happiness

Valentine’s Day: Date Night Spots in San Francisco

02.02.2017

Happy first of February! Today I am in the mood for Valentines day and I’m SOOO excited to share these images with you guys today. A special someone is making an appearance on the blog and was such a sport shooting these pictures. Today is a bit of a different post than what you will normally see on the blog. I wanted to bring a bit of a fashion element, as well as share some of our favorite date night restaurants in lieu of Valentines Day right around the corner!

OUTFIT DETAILS: Windsor Dress (on major sale- under $30!!) / Christian Louboutin Heels

We love doing the cliche dinner date thing on Valentines Day. Jeff usually surprises me with a reservation somewhere special each year. We have also been trying to go to a nice dinner together at least once a month where we go all out (aka major cheat night!) Below are some of our favorite date night spots in San Francisco. Spruce is definitely my all time favorite spot. We have had many great date nights there and hopefully many more to come.

As you can probably tell, I love getting dressed up for Valentines Day and have found so many cute dresses lately! The dress I’m wearing in this post was only $28 from Windsor Store!! Such a steal. We have an event to go to this weekend which is the reason behind the fancy gown. 🙂 Here is a major roundup of dresses I’ve had my eye on (at all price points) perfect for date night:

A Note of Encouragement

03.20.2014

Dear you, (the newly committed gym-goer)

I saw you walk into the gym yesterday for the very first time. I could tell that you were scared, confused and were looking for some guidance. It’s an intimidating place if you are not familiar! Maybe you will read this and not feel as discouraged and know that there are others out there feeling the way you do. I’m sure you were afraid to ask anyone for help, but just know, there are people out there willing to help and guide you.

I know firsthand how scary it is to walk into the gym for the very first time, especially the weight room. The weight room is full of guys, just waiting for a girl to walk in to give them something to look at. Sweating, grunting guys that know the weight room like the back of their hand. Not the most inviting place, right? The day I decided to start lifting I wandered around like a lost puppy, not knowing what to do next. Trying to remember the exercises that I saw in the magazines or from the workout dvds I would do in my room. The nerves started to get to me, as every guy would look over to see what I was doing. Ok, so the staring never goes away, but the more you step foot in the gym, the more confidence you will have I promise! So after a week or so, I was getting the hang of this whole weight room thing. No more cardio bunny for me! I wrote down my workouts in my phone, so I was prepared. Kept track of the weights I was using so I could progress each time. Let me tell you, I am so thankful that I kept at it and didn’t let the weight room scare me away. Lifting has changed my life and I wouldn’t be the person I am today without it. Sounds so cheesy I know, but I have truly learned so much about myself and what my mind and body are truly capable of. Oh and ps- lifting WILL NOT make you “bulky”. (More about that another time.)

Anyways, it will get easier, trust me! As time goes on, you will start to watch others do different exercises and learn from people that are working out beside you. You will become familiar with where each piece of equipment is and no longer wander around looking for it. The learning cycle never ends, because I still love finding new workouts to do from bodybuilding.com, different blogs and social media etc. But please please please don’t give up after just a few sessions. The gym is foreign territory now, but won’t be for long. Pretty soon you will walk in there like you own the place. Your body will transform if you work your butt off. You will soon have more confidence and you never know, you may be that confident girl that can wear tight spandex shorts or a sports bra and not feel self conscious. It is the best feeling in the world once you get there. One of the many reasons why I work out is to feel my best and most confident self. For you and everyone that is scared to walk into the weight room, I dare you to do it. Step outside of your comfort zone and own it. You won’t regret facing your fears and stepping into a whole new world that may change your life as it did mine.

Lots of love, Jenna

October Goal List

10.02.2013

I don’t know about you guys, but I love fall! Over-sized sweaters, boots, hats…well sort of. In San Francisco it’s now our summer? Anyways, I do love all things that come with fall! But since summer is over lets not get lazy and stop working out! With the holidays near, lets focus on balance. With home cooked meals and family get-togethers around the corner lets not feel guilty for enjoying them, but focus more on balance. Balance with nutrition, workouts and family time. Since yesterday was our first day of October I put together a list of goals this month.

Find a boxing gym and learn how to box!
Focus on portion control and measure portion sizes
Nike Women’s Half Marathon and Run10Feed10 Event
Find a new clean pumpkin recipe to master
Spend time studying to get NCCPT certified- Need to buckle down and hit the books
Inspire at least one person on their fitness journey
Spend more time blogging, writing, and creative thinking
Compile a list of scary movies to re-watch
Rent a cabin with friends for a long weekend
Sweat daily!!

I would love to hear- what’s on your October goal list?

My First Full Marathon!!!

06.18.2013

I still can’t believe it. If you follow me on Facebook, I’m sure you’ve heard the news, but for those who haven’t, I completed my first full marathon this weekend at The Wipro San Francisco Marathon! It’s kind of a funny story, and definitely did not imagine my first marathon to happen like this. So here’s how it went.

Believe it or not, I went to the race with the thought of running the half. I had a full marathon bib, but havent trained and was definitely planning to wing it. A friend of mine has been training like crazy for her first full, and I got a couple of runs in with her but had no intention of running the full 26! At mile 2 I told her, “Wouldnt that be crazy if I ran the full with you?” Crazy, it was! When we approached mile 13 if was feeling great and she turned to me and said “so….what are you going to do.” I honestly didn’t even think about it, I went for it! Most everyone would want to be finished at mile 13, right? I’m not going to lie, when I saw the half finish line it was hard! But I knew I could do this, I knew I could finish the full and how amazing it would be if i did.

I couldn’t have asked for a better cheerleader by my side. My friend, Luba stuck by my side the entire run. She was motivating me like crazy, talking to me the whole time, telling me not to give up. I never doubted her, but by mile 20 my body was definitely taking a hit. It was the hardest thing I have ever done in my life! But I knew I had to finish, there was no other option. By the last mile, I was dragging but it was amazing to hear so many runners rooting me on, telling me we were almost done.

Although it was by no means easy, it was also one of my biggest accomplishments. I still can’t believe that I completed my first Full marathon with no training! It was an emotional experience. By the last mile I couldn’t hold back the tears. The feeling was unexplainable.

I wouldn’t recommend that anyone else try this, but I do recommend you train and go for it! My mind and heart literally took over my body and I accomplished something that I never thought I could. It’s so important to listen to your body and what it is telling you. The only reason why I went ahead with it is because I knew that I could make it. I knew my body could handle the pressure. All the strength training I do is what came in handy. My heart was telling me yes. So I went for it. Push your body, but know your limits. Train, train, train so you are not as sore as I am today!!

I will post later about post-marathon recovery, as it’s one of the most important parts. I am the most sore I have ever been before, so now its time to take care of my body and replenish all the nutrients I lost during the 4 hours and 46 minutes of running. The soreness will fade but the awesome story will last forever.

Congrats to all my fellow runners! You can finally say “I did it. I never gave up. I never quit.” Those moments of pain turned into memories and an accomplished goal that only 1% of the population could obtain. This was the world’s 15th hardest marathon course! You did it! Now you can thank yourself for the rest of your life. It’s truly a life changing moment.

Next up is the Live Ultimate Run in San Francisco on June 30th! To sign up enter code: AmbassadorJenna for 10% off your entry!

“Running is like celebrating your soul. There is so much it can teach us about life.”

What’s Up & Coming with Fitness&theCity!

06.04.2013

Hope everyone had a fab weekend! I have a ton of exciting stuff coming up which I am DYING to share with you! But…still working out the kinks so I will update soon as to new companies and events I will be associated with!

In the mean time…check out:

FITzeefoods.com – An AMAZING company that ships HEALTHY meals to your door! I was weary about the idea of pre-packaged food at first, but after I tried the food and read more about the company, this place is in the know and I am obsessed! Their mission to provide healthy food to on-the-go people had me, then I tried the food and was in heaven. Tastes like nothing I have tried before. More to come about FITzee. 🙂

and

Live Ultimate RUN San Francisco – looking for a 5k or quarter marathon in San Francisco? Join me June 30th!!

I totally went out on a limb this weekend. My friend invited me to join her running group, Run 365, for a 12 mile run! Yes, 12 miles. Holy cow I have not run that far in a long time! I was super nervous and honestly didn’t think I would make it. (Thank you for all the encouragement on the Facebook page!!) But…we made it! Finished at a 9:30 pace, which was one pace group ahead of ours. I couldn’t believe it, especially since I havent been running at all and spend all my time lifting. I guess lifting pays off! So what has this taught me? That my friend can successfully convince me to run a full marathon. Perhaps this year. And the saying mind over matter holds true! Running with a friend completely changes the way your mind works. We chatted the whole run and the time flew by! From this day forward, I will continue to run with a partner and not hold back or be intimidated by a huge task. Anything is possible and who knows, maybe there will be a full marathon in my future? 🙂

Check out Run 365 for a training team in the Bay Area, encouragement and a fun group to run with!

After my new-found, or should I say, again-found, interest in running, I entered the drawing to run the Nike Women’s Marathon San Francisco! Fingers crossed I get picked to run for my 3rd year in a row! Nike puts on an amazing event, and I sure hope I don’t miss it! But…I couldn’t commit to the full just quite yet…I think I need more time to sink in the fact that I would be running 26 miles! To enter into the random drawing follow this link.

Have you rekindled a long-lost passion lately? If so tell us about it! 🙂

Thanks for reading!!

happiness

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