Sunday Funday!

I kind of struggled with my mental power of "not eating crap" this week lol.  Why did I have to go to Trader Joe's and buy a bag of salt & pepper chips and goat cheese + crackers???  I blame it on the dreaded time of the month, but I actually bought them a couple days before that.  Thursday was a coworker's birthday happy hour, and I had a glass of wine, a couple slices of pizza, a slider, some fries and tuna tartare on these crispy chip things.  They were great, don't get me wrong.  But they are hardly a part of my training plan!  Then, I decided it was a good idea to participate in this US/Canada candy exchange on one of the Lululemon facebook groups that I joined recently!  So I got paired up with a Canadian candy buddy, and we will be sending each other candies and other goodies that are only available in our respective countries.  This is totally not trainer approved!!!  Lol!!!  What's wrong with me?  I'm hoping that maybe I'll get my mental power back next week... then I'll be good for a couple weeks before binging on my Canadian goodies that I'll be receiving!  :D

I did follow my training plan to a T though, so there is that.  Too bad diet is way more important than training.

Monday 9/16
What I did:  Weights!  Lower body circuit.  I hate this workout lol.  Then 30 minutes of my cardio interval session which is walking at different paces on the treadmill at 15% incline.

What I wore:  My new Lululemon Ebb to Street tank in heathered plum, and Ebb & Flow crops in deep indigo with New Balance Minimus Road shoes.  I liked my seamless outfit lol.  The tank did ride up at different points during the weight session of the workout though.  But otherwise it's comfy and stayed put during cardio.  I was surprised that it wasn't as hot as I thought it would be for cardio.  It also didn't show sweat much.

Tuesday 9/17

What I did:  Weights, shoulder & tri.  Then 30 minutes of cardio interval session again.

What I wore:  Lululemon cool racerback in currant, with Lorna Jane duo bra under it, and black Splits59 Nova capri crops.  Matching red Adidas adizero adios 2 shoes!

Here's my work outfit from Tuesday, Armani Exchange vest over Express shirred v-neck long sleeve shirt and Express wide waistband editor pants in neutral, with green Gucci wedges.

I really like this Armani Exchange vest, when you look at it in person, it has a slight sheen to it.

Wednesday 9/18

What I did:  Weights again, back and bi.  This was such a long workout that I decided to not do cardio after.  For my weight sessions, I usually do 8-10 different exercises.  I'm doing 4 sets of each right now, with 60-90 second rest in between.  This could take quite long to complete if I'm not doing supersets.

What I wore:  Lorna Jane outfit!  Inspire excel tank with Mosaic tight.  I wore my Victoria's Secret VSX Sport supermodel cami bra in sweetest orange under the tank because it is the perfect color combo.  My Nike Free shoes in violet also matches pretty well.  I was so matchy-matchy since the tights have orange under the mosaic pattern too!  Check it out...

Thursday 9/19 - Rest day, happy hour lol.

Friday 9/20

What I did:  Second lower body weight session, then 30 minutes of cardio intervals.

What I wore:  Lululemon swiftly SS shirt in fruitie tootie - my very first swiftly top of any kind!!  The Brentwood store gave it to me to test out way back in the day, and I've bought so many swiftly items since then!  I wore the currant Energy bra under, Mod Moves crop in groovy stripe nimbus, and New Balance shoes.

Saturday 9/21

What I did:  My 5th weight session of the week - upper body supersets, followed by my 4th 30 minute cardio session of the week.  Gotta say, doing weights 5 times a week and cardio 4 times a week ain't a walk in the park.

What I wore:  Splits59 outfit!  Ashby tank in yucca, which I love because it is soooo soft.  But it is very form fitting and pretty sheer so I can only wear it if I'm feeling not too bloaty... such as Saturday morning!  I wore Lululemon free to be bra in very green under it.  Nova capri tights in a newer design than the ones I wore on Tuesday - the mesh across the front of this design just looks super cool.  I wore my new Nike Free Bionic shoes!  They are like the most perfect match with the tights since they also have mesh and white!

Check out how nicely the tights and shoes go together!

It finally cooled down a little bit here.  So I wore my beloved Lululemon Beach Runner jacket as to and from.  I love this jacket because it's brushed on the inside and so comfy!  I also think the fit is very flattering.  The fresh teal color of the jacket is almost exactly the same as the yucca in the Ashby tank!  Of course my very green free to be bra and the very green in the jacket are exactly the same too.  :)

Sunday 9/22

What I did:  Rest day from weights, but I went to pilates class.  It was tough too.  But I love it!

What I wore:  Lululemon cool racerback in static very violet/very violet with Lorna Jane Clover bra under it.  I took out these awesome and comfy Lululemon pique wunder under crops to wear around the house and couldn't stop wearing them so I just wore them to workout too lol.  I am still unsure of the color.  It's either light gray pique or silver spoon pique.  They look identical to me when I google them.  Oh yeah, of course my Zigi Kickin wedge sneakers accompanied me to pilates once again!

As to and from, I wore my new Splits59 ribbed hoodie in pretty much exactly the same color as my very violet cool racerback.  I figured the gray hood of the hoodie also goes well with the crops!

See how the hoodie and tank are pretty much identical in color!

I'm so glad I bought these pique wunder under crops.  Now that the weather is slightly cooling down, I'm already craving for warm and comfy clothes and these are so cozy!

I'm actually taking tomorrow off work to hang out with a friend.  So glad I don't have to go to work!  Working is so overrated... and lame.  lol.  Goodnight everyone!

Nike Free Bionic Training Shoe - Black/Silver

After eying the Nike Free Bionic training shoes online for quite a while, I finally decided to get them!  What pushed me over the edge was that I noticed Nordstrom started carrying them, and I love giving Nordstrom my business (I also had a $50 gift card!) because of their awesome customer service.  I wanted to order my regular size which is 6.5 but they were sold out online.  So I chatted with their customer service and they informed me that one of the Nor Cal stores had it.  All I had to do was call that store, and they were able to ship them to me right away!  But... after they arrived yesterday, I went to google them to see what other people thought of them, and found that they are 50% off at finishline.com!  I paid full price for them which was $95 plus tax.  But they are now only $49 at finishline.  So I called the Nordstrom store back and they price matched it for me!  So now these cost me only $53 after tax, and with my $50 gift card, I only spent $3 on them.  Lol.  I love Nordstrom.

I really love these shoes too!  They are so pretty.  I gotta say, Nike makes the prettiest shoes/colors.  I decided to get all black so that I could wear them with whatever outfit I want.  But I love that they are mostly black mesh over white so they don't look as dark as full on black shoes.  I do think these run a little bigger than other Nike Frees though.  I got the same size as others, which is 6.5, but I think I could probably go down to size 6 in them.  But I don't want to deal with having to track them down in another size so I'm keeping them.  The width fits fine, I just have a little extra toe room which might be better anyway to allow room for swelling.

The Bionics are the first Nike Frees that they've made with cross training in mind.  All my shoes are running shoes, and I don't really run anymore now that I'm spending most of my time lifting weights.  I've been meaning to get some training specific shoes, and when I first saw these I just knew I wanted to try them out.  

These are ultra lightweight and give you the barefoot feel but they offer way more stability than my Nike Free running shoes.  They top is flexible and the mesh offers ventilation.  The heel of this shoe is like a thick padding, it's soft and doesn't dig into the back of your heels.  These shoes are definitely better than Nike Free running shoes for squats and lunges type of exercises.  I didn't (and wouldn't) try running in them, but I did do my 30 minute walk on the treadmill and they were just fine for that. 

Here are some more detailed pictures of them:

It's cool that the laces are also black and white!

Here are some descriptions from the Nike website:

ULTIMATE FLEXIBILITY TO TRAIN STRONG

Designed for high-intensity training, the Nike Free Bionic Women's Training Shoe is our closest-to-barefoot style to date. It features a super-flexible, low-profile fit and a lightweight upper with Flywire technology for excellent stability, support and comfort during cross training, intervals, boot camp and kickboxing.

DYNAMIC STABILITY

The low-profile outsole delivers excellent stability and full range of motion for explosive moves like box jumps, burpees and mountain climbers. Strategically placed overlays at the toe and arch offer added stability during lateral moves and the unique traction pattern under the big toe lets your foot grip the floor for even more stability.

TARGETED SUPPORT

Ultralight, wrap-around Flywire threads cradle your foot for exceptional support. The threads are adjustable through the laces and wrap the midfoot and arch, helping to reduce internal slippage during movement.

VENTILATION

The mesh and foam upper helps keep your foot cool and comfortable while providing just the right amount of support where you need it most.

FLEXIBILITY

Outsole flex grooves give you increased flexibility for natural range of motion in any direction.

MORE BENEFITS

• Comfort collar and heel conforms to your foot for lightweight comfort and support
• Cushlon pod under the heel for lightweight cushioning and comfort
• Molded sockliner conforms to your foot for an anatomical fit, comfort and support
• Rubber outsole with herringbone pattern for durability and multidirectional traction

Overall I think they are exactly the kind of shoes I've been looking for and made for the type of workouts I do, so I am very excited to have them.  At the $49 price, I might even buy another pair!

Express (Minus the) Leather Quilted Mini Skirt - Love!

I mentioned a couple weeks ago that I order the Express (Minus the) Leather Quilted Mini Skirt from the store to get shipped to me free of shipping charge.  I didn't know what size to get so I ordered a size 0.  It arrived and it fits!  I am so happy with it.  It's rather short and fitted, but I think the faux leather actually looks pretty nice, and I love the diagonal zipper pockets on it!  I wish they were real pockets though, but they are just there for decoration.

I think it would go with so many different tops.  You can wear something on the feminine side to soften the look of leather.  Or something that looks edgier.  But I'm just wearing this Express studded bateau neck ruched sleeve sweater in black also.  Though it's a different material and the black looks darker.  I'm not normally a fan of black on black when the two fabrics are different, but whatever!  At least my Adrienne Vittadini diamond tights have matching quilted pattern as the skirt!  :)

The tights actually have exactly the same size quilt pattern as the skirt

I'll have to play around with different tops in my wardrobe to pair with this skirt!  So fun!  I got it for a great price too since I ordered it at the store during their Labor Day sale so it was 40% off, and I only paid $36 for it!

Big Lot of Workout Clothes! Lululemon & Splits59!

I don't normally buy lots, since I prefer individual items.  But I recently bought a pretty big lot because I was interested in multiple things and I figured I could just get rid of the rest.  Well, this lot has a bunch of winners!  Also some losers of course.  But I ended up getting the lot for such a bargain I feel like I robbed somebody!  Here are the things I'm keeping:

A pair of NWT Splits59 Ginger tights in this dark gray color with a crazy wide reflective band going down the side of the legs!  I think they are super fun, and they are size S, same as my other Ginger tights in black.  I also have Ginger tights in marianna blue, but those are XS and are a bit tight.  So size S is my preferred size in these.

I like that the coral colored ribbing is on the front on one leg and on the back on the other leg.  This wide reflective band on the side looks dark silver metallic with mesh over, as you can see in the detailed  picture.

I also got another pair of Splits59 Nova capri tights in black with light gray mesh stripe down the side of the legs.  I cannot say enough good things about Nova capris!  These are size XS, same as my other 2 pairs of Novas here and here.  I find the Nova style runs slightly bigger so I prefer size XS in them.

Then there is a Lululemon Inspire pullover in heathered lolo purple that I mentioned in last week's Sunday Funday post.  It's in such good condition that it looks like it's never been worn!  It's a size 4 as well, which is a perfect fit.  I love this pullover!

I also got a Lululemon Namaste tank that I also wore last week to pilates and posted in the Sunday Funday post.  It's also size 4.  I never tried it on when it was in stores, but it is such a flattering fit!  Very comfy too.  I love that the halter style can be worn as street wear.  I think I will hem an inch off of it, because it's very very long.  That way I can also get rid of the Lululemon logo that is on the lower left of the tank and it will be even more street-wear-friendly.

Then there is this awesome Splits59 ribbed hoodie that I love.  It's in brand new condition as well.  I love the color, and that it has a hood in a contrasting color.  I also love the material, which is the same soft ribbed cotton they use in their popular Ashby tanks.  It also has thumb holes!  It's a size XS.  I probably would have preferred a size up, but I can make this one work:

Ok, next there are these mystery Lululemon tights.  They are soooo awesome!  What are they???  I'm dying to know the name.  They are definitely an older style with diamond gusset.  They have huge side pockets on both legs with horizontal zipper.  Bottom has a long zipper as well and is ruched.  They are in like-new condition as well.  They are size 2, which is one size smaller than my normal Lulu size, but they actually fit.  I took a bunch of photos of them.  If anyone can identify these, please let me know!

Look at the huge pocket!

Lastly, I got another Splits59 Olivia Run tee in granita!  I love the barberry one that I have.  This one is older so it is slightly different.  It doesn't have embroidery like the barberry one does.  But it has mesh on the upper back which is cool.  Granita is a grayish purple color.  I have a pair of Nova capris in gray with granita down the side, and I also have a Sabrina tank in granita.  It looks like I'm forming a little collection around this color lol.  This top is size XS, same as my other one.  It's a looser fit that I really like.  The material is just so buttery soft and divine!

Mesh on the sleeves too

I got some pretty good scores I think!  I have to sort through the rest of my lot, and probably post a lot of it for sale later.  There are some other good stuff in this lot, like Lululemon Energize pants, Scoop Neck tank, other tanks, running skirts, dresses/tunic, running luon pullover, cool racerbacks, etc. that I'm not keeping.  I also have a bunch of personal items that I'm getting ready to sell as well, so it looks like a huge closet cleaning is coming up shortly!

Second Lululemon Ebb to Street Tank - Heathered Black

I went to Lululemon yesterday to exchange my plum cool racerback since I just got the plum Ebb to Street tank last week and love it!  I am really trying to not have too many similar styles in similar colors.  There are many ways I can justify why I should have both the plum cool racerback and Ebb to Street tank, but in the end they are really not all that different looking to someone who is not a lulu addict.

I couldn't really find anything at the store to exchange it for, and my plum cool racerback was a couple days past the return period.  I guess they probably would have let me return it anyway, but I figured they would definitely let me exchange for something else... especially something else that costs more.  So I got a second Ebb to Street tank, in heathered black.  I actually wanted to at least see the angel wing one, but they still didn't have it in yet.  I need more neutral colored tops, so I figured heathered black would be good since it's not quite black - it looks like a dark charcoal.

I bought it in the same size as my plum one, which is my true to size - 4.  I did not try it on until I got home.  I actually found that the heathered black fits slightly tighter than the heathered plum one.  It's not a huge difference, but I feel more neck pull from the straps on the black one.  So I might keep the tag on it for a while and see if I will exchange it for yet something else.

Here's an interesting thing that happened right after I bought this tank - one of my friends saw the tag on this tank, and exclaimed: "You paid 60 bucks for a wife beater?!?"  I didn't have a good comeback for it and mumbled something about it being seamless, only to get more outraged looks.  So it got me thinking, do I have Lulu goggles on for this one???  I took a picture of this tank on me, along side my ribbed Zenana Outfitters tank that I got for $4 and they do look pretty darn similar...

Does one look like it should cost $54 (or almost 15x) more than the other???  Lol...

Ok, I'm kind of putting things in perspective and may not keep it after all...