My first nomination :)

So....I was nominated for the Liebster Award by my girl Aislinn over at Eat.Pray.WOD.  Check her out to follow her journey.  I am proud to say that I pushed her to begin a blog and she has BLOWN up and was even featured on our local news.  I am soooo proud of her because she puts it all out there.  She has progressed so much in life and in the gym, I truly love to see her grow each and every day!

The Liebster Award is given to up and coming bloggers who have less than 200 followers. What exactly is a Liebster?   Liebster is German and means favorite or beloved!  I feel so loved that Aislinn would nominate me :)

Here are the rules:

1. Each person must post 11 things about themselves.
2. Answer the questions that the nominator set for you plus create 11 questions for the people you’ve tagged to answer.
3. Choose 11 people and link them in your post.
4. Go to their page and tell them.
5. No tag backs!

 So here it goes...a little about me!

1. Most embarrassing moment? I have MANY embarrassing moments!!!!  OMG soooo many haha!  I am pretty clumsy (despite all the dance classes and karate classes my dad paid for haha) and can be a little ditzy at times but that is what makes me me right?  I fall down WAY too often that I am not even embarrassed anymore.  I would say my most embarrassing moment was when I forgot to wear a bra too work.  Yep I did that!  I was a visual merchandiser at Bass Pro Shops at the time...I worked with a bunch of dirty old men who probably would have loved to know I showed up braless.  I didn't notice until I walked in to the employee break room (which was upstairs).  I went to adjust my bra strap which was more of a comfort thing I guess and I noticed there was nothing there.  Eeeeekkkkk no bra!!!!  I quickly ran out and drove to Wal-Mart down the street.  I purchased the cheapest bra and put it on in the Wal-Mart restroom.  Luckily my boss just laughed when I sent her a text as to why I was late haha!  

2. Favorite recipe?  Geez I have 2!  My mom's homemade German Chocolate cake is too die for!!!!  She makes it all from scratch and it is A-MAZING!  I can eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner until it is all gone lol!  And I love love love my mother-in-law's pulled pork BBQ.  It is something she has to make everytime we visit.  We have made it many times before and it is never as good as hers.

3. Item of clothing you feel most confident in and why?  My cowboy boots!  I am a TX girl and always will be.  Whenever I put my boots on with a good pair of jeans I get a little extra pep in my step.  When the boots are on it means that I will be DANCING ALL NIGHT LONG!

4. What do you do to relax?  I like to lay on the couch and watch Netflix all day.  I usually watch old movies that take me back to simpler times as a teen.  A good glass of wine always helps as well :)

5. If you could choose anywhere in the world to spend a week, where would it be?  I would have to say at my best friend's lake house.  I have so many fond memories there as a child to an adult.  It is just a simple house with 2 rooms...one with the living and kitchen and one big room with a bunch of beds.  I remember crawling around in the dark and annoying her grandma as a kid to sleeping in her grandma's bed passed out from too much fun in the sun as an adult.  It is so relaxing to be out there with nothing but friends, family, booze, food, the boat, and water. 

6. Favorite beer?  Dos XX lager with salt and lime hands down!  In TX we order one and ask for it to be "dressed" that means with salt and lime.  I ask for a Dos XX dressed here in Louisiana and they look at me like I'm crazy haha!

7. Least favorite way to sweat?  I LOVE to sweat!  Although, I do hate to sweat when I am dressed up with somewhere to go.  Here in the south it gets so hot that you begin to sweat the moment you walk outside.

8. Would you rather: Have to wear 80's style blazers with shoulder pads everyday for the rest of your life OR wear Lady Gaga's meat dress once a week for the rest of your life?  Eeekkk that is a tough one!  I HATE shoulder pads and it gets WAY to hot here to wear a blazer everyday.  I would go with the meat dress.  Atleast that option is only for one day a week haha!

9. Quote you live by?  Love is enough.  I got it tattooed on my arm to remind me that as long as you have love anything can be conquered.  My husband and I have gone through many tough times but have ALWAYS loved eachother.  As long as we have love we can get through anything.

10. Favorite color and why?  To wear...PINK!  There is something about pink that makes me feel powerful to be a woman.  In my house...BLUE!  Blue is so relaxing!

11. Who would play you in the movie of your life?  That is a tough one!  I guess Reese Witherspoon?  IDK?  Sweet Home Alabama comes to my mind.  As much as I was ready to leave San Antonio, TX, I always find myself whenever I go back.   The saying that you can take the girl out of TX but you can't take the TX out of the girl is SOOOO true!  I find myself, my peace, my happiness when I go home...especially when we go out to the TX hill country where I pretty much grew up on my parent's land.  We would camp every weekend and watch the stars at night in the bed of the truck.  Something about that is so peaceful and relaxing.  I miss it tremendously!!!

I am totally new to this blog thing so I don't know many blogs.  Aislinn named everyone I know so mine stops here haha!  I hope everyone has a GREAT Valentine's with those that they love!

Mel

Fabletics by Kate Hudson

I FINALLY got my Fabletics order in the mail over the weekend!  Yay!!!  Fabletics is an online company formed by Kate Hudson.  Your first outfit is 50% off, mine came out to $24.95.  VERY cheap for a workout outfit huh?  What you do is answer a few questions about your style and outfits are picked out for you.  Too get the discount you have to pick an outfit that is already paired but they are all very cute.  You get to choose the color you want of each piece as well.  Every month they come out with new product...can't wait for March!!!!

Now about the products....

The outfit I ordered came with the Lima capri pants and the Tacoma sweatshirt (which is already sold out).  The sweatshirt is nothing special really.  It is cute but I don't know that I would buy it off of the rack if I saw it.  The pants are GREAT though!  I got them in olive green and LOVE the color!  The material is great and the fit is very similar to the Lululemon Wunder Unders (which are one of my fav Lulu pants).  They were great in my WOD yesterday and kept their elasticity and my husband gave me the thumbs up because my hiney looked good in them haha!

I usually order pants a size smaller because I want to make sure they don't fall down.  Another girl at my gym ordered the size that was on their sizing chart and they are way to big.  I would suggest going down a size.  She has to return them but says it wasn't a hassle except for the fact that the tops she ordered are no longer available in her size.  She had to choose 2 different tops.

                                                                   Olive Lima Capris
                                                            (photo from fabletics.com)

I also ordered a Vaasa sports bra and although it is very comfortable, it has no support.  I will probably wear it on days that I don't work out because it is cute.  All in all, I am very impressed with their products and price points!  I will probably order another outfit in March!  Their pants are priced between $39.95 and $49.95...that is very affordable for workout pants, especially cute ones!  I wore my outfit with rain boots while I ran errands all day and didn't feel like I looked like I was a mess.  I felt very put together even in workout clothes.  I am a fan of workout outfits that can go from daily errands to the gym and that is what Fabletics provides at a very fair price. 

Just another highlight that I like about them is that their customer service seems to be great which goes a long way for me!  One of my girls at the gym didn't get her order.  It was marked as delivered but never showed up on her doorstep.  She called Fabletics and told them about the issue and they are over nighting her order to her!  No questions asked!  That is AMAZING!  I was floored when I heard that because customer service is HUGE for me and says a lot about the company.  So if you are thinking of ordering from Fabletics I say DO IT!  If you don't like what you get then you can easily return it, but I think you will be pleasantly surprised.

Mel

WODSCALA!!!

I'm a 100% WODSCALA and I am 100% proud to be!!!!

Everyone has a goal of finally completing a WOD with the RX weight.  I have the same goal but know it is a process.  As a CrossFit gym co-owner, I feel the pressure to RX a WOD and it has weighed me down for a long time.  My husband is very good at CrossFit and I always feel like I should be right there with him because I own the gym with him.  It has taken me a while and many long talks with him to realize that he loves me regardless if I can RX WODs.  I always felt like I was not good enough in some way just because I am not a badass at CrossFit.  That has all changed!  I am proud to scale and you should be as well!!!  Be proud that you are getting up and moving rather than chilling on the couch all day!  Be proud that you are pushing yourself to be better everyday!  Be proud to know that the RX will come and you will have worked your ass off to earn it!



I see it all the time, people pushing themselves to RX a WOD just because they have too much pride.  The WOD that was programmed to be a quick 8 minute WOD then turns into a 25 minute WOD for them.  They completely loose the intensity that was programmed and their form is total shit resulting in not being able to WOD the next day because they hurt themselves.  When I tackle a WOD I may be able to RX it but I know that it will take me FOREVER and I will sacrifice form MAJORLY to lift the RX weight.  This is when people hurt themselves!  Stop being hard headed just to be able to put the RX next to your name.  CrossFit is a process.  It is about mechanics, consistency, and THEN intensity.  Basically, before you increase the weight you should perform the movement with PERFECT mechanics and do that consistently before increasing the intensity with weights.  Until then, get the intensity of the WOD by pushing  yourself to go as fast as you can with PERFECT mechanics. 

So, until you perfect your mechanics and can consistently perform the movement correctly be proud to be a WODSCALA!!!  The tank is from LifeAsRX, www.lifeasrx.com.  They have a bunch of fun apparel for men and women.  Check them out!

Mel

Strong is Beautiful!

I love this top from WOD Love!  It is super soft and cute to wear in the gym or with a pair of jeans on the weekends.  The saying "Strong is Beautiful" can have so many meanings.  In the gym it can inspire you to pick up that barbell and hit a PR because being strong is beautiful.  It can also have meaning outside of the gym.  It is sexy for a woman to be strong and independent.  For me, I have been through many hard times and didn't know if I would survive but somehow I put my big girl pants on and faced them all.  I am so much stronger than I thought I was.  Be proud to be strong EVERYDAY!!! 

If you haven't checked out WOD Love yet I suggest you do.  They have so many cute tops for women!  Visit www.lovefitnation.com.

Mel

My favorite piece!

Wow it has been chilly!  When it is cold it is important to layer up for your workouts.  As you work up a sweat you can tear off the layers.  My favorite layering piece is the Swiftly Tech Long Sleeve top from Lululemon.  I wear it ALL year long! 

                                                        (photo from lululemon.com)
In the colder months I wear my swiftly over a tank, and then wear a sweater over the swiftly.  They come in a bunch of different colors and stripes.  The material is thin and breathable and it wicks sweat.  In the warmer months I layer it over my tank in the mornings and take it off as the day warms up.  I even keep one in my purse so if I go into the grocery store or a restaurant and get cold I can just throw it on.  It folds up very small and is very light.

                                                           (photo from lululemon.com)
The swiftly comes in a few different cuts.  There are long sleeve, short sleeve, and racerback.  They even have longer ones for those with long torsos and short ones for shorter torsos.  The fit is pretty much the same for all 3 cuts.  I love the material and fit so much that I have many in each different cut in many different colors. 

                                                          (photo from lululemon.com)
They even have swiftly headbands, which I also love, as well as swiftly tops for men which my husband loves.

                                                          (photo from lululemon.com)I am a HUGE Lululemon fan but understand that it is not in everyone's budget.  My advice...start slow.  Buy a piece here and a piece there.  Ask for gift cards for birthdays and Christmas.  It is an investment but one that is well worth it.  Everything I have purchased from Lulu has held up amazingly well.  It is all quality stuff and will last a long time.  Just DON'T dry any of it, I hang dry everything to keep the color bright and make it last longer.  I keep an eye out on the website www.lululemon.com on their "we made too much" page.  You can get some great deals but it is not returnable like the normal priced product.  Shipping is always free though!  Also, if you live near an outlet you can get amazing deals there!  I went to the outlet mall in San Marcos, TX this weekend on the way back from The Fittest Games and got some great deals!  I got a short sleeve swiftly for about 40% off it's normal price, a pair of pants that were almost 50% off, and another tank for 25% off. 

Find you closest Lululemon store and go try stuff on.  The best part about walking into the store is that the educators are so passionate about the product and are very helpful.  Once you get your first piece it will be an addiction!

Mel

Thumbs up or thumbs down....

If you are anything like me then you have a hard time ordering online without seeing and feeling the product first.  There are so many small companies out there that have some really cute stuff but don't have a store.  I am a very visual person, I need to see it.  How does it fit?  Is the sports bra supportive enough for a WOD?  Will I be able to WOD in it more than once?  I always have so many questions that fill my head before I click the "place order" button.  Workout gear isn't cheap and I want to know that I get quality product for my money.  I always take a look at the reviews but I always question if they are really written by a consumer or by someone who works for the company.  My goal with this blog is to give product reviews on as many products as I can.  I want to hear what you want.  Is there something out there that you have been eying but just aren't sure if it is worth the cost?  Let me know!!!!

I am a female but I know some of you dudes out there wonder the same thing about product before you buy it.  My husband is a competitive CrossFitter and I know how important it is for your gear to be good quality to last and to be comfortable.  Send me your ideas as well and he will try it out.

Email me at sweatchicblog@gmail.com to shoot me some ideas.  First on my list is to try out the new site, fabletics.com.  Stay tuned for what I give a thumbs up and what I give a thumbs down!

Mel

Commando or not?

This is a very important question!  Shoutout to my girl at Eat.Pray.Wod, Aislinn, who asked the quesiton.

LADIES!  LADIES!  LADIES!  Commando ALL.THE.WAY!!!!!  I know, I know, some of you just can't do it but panty lines just aren't attractive.  Geez, if I were to wear panties under my workout pants I would be picking a wedgie most of the workout haha!  And a thong?  Now that just doesn't seem hygienically right.  I mean being all sweaty with a string between the cheeks just doesn't sound fun to me.  It may be that I grew up dancing and panty lines were a HUGE no no, but I feel 100% comfortable going commando when I wear my workout pants.  The pants are made thick enough to not be see through and most have a little liner in them.  What do you do about shorts?  Wear compression shorts underneath them.  Nike sells a bunch of cute colored shorts for not a lot of $.  Most shorts come with liners now.  My fav is the Lululemon speed shorts...um A-MAZING when it is hot outside!  So next time you are questioning wearing panties or not, try it, do it, go commando!  You will thank me when you get use to it :)

Now FELLAS............you are a completely different story!  Compression shorts or pants is an absolute MUST!  Already one of those guys who wears compression pants and can't understand how others don't?  Well believe me they DO!  And those of you who ask why?  Um why not?  You gotta protect the family jewels!!!  I don't understand how you can't feel it flapping around while doing kettle bell swings or anything that involves using your hips (pretty much every explosive movement).  Or how about the thought of getting it caught while pulling the bar up for a clean or a snatch?  OUCH!!!  Being in the industry for years now I have seen it too many times.  I have seen old men walk around the gym...yes outside of the locker room...with white (thin white might I add) boxer briefs and I have seen guys in my own gym flapping around.  I don't look because I am in awe, I look because the silky workout shorts don't hide much.  Once I see it, it is all I notice and in my mind I am asking how you don't notice it as well haha!  So guys, please do everyone around you a favor...including the goods...and wear compression shorts!  Not boxer briefs!  Invest in a good pair of compression shorts!!!!  You can thank me later :)  And all of the other gym goers can thank me as well!

Mel