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Friday Favorites – October 14th, 2016

pumpkin-spice-cake

As you can tell, our house is fully decorated for Fall! There is no denying that this is my favorite season in New York.  It’s been a busy work week and I’m thankful for a perfect Fall weekend in New York City. The weather is cool, the leaves are changing and we have some fun things planned for the weekend. Tomorrow Bo and I are hitting a few Brooklyn spots that are participating in  Open House New York before a double date with friends. Sunday I am joining Theodora for a NYJL Moves fitness event including a spin class and yoga before heading to our first ever Food and Wine Festival event, Lucky Chopsticks.

Now, let’s dive into this week’s edition of Friday Favorites, including recipes, articles, posts and other things that caught my eye this week.

  • The cake you see in the above picture may be the MOST delicious cake my mom or I have ever baked.  It is so delicious and moist that it doesn’t even need frosting. But, instead of making a glaze we used her cream cheese frosting that accompanies her carrot cake recipe.
  • A friend sent me a few samples of Beauty Counter this week and I have to say, I’m impressed with everything I tried. What’s your favorite Beauty Counter product? I think I’m going to switch to their Dew Skin Tinted Moisturizer, eye cream and lip gloss.
  • If you’re looking for healthier pumpkin recipe, Anne put together a great round-up today on her blog. Her pumpkin oatmeal has been a favorite of mine for years, but now I want to make each of these recipes!
  • A few of my favorite Fall fashion items are 30% off at JCrew right now, when you use the code GETSHOPPING. The below are items that I purchased this year or in previous years and still wear and love.
    • This vest goes with anything.
    • This shirt can be dressed up with a blazer or dressed down with a Barbour jacket.
    • I own this in three different solids and one stripe as I wear them non-stop in the Fall and Winter.
    • I can’t to wear this coat again this year once the temperatures drop. I recommend ordering 1-2 sizes down but it is a classic that you’ll love!
    • My favorite sweater now comes in a turtleneck version! I just bought this in grey and black as those are the colors I wear the Tippi in most frequently.
  • Have you always wanted six-pack abs? This week the team at Women’s Health interviewed women about what it takes to get those six pack abs. Love seeing some of my favorite running and blogging friends included in this article!
  • Speaking of sales, my favorite over-the-knee boots are in-stock at Saks and due to a promotion they have going on right now, you can save $100 using the code OCT16.
  • As someone who works from home, I can always use perspective on how to be the most productive and efficient in a home office. Even though I am sometimes guilty of working in sweats, I agree that working in business clothes definitely helps.  In fact, researchers found that “participants reported feeling more authoritative, trustworthy, and competent when wearing formal business attire.”
  • Ever wonder why butter is yellow? Nope, me neither but I still love this interesting article in the NYTimes this week.
  • My friends at Fresh Direct introduced me to FoodKick this week and after using it twice, I am in love. FoodKick is Fresh Direct’s new one-hour delivery service delivering fresh food, meal hacks, cold booze, ice cream and more to Brooklyn, Long Island City and parts of Manhattan. Even though I work from home, some days I barely have time to make lunch much less head to the grocery store. On Tuesday and Wednesday FoodKick delivered all the ingredients for dinner within an hour of ordering! If you want to try it for yourself, use the code FKHH10 to get $10 off any order of $30 or more. Even better, all new customers get their first 60 days of delivery free, too!

foodkick

Have a great weekend guys! Don’t forget to enter the Brooks Sports Bra giveaway if you haven’t already! 

Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored and instead is a list of the things of my favorite things this week. As normal, it includes lots of beauty and fashion items which means there are a few affiliate links via ShopStyle. It takes time and money to maintain a blog so I thank you for the support and few cents that come from clicking through the links!

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Finding Your Perfect Sports Bra and a Giveaway

ashley-in-sports-bra

Happy Thursday guys! As some of you may have seen earlier this week on either my Instagram Stories or the Brooks Running Instagram, I had the opportunity to spend time shopping for sports bras with Brooks and Jack Rabbit. If you are a long-time reader, you may remember that I am small chested (36A).  For years, I didn’t think much about sports bras because I didn’t think that someone who was small chested needed support.  I did not enjoy wearing sports bras as I felt they made my small chest even smaller and flatter. Maybe that’s because for the first four years I worked out, from the age of 22-26, I wore a very basic sports bra that was $14.99 at Target.  It provided no support or padding, instead it was more like an ace bandage wrapped around my chest. No wonder I hated putting that thing on.
brooks

Luckily since my favorite brand, Brooks, makes wonderful sports bras, they offered to provide me with a bra fitting session in partnership with Jack Rabbit.  During my session with Leslie at Jack Rabbit, I learned so many tips that I asked my friends at Brooks if I could share the images and tips with you guys to ensure you pick the right sports bra for you, regardless your chest size.

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  • Women of all size can benefit from a quality, well-fitted sports bra – not just those with larger chests.
  • Women with small chests need to have a bra with support to avoid sagging and permanent damage to breast tissue later in life.
  • Get measured every year because even small changes can make big differences, especially for people with smaller chests.
  • The fit of the bottom band is the most important part of the bra as this is what provides most of the support. You want it to be tight enough to provide support but tight enough so that your girls won’t come out if you raise your arms.
  • Breast tissue moves in a figure eight pattern when you run, walk or jump. Wearing a sports bra with cups, known formally as an encapsulation bra, will support you better and help you avoid that unfortunate uniboob feeling.
  • If the bra is folding, wrinkling or has too much space in the cup that means you need to go down a cup size.
  • Your sports bra size may be different from the bra size you wear each day. Try on lots of different sizes and styles, often in one size smaller and larger than your daily bra, before choosing a sports bra.
  • A bra with adjustable straps can help ensure a perfect fit and that the bra can provide enough support regardless the exercise.
  • In the Fall of 2015, Brooks began re-branding their Moving Comfort division to Brooks. Therefore, if you have a favorite Moving Comfort bra that you’re looking for, it can be found on the Brooks site and may now have a Brooks logo on it!

brooks-sports-bra-with-adjustable-straps

During my session, I fell in love with three bras.

Fiona Sports Bra 

I have never worn a sports bra with a hook and eye closure but man did I fall in love with the level of flexibility and comfort this provided. In addition, this bra comes with molded cups so I felt supported and shapely versus flat as a pancake. The adjustable straps, which I am modeling in the above picture, also allow me to adjust the bra depending on the activity. For high intensity or running I would tighten it to limit the movement but for yoga or pilates, I can wear it a bit looser. If you are nursing, the adjustable straps can also make this a great bra option for easy access. The molded cups on this bra made me actually feel as if I had shape versus being flat as a pancake. I loved this bra so much that I bought two of them, one in black and one in blue!

brooks-fiona

Frontrunner Racer Bra

How fun and unique is the design of this bra with the plunging v-neck and seamless style? This lightweight, breathable bra is a great option as it provides support and contoured cups without sacrificing style. Even though I tried this bra on again at Jack Rabbit, I have owned this bra for three months and have worn it to many a workouts and run. It is comfortable and a great, chafe-free option!

brooks-front-runner-racer-bra

Uprise Crossback Sports Bra

This bra is the only one that I tried on which was designed specifically for A/B cups. Even though it has S/M/L sizing it still has contoured cups which provide support as well as a nice, curvy shape while the cross back allows for ventilation during your workout.  As you can see from the picture at the top of this post, I love this bra so much that I wore it throughout our Canada hiking trip, even stripping down to just the bra on an especially hot day.  The only thing that could make this bra even better would be adjustable straps.

brooks-uprise-bra

GIVEAWAY CLOSED – Winner @momsgottarun entry #47

 

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Challenging My Body In A Healthy Way

bar-method-brooklyn

Cool crisp weather makes me want to lace up my shoes and run for hours. There are few things I enjoy more than running through Central or Prospect Park with leaves crunching beneath my feet and vibrant colors adorning the trees. Unfortunately, after Saturday’s half marathon and continued glute pain, I have decided that if I want to enjoy a lifetime of running, I need to listen to my body. Instead of training for short distance PRs during the upcoming Prospect Park Turkey Trot and NYRR Jingle Jog, I am going to run those for fun with friends.

But, instead of abandoning all goals and giving my body time, I am embarking on healthy, lower impact goal that will allow me to stay motivated and healthy. For the next ten weeks, leading up to the Christmas holidays, I am going to spend most of my time tucking, stretching and strengthening my body through Bar Method and other low impact workouts such as Pilates and yoga. Last year during my six-week Bar Method challenge I was leaner and stronger than ever before. In fact, since Bar Method is the perfect complement to running, many of Bar Method’s exercises strengthen the knees by strengthening the surrounding muscles in a low impact way. Las year due to my new found core and leg strength, I was able to run three half marathons and Reach the Beach within a five week period without injury.

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Last night’s class, my first in a while, was humbling. I have lost the muscle memory and strength that I developed last year when I was frequenting Bar Method.  Thanks to the teacher’s hands on adjustments, I was able to feel and move into the proper position but I look forward to the day when everything feels familiar again. So while my triceps are already shaking after two classes and my thighs scream when I walk up the stairs, I’m excited for the challenge. I am going to return to weekly workout updates in order to keep myself accountable as well as share my progress and thoughts with you guys.  As a sweat and high intensity workout addict, I am sure this will be an adjustment.

Now, who wants to join me for a Bar Method class or other low-impact workout this Fall while my body heals and strengthens? 

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