Pure Barre

I'm one of those people who tend to become bored with their work outs, especially in the winter when I don't have the option to go outside (if you're one of those people who run outside in the winter I'm impressed).  So I'm often looking for new activities in order to stay motivated.

I heard of Pure Barre awhile ago through coworkers and I really wanted to try it, so being the type A person that I am, I researched it and decided I needed to see what it was all about.

1. Research. Their website gives you a great idea of what the class is about. It has videos, testimonials, and what to expect from the class. You can search for a Pure Barr location, the class schedule, and prices. Oh and shop! They have such cute work out clothes. Below are some pictures from the Rocky River location.

2. So far I've taken four classes and my takeaway is that you need to stay with it! After my first class I was sore. Really sore. Now I'm still sore but I've definitely noticed the moves have become easier and I know what to expect from each class.

3. Don't be nervous. I think everyone is nervous about taking any type of class, especially on the first day, but the instructors at Pure Barre are extremely helpful. During the class I was nervous I wasn't doing the moves correctly or some of the moves I couldn't do at all. Trust me, no one in the class is paying attention to your moves, they're focused on their own. If I couldn't do something I tried my best and the instructor would help me if needed.

4. The class size is small and the atmosphere is a dance studio. I really liked this because I took a dance class when I was younger in gymnastics (it was mandatory, I was a terrible dancer and still am). I like being able to see exactly what I'm doing in the mirrors and being able to watch others to make sure my form is correct. Each class is a little different every time. Some moves are repeated but you will never have the exact same class.

5. You will shake. This sounds weird but while doing a lot of the moves your body and muscles will shake. After four classes the shaking has lessen and each time I've been able to hold the moves longer than the previous time. I still have more classes to attend but so far my experience has been great and I love how strong I feel after each class.



*A special thank you to Lori, owner at Pure Barre Rocky River and Westlake/Avon for getting me into the studio for my first classes! Please check them out if you're in the Cleveland area.*

Top Five Oscar Picks

Happy Monday! I don't know about you but Monday is so much better when there's award show fashion to look at. I'm going to be honest, I didn't watch the Oscars..oops. However, I did watch the red carpet and that's my favorite part anyways. Below are my top five picks from last night (in no particular order). What were some of your favorites??

1. Reese Witherspoon: I'm all about off the shoulder for this spring so this dress was a winner for me.

2. Jamie Chung: I love a good ballgown and this one with the star burst designs on it? Love.

3. Emma Stone: This color is gorgeous on her and you can't see it in this picture but the back dips low which really adds something to this dress.

4. Lupita Nyong'o: So different and amazing. Enough said.

5. Jennifer Lopez: As you tell, I love ballgowns and this dress is perfection. I love everything about it.

Mexican Night: Enchiladas

Mexican may be my favorite food (tie between pizza).  One of the reasons I love this recipe is you can add/change it to fit your taste. I've made it so many different ways depending on what ingredients I have on hand. I normally make it without any meat but you can easily add chicken or beef. It's an easy weeknight dinner and also makes great leftovers for lunch the next day!


Ingredients:
Cooking spray 
1 pack of the large tortillas
1 can of enchilada sauce
1 can chili peppers
1 can of whole kernel corn(drained)
1/2 cup of plain cream cheese
1/2 cup of sour cream
1/2 of cup salsa (I use a little more if I don't have a lot of fresh vegetables on hand)
1 cup of your choice of shredded cheese
Varied vegetables, diced onions, diced tomatoes, diced peppers, black beans(drained)
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder (or less depending on how spicy you want it)
Salt and pepper to taste
Red pepper to taste(optional)
1 jalapeno(optional)
Fresh cilantro(optional)

1. Spray baking pan with cooking spray and preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. Take your cream cheese, sour cream, and salsa and pour in to a large bowl (all your ingredients will need to fit in here). Mix well.

3. Add in all your vegetables, shredded cheese, and spices to the same bowl.

4. The consistency of this mixture can't be too 'soupy' or it will fall out of the sides of the tortillas, if it is just add a little more cream cheese to thicken it up.

5. Take the mixture and scoop it in to the tortillas. Spread evenly on it.  Wrap the tortilla tight so that the mixture isn't falling out and make sure the open side of the tortilla is facing down on the cooking pan.

6. Once your done making the wraps, evenly pour the can of enchilada sauce over them.

7. Top enchiladas with more shredded cheese, fresh cilantro, and jalapenos.

8. Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until bubbly.


Sorry for the lack of pictures on this one, below is how they look before going in the oven. Enjoy!

Layers

It's really difficult to dress cute when its below freezing out (literally below freezing, it says it feels like -13 degrees out as I'm typing this). I wanted to create a different look while keeping warm this past weekend as we celebrated Kevin's birthday. This is where layers and a hat came in.

I've seen the cropped sweater with a button up on various bloggers and didn't realize just how easy it is to copy. Everyone should have a white button up in their closet for the versatility it offers, this outfit is a perfect example of that.

Adding some different accessories, like this hat, helped make the traditional black and white color scheme pop. If you're nervous about the hat trend I would recommend the one I'm wearing below, it's perfect and it's only $14 AND Forever21 it offering free shipping on any order today so you pretty much have to buy it now. Thanks for reading!

Birthday celebration

Hat here; Sweater here; Button up here

Booties similar here; Leather leggings here

Last Minute Valentine's Day Gifts

I don't really get in to Valentine's Day. It's a nice concept and all but you shouldn't need a specific day on the calendar to celebrate love, just my two cents :)

But, since it is on the calendar and it's hard to avoid the day I feel we should make the best of it and why not do that by gifting someone in your life something special? Whether it's a significant other, friend, or yourself everyone likes a gift every now and then. Below I put together some items that I wouldn't mind receiving for Valentine's Day or purchasing for myself and the best part is they are all under $50. Happy shopping!

Bracelet

Lipstick

Clutch

Pillow

Slippers

Not So Basic

There's something about a fur(faux) vest that really adds something extra to an outfit. Take this outfit as an example, without the vest it's a basic all black outfit; however, with the vest it becomes not so basic. The vest adds texture and warmth along with some color contrast. If you're looking to update your winter wardrobe with a statement item I would highly recommend a fur vest (I want one in black).  The best part is that you can find one at any price point to fit your budget.

Add a red lip and you have an easy yet put together outfit for going out.

Thanks for reading!

Similar fur vest here and here

Jeans here; Turtleneck here; Shoes here; Purse here

Mountain Getaway Wishlist

As I mentioned last week I have a couple of vacations coming up. One to the beach and another to Denver with the boyfriend. I've never been to Denver or any type of mountain area really. I'm normally more of a beach/pool or big city vacation type but this year we're trying something new.

I plan on doing a lot of outdoor activities while we're there, including hiking, and I want to look as stylish as I can while this happens. Plus my work out clothes could use an update anyways. I've also been doing my research and Denver has a lot of breweries that I want to check out so packing some cute, casual, and comfy clothes for exploring and walking around the city is also a must. And I have a feeling a beer will be needed after all that hiking.

Thanks for reading!

Sweatshirt

Sneakers

Boyfriend jeans

Leggings

Hoodie

Obsessed: Goat Cheese

This post was originally going to be a post about a beauty product or fashion trend that I'm obsessed with; however, then I remembered why I decided to write a lifestyle blog so that I can write about other topics that I love. Food is definitely one of those topics.

The title of this post should read obsessed with all kinds of cheeses but goat cheese really holds a place in my heart. This cheese alone has swayed my decision on menu items just because the dish had this cheese involved.

As much as I love goat cheese I've never cooked with it. Kinda intimidated by it and kinda afraid I'll screw up the dish so badly that it'll ruin the cheese for me forever. So I started out with this super easy recipe AND I made it for a Super Bowl party. Big hit. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
Fresh basil leaves
1 package of natural goat cheese (not the crumbles, the spread)
1 jar of sun dried tomato with extra virgin olive oil
1 package of toasted crostini

1. Chop up the basil and the tomatoes and set them aside.

2. Spread the goat cheese on the crostini.

3. Spread the basil and tomatoes on top of the cheese.

4. Drizzle some of the extra virgin olive oil from the tomato jar on top.

Plaid and Leopard

Mixing prints is something I've been trying to do more with my outfits lately by taking some baby steps. I'm so over winter and buying sweaters but I'm getting bored with all my winter clothes. This is where mixing patterns is helping revamp my winter wardrobe. I kept my outfit neutral, a camel sweater and dark brown leather leggings then added the leopard pumps and plaid blanket scarf. The blanket scarf is great because I was heading out for the night and did not want to keep track of a jacket (we've all been there).

Scarf: Target, similar here

Leggings Similar sweater Purse old but love this one

Shoes