Jamberry nail on ring finger, along with GIANT fake bling ring since I'm swollen and my rings don't fit anymore!

Lately, I feel like it's come up a lot in conversations. "Have you heard of Jamberry?" "I like your nails. How'd you make that design?" "My friend keeps talking about those nail stickers." 

And maybe you've been hearing about them too! So when my college friend Lindsay reached out to me about trying Jamberry, I was totally game! Lindsay recently became a Jamberry consultant and is really excited to share her business with all of you! 

In the event that you haven't heard of Jamberry, let's do a little recap. According to Lindsay, "Jamberry Nail wraps are a fashionable, budget-friendly way to get professional-looking nails right at home.  They are vinyl adhesive wraps that are heat-activated and pressure-sealed to the nail.  They last up to two weeks on fingers and six weeks on toes, and they do not chip!  And if that wasn't enough, they are also non-toxic, vegan, gluten-free, latex-free, cruelty-free, and made in the U.S.A.  On top of all of the other benefits, they are FUN and come in over 400 designs, plus a Nail Art Studio where you can design your own.

To round out their focus on nail care, Jamberry also offers a quality lacquer line that is free of the 5 most dangerous chemicals in traditional nail polish, the Indulgence hand care line that is luxurious and free of parabens, a Beauty Boost multivitamin with biotin for hair, skin, and nails, an application kit with everything you need to apply the wraps, and a mini-heater."

Lindsay graciously offered to send me a set of Jamberry to try so I could feature them on the blog (AND, she sent me another set so that I could do a giveaway for you!)! I decided to do the 7-Day Chip Challenge so that I could show you the difference between a Jamberry nail wrap and a regular polish. 

The set I chose is called Cherry Ice, a super sparkly reddish pink that will be perfect for Valentine's Day! 

On Day 1 (today), I watched the video on Lindsay's Jamberry page, and applied the nails just like the video showed. I had asked Lindsay for some tips on getting the tips to stay down (that's been my struggle the other two times I've applied them), and she had some great advice. I can't explain it nearly as well as she did, so I'm copying her answer here!

"I cut and remove the wrap, holding it with tweezers (to avoid any oils from my hands getting on the adhesive) and heat the wrap for around 5 seconds.  If I am using a metallic or sparkle wrap, I give it extra heat and make sure it is nice and flexible.  Then I press onto my nail and rub with my fingers and/or cuticle pusher, adding extra heat as needed.  Hold on to the excess and stretch it over the tip of your nail a bit.  This really helps seal the tips!  Then I cut off a lot of the excess, but I don't yet file.  I start with my pinky on one hand and work my way to my thumb.  After I have finished all five, then I got back and file.  By letting the wraps cool a bit, you help make sure the seal will stay better (thus helping your tips stay down).  Then I do my other hand.  At the end, if I am using a metallic or sparkle wrap (or any time if you have issues with tips coming up), I heat up a rice bag in the microwave.  (Any kind of heating pad would work.)  I apply extra heat and pressure with the rice bag."

I've always been hard on my nails and hands. I use them a lot. I pick and grab at things with my nails, and I don't take as good of care of them as I should. But I LOVE the way my Jamberry nails hold up throughout all of this! I'll be updating the blog throughout the week to show you the difference between my Jamberry nails and my painted nails. 

As you can see, the polish is basically wearing off at this point. The tips are completely gone, and it's driving me nuts! Jamberry is still holding strong, though!

Other styles I'm loving right now include Sugar and Spice, Silver Floral on Magenta, and Confetti Cake, but there are so many more to choose from! 
            
So, are you ready to give Jamberry a try? Lindsay is sponsoring a giveaway via Run Baby Run for a sheet of First Frost Jamberries! This style is no longer even available for sale, but you can score a sheet right here by entering the contest below!

A whole sheet of First Frost is up for grabs! Score it by entering below! 

To enter the contest: 
1. Head over to Lindsay's Jamberry page, and choose your favorite Jamberry style. Then, come back here and leave a comment on this post telling me your favorite style! 
2. To earn one additional entry, go to Lindsay's Facebook page and LIKE it! Then, make sure you come back here and leave another comment telling me you've liked it! 
3. To earn TWO additional entries, place an order with Lindsay before the contest deadline! Again, head back here and let me know you've placed an order! 

That's all you have to do! The winner will be chosen on Tuesday, January 13! 

If you're interested in ordering, all of the products can be ordered online. Please choose "Angela's Blog Giveaway" at checkout, so Lindsay will know how you learned about Jamberry! If you are interested in earning some wraps for free, hosting an online party is a great way to do so, right in the comfort of your own home!  Please "like" Lindsay's Facebook page.

And, even if you don't win, have no fear! Lindsay also included some Jamberry samples that I'd be happy to pass along to you! If you'd like one, please let me know, and I'll get it sent out! You can leave a comment here or send me an email at the address in the Contact Me section of the blog. 

So, what are you waiting for? Get entered in the contest, and check back next week to see if you've won! I can't wait for you to try out these fun nails too! 

Six blogs to follow in 2015!

Happy Sunday, friends! Tomorrow is back to reality and back to school. I've so enjoyed blogging so much over winter break, and I'm sincerely hoping I can find more time to blog during the weekdays. 

One of my goals this year is to really grow and expand the blog. I've loved every minute of blogging because I feel like it connects me with so many other people. Plus, I love writing about everything... fitness, family, food, fashion, and other things that don't start with the letter F. :) 

I've been trying to follow a variety of blogs lately, because I think they're inspiring and helpful to my own blogging. Today, I'm sharing just six of my favorites with you. They all have a different theme, and hopefully you'll find a new favorite blog to follow too! 

1. Peanut Butter Fingers
I honestly can't remember how I stumbled upon Peanut Butter Fingers, but I'm so glad I did! Blogger Julie and I share a love for all things peanut butter, coffee, fitness, and food related. Peanut Butter Fingers posts multiple times a day, and Julie often posts amazing workouts, recipes, and fashion picks. I've signed up for her daily emails so that I can get her blog right to my inbox ever afternoon. Her writing is refreshing and positive -- just what I want to see at the end of a long workday! Plus, she's a big fan of Jazzercise, so she knows her stuff. :) 

2. J's Everyday Fashion
I first found J's Everyday Fashion via Pinterest (and chances are, if you're on Pinterest, you've pinned one of her outfits too!). J posts her outfits daily and gives information about where those pieces (or similar pieces) can be purchased. She's done a lot to help stretch me outside of my comfort zone with my clothing, and I love her fashion sense. Plus, she's recently engaged, and I can't wait to see what she comes up with for her wedding apparel! I also get her daily blog sent to my email and follow her on Facebook and Twitter. She has great shopping advice!

3. Be More with Less
Be More with Less is the ultimate blog for those hoping to simplify their lives, homes, and brain space. Courtney will help readers declutter every space imaginable and find happiness in doing so! I love her simplifying techniques, and I know this blog will come in very handy this year as we amass more baby items than I ever could have imagined! 

4. Sparkle Box
My bestie Shannon's fabulous business Sparkle Box is just starting up, and it's already an instant hit! Shannon offers lots of beautiful pieces of jewelry and shows incredible ways to style them. I contribute to this blog too, but I find most of my accessory inspiration from what Shannon posts. Plus, there are all sorts of fun lifestyle posts too, and those are always fun! 

5. This Beautiful Adventure
This Beautiful Adventure is run by my former student, Kelsie. At 20-years-old, she has more insight, articulation, and intellect than I ever could have hoped for at her age. Kelsie's blog often focuses on self-acceptance, love, and being happy. Her writing is incredible, and I'm so glad she's continued to write while in college. She is certainly one to watch! 

6. Running with E@BG
This awesome running blog follows the adventures of former student Elena, an avid, incredible, SUPER FREAKING FAST cross country runner and her adventures of running in college. Running with E@BG chronicles Elena's running adventures with a slice of life thrown in for fun. 

Who are your favorite bloggers, and why do you follow them? I would love to know who you're reading and why!

Baby registry tips for those registering AND those buying (there's a lot I didn't know!)

My friend Ashley texted me yesterday and reminded me that we're having a baby next month. NEXT. MONTH. I'm trying to let that sink in a little bit, as it still seems totally surreal that we're getting that close to our due date (just six more weeks!)! 

We've spent a lot of winter break trying to get the nursery ready (blog post coming soon!). We've also been spending time trying to figure out what we still need for our baby. Being first time parents, it's hard to know exactly what we're going to need for Baby P. Thankfully, we've gotten a lot of advice from our friends and experts (bless you, Consumer Reports!).  

But, there are still some things we've learned that I want to share with you today. These are things I definitely didn't know before even though I've been purchasing off of baby registries for years! Hopefully this will help those of you registering and those of you purchasing off of said registries! 

Registry Basics

For starters, we registered at two different stores: Babies R Us and Target. While Babies R Us had mostly everything we wanted, Target did have some different colors and patterns that we liked better, so it was worth it for us to register at both. But if I really had a choice, I'd register at...

Buy Buy Baby

If we had a Buy Buy Baby anywhere near us, I absolutely would have registered there! Buy Buy Baby is owned by the same company as Bed, Bath, and Beyond and operates in the same fashion. They are incredible about returns and often send coupons for 20% off one item, just like Bed, Bath, and Beyond does. They do have an option to register online and not in store, but I'm one of those weird people that likes to see and touch every item we're putting on the list. If that doesn't bother you, though, and you don't have one nearby, go for it! 

Babies R Us

1. Break it up. 
This is the first store we registered at, and it is by FAR the mecca of all baby items. I will be 100% honest and say I always have and probably always will be intimidated by this store because there's just SO much in it! We broke it up in to chunks and went over three different days to register because there was a lot we hadn't talked about before (like, what kind of stroller did we really want, and what pattern of Pack n Play and swing did we like the best). Breaking it up really helped us maintain our sanity! 

2. PRO: Score some freebies.
Babies R Us gave us a nice gift bag upon registering with them that included a guide of items we might want to register for, coupons, diaper samples, and a bottle for baby. They gave us water bottles too (it's necessary to hydrate as you choose all those items!)!

3. PRO: Ask about a Rewards program. 
I love Babies R Us, and they've been great about any questions we've had so far. Babies R Us also offers a rewards program called Rewards R Us. We signed up for a rewards card and everything that is purchased off our registry helps earn us Rewards Certificates to be used later. Our purchases count too, of course, so this can add up to a lot of diapers, wipes, and other essentials for little to no cost to us. 

4. CON: Keep an eye on those gift receipts. 
My one complaint about Babies R Us is that gift receipts do not specifically indicate which items were purchased on each receipt. There is a line for people to fill in what they got you, but as someone who has bought gifts from this store for years, I can safely say I never filled that line in either. My best advice is to keep track of receipts as you open gifts and write down what the receipt is for. In the event that you have to make a return, you won't have to go to the store with a fistful of receipts just to find the one you're in need of. 

Target

1. PRO: Target has a different selection on certain items. 
We knew we wanted to get a Rock n Play for our baby, as my friends all swear by them! The selection at Babies R Us was decent, but they were very sex specific. Since we're staying team green until Baby P arrives, we wanted something a little more neutral. Target had an awesome minty green Rock n Play that was totally perfect for us. Babies R Us didn't even offer it online! 

2. CON: Customer Service was hit or miss. 
We had the glow of new parents on our faces when we went to register at Target. We went to Customer Service eager to get started, but the woman who set us up was, ehhh. She didn't seem to be in a great mood, and she really didn't spend much time explaining how to use the gun, where the items were, and what the functions on the digital screen did. Unlike Babies R Us, the baby section at Target is not their only priority, and I had to remind myself of that. However, they've been helpful with returns, which is great!

3. CON: The registry is not updated constantly. 
So, we had way less items on our Target registry. But it didn't seem to get updated often. Case in point, we got the same set of onesies not once, not twice, but THREE different times. Yes, we registered for them, but we only registered for one set, and the registry online showed that only one set had been purchased! The second set, we had a gift receipt for, so returning them wasn't a problem. But, when I checked our registry online the next night, it then said that we had received 0/1 set, making it look like we were still in need of it! I decided to just remove it from the registry completely in the hopes that we wouldn't get it again. When the onesies appeared for a third time, we didn't have a gift receipt, so we had to return them without one. They were still nice enough to take them back, and they simply gave us a return that's linked to my driver's license. I'm guessing this is so they can track how often (and what items) we're returning without receipts. 

General Advice

1. Look at the guides on the websites. 
Both of the stores we registered at have a great online guide of suggestions. They will even show you that you've perhaps "missed" a category (for example, it will remind you to register for hangers, pacifiers, safety equipment, etc.). But, it will also show you that you're "missing" items unless you specifically attach something to it (for instance, it keeps showing us that we're missing a stroller at Target because we registered for one at Babies R Us, and it keeps showing us we're missing pants for our baby because we didn't register for the 4-6 sets the store recommends). 

2. Consider your lifestyle. 
We went back and forth for all of three minutes before deciding we wanted the BOB Revolution jogging stroller. It's really freaking expensive. But, we're runners. I plan to run a LOT with this baby. And to me, it's worth it to spend the extra money to have the amazing stroller that so many runner parents swear by. If I wasn't an active runner, I probably wouldn't have even considered a stroller that pricey. But it fits our lifestyle. Make sure to consider yours. Are you going to be in and out of the car a lot? It might be worth it to get an awesome, easy to latch car seat, even if it costs a bit more. What other factors of your lifestyle do you need to take into account? 

3. Try to keep big ticket items neutral if you're thinking about having more than one child. 
Whether or not you decide to find out the sex of your child, I think it's worth it to keep big ticket items neutral. Most are. Things like cribs and dressers tend to come in neutral palettes, but we saw a LOT of expensive items that are more geared toward boys/girls -- things like strollers, Pack n Plays, high chairs, and car seats. If you're thinking about having more than one, you may want to consider a more neutral palette, unless it won't bother you if your boy ends up in a pink stroller or your girl ends up in a truck-themed stroller. We also took this into consideration with painting the babies room, as we decided we will probably keep the same nursery and furniture for all of our future babies. 

Friday's Foodie File: Monkey Bread Muffins

Good morning, and happy Friday to you! Honestly, I always loose track of what day is which during holiday weeks like this because all the days just tend to blend together. 

I started the day with an early morning Jazzercise class, and then I came home to prep for a day trip to Chicago! My college girlfriends and I meet every year to spend a day together and exchange grab bag gifts. We'll be down two members this year (we miss you Lynny and Andrea!), but I know it will be a super fun day (especially since there are twinsies to hold!). 

Since the twins are brand spanking new, we decided to meet at their house and bring brunch. I decided to bring a baked sweet something, but didn't decide what I wanted to make until yesterday when I stumbled across a recipe for Monkey Bread Muffins. Did anyone else eat Monkey Bread a lot as a kid? Did anyone else ever refer to them as Monkey Brains instead of Monkey Bread? I'm not going to lie... as a sensitive child, calling them brains almost stopped me from eating them... almost.

I thought they'd make the perfect portions for us to snack on (along with all the other treats that will be there too!). I whipped them up this morning, and they came out perfectly! 

Monkey Bread Muffins

Servings: 8 

Ingredients

• 1 12-ounce package of refrigerated biscuit dough
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 5 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup of chopped walnuts (these are optional, and I left them off since we have a nut sensitivity in our group)

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. 

2. Line muffin pan with liners (foil would be best -- I only had paper). 

3. Mix white sugar and cinnamon in a plastic bag. Cut biscuits in to small chunks (approximately six chunks per biscuit), shake them in bag mixture, and add them to muffin cups. 

4. In a small sauce pan, melt brown sugar and butter over medium heat. Boil for one minute.

5. Spoon approximately a teaspoon over each muffin (until gone).

6. Bake for 17-19 minutes. 

7. Cool and eat. Enjoy! :) 

These were super easy to make, and I LOVE that I had all the ingredients on hand! Whenever I don't have to make a special trip to the store, it's a good day in my book. :) 

Do you have a favorite go-to breakfast specialty? I'd love to add a few more to my repertoire! 

Cheers to a new beginning!

It's a brand new year! I love the start of a new year because it brings so many opportunities to start fresh. This is the time to make changes, to achieve goals, and to go on new adventures. 

We're starting the year off on a healthy foot today. Thanks to my pregnancy, I woke up feeling fabulous after an alcohol-free New Year's Eve with friends, and we started the morning with my favorite recipe for protein shakes. They're easy, simple, and delicious, as they taste more like a milkshake than anything else! 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie
Makes 1 serving

Ingredients: 

• 4 ice cubes
• 1 medium sized banana
• 1 scoop protein powder (I prefer vanilla) 
• 1 tbsp. chia seeds (optional)
• 1-2 tsp. cocoa powder
• 1 or more heaping handful(s) fresh baby spinach
• 1 tbsp. natural peanut butter

Combing all ingredients in a blender (I actually add them in this order with ice cubes on the bottom and spinach and peanut butter on the top -- it does a better job of liquefying the ice cubes this way). 

Today I also plan to get in a great workout in two ways. First, I'm SO excited to start covering #TheNewJazzercise campaign that rolls out today! Jazzercise is completely reinventing itself, and it's an exciting time to get in on the changes! 

I think 2015 is going to be a fabulous year for the business, and I'm excited to learn some new routines today (and set up my last four sets as an instructor before maternity leave!). 

I also want to try this awesome Pop Sugar Body-Weight workout. I LOVE workouts like this because you can literally do them anywhere - no equipment required! This workout would be perfect for travel or days when you can't make it to the gym (but still have time to watch TV at night -- pick a 30-minute sitcom to complete this workout!). 

See the link for a MUCH larger version of this print out!

I haven't set any specific New Year's resolutions this year, but I'm planning to focus on learning how to be a great mom, organizing our home and getting rid of items we don't need, and focusing on living in the moment as opposed to always looking ahead to what's next. I think this will be a recipe for success and lead to a great new beginning with our newest family member! 

What are your resolutions or goals for 2015? Are you working on anything specific? 

Here's to the very best year yet! Wishing you and yours a wonderful 2015! 

Confessions of a struggling fitness instructor (AND a preview of maternity pictures!)

At almost 34 weeks pregnant, I would be big time lying to you if I told you that working out felt easy right now. In the past few weeks, my body has really started to change, and not all of it is comfortable. As a fitness instructor, this is extra infuriating to me, a self-admitted perfectionist.

A little back story here. I became a certified Jazzercise instructor in 2006, after one year of taking classes as a student. I started going to Jazzercise with my mom after I graduated from college and felt like I need to get some physical activity in my life. I'd never been very consistent about working out, and this was the first program I stuck to (and absolutely fell in love with!)!

Currently, I teach four Jazzercise classes a week, and this seems to be my sweet spot. I've taught far more than that before (teaching seven consistently for about a month before I realized I was burning out!) and far less too, but four is my happy place. :) That leaves a few days free for rest or other workouts, and I like having those options. 

But now... it's gotten HARD to workout! I find myself getting out of breath faster than ever, and while I could normally jump around with lots of energy, I just can't do that anymore. I've had to modify and do a lot more low impact than I'm used to, and that makes it hard (especially as the person who's supposed to be motivating others to push themselves!). 

And so, come early January, I've decided to hang up my aerobics shoes and start maternity leave from Jazzercise a bit early. I really want to continue to be active up until Baby P joins our family, but I feel like I'm doing a disservice to myself and my students by trying to push extra hard to keep teaching. 

At the very beginning of my pregnancy, I had lofty fitness goals. I was going to run through the end of my pregnancy! I was going to teach Jazzercise up until Baby Putt was born! I was going to be in absolutely amazing shape when I delivered! 

But I've come to realize that sometimes goals (and, well, priorities) change. My priority now is to keep moving until the baby gets here while still getting some R&R before Baby P comes. I'm looking forward to having a little more down time and a little more freedom in my schedule to attend other classes if I choose. Embracing the slow down isn't always easy, but sometimes, it's well worth it! 

Onto happier things, though... I picked up the CD of our maternity photos we had taken last weekend. The fabulous Cari Hughes of Cari Hughes Photography took us to Notre Dame for some amazing pictures. We also did a few at our house by the Christmas tree so that we could show Baby P what time of year it was. I'm THRILLED with how they turned out, and I'm giving you a sneak peek below! (And no, I couldn't just pick one!)

Photos by: Cari Hughes, Cari Hughes Photography

Outfit credits: 
Green Cardigan Sweater: Stitch Fix (<-- referral link!)
Scarves (multicolor and burgundy wrap): Flourish Boutique (End of the Year 40% off sale is still going!)
Necklace: Sparkle Box (I wear this necklace, like, daily!)
Jeans: Old Navy Maternity (LOVE these skinny jeans!)
Boots: UrbanOG (purchased spring 2013)

Want to stick to your New Year's Resolution? A checklist for success!

'Tis the season for making New Year's Resolutions! We all start off with such lofty goals, yet, by mid-January, many of us have dropped those resolutions by the wayside. Mentally, it's important to head into resolutions with eyes wide open. And there are some simple things we can all do to make sure our 2015 resolutions have a fighting chance! 

1. Set yourself up for success. 
Trying to get into a new fitness routine? Hoping to be kinder to others? Looking to quit smoking? Set yourself for success! Make sure you have the right equipment to get you started. Do you have a plan for working out? Have you looked into fitness classes or joining a gym? Have you decided how you'll spread kindness? Are you going to use a nicotine supplement to quit smoking, or are you fully prepared to go cold turkey? The best thing you can do is to surround yourself with the tools you need to succeed. Get those tools now so that come January 1, you're ready to begin. 

2. Try to avoid an all or nothing mentality. 
If you haven't eaten a vegetable in months, don't promise yourself that you're suddenly going to eat 5-9 servings a day. And if you've been overspending for a while, don't assume you're going to find yourself out of debt in the next month or two. It takes time to make these adjustments, and there's nothing wrong with starting small. You can always increase your resolution later once you see how well it's going. 

3. Tell everyone you know (it keeps you accountable). 
Share your resolutions with people close to you. Tell them what you're up to, and ask them to help you stay on track. And, bonus, you never know who might jump on board with you. If you tell others that your resolution is to work out three times a week, you might get a new workout buddy out of the deal! If for some reason you don't want to tell people in your life, start a blog and post it on a community page. Knowing your readers will be checking in with your progress is a great motivator! 

4. Make your resolution a priority, and give it plenty of time. 
Schedule time in to your day to complete your resolution. Set it up like you would an appointment or a date. Whether it's working out, getting finances in order, making healthy meals, or volunteering, you have to make the time for you to be successful. Carve out time and write it down in your planner, set reminders in your phone, and make sure nothing gets in the way of that. 

5. Eliminate the distractions.
You know all that time you spend on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Netflix, random websites, etc.? Those are all distractions. Don't let distractions get in the way! We all have time in the day if we can just eliminate some of those distractions. Get rid of them, and focus on what's really important!

6. Get inspired by others. 
This seems contradictory to number 5, but if you're feeling low on willpower or need some inspiration, find success stories. Cruise the internet or find blogs that discuss whatever it is you're trying to achieve. Sometimes reading about other people's journeys help us on our own. Let yourself be inspired! 

7. Don't throw in the towel if you fall of the wagon once or twice (or eight times).
Many of us are far too quick to give up on our resolutions, especially if we've fallen off the wagon. WAY WRONG THING TO DO! Resolutions shouldn't be all or nothing. So you skip a week of your scheduled eating plan. So what! Pick up where you left off, and keep moving forward. Resolutions don't have to be about perfection. They need to be about improvement. 

8. Have an end goal in mind. 
Is this a permanent change for you? Is this something you want to increase or decrease throughout the year? Know what your end goal is going to be, and keep your focus there. If your initial resolution is to workout three times a week for 30 minutes, is that still what you want to be doing in December, or will your goals have changed? If your goal is to spend zero dollars on going out to eat and shopping, is this something you can maintain until 2016? Think long term. This helps, too, when you might occasionally fall off the wagon. 

9. Reward your successes!
Doing an awesome job sticking to your workouts? Get yourself a few outfit! Doing an excellent job quitting smoking? Take yourself out for an afternoon smoke-free latte or espresso. Eating all those fruits and veggies? Reward yourself with a healthy meal that you don't have to make yourself. 

When all else fails, remember why you made this resolution in the first place. Chances are, you're trying to make a positive change in your life. Keep that focus, and you just can't go wrong!