You guys know how much I love prAna . They make clothing of excellent quality, they practice corporate responsibility, and they have a lot of great clothes made from sustainably sourced and recycled materials. I have been living  in their Cardiff collection . I was gifted the Cozy Up Zip Up Jacket , Cozy Up Pant , Cozy Up Sweatshirt , and Cozy Up T-Shirt . Let me tell ya: They live up to their names! ...

You may already know this, but I love CYCLED ! It's been a while since I've been back to the studio, but I was so glad to be back! I finally got to take a barre class at the Takoma Park studio, and it kicked my butt! Shayla , the owner of Cycled , taught the class and took us through a tough workout - all while smiling and keeping everyone motivated. ...

This is a new section on Flecks of Lex where I share workouts that target major muscle groups, and that can be done quickly with little to no equipment. I don't know about you, but sometimes I don't have enough time in between activities (be they work events, family functions, or volleyball games) to get a 30-minute workout in, but I have enough time to pump out a few exercises that will leave me feeling satisfied and slightly sore. ...

Last month, I completed my first Tabata workout on the treadmill , courtesy of Carrots 'n Cake .  It was challenging, but fun. I made some modifications based on my fitness level, but overall, it was a wonderful workout. ...

I had an awesome time at Pulse House of Fitness  last weekend! Everyone who works at the studio was so nice and welcoming, plus I got in a great workout. The studio was clean, I liked the vibe in the place, and I am definitely planning a return trip to Pulse! When I walked in, they showed me to my locker in the hallway. Everyone gets assigned a locker with the letter A or B, which they use when they have back-to-back classes. It allows people to get in and out more easily, and I think it's a brilliant idea! After dropping my belongings in a locker (and yes, they have built-in phone chargers), I got to go into the room where the magic happens: the studio! They set me up on the versa climber and explained how to use it, which was great for me since I had never used one before! (They don't currently have one at my gym, so I don't think I've ever even stood next to one before last Saturday!) I've taken some classes where they don't ever show you how to use thei...

This post is sponsored by U by Kotex but the content and opinions expressed here are my own. I was talking to a friend the other day about having an emergency stash of tampons. I try to keep one in every place where I might be at any given time, including my gym bag, my volleyball bag, my car, my desk drawer at work, my purse, and God knows where else. I find that you never really know when you’re going to need one in a pinch, or when you might have to help another woman out. Secret stashes FTW (and for the sisterhood!). But then I got to thinking about something I’ve talked about on here recently : Period poverty . What if you can’t afford to have a secret stash? What if you can’t afford to have a regular stash? I think about what women have to endure in extreme poverty, homelessness, and even incarceration, and I can’t fathom how they get through a menstrual cycle with limited resources. And what if they have especially heavy or irregular periods? It’s heartbreaking. ...