Hey friends! Happy Monday! I hope you had a good weekend. Mine was pretty decent. I did my usual routine of teaching indoor cycling at Beyond Pedaling on Saturday and teaching Turbo Kick at 24 Hour Fitness on Sunday. I also went to a beautiful wedding on Saturday evening for one of my college friends from Cornell. As a pleasant surprise, I ran into one of Turbo Kick students at the wedding! She happens to be a friend of the bride – small world! We had a blast, danced our booties off and ate a lot of wedding cake. Good times had by all. Unlike last weekend, I didn’t do any shopping this weekend (tear), but I did get some much-needed time at home to rest and rejuvenate. Did you do anything fun this weekend?
Yesterday my cousin, Juliette (AKA my “sister” because we spent every waking moment together as kids), sent me this hilarious video of her daughter, Violet, doing “post-dinner burpees.” Violet is almost 2 years old. Violet’s got GRIT. Juliette and her husband, Todd, are cheering Violet on as a she has blast doing the exercise that most of us dread. Check out the video below for a little Monday morning chuckle. Mom and dad are still working on her burpee form, but if that’s not raw talent I don’t know what is, haha. You can get awesome recipes, words of wisdom and humorous reflections on Juliette’s blog, A Life Less Tragic.
So… this week I’m personally going through a MAJOR life transition, which I’ll elaborate on next week once it fully registers. In the meanwhile, I’m focusing on some positive weekly goals to help me stay emotionally stable, productive and healthy. I wrote down these goals in my day planner and after looking them over, I figured it’d be a good idea to share on today’s post. If these goals help me (potentially), maybe they can help you too…
In case you’ve never tried Lemon/Cucumber water, you can get the details here – it is naturally detoxifying and tasty!
I hope you have a wonderful week and strive to achieve these gritty weekly goals for yourself.
Happy Monday friends! Hope you had a relaxing weekend and are feeling energized for a wonderful week ahead. I had a weekend full of positive indulgences and I’m feeling super satisfied this morning. On Friday, I had the privilege of teaching PiYo at Fossil World Headquarters in Dallas. To my surprise, the entire Michael Kors jewelry team came to my class and boy did they rock it out. We had a fun, sweaty, lunch break indeed! There’s nothing I love more than meeting new people and connecting over our love for fitness and active living! Also, shout out to Fossil for being an amazing company that supports healthy living among its employees.
Teaching PiYo at Fossil World HQ
On Saturday, I did my usual 2 Hour Saturday Detox workout with my gym buddies at 24 Hour Fitness. I’ve been working out with these ladies for 3 years now and they are truly my best friends. They even starred in my workout DVD (you thought they looked familiar, huh?). We did our usually 1 hour Turbo Kick class followed by 1 hour Body Pump class. We’re also planning a hiking and wine trip in the coming weeks which I’m very much looking forward to!
My gym buddies and I after Turbo Kick class
After class, I enjoyed a nice long shower, rubbed my body down in Marc Jacobs Lola perfumed lotion and headed to Athleta for a little retail therapy. We just got Athleta in Dallas like 4 months ago. I already like this brand because some of the Athleta employees came to my PiYo class this Summer and passed out free headbands to the students in my class – how nice is that? I ended up buying 2 cute black workout tanks. Both are kinda sheer and have a cool open back (I’ll post pics soon on Fitness Fashion Friday). I wanted something that would go well with my neon sports bras and head bands. The tanks are exactly what I was looking for.
Checking out the Fall collection at Athleta
I have to admit, this was actually my first time ever shopping at Athleta. I was pleasantly surprised by the bright colors, chic styles and super friendly staff. I think I may become a regular customer. The ultimate determining factor will be how their yoga pants/leggings fit me – I haven’t tried any yet. Do any of you shop at Athleta?
Loving that bright colors are on trend for all seasons!
Later on Saturday night my college friend from Cornell, Nicole (pictured on the right) planned a lovely ladies night for our Dallas crew. We went to Painting with a Twist where you BYOB and take a paining lesson. I had a blast! Not only did I get to hang out with my friends, but the icing on the cake was that we painted a picture of the Eiffell Tower. I have a soft spot in my heart for Paris because my birthday is July 14th, Bastille Day. I’ve never been to Paris but I want to go SO badly – the City of Lights, sigh…
Ladies night wine & painting party!
Nonetheless, I’m super grateful the good times I shared with my friends. Overall I had an amazing weekend and I’m looking forward to more goodness this week. I can’t believe it’s going to be October! Time flies when you enjoy good workouts, good shopping and good friends đ
Me and my friend Crystal showing off our masterpieces!
Happy Monday friends! Thanks for sharing your weekend plans last Friday – you guys are an active bunch! I’ll announce the winner of the Onzie knot-back tank top giveaway tomorrow, so stay tuned. For those who didn’t participate in the giveaway, how was your weekend? Mine was a little bittersweet but overall fantastic. Here’s the “run down” of what “went down”…
On Friday evening I hung out with my friends at Fossil Corporate HQ for their National Run at Work Day celebration. We coordinated a “fun run” and enjoyed healthy snacks. Afterwards I was pretty tired so I just called it a night. I had to wake up bright and early to teach my PiYo class. This was my last class of the Summer (tear). Two of my favorite students bought me a really nice Lululemon yoga mat and matching headband as an “end of the summer thank you” gift – so sweet! My yoga mat is super raggedy and dirty so I needed a new one BADLY. I was a so grateful that I cried like a baby before class. There’s nothing better that doing something that you love to do and helping people in the process. I feel so purposeful when I’m teaching. It’s my calling. What do you love to do?
My last PiYo class of 2014 at the W Dallas Hotel #bittersweet
After class, I headed to Dallas’s North Park mall for a little shopping and walking around. I spent way too much time in my new favorite activewear store, Lorna Jane. Have you guys checked out their stuff? It’s like Lululemon but brighter and funkier – I’m obsessed. The clothes are super high quality and designed to flatter the female body while providing athletic support. In particular, their yoga pants make me look like a have a booty – YES! I highly recommend.
A girl can never have too much activewear – loved my shopping sesh at Lorna Jane
On Sunday I did my grocery shopping for the week. I don’t have to travel for work this week, which means I get to cook real food at home. I was instantly energized by the site of yummy fall veggies. I love butternut squash and pumpkin-anything. Over the next couple of weeks I’m going to explore some new healthy fall recipes. What are some of your favorites fall dishes?
Loving Fall! Yay for pumpkins and squash!
To wrap up the weekend my sister, Kortani, came over for dinner last night. We made these super savory Tex-Mex chicken enchiladas (I’ll post the recipe tomorrow). They were delicious and we have a lot left over, so I’ll enjoy them all week.
Homemade, high protein Tex-Mex chicken enchiladas! SUCCESS đ
While our food was delicious and the vino was flowing, the best part of my Sunday night was the company. I love my little sister so much and am so proud of the woman she has become. Hopefully you got to spend some quality time this weekend with your friends and family too!
Quality time with my lil sis – doesn’t get any better than that!
Good morning friends! I hope your day is off to a good start. I overslept and missed my spin class, so I did the T25 Core & Cardio Beta workout in my living room this morning. You can see me action on Instagram (Warning: I’m hot sweaty mess – don’t judge!) Also, I want to share this print I discovered from Lulu & Georgia. I LOVE it so much that I bought a copy and am going to put in a really cute frame. Does this quote inspire you? To me, it’s so simple and direct. Pearls are created when little piece of sand or dirt (grit) enters an oyster shell. Then inside of the oyster the grit gets coated and over time becomes a pearl. Isn’t that beautiful? It captures the reality that the greatest things in life are simply “trash” transformed into “treasure.” Through patience, pressure and persistence anything is possible – that’s the truth!
Speaking of grit, tomorrow I will announce the winner of my signature GRIT tank top giveaway. It’s not too late to participate – just post a comment telling me what “grit” means to you. I’m loving the responses so far – very inspiring!
Last but not least, I’m officially encouraging all of the Dallas readers to sow their grit by waking up bright and early this Saturday morning and join me for the very last PiYo class on the wet deck of the W Dallas Hotel. As usual, class it totally FREE! We start at 9am (arrive at least 15 minutes early to get a spot) and bring your own yoga mat. To celebrate a super successful Summer, we are having a special “Burpees & Breakfast” event. After class you can enjoy FREE snacks from Cook Hall and drink specials – yay for $5 Mimosa pitchers! Am I the only person who enjoys vino after vinyasa?
Last #piyo clas @wdallashotel is this Saturday – see you there!
See you Saturday and show remember to show your GRIT!
Image: Me and 4 of of my favorite students after one of  my Summer PiYo classes!
Hello friends! Hope your day is going well. As I sit at my desk, hunched over my lap tap, the striking pain in my back inspired me to write a well-needed blog post about STRETCHING! Back when I was getting my group fitness instructor certification with AFAA (Aerobics and Fitness Association of America) our course leaders constantly stressed the fact that there are 3, equally important, elements of physical fitness:
Muscular Strength – “Your muscle’s ability to generate force against physical objects. In the fitness world, this typically refers to how much weight you can lift” – About Health
Cardiovascular Endurance – “The ability of the heart to deliver oxygen to the working muscles, and the muscles ability to use that oxygen.” – Healthline
Flexibility – “The ability of your joints to move through a full range of motion. Having flexibility in your muscles allows for more movement around the joints.” – About Health
If you’re like me, you often focus on the first 2 and neglect the 3rd – skip the stretching. I have a severe “Exercise ADD” (attention deficit disorder). I can hardly make it through a traditional yoga class without totally zoning out and I never stretch on my own, which is really bad. HOWEVER, I can get down with more dynamic stretching (i.e. stretching with movement, like Vinyasa flow yoga and PiYo) because I find it more engaging and even break a sweat once in a while.
Flexibility is SO important not only for out fitness, but for out overall well-being. Being flexible reduces risk of injury, improves posture (which makes you look slimmer), minimizes muscle aches and decreases stress through relaxation. That said, I wanted to share my 5 favorite stretches that are both effective and engaging. Try doing each of these exercises for 2 minutes at least 3 days per week. Move through each movement dynamically, keeping your body in constant motion instead of a holding the pose and straining. In doing so, your 10 minute stretch session will fly by! (Instructional photos from to stretchify.com)
Deep Kneeling Lunge (hips)
The hips are super strong – especially if you run often and do a lot of squats. Also Yogis believe that emotional tension is stored in our hips. This means that our hips are usually super tight, so we really need to focus on keeping them flexible. I recommend this deep lunging stretch to improve hip range of motion. Move forward and back slowly in this pose to keep it dynamic.
Hip flexor stretch from stretchify.com
Standing Hamstring Stretch (back of leg/lower back)
The hamstring and lower back muscles are directly connected so if you have lower back pain, it’s likely that you also have really tight hamstrings. This stretch is pretty simple so shift your hips back far enough that you feel a nice stretch in the back of your leg and even a little in your booty.
Standing Hamstring Stretch for Sciatica from stretchify.com
Doorway Stretch (chest)
If you’re like me you sit at a desk all day (with horrible posture) hunched over a computer. This means that your chest is always contracting and you back is always expanded. Chest opening stretches help reverse that bad, hunch-back posture. To compete this stretch just a find a doorway, put your arm up and lean forward feeling a good stretch in your chest and little bit in the front of your shoulder.
Doorway Chest Stretch from stretchify.com
Cat Stretch (back)
I don’t know why, but my back is always sore. I think when I get stressed I hold a lot of tension in my back. Fortunately, I find a lot of relief by kneeling on all fours and doing cat/cow stretches. To do this stretch, alternate cat pose (shown below, rounding your back) with “cow pose” in which you push your chest and tail bone up (arch your back).
Cat stretch from stretchify.com
Head Tilt (neck)
So, I have a bad habit of hunching my shoulders up to my ears when I’m tired. This feels good at the moment, but then I get terrible neck pain. Simply tilting my head from side to side or downward towards my chest helps relieve tension. For a little extra sensation, I use my hands to add some pressure.
Neck Stretch from stretchify.com
How often do you stretch? What are your favorite stretches and why?
Hey friends – how’s it going? Hope you had a good weekend. Those of you in Dallas know that we had an oddly chilly weekend – weather in the 50’s! Cray Cray. However, that didn’t stop us from rockin’ it out at PiYo on Saturday morning. We threw on our long sleeve activewear and got our pushups, burpees and downward dogs in action at the W Dallas hotel! After class I was feeling kinda groggy (I think it was the lack of sun). This made me wanna stay inside all weekend, so I did…
Bundled up in scarves & jackets on a chilly Saturday morning in Dallas – didn’t keep us away from PiYo class!
In my “homebody” state of mind, I made a quick trip to Target and bought some new Nate Berkus throw pillows for my couch (can’t go wrong with black and white). I also stopped by Home Goods and got this cute gold serving tray to put on my ottoman. While I was there, I saw this white faux fur throw and had to pick it up as well to accessorize my couch. Just these small touches give my living room a fresh new look. I love it!
So excited about my bachelorette pad and all of the cute new stuff I got from Target & Homegoods!
Last but not least, I finally framed the VOGUE magazine covers that I’ve had sitting in my kitchen drawer for almost a year. I’m really happy with how my creation came out. What do you think? Most of you know that I a HUGE fan of both Michelle Obama and Beyonce. In fact a made a Sexy Arms Circuit inspired by “Lady O” and an Amazing Abs Workout as a tribute to “Queen B” – I highly recommend you give both workouts a whirl.
Beyonce on the cover of Vogue in the “Power Issue” of 2013 – now framed on my mantel!
Michelle Obama on the cover of Vogue showing off her sexy arms – I liked this framed on my mantel for workout motivation (wink wink)
On Satruday night, I stayed in and rented a movie On Demand – it was glorious! On Sunday morning, I made myself some breakfast and watched church online. It weird because I’m actually a very extraverted person and go out of my way to be around people. However, every now and then I like to have weekend all to my self – no social plans and lots of time at home. Do any of you feel like this sometimes?
Now I’m happily watching football and blogging – working on lots of cool new workouts and giveaways for you this week. What did you do this weekend? I hope you have an amazing week ahead. Lots of love, Brit
Hello ladies and gents. Hope you are wrapping up a lovely weekend. Mine weekend was super busy (just how I like it). Last week I didn’t have to travel to Chicago for work because it was a shorter week with Labor Day. This gave me the opportunity to go to my favorite fitness classes in the evenings and volunteer at my community placement with the Junior League of Dallas. On Friday, I woke up super early, made some black coffee and taught my 6am spin class at 24 Hour Fitness. I LOVE my playlist right now – “Undressed” by Kim Cesarion is my jam!
Up early enjoying my coffee in all of my Cornell gear – GO BIG RED!
After class I showered at the gym and headed to my office in Downtown Dallas to work for the day. We had breakfast tacos catered in from Taco Cabana – yummy! After catching up with my colleagues, completing my expense reports and finishing some client work, I scurried over to the nail salon for a mani/pedi. Now that its September, I got a Fall color – “chinchilly” by Essie . What do you guys think? What’s your favorite Fall nail polish color? Also, I had a major sweet tooth and treated myself to a McDonald’s ice cream cone (only 140 calories – not terrible right?)
Showin’ off my mani and enjoying my Mickey D’s ice cream cone (yes I needed to get some gas – I was “Ridin’ on E”)
On Friday night I went our for a sushi dinner with my friend Casey. I love that my friends are so engaging and positive. Just being around positive people can totally put a smile on my face. It’s like sunshine. We didn’t stay out too late because on Saturday mornings I teach PiYo for the W Dallas Hotel. Class was PACKED this weekend (as you can see). I think everyone was trying work of the Labor Day BBQ…or just savor some fun in the sun. It was a hot, sweaty BLAST!
Teaching my PiYo class last Saturday. I threw in some extra ab work đ
I chilled out and ran a couple of errands on Saturday afternoon. That evening I had a BALL at my little sister’s 23rd birthday party. My sister, Kortani, is a Texas Tech Varsity Pom Squad alumn and now dances for the Dallas Cowboys. She decided to throw a pole-dancing party for her b-day and invited all of her dancer friends. I was super intimidated. We ended up drinking wine, dancing and have a really good time trying out new moves on the pole. My mom came along and took lots of pics. Long story short, I have so much respect for girls who can legitimately pole dance – HOLY CORE STRENGTH!
Kortani (sis), Lexi (her Yorkie), Mom and Me enjoying b-day cake and food after the pole-dancing!
My sister 23rd birthday pole-facing party! That’s the whole crew and our instructor – so fun!
Woo hoo – I got up there! #twerkin
This morning I had a some quiet time and reflected on my week and what I want to happen during the week ahead. I skipped church today (oops – don’t tell my mom). For breakfast I toasted a whole wheat English muffin and topped it with almond butter and strawberry preserves. I also made a giant pot of black coffee which I sipped slowly throughout the morning. I need to start being careful about my caffeine intake – I’m a coffee junkie! Drinking lots of water it critical if you’re a heavy coffee drinker like me. While I enjoyed my breakfast I also learned some new moves for my Sunday afternoon Turbo Kick class – teaching Round 62. Have any of you ever taken a Turbo Kick class? If not, I highly recommend. Especially if you take it with me đ
Spending my Sunday morning learning new Turbo Kick choreography for class!
After my Turbo Kick class I stopped by parents house to watch a little bit of the Cowboys game. After seeing that it was going to be a total disaster, I cut my watching time short and headed home to clean up my place and chill. I was so happy that the orange roses I bought 4 days ago are still alive and kicking. They are the perfect touch to my little bachelorette pad. I’m going to have to throw them away tonight though because I’m catching a 6am flight to Chicago tomorrow morning for work.
Enjoying fresh flowers in my clean bachelorette pad!
Now I’m packing up and getting ready to wake up early. I still need to plan my workouts for the week. Maybe I’ll do my old trusty hotel room workout tomorrow night. What are your workout plans?
Wishing you a wonderful week ahead filled with fun, fun and more fun! Lots of luv, Brit
Image: Wishing you a happy September – HELLO FALL!
Happy September to you! First and foremost, I want to announce the winner of my Lucy Activewear Giveaway. I asked you guys to share your favorite leg workout, and boy, did you! My legs were on fire just reading all of your leg exercise ideas and personal favorites. It was tough to pick to a winner, but after giving it much thought, I’m happy to announce that Mari is our winner! Here’s her favorite leg workout: My fave leg exercises are jump squats, box jumps and split squats because you feel them right away and they are super effective. With the right amount of reps and sets, I am definitely feeling them the day after Congrats Mari. Your Lucy Activewear is on its way to you!
I hope you guys had a wonderful Labor Day weekend – I did! I kicked things off by teaching my beloved PiYo class at the W Dallas Hotel on Saturday Morning. I’ve been so humbled and amazed by the huge turn out we have week after week. For those of you who live in Dallas, I highly encourage to come check out a class. I’ll be teaching FREE PiYo classes every Saturday morning through September 27th.
Teaching my PiYo class on Saturday morning (that’s me on the left, facing the class)
I actually got a double dose of sweat on Saturday. After my PiYo class I scurried over to 24 Hour Fitness for Turbo Kick class with my Dallas gym buddies. I’ve been working out with this crew for 3 years now. Rain or shine, we meet at the gym for Turbo Kick every single Saturday morning at 10am. Working out together pushes us to go extra hard and have fun! It’s so great to have “fit friends.” Do you have gym buddies who you regularly workout with?
Me and my Saturday morning workout crew! Post-workout sweaty smiles đ
I also enjoyed lots of non-working out activities. On Saturday afternoon my neighbor/buddy, Emilio, and I got some rest and relaxation by our pool. We shared a bottle of white wine and read the September issues SELF, O, and Fitness magazines. Yesterday, I went to a yummy Tex-Mex brunch with two of best friends in Dallas, Crystal and Neka (pictured below). After enjoying my spinach enchiladas, chips and guacamole and girl talk, I went on a shopping spree at the new Lorna Jane that opened in Dallas North Park Mall. (Remember I won a $500 Lorna Jane gift card at the Idea Blogfest – yeah buddy!) I got a ton of bright, fresh new workout clothes – eek! I’ll be posting lots of Lorna Jane photos and product reviews in the next few weeks.
Me, Crystal and Neka at Mi Cocina in West Village, Uptown Dallas for Labor Day Lunch
Today I’m back to work in full on “grind-mode.” Fortunately it’s yoga week in Dallas so I’ll be teaching some extra PiYo classes which I’m really excited about. In addition to working out and working at my corporate job, I’m also planning some special Fall workouts and recipes so be on the lookout! Lots of luv, Brit
As you guys know, I live an extremely active lifestyle. On weekdays I workout 3-4 times usually in form of CrossFit sessions and Yoga Sculpt classes at Core Power Yoga. When weekends roll around I start off my Saturday mornings by teaching Pilates/Yoga then I hurry over to Turbo Kick (cardio kickboxing) and Body Pump classes with my gym buddies (Saturday is my ‘detox day’). On Sunday mornings I practice hot yoga then teach another Turbo Kick class in the afternoon. Long story short, my weekends are an #AwesomelyActive whirlwind of a fitness adventures!
Before and After teaching my Sunday kickboxing class #SweatyHairDontCare
My gym bag is my “life line” on the weekends as I run all over Dallas and teach back to back fitness classes. I rely on it to hold all of my essentials – of course there’s obvious things like my water bottle, hair ties and healthy snacks (usually apples). But as a fitness instructor I also have to keep an audio belt for my microphone and my GRIT by Brit business cards so I can stay connected with the awesome people in my classes. The type A side of me also insists on packing a pair of light hand-weights in case I need to intensify my Turbo Kick workouts (wink wink).
As I’m sure you noticed, I also keep a stash of TampaxÂŽ PearlÂŽ Active⢠in my gym bag. These bad boys are perfect for #AwesomelyActive ladies like me who partake in serious fitness, high performance athletics and need to stay in the game. The Built-in Backup Braid⢠and FormFit⢠protection help stop leaks before they happen. As we all know, leaks are not a good look.
TampaxÂŽ PearlÂŽ Active⢠is a “must have” in my gym bag! I like to carry them in a small toiletry bag so I have extra space for all of my other essentials.
Overall I love my active lifestyle and am so happy that I have my trusty/trendy gym bag filled with all of my essentials. Staying active keeps me healthy and happy! What’s in your gym bag? How do you stay #AwesomelyActive?
âDisclosure: This #AwesomelyActive post was sponsored by TampaxÂŽ PearlÂŽ Active⢠through their partnership with POPSUGAR. While I was compensated by POPSUGAR, all opinions are my own.
Hello friends. A colleague of mine forwarded me an AMAZING article from Forbes.com. You can click here to read the full article, but below is an excerpt of the GRIT section by Scott Petinga – it’s just too good not to share…
âGâ is for guts, that secret superpower that allows us to overcome adversity and steer a course over, under, around or straight through lifeâs many obstacles and challenges. Having guts is about living in the moment and doing things youâre afraid of right now â not tomorrow, not five years from now. Itâs about being confident in your opinion, voicing that opinion and not being afraid to disagree with people.
âRâ is for resilience, which allows us to bounce back from lifeâs many defeats to enjoy the fruits of our labor and eventual success. Perseverance is a major part of that. The journey that got me to where I am today gave me this insatiable drive, this compulsion to create change â to be change. It also taught me to genuinely care about people, to care about the community around me and to care about the impact I have on the future. Donât limit yourself to whatâs immediately doable. Instead ask, âWhatâs possible?â
âIâ is for initiative, that entrepreneurial spirit that inspires us to act on our biggest ideas and build a life and career for ourselves. With initiative comes the risk of failure, which is why doing so is well worth it. Either it takes you forward into a new direction, or you fail, and those failures take you in a new direction.
âTâ is for tenacity, which ultimately determines how hard we fight for our dreams. Tenacity can be summed up as, âimprovise, overcome, adapt,â regardless of the odds. You miss 100% of the shots you donât take. A tenacious person never has to say âwould have,â âcould haveâ and âshould have.â Donât think too long about things, just go for them.
Those of you who have been following me from the beginning know that helping people develop GRIT is the core purpose of my blog. I believe fitness is about so much more than a strong body. It’s about transforming your mind, CHOOSING to think positive thoughts and having the courage to believe in and work for your goals. The great thing about GRIT is that can be developed. Unlike talents, we aren’t born with GRIT. This means that each of us has the opportunity and the means to make our dreams come true. True that. xoxo, Brit
What’s your dream?
How are are you fighting to makes your dream come true?
