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My Postpartum Fitness Journey
I have been getting a lot of messages saying I already bounced back. To tell you all the truth, It may look it but I am still a work in progress. I still cannot fit my wedding ring, I still have the mommy tummy lose skin, this leggings is just so helpful hiding it here very well.
The reason I wanna talk about this is that, I want you all to know first we are all beautiful in any size and shape. We all wanna look good and feel better, and making sure we doing it for our self and then for others (my kids and family) They all depend on us and if we are not healthy how can we give them all.
And then I got pregnant, I started healthy and lost it on my 3 months before giving. My OB GYN kept on telling me that my baby is smaller than my other 2 babies and then I got scared so I thought if I eat more and also a lot of sweets and I literally ate everything. So fast forward 3 months postpartum. I went for my annual primary care check up. Then we found out that my cholesterol is slightly elevated. She recommended low fat diet and exercise, then it got to me that I really need to work on my health and get it back.
That being said I am really working on getting at least 3 times a week. It is really a struggle even though we have help I still fall short sometimes. I also working on meal prepping so I already have my food prepared which makes it even easier. We just lost my father last year because of heart attack and that made me think I really need to work on my health to be able to spend more time with family.
SHOP THE LOOK:
AMAZON ESSENTIALS SPORTS BRA
ALO YOGA LEGGINGS
CHAMPION PULLOVER SWEATER WITH HOOD
ASICS RUNNING SHOES
I started my fitness journey when I got introduced with Body boss method when I partnered with them, And ever since then I started working on it and I feel the best having all the energy to be able to play with the kids. Not just then they launched their meal plan.
I got into a good habit after that and now I just have to get it back. Even better this time. My husband and I are helping each other so we can get to workout. I am not really a morning person so I workout when I get home. My husband will watch Andi so I can workout and the we switch so he can also work out. Luckily if she is sleep then both of us can workout together then Adi and Aidan will also go to the gym.
We are lucky to have a home gym. The previous owner added this extension at the back of the house and left us with all their strengthening machine. We just added the threadmill and elliptical, TV for Zumba and the punching bag.
I have not gotten back to my pre pregnancy weight but I am feeling stronger and energetic. I am slowly getting it back and that really makes me feel good.
I hope I was able to inspire you all specially the mamas out there that working out is not just vanity. It is really a good lifestyle than you can give to yourself and your family.
Thank you all for stopping by and see you again on the next blog post.
Simply,
Christianne
Photos: Novel (my better half)
Things to Buy in the Thrift Store
It was one Sunday afternoon after having lunch with the family at a Vietnamese restaurant. Before heading to the car, I spotted the Goodwill Store across and I was like. We have been dining to this restaurant for a longtime and been seeing that store but I have never been. So there we went and we actually had fun searching for a lot of things.
First tip, this is the best place to buy those expensive items like quality Winter Coats, boots, jackets because those items can be very expensive brand new. I remember before moving here in the US. We were still back home, we went to the thrift store to buy winter coats because they are nice quality and only costs us 100 pesos which was $2 a piece. You can’t beat that right?
But if you just want regular items like sweaters like the ones I was wearing here. I would rather buy new because there are a lot of them new and good quality too like these…
Just like these coats I bought from the thrift store they were only $12
It is just like a physical store like Ebay and Poshmark. And speaking of… you can follow me and shop my pre-loved items on my Poshmark here. This coat is good quality and real wool. And this Green coat as well.
Another good thing to buy are the big items like furniture, outdoor stuff, workout items.
So when we were looking around, I found this nice slightly used threadmill, I mean you can tell from the appearance of it. It is priced at $69.95 but it was 50% off (even better!) so We got it since we were renovating our home gym. It was truly as steal! I was also looking for a desk chair for my home Office and also found it there.
I hope you find this post helpful in deciding what to get from a thrift store.
Thank you for stopping by and have a nice weekend.
Simply,
Christianne
Photos: Novel (my better half)
Quarantine Series: Nail and Hair Care
SHOP THE POST:
OPI NAIL POLISH/ CUTICLE NIPPER/ NAIL FILE SET/ SALLY HANSEN NAIL POLISH/ NAIL DRYER/ NAIL CLIPPER/ NAIL POLISH REMOVER/ MANICURE SET/ CUTICLE REMOVER/ MANICURE KIT
Quarantine Series: Nail and Hair Care linking items that are essential for grooming you hair and nails during this stay at home. I am in all honesty, I really do not go to nail salons anyway unless we have something really going on like Bachelorette something something. That being said, I do own all these stuff and just recently bought a new carry caddy for it. I literally just ordered it in the morning and it came this afternoon. Amazon you guys is the best companion during this quarantine. It just makes life so easy so thank you guys “essential worker.” This wouldn’t be possible without y’all! Stay safe and healthy.
SHOP TO POST:
HAIR CLIPPER/ HAIR STYLIST SCISSOR/ HAIR COMB/ HAIR COLOR KIT
Now let’s get to hair care, I personally do not color my own hair, I recently got my hair colored at Madison Reed and still loving the color. But my mom, she is a pro on this topic, she has been coloring her hair since forever. And as for the hair clipper I was supposed to be doing this for my husband and since I am currently on isolation. He will have to wait for it then… I am yet to find out if I can cut hair. I already watched several youtube and honestly, still not confident yet. I need more watching hours to make sure. I just cut my own hair and Adi’s in case you haven’t noticed on my instastories how short Adi’s hair now is. A good pair of scissor and hair comb is the key!
Also in case you missed the last post. Mother’s day is just a few days away and created this post dedicated for gift ideas here.
Reasons to stay at the Kimpton Palomar Hotel in DC
DETAILS: DRESS
Hi Guys! Today I am sharing Reasons to stay at the Kimpton Palomar Hotel in DC. All the things you need for a best vacation is outlined here. I have been wanting to share our family experience about our stay at Kimpton Hotel Palomar (a boutique hotel) in Washington, DC. I wanna show you how it was to have a staycation around the Nation’s Capital.
Honestly, It is our first time to stay in a Hotel in the District as I live in Maryland which is about 30 minutes away. I am glad to have stayed in DC this time as we were able to visit some of the other beautiful places around it. Most of the people who visits Washington, DC mostly wanna go to every museum and monuments around and specially the White House.
There are other places around that you should also include in your itineraries. I have outlined some of the reasons why you should stay at the Kimpton Hotel Palomar.
1. ACCOMODATION. They have the stylish and spacious rooms for you with super comfy beds! I fell in love with their modern style furniture and beautifully designed bathrooms. When we got tired of going around the area at least we enjoyed staying in the room for all those reasons while watching some good shows.
2. WINE HOUR. They have this complimentary wine hour where you get to taste different kinds of wine and make it your happy hour of the day. Good for people who are wine lovers like me and my husband. Don’t worry they also have something for the kids. They have popcorn and lemon waters to share so everybody and for those who does not drink wine. We were able to enjoy those moments staying in the hotel lobby chit chatting. You get to see and chit chat with other guests too if you are some kind of social butterfly.
3. POOL TIME. One of the reasons why we love doing staycations is the swimming pool. Isn’t it fun if you can get to swim while you are staying away from home. It already feels like you are in a resort right? The whole family get to enjoy this pool time specially the kids that loves water. They have this pool float her that we get to use for ourselves. It was a little chilly this day but we were able to manage.
4. FOOD. They have Urbana Italian Dining where you can get to eat delicious Italian food and you will surely enjoy the ambiance. We ate there for breakfast and it was the best meal if the day! They have a lot of breakfast food to offer.
5. COMPLIMENTARY BIKES. Who doesn’t want to explore the surrounding areas if you are staying in this Hotel right? The best part is you get to do cardio. DC is such a nice city to get around on a bike, it is too much of a hassle to use your car and find a parking spot, plus it is expensive too. It was just unfortunate that it was rainy during our stay so we were not really able to go farther than around the City. We would have been able to reach all the Museums…
6. COMPLIMENTARY UMBRELLA AND YOGA MAT. It actually came handy during our stay because it was really a rainy weekend. If you prefer to stay in the room to workout because they have a towel and yoga mat in the closet. Even though the gym is always open 24 hours. It rained so hard after we took this last photo.
In case you are looking for more hotel stays in DC. I have them here and here for you to check out.
In case you have questions just let me know. Thank you for stopping by!
Simply,
Christianne
Photos: Novel (my better half)
Thank you Kimpton Hotel Palomar for hosting our stay!
My Running Errands Look
OUTFIT DETAILS:
H&M LONG SLEEVES SHIRT (COMES IN SO MANY COLORS)
VINCI CAMUTO SUNNIES SIMILAR HERE
How was everybody’s Valentine’s day? Did you do something special or you went low key and stayed at home? We all just stayed at home as yesterday was one of our busiest day as my hubby does coaching for a HS basketball team and I had to take Adi to her gymnastics class after school. That being said, Talking about the comfy outfit I wear when I want to get things done. We all want to look good and chic always but that doesn’t mean that can only be achieved by wearing cute blouses and dress. As a mom like me, I run a lot of errands at home like taking my kids to some class, going to the groceries, banks and stuff like that. When I am on the go like that, I wanna be comfy. The easiest way to do it is just by pulling these simply look out of my closet and viola, I am ready for a spin.
I know most of you have these basic outfit in your closet. This style just get things done with no sweet, aching feet wearing heels. I also wear hoodies sweater as they make me move around so fast, you know what I mean. How about you? Are you the type that you really have to be all dressed up even when you only need to fill up the gas tank, groceries or just by getting some drive thru?
I wanna get to know you more so please share your go to errand look. Thank you so much for stopping by and have a lovely day!
Simply,
Christianne
Photos: Novel (my better Half)
Happy Holidays
DETAILS: TURTLE NECK SWEATER (AS WORN HERE), SKIRT (SIMILAR HERE), BLACK SUEDE HEELS, STATEMENT NECKLACE
ON ADI: GYMBOREE DRESS AND SHOES
ON AIDAN: CARTER’S POLO SHIRT AND JEANS, CONVERSE KID’S SHOES
Happy Holidays to all! I just wanna greet everyone a Merry Christmas and may you all be blessed.
I just wanna share you our Family Holiday Photos, as you can see here. Finally we are complete, we had to use the camera’s self timer. Our first Holiday photo shoot was just me and the kids HERE because my husband is our official photographer.
Talking about Holiday traditions, For us, We always visit our relatives so we are always out of town on that day. Dec 24th we always attend the mass and it ends at exactly 12mn Christmas Day. Then we greet each other and go home sleep. Then we usually have family luncheon and gift giving.
How about you, What are your Holiday Traditions? I wanna know how you celebrate this very joyful moment?
Again, Merry Christmas to all! Happy holidays! Thank you for stopping by and commenting. I might not be as active blogging or on IG because we will be leaving for the the Philippines day after Christmas.
May all of you enjoy this glorious time of the year.
Simply,
Christianne
Another Idea for Summer Fun: Mother and Daughter Ice Skating
I just wanna share to all of you our mother and daughter bonding last Saturday. It was a good idea for summer. I always thought that it will only be nice to do that in the winter. I was so wrong, I definitely recommend this for summer specially with the hot weather. Nice to cool down and when you glide in the ice it was relaxing.
My daughter and I together with out friends had a blast. It was impromptu, not planned at all, but that makes it more fun.
My friend texted me late around 8pm asking if me if we want to join them for ice skating. The place is just 5 minutes away from home. So I was like, sure why not not. That is also what I like with my friends, they can come up with fun activities just like that. The rink was open for public for $6 per person from 8-10 pm, not bad right?
Since my husband worked that night, it was be a good opportunity for my daughter and I to have a girls night out. You might be wondering about my son. He is too young to be going to an ice skating rink. I don’t want him to catch a cold so I asked my mom to watch him. Really thankful for my mom being with us for a while.
So I told my daughter that we are going to meet our friends at the ice skating rink. She was already excited. It always gives me a good feeling that I am making my children happy. I know all parents feel the same way. She has no idea what ice skating is but you can already see the happiness in her eyes. what I like with my daughter whatever things be it a very simple kiss and hug, she really appreciates it.
As we got to the Ice Skating rink, her two girlfriends where already there skating. My friends, their mom (my friends) was there watching them from the side, like stage mommies. But Since this will be my daughter’s first ice skating experience. I went with her in the rink, it also brought the child in me, I must admit. That was my second time to be on ice.
I know how to use the roller blades and skates that is why it was automatic for me to use the ice skates. I did not need the walker. Adi used the walker, if that is what it is called, not sure. And her friend was assisting her too. Oh you can see the joy in their face. They were really having fun.
To recap it all, after the ice skating session, went out at the lobby and gathered all the summer courses they have. Adi wanted me to enrol her since she is on summer vacation for gymnastics class.
And this is not only for friends, mothers and daughter, this is for everybody. I hope I was able to give another fun idea for this summer beating the heat. Just make sure to bring sweater and socks with you so you don’t freeze inside.
Have a great and blessed week ahead.
Simply,
Christianne
My journey to a healthier lifestyle
As I have been thinking about it. Do I need to change my lifestyle…. A healthy one?
It all started when I got pregnant with my second child. And I have been following one of the celebrity back home on Instagram and she has been talking about Health and fitness. She still looks good, very fit and healthy. She was truly an inspiration. So I said to myself. I wanna be like that, fit and healthy. And you know being pregnant made me feel so insecure because everything is getting big. I know it is just normal because we are carrying this precious child. And it also normal to feel that way. Most of the mom’s will be able to relate.
Second, I came across this article talking about health is wealth. Which is soon true. How can you work and enjoy life if your sick.
Third, being in the healthcare field. I noticed that there an increase of younger patients being hospitalized due to poor lifestyle. They made me realize that if I will not take Care of myself now. What will I be like 10 years from now. I still want to be able to keep up with my kids needs. Not just financially but also emotionally, mentally and physically.
The question now is how do I start? The way I work is. I always have a to do list. I started adding a lot of fruits and veggies with my diet. I also started drinking lemon water everyday and added Zumba to the side. Just following it on YouTube. So everything can be done at home. I also have a gym at home that I can use for weights. Instead of eating white rice I eat brown and quinoa.
Little by little I tried. It did not happen over night but now it became my habit. I even started downloading the nike training app. It helped me setup a program depending on my goals.
And just last lent. I gave up chocolates, everything, chips, fast food, pastries. I whole lot. And I just thought after 40 days. Whew! I did it. I thought those were the food I cannot live without. Now I eat chips, chocolate in moderation every once in a while hoping this will be a part of my lifestyle.
I just noticed too that I am stronger, my endurance has gotten better, I don’t get sick easily, my skin looks healthier. And when I did my annual physical exam. All my lab work was A ok!
This is becoming my habit now. And I feel good about it. Now I am trying to help my husband make that change too as he himself has to work on improving his diet. As per his doctor’s order. Then we can be a good example for our kids too.
If I can do it. I bet all of you can do it too. Discipline and determination is the key to a healthy start. You just gotta do it. You don’t have to wait for the New year to make it your Resolution. I just want to inspire all of you that everything is possible. You just have to think positive and just do it. Make it happen. I doesn’t happen overnight but it will happen.
Life has a lot of good things in store for us. If you have a healthy mind and body. Then you’ll be able to enjoy life to the fullest.
