. Open the knee out to the side. (If this isn’t in your range of motion, rest the foot on the inside calf. Just don’t place foot on the knee.) Find one point of focus in front of you. Inhale hands to Anjali Mudra. Hold for 3 breaths. With the next inhale, raise hands above head. Hold for 3-5 breaths. Bring palms together, exhale to heart center, Anjali Mudra. Exhale foot to floor. Repeat on other side.

Malinda guest post Tree

Have fun with this sequence as you get stronger and stronger.

I would love to see more of you! Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and @yogamoto1 and check out my website www.yogamoto.com.

Time to Shine!

Malinda

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Thanks so much for sharing these poses with us, Malinda! I can’t wait to try this sequence… preferably when my head isn’t so congested! 😉

Questions for you: Do you do yoga? How often do you practice? What is your favorite pose?