How to Fit Working Out Into Your Busy Schedule

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The year has begun and with it, ALL the resolutions. This year, I’m being a bit more REAL with myself and setting expectations at a more reasonable level…but by no means does that translate to LET MYSELF GO. Because being healthy feels too good to kick to the curb.

However, it’s still HARD. Hard to get out of bed early to work out…hard to make a healthy dinner at the end of a long day…and hard to run outside in the freezing cold. I FEEL YOU. I’ve been there. Heck, I’m there now! But don’t let this weather get you down. There are still ways to make your 2017 fitness goals work for you. Here are a few ideas:

Work out during your lunch break
At first I thought, this will be gross. And embarrassing! What if someone I knows sees me *GASP* doing sit ups in the gym? But then I thought, SO WHAT?! Would I rather be a little embarrassed running into a coworker or would I rather get myself back in shape? 

Find a great playlist
I’m easy to please when it comes to music I like. Just crank up the early 2000s gangster rap and I’m good to go. But it certainly helps to switch things up a bit from time to time. I don’t use spotify, but I know there are a ton of people with killer playlists that you can listen to as well.

Multi-task in a GOOD way
Want to become a better reader but also want to get beach-bod ready? Can’t miss a single episode of Sherlock Homes but also want to hit the gym? You CAN have both, my friends. On cardio days, I often will watch my favorite show on the elliptical or read a book while on the stationary bike. 

Try a class once a week
Even on weeks when things get out of control crazy, I know I can look forward to my Wednesday night yoga class. It’s the perfect release of stress and I always feel like a better, strong person afterwards. 

Workout with a friend
Have a friend who has similar goals to you? Workout together or take a fitness challenge together. When I started the Fit Girls Guide, I started with my coworker. We compared which recipes were the best and which workouts were the worst, which made it a really enjoyable experience. Having someone there to understand THE STRUGGLE really helps when you’re riding the struggle bus.

And last, but definitely not least...finding cute workout clothes never hurts.
This outfit is exactly what I've been working out in lately. These high-waisted yoga pants are by far my favorite pair I've ever owned - and they are SO slimming! I can't believe these photos even turned out after the amount of cookies I ate over the holidays. Both these pants and lightweight workout hoodie are from Wear It To Heart - which has quickly become one of my favorite activewear companies. The older I get, the more I want to be conscious of where my clothing comes from...WITH activewear is ethically manufactured in a highly-acclaimed, sustainable and sweatshop-free factory in El Salvador, which makes me love them even more. 

I'd love to hear what motivates you to workout in the winter! Share your tips and tricks below! Xx!

Wearing: Wear It To Heart hoodie and high-waisted leggings c/o, Brooks running shoes, Sudio bluetooth headphones c/o

Dry Skin Solutions: Clarins Hydra-Essentiel Review

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You’re walking to your office. Suddenly, a gust of wind blows straight through you. Welcome to winter in DC. As you continue walking, you’re immediately grateful for the fleece-lined leggings you found deep within your drawer and even more so for the hand knit scarf of alpaca wool (God bless that alpaca) wrapped around your neck. What you’re not grateful for? The burning sensation on your face that comes with winter’s worst winds. 

This is basically a daily chronicle of my everyday commute into DC. An hour-long bus ride followed by a brutal, 10-minute walk uphill. While I’ve learned how to find the best trips and tricks for layering in the cold, there’s one part of my body that always seems to be the hardest to keep comfortable - my face.

I don’t know about you, but winter is treacherous on my skin. Between the sudden temperature changes (again, welcome to DC), outdoor pollutants and the stresses of everyday life, our skin gets SO dehydrated. I was shocked to learn that our bodies go through 17 thermal shocks EVERY SINGLE DAY. It’s no wonder we have such a hard time keeping our skin is moisturized. No matter how much moisturizer I use, it never seems to last through the morning commute. But after trying our Clarins’ new Hydra-Essentiel line, I may have found a solution for quenching my skin’s thirst.

This new line is a dry-skin-girl’s dream. With organic leaf of life extract (a highly-resilient succulent plant that boosts skin’s ability to retain precious moisture for all-day hydration) along with tons of other pure plant extracts, it moisturizes in a way that other products haven’t. And something I’ve been missing this time? Adding a serum to the mix (a mistake I surely won’t make again.) This combo together is like the Batman and Robin of skincare. Alone, they're still great. But together, they're best.

After my shower in the morning, I throw on an organic skin oil. Next comes the Hydra-Essentiel Bi-phase serum. This sets a great base for the Hydra-Essentiel moisturizer, making its effects longer lasting and more effective. If you’re still not sold on the product, I encourage you to try it for yourselves. You can order a free sample from the Clarins website or try it out at your local Nordstrom, Bluemercury, Sephora or Marcy’s. And if that doesn’t convince you, Clarins was created by a French family. And we all know the French take the best care of their skin. ;)

This post was done in partnership with Clarins. All opinions are my own.

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A Little Review of 2016 and Goals for 2017

WHAT. A. YEAR.

Even though we’re a few days into January, I’m not sure it’s ever too late to reflect on the past year in order to look forward to the year ahead. Here are a few of my top highlights from this past year:

FRIENDSHIPS
Was gonna wait to post this one until later BUT it was perhaps the most wonderful thing about this year for me. I met my very best friend (who I absolutely must see once a week or I have ACTUAL withdrawal symptoms), Erin Krespan. She also happens to be an insanely talented photographer who I’ve gotten to work with a ton on the blog. 

I also got to meet and shoot with a number of killer photographers thanks to the Insta-web like Leah, Dennis, Emma, Brittany, Carl, Luke and Jen to name a few. SO grateful for the creative community DC has built.

FOOD
This has also been SUCH a great year for food in my book. For my birthday, we finally got to visit Rose’s Luxury which I’d been DYING to visit for ages. I also discovered the best ramen spot in DC (s/o to Daikaya - but feel free to refute this if you think you’ve found a better spot that serves vegetarian ramen.) Then we proceeded to eat our way through San Fran, Portland (Maine), Napa and Chicago…which I NEED to get post on the blog ASAP because who has time to wait for good food?

TRAVEL
While we made the decision to stay within the country this year, we did a LOT of traveling. A few of our favorite spots we traveled:

Yosemite: Growing up, we’d camp here for a few weeks each summer. This year, I finally was able to take my hubby to experience it and it was everything I’d hoped for and more (minus the insane swarms of mosquitos!)

Napa: I’d been here once before and I can’t believe it took 5 years to come back! Great wine isn’t the only thing that lured us to return - the food is phenomenal. From brunches to little BBQ stands on the side of the road to the *HANDS DOWN* best English muffins that exist, we’re hooked.

Portland, Maine: Another foodie hotspot - this town has so much character and SO MANY great eats that it’s worth the visit JUST for the food alone. When we visited, it was rainy and cold, but somehow still remains one of my favorite trips of the year.

Marco Island, FL: This is a yearly visit for us. My Papou lives down there a few months of the year, so we always try to take 4 or 5 days to soak in the bright sunshine in the midst of our East Coast winter.

New York: I can’t believe it, but I visited the Big Apple three times this past year. THREE. That’s more than I had in the previous 5 years. Each time I fell more and more in love with the city. The first time I traveled to Soho with my bestie for 24 hours of food, shopping, coffee and shooting photos. The second was for Fashion Week, which, TO BE HONEST, wasn’t my favorite. This last time was for New Year’s and we happily ate our way through Chelsea’s cutest neighborhoods. And we’re already planning our next trip.

Chicago: When the hubby had a business trip here, I couldn’t help but come along for the ride. The city, it’s architecture and, surprise surprise, its food scene didn’t disappoint. 

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BLOG
Lots of exciting things happened on the blog front this year. I was featured in Northern Virginia Magazine’s April issue and was also voted their Top Fashion Blogger of 2016! Made in the District featured my blog in their page, and last week, was featured by Brightest Young Things. I got to work with a number of exciting brands like Lucky Jeans, Ralph Lauren, Cuyana, Rent the Runway, South Moon Under, Urban Outfitters, Diesel, Banana Republic, Lacoste and more. Stay tuned for more exciting projects underway for 2017! If you have anything you'd like to see more (or less of!) over here, shoot me a note or comment on this post!

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LOOKING AHEAD
Besides the usual 'get back into exercise and clean eating,' I want to learn to work smarter. I want to spend more time on figuring out my finances (YIKES), working on improving our home, getting organized, and building relationships. I want to spend less time in front of the TV (easier said than done) and on my phone. I want to live more in the present, and while I think I did better last year, I know there's still a lot to be done. I also want to make my health a priority. This means choosing yoga class to ease my back pain over happy hour sometimes, taking the time in the evening to take off all my makeup and set up a regular skincare routine, and making dentist appointments and eye doctor visits a priority too. I want to put laziness on the back burner, which is also easier said than done in the winter months when all I want to do is be a sloth at home. Any tips on productivity would be SO greatly appreciated!

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Date Night Dress and A Little Creative Layering

Friends, this cold weather has become NO JOKE. It makes it very hard to dress up for a night out when all you want to wear it sweat pants and a thousand layers of sweaters on top, AM I RIGHT?

Or maybe you don’t mind the cold. In that case, you probably won’t be able to relate to this post at all and should just go live in Alaska. KIDDING. Alaska is cool. Or so I’ve heard. Sorry not sorry for the pun! ;)

In all seriousness, I’ve been living in struggle city this winter. “But winter has only been two weeks technically.” YES I KNOW but that doesn’t mean it hasn’t sunk in. Because it has. I get a major case of SADD in the winter and I hate that it’s already set in. I researched a bunch of ways to combat SADD in this post, but I’m adding another one today - DRESS UP ANYWAY.

But I’m not asking you to compromise comfort or warmth, friends. I would NEVER, EVER do that. All I’m asking is for a little creative layering. 

Step 1: Fleece-lined leggings. I wear these with LITERALLY everything they’ll fit under. It is *the* only way I make it through these winter months.

Step 2: OTK boots. I paid under $100 for these and they’re still going strong after a year. I’d love to invest in another pair of suede ones - anyone have any recs?

Step 3: Velvet dress. Although short, I love the warmth this affordable piece from Tobi provides. It’s season appropriate with just the right amount of pizazz.

Step 4: Faux-leather jacket. This one from Wylie Grey has quickly jumped to the top of my most-worn pieces of the season. Besides the detailed embroidery (which I CAN NOT get enough of right now), I love that this is lined with a soft fabric, making it nice and cozy inside. Nothing ruins your day more than cold faux-leather, or real leather for that matter, against your skin on a sub-30-degree evening.

So there you have it! Next time you have a date night, girls night out or just want to get a little fancy, don’t shy away from the dress - just add layers!

Wearing Tobi velvet dress c/o, Wylie Grey jacket, Hobo cross body c/o, Chinese Laundry boots, Lou & Grey fleece-lined leggings

Best of the M.Gemi Sale

When one of your favorite shoe companies has a sale, you tell ALL your friends. I just found out about this sale and couldn't wait a moment longer to share it with you. I've rounded up my favorite pairs below - but you better shop them fast - they sell out like hotcakes! Also FYI - all sale items are returnable for store credit. Happy shopping!

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