So, this is cool: My friend wrote a book! My BlogFest friend and fellow Sweat Pink Ambassador Lyn Lindbergh wrote a book, Couch to Active . This is such a neat book! It provides a roadmap to becoming active if you've been living a sedentary lifestyle, but it also provides insight into how to achieve your fitness goals in a practical, attainable way. It has an 8-week plan woven throughout the book and some really great advice that works for people all over the fitness spectrum. The tagline for the book is, "The missing link that takes you from sedentary to active," and I think that's pretty accurate. Couch to Active  is a great book for those looking to take their "one day" into "day one." ...

Oh, volleyball knee pads. So useful. So protective. So doggone funky! You see me smiling in all of my volleyball pictures? That's because I love the sport and it brings me so much joy! I get to play volleyball AND hang out with my friends at the same time? Win-win! But sniffing those knee pads... that's taking an L, guys. On Sunday, I played a hard-fought coed game. When I was removing my shoes and knee pads to change into my off-the-court shoes (it really helps your volleyball shoes last longer if you only wear them on the court! Pro tip!), I smelled something so funky, I had to take a look around and make sure it was really me that was the source. Good day in the morning was that smell funky! Was it my shoes? Was it my bag? Was it my knee pads? Foolish, foolish, foolish  me. I decided to sniff my knee pads.  ...

In this new series, I will be posting quick reviews about different products I receive. I get a TON of free samples and full-size snack items to try. I give some away, share some with my fiance, and keep some for myself, but it seems like I never really tell you guys about them on here! This is my way of sharing different snack ideas with you all. For transparency's sake, I will let you know where/how I received the product, as well as my honest thoughts about them. Have you guys ever heard of  P.S. Snacks Cookie Dough ? Um, so these are amazing. They taste so good, and you're thinking you're eating something on the naughty list, but really? It's mostly beans! I don't even know how they do it, but I'm glad they do. So what are they? They're 3-ounce cups of goodness! They are vegan, gluten-free, clean snacks. I love having them after work or before a volleyball game. ...

This post is sponsored by U by Kotex but the content and opinions expressed here are my own. Last week, I volunteered with an absolutely incredible organization: The DC Diaper Bank - an organization that provides diapers, feminine products, and other personal hygiene items to families in need. They are part of the Alliance for Period Supplies , which provides feminine products for women experiencing " period poverty ." I spent a few hours at the Diaper Bank, packaging up groups of diapers and speaking to staff about their work in the community. It was such a wonderful experience, and I learned a lot while I was there.  ...

That face is the face of a woman who got her butt kicked. (Okay, that's obviously a dramatic overreaction, but you get the idea.) I have taken the Luscious Legs and Arm Candy, Kettlebell Chicks, and Kettlebell 101 Swing Series classes taught by the phenomenal  Anabell Browne. I have sweated my face off, I have nearly barfed (due to ingesting an insane amount of sparkling water leading up to a HIIT workout), and I have learned the proper way to do Russian swings with the kettlebell. Long story short: I came to class, I saw Ana work her magic, and I got conquered by all matter of fitness equipment.  Let me back up and start from the beginning. ...

In this new series, I will be posting quick reviews about different products I receive. I get a TON of free samples and full-size snack items to try. I give some away, share some with my fiance, and keep some for myself, but it seems like I never really tell you guys about them on here! This is my way of sharing different snack ideas with you all. For transparency's sake, I will let you know where/how I received the product, as well as my honest thoughts about them.  Okay, so these Bobo's Mini Chocolate Chip Oat Bars are so good! I received them in a swag bag from the Old Town Alexandria Fitness + Wellness Festival . I checked out the nutrition facts and determined that, while they are delicious, these aren't the greatest nutrition-wise, which isn't a total bummer, but that also means I can't justify eating them by the handful. They are  gluten-free, though, so there's that. Nonetheless, that ain't gonna stop me from eating the ones I have! They'r...

Okay, so I made this acai bowl yesterday that was delicious and super easy! I'll reason with you guys: I almost never measure my ingredients when I'm creating a recipe. Sometimes I do, but a lot of it is trial and error, or just good old eyeballing. I use frozen acai puree from Trader Joe's for my acai bowls. The packets can be a little messy if you're not careful, but they come packaged with the perfect amount, plus they're already frozen, so it makes your acai bowl that much quicker and easier to make! TJ's has some great stuff in their frozen section that makes smoothie making super simple. If you haven't taken a close look at their frozen fruit, make a note to check it out the next time you're in their store! For this recipe, I used the following ingredients (almost all of which can be found at Trader Joe's), but note that I'm estimating the quantities. It's your bowl, so make it yours! Have some fun! ...

This Saturday, I'm co-hosting my second event as part of the DMV Fitness Fam duo with my fit sister Vida from  Healthy Curves Rock ! We're hosting a free spin class at Vortex Cycle in Tyson's Corner, Virginia. The class will be a 45-minute ride, with high-energy tunes and a great atmosphere. Following the class, we will have networking and some light refreshments for all event attendees . (You guys already know how I feel about Vortex , so I'm not going to rave about the studio in this post.) Whether you're a fitness professional, influencer, or enthusiast, you're not going to want to miss out on this event! So, what are you waiting for? Hurry up and register! Bikes are filling up fast! Hope to see you there!...