PV.Body Review Package #3 – Pv.Body Ambassador! :)

Hello everyone! 🙂

How’s your December so far?!  I hope everything is going well and you are all done with the Christmas Shopping.

Are you still thinking of what to get for your runner friends and family? Head over to this post: Gift Ideas For Runners to help you find great ideas on what to give them.

My husband and I have done our very best to find the best gifts for our friends and family. My family from the Philippines will arrive tomorrow afternoon. I can’t wait to celebrate Christmas with them. For sure it’s going to be a busy holiday for us! 🙂

Last Tuesday, my December package from pv.body arrived on our doorstep!!! 🙂 If you haven’t heard of this rave yet, it’s basically a subscription of high-end workout clothes like Lululemon, Lorna Jane, Nike, American Apparel… etc. You receive a top and a bottom each month for a very low price ($49.95/month). Head over to my previous posts to see what I have received so far from this super awesome company. I have already received three orders from pv.body (I signed up last October) and I love all of them!

I am so thrilled and ecstatic to share with you guys that I just recently became a Pv.Body Ambassador. That means, I can give my readers, followers, friends, family, all of you guys a 20% off when you sign up through my link: (http://pvbody.com/try/athleteinme). 

This month, they are doing give aways everyday until the 24th. You are automatically entered when you sign up through my link to win their prizes. Check out their Facebook page to see what prizes they have each day.

Ok, so let’s do the math again. When you sign up for this month through my link, you will get:

*TOP + BOTTOM + FREE 2nd TOP + a chance to win a prize

*Subtotal: $ 49.95

*Discount: 20% (when you sign up through my link)

*Shipping: always FREE

*Total: $39.94 – sweet deal!

So, let’s go back to my pretty pink package I received this month.

My outfits were nicely wrapped in pink and white tissue paper! I felt like opening a present! 🙂

I got a pretty sky blue long sleeves top from Colosseum (never heard of this brand before), original retail price $34.00.

It has a nice print on it that makes it different among other workout clothes I own. The best part of it are the thumb holes! 🙂

Definitely a thumbs up for these! 🙂

For the bottom, I got these low-rise capris from NUX. Original retail price on their website, $65.

These capris are very soft with a wide waistband (which I like!) and rouching at the bottom (cute!).

I’m not really a fan of low-rise leggings. They give me an instant “muffin top”! I could wear low-rise pants/leggings if I find some that aren’t too tight but then it would slide down when you’re running. I usually go for mid-rise for pants/leggings. I considered sending them back but after walking and lounging around the house in them, I realized they’re very comfortable and perfect for running because they don’t slide down.

The top is a bit thin and see-through so, I’d wear something inside or use it as a cover up. The black tank top from my November package would be perfect underneath it! I can’t wait to wear them on yoga class this weekend. 🙂

The fabric is soft and light and I totally dig the thumb holes.Overall, I love my December package! My experience with them so far is great and I’m so happy to be part of their company as an ambassador.

So if you’re interested in trying pv.body, my link will give you 20% off when you sign up. This is the perfect gift you can give to yourself this Christmas. 🙂

That’s it for now, it’s been gloomy and rainy the past few days here in Ohio. I’m dreaming of a White Christmas and I hope all the rain we’re getting here will turn into snow (like the snow effect on my blog). 🙂

Have a Merry Christmas everyone! 🙂

Gift Ideas For Runners

A friend from med school asked me the other day for Christmas gift ideas for her husband. Apparently, her husband had just recently started running and she thought it’s best to seek help from me. 🙂

What gifts did you get for the fitness fanatics in your life?

To those who have not shopped yet for the runners in your life, here’s a list of my favorites. I thought of sharing this because it may benefit someone and make their last-minute shopping easy. 🙂

1.) Socks Socks Socks! – In my opinion, runners can never have enough socks! 🙂 I love this brand Icebreaker for socks, but the Champion socks at Target are good too. They’re really good athletic socks for a cheap price.

2.) Ipod Shuffle – If the runner on your gift list loves listening to music while running he or she will love this itsy bitsy tiny iPod shuffle. It so small but has enough storage space for lots of songs. Available in fun colors too.

I ordered mine at Apple.com. I love it because it’s not bulky and it features a clip on the back, so you can clip it anywhere on your clothing and not have to worry about holding it in your hand or carrying the big ones in an armband or running belt. I also had it personalized for free! 🙂 It’s reasonably priced that will make you want to add iTunes Gift Card with it. 🙂

3.) Garmin Watch – You can go from the basic Forerunner 10 – for any runner who just wants to press a button and run or, for the most expensive Forerunner 910 – more advanced and errrr complicated (that’s just me! lol!) watch. I have the Forerunner 210 and I love it! As long as it gives me final time, mile splits, pace, and distance – that’s it! I’m good to go! 🙂

4.) Visor/Cap – In hot summer days, I like visors more (more than caps) because they allow your head to breath. You can go for the more common black or white color or you can ask your runner what colors of running clothes they have to give you an idea of what color to get.5.) Medal Hangers – You can order them from here – www.medalhangers.com/. You can customize and personalize them too. This is something you can give to those who have done many races.  I don’t have that much medal yet but I plan on getting this for myself soon! 🙂 This is a nice way to display my hard-earned bling!

6.) A  good headband for the runner girls in your life – Sweaty Bands – my favorite company. Not only they have super cute designs, they don’t slide from my head. They’re the only headband I wear. I actually bought one again just recently to wear for snowboarding! 🙂

I suggest finding out what your runner’s favorite color is. Throw in some hair ties too! They will definitely love you for that. Every girl, runner or not, loves cute hair accessories!

Click this link to get 5% off from SweatyBands.com! 🙂

7.) Jewelry – Speaking of accessories, you can give them something from this website too – Inspiredendurance.com. They have a lot of cute jewelry that you can customize according to what kind of race they do. It’s so cool! 🙂 The running necklaces, charms and earrings are so cute.

8.) Running Store Gift Cards or Gift Certificates – You can never go wrong with this. This shows your support for their passion to run. It also gives them the opportunity to shop for what they need along the way. Oh, trust me! Every runner wants something in a running store. Just ask for their favorite running store and for sure, you will make any runner smile with any amount you give! They can get anything from gu gels, energy bars, clothing, to the most expensive running shoes! They’re choice and they’re happy! 🙂

So, there you have it – a breakdown of my gift ideas for runners. I hope that helps generate some gift ideas for the runners in your life.

To the runners out there, what are in your wish list? Let’s keep the ideas flowing and share them in comments below!

PV.Body Review Package #2

The week after Thanksgiving, my lovely package from pv.body appeared on our doorstep. It’s my second package and I’m soooo excited to share with you guys what I got this time! 🙂

To those who have not read my post about my first package (October), go here. 🙂

To be honest, I was a bit skeptical at first about signing up. I’m very picky when it comes to workout clothes. Clothing sizes vary from store to store. I am usually particular with the length of pants and leggings. I usually get small but sometimes the size small for some brands (like UnderArmour) would be several inches too long for me, so I would end up getting the extra small. It is really important for me to try on the clothes first in the store before I purchase them. But I decided to suck it up and push my doubts aside. So far, I’m loving what they’re sending me! 🙂

I love their very pretty packaging. My clothes were folded nicely and wrapped in gift wrapping tissue paper. Who doesn’t want to receive treats like that?! It’s like Merry Christmas to me every month! 🙂

I got this nice top from NUX USA.

and, yoga pants from Performance Sportswear by American Apparel. This color is something I wouldn’t pick for myself but I like it! It’s my first colored pants! All of my fitness pants are either black or gray, so this is a perfect addition to my workout clothes. 🙂 And again, that wide waist band which I like for pants – gotta wear something that will help hide those bulges! 🙂

I didn’t know American Apparel sells workout clothes. I checked the pants online and I think what they sent me is this. It is priced $48 on their website.

I was surprised at how much I like them after trying them on. The fabric is soft and stretchy. I like that it is made of 90% nylon. When buying workout clothes, I look for clothes that are made of wicking materials (such as polyester, lycra, nylon, etc) which pull moisture away from the body to keep me dry, comfortable and cool. I also prefer these kinds of material as my winter base layer. They’re great for providing warmth and yet very thin and light. I think they are the same quality as the more expensive Lululemon leggings.

My top is this, priced $45. It’s in their “moderate compression” category so it feels fitted. It has a built-in seamless shelf bra and adjustable straps. So far I like the feel of this. I will wear this for yoga class for now and for my runs in the spring or summer.

I definitely got a steal here! When you add the two, both are worth $93 and I only got them for $39.95. For me, this is a good deal for great workout clothes…especially if I get more expensive or popular brands like Lululemon and Lorna Jane. I am hoping to get them for my next package! Crossing my fingers! *hint *hint pv.body!

I love love love this service and I am excited to receive my December package! I knew that this company was new when I registered in October. They just started in September of this year so I knew there will be some glitches in their customer service. I pretty much took a risk signing up! BUT I am not regretting it because I love everything I’m getting from them! Maybe I am one of the lucky ones who didn’t have problems. I have huge faith for this company (‘coz I love clothes! What girl doesn’t?!). I know they’ll be able to fix issues soon and will grow big fast! I hope they open a line for men too. My husband is getting jealous. He wants to have a subscription of workout clothes too! 🙂 *hint *hint again pv.body! Lol! 😛

So if you love to workout like me, want some high quality workout clothes, surprises in the mail and that Christmas feeling every month then pv.body is for you!

If you’re interested head over to this link (http://pvbody.com/try/athleteinme) to get 20% off when you sign up.

I’d love to hear what you think when you receive your first package! Link your reviews to this post and share what you got. I’m sure a lot of us are curious what others are getting.

P.S. I love spreading cheer the old-fashioned way. Go ahead and fill out my address book, if you want to receive a Christmas card from me!  … I know you want one!

Embracing Winter

It’s December and with a little more than two weeks before the official start of winter season, my husband and I are now ready to welcome it with arms wide open. It’s definitely the most wonderful time of the year, but with it, comes bitter cold temperatures and difficult traveling conditions. I wish everyone to be safe and to make sure to bundle up!

I’ve decided to lie low from joining races for the coming season but that doesn’t mean I’ll forget about running. My love for running will never fade. 😛 I will still keep running through the winter. I have yet to experience running in the snow and ice. I know, it may seem crazy to think about it but a lot of people say it’s really fun and with the right gear, it’s doable!

I’ve only started serious running this year and so far, I prefer running in cold temps than in the heat and humidity of summer. I love that I don’t have to wake up at 5:30 in the morning to beat the heat. I love getting out there and knowing that even though I’m cold starting out, I’ll eventually warm up. I love being outside, even if it’s cold.

To those who have ran in the winter cold and snow, care to share your experience?

Speaking of snow, Perfect North Slopes (related post: Mudstash update) opened last weekend! 🙂 They have made enough snow during the past cold days to have a few runs open for preview. We dragged ourselves early Saturday to the place to check it out and get a head start on the slopes. 🙂

We came to pick up our season pass too!

Our season pass is good for one day per week. Since they had a limited amount of terrain open last weekend, they considered both Saturday and Sunday, bonus days! So, we got to go again on Sunday with our season pass for free! Awhhh-some! 🙂

It was hot for snowboarding on those two days. The temp was in the high 50s. We didn’t have to wear thick jackets. Some of the people were wearing shorts while skiing and snowboarding. I thought they looked weird. 😛

Here are some of the videos we took that day! We were trying to learn how to “butter“. But in order to that, we had to learn how to spin first.

My husband did a good job and learned it pretty fast!

As winter comes, try not to hibernate! Don’t wait for spring to get active again. Beat winter blues! Get outside if you can.

Winter sports are not for everyone. If the cold isn’t your cup of hot chocolate, there are alternatives to still get active indoors.

For me, if the weather doesn’t permit me to go running outside, I go to our local gym and use their treadmill. Sometimes, I join my friends play indoor volleyball with them.

My arms got so bruised after I played volleyball for the first time again after so many years.

It has been so long since I played volleyball. This is totally normal for the first few days. The impact of the volleyball damages the small vessels under your skin. I’ve had this before during my first days of volleyball training when I was in high school. Once you play more, you get used to it and the bruising gets minimal ’til you don’t get them anymore.

More bruises on my knees too. I will definitely remind myself to wear knee pads the next time I play again. 😦

Another alternative that my husband use to be active indoor, his indoor bike trainer.

Basically, you put your bike’s back wheel in the trainer, and then pedal your bike, but it doesn’t go anywhere. Depending on the trainer, you can set the angles and tension to give yourself a more rigorous workout.

Winter weather can sometimes make working out seem less than desirable but there are really no excuses for my husband and me. There will always be a way if you really want to. So, bring it on Winter! We’re so ready for you!

Do you have alternative workouts in the winter? What activities do you do to stay active in the winter?

Have you guys set up your Christmas tree yet?

We already did! 🙂

Christmas is definitely in the air in our home! 🙂

I love spreading cheer the old-fashioned way. Go ahead and fill out my address book, if you want to receive a Christmas card from me!  … I know you want one! 🙂