Jeans That Charge Your Phone

There is really is something for everything.  Made By Girl blog editor, Jen Ramos clued me in on this one, and its just too good not share with you.  Have you ever been out an about for the day, fretting that your battery is going to run dead before your important call comes in, or you just really neeeeeed to see what your friends are doing tonight.  Well, this is just jean-ious.  Joe's Jeans has come out with the #Hello jean, a denim that charges your phone right in the pocket. With two small children, I am always on the go.  Because I need and want to be hands free, I often carry just my phone in my back pocket along with my ID and debit card, so this jean is actually quite brilliant if you ask me. Don't believe me.  Watch here....

The #Hello jean comes in a variety of colors.  I'm thinking about the grey pair for myself, because this color is great for casual during the day or paired with heels at night.  Check them out here...

Zumba Holly, Baby!

Zumba is such a HOT trend right now. At pretty much every gym you go to you can find a Zumba class. The music is hot, the dance moves are hot and the clothing line is so different than what you find any where else.  Since this is my job, and I teach Zumba almost every day I want to be happy in what I wear to teach, and it ends up that I live in these clothes. So while I am shaking my boo-tay I can look on par while doing the job I love, and for this post I have some really great clothes to show off!

I am in love with the Peace Perfect Long leggings in pink. They have the words peace and love all over them. Super lightweight and comfortable. I paired it with the Mirror Me Racerback in sew black with a big gold Z on the front. Love this top. The Racerback is one of my favorite styles of shirts.  Great fit. I threw on the Cold Shoulder Zip-Up in thunderin grey over top. Two different patters, but wild and crazy is always fun. The unique thing about this zip-up is you can unzip the shoulders to show off your sexy shoulders for a different look.

The next look was the Funky Cropped Harem Pant in white. I thought I would never wear these, but I fell in love with them. They feel great on and give a more relaxed look. I  paired them perfectly with the Mesh With Me Tank top in Sew Black, another favorite. It is a double layer tank with the Zumba logo showing through. 

The last few tops I just threw on with my old black Zumba leggings. The Burn It Up Bubble Racer Back in Thunderin' Grey looked great with the light black leggings. I loved how it looked almost like you had on two tops but it is one, and I like the loose fit and silver logo on the front.  The Frill Me Headliner Top in White is the best sweatshirt ever! It has a funky design on front and back. I have not only worn this to teach, but I have been sporting it all over town to pick the kids up from school, to go shopping, going out to dinner...you name it!

If you need a new sports bra the lifted lightly bra is the best sports bra I have ever owned. It has double straps that give it a fun look, but it supports great and is so amazingly soft. I have the Thunderin grey which goes with anything.  Last but not least are these CUTE shoes! The Zumba Super Fly Print sneaker is lightweight and breathable and has the Z-Slide that lets you move and slide with ease.

Mix and match many of these items to give you different looks, and take 'em to the streets looking super stylish!

My Love For Running + Run For Your Life

Many of you know about my love for the sport of running.  I was a competitive runner in high school and ran some road races in college and after that.  I put it down for several years, then picked it back up after Precious Peanut #1 was born, when a couple of girlfriends talked of the idea of running a half marathon to work off the baby weight.  In high school, the one and two mile events were considered long distance, and the longest I had ever run was a 10K.  I ran the Kiawah half marathon with my girlfriends, and it was so much fun.  I continued to run some through my next pregnancy, but after clumsily breaking my pinkie toe, I took a break from it. The baby weight from Precious Peanut #2 seemed so much more, well, GROSS, than the first, and I wanted to do something about immediately.  I heard about running groups at Run For Your Life, for all ages and speeds, so I joined.  Through this group I met some really great people who shared my passion for running, or physical fitness, or determination... for so many things.  THIS is when I caught the bug, and my running mates are some of my closest friends.

While running is a means of physical fitness, it is so much more.  It is something you can do almost anywhere.  Just strap on your shoes and go.  When I decided to take a step back from my previous business, running became my channel for personal accomplishment.  Nursing a baby for a year, whilst a toddler running circles around me was definitely a challenge, and as much as I loved my new role of mommy to two children, I needed more for ME.  What started out as a means of accomplishment truly became a best friend for me.  At the end of the day, whether it was good or bad for me, running was always there.  It is my time to decompress, think about the day behind or think about the day ahead of me.  When I run alone, it is a time that allows for creative thinking. I think about my styling my next photo shoot, what I will write for my next article with Charlotte Parent, or what I will write here.  If I've had a bad day, within minutes of hitting the pavement, the stress is gone.  And when I run with friends, it is therapeutic. Runners come from all different backgrounds, but everyone shares the same passion for this one thing.  Everyone is supportive of each other, regardless of your pace.

To learn more about the Run For Your Life training programs, click here.  Now that you've seen how much fun running can be, (or in this case, dancing) I'll be back next time with David for some helpful demonstrations and talk about the important of stretching.

Happy Running!