Guest Post: My Mom's Pure Barre Story

My mom is an amazing writer, and today I asked her to guest post to share her Pure Barre story. My sister and I both love Pure Barre classes and when I was home a few months ago in August we convinced my mom to join us for a morning class, which she agreed to because she wanted extra time with her girls ;)

But to her surprise, she ended up really enjoying it and so she signed up for an unlimited month to see how it would go. She's been going ever since, and she's half way to her 100th class I might add!
I'm so proud of her for finding something she enjoys doing and it's extra fun that my mom, sister and I all have Pure Barre in common!

PS - My mom has the cutest Instagram account - if you don't follow her, you should :)

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Pure Barre Mills Park - Mom's first class before signing up for a month!

My Pure Barre story is short and sweet...

I love to spend time with my daughters! I wasn't intending to start exercising... I really wasn't!

My very first barre class was probably three or four years ago, at another studio with my girls.

I remember laying on the floor in class and the thought went through my mind,
"I think I'm going to die!"

I did what I could in the class (which wasn't much) and I wondered if I'd be able to merely WALK the next day, or week?? But the good thing was I was with my girls!

Fast forward two years and never another barre class. Then, we had our two daughter's weddings.

I did what every mother-of-the-bride would want to, lose weight!

I started a 28-day diet, that on Day 29 ended up becoming a new way of eating for me and my husband. I didn't intend to permanently change the way we eat. I had lost the weight, all 33 pounds of it! But what was still missing, was exercise in my life.

Remember how I love spending time with our daughters? Our Atlanta girl was in town for the weekend, and she and her sister were going to a Pure Barre class that Saturday morning. They invited Mom. It was a fun Mother-Daughter morning. We went to an early class at the Pure Barre Mills Park studio in Orlando, and met their Dad next door for breakfast afterwards. It was fun! 

I started thinking... maybe? Maybe I could do this???

During breakfast, the girls were so encouraging. My husband was so encouraging. 

I was "weakening." Maybe just maybe I could try it for a month?

I'm a practical gal, and I had just paid my $25 for the one class. If I was ever going to try it, now was my time. It certainly was a better deal - a month of unlimited classes for $99!

I was beginning to consider giving it a try, for the pure economics, if nothing else! Right there, in the middle of breakfast, they grabbed me (and my credit card!) and said, 

"Let's quick do this before she changes her mind!!"

And that's how it happened...

What I didn't realize was, I was about to fall in love with a new form of exercise for me, and that was HUGE because... I HATE to exercise! It was a TOTAL unexpected thing to happen in my life, too. Not too many big, new things happen in your life when you're SIXTY!

Each class slowly got a little easier and all those new phrases (like "lift, tone and burn") started making sense. I could do more than one thing at a time! Now I look forward to going to class, rather than dreading other forms of exercise I had previously tried. I can hardly believe it myself!

Class is tough... I'm not gonna lie. Every class is tough, but I'm doing it, and it feels so good!

I am feeling stronger, and that's been awesome!

Favorite Workout Tanks

There are so many cute workout tanks these days that I thought it would be fun to share some of my recent favorites!

I Can't. I Have Barre.
Simply Workout $36

This one cracks me up, in Pure Barre they always talk about the "Pure Barre ledge"

😂😂😂

Got Ledge?
Simply Workout $39

Killing It
Everfitte Etsy Shop $27

Happy Hour at the Barre
Everfitte Etsy Shop $26

Wino-Saur
Everfitte Etsy Shop $26

Straight Outta Platform
Sweatyselfie Etsy Shop $20

I want all of these for Pure Barre!! Which one do you like best?
Any suggestions for other favorite workout tanks?

xox, A

My Favorite Classes in Atlanta for ClassPass

I'm just finishing my first month of ClassPass. One of my goals for 2016 is to get back into fitness and eating healthier (whose isn't right?) so my first step toward that goal was to join ClassPass.

ClassPass is a gym membership that gives you access to several studios and gyms in your area for $99 a month. It's available in a ton of cities, including Atlanta, Orlando, Chicago, Tampa, New York, Boston, Miami, and several others. I've really enjoyed getting to try several different gyms and workouts this month (for much less than a monthly membership to just one of these gyms) the "catch" is that you can only go to one particular gym up to 3 times a month and you don't have access to all of their classes, but I didn't have a problem getting into classes.

Image from ClassPass

For you chicas in Atlanta, here are a few of my favorites so far:

1. Forme Studios

Forme Studios was by far my favorite barre studio I tried. First of all, it's the most convenient location for me and I was able to try a few of their 6 AM "Booty Barre" classes which was nice to knock out my workout in the morning before work. I have a love/hate relationship with the instructor Donna who is also the owner. I really enjoyed her class but man, her classes kicked my booty. I was so sore after!

I loved this studio because it has a very neighborhood and community feel to it. They even have running club on Thursdays after work which I'd be interested in trying. I feel like barre classes sometimes miss the cardio piece to my workout so I love that she offers running together and I got an email about a barre class followed by wine tasting they had this month... my kind of gym ;)

2. Pink Barre - Buckhead

I had tried Pink Barre before so I knew I'd like this one. They had definitely changed a few things since the last time I had been, I found it more challenging this time around. In college I went to Pure Barre which I loved, I find Pink Barre to be pretty similar. Pink Barre has a wood floor instead of carpet and they replace Pure Barre's flat back series with what they call Barre Connect. It's a little more ballet-focused and is used to get your heart rate up between the thighs and seat series. I don't necessarily like one more than the other, those are just the biggest differences I've noticed.

Pink Barre was the most similar to what I did in college, when I first fell in love with barre classes. They have several Atlanta locations - Buckhead, Emory Point, Virginia Highlands, Sandy Springs and Lake Lanier.

3. Roc House Fitness Spa

I tried Roc House because my best friend is a member there already, so it was definitely nice to have a workout partner when I went. I did a barre and yoga class at Roc House together and I liked both. Not your "typical barre" class, but I was really impressed with the amenities they had. A really nice bathroom with showers and lockers, a full gym, cycling bikes for classes and studio for lots of different types of classes. This would be a great gym because they have everything you need - equipment if I wanted to workout on my own, classes if I want someone to tell me what to do/motive me and complete with showers to use if I'm going straight to work in the mornings or have plans with friends or Houston after my workout, which I thought was a huge plus!

4. Red Hot Yoga

I had only done 1 or 2 yoga classes before and I had never tried hot yoga, so this was a first for me. I didn't think I would like Red Hot Yoga, but I actually did! They have 2 studios there, I did the Power 1 class which apparently isn't as HOT as their Hot 1 class so I'm glad I did that one. I'm not sure I could have handled a studio much hotter but I did like it. Definitely felt like I sweat out my fair share of toxins for the day. It was a particularly cold day when I went, so I didn't mind the heat. Not sure if I could handle this in the summer! But I liked it and would definitely go back. Our class was packed so it's clearly popular with a mix of both guys and girls, which surprised me.

I mostly tried barre classes but was proud of myself for trying hot yoga and cycling for the first time this month. Have you tried ClassPass? If you've tried it in Atlanta, I'd love to hear some recommendations of what to try next time around!

If you want to try ClassPass for the first time, I'd love for you to use my link. You'll get $20 off your month and so will I! :)

xox,
A

Barre Playlist #1

It seems like there is a workout barre studio on almost every corner in Atlanta now! I did Pure Barre in college, visited Barre54 in Orlando with my sister and just recently joined a studio in Atlanta called Pink Barre. I don't discriminate - I love all barre workouts!

If you've ever gone yourself, you might be able to relate to this, but sometimes the only thing that gets me through the workout is the music!

I find myself listening to the radio in the car thinking, "This would make a really good barre song." [As I tuck…tuck…tuck in the drivers seat!]

So I thought I would compile some of my recent favorite barre songs and if you want to follow my Spotify playlist you can here! Starting with some slower songs for the warm up and arms, gets into some faster songs for thighs, seat, and core then slows down for stretching. Let me know what you think!

[photo: leanitup.com]

Lastly, I wanted to tell you about a new workout line of clothes I found called Fabletics, which is co-founded by Kate Hudson. I just ordered my first outfit my cropped pants arrived tonight and I can't wait to wear them to class tomorrow! They have some really cute things and they're much more reasonable compared to a lot of the workout clothes I've seen.

What are some of your favorite songs to workout to? What's your favorite brand for workout clothes? I'm always looking for suggestions!

xoxo,
A

Meal Budgeting

One of my favorite classes this semester has been Food Prep 101! This is one of my only "fun" classes I've taken at school (meaning it wasn't required for my major or minor) and I've loved learning some life skills by taking this class.

Our final project is due the last week of class and we are required to come up with a week's worth of meals (dinners require recipes) in which we cannot spend more than $78 for the entire week on the 21 meals.

I know this will require some time, but I'm really looking forward to this assignment. It won't be long until I'm on my own and needing to budget like this for healthy meals and I think I will actually use it once I have created the meal plan.

I have a few resources I've already planned on using (which I wanted to share with you) and was curious if any of you had suggestions for meals I should make that are quick and inexpensive to make, or other resources you'd recommend I use!?

• mappingyourfuture.org - our teacher gave us this website to use to create our budget which gave us the $78 per month to spend on groceries
• My Plate Super Tracker - our teacher also gave us this one, to analyze our foods at the end of the 7 days and it tells us if we are reaching our goals for grains, vegetables, fruits, dairy, protein, oils, etc.
• The Everygirl Blog - 10 Vegetarian Meals for Less than $50
• The Everygirl Blog - 10 Grilled Meals for Less than $50
• The Everygirl Blog - 10 Entrée Salads for Less than $50
• The Everygirl Blog - Ten Meals for Less than $50
• Eating Well - 5 Ingredient Dinners for Less than $50 - recipe for Black Bean Quesadillas ($5.81)
• ThirtyAWeek.wordpress.com - Great website that helps give ideas for cheap meals and how to make meals for less than $30 a week
• Better Home & Garden - Dinner Meals Under $3
• One website recommended: $25 a week for seasonal fruits, vegetables and grains and the rest on your meats for the week
• Another blog suggested: soups and stir fries for cheap meals.

I would love any and all suggestions you have for saving money on groceries and meal recipes!

Thanks,

A

Yummy Green Smoothie

 

My Aunt Lori told me about a yummy (and healthy!) green smoothie that I mentioned on an earlier post and I had a request for the recipe so I thought I'd post it for you all!

It's very simple and only requires a few ingredients:

Ice

1/2 banana

Handful of kale

Handful of spinach

1 cup pear juice

Honey (optional for you hardcore health nuts, but I can't stand the taste without it!)

It's all about your personal preference and I just play with the amounts depending on what I think tastes best. If you try it, let me know what you think:)

-A

Gettin' Ready for Spring Break!

I know what you're thinking... 2 posts in 1 day?? Don't worry this probably won't happen very often.

I was just talking to Houston earlier today and told him that I really wanted to be more dedicated to healthier eating habits and workouts this semester. I want to have a healthier lifestyle and be more comfortable in my skin. He is amazing and tells me everyday that I am beautiful and is always so incredibly encouraging in my efforts to be healthy (when I try), but I am not thrilled with how I look and he is the BEST person to help me because he is so knowledgeable about health and fitness! So he told me that if I wanted him to, he would help me come up with a plan for my diet and fitness schedule! If you can't tell... I'm one very lucky gal:)

So after that great talk with Houston, my sweet friend Jaime had some of us girls over tonight to catch up now that we are all back in town (we start our final semester of college this Monday! Where has the time gone??) We were talking about how we all want to be in good shape for our Spring Break cruise, and decided we are all going to join our local Pure Barre, at least until Spring Break in March!!

Above is a video to help explain what a PB class looks like.


I am so excited because I love PB! It's so much fun and I love the workout, and I am also much more likely to go if I have a friend with me (social butterfly, right here).

PB really helps me to tone up, but I get faster results for my stomach if I'm running. So what I've decided to do is do my cardio on Tuesdays and Thursdays (I don't have class on TTh this semester - hallelujah!) and then I can go to PB classes with my girlfriends whenever they're free!

Now I'm posting about this so I can have a little more accountability. I'm not sure how many people actually read this (besides my sweet family and supportive friends), but this way I feel like I'm posting it out there for the world to see and I (hopefully) will be more diligent with my healthy living!

We (Juliann, Jaime, Courtney, Kristin and myself) are going to start our memberships this weekend at PB and I am so excited to get back! I haven't been in "Pure Barre shape," as I like to call it, in awhile so it might take me a few weeks! But here we go:)

Last thing --- Have y'all heard of this phone app called GroupMe?? I'm obsessed. My friends just showed it to me tonight and it operates how text messaging should on the iPhone (sorry Apple)! It's similar to WhatsApp if you've had that, but you can turn on a setting where you can receive them as text messages if you want, and you can also turn notifications off and/or take yourself out of the group message if you want to stop getting buzzed every 5 seconds... GENIUS! I love group texting, but sometimes it can drive me crazy if I'm out of town and can't hang out with my friends trying to make plans in the group text or my family loves to group message but sometimes I'm in the middle of things and can't respond, so this gives you the option to turn on the notifications! A highly recommend it!

Okay, sleep time! I have a business meeting in the morning! Eek:) I'll keep you posted on my newest entrepreneurship idea as it evolves!

-A

Fitness Update:
Juliann and I went to the gym at school today and I did:
10 minutes on the elliptical
10 mins sprint/walking on the treadmill
4 planks 30 seconds each
each side plank 30 seconds each
2 sets of 10 squats
2 sets of 10 lunges
3 sets of 30 rep "back dancing" (as PB calls it)
and 20 reps captain's chair leg raises

New Year's Resolutions

The great thing about a new year is the ability to "start fresh." Even though we have the ability to do that everyday, something about a fresh year makes it easier.

I actually took the time to write out my New Year's Resolutions and would like to share them with you:

1. Spend more time reading Scripture - I often get caught up in reading devotionals or Christian books, but forget to read the most important Book of all... my Bible!

2. Find a job! - I graduate in May and I find it very important that I find employment this year, despite the poor job market these days.
Mini Goals:
-I would like to have two interviews scheduled by February 1st (informational or actual).
-Send my resume to at least 10 people or companies by February 1st.
-Find a job by Spring Break!

3. Take advantage of my last semester at Samford - I have special friendships that I want to be sure I devote time to and step away from any friendships that seem to be surrounded with any type of "drama."
- I especially want to take advantage of living in the same city as my big brother, Michael, and hope to meet him for lunch or dinner maybe once a week since I know I'll be moving a state away after graduation.
-My Chi Omega family is very special to me and I want to be sure and invest in those beautiful women while I'm in Birmingham.
-Last but certainly not least, the majority of my best friends are women I've met in college and I want to devote special amounts of time to them. I certainly feel that school is important, and have always put school first, but I don't want to look back on my last semester of college and regret missing out on any fun times with these ladies!

4. Start a blog... CHECK! And I hope to write at least once a week this year!

5. Read two books - I'm not much of a reader (this is why I have set the bar pretty low with only two) and I'd like to spend more time reading and less time on social media. Any recommendations??

6. Love my body! Thankfully, I haven't had much of a problem loving my body (Although it was certainly easier when I cheered in high school and worked out at least 4 times a week, but since being in college it has become a little harder to carve out time to stay active and I've never been a huge health nut! But I'm hoping that I can begin cooking more (I'm taking a Food Prep 101 class this semester that I'm REALLY excited about!) and find fun ways to stay diligent in a healthy lifestyle!

What are some of YOUR goals for 2013??

Well that's it for my first blog post ever! I'd love your comments, questions, concerns and feedback anytime:)

-A