lifestyle

How to keep your fitness routine on track

 in Fitness / General Fashion  tagged 9round / lifestyle by
how to add a fitness routine to schedule

Pictured: Me visiting the opening celebration of the new 9Round Santa Clara on Winchester Blvd. See more here.

Have you ever gotten off track from your fitness? Have you had surgery, a major life stress event, moved, or had another major reason for falling off the fitness wagon? We have all been there, in fact, I was just there!

When there are major events in our lives that can throw us off track, one of the hardest things to do is to get back on track! After my surgery in late August, I was on bed rest for almost a month. When I got off bedrest, it was really difficult for me to get myself back to the gym. I had other things going on in my life at the same time, so I started to stress eat. When I am stressed out, food gives me comfort. The cycle of over-eating, and not working out, spiraled out of control.

It has been a difficult ride these past few months. I have gained over twenty pounds, and my spring clothing from last year doesn’t fit. When your favorite pair of shorts won’t go above your knees, it’s a wake-up call. I knew I had to get back on track, but getting back on track was one of the hardest things I had to do.

In early spring, there was a series of unfortunate events in my life which led me to be extremely stressed out. Just when I needed to get my fitness and nutrition routine back on track, I was finding comfort in food. I was so thankful when 9round in Santa Clara opened, I had a new motivation to get back on track.

When 9Round opened, I started scheduling my workouts for the week. In order to ensure I got myself back on track, I scheduled five workouts per week, alternating the 9round circuit, with medium cardio workouts at my gym. This helped me get back into my routine. The important thing is to get the routine going, then start worrying about calories after the routine feels natural.

The mistake I made last fall, when I tried to get back on track after my surgery, was counting calories and working out all at the same time. By trying to do it all, all at once, I was overwhelmed due to all the other stresses in my life. It was easy to toss my workouts off my schedule, and continue to find comfort in food.

This time, I know getting my fitness routine back on track will work, because I am adding one thing at a time; without overwhelming myself. I feel so much healthier, and by focusing on my fitness routine, I feel less stressed with everything going on. This is a great way to get back on track, and to start losing those extra pounds I gained so quickly!

It’s hard enough to stay on track under normal life circumstances, but when added stress comes into play, or unexpected life events, keeping up with your fitness routine, and eating right, can be really hard. I know! I find so much comfort in food; and it’s so easy to make an excused to skip the gym.

If you are trying to start a fitness routine, or get back into one after a few months, try this! Add back your workouts, and schedule them into your weekly routine. Don’t worry about calories or diet yet. Get your fitness routine into your schedule and make sure it feels like a natural part of your day, and your week. Once your fitness routine is established, and natural part of your weekly schedule, you can start thinking about calories and diet.

If you don’t already have a diet plan that works, talk to your doctor, or a nutritionist. This is the best way to safely adjust your caloric intake. Please, stay away from fad diets; they  won’t help you maintain your healthy lifestyle in the long-run. A nutritionist or doctor can help you adjust your diet in a healthy manner, and help you maintain it!

I use the MyFitnessPal app to count my calories, track my fitness, track my progress, and watch what I eat. Feel free to friend me on the app, that way we can help each reach our goals!

Let’s stay on track together, get fit, and lose this weight!

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO

Cathy

Ring Doorbell review | home security video options

 in Home  tagged lifestyle / reviews / ring doorbell by

honest review ring doorbell pro

pictured: Ring Doorbell with black face, mounted to outside wall /

You might be asking yourself, why is there a Ring Video Doorbell review on a fashion website? Well, let me tell you; it’s a security necessity! Don’t we all need some security to protect our fabulous handbags and shoes? Of course!

I am really excited to write this review for you. My Ring Doorbell might very well be the best purchase I have ever made for my home. I have always had a security system in my home, but until I installed the Ring Doorbell, I did not have a way of being alerted when a package was left at my doorstep, or when someone was at my door when I was not home.

A lot of robbers will ring a person’s doorbell to see if they are home. If you do not have a Ring Doorbell, or similar system in place, you won’t know someone is at your door if you are not home. With the Ring Doorbell, I can answer the ring, and talk to the person at my door through the Ring phone app. It is like being home, when you are not! Love that!

In addition to the doorbell, think about how many times you have not been home, and a package has been left on your doorstep. Also, you can be inside your home, and not know a package was just left on your doorstep. It is very rare that a delivery person will ring your doorbell, alerting you that a box has been left on your front steps. They typically drop the box, head back to the truck, and drive off; leaving your new purchase sitting on your doorstep and vulnerable to package thieves. Not good!

As a blogger, and Amazon prime user, I get a lot of packages delivered to my door. The Ring Doorbell has a motion sensor which alerts me when there is motion in front of my house. I can look at the Ring app on my phone, and see what the motion is. If it’s a package, I can run to the door and pull it inside. Love that! My Ring Video Doorbell is so much more than a doorbell, it’s a security alert system!

Ring Video Doorbell review

video doorbell reviews

The Ring Doorbell takes a video anytime there is motion at the front door, or someone rings your doorbell. It also records audio, so you can hear conversations that happened on your doorstep, or speak with someone at your door. The videos are stored in your app and account, which you can also access from your desktop or laptop via your Ring account. These videos can be downloaded, shared, and saved. They are great in case you need to report suspicious activity at your door. The video is clear-just like a phone video! It’s the most amazing technology. I love it!

There are different styles of Ring Doorbells on the market. I chose the Ring Doorbell because it was a little less expensive than other models, and I thought it had a sleek look. The doorbell comes with two face plates; one silver and one black. This was handy for matching my front porch. The silver looked off with my gold-tone doorknob and black light fixtures. I love how sleek the black face looks on my Ring Doorbell next to my light fixtures and brass doorknob.

Ring Doorbell Installation

ring doorbell pro detailed review

The doorbell is really easy to install. We used a drill to make holes in our wall, and then we were able to easily screw in the bracket to attach it to the wall. There are two different brackets you can attach to the back of the doorbell; one which angles the doorbell to the door, and one which can angle it up or down. So, no matter your placement issues at your front door, there is a bracket which can angle the video in the right direction for you. All you need is a philips screwdriver, possibly a drill, and you’re ready to install!

Ring Doorbell’s are ready for hardwired installation, or battery operated installation. I am using the battery operated function, but you can easily hardwire it to your current system inside the wall. If you are handy, then you can do it yourself, but I would recommend hiring an electrician to install it if you prefer hardwiring the system.

As you can see in the above photo, I installed my Ring Doorbell Pro on an angled bracket. The bracket is paintable, so I can paint it to match my wall; this is on my to-do list. haha

If you are planning to use the battery only, I recommend purchasing a spare battery. The battery takes roughly six hours to charge. If you have a spare battery, you can quickly switch them out without your doorbell being down for six hours while the battery charges.

The Ring Doorbell comes with all the screws and brackets you will need for installation. All you need is your philips screwdriver, and possibly a drill.

Ring Chime Pro review / Ring Doorbell Wifi Booster

ring doorbell wifi booster review

The wifi in my house is really far away from the front door. We found we were having issues with the doorbell’s connection to our home wifi system. A few weeks after purchasing the Ring Doorbell, I bought this Ring Chime Pro accessory. It is a life saver! Not only does it boost our wifi from our network to the front door, it also rings and chimes inside. This way, if you are away from your phone, you can still hear the motion alerts or the doorbell ring. Love that! Even if you don’t need a wifi boost, I highly recommend installing the Ring Chime Pro simply for the chime.

I’m in love with my Ring Doorbell, and Ring Chime Pro video security system. The app is easy to use, and the entire system works like a charm. It has really taken the stress out of packages being left on my doorstep, and front-door security in general. It is a great compliment to my home security system! If you have been on the fence, or have been wondering about video doorbell systems, I highly recommend pulling the trigger and investing in one. I love my Ring!

Shop Ring Doorbell products online:

Do you have a video doorbell installed in your home? What are your thoughts?

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO
Cathy

ring doorbell review

Goals for the new year 2019 edition

 in General Fashion  tagged lifestyle / tips by

photo courtesy of “Her Creative Studio” via Style Collective /

This past year has really flown by! One of the new things I did in 2018, was to set goals for myself instead of making new years resolutions I had trouble keeping. When I make goals, I work hard to towards them, if I don’t achieve them, at least I have made progress and can continue working towards them. I don’t feel like I failed, which can result in me stopping my progress because I feel like the year is over and the resolution wasn’t met. With goals, I can adjust them, and continue to work towards them. Love that!

So, for the new year, I have created a few new goals for myself in addition to continuing the ones from 2018 I want to improve on, or continue working towards.

I love having my goals out here on the Internet, I feel like I am more accountable for them because everyone can see them! If they were written in my planner, for my eyes only, they would be easier to weasel out of. With them on the Internet, I am forced to stick to them because you can see them and hold me accountable! Haha. What are some of your tricks for sticking to your goals?

Without further ado, here are my new goals for 2019!

Get my fitness on track: OK, so this is a recurring goal of mine. I had quite a few setbacks in 2018, so my fitness routine fell waaaaaay off track. In 2019, I don’t have any excuses. I will get five workouts in each week if it kills me! Ha! Goodbye extra pounds, it wasn’t nice knowing ya.

Try one new recipe every week: So I tend to gravitate towards cooking recipes I already know. Once in a while, I try something new; but those meals are far and few between. My kids are getting older and more adventurous in their food choices. It is time to start trying new recipes and adding new meals to my cooking routine. I do have some motivation, my middle child wants to be a chef when she grows up, so she sets the bar high and tries cooking new recipes all the time! I need to keep up with her! Haha, Wish me luck!

Vary my blog content more: OK, so I have been already working on this in the past year, but I feel like my content could still be more diverse. Sometimes I fall into a safe rut where I forget to work hard to find more lifestyle content to share with you. In 2019, I want to try and include 2-4 lifestyle posts per month on the blog to keep things interesting for both myself and you! If you want to see more of anything, let me know!

Expand my business goals beyond the blog: In 2018, I worked really hard to diversify my blog income and not depend solely on banner ads and affiliate income. I pitched brands, and really created relationships with companies I love, and hope you love too. This was a great way to diversify my income and bring you interesting content. In 2019, I want to do more, and I have something fun in the works-but it is top secret. If I write it down here, this blog will have to self-destruct in three. . .two. . .OK, so none of that! Just know, something fun is coming 2019. Yippee!

Spruce up my house: When we bought our home over ten years ago, my son was only five months old. We moved all our furniture and decor from our old house, into our new one. The wall décor didn’t really fit, nor did all the furniture. Our family room looks disjointed, but we left it that way because we were so busy with the baby, and two other small children under the age of five, that we didn’t give our home décor a second thought. Now that our youngest is ten, it is time to think about home décor; especially since he is old enough to not destroy something new! Haha This year I want to redecorate my family room and furnish it with furniture that fits in it correctly! This goal requires some buy-in from my husband, so wish me luck! Haha

Well, that’s it! My goals in 2019 don’t seem as heavy as they did in 2018; I’m thinking that’s a good thing! What are your goals in the new year?

Thanks for stopping by and have a fabulous new year!

XOXO

Cathy