Fitness gear for the new year

fitness gear for the new year

From left: white hoodie / purple leggings / purple tank / sports bra / duffle bag / running shoes / lavender tee / jacket / loose yoga pants

 I have always been a fitness buff, but for 2016, I am completely revamping my workout routine in order to lose fifteen pounds! In my quest for fitness success, I want to spice up my almost-all-black fitness wardrobe, and get some new fitness gear for the new year!

If you are heading to the gym for your new years resolution, you might be looking for new fitness gear in the new year too! I have a few basics I like to stick to, but for 2016, I would like to add some brighter colors, and less conservative styles to my fitness wardrobe.

The basics are simple. I cannot live with out a Nike sport bra. No other sports bra offers the support, and the comfort, Nike’s classic staple offers. If you have not found the perfect sports bra yet, I highly recommend this one!

I love capri leggings for spin classes, step classes, and cardio kick-boxing (BodyCombat) classes. They offer smooth range of motion, and are not too warm since they hit below the knee, and do not extend to the ankle. I attend a step class every Saturday morning. This year, I want to commit to getting myself down to the gym every Friday for BodyCombat and every Tuesday for Spin. They are all such great workouts for both the legs, and the core.

When it comes to yoga, I just don’t go. Not this year! As I age, I have found I need more recovery after working hard at the gym, and I also need to stretch more in order to stay injury free! So, as part of my new years resolution, I plan to add yoga into my schedule. I already do fifteen minutes of Pilates three times per week after working out, so I feel like I get enough Pilates on my own. My favorite type of Pilates is simple mat Pilates. It is a great way to strengthen the core, and stretch muscles you didn’t know you had!

I don’t like wearing tight clothing for yoga or Pilates, so the loose pants pictured above are perfect since they are not constricting, and they can easily be worn to run errands before or after a yoga class. Love that!

When it comes to shoes, I am a Nike girl! I have been wearing Nike since High School and swear by the brand. These shoes are my favorite running shoe style. I wear running shoes for running, or walking on the treadmill. For fitness classes, I prefer a cross trainer such as this pair, and for tennis I wear good old fashioned tennis shoes such as this pair.

I like a no-nonsense duffle bag for the gym. I don’t like using a designer tote, or an overly fussy bag. I feel like a gym bag should look athletic; not like it is pretending to be something else. This duffle bag is perfect; and very sporty looking! Love that!

What are your current fitness goals? Do you prefer classes, or do you workout on your own?

Fitness gear for the new year wish list:

Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk in the winter

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Outfit: Sunglasses: Chanel / Earrings: c/o Laurel Burch / Lipstick: Chanel Mighty / Sweater: Banana Republic / Ring: Kendra Scott / Nail Polish: Chanel Sunrise Trip / Handbag: Tory Burch (on sale!!) / Jeans: Gap / Shoes: Rag & Bone (sold out, also love this pair and this pair)

Over Christmas break, we took the kids to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Winter is a great time to go to the Boardwalk because there are less crowds, significantly lower lines, and you can really maximize your day; since you are not spending it in long lines!

The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk in winter has reduced hours, and not all of the rides are open. On the day we went, the Boardwalk was open from 12pm-5pm. We arrived at noon and stayed until about 5:15pm. It was a full day, and loads of fun!  There were about twelve rides open, so in addition to going on rides, we played mini golf, and a few carnival games.

The food at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is always fun too. Can you believe the potato on a stick my daughter is holding in the photo above?! It was like potato chips on a stick, but fresh! They make the potato on a stick right there in front of you, so you can see it is fresh; and I would like to think it is healthier than potato chips from a bag at the super market. The kids also ate french fries; and I enjoyed a delicious hot cocoa made from Ghirardelli Chocolate, yum!

The favorite ride of the day for my kids were the bumper cars. I think they went back on the ride close to ten times! There were a lot of people riding the bumper cars, yet there wasn’t a line, so it was easy to keep going back on the same ride. It was the perfect amount of people!

If you are interested in heading down to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk in winter, be sure to call first and see how many rides are open. You will also want to check the hours. They do offer a reduced daily rate during the winter, which is nice.

What are some places you like to go to in the winter because there is less of crowd than in the summer?

Proenza Schouler medium tote bag review

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Pictured: Proenza Schouler medium tote handbag in turquoise / blanket scarf (on sale!!) / lipstick / hand cream / book

The Proenza Schouler medium tote bag instantly caught my attention when it debuted just before Christmas. I have always wanted  a Proenza Schouler handbag, but never actually pulled the trigger and purchased one. When this luscious tote bag appeared on my laptop screen in a beautiful turquoise color, succulent green color, beautiful brown, dark classic black, and crisp white, I knew I had to have one in my life!

Since blue is my favorite color, the turquoise tote bag was the obvious choice for me; I finally found my Proenza Schouler bag! The Proenza Schouler medium tote bag in turquoise was a pre-order item, so I didn’t think I would get my hands on it until early spring. Then, FedEx came to my door less then a week after I pre-ordred the bag and surprised me with it! Imagine my excitement! It was a Christmas miracle 😉

I was more than thrilled to pull the medium tote bag out of the shipping box. The leather is extremely buttery soft. If you are familiar with Balenciaga, imagine the softness of their leather, but a bit thicker. This leather is not only feather soft, it is thick and durable. Perfection!

I was instantly drawn to the details and craftsmanship of  my new Proenza Schouler medium tote bag in turquoise. The closure is a hidden magnetic closure which is strong, yet easy to get in and out of. I love having a tote bag which is secure; so many are wide open, and tempting for pick pockets. The magnetic closure adds a bit of security to the bag which makes me feel a bit safer when I am in the city; especially on public transit in the city!

The interior of the Proenza Schouler medium tote bag feature a roomy zipper pocket, and suede lining. I am a girl who loves luxury inside and out; and Proenza Schouler delivers on this tote! The little fringe charm is eye-catching as well. It features a hidden key fob in case you want to hide your keys in it! 😉

There are two, semi-thin tube straps on my Proenza Schouler medium tote bag. They are soft and comfortable. The straps are long enough to throw over my shoulders; making this a shoulder bag and giving it an almost-hobo-like look. Love that!

Proenza Schouler offers their tote bag in both a medium and large size. I have the medium which is extremely roomy. Although I didn’t picture it above, I can fit my small laptop in this tote. I don’t normally carry my laptop with me unless I am traveling, so I photographed what I normally carry with me; a blanket scarf, wallet, lipstick, keys, book (I am always waiting for my kids), hand cream, and iPhone. With these items, there is still plenty of room for snacks, a water bottle, and random things my kids will hand me when we are out somewhere.

Although this tote in black or neutral would be practical, I am in love with the bright, yummy turquoise Proenza Schouler created for their medium tote bag. It is cheerful, and brings a bit of sunshine to me on a dreary winter day. Plus, this will be a hot color as we move into the spring and summer seasons. Love that!

You can find the Proenza Schouler medium tote bag in five colors online here. The larger version is online here and here. A fringe version is online here. There is a canvas version online here.

I rate the Proenza Schouler medium tote bag five out of five stars!