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Get Fit On Your Own Time With Tailored Fitness + A Challenge

January 15, 2015 By lyndsinreallife Leave a Comment

Here’s the thing.. I really don’t like gyms. Being a fitness enthusiast, I know that probably seems weird. I’m one of those people who thinks everyone is staring at them while they workout. Additionally, I am always on-the-go. I wouldn’t have enough time for the gym even if I wanted to!

In-home workouts are ideal. Luckily, Tailored Fitness is that and more!

Disclosure: I received two free months of a Tailored Fitness membership in exchange for an honest review on my blog. I did not receive any monetary compensation. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.

Tailored Fitness is an app you can access on your phone tablet or computer that allows you to stream specialized workout videos (it will also soon be available for download in the Apple and Google Play stores). It was created by Autumn Bonner, a stay-at-home mom who loves fitness. Whether you’re into yoga, cardio, long workouts or short workouts, Tailored Fitness has it! You can take the videos and set them up so they’re the perfect workout for you- any time, any day.

Tailored Fitness is geared mostly towards moms. I am not a mom, but I’m a nanny, so I somewhat understand what it’s like to be tired, busy and without much free time. The app makes it super simple to get in a quick 10-minute workout. Even if you’re not a mom, there are countless benefits to being a member with Tailored Fitness, such as printable & pinable (is that a word?) workouts and recipes:

(Photos courtesy of the Tailored Fitness Facebook page)

I thoroughly enjoyed my two months of Tailored Fitness! Like I said, I’m a busy lady, and I need something that’s quick and easy. Plus, during my first month of membership, I did not have a car. So if I had a gym membership, I wouldn’t be able to get there easily. I love that the workouts are customizable, too! I have injuries (hip and ankle), and I enjoy yoga more than anything else. But some days, I wanted to do cardio. I was able to switch it up, and I was able to do my workouts right in my living room. It’s absolutely perfect for my lifestyle! Plus, the videos are filmed very professionally, and the women in them are great motivators! In addition to the workouts, Tailored Fitness has a private Facebook group so you can connect with other members and share ideas. It’s really awesome having such a supportive community, especially during a transitional phase (like losing weight or getting healthy).

Join The 27 Day Challenge!

This Lean & Clean 2015 Challenge started on Jan. 5, so it’s already a week in. But that doesn’t mean it’s too late to join! If you’re interested in video workouts, clean eating tips, recipes and accountability/community, join the challenge today! ***In honor of the release of the mobile app, this challenge is being offered for free! What do you have to lose? Nothing, except maybe some body fat. 😉 The challenge ends Jan. 31, so join ASAP if you’re interested!

Also, if you like comfortable, non-slip headbands, Autumn worked with Banded to create a Tailored Fitness headband! You can purchase one here.

Want to learn more about Tailored Fitness?

Check out their blog (it’s amazing), Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube & Pinterest! Once the app is released, you can download it here.

Thank you for checking out my blog! If you’d like to receive new posts right to your inbox, you can subscribe here!

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XO

Lyndsay

Twitter | Instagram

Lifestyle Personal SoCal

What Are You Thankful For? A SCBS Link Up

November 25, 2014 By lyndsinreallife 3 Comments

Happy Tuesday! This month, I am the head blogger for the SoCal Blogger Society link up. Check out the bloggers participating below, and link up with us if you’d like!

Since Thanksgiving is this week, I would like to share who and what I am thankful for.

My Parents

My mom and dad live in Ohio- 2300 miles away from me (LA). It’s hard being so far away from them, but they do everything they can to make sure I know I’m loved. Whether it’s helping me pay my rent, sending me essential oils to help my immune system, or sending a text to check up on me, my parents are there giving me support. I look up to them so much, and I’m thankful to have such smart, loving parents!

Archie

Puppies are the best anti-depressants. Ever. No matter how much I’m feeling down, Archie is always there to lick my tears and give me snuggles. He loves unconditionally, and he is a little ball of happiness. Plus, he’s just so dang cute!

Tim

My boyfriend, Tim, is my partner-in-crime. We’ve been best friends for 20+ years. We’ve been dating for exactly 2 years. We laugh EVERY day. Tim is my backbone; my support system. He loves me for me, and encourages me to live the life I want. I’m thankful to have a partner who truly makes me a better person.

California Weather

It may be silly, but I am incredibly thankful for the weather in SoCal. The abundant sunshine helps my bipolar and seasonal affective disorder bearable in the winter. Even when it’s cloudy and in the 60s, I love the weather. Like, LOVE it. 68 & sunny is my perfect day, and that happens pretty often this time of year. Plus I live 6 miles from the ocean. It’s perfect!

What are you thankful for this holiday season?

I invite you to link up with us below!

An InLinkz Link-upCheck out my feature on SoCal Blogger Society and get more info on this month’s link up!

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XO

Lyndsay

Twitter | Instagram

Beauty Holistic Living Reviews

Shape + Firm With Erbaviva Organic

October 3, 2014 By lyndsinreallife 2 Comments

I think most women can agree that shaping and firming our skin is something we are into. Especially for ladies like me who live in Southern California where it’s “beach weather” 10 months of out the year! Sometimes, we need a little more than great nutrition and exercise- we need outer nutrition for our skin. That’s where Erbaviva comes in!

First let me share a little background of who Erbaviva is:

In the defining spirit of voyagers, Robin and Anna were among the very first to seek out and source the highest quality organic ingredients possible for their original organic baby skincare line in 1996. Desiring the healthiest, safest and most natural products for their newborn, the couple developed distinctively pure products, consciously crafted with ultimately nourishing living herbs and botanicals and free from harsh detergents, chemical fragrances and other unhealthy additives. Erbaviva was born (website).

Credit: David Jordan Williams – Williams Studio

In addition to having amazing skincare products, Erbaviva was also founded in Southern California! Being that I live in SoCal, I find this extra exciting. 🙂

Disclosure: I found Erbaviva through Twitter, and connected with the company via email. They offered to send me the entire line of the shaping and firming products in the hopes that I would write an honest review on my blog. No monetary compensation was received. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.

Here’s some information on the shaping and firming line:

An exquisite custom-blended collection of USDA Certified Organic spa-grade salts and essential oils brimming with active botanicals and enzymes that effectively absorb into the skin and inspire your body’s natural ability to firm, shape and tone. These USDA certified organic skin care products bring spa quality treatments to your home. Therapeutic grade pink pepper, ginger and sandalwood stimulate circulation and tone while frankincense and helichrysum encourage cell regeneration and promote skin elasticity. Erbaviva’s Shaping and Firming line is presented in two dynamic phases for greater efficacy (website).

Products:

For the first two weeks, you start off by using the shaping line. There’s the shaping salt, shaping oil, and shaping essence. There are a few ways to use them: put the salt in your bath water, then use the oil and essence after you get out; rub the salt and oil together on your skin after your shower, then use the essence; or (if you only take showers and don’t want salt everywhere) rub the salt on your skin in the shower, then use the oil and essence after the shower.

After the two weeks, repeat this process using the firming products. Simple!

I’m super impressed by these products. They smell and feel amazing, plus they not only shape and firm my skin, they moisturize it, too! For someone who goes through a ridiculous amount of lotion a day, Erbaviva is a saving grace. I used the products for four weeks to see how they worked, and they work great! There’s definitely a difference in my thighs and stomach/love handles. My skin is smoother and looks more refreshed! Unfortunately, I don’t have any photos because my camera broke. 🙁 I’ll have to do this process again when I have a working camera, and add the photos to this post!

Erbaviva also has skincare for moms-to-be, babies, everyday essentials, bath and body, and aromatherapy! There’s so many different products, it’s almost impossible to choose which ones to get! You can check out the shaping and firming line here, and the rest of the products here.

You can also find Erbaviva on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest!

Thank you Erbaviva for the amazing opportunity to try your products, & thank you to my readers for checking out my blog!!

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XO

Lyndsay

Instagram | Twitter

Lifestyle Personal

When The House You Grew Up In Is No Longer “Home”

July 18, 2014 By lyndsinreallife 16 Comments

It is always so hard leaving Cleveland to head back to LA. I’ve lived in NE Ohio all my life. I left in February 2013 to move to Los Angeles, Calif. to be with my boyfriend (who was my best friend for 19 years before that). I visited Ohio three times last year, and this was my first trip back this year. I’ve been in Ohio for two weeks, and leave tomorrow morning for Chicago for a week.

There’s a quote from the movie Garden State that sums up exactly how I feel each time I leave Ohio:

“You know that point in your life when you realize that the house you grew up in isn’t really your home anymore…all of the sudden even though you have some place to put your shit, that idea of home is gone…or maybe it’s like this rite of passage…you will never have that feeling again until you create a new idea of home for yourself, for your kids, for the family you start. It’s like a cycle or something. Maybe that’s all family really is: a group of people that miss the same imaginary place.”

I knew moving to LA would change me. That was the point, after all. I wasn’t doing much with my life when I lived in Ohio before. I have a bachelor’s degree in speech therapy and audiology, but I was working three part-time jobs for minimum wage. I had no direction. No ambition. No purpose. I left my parents, two brothers, two nephews, and pup to live in LA. To find myself. Whatever that means.

I always have a similar experience when I come back to Ohio. My trip starts off with me despising being here. It’s dirty, the weather sucks, and everyone and everything is the same. Then a week passes, and I realize how much I love knowing where I am driving, how much I love the thunderstorms, the ability to see friends and family at the drop of a hat, spending time with my nephews, and the comfort and support that I don’t usually get in LA. I realize that Ohio will always be my home, even though LA is now my home. I honestly feel like I have two homes. It’s such an interesting feeling.

I spent time with my older brother, Chris, whom I rarely talk to anymore, and my nephews Toby and Eli tonight. I took Toby to his soccer practice and we picked up dinner for Chris, and then played in the backyard. It was a very simple evening. An evening that happens a lot for people and they wouldn’t think twice about it. But it meant so much to me.

My nephews, Toby and Eli. <3 (taken tonight while playing in their backyard)

Now I am at my parents, packing up all my things, and I just want to cry. But the thing is, I’m not really sure why. I’m very sad to leave. I don’t know when I will be back. I’m sad that my parents are selling the house I grew up in, so when I come back, I really won’t have a home. I’m also happy that I have a place that I miss so much. A place filled with family and friends and people I love. It’s very bittersweet. I noticed that I stopped saying goodbye to people. I didn’t say bye to my dog Emma. Or my dad (although I thought I would see him again before I left). Or my mom. Or sister-in-law. I think that’s because I don’t want to accept that I am leaving. It’s been a year and a half since I left Ohio, and there are so many things that I can’t stand here, but it’s still such an important place in my heart. I can’t seem to let go.

And I don’t think I want to.

Have you ever left home? What was your experience with creating a new home for yourself?
How do you define home?

Ambassador Nutrition Reviews

Delta Labs Postnatal Supplement + GIVEAWAY!

July 14, 2014 By lyndsinreallife 7 Comments

Attention all mommies! Weight loss, lactation enhancer, postnatal, safe for mom & baby. If these phrases resonate with you, read on!

Delta Labs makes a postnatal supplement that does all of these! It’s simply named Postnatal.

What’s awesome about Postnatal is that it is a fat burner, but it does not contain caffeine (like other fat burners). Because it doesn’t contain caffeine, it’s safe for mom AND baby! So if you’re breastfeeding, no problem! It works as a fat burner because it is thermogenic, meaning it produces more energy in the body. Energy production equals fat burning. Simple as that! Postnatal also has the highest quality glucomannan, fenugreek, white kidney bean, and marshmallow extract, four herbs that are a great blend for increasing lactation, and nutritionists agree!

(Image Source)

Postnatal is also gluten-free and vegan! The capsules are veggie capsules, and are very easy to swallow. You take one supplement twice a day, and each bottle is a 30 day supply. Get back to your pre-pregnancy weight, increase milk production, and boost metabolism safely with Postnatal!

Now that you’ve read how awesome Postnatal is, do you want to give it a try? Perfect, because I am giving away FIVE samples!

To be eligible to win, you must:

Follow Delta Labs on Twitter
Follow Delta Labs on Instagram
Like Delta Labs on Facebook
Follow The Balanced Brunette on Instagram
Like The Balanced Brunette on Facebook
Be 18+ years of age
Live in the United States
Comment on this blog post once all of the above are completed!

Five winners will be chosen at random, and will be mailed their samples from Delta Labs directly! This giveaway ENDS on Friday, July 25, 2014 at 9 p.m. PST. Good luck!!

If you’re excited to get the full bottle, or try any of the other amazing Delta Labs supplements (I take them all!), enter code GETFITWITHLYNDS at checkout for $5 off!

Disclosure: I am offering this giveaway as an ambassador with Delta Labs. I do not receive anything from this giveaway, but do receive perks as an ambassador. I only recommend products that I use personally or believe would be beneficial for my readers, therefore all opinions are 100% my own.

Ambassador Events Nutrition SoCal

PLUSH Show 2014 With Delta Labs

June 9, 2014 By lyndsinreallife 7 Comments

Yesterday, I had the awesome opportunity of representing Delta Labs at the PLUSH Show in Downtown Los Angeles! I am an ambassador with Delta Labs, which is a company with an all-natural line of supplements for women based in New York, and the president of the company, Debbie, reached out to me asking if I would help with the booth. I jumped at the chance!! And I am SO glad I did!

Our BEAUTIFUL booth, photo courtesy of the Delta Labs Facebook Page

The PLUSH Show/Expo is a high-end trade show put on by PlushLittleBaby and labeled the posh little urbanities show. It’s a place for new moms, expecting moms, veteran moms, anyone remotely interested in being a mom, and also a few dads to check out high-quality mom and baby products! There were so many booths with great products and services. It was definitely very “posh”! The event is usually indoors, but it was outdoors this year at the Los Angeles Center Studios. It was pretty hot, so unfortunately a lot of people left early. It was a little too much for the kiddos. I, however, loved it! I don’t often get to spend a lot of time outdoors (living in SoCal, I really should work to change this), and I was enjoying myself so much that I didn’t really notice! Which is saying a lot for me, because I am always the one complaining about the heat!

While most blog reviews of the PLUSH Show will be about the booths, products, and experiences as a mom, this one specifically is about my experience working my first trade show with an amazing company!

I have been an ambassador with Delta Labs for a couple months now. I absolutely LOVE the supplements, and take 7 out of the 8! The only one I don’t take is the postnatal, because, well, I don’t have babies! I spent the day with the president of the company, Debbie, her daughter, Alisha, and the company’s photographer/friend, Jason. Hands down THE coolest people EVER! Debbie is absolutely gorgeous, and hearing her talk with such passion about Delta Labs was contagious. She told me that she was loving being an entrepreneur and enjoying her time now that her kids are grown, and she spoke with such happiness, pride, and class. It was powerful being in her presence. If I become half the woman she is, I’ll be happy. She is absolutely wonderful! It is extremely comforting having such a strong, passionate, intelligent woman behind a company that I represent and support 100%.

The Delta Labs supplements on display at our booth. Aren’t they beautiful?!

Alisha is her daughter, and she is one year older than me. She is a gorgeous, loving, fun girl (at what age do we start saying woman? I feel so weird calling myself a woman still!). She was so accepting of me. I get anxiety about going new places, but Alisha was so cool and helpful, that I didn’t have anxiety at all! As I’ve mentioned before in my posts, I have bipolar disorder, so I can get manic and very chatty, and tend to say really dumb things haha. Not once did I feel embarrassed to be myself around these ladies, and that rarely happens here in LA for me.

Jason, the photographer, was super cool, too! He has been on a few daytime television shows (he was the drinking expert on 1,000 Ways To Die LOL), and has such an awesome, fun personality.

It was so great spending the day with such awesome, fun, cool people, sharing about women’s health! I am passionate about health and what we put in our bodies, so getting to talk to so many amazing, beautiful moms and moms-to-be about high-quality supplements was simply wonderful! Plus I got to meet a lot of cool little kids, and being a nanny, I love cool little kids! Haha.

Also, I got to meet and hold a 7-week-old chihuahua puppy, which just made my day!

So yep, it was a wonderful day! Now I need to travel to New York to visit them! Haha. Can you believe I’ve never been to NYC?

I highly recommend checking out deltalabsusa.com and seeing what their stellar supplements are all about! Email me at lyndsay{at}thebalancedbrunette{dot}com if you have any questions! And use code GETFITWITHLYNDS for $5 off!! **Not valid on bundles