ellie, the review!

Way back in December I posted a review about pv.body and their workout clothes. Well, there were some changes with the company. pv.body is no longer and now we have Ellie.

I have read many opinions on the switch but I reserved judgement while the company sorted it all out. I waited patiently for my next outfit and the wait was worth it! Take a look at the pictures of my outfit! The blue top is so brilliant and beautiful AND superduper soft. Its the softest shirt I own. The leggings are so nice with a wide waist band so the pants stay put where they belong.

With this shirt I discovered just how awesome thumbholes can be!! I am way later to  this party…which is way crazy since I love long, long sleeves. If I can pull the sleeve down into my palm, I am happy! SO, Ellie only goes up to a size Large….and I was a bit worried but as you can see from my full body picture, a Large fit me just fine. Not tight or restrictive at all! The top covered my belly and then some.

I took one look at those leggings and thought there was no way a Large was going to be big enough.  I was very pleasantly surprised. The leggings were soft but firm; the did not roll down my belly (I know you know what I mean) and I didn’t feel like overstuffed sausage.

Ellie is constantly updating their product design – monthly, actually to meet and exceed the needs of ladies like yourself.  You can buy products off their website at retail price OR you can sign up for the Fit Fashionista Club for $49.95.  Ellie will send you an active TOP and BOTTOM from their latest collection.  The best part, you get to choose which products you receive.Ellie focused on style, fit, and cost.  They are focused on what is most important to you.   You want to feel great in your work clothes and of course, wear the hottest new styles.

If you haven’t tried the service, we highly suggest you try it!

Here is how Ellie works…You can purchase individual pieces (ranging from $39.95 to $59.95 each), OR you can join the club and get a two-piece outfit for $49.95 a month, which you can cancel at any time. Each month, a new collection of 24 pieces debut. Right now you can shop from the March lineup, called the “Little Black Collection”.

Oh and if you follow this link, you can get 20% off your first order.

Full Disclosure: Ellie reached out to me and sent my outfit free of charge. I have joined their affiliate program which means I will make a % of each sale my site brings them via  my link. All opinions expressed in the post are my own.

 

It Starts with Food, the review

pages of notes (and if you looked inside my book you would see notes written all over the place plus paper clips marking many pages and passages)

Dallas Harwig says, “food can change your life and It Starts with Food will show you how.”

Dallas and Melissa Hartwig are the husband and wife tagteam bloggers behind whole9.com and the whole30 program. They are also pretty famous for their tough love!!  They wrote an awesome book, It Starts with Food, and I was lucky enough to be sent a copy to review for the blog.  This book is full of information about the whole30 program. You do not need to read the book because the ENTIRE whole30 program is (and always will be) available online for FREE on the whole9 site. However, I highly recommend you read the book!

I thought I knew about the whole30 program.

After reading, It Starts with Food, I understand much more of the “whys” and the how of this program! Dallas and Melissa break down the science of food and its effects on the body. And they do it in a way that makes sense to normal people. By normal people, I mean people without fancy science degrees. Melissa even calls it the “science-y stuff” and if you know me, you know I love that kind of talk!

There is so much science and diet information out there it is easy to go into information overload. According to It Starts with Food this can cause paralysis by analysis, a state in which you take no action.  Who among us lifetime dieters has not been right at this paralyzed state. We know we need to do something so we research and then the information is too overwhelming to know where to start. And while It Starts with Food does give you more information, Melissa and Dallas Hartwig have already completed all the scientific research and made it easy to understand for us non-sciencey people.

The whole30 is “grounded in science, based on thousands of observations and proven results, and anchored with a 30 day structured self-experiment.”

The whole30 was created in 2008/2009 and since then thousands of people have successfully completed the program!

It Starts with Food tells us that all food we eat should do four things. The food we eat should:

1. Promote a healthy psychological response
2. Promote a healthy hormonal response
3. Support a healthy gut
4. Support immune function and minimize inflammation

What you can hope to learn when you read It Starts with Food:

• Why dieting doesn’t work but its not your fault – in fact It Starts with Food will tell you all the science-y reasons why we cannot resist.
• What a “Frankenfood” is and why it wreaks havoc on your body.
• Difference between satiety and satiation or Prime Ribs and Oreos.
• The gut is super important in regards to your overall health.
• what foods can make you feel great!

There is a good hunk of science matter in It Starts with Food. Dallas and Melissa really explain how food works for and/or against your body. And the explain how it all is supposed to work. I wont even try to explain all the science-y stuff because I could never do it justice. You will just have to trust me when I tell you, Dallas and Melissa know their stuff and they want you to know all about it! They want you to be successful on your Whole30 challenge.

It Starts with Food and the whole30 is said to change your life  in unexpected ways. I believe it will!! I was so skeptical about the whole30 but after reading It Starts with Food I was ready to take the challenge. Are you??

Disclaimer: I received a copy of It Starts with Food to read and review. All thoughts are my own!

pv.body review

Last month I received an AMAZING email from Hope of pv.body – a new company launching a new service! I first heard about pv.body at Fitbloggin12 and I have a few bright blue bags from the last lunch (many people took the tanks and water bottles but left the bag) that I use for grocery bags. Hope emailed saying she found my blog and loved it {side note: I am still completely amazed there are people who read my ramblings} and had an opportunity for me!

We set up a phone meeting and within 2 minutes on the phone with Hope, I was sold! You see, pv.body, has this program (much like those fruit of the month clubs I signed my parents up when I was in high school band and we had to sell fruit every year) where for a very low price you can receive an entire workout outfit (one top, one bottom) each month.

You start by taking a little style quiz – where you tell pv.body what kind of activity you prefer, what colors you like, and what pant length you like the most. I was a lot concerned when I realized pv.body only goes up to a size Large.  If I never lose another pound, I will continue to yoga and run and walk and sweat/workout. If I never lose another pound, I deserve to wear cute workout clothes. Yes, I am bigger than a size large but I want to get my sweat on!

I talked to Hope about just this subject. pv.body is a new company, and it took off rather quickly, faster than they expected. They will be adding in additional brands and additional sizes in the future, hopefully early 2013.   The company, and certainly the rep I connected with, are interested in what I have to say. I was asked all about my blog, the whys and whatnots, and I in-turn asked all about pv.body. After our conversation, I wanted  in!

I was totally sold!

Basically, it works like this….you take a style quiz, pay less than $50 and pv.body sends you a pretty Fit Box with one workout bottom and one workout top…do you know how much “they” charge for workout clothes?!?!

I opened my pretty pink package and found a compression tank and a bright blue pair of running tights, each wrapped in tissue paper. It was like opening a present! Both pieces were from a company called Nux. I had never heard of this company but I instantly loved the bright blue color of the running pants. AND Nux is a US company – made and designed in the USA.

Sorry, that last pictures is pretty bad. I am not good at taking pictures of myself…especially in form-fitting head-to-toe running gear. The tank was a bit small (but not bad for a Large since my girls and belly require an extra large) and the pants fit perfectly!!

I may be a bright color convert!!

Ok, so here’s the details… pv.Body costs $49.95 monthly. At first, I thought that was a lot of money…hey, I am sort of cheap when it comes to workout clothes…gotta save the $$ for the running shoes! Really, workout clothes can be $50 and more per piece for good quality. So, I decided to join pv.Body‘s ambassador affiliate program which gives me a 20% off coupon to offer you. 50% off brings your  first month to only $39.96. Now that’s a steal! Even if you sign up, get 1 outfit and quit, my coupon easily pays for itself.

If you are interested, use my link, and click on “Take the Quiz”. That will set your preferences and you’ll get an idea of the types of clothes they are offering.

 

 

 

 

Full Disclosure: pv.body reached out to me and sent my outfit free of charge. I have joined their affiliate program which means I will make a % of each sale my site brings them via  my link. All opinions expressed in the post are my own.

BANJEES baby – UPDATED

I am the kind of girl who almost never carries a purse.

I am the kind of girl who rarely has pants with pockets.

I am the kind of girl who is forever searching for her car keys and cell phone and driver’s license.

I am the kind of girl who drives her husband CRAZY when I am late for work but still running around the house looking for my keys.

ENTER the BANJEES Wrist Wallet….

I was one of the lucky Fitfluential Ambassadors given the opportunity to take the BANJEES Wrist Wallet for a test spin.  YES, I received a beautiful BANJEES for free, all opinions are my own, and if you read through, I even have one for you!!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

First, the particulars….right from Sprigs site:

Why a Wrist Wallet?

We love the outdoors, we love exercise and we love not being locked out of our home after a nice run. But carrying keys in your pocket isn’t always an option. And when it is an option, sometimes keys flopping around in your pocket is down-right uncomfortable. So we went looking for a quality, comfortable wrist wallet that could fit more than just one key and maybe a credit card. We found lots of outdated fanny packs, and lots of Velcro closures.  We were left with only one choice: design our own wrist wallet.

What makes a Banjees Wrist Wallet the best wrist wallet?

We think the Banjees Wrist Wallet is the best available because they:

• are wicking, stretchy and comfortable
• come in more styles than any other wrist wallet
• are machine washable

The design patent on the Big Banjees Wrist Wallet also called the Phone Banjees Wrist Wallet has been granted! We’re thrilled about this and look at it as confirmation that we make the best wrist wallet available.

Who are Banjees Wrist Wallets for?

Banjees are the ideal wallet for runners, but they are also make a great wallet for the beach or cycling, or yoga, or… Well, you get the idea. But wrist wallets aren’t just for the outdoorsy type. A Banjees wrist wallet is great for those times when you need to carry more than your pockets can hold, but you don’t want to carry a bag, like your child’s soccer practice, or a quick jaunt to the store.

Where/When I have used my Banjees Wrist Wallet:

• at the beach – I put my car key in my Banjees while I was swimming. I didn’t have to worry about losing my car key or leaving my keys and other “valuables” sitting on the beach while I was in the water.
• out for every walk with my Lucy (dog). I put my house key and a poop bag in my Banjees.
• quick trips to the convenient stores, especially if I walked.
• afterschool walks through the park.
• out to the bar for girls night – again, I want to be hands-free but I need an ID, car key and money with me!!
• Bloomsburg Fair – yep a HUGE fair with attendance of over 70,ooo people, I used a wrist wallet so money was easily at hand but not easily lost like it could be in a pocket.

My opinions:

• I really, really dislike carrying a bag, especially on a walk when all I need is a key.
• I think if my arm was a bit smaller, I would have more room for “stuff” in my BANJEES Wrist Wallet.
• I still have a “stupid” phone, and it is too big for the BANJEES Wrist Wallet but that is ok, when I am out for a walk, I don’t need my phone.
• BANJEES Wrist Wallet is PERFECT for walking my dog. Lucy is a big girl, having poop bag right at my wrist is just plain convenient. (anyone with a big dog will understand this convenience)
• my BANJEES Wrist Wallet is so pretty!! I have the one picture above, and it IS reversible.
• BANJEES Wrist Wallet is versatile, matches eveything I own, looks cute and is very useful!

And the Best Part: 

I HAVE ONE FOR YOU!!!!

Just click on this little link for the RaffleCopter giveaway (I am sorry, I know this is a bit clunky – its my first time using the copter) LEAVE me a comment here!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Ok, the rafflecopter thingie did not work right, so I am only asking that you go to  BANJEES Wrist Wallet page, look around and then come back here and comment on the  BANJEES Wrist Wallet you want!!

 

That’s it, one little comment gets you enter!! One week from today, Thursday, October 11 at midnight I will close this giveaway and I will randomly pick one commenter to win!! I will let y’all know on Friday who is my winner!!