With the Academy Awards on Sunday I thought I’d offer three things I think will make for a Fit Fab Weekend that are inspired by  some of the nominated films. There are great movies and performances up for awards this year (Melissa McCarthy I’m talking about you…I mean how can you not root for Sookie from Gilmore Girls) Plus I can’t wait to see all the gorgeous dresses from Emma Stone, Jessica Chastain and more. I hope you enjoy and that you have a Fit Fab Weekend!

1. Go Parisian with a Midnight in Paris…breakfast: Okay so maybe you can’t stroll the streets of Paris like Owen Wilson in the movie, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have your own Parisian experience at home. Don some red lipstick and nautical stripes, pour yourself a great cup of coffee, or cafe au lait to be more authentic, and sit down with some fresh fruit, scrambled or soft boiled eggs and  even a small pastry. Enjoy leisurely leafing through the paper or maybe an InStyle Magazine . Take a stroll through your neighborhood afterward and have an utterly relaxing start to your day. Now if you haven’t seen Midnight in Paris yet plan on watching it that evening for a perfectly Parisian day:) (FYI it’s fabulous and will leave you even more in love with Owen Wilson and totally coveting Rachel McAdams’s wardrobe.)

 
2. Channel your inner Marilyn with My Week with Marilyn waves: That voice, those eyes, that mystique…Marilyn had it all. I love the soft, sexy, tousled bob Michelle Willaim’s sported in the film and it’s actually a very simple style you can recreate at home. The principle works with many different hair lengths and it’s perfect for the weekend.

• start with wet hair and spritz volumizer into the roots.
• blow your hair dry with a round brush
• curl section with a curling iron ( I like a 1 to 1.5 inch barrel iron because I think soft waves look more modern than pin tight curls)
• wrap the curl around your finger and pin in to your head to cool.
• let curls cool completely ( I like to do my makeup during this time) and spritz with light hold hairspray
• undo pins, let curls fall and shake through with your fingers for soft sexy “Marilyn” worthy hair.

3. Enjoy a little help  from well, The Help: I’ll never forget those words Aibileen Clark said…”You is kind. You is smart. You is important.” I took them to heart and think of them everyday in fact, I keep this on my” Inspiration” Pinterest board.

Wishing you a Fit Fab Weekend! Enjoy the Oscars…I can’t wait to see the dresses:)

I don’t know about you but I’m always on the hunt for new abdominal workouts. I tend to work my abs at the end of my strength workouts and by that time I’m usually looking to get out of the gym and well, that makes skipping the core work pretty enticing. That’s why I love to try different exercises and new routines so I have something to look forward to as oppose the the standard stability ball crunches and leg lifts.

Given that, I put together some of my all time favorite moves for this 4 minute ab workout video and I hope it gives you some new things to try with your workouts. I was sore after one time through but feel free to repeat it once or even twice… I know you hard cores (pun intended) are out there;)

Happy Workout!

-Cait

Some say the best things comes in threes…well in today’s printable workout I say the best things come in fours! This workout is broken into four simple sections with four exercise in each section so naturally, I’m calling it the 4×4 workout. You only need a pair of dumbbells making this a great at home workout and (bonus) it can be done in under 20 minutes. You’ll work cardio, then strength,  another cardio section and finally abs for a total body, heartpounding, muscle toning workout. In less time than it takes you to watch an episode of Modern Family, you’ll do something great for you, your mind and your body:)

Happy Workout!

You can print the workout with descriptions plus beginner and advanced modifications here 4×4 workout.

TIPS

• Beginner: 30 seconds per move, go through once, take as many breaks as you need
• Intermediate: 45 seconds per move, go through 2x, take shorter breaks between exercises and longer breaks between sections
• Advanced: 60 seconds per move, go through 3x, take breaks only b/w the sections
• Crazy Animal Exerciser:) : 60 seconds per move, go through 4x, take breaks only b/w the sections
• Drink lots of water and have fun!

“Find your purpose and fling your life out to it. Find a way or make one. Try with all your might. Self-made or never made.” -Orison Swett Marden

1. Give yourself a deep conditioning treatment: Since I’ve been coloring my hair for many years I always make sure I deep condition at least once a week. The weekend seems to be the best time to do this since I can more easily find the 20 minutes it takes to let the treatment work. Deep conditioning restores moisture and lustre to your hair making it healthy, soft and super shiny. If you want to splurge I recommend Kerastase Chromo Riche Masque which is amazing! But the Neutrogena Deep Recovery Mask is a great option as well!
2. Sport a leather jacket: Every woman needs a great leather jacket in her closet. It’s the perfect chic and sexy piece to wear this time of year when the weather is transitioning to spring so it’s too warm for winter coats. This jacket is such a wardrobe staple since you can wear it with everything from a flowy maxi skirt to boyfriend jeans. I love wearing mine over soft dresses for going out or with a chambray shirt for a casual brunch. They’re always great with a gray tee and black or soft gray jeans and chunky jewelry…so cool without even trying:)
3. Makeover your favorite meal: Oh this is one of my favorites! My husband is crazy for chicken fingers so I found this recipe in Cooking Light and it’s a delicious healthy recipe. A great way to enjoy your favorite food without any of the guilt! I think these make for a fun Sunday dinner with the family.

Happy Fit Fab Weekend!

If I’m out shopping and I come across anything with stripes…chances are it’s coming home with me. I love the nautical inspiration and wearing a stripes makes me feel classic like Grace Kelly with a hint of Parisian chic.

If you don’t already have a striped top you’ll want to put one on your must have list for spring. As you can see from the collage above, striped tees are really versatile, complementing many different personal styles, and make outfits a little more visually interesting than just a plain t-shirt. I wear mine at least once a week and love styling it with everything from jeans to leather shorts to military jackets.

If you’re looking for an investment piece I’d go with Saint James but if you want a more budget friendly buy then everyone from Gap to H&M to uniqulo has a striped shirt for under 20 dollars. It a a great purchase you’ll wear from season to season that will add polish and sophistication to every outfit… and trust me pretty soon you’ll be a stripe enthusiast too:)

Here are details on three ways to wear stripes…

Striped top is from Madewell and I also love this one from StyleMint

Casual

• Anthropologie Trench: love the orange lining and epaulet details on this coat!
• Mother Wide leg jeans also seen here.
• J Crew wedges

Boho

• Madewell leather jacket: It’s sold out online but I have seen it on the store
• Madewell skirt: full skirts like this are great for spring and summer. This look would also be great with a maxi skirt.
• Madewell suede flats

Classic

• JCrew Navy Schoolboy Blazer
• JCrew Wool Capris: Currently on sale!
• JCrew CeCe studded ballet flats

No need to worry about being bored on the treadmill if you bring this workout with you! There are intervals, sprints and lots of hills making this workout ideal for torching calories and totally toning your legs and glutes. So when it comes time for those incline sprints don’t think of them as intense work intervals think of them as instant butt lifters;)

After a warmup the workout is broken up into three sections: the first section is a powerwalk up a steep hill, the second section is entirely on an incline and alternates jogging  and running, the third section alternates sprinting up a hill with walking or jogging. Feel free to do on or two of the sections and if you’re looking for an advanced workout you can try all three. You cal also try adding just one section into your regular jog for a bit of variety.

Print the workout here.35 min treadmill workout

Tips

• To modify try walking the workout instead of running or jogging. The changing incline will give you a great workout without needing to up your speed.
• The speeds and inclines I’ve used are just a guide…feel free to modify up or down if you need to. This is especially true on sections B and C which are pretty intense.
• This workout is intense with sprints and hills so take as many breaks as you need to and drink plenty of water!

Happy Workout!

“When you feel like quitting: think about why you started.”

While I know it’s not Valentine’s Day  yet (it’s technically this coming Tuesday), I thought I’d get in the spirit a little early and share some of my favorite things that I think make for both a Fit Fab Weekend and a Fit Fab Valentine’s!

1.  Fran’s Chocolates Salted Caramels: These are so melt in your mouth delicious that you deserve to be your own Valentine and gift yourself Fran’s chocolate covered salted caramels. This company is a hometown favorite in Seattle and uses only the finest quality, organic and locally sourced ingredients in their chocolates. The salted caramels are a celebrity favorite and have the richest, creamiest caramel covered in silky, decadent chocolate and sprinkled with course gray or smoked salt. The flavors are layered and exquisite and you only need one or two to satisfy a sweet tooth. Pure chocolate perfection! As I’m writing this I realize I have a lot of posts about chocolate…hmmm.
2. Cherry Lip stain and Red Nail Polish: So I love a bold lip and I really love a bold red lip for Valentine’s Day… but there’s one problem… kissing with red lipstick or red lip gloss can be well, messy. That’s why I LOVE a cherry colored stain instead like this one from Stila. It looks gorgeous and stays put all night! My secret is to swipe cherry Chapstick over the top to keep my lips kissably soft. Also, red nails are Grace Kelly classic and perfectly festive for a Valentine’s evening.  If  you’re in the market for a great red give Julep’s Demi (a deeper red) or Salma (a fiery red) a try. I can’t say enough great things about Julep nail polish; it’s eco-friendly, lasts forever and looks amazing.
3. Workout and relax together with your Valentine: Get some healthy endorphins going while spending time with your special someone;) Have a little workout date with jogging, tennis, golf, hiking, yoga, anything…then wind things down with a couple’s massage. The fitness and relaxation will take your stress levels down and give you and your honey some great quality time together.

Have a Fit Fab Valentine’s!

-Cait

During a trip to Nordstroms this fall I made a fantastic discovery. I was in the market for wide leg jeans to add some variety to the skinnies and straight legs that I usually gravitate toward. I love wide legs and flares for the 70′s vibe, they’ are cool and effortlessly chic…however, I could not find a single pair that were flattering for my athletic legs. That was until I found MOTHER. This brand is the collaborative brainchild of  designers from Citizen’s of Humanity and 7 Jeans and has the softest texture with tons of stretch which is super flattering if you have a more muscular lower body. Plus, the  longer hem makes for endless legs when paired with a platform or wedge .

I love paring wide legs and flares with a silky, flowy top like this one from Banana Republic with some bold jewelry. It’s a go to for casual dinners with my husband or strolling through Pike Place Market on the weekend. Wide legs and flare jeans are super versatile (day to night, fall to summer) and really flattering so if you don’t already have a pair in your denim wardrobe  I would definitely suggest adding them!

The Basics

1. Mother Wilder Trouser Jeans. Also Gap has a great pair for $70 that is a little bit friendler for the old wallet:)
2. Banana Republic Bella Pintuck Blouse. BR is out online but I have seen plenty of this style in the store.

Leather Goods

1. JCrew Greer Wedge Booties. Unfortunately these booties are no longer available but these platform sandals would be great for spring.
2. JCrew Brompton Hobo:I love love love this bag. It’s big so I have to be careful not to fill it with five pounds of lip gloss but it’s also a classic shape , super soft and comes with a shoulder strap so I take it everywhere.

Jewelry

1. Gold Bangle $40 Banana Republic. The one I’m wearing is actually from Forever 21 which is my go to go fun statement jewelry. I love it, they have bins with things that are all totally on trend and under five dollars!
2. The necklace I’m wearing is old and from JCrew (my other jewelry go to ) but I like this one from Asos for $26. It’s very cool and I’d totally wear it with my wide leg jeans and white tee and leather jacket. Hmmm… I think I have outfit  for tomorrow picked out;)