FITNESS ROUTINE + FAV FITNESS PRODUCTS

click for product links

lets start off with the fun stuff, my favorite fitness products.

1. fitbit flex in slate (find it here)

2. lululemon run speed short *block-it pocket

3. asics gel-nimbus 15

4. nike free run 5.0+ (find them here)

5. c9 neoprene hand weight | 8 lbs

6. c9 neoprene hand weight | 5 lbs

7. yurbuds focus headphones

and now for my fitness routine...

my fitness routine is fairly simple, but i feel these are the best to share. my routine is extremely straight forward & fairly easy to stick to & i honestly feel anyone can do it. here goes nothing:

run

i try to run as often as i can, aiming for everyday. now this may already sound like a lot to you, but it is extremely doable. remember, it only takes 21 days to form a habit, & honestly i feel it's even less when it comes to running; after running for just three days in a row i find it easy to get through the week. just three days, try it out. also, keep in mind that i do not limit myself to a set distance or time & if you're trying to get into the habit of running daily you shouldn't either. if i have the time & desire i'll go out & run three miles, if i don't, i'll run for ten minutes. it doesn't matter how fast you run, it doesn't matter how long you run, & it doesn't matter how far you run, just run. 

and hey, if running isn't your thing, walk, bike, swim, etc. 

lift

i recently started incorporating arms into my fitness routine & it has made a world of difference. a quick & simple arm routine can be done at anytime & anywhere. here's what i do to tone & strengthen my arms:

everyone loves a good shower, me especially & when i decided to buy two 5 lbs dumbbells at target, i told myself i would put them to use before every shower, morning & night. since then i have worked up to 8 lbs dumbbells & honestly, i'm pretty proud of myself (celebrate the little things!) i leave them visible in my room & whenever i happen to glance their way, i encourage myself to use them.

these are the exact moves i aim to do twice a day:

15-20 bicep curls (see the move here)

15-20 shoulder presses (see the move here)

15-20 tricep extensions (see the move here)

15-20 reverse flys (see the move here)

*remember to click the links for a detailed image of each move from women's health magazine.

tone

finally, i work to tone my abs, & get ready to laugh because i have been doing so using the dorkiest video you will ever watch. but let me tell you, it works! watch the video here! honestly, i get lazy when it comes to abs, but at one point i was extremely dedicated & did the exercises in this video everyday. now, it has become something i do on occasion along with various other exercises like wall shits, lunges, squats, etc. 

& that's it, my fitness routine + current favorite fitness products. let me know you're fav fitness products in a comment below.

TOP FIVE | LIP PRODUCTS

for  today's post i thought i'd share five of my current favorite lip products. a few of these have been mentioned in previous blog posts, so i hope i'm not being too repetitive, but i can't help it they're my favorites!

here they are at random, my top five favorite lip products:

1. revlon super lustrous lipstick | 616 wink for pink
price: $6.99 (at ulta)
this is literally the first lipstick i ever bought…crazy! & i still love it today, this particular shade is the perfect natural/nudey pink & it always makes me feel pretty.
check it out here!

2. rimmel lasting finish lipstick | 006 pink blush
price: 5.49 (at ulta)
let's just take a moment to appreciate the fact that a man complimented me on this lip shade when i was wearing it the other day…that's big! the perfect girly pink shade that apparently draws in the men ;)
check it out here!

3. revlon colorburst matte balm | 220 showy
price: $8.99 (at ulta)
i wore this on valentine's day & absolutely loved it. this matte balm has great staying power & the color is so bright, fun, & feminine.
check it out here!

4. c.o. bigelow lemon lip balm
price: $7.50 (at bath & body works)
i work at bath & body works, & i'd been eyeing this lip balm for a while (i love lemon) i'm so glad i finally bought it because it is now my all time favorite/holy grail lip balm…it tastes amazing, smells amazing, glides on smoothly, & moisturizes all day long.
check it out here!

5. lancome color design sensational lip color | pale lip
price: $22.50 (at ulta)
this is one of those makeup products my mom gifted me (she worked at neiman marcus & saks a few years ago) i just recently started using it & let me tell you, i love it! if you're just starting to get into nudes like i am, this is the perfect transition color, a natural nude that is simply pretty, not too in-your-face or over-the-top.
check it out here!

BAKING | FAVORITE RECIPES

if you've seen my personal instagram (grace_hunter) you've probably noticed i bake..alot. i wish i could say i come up with recipes on my own, but most of the time (okay all the time) i find my recipes online. today, i decided to share a few of my favorite tried & true online recipes.

go-to chocolate cake
i stumbled across this recipe one day when i set out to bake a chocolate cake & since then i've made it nearly half a dozen times (since we're speaking baker.) i have yet to be disappointed with this recipe & i can tell you it is a guaranteed crowd pleaser.

find the recipe here!


best brownies
i could put a cupcake in my boyfriend's lap & he wouldn't touch it, but if i bake brownies he'll eat the whole pan. because of my boyfriends love for brownies, i set out to find the best brownie recipe & i think i've found it. these delicious, fudgey brownies are fairly simple to make & come out perfectly every time.
*hint: better go ahead & double the recipe ;)

find the recipe here!

yummy sugar cookie bars
this was one of those recipes i found on pinterest & just had to make, & i'm glad i did because let me tell you, they are amazing. i love the taste of sugar cookies but hate the chore of rolling out the dough, cutting out the shapes, etc. these sugar cookie bars are so simple because once the dough is made, all you have to do it press it onto a cookie sheet & pop it in the oven. plus, that frosting…mmmm

find the recipe here!

looking for more recipes? check out my "bake it" board on pinterest here!

TOP FIVE | BODY MISTS

i don't know why i keep failing at posting every other day, it shouldn't be too hard, right?! wrong. i traveled to austin again this weekend for valentine's day & i just couldn't bring myself to write a blog post, so here i am two days too late…again ugggh. (i'll have to try this again next month, maybe i'll be better at it then…)

i wanted to introduce another feature to my blog: top five. as i mentioned in an earlier post, often when i sit down to blog i can think of a couple of random items worth blogging about & so i created loving lately; but i also noticed i often have a group of similar items i've been loving (lip products, eyeshadow shades, etc.) & so grew "top five" a type of blog post where i share five of my current favorite…well whatever!

for today's top five i thought i'd share with you five of my all-time favorite body mists. i've been doing  quite a bit of light traveling lately + the weather has been warming up & i've found myself avoiding perfumes & reaching more & more for body/fragrance mists. i love how light & fresh they make me feel + they're great for traveling (no glass bottles!) the majority of these are old favorites, scents i've loved for years & a couple have been mentioned on my blog previously. i realize they are all from victoria's secret, but this was by no means intentional (i just looove their scents!)

here they are at random (how could i pick a favorite?!) my top five favorite body mists:

1. victoria's secret pear glace fragrance mist
notes: sugared pear & casaba melon
retails for $12.00 for 8.4 fl oz.
refreshing formula is infused with conditioning all vera & calming chamomile. spray on for a touch of scent. 

2. victoria's secret sunset bloom
notes: brazilian orchid & acai
retails for $12.00 for 8.4 fl oz.
refreshing formula is infused with conditioning all vera & calming chamomile. spray on for a touch of scent. 
*this scent came out around valentine's day last year & may no longer be available, look for it during the semi annual sale!

3. victoria's secret pink pretty & pure
*this scent is no longer available on the victoria's secret website but i was able to find it on amazon. & unfortunately, my eau de toilette version of the scent does not list any information. be on the look out for this scent during the semi annual sale!

4. victoria's secret pink sweet & flirty body mist
notes: sugar berry & pink grapefruit
retails for $18 for 8.4 fl oz / $8 for travel size (2.5 fl oz.)
refreshing body mist shows skin some love with conditioning aloe & a subtle hint of scent.

5. victoria's secret bombshell body mist 
notes: purple passion fruit, shangri-la yellow peony & vanilla orchid
retails for $25 for 8.4 fl oz. / $10 for travel size (2.5 fl oz.)
sexy today. sexy tomorrow. sexy forever. a glamorous blend of purple passion fruit, shangri-la yellow peony & vanilla orchid.

VALENTINE'S DAY MAKEUP + OUTFIT IDEAS

i decided to cheat on today's blog post by simply posting about the two valentine's day themed youtube videos i've been working on over the past couple of days, it was exhausting, so i think i deserve just a little cheat. and hopefully, if you're a blog reader who hasn't seen a video of mine today will be the day. without further ado, here's a little bit of valentine's day makeup + outfit inspiration…happy valentine's day loves!

watch the videos here:

DIY VALENTINE'S DAY GIFT

valentine's day has always been my favorite holiday. as a bona fide girly girl, there isn't much greater than walking into a store filled with pink, red, & heart-shaped everything. i can't quite put my head around the fact that valentine's day gets so much hate; (perhaps because it makes some feel lonely by reminding them of their "singleness") but to me, valentine's day is about so much more than a relationship status. it's about showing love to those around you, whoever they may be...

one of the simplest ways to show you care is by giving a hand-made gift, so i thought i'd share one of my all-time favorite valentine's day gift ideas, the "52 things i love about you" deck of cards. this idea has been circling the pinterest realm for quite a while now & by no means do i take credit for having thought of it. i did however, create my own over the past few nights & thought i'd share exactly how i did it & what i used.

what i used…

-a deck of bicycle standard playing cards (i found mine at target)

-a handful of note cards

-one black ultra fine sharpie

-one red ultra fine sharpie

-modpodge

-a hole punch

-a binder ring (also found at target in a multi-pack)

-& finally, a piece of ribbon

what i did…

1. to begin, i used my paper cuter to cut my index cards in half until i ended up with 52 halves (+ 1 more for the cover)

2. next, i first created a cover page & then used my sharpies to write out my list of 52 things i love about __. i also added doodles that went along with what i wrote. here are a couple of examples just in case you get stuck:

"the way you cuddle"

"when you play guitar"

"the notes you leave on my phone" 

"when you talk in your sleep"

"the way you sing in the car" 

3. when all 52 pages were finished, i applied modpodge to the back of a playing card, (i used the white side because i wanted the red to be showing but use whichever you'd like) stuck on one of my 52 reasons, & then applied a layer of modpodge on top to completely seal the piece of paper to the card.

side note: i put the cover page on the front of one card & the first reason on the back to accommodate for the extra page, all other cards were one-sided. 

4. once i had finished applying all 52 pieces of paper to the card & allowed them time to dry, i punched a hole in the top left corner of the cards.

5. finally, i looped them onto a binder ring & tied on a bow for a cuteness! 

& ta-daa! this diy is incredibly simple & inexpensive to make though it does take a little bit of time & thought. but at the end of the day nothing beats a thoughtful, hand-made gift!

if you're short on time or don't consider yourself the crafty type, i think it would be equally as cute to put the decorated cards back into the box they came in. your loved one will be extra surprised when they open the box to find not just playing cards, but 52 reasons why they are loved! (+ bonus points for a little more manliness) 

happy valentine's day!

photos of the card book i created to come... 

LOVING LATELY | FEBRUARY

often, when i sit down to write a blog post i can think of one or two random share-worthy things i've been loving, but despite all their greatness, i can't bring myself to blurt out an entire blog post over one lipstick or beauty product. so, i decided to gather all the little things i've been loving & put them into one blog post: loving lately. in the future, look for all my loving latelies in the features column of my blog.

lately, i've been loving…

1. the date lightly lined bra from victoria's secret / flirty, girly, & comfortable 

2. rimmel lasting finish lipstick in 06 pink blush / the prettiest pink color & smells like bubblegum 

3. xhilaration two pack v-day crew socks from target / dorky 'n cute (my favorite combo) 

4. victoria's secret pear glace fragrance mist / an old favorite, smells amazing

WEEKEND TRIP | AUSTIN, TX

this weekend i hopped on a bus to austin to visit my boyfriend. it had been a while since we'd seen each other (a month almost) & i loved walking around the city with him. being away from someone for a while really does make you appreciate the time you have with them, or at least it does for me. we walked up & down guadalupe street more times than i can remember, took a bus to soco, & just plain sat in bed & watched netflix (we all do it.) i took quite a few photos throughout the trip & wanted to share them, i love flipping through the photos on my phone remembering all the things we did & places we went. 

i felt like the biggest tourist taking this picture but i love the way austin looks (don't look now but there's an extremely loud & annoying group about to get in the way of my shot.)

woke up one morning with a massive craving for donuts, little did we know ken's fryer was broken, boo you ken.

decided on breakfast tacos from taco shack, taco shack we love you. 

mmm...

cute store we stopped in, very similar to anthro (my favorite.)

i loooved this store, but not so much their prices.  

i've always wanted to try a cupcake from hey cupcake! & i hate to say it, but i was slightly disappointed in my red velvet. 

i loved the pink picnic tables though. 

sometimes, just sitting with you makes me happy. 

possibly my favorite thing i ate/drank during my trip, raspberry lemonade from wildwood bakehouse.

their gluten free cupcakes however we're extremely disappointing (looks can be deceiving.)

i loved falling asleep to this view. 

donuts, finally! stopped at shipley's back home. 

all photos were taken by me with my iphone 4s, edited using the app "fotorus," & enhanced on my macbook pro. 

TRAVEL MAKEUP + BEAUTY PRODUCTS

i don't want to look anything less than my best while visiting friends & family, so when packing my entire collection of makeup & beauty products just isn't an option i turn to my go-to travel makeup & beauty products to get me through the trip.

in my makeup bag...
1. covergirl outlast stay fabulous 3-in-1 foundation (+ cosmetic sponges for applying)
2. covergirl cgsmoothers bb cream
3. urban decay naked basics palette (+ ecotools angled liner brush for applying "faint" to brows)
4. maybelline eye studio gel liner (+ sonia kashuk angled liner brush for applying)
5. maybelline great lash big mascara
6. bobbi brown blush in sandstone (+ estee lauder small blush brush)
7. co bigelow lemon lip balm
8. rimmel lasting finish lipstick (pink blush 006)

in my beauty bag…
1. clinique dramatically different moisturizing lotion
2. secret clinical strength deodorant
3. bath & body works travel size body lotion ("sun")
4. victoria's secret mini bombshell body mist
5. shea moisture reconstructive finishing elixir
6. conair wide tooth comb
7. mini spray bottle of baby oil (for removing makeup)
8. & finally, my toothbrush!

& that's it, a list of everything i take with me (from makeup to beauty products) when going on a trip. you may have noticed i left out shampoo + conditioner, body wash, & toothpaste because more often than not i am visiting family or friends that have these items already, but if not i bring mini versions of whatever products i'm currently using or just fill up a few travel sized bottles & i'm good to go!

technically this post should have been up by wednesday night (i promised to blog every other day this month) but i had a disagreement with the wi-fi that didn't get resolved until now, so here it is now two days too late.

FAVORITE HAIR PRODUCTS

for today's blog post i decided to sit down and compile a list of my all-time favorite hair care products. some of these i use currently & others are old favorites, whichever it may be these are the hair products i have used for quite some time & will continue to go back to.

1. herbal essences smooth collection- (aka the pink one) i almost feel like i used this when i was younger but i could be making that up in my head, for whatever reason, the rose scent is nostalgic for me & i absolutely love how it lasts all day long.
2. argan oil- i pictured josie maran argan oil but really i am a dirty liar because i have never actually used this brand. i do however, know it has received tons of praise in the beauty community & if i'm honest it fit into the picture quite nicely. i've used a couple of different less expensive brands i found at tj max; i'm always on the lookout for them there because 100% argan oil is very expensive. it leaves your hair shiny, soft, & smooth, & improves the health of your hair from the inside.
3. shea moisture reconstructive elixir- i recently picked up quite a few shea moisture products during a sale at target & i've been loving every one of them. this elixir is meant to repair & strengthen hairs + it smells amazing & keeps hair moisturized & shiny. not to mention it's 100% organic & uses raw shea butter.
4. shea moisture restorative conditioner- this conditioner is meant to moisturize & repair lifeless & damaged hair & i love that it is all natural, utilizing the properties of sea kelp, argan oil, & raw shea butter. not to mention it is free of sulfates, parabens, synthetic fragrance, synthetic color, etc.
5. it's a 10 miracle leave-in- chances are, if read beauty blogs or watch beauty gurus on youtube, you've heard about this product. it does ten different things at once: repairs damaged hair, adds shine, detangles, protects from heat, seals & protects color, prevents split ends, stops hair breakage, creates silkiness, enhances natural body, & acts as a flat iron spray. personally, i love the way it smells + it smooths, de-tangles, & de-frizzes my curly hair.
6. chi silk infusion- this product is a favorite in my family, my sisters & i have all used it for years. it works amazing when used with heat while flat-ironing or blow drying your hair + adds shine, smooths, & de-frizzes. my hair goes mad when i blow-dry it, it becomes extremely poofy & fluffy but a couple drops of this works miracles, smoothing and de-frizzing my hair instantly.
7. garnier fructis anti-frizz serum- this is another family favorite that is constantly fought over. it smooths & adds amazing shine to your hair + leaves the most delicious fruity scent behind.
8. shea moisture curl & style conditioning milk- this is another shea moisture product i picked up at target during a sale & again it is organic & free of sulfates, parabens, etc. i apply this to my damp hair before combing through it; it detangles & conditions my hair + gives my curls bounce.
9. loreal total repair 5 damage-erasing balm- this my current favorite hair mask, i apply it in the shower after shampooing & let it soak into my hair for the length of my shower. it rids my hair completely of tangles, smooths, softens, & conditions.
10. wide tooth comb- the comb pictured here is from the body shop, but any will do. if you're used to using a brush straight out of the shower, cut that habit quick! wide tooth combs are gentle on your hair & prevent it from breaking, which is extremely important especially when your hair is damp & prone to breakage.

JANUARY IN PHOTOS

here's a look at my month of january in b&w photos.
from left to right…
1. i reorganized my makeup collection with a little help from the container store.
2. my boyfriend bought me the cutest v-day mug.
3. i took a selfie.
4. i decorated my room for valentine's day a month early (it's my favorite.)
5. the weather was finally nice enough to break out the jean shorts.
6. i added a couple of books & things to my favorite little shelf.
7. i took another selfie…oops.
8. i bought this jewelry holder from anthropologie (and tested it out in the store.)
9. i picked up a couple of festival-themed goodies from american eagle.

& that's it, a quick look at the past month according to my iphone, what did you do this month of january?