Sometimes people look at me bewildered, wondering how on earth "i do what i do". I don't think I'm super woman by any means....but thought I'd share what my normal day looks like when I work from home with BittyBeau.

6:45am I roll out of bed in time to see MattyB off to work. No hashbrowns, eggs, & biscuits, but he does get a kiss from someone with some gnarly morning breath!

7am I have my OJ and vitamins that MattyB leaves out for me :) I forget to take pills. (Hi, I have a baby!); and then I settle in at my desk to get some work done before the mini human wakes up.

7:30am This may be pushed to another time of the day - but normally if BittyBeau is following his normal routine, he's not awake yet. So I get in a 10 minute workout - normally just a fast paced circuit centered around upper body or lower body. Then I have a little breakfast.

From 7:45am to 8:45am I normally get in work for both my FT job & my fashion business.

The mini human wakes up anywhere from 8:45am to 9:30am - and then we start "our routine". He normally has all my attention until about 11am. I will take a phone call during that time, but I'm not doing any "focused work".

Normally around 11am to 11:30am he starts getting super fussy, which is the cue for his morning nap. Kiddo loves to sleep!

When he goes down for his morning nap, depending on my workload, I will do a 30 minute workout and then work. If work is crazy, I will just work until he wakes up.

He normally is up by 12:30pm to eat lunch & play. This is where everything is just tossed in the air & depends on his mood. We do lunch and play....and then normally I settle him into his UFC fighting ring while I try to clean the house & do some chores. Ya know, the whole Betty Homemaker thing.

If this is a normal day, he will go down for a nap around 3pm or 3:30pm. During that nap I'll either catch up on a missed workout, work, or clean some more. I may eat lunch if I haven't already eaten. Or if I have a trunk show that night, I'll pack up my supplies, maybe SHOWER, or whatever else I need to get done for that day!

I have found that I'm less stressed out the more that I keep a schedule. Beau seems to be more cooperative as well :) He does have his days where he wakes up at 6am, or doesn't want to nap. Those days are more difficult to get anything accomplished, obviously. But more or less, making sure that my attitude is in check is really the key. When things don't go as I planned, I try to just go with the flow....but it's definitely a hard lesson to learn!

I have noticed though that when I have a solid hour, hour & a half, to do things before he gets up, it really helps my day! Especially when I am able to use that time for me....like a workout, doing my Bible study, etc. Work really doesn't get crazy until around 10am....so I am lucky in that respect :)

I think I'll do more of these style posts - because time management is a constant battle for me, and I'm sure for a ton of you! Saying "I don't have time" for something, is normally just an excuse. Time is relative to what you want to invest in - if you want to be healthier, than saying you don't have time for working out, really isn't an option. You have to schedule it & make an appointment with yourself. Once things turn into priorities, & time is set aside each day / week, then they become habits. Habits (good habits) are what lead to success.

SAY WHAT!?

If BittyBeau learns anything, it will be the importance of weight training ;)

Yesterday's workout have left me all kinds of sore. To say I'm awkward moving, is an understatement.

LOVE IT!

I broke out the kettlebells and dusted off the Jillian Michaels dvd....

About half way through the workout, I really thought about increasing the weight & using my 10 pound kettlebell because the 5 pounds felt way too easy.

Here's a sampling....


It was a lot of swinging and a butt ton of squats.

I would definitely recommend Jillian's kettlebell workout. It was a great weighted cardio. The circuits are not difficult. The cueing is great - the moves are easy to understand.

She is constantly reminding beginners to not let go of the kettlebell during the swings - I could only imagine if MattyB came home to find the TV totally smashed because I threw the kettlebell at it.

You go through the circuits twice before moving on. Not a lot of abdominal movements, but you are engaging your core through the entire workout.

Around the last circuit I finally started feeling the burn. So after the cool down, I went ahead & did my chest & back circuit, since I was not totally sore. (Plus I like maximizing B's nap time!!!!)

This morning however, totally different story. My hamstrings & quads are killing me!!!

But I love it. It's a pleasant reminder of all the work I did.

Do you agree with the "no pain, no gain" philosophy?

It's been a bit longer than a hot second that I've done this kind of post!

Instagram is so much easier to do on a regular basis than blogging! Life has me crazy busy!

Half marathon training is done bi-weekly. Ha :) I was able to run 2 miles the other day with B in the jogger...until he got all fussy & had his fill.

My treadmill and I have not rekindled our love yet.

In more important news: Beau is turning 1 in 2 weeks.
Speaking of, Beau is pronounced "Bo".....not "Bew".

Little man & I have become more adjusted & settled into my work schedule. Working from home is not easy. I don't know who ever said it was, but they need to be punched.

I think that there is this misconception that moms working from home have all this extra time for grocery shopping, cleaning, social life, working out, etc. It's rather frustrating. I don't have the time during the day to put on deodorant, needless to say socialize! (Ha, good thing the half marathon training isn't in high gear with me not sporting deodorant!)

Regardless, consider this a public service announcement. If you're one to presume that a gal working from home, should have all the time in the world to have her home looking like a Pottery Barn ad, her kid looking like a Gymboree model, and herself looking like she walked straight off the runway.....please come back down to earth.

Is this really my first post of 2013? Why, yes. Yes it is.

Blogging has by far taken a back seat in my life. I know many of you can relate!

I thought you should know, MattyB got me a ballet barre for Christmas. I love it. It really does make SUCH a difference in my Ballet Physique & Physique57 workouts.



I also treated myself to a new yoga mat. Courtesy of Target & Neiman Marcus' designer collaboration. It was a sale purchase....don't go getting all huffy. The Target by our house just doesn't ever sell real well on the "designer collaboration" items. I was able to get it on sale when all the Christmas goods got marked down.



So here's the deal. You all know that I'm stylin' & profilin' for Stella & Dot now.

LOVE IT.

We have new pieces debuting TODAY..JANUARY 11th!!!

To kick off this new spring collection, I thought I'd host a Stella & Dot giveaway!

One lucky reader will receive either a Friendship Tie or a Julep Bangle of their choosing!

Here are the FRIENDSHIP TIES:


Or the JULEP BANGLE....

1. Follow this blog (2 entries) 
2. Leave a comment below telling me which bracelet you would choose (1 entry)
3. Go like my biz page on Facebook (5 entries) & leave a comment
4. Tweet about the giveaway, including @fashionablyniki in your tweet (2 entries)
5. Go check out Stella & Dot and tell me what pieces you like from our NEW LINE (1 entry per item)

I LOVE that feeling you get from a great workout. The wobbly, shaky, I think I'm going to fall over, feeling. Know what I mean?

I was sent The Ballet Physique dvd's to screen....and let me just say, love.them.

So here was my set up for my work outs....


Beau was ready, leg warmers & all :)


I want leg warmers for me. Minor side note.

Here's some info on The Ballet Physique:

The Ballet Physique DVD Collection is suitable for every fitness level and features two distinct routines. These full-body workouts are designed to melt fat, blast calories, define your midsection, and awaken muscles you never knew existed. The Ballet Physique’s ballet-trained and certified fitness instructors provide detailed cues and modifications that allow you to tailor each exercise to your level. The results will prove that you don't have to be a dancer to look like one.

The Ballet Physique method was created by nationally certified fitness instructor, dancer, and entrepreneur Kristen Zurek. She discovered barre fitness while living in New York City and later conceived the unique fitness regime, which fuses the barre fitness concept with the foundations of classical ballet. Zurek opened The Ballet Physique Fitness Studio in August 2010. It is the first independently-owned barre fitness studio in the Denver region.

“I created The Ballet Physique barre fitness method to prove that you can get the toned, lithe figure of a dancer without having to be one,” said Zurek. “We’ve seen many of our studio clients achieve beautifully lean and sculpted bodies and gain confidence, energy and grace through our workouts. I wanted to produce our DVD Collection for people who aren’t able to take our studio classes and provide everyone with affordable access to our unique and transforming workouts.”

There are 2 workouts:

·Signature Sculpt - a 60-minute dynamo workout that concentrates on toning the muscles using lighter weights, intense exercise sequences, and ballet-inspired positions. It's a program formulated to help develop a lean, graceful body.

·Amped Up - a 45-minute express class, focusing on building strength and boosting the metabolism through the use of heavier weights and fast-paced exercises. It's the perfect workout to maximize calorie burn when you're in a time crunch.

Signature Sculpt is led by Kristen Zurek, while Amped Up is led by Kristin Skordahl. Both ladies have dance experience....not just "hey, I went to Zumba once or twice"....or "yeah I did ballet when I was 2". Both have 18+ years experience in ballet.





I always am probably the MOST critical on instructors when it comes to cuing. There's nothing worse than being in a step aerobics class & the instructor cuing you 2 minutes after you were supposed to have begun your 'hammer curls, corner to corner'. (My scrutiny comes from my degree in Exercise Science, so yes, I can judge) :)

The cuing was spot on in these workouts. The way that the instructors transitioned from different muscle groups was seamless.

Here's a sampling (you can see more video samplings here):



Who doesn't want to have the body of a ballerina?

Here is the necessary equipment: light weights (I used 3lbs & 5lbs), a playground ball, a yoga mat, a cushion (something firmer than a pillow), and a ballet barre.

While I still do not have a ballet barre, I highly encourage you to purchase one. Yes, you can use a sturdy piece of furniture, but I kept finding myself compensating form due to lack of range of motion for some of the exercises.

Another suggestion, invest in yoga socks / shoes. (In Walmart terms, the "no skid" socks). The gals sport them in the workouts....theirs are pink & black....LOVE THEM. Mine are grey & black, and were included in a PopSugar Box one month. I would prefer the pink & black.....just saying.

I have always been a fan of barre workouts - I love the toning, and the fact that it's fast paced & uses body weight. If combined with a healthy diet, The Ballet Physique could really transform your body!

I took this from their FAQ page:

How do you compare to other barre programs? The difference lies in the fact that we are locally-owned and not a franchised studio, which means that we can adapt quickly to the needs of our clients and consistently provide outstanding service. It also allows our instructors the flexibility to vary their exercises, choreography and music so that no two classes are exactly alike. This being said, The Ballet Physique is rooted in the same Lotte Berk Method technique as many other barre workouts.

In my opinion, I did find this workout more on the advanced side versus the beginner. While there are modifications for the beginner, I do think they are more "advanced beginner". Ultimately, you will have to give the workout a few tries before just "giving up" and saying it's too difficult. It does require balance & stability - but hello! By improving upon your balance & stability, you're working your core muscles.

Here's some more info from their site:

Our classes have also been proven to dramatically improve core strength and posture by making correct alignment an integral part of each exercise. While a stronger set of core muscles will help you attain a ballerina's lifted appearance, it will also keep you safe from debilitating lower back injuries. Our program can even be made safe for those with existing back or joint injuries, because it is low-impact. The small, intense and precise movements featured in Ballet Physique classes are designed to build lean muscle and melt a significant amount of calories and fat in record time. Although immensely challenging, clients find that the time spent in class passes very quickly due to the nonstop pace, variety of exercises, motivating music, and passionate instructors. If you are worried about "not getting it," rest assured that our instructors will guide you through challenging movements with modifications specific to your needs.

Clients who perform the Ballet Physique program 3-4 times a week can begin seeing beautiful and noticeable changes in as little as one month. These will include: leaner thighs, shapely hamstrings, chiseled arms, a tighter waistline, and a firm, lifted seat.

Like any other workouts, you persevere and build up endurance. When I was running, I didn't just start out running 10 miles. It took what felt like FOREVER to build up to that. (Unlike Sarah who can run 40 miles and not break a sweat.)

If you're in the Littleton, Colorado area or surrounding area, you should pop in to the studio! Give the workout a test run!
Tell them I sent you. Here is their class schedule: https://clients.mindbodyonline.com/ASP/home.asp?studioid=11890

If you're like me, and not in their area....check out their DVDs.




For all readers of my blog, enter promo code FFF20 at checkout for 20% off the collection of dvds!!!! 

If you purchase the "collection" of dvds, you get the playground ball. It's PINK. I have a playground ball....but I want this one.

Remember though the promo code is only for the COLLECTION. It is only good until December 31st!

Perfect for those New Years Resolutions!

And Santa, take note: Ballet Physique socks & playground ball, please!