Sunday, November 17, 2013

Indoor Cycling Shoes 101


The first time I ever took an indoor cycling/ Spinning class
 in high school at my local World Gym, I thought - 

"This is pretty much a form of torture, 
why would anyone willingly do this for exercise??"

Four years later...  now  in college, I am spinning at least 4 times a week. 
And loving every minute of it.


What changed? 
Probably my understanding of the techniques in class, 
maturity level of my exercise knowledge (it's so great for your body/legs!!), 
and need for exercise HA 
...damn you slowing metabolism...

Anyways! 
Spinning is seriously a great way to get in cardio 
while also toning and building muscle in your legs. 

Just have to get over that initial phase of hatred... LOL
AND the first two to three classes - talk about soreness down under 


So after about 2 years of taking classes and Spinning at least once a week, 
I decided to become certified myself to inspire others.

Through Mad Dogg Spinning® I became certified in Feb 2012.


Spinning is so fun to teach and I can say I love every class 
(once I get started) 
And seriously.. best hangover cure ever! 
Go to spin in the morning and sweat it all out - you'll feel like a million bucks, 
that is if you don't purge everywhere lol

Even after 4+ years of taking cycling classes, 
I had absolutely no idea how to choose any spin shoes. 
So if you are like me, 
here are some little 101 tips on choosing the best shoes for you:

Step 1: Choose the Shoe 


These shoes are my first pair and are Pearl Zumi W's Tri Fly IV (cycling brand).

The most important thing in an indoor cycling shoe is that they have a place for a "SPD Cleat"
They should look like this with the two parallel lines:


The triangle circles are normally used for outdoor cycling.

Step 2: Buy an SPD cleat clip or SPD lite

Not much difference between an SPD or SPD lite - the "lite" is just newer and "lighter"
The clips look like this:



Step 3: Insert SPD into Cycling Shoes

Using one of these wrench thingys
(basically a mechanic with my technical terms, I know)
you can screw in the bottom of the shoe, fitting in the two parallel lines:




 And when you are done it should stay in your shoe like this:


You can adjust the height and width of the clip in the parallel lines depending on your foot and where you like your legs on the bike. 

The clip then will clip in to the BOTTOM of the pedal on most Cycling bikes. 
Just slide your foot in and you should hear a "Click"
If you are used to putting your foot all the way to the front of the harness, 
it may feel weird because your foot is not used to being that far back, 
but the front pad of your foot is actually what is supposed to be on the pedal.


I really hope this helps!! 
Now go and get on that bike! You are a pro :D


Happy Spinning :)



Thursday, November 7, 2013

Group Costume Idea: Holidays for Halloween!


Got a big group with no ideas for Halloween? 
No problem.. Holidays at your rescue!


Back Row: Valentine's Day, New Years, Thanksgiving, Mardi Gras, 
Mexican gangster aka Cinco De Mayo HAHA
Front: Fourth of July, Christmas




Seriously.. how awesome are these shoes??

DIY Giraffe for Halloween


Halloween 2013: My dream came true. 

To become a GIRAFFE <3
If you didn't know- I am sorta, kinda, obsessed


It was so simple! 

My dad had bought me the ears and tail last year 
(just because I love them so much)
But you could find them at any Halloween Spirit store or even online. 


Materials:
*eye shadow brush or painting brush
*Brown cream makeup 
(from Halloween store)
*Brown pencil eyeliner


Directions:
 First, I used the brown eyeliner pencil to draw the spots and create an outline. 
Using the brush and paint, I started filling in the spots until they were fully brown. 
Once dried, I put on some glitter for some extra PIZZAZZ! 



Out we go! 





Happy and HEIGHTENED Halloween ;D



Sunday, October 20, 2013

Pumpkin Nutella Cookies!!!

Nutella. Is. Crack. 

And I'm addicted. 
We had no chips or pretzels in our house so I resorted to scooping it out of the jar with cauliflower. 

aka
Addicted.

Anyways, 
these cookies were made up on the spot and ended up being the perfect compliment to a girls' scary movie night
 watching Nightmare on Elm's Street and lighting pumpkin harvest candles. 

ahhhhh.... fall








Ingredients:
+1 cup pumpkin puree
+1 cup Nutella
+1/2 cup old fashioned oats
+1/4 cup peanut butter
+1 egg
+1/4 cup chocolate chips
+1 tablespoon cinnamon
+1 tablespoon honey
+1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice (sprinkled on top)

Directions:
-Preheat oven to 375F
-Spray cookie sheet with Pam
-Bake for 10-12 minutes until browned


They taste similar to vegan banana cookies 
(banana smashed with oats and chocolate chips)
And taste delicious with a Nutella "frosting"


Well that lasted long.



Sunday, October 13, 2013

Autumn Quinoa Breakfast


Yes, you heard it.. Quinoa for breakfast!

I had a pre-packaged set from Marshalls given to me that was dying to be made, 
but the ingredients and process are so simple!

I will definitely be making more of this throughout the winter. 

Ingredients:
-1 cup uncooked quinoa
-4 cups milk (anything but regular milk: I used vanilla almond milk)
-1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup crasins (depending on how much of them you want)

And that's it!!
But I added more:

-1/4 cup chopped pecans
-sprinkle of cinnamon
-sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice
-4 tablespoons apple butter

Directions:
1. Place quinoa and milk in pot and bring to boil
2. Reduce heat and simmer for about 25 minutes
[[I have yet to cook quinoa without the pot boiling over so make sure you keep an eye on it]]
3. With low heat, add brown sugar, crasins, pecans, and spices
4. Stir and enjoy!


 I couldn't resist a taste after dinner last night.
So good!


I woke up this morning so excited knowing I had this made for breakfast. 
I scooped some into a bowl, added a banana, and microwaved for about 2.5 minutes.
It tastes just like oatmeal!
DELICIOUS.



Friday, October 11, 2013

Halloween, Done Right

Probably my favorite holiday, Halloween is so awesome.

Being an October baby and having a dad obsessed with Halloween 

(seriously.. he takes off a week of work to make a 
walk-through haunted house for trick-or-treaters)

has led me to the Halloween-loving destiny. 

Being in college, I like to entertain on a budget. 
Here's how!

Decorating on a Dime:



Pumpkin + Beads + Superglue!


Witch hats + Clear String!

Entertaining on a Dime:


Freeze plastic spiders for spooky cocktails!



Super easy seven-layer dip (or any dip) with simple web & spider!


Freeze water in a glove for ice in a punch bowl! 


Seriously can't go wrong with veggies & dip, so simple!


Style on a Dime:




Simple Spoooooooktacular Secrets! :)





Post-Weekend Detox

Guess who turned 21! 

You win. It was me. 

Thursday-Sunday loving every minute. 

Being the baby, 
everyone came to visit me and we could finally all go out! 


Love these chicks so much :)

Even my heart rate monitor knew it was my birthday! 


After teaching bootcamp that Thursday, the party really started.

Night one:



Night two:


Sushi and Mahi Thais!


Night Three:





 This thing didn't last 48 hours... shhhhh.


Beautiful flowers from Ryan 

Needless to say, while I was loving every minute of it, 
my body was hating me. 
Shots, Cookie Cake, and Drunk Munchies... oh my.

Now it is time to get back on track.
My usual meal plan after a crazy weekend looks something like this:

Breakfast- Green smoothie (kale, banana, mango, kiwi, orange juice)



Lunch- Spinach Salad with StarKist To-Go Tuna Pack

Snack- Apple with Smucker's Natural Peanut Butter

Dinner-  Homemade Veggie Soup



My weekly meals looked a lot like this. 
Lots and lots of water and coffee got me through my two all-nighters.

How do you get back on track?

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