Pure Results with NEW Pure Barre Arlington

Disclaimer: I received a trial class in exchange for this review. However, the opinions expressed here are 100 percent my own. (Accordance with FTC's 16 CFR Part 255, "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.")

Try-it Tuesday:

I've tried a LOT of workouts in my journey to be healthy. Some of them, like my trip to CitySurf Fitness and Politicians Pole Dancing took a lot of coordination. So I was relieved when I found out that there was a Pure Barre opening in my neck of the woods. (The same of the neck of the woods that is home to every major restaurant chain in the universe all down one road and scored in the top 20 as one of the Fatest Cities in America.) 

And the thought of moving like a ballerina and flexing my leg looked pretty easy, so I was gonna be like the next Black Swan. 

Oh, did I have a lot to learn. 

While Pure Barre does mirror many movements used by ballerinas with the use of the barre, it is so much more. Considered an "intelligent exercise" (because smart women like me do it...not really, but the idea made me laugh), the PBT is a total body workout using small isometric movements set to contemporary music to keep you paced while you burn. 

Oh, yes, you will feel the burn. But in a good way. (Like the you-know-change-is-happening-kind-of-way!)

Best of all, results are said to happen within 10 classes. (Now that's good enough for me!) 

...Read more about my Pure Barre Arlington experience here!

Pure Barre Arlington
2500 NE Green Oaks, Suite 128
Arlington, Texas 76006
817.652.2920
Website

Ready to can the old sweat shirt before you workout? 

No problems, I've got a suggestion for you and it comes straight to your door!

I am an affiliate of Ellie.

Raise Your Glass: 'Mad Men' Moms Debuts with Season 6 Recap

Mad Men Monday:

Oh, Christina Hendricks! Last night was a biggie!

After the long wait and lots of cocktail making practice, Mad Men Season 6 took over the TV world last night with a two-hour bang. And it was worth the wait. 

Meet the new girls at Mad Men Moms!

Apparently I wasn't the only one who felt that way. The twittersphere was blown up with #MadMen (the officially sponsored hashtag by AMC), and tons of people commenting on everything from what Betty was wearing, what was happening with Roger and of course, and who I mean, what Don was doing. 

If you missed the show or like me could talk about Don Draper all the time, I'm inviting you to the debut of the best show ever, 'Mad Men Moms,' to give your the lowdown on the opener. Joined by one of of best friends and blogger buddies, Shannon at milkandcuddles, we spill the beans on our thoughts on this episode and what we hope to see in the coming episodes! 

And that's not all folks! 

It wouldn't be a show about Mad Men if we didn't have a drink and little bit of fun...so we've included that, too!

Dirty Don Draper Martini
2 oz gin1 tbsp gin2 tbsp olive juice (or more!)3-4 olives (good olives too!)
Fill a mixer with all the ingredients including garnish. Cover and shake 3-4 times. Pour contents into a cold glass. Enjoy! (And then make another!)
And that lovely little Mad Men illustration? You can make one too like we did for Mad Men Moms! Check out how you can at milkandcuddles.com! 

Make sure you join us for all the fun each week when we recap the show on Google Hangouts!

Let's Get Mad, Baby with Mad Men Cocktails {Recipes}

Food Fridays:

This weekend is a BIG weekend for me.

I've been waiting for this day for a long time...the moment when my second love emerges after more than a year of silence and total abandonment...

Thank you to Urban Moms/Pinterest for this one of the dashing Don Draper. 

It's when Jon Hamm...I mean Don Draper and the whole Mad Men cast come back to my television on Sundays and take me back to a time when drinking at the office was the norm, big hair was all the rage and the gal with the boobs in the office was the hottie. (I could have been so cool back then, maybe.)

Anyhow, season 6 of Mad Men returns to AMC this weekend for a two-hour opener on Sunday. I'm a little sad since after season 7 this show will come to a close, but for now I relish the time I have left to bask at Jon Hamm...(can you tell I have a small obsession with Jon Hamm? Check out my Pinterest for a nice little place I go when I need to put a smile on my face.)

And of course, what goes better with viewing a show that spends a lot of time drinking than to raise a glass of spirits. Last month when Downton Abbey concluded the season my friend and I enjoyed one "upstairs" drink with a little bubbly and one "downstairs" drink with a half/half British beer combo. It was so much fun to get a little into character, so I would be remiss not to toast to MM6 with a cocktail in hand.

Pink Squirrel 

Thankfully, AMC has made sure everyone can enjoy the whole show with recipes for several drinks from the times. So let's celebrate with a few of my favorite sexy cocktails I found and will be sipping on Sunday.

Did I mention that these have like two ingredients too, so you can't mess than up? Or you could just get a bottle and do it like the rest of the guys did. (But that wouldn't be as fun, right?)

{Since these recipes aren't mine, click on your drink to get to the recipe and you can go to the website for many, many more.}

Sloe Gin Fizz

Dirty Martini

Let's Get Mad with Mad Men this Sunday!

We Are to Going Disney World...NOW WHAT?

To-Do Thursday: 

Photo courtesy of 1001fonts.com.

NOW WHAT? 

Is it just me or does it seem like your list keeps getting longer and you aren't taking anything off? I know mine does. So I took a big look at my calendar and saw what was on my "must-do" list for this weekend: 

Go to Michael's on Saturday for "Kids Craft, You Shop" Event for $2!
Very cool event for kids to do a special themed craft at your local Michaels, learn more here.

Get Ready for "Day Out with Thomas" at Grapevine (next weekend)!
Don't have your ticket yet? Then get your discount code here!

Prepare for a trip to Disney?!?
WHAT? Yep, you got that right! My son's wish was granted from a Wish with Wings to go to Disney World and we go in less than 90 days! Considering some good moms plan this magical trip for months and sometimes years, it's difficult to think I haven't planned anything yet! #uhohspaghettios

Photo courtesy of the a Wish with Wings Facebook page

So to get things rolling, I decided to ask my fellow mom experts who have thought of EVERYTHING from how to surprise their kids they are going, how to dress them, itineraries - you name it.

Wow. Man, did I learn one thing...there is SO much to learn about going to Disney World! 

So while I'm doing my homework to attempt to live up to my four-year-old's dream vacation (did I mention it's his FIRST vacation, too?), here's a look at some of my favorite posts and sites to help us plan our trip to Disney World? 

Milk and Cuddles: Dining at Disney World 1 and More Dining at Disney
There's so much to say here, she had to do two posts! Did you know you SHOULD make reservations for some of your Disney dining choices at 180 days out BEFORE your trip? Yep, it's true and there are so many places to eat, snack and treat. And considering eating is one of our favorite past times, dining is at the top of our Disney to-do list. Shannon, gives you the lowdown on what you need to know to get your grub down on Big D (Disney that is!)

Ramblings of a Frugal Mom: Disney World Tips, Tricks and Ideas!
Dawn's family heads to Disney each time she finds out she's pregnant (sounds like a reason to keep having kids, right?) This DFW-based online expert knows how to do things awesome and inexpensively. She shares all her memorable tricks to make your trip memorable for years to come. 

Suitcases to Sippy Cups: What Happens When You Lose a Child at Disney
This mama knows how to travel AND with her family in tow, too. She's done a little bit of everything from RVing, skiing, and of course, Disney. While I don't anticipate losing my child, it is a relief that it's happened before AND there's a way to locate your kid. (Consider it like algebra, you don't need it daily, but there will be a time.) 

My Crazy Savings: Looking for a Stroller Rental at Disney World?
With two kids under 5 at Disney, I'm sure there will be more time on wheels than there will be on feet. And since we will also be on a plane to get there, I'm not going to try to tote the "good stroller" to Disney or use the "cheap" one and have it die out on my on Day 1. 

Alpha Mom: 65 Things to Do & See at Disney World? 
While we won't be doing all of these things, it was a great checklist to begin our jouney of "what to do, what to do." 

Free Disney Font Download: without having to download a free toolbar to create some of the coolest stuff for the kids like shirts, special messages and more. 

WDW Prep School: "How to Plan a Trip to Disney World in 6 Steps, this is my one-place-for-everything from packing lists, templates and more. (She's got things there I wouldn't even think to think about.)

So now I ask: do you have a recommendation of must-dos for two toddlers at Disney World? If so, please let me know. Really, I need all the help I can get. And if you are a blogger, than share your link here and I'd love to add it to this "best of" Disney blog posts! 

Want-It Wednesday: Wake Up Your Wardrobe with Stella & Dot Bracelet & Earrings {Giveaway}

Want-it Wednesdays:

Do you need to wake up your wardrobe? You're in luck! 

I'm giveaway this Secret Garden bracelet and earring set from Stella & Dot! All you have to do is enter the giveaway, which begins today until Saturday, April 6 at 11:59 PM. 

To enter: just click here or visit my Facebook page TODAY. 

Also, remember I'm hosting a "Wake Up Your Wardrobe" Spring Trunk Show! And right now Spend $50 and get 50% off your purchase AND we're also giving away another necklace to one lucky person who makes a purchase. Best of all, this month when you buy something from my trunk show, a portion of the proceeds will go to Autism Awareness Month!

So what are you waiting for? 

Surf's Up: How To Get Your Pamela Anderson Beach-Ready Body at NEW CitySurf Fitness {video}

Try-it Tuesdays:

Cowabunga, what a workout!

I recently went on a total adventure with CitySurf Fitness in Dallas. Always ready to try out a new fitness disclipine in efforts to get fit while having fun, this new studio in Uptown seemed right up my alley! I have never surfed and certainly need all the core work I can get, so I was excited to "ride the waves" at this new concept (backed by entreprenuer/Shark Tank's Mark Cuban for Surfset Fitness). 

I'll admit I'm not a terribly coordinated gal, but I'm flexible, have balance and am willing to make a total dork of myself in the name of fitness (and a good blog post.) So I quickly went online to book my class:

• City Surfing: fat burn, lean muscle build, extreme balance (signature class with the most time on the board)
• Beach Body Bootcamp: strength building/cardio fitness (on the floor and on the board)
• Buddha Board: increased flexibility and strength (think yoga on the board)
• Big Kahuna: increased strength and size of skeletal muscles (the pros)

For my first time, I decided to try the signature class option, City Surfing. Registration was easy, but unfortunately, parking wasn't, so I was a little late (I recommend getting there at least 10 minutes before class to ensure your parking space and time to choose your board.)

Thankfully the class wasn't running too far behind, so I quickly jumped on. 

Dude...what a change I experienced just becoming acquainted with the board. It was actually a little surreal. Like being on the water without the salt in my face and the sharks at my toes. 

Then the sounds of hip hop, rock and a little Bob Marley flooded the room along with a buge slideshow of surfers on the wall to give you the feeling you too were riding the waves (and not just shaking like I was as my legs continued to become stronger with each move.)

But my instructor made it look so easy and with a smile, so ever onward! I really wanted to glide as smooth as she did with each move although I know I probably looked more like a beached whale than a surfer...but I didn't let it get me down.  So with a little motivation from a memory of Pamela Anderson running down the beach on Baywatch, I was willing to continue in hopes I could hang ten (actually more like hang on to the end of the 50-minute workout.) 

What can I say from my CitySurf Fitness? RICT (for those of you non-surfers that means awesome!)

The afterburn was amazing - body parts hurt the next day that I didn't even know I had. Burning around 800 calories is totally awesome. And the experience overall totally beats a day on the treadmill. It's definitely a great way to get your body ready for your bikini (or in my case get it out of your coverup and maybe into a tankini by the end of the summer!) 

Class packages are available at all different ranges, but I definitely suggest the $10 "Try It" class. After attending you receive a 15% discount when you buy your first package! 

City Surf Fitness

2805 Allen Street, Suite 113 (look for the surf board) 

214.880.7433

http://www.citysurffitness.com

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DISCLAIMER: I received a trial class of the mentioned products for the sole purpose of this review. No other compensating was given and all opinions expressed are 100 percent my own. (Accordance with FTC's 16 CFR Part 255, "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.")

Get Homejoy-ed: New Online Dallas Cleaning Company

Me Mondays:

It’s not that I don’t like cleaning house…it’s just that I don’t have time to do it – and maybe I hate dishes, floors, bathrooms and well, I guess I do hate cleaning it.

But as a mom you do what you have to for your family and your home. So you wash it, windex it, scrub it, mop it and whatever else comes your way. And normally without any appreciation or acknowledgement.

So when I got a special opportunity to have a new cleaning company in DFW founded by two siblings named on Forbes list of "Top 30 Under 30"come to my home and clean it, I was overjoyed.

Actually, I was Homejoy-ed.

In just five minutes I went online to HOMEJOY, provided some brief information about my house and then scheduled what day worked best for me. I was able to nag a spot only 48 hours away, so I was super stoked.

About 24 hours from my appointment, I received a text reminder about my appointment and the name of the representative who would be cleaning my home, so I could go online and actually see my rep’s photo, background, etc.

The morning of my appointment my rep, Leslie, called me to let me know she was on her way. She then showed up right on time to clean my house in her yellow Homejoy shirt. She introduced herself and kept a big smile all day. Best of all, she did a great job!

Then about an hour after she completed the cleaning, I received a text asking me to rate my cleaning. Once again, simple and easy.

I was able to go online and take a look at my invoice and even book another appointment with just a few clicks. So quick, simple, and online – my preferred way to do things.

If you’re a busy mom looking for a way to find more time in the day to get it all done, then learn one thing – you can’t create more hours in the day. However, you can prioritize your time and delegate the stuff that can help you free up your day to do the things that only mom can do.

Make cleaning your home a joy with Homejoy by booking an appointment today!

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DISCLAIMER: I received one or more of the mentioned products for the sole purpose of this review. No other compensating was given and all opinions expressed are 100 percent my own. (Accordance with FTC's 16 CFR Part 255, "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.")