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We know Valentine’s Day isn’t for a couple of weeks, but we wanted to put together some gift ideas for the special people in your life! For some reason, we both just LOVE anything that is pink and red, and Valentine’s themed, so these guides were so fun to put together!
This guide for her is for that special lady in your life whether it is your best friend, mom, sister, girlfriend, or wife.
Check out the other guides below to help y’all shop for your valentine or galentine;)
We have these tassel earrings in red and wear them all of the time! They’re perfect for adding a pop of color to any outfit!
This cuff is the perfect gift for anyone, and we love the message on it!
This key necklace is so fun and would make a great gift for your best friend or girlfriend.
This guide is for her under $100, if you’re looking to get something fun and cute, but not spend and fortune!
Every guy needs a good watch, and we love that this one can be dressed up or down!
These tennis shoes are super fun and go with jeans and workout clothes.
SHOP more V-Day gifts below:
Speaking of valetines, we are thinking of writing a more personal post on dating. It is definitely different than what we typically write about, but since both of us have dated and been on dating apps this past year, we thought it would be fun to share!
Happy Wednesday, y’all! In case you missed the first couple posts of this workout series we started this year, you can check it out here and here and here! Below, you will find videos, several of our workouts from the week, as well as a breakfast, lunch, and dinner recipe that we have tried or are planning on making this week!
As far as cardio goes,we will do anywhere from 20-45 minutes of cardio, usually on the stair master, followed by weight training (each muscle group a different day). Every body is different, and you definitely don’t need to do that much cardio each day, just whatever you feel up to, or feel like you can handle at this time! We used to do ZERO, so just find what works best for you!
This week, we are sharing a back and core workout!
This is the back workout we just did this past Sunday:
And, as far as core workouts, we honestly don’t dedicate an entire day to core workouts, BUT, these are great exercises to incorporate into other days, or you could do an entire day of core (while watching Real Housewives, or our latest obsession, “Summer House”!
Below are some workout pieces we are loving this week [click each item to shop it directly!]:
See videos for each exercise listed above further down in the post!
For BACK:
Wide Grip Lat Pulldown:
Seated Low Cable Row:
:
Reverse Grip Narrow Grip Pulldown:
Assisted Pull-Ups:
Weighted Hyperextensions:
For ABS:
Medicine Ball Russian Twist:
Medicine Ball Toe Touches:
Weighted Leg Pull-Ins:
Weighted Sit Ups:
We mentioned this in last week’s post, but since we have gotten a few questions about what we typical eat in a day, so we actually have shared a few posts like that a while back. You can check those posts out here and here! We are planning on doing an updated post soon:)
As far as cooking and meal prepping, we like to have some kind of protein prepped for the week, like grilled chicken or salmon baked in the oven. That way, we can just add it to salads or veggies for lunch or dinner in 5 minutes! Nobody wants to have to come home and make a full
This baked berry oatmeal is a great option for busy mornings, and has a great mix of flavors! This can be made for the week and then served with some eggs for protein!
Baked Berry Oatmeal
Serves: 4-8 servings
INGREDIENTS
2 cups old fashioned oats
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups mix of blueberries, blackberries, and cut up strawberries
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Grease a medium baking dish and set aside.
In a medium bowl, mix together the oats, baking powder, and salt. Add the milk, maple syrup, egg, and vanilla. Stir well. Stir in the berries.
Pour the mixture into your casserole dish. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Enjoy!
1 tbsp hoisin sauce (use gluten free if necessary or omit for paleo version)
3/4 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp honey
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
2 1/2 tbsp tapioca or arrowstarch (or cornstarch)
1/2 tsp fresh minced ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup water, plus more as needed to thin out sauce
INSTRUCTIONS
In a medium bowl, combine all the ingredients for the sauce. Set aside.
Season chicken with salt, pepper, tapioca starch and 1 tablespoon of sauce/marinade.
Add oil to a wok or a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.
Add the chicken and stir-fry for 5-6 minutes, or until the chicken is starting to brown.
Toss in the broccoli and bell peppers and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the vegetables are crisp-tender and the chicken is cooked through. Pour in the remaining sauce and add the cashews. Toss everything together and allow sauce to bubble and thicken. Season with salt, pepper or red pepper chili flakes as needed.
Remove from heat and serve warm on a large platter or over zoodles, cauliflower rice(paleo), quinoa or regular rice or noodles. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and green onions if desired.
We are definitely trying this chicken recipe this week! We LOVE anything roasted chicken!One Pan Chicken with Maple Mustard Sauce
Serves: 4 servings
INGREDIENTS
4chicken thighs, with bone and skin (trim excess fat and skin)
kosher salt, as needed for seasoning
black pepper, as needed for seasoning
paprika, as needed for seasoning
garlic powder, as needed for seasoning
1tbsp olive oil
1tbspminced garlic
1/4cuppure maple syrup
5tbspcourse ground dijon mustard(looks like a mixture of smooth and wholegrain mustard)
2tbspwater
2cupssweet potato, 1/2-inch wedges
8ozgreen beans, cut in half
2sprigsrosemary
INSTRUCTIONS
Set oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 400°F.
Trim any excess fat or skin from the chicken thighs. Generously season both sides of the chicken with salt, pepper, paprika and garlic powder.
Heat a large oven-proof pan over medium-high heat and add in olive oil. When oil is hot, carefully add in chicken thighs, skin side down. Sear for 5 minutes until skin is crispy and browned, flip over. Turn off heat. Carefully drain chicken grease from the pan, leaving 2 tablespoons. Heat pan over medium heat.
Add garlic to the pan with the chicken, and saute for 1 minute. Meanwhile, combine the mustard sauce ingredients.
In a small bowl combine maple syrup, mustard, and water. Add to pan and stir with garlic to combine. Add the sweet potatoes and coat with the sauce. Simmer in the sauce for 2 minutes. Season chicken and potatoes with salt and pepper, and small sprigs of rosemary around the pan. Transfer to pre-heated oven and cook for 30 minutes.
In a medium-sized bowl lightly drizzle cut green beans with olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Set aside.
Remove pan from the oven and remove rosemary. Add in green beans and bake for another 15 minutes, or until the green beans are bright green and crisp. The chicken should be cooked through (155-165°F on a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh) and sweet potatoes are tender. Serve hot and enjoy.
Can you all believe that tomorrow is the last day of 2016?! How crazy is that? This year has literally flown by! We thought it would be fun to do a post on what we learned this year, and some goals for 2017. We don’t typically get too personal on here, but I thought, “what the heck, I would want to know;)”
So, here we go:
WHAT WE LEARNED THIS YEAR:
You Can’t Be Everywhere and Do Everything:
We are both very type-A, and want accomplish every single thing and be in a million places, and if we don’t get something done, we are disappointed, and don’t focus on what we actually accomplished. UGH! Do any of y’all relate?! We both want to try to learn to accept that it is OK to not get it ALL done, and to focus on how much we actually got done!
Life Has a Plan:
Even though it is hard to accept at times, there is always a reason things happen the way they do. It doesn’t mean you don’t have to try or put in some effort, but life has a funny way of working out in certain ways. We always want to plan every single thing out, so this is hard for us to accept at times;)
Believe in Yourself:
We think it is safe to say everyone struggles with this as some point. It can be so hard to do, especially when you work for yourself, and are surrounded by tons of other people doing the same thing as you, but if you really go for what you’re passionate about, like we did, you will succeed. We both never thought this would turn into our full-time job after working in public accounting, but it did, and we couldn’t be more grateful! All of your support is the reason we get to do this! Yes, there are tough days, and days we lack motivation, but for the most part, we love it and are so happy. We remember just a year-and-half ago, we were sitting outside talking about how cool it would be to be a “fashion/lifestyle blogger”, but just dismissed it. All it takes is believing in yourself and working hard:)
It’s Okay to Have Fun and Let Work Slide:
Okay, remember we said we have a hard time not getting everything done we wanted to? In our minds, we have to get all of these things done, and if we don’t, we feel really guilty! Even if we are out with friends, we are thinking, “We really need to post that Instagram” or “We need to go home and finish that blog post!” Yes, it is because We LOVE our jobs, but we also tend to be really anxious people, and always feel like we can’t get enough done, or actually let loose and let go of work. We are slowly getting a little better;)
Put Yourself Out There:
We both can be a little reserved at times, and since we have each other, it is harder for us to make an effort to meet other people, especially because we are always working! We don’t really get too personal on here, but we both have put ourselves out there way more than we ever thought we would (i.e.: dating apps;)) More on that in another post in the future, BUT, if you’re single, we highly recommend trying them out and being open to it!
Putting a Business On Hold:
You all may remember our Double Dose Bakery waffles. Yes, we had our own food product! Even though it was hard to let go of to focus on our blog full-time, we know we made the right decision, and are really proud of what we accomplished with it.
Learn From Your Relationships:
We both truly believe that people come into your life for certain reasons. Some fade in and out, but they all are meaningful.
Stop Comparing Yourself To Others:
We know, everyone says this. We are both pretty confidant people, but with social media, comparison is a constant thing, no matter how many times you tell yourself you’re not going to compare. What we have learned is that the best thing you can do is stay in your own lane, and focus on what works for you. What others post or do may not necessarily work for you! Everyone has their good and bad days, and while we both are very transparent on our instagrams, it is a highlight reel, and we don’t share when we are struggling or having a crappy day or going through a rough time.
And, now for some positivity, haha, here are our goals for 2017:
GOALS FOR 2017:
Go To Yoga Twice/Week
Turn Off Phone for 1 or 2 Hours/Day and Be Present
Focus On Things That Make You Happy
Learn To Say “No” To Things You Don’t Want/Can’t Do
Be OK With Being Off a Routine
Go to Bed Earlier and Get Off Phone Before Bed
Hoping that writing these down will keep us accountable;)
We want to hear what your goals are and what you learned- Share them with us if you want! We can’t thank all of you enough for your support! We have some exciting content coming in 2017, so stay tuned for a fun year. LOVE Y’ALL! XO
Also, loved this article I found the other day for the new year!
Last week, we had the incredible experience of getting to tour both AT&T Stadium in Arlington and The Star in Frisco! Living in Dallas, you can’t not be a Dallas Cowboys fan. We are not originally from Dallas, but have become Cowboy fans since moving here. After getting to tour both facilities, we are even bigger fans than we were before!
Even if you’ve had the chance to visit AT&T Stadium for a game, you probably didn’t realize how much a role AT&T plays in the incredible technology at the stadium!
We started off our day getting to tour The Star in Frisco, which is the Dallas Cowboys’ world headquarters. It houses the corporate offices and practice facility for the team, as well as the Ford Center, which has a state-of-the-art indoor football stadium that hosts a variety of events, an entertainment district lined with restaurants and shops, the Omni hotel, a medical center and more.
Upon entering The Star, in the Grand Atrium, there are these incredible dancing LED lights hanging from the ceiling. There are also names and quotes from Dallas Cowboys’ players on the floor, which is really neat!They also have Super Bowl Memorabilia & Station, which has a display of all five Super Bowl Trophies and Rings from the years of 1971, 1977, 1992, 1993 and 1995. The Ford Center was our favorite part, which has a 510,000 square-foot indoor athletic facility, as well as two outdoor practice fields.Then, we got a chance to go on an official Cowboy’s bus to AT&T Stadium, which was decked out in tons of Cowboys’ memorabilia, TV’s, beds, and a bathroom with a shower!
When we arrived at AT&T Stadium, we actually pulled in under the stadium, where all of the players come in! We headed right into the players’ locker room, which was SO cool! We even got our own personal locker with our blog name, jersey, and some other cool gear!
We also got to tour the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders’ locker room, and meet some of them, which was so fun because we both actually watch the DCC show on TV!
After touring the locker rooms, we got to see the press conference room, where all post-game interviews are taken!
In addition to some of the other super cool technological features we will talk about later on, they have an AT&T Stadium app, which includes facts, videos, will help fans find their seats, and the concession stand. It is also the main way to interact and post photos on the 130-foot AT&T Fan Experience Board. It features over 40 independent mirrored louvers that rotate 360 degrees in a choreographed motion.The stadium also features eight, super cool touch-screen exhibits called AT&T Immersive Columns. Fans can touch the screen and opt for an individual player or cheerleader about whom they want to learn more!
The coolest part of the whole stadium tour was getting to speak with the Chief Information Officer regarding the in-house AT&T Data Center. It runs 30 businesses (not just the stadium), and they are actually one of the only NFL teams to have their own merchandising. They also recently built an entire replica of the data center in the Frisco headquarters. This data center is actually what keeps the whole stadium running, from scanning tickets, lighting, security, POS systems, etc.
The stadium has over 4000 TV’s, and has the equivalent of 14 cell-phone towers! They also have a huge Wi-Fi network, with over 1900 access points. If y’all are like us, you REALLY care about being able to get that Instagram post in!;) They have had over 28,000 fans on the wifi network at one time, which is extremely impressive!
They also have charging stations where you can charge your phone in a locker with a code while the game is going on!The stadium also features a ton of modern art (so cool!), including this LED light display called “Exploded View.”It was cool getting to walk on the field through the tunnel the actual players walk out of every game! They even displayed each of our pictures on the AT&T Live FX screen! We got to take a ton of pictures, and some with Rowdy;)Following the amazing tour, we all got surprised at the end with tickets to the Cowboys vs. Tampa Bay game on Sunday, which was a BLAST, and such an incredible win!
We are FINALLY writing about our experience with microblading at Enlighten MD. When we first had the treatment done, we got SO many questions about it, so we are excited to finally be sharing all about it with y’all! Honestly, before this, we had never heard about microblading, but let me tell you, we are HOOKED! We got ours done at Enlighten MD in Dallas by the amazing Amber.
We are not ones to usually overly compliment a service, but the entire staff at Enlighten MD is incredibly sweet and accommodating. Their office is so beautiful, and we could not have had a better experience from start to finish. We have also been getting underarm laser hair removal treatment from them (we have done 3 of the 6 sessions), and have been loving the results!
What is Microblading?
Microblading is the newest and most natural option to achieving amazing, perfect-looking eyebrows. The Microblading technician begins with shaping, then coloring in the area to plot the points. Next, the perfect color for the patient is mixed and the process begins; a microblading pen comprised of micro needles is used to individually draw hair strokes into the skin, one by one.
Is Microblading For Me?
The perfect candidate for Microblading is one who wants definition, to cover gaps of lost hair, to extend an area, or even for a full-reconstruction where the patient has no brow hair at all.
How Long Does Microblading Last?
Color performs differently on people, and fades at different frequency, depending on environmental, skin regimen, and sun exposure. For Microblading, you can expect the longevity to be between 6 months – 1.5 years.
What Happens Post-Treatment?
Immediately post-treatment the area will appear much darker, but it will fade 50% over the following 2 weeks. A second application is required 6 weeks later.
How Long Does the Process Take?
The process takes about two hours. Since they numb your brows beforehand, there is little discomfort and no downtime!
Here is a video that talks all about Microblading in more detail from Amber Garton:
After we were all done with our first Microblading session with Amber!We shared some of these images on snapchat as we were getting our Microblading done, but wanted to show you all the process. She is outlining and plotting the points where she is going to draw the hairs. This is after she has done one pass-over of filling in the brows. Here are Samantha’s before and after pictures following her first Microblading session! These are my before and afters! As you all can tell, we both have pretty full eyebrows to start with, but were missing some areas where they needed to be a little more filled in. Also, as we mentioned before, the color fades after a week or two, so your eyebrows won’t always look this dark!We could not be happier with the results and are SO glad we got this treatment done! Our brows are perfectly shaped and groomed, even without makeup, which we love! We could not recommend Enlighten MD more. All of the staff is super sweet and accommodating, and they offer a ton of amazing services like facials, botox, and laser hair removal.
Let us know if you have any other questions about our experience!
This past week I was fortunate enough to travel to Portland to experience the Nike World Headquarters. If I could sum it up in one word (okay, two) it would be Disney Land. It was incredible! I wasn’t really sure what to expect, but whatever it was, if you could imagine the coolest people (I mean, they design THE most innovative (and cool) products surrounded by most beautifully landscaped grounds, there you have the Nike campus!
During my two day trip to Portland, the program was focused on Nike Women. I remember my driver saying on the way to the hotel the first night, ‘Nike will have you busy from dawn to dusk,’ and boy was he right! I’m not complaining, though! I am all about fitting in as much as possible and experiencing the most you can. On the first day, there was an optional yoga class taught by the talented Krissy Jones bright and early (6:30 A.M.)—luckily, Portland is within the Pacific time zone, so it didn’t feel too early! After yoga, we headed back to the hotel to get ready for our big day ahead!
We arrived on the gorgeous Nike Campus, and I had to laugh to myself because the driver (yes, same one) also told me that it’s so well manicured, that he swears Nike has little elves that come in at dark and make sure everything is perfect! First stop was the Tiger Woods Center. On our way there, we got to walk around the campus. We walked through the Nike Hall of Fame and even saw some Olympic athletes training.They had a delicious breakfast spread ( I could certainly get used the delicious AND healthy options they had displayed for me daily 😉 ), during which we heard from Amy Montagne, VP/GM of Global Nike Women, and saw a gorgeous display of shoes (it seriously looked like artwork!) and watched some super inspirational nike videos (you know the ones that make you just want to get after it and ‘just do it’)!We also heard from Martin Lotti, VP and Nike Global Category Creative Director, speak about his journey (so inspirational!). He also discussed how the intersection of performance, style, and soul is woven into every nike design.
After that, we walked to another space that featured different Nike designers’ takes on natural motion, specifically called, “Experiments in Natural Motion” collection. Nathan Jobe, Senior Design Director of NSW Footwear Innovation, showed us how each designer experimented with flyknit uppers and unique materials to create interesting shoes that were featured in a Nike exhibition at Milano Design Week 2016.
The space also featured artifacts and history from the start of what Nike came to be. It was so cool reading about how Geoff Hollister packed his VW van with running shoes and literally drove around to different high schools and colleges and sold the new line of shoes. It was interesting to learn about how the iconic Nike Waffle Trainer came to be.
Then, it was time to head to the Blue Ribbon Studio, a newly built creative space that designers at Nike can use to play around and create things. It was amazing to see machinery such as sewing machines, screen printing, and rolls and rolls of fabric (which I later saw on a shoe for Spring/Summer 2017—SO cool!). Here, we each got to make our own tote bag with whatever we wanted! Everyone was so creative, and every single designer or employee I encountered was just so happy and more than willing to help! Having worked at a corporate job, it was SO refreshing to see!
Once we made our bags, we got to see hear from Georgina James, Design Director of NSW Women’s Footwear, Theo Wang, Concept Director of Women’s Training, and Helen Boucher, VP of Women’s Training. Of course, they were super stylish and so sweet! They gave a brief preview of the super hard work that goes goes into creating apparel and footwear. They also had beautiful models to show some of the new pieces from the 2017 collection. I specifically LOVED the new mesh legging that is coming out in 2017— the phone stayed in the mesh pocket, even during a workout!
After we had the most delicious lunch, we headed back the the Tiger Woods Center for our Nike Training Club workout! Before the workout, we went to our very own personalized lockers that had some super cute kicks and a full outfit! It was fun because everybody was dressed in some variation of the same pieces!We then met with our trainer, Ben Monk . He gave a killer workout and he wasn’t bad to look at either 😉
We did a bunch of drills and also partnered off, which was fun to get to know the other girls. Having not done a ton of NTC workouts, I loved it, and will definitely by doing them more often! Following the workout, we headed back to the hotel and had a delicious dinner that evening. We definitely got our sweat on! The next morning began with another great yoga class (loved starting my day off that way!) and then another busy day at Nike! We also started in the Nike Lab, which is super secure, so I was so psyched we got to see it! They had an entire wall of every pair of Nikes that have been made starting from the 1970’s until present. It was so cool to see the progression and how the styles and colors have evolved. We also got to hear from Julie Igarashi, VP and Creative Director for Nike Running and NikeWomen, and Martin Lotti, who showed some of the pieces that Maria Sharipova and Serena wore during the US Open and how Nike caters to each athlete individually.
Additionally, we also had the opportunity to hear about the progression of Nike Air engineering. First Nike Air model
It was so cool to learn about the technology and how much it’s evolved from the start to present. They are releasing the Nike Air VaporMax, which are the lightest pair they’ve made and 100% sustainable. The other incredible shoe we got to learn about was the Nike Hyperadapt from Tiffany Beers, Senior Innovator—think Back to the Future shoes! They sense your foot and auto lace for you! I got to try on a pair later that day, and they were SO cool! Felt like it was a magic shoe! I shared them at work on my snapchat that day!Following that we headed back to the Tiger Woods Center, where they had the same gorgeous display of shoes they had the first day, EXCEPT this time, we couldn’t take any photos because they were previewing the new kicks for Spring and Summer ’17. Let me just say that I am utterly obsessed with every single one of them! I can already kiss my bank account goodbye!Andrea Corradini, Senior Product Director of NSW Women, talked about some the inspiration behind the new lines for next year: innovation, modern comfort, and obsessing about the materials. As a result of these fundamentals, classics like the ‘Cortez’ and ‘Blazer’ are going to be released in gorgeous fabrics like satin leather, and velvet. Got these in the black, and I’m so psyched to wear them!Most definitely getting these in the spring!
Cortez in satin, yes please!
Additionally, portions of the classics like the ‘Air Flow’ and ‘Air Presto’ were taken together and molded to form the most gorgeous shoe, ‘Lunarcharge’. Ya’ll I’m obsessed! Some of the colors have been released just now, and they will continue releasing more into 2017. She also went further into the color scheme for 2017—expanding to neutrals and then to pale pinks and lavenders to fit under the theme ‘from dawn to dusk’. They will also be releasing the new Air Max in the summer that has a rainbow bottom that fits under the ‘#BeTrue’ collection.
During the rest of the day, we got to see a makeshift ‘store’ that housed most of the apparel and footwear for 2017. Again, such beautiful pieces! Most of the line focuses on proportion, bold color blocking and graphics, and nesting (layering pieces together through mesh and open backs). It also focused on reactive color mixed with black and white—LOVE!
After obsessing over every piece of clothing, we headed back to the Tiger Woods Center to sit down and have an open forum with several very empowering women, including olympic boxer, Marlen Esparza. We discussed the difficulties us, women, face, and specifically, how each of them have overcome obstacles. One thing that really stood out to me was when Marlen did not qualify for the 2016 Olympics, she still was super happy for her fellow competitors that did make it and were competing in Rio. Instead of being bitter, she watched them and cheered them on. Such a powerful statement. She talked about how women should lift each other up and be happy for competitors and friends and not to be jealous. I could not agree more! Such truth behind those powerful words!
Reflecting on this amazing experience, I was humbled to be surrounded not only by the INCREDIBLE designers at Nike, but by these incredible women that were on the journey with me. Most of them were some form of editor for a well known magazine (that I read on the regular)—think Glamour, Women’s Health, Elle, etc. These girls were clearly bright and successful, and yet so humble! Nobody was catty or rude, which made this trip that much better. Not only did I bring home some amazing Nike goods (obsessed with my Blazer kicks and Apple watch!), but I also took with me so much appreciation behind what I already knew was an awesome brand!
One Pan Chicken with Maple Mustard Sauce
They also have Super Bowl Memorabilia & Station, which has a display of all five Super Bowl Trophies and Rings from the years of 1971, 1977, 1992, 1993 and 1995. 
This data center is actually what keeps the whole stadium running, from scanning tickets, lighting, security, POS systems, etc. 
The stadium also features a ton of modern art (so cool!), including this LED light display called “Exploded View.”
It was cool getting to walk on the field through the tunnel the actual players walk out of every game! They even displayed each of our pictures on the AT&T Live FX screen! We got to take a ton of pictures, and some with Rowdy;)
