Holiday Gift Guide for the Host With The Most

I have a bunch of friends and family that are new homeowners that I have been on the hunt for host/hostess type gifts that will suit their new home and also be a thoughtful present this holiday season. Each person is different but there are so many fun ideas out there to buy for them all. From small items like a good cook book or a letterboard – to quality kitchen items like knives, and everything in between. One of my favorite gifts are the funny welcome mats you can find all over Etsy! Here is my holiday gift guide for the hostess in your life (or host!).

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If you ask my husband he will tell you that I already have FAR too many beauty products. But that just isn’t true. If you are a lover of all things beauty than you can realistically never have too many products. There are constantly new tools coming out for hair, makeup, etc that you really do need them all. If you happen to have a person in your life that is heavily into the beauty world then you are in luck. Christmas inspiration for them is quite easy. If you don’t think so – then I am here to help! Here is my holiday gift guide for the beauty lover! 

Filled with beauty tools, bath accessories, silk pillowcase (this is on my list!), perfume, and so much more! There are so many things to choose from for the perfect gift.

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I had no intention of doing gift guides this year and then I started shopping online for presents in my own life. MAN it is a challenge. So I went to my friends and bloggers I follow and looked for inspiration for my list. After I did that I realized that holiday gift guides are a great way to help others with their inspiration. And isn’t that what I’m here for – to help and inspire others that follow me? I decided to only do a handful that I’ll be posting this week – starting with my holiday gift guide for the travel lover. 

Between beauty products that are great on the go, travel wallets with room for your passport, and more – here are some great places to start your present hunt.

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Must-Have Fall Winter Handbags To Put On Your Christmas List

With the holidays coming up one thing is certain, we are all on the hunt for things to add to our wish list to make holiday shopping for our significant others a little easier. I personally am that annoying wife that sends my husband a google doc with links, sizes, etc. all in one place and lets him pick from there. It saves him time and energy and since I am a bit particular – it makes life easier. After countless years I have yet to train him to do the same thing for me. SIGH. This year if you are on the hunt for a new bag – I’ve got you covered! Here are my must-have fall/winter handbags that you should add to your list! Shop Them All Here!

Shop Them All Here!

1.  Cognac Cross Body

2. Mauve Backpack

3. Patterned Crossbody Tote

4. Black & Tan Tote

5. Suede Belt Bag

6. Blush Mini Crossbody

7. Black & Tan Suede Tote

8. Mini Bucket Bag with Chain

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I have to be honest, I have never made short ribs before. They aren’t the most luxurious cuts of meat so they pose a bit of a challenge to get right. Enter the Crock-pot to save the day! There is so much room for error when cooking in a Crockpot and still ending up with a delicious meal. (Is that how that phrase goes?) Either way, I found that this recipe that I kind of just threw together one day after seeing a few similar ones around the internet – to be the easiest slow cooker meal out there. These slow cooker Keto beef short ribs were absolutely amazing!

Simply brown the meat on the stove top and throw in the ingredients to the slow cooker. I barely measured, if I am going to be honest with you, and it came out incredible! I threw it in early in the morning and had a late lunch that felt like I slaved in the kitchen for hours making. 

Keto Beef Short Ribs (crockpot)

2018-10-26 08:36:59

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Ingredients

1. 2 lbs of Beef Short Ribs
2. 2 tsp Swerve Sweetener (this is Keto, but you can use any sweetener you prefer. Some people love brown sugar)
3. 3 tsp Minced Garlic
4. 1 tbsp Grass-Fed Butter
5. Salt and Pepper to taste
6. Beef Broth (depending on your crockpot size I just fill it up to just about the height of the ribs.) No need to measure since you don't use the sauce.

Instructions

1. The best thing about crockpot recipes is I don't stress about measuring really. I like to make sure the meat has all of the liquid it needs to slow cook and become juicy, but beyond that I really just throw it all together and eyeball it.
2. Brown shortribs in a frying pan. No more than 30 seconds a side - then add to crockpot.
3. Mix all the ingredients into crockpot and leave on 'low' for 6-8 hours. Poke with fork to test if they are soft and done.
4. Serve over dish of choice - I enjoyed a kale salad with a zest of lemon.

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Why You Should Do a First Look at Your Wedding

There is a big shift in weddings recently that are taking a page from the more traditional route. They are nixing the first look before the ceremony and embracing the initial look when coming down the aisle. I’m not here to say that this traditional wedding moment is bad per say, but I definitely am SO glad I didn’t do it. Here is why you should do a first look at your wedding before your ceremony!

All photos by the AMAZING Sarah D’Ambra Photography.

Get Your Nerves Out Before the Ceremony by Doing a First Look

I don’t know about you – but I personally was a ball of nerves before my wedding. Not because I wasn’t sure of my future husband, I honestly don’t know why I was so nervous. I think having planned this day for essentially my entire life I was nervous that it was all happening finally. The main person I go to when I’m at this level of nervousness is Josh…..which is the one person I couldn’t go to before my wedding. Yes, my MOH Lizzie is my rock, but there’s not another person who can relate to what you are feeling other than the person who is feeling it also. 

Being able to have that moment with him before the ceremony drowned out all those nasty nerves and left the fun exciting butterflies. The second he turned around and kissed me I couldn’t think of anything else other than “let’s do the damn thing!”

Pictures of Your First Look Will Almost Definitely Come Out Better

Yes, obviously you will more likely than not have a beautiful shot coming down the aisle and your groom seeing you. But the chance that a relative will stand in your photographer’s way with their iPhone up in the air or the moment will be so fast it isn’t able to be caught as organically as it happened is much higher than a staged first look. I love that we have SO MANY photos of our first look. It’s not like a quick one or two. 

Having a First Look Doesn’t Take the Emotion Out of The Ceremony

Some people say that having a preplanned first look takes the emotion out of your walk down the aisle. I don’t think that at all. I can personally say I didn’t take my eyes off my future husband when I walked down the aisle – probably in a too much emotion, cheesy kind of a way. I cried, I laughed, and I loved every second of the walk and ceremony. The first look being reorchestrated didn’t take any of that emotion away.

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Keto Chocolate Chip Cookie Skillet

Keto Dessert Time with Keto Chocolate Chip Cookie Skillet

So I have been eating Keto for a few months now and can’t really imagine going back. Yes, I have my cheat weekend dates when out with a friend, but I stick pretty much to this way of eating. It just makes me feel good. My biggest weakness is sweets so I have been constantly trying new recipes that are keto adaptive that will satiate my sweet tooth. This keto chocolate chip cookie skillet – adapted by Rachael DeVaux‘s recipe is a real winner! (and yes, I am aware this pan I used isn’t a skillet. I don’t have a small version so settled for a baking dish)

I stumbled on this recipe from Rachel from Rachael DeVaux and adapted it just a smidge to cut out sugars. I also didn’t have a small cast iron skillet so I settled for a small baking dish. I think it did the trick! Honestly, I think I could have used my larger skillet, spread out the dough thinner and made the cookie more crispy which is how I prefer cookies. But my husband is a fan of the fluffy soft cookie texture – so it’s still a win in this house!

The recipe is so delicious and peanut buttery. It’s very satisfying and I can’t wait to eat it with a scoop of ice cream. Yum!

Keto Chocolate Chip Cookie Skillet

2018-09-26 13:58:31

Serves 2

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Prep Time

10 min

Cook Time

21 min

Prep Time

10 min

Cook Time

21 min

Ingredients

1. 1 egg
2. 3 tbsp Sugar Free Syrup or 30-40 drops of Stevia (Depending on how sweet you like it)
3. 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
4. 1/3 cup Natural Nut Butter (I used Peanut)
5. 1 tsp vanilla extract
6. 1 tbsp water
7. 1 cup almond flour
8. 1/4 cup collagen peptides (Rachel suggested this is optional. I added it because why not )
9. 1/4 tsp baking soda
10. 1/2 tsp cinnamon
11. 1/2 cup of Lily's Dark Chocolate Chips or 3/4 bar (stevia sweetened)
12. 1/4 tsp sea salt
13. 8-9 inch cast iron skillet or baking dish

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. In large bowl whisk the one egg and then pour in syrup, melted coconut oil, nut butter, vanilla and almond milk to whisk again until smooth.
3. Stir in almond flour, baking soda, cinnamon and some of the sea salt. Fold in chocolate chunks or chips, leaving several chocolate chunks aside.
4. Very lightly spray a 8 or 9-inch cast iron skillet or baking dish with coconut oil then pour batter into the base and spread out evenly. Place the last several pieces of chocolate over the top, sprinkle sea salt, then place in the oven for 19 minutes. Turn the oven on broil and cook 2 additional minutes **keep a close eye on it because it can burn quickly!

By Rachael DeVaux

Adapted from Rachael DeVaux

Adapted from Rachael DeVaux

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11 Days in Italy – Italy Travel Guide for Italian Honeymoon

I didn’t plan on writing an Italy travel guide recapping our honeymoon – but I’ve been asked for suggestions a few times and figured why not share our itinerary with everyone to help plan your trip. To start off – Josh and I traveled from Raleigh directly to Rome to start our 11-day honeymoon (this included travel days). We scheduled our flight home from Venice and knew that between landing and taking off again, we’d make our way across and north in the country. The rest we kind of made up as we went – which is exactly how we wanted it

My husband insisted (much to my complaining) that we only carry backpacks the entire trip. Knowing that we were traveling to a bunch of cities and using almost exclusively public transportation- the idea was logical. It made it very challenging for my wardrobe but I packed smart and honestly I’m glad I didn’t have a suitcase that needed to be lugged around the country. Our honeymoon consisted of traveling from Rome to Siena to Chianti to Florence to Venice, and here are all the details in each city for an Italy travel guide for your trip!

Rome, Italy Travel Guide

Day 1 – 2 Arrive in Rome

Where to stay in Rome –Relais Giulia

We landed in Rome around 6 am – we took sort of a red-eye from Raleigh, with time changes it was an Italian red-eye but we left early in the morning from the US. I would highly recommend this – we had a layover in NYC and I took some ZZZquil and a glass of wine and woke up in Italy.

We didn’t get to check into our hotel until early evening so we left our bags at the front desk. We decided that we would power through the day and try to avoid jet lag or being too tired in general. We had just got married and flew to Italy so we were definitely riding a high anyway. 

We basically just played tourist, ate pasta at every corner and drank all the red wine that Rome had to offer. Our hotel Relais Giulia was so lovely! It was a bit off the beaten path so it wasn’t noisy at night. They had a lovely breakfast we added on since we usually just wanted to grab something quick and get out on the town and the room was very beautiful and quaint. 

After Rome, we taxied back to the airport and rented a car for a few days.

Word to the Wise – You will be accosted by people selling random trinkets. It’s basically unavoidable in most places. It was extremely frustrating the entire time and I was really happy to be walking with Josh because I had one instance where he walked away for a minute and a man came right up to me basically touching me to try to get me to take a rose. I had just heard him yelling at another girl so I was prepared for this – but it was quite alarming since even in NYC you don’t really have that much of an aggressive tactic.

Must See Tourist Attractions in Rome:

Trevi Fountain –  Get there early in the morning – I was so excited to go to this (Hello Lizzie McGuire – but it was so crowded mid-afternoon that it took away so much of the charm)

Colosseum – definitely before you even leave the states, buy tickets ahead of time. We avoided a 3 hour-long line and walked right in at an appointed time. It was the one place Josh was DYING to go so I made sure to plan ahead for this tour. We did the audio tour and it was so fun!

Roman Forum– Josh and I have always said that we aren’t really the art appreciating people – but architecture and old ruins are right up our alley. Pick a sunnier day and just walk around – there is so much to see!

Vatican – This is obvious but don’t just be that lame tourist that walks up looks and walks away. The 100000 million steps (I’m estimating but I’m pretty sure it’s around that number) to get up to the very top of the Duomo was one of my favorite memories of the trip. 1 – I got to work off all the pasta and wine but 2 – it was a view I’ll never ever forget. Plus when you get to the top you can send postcards that are sent with special pope stamps. The Catholic school graduate in me went a little crazy and sent a bunch to my family.

Aventine Key Hole – Okay this sounds so weird – but you HAVE to go to this keyhole. We waited in a line to get a look through this treasured hole and it was so worth it. Don’t worry there was a food truck there that made sure Josh had a beer in hand so he would stop whining that we were waiting in line to look through a hole. But man when you get to see the absolutely stunning view of St Peters Dome on the other side – it makes it all worth it. (We then walked around the Hill and into random gardens where musicians were playing – it was so romantic!)

Spanish Steps – We capped one of our nights with some gelato on the Spanish Steps – how could we not! Definitely a great little experience. It was kind of neat just how many people were walking around on them and doing the same thing. 

Best Restaurants in Rome – 

Trattoria Polese – Holy Moly – This was a random stumble upon and it was such a beautiful and delicious way to start out our trip. We shared a bottle of the Montefalco Rosso and cacio e pepe and finished it off with their house tiramisu. It was heavenly!

La Tavernetta 48 – You cannot miss this place. The atmosphere was incredible. It was so small and cozy and the food was impeccable. We were definitely the only tourists there and it seemed that everyone knew the workers in some capacity. Plus the food was unforgettable – of course this place would make our Italy Travel Guide.

D’Angelo – This was a spot we stopped just for a glass of wine coming back from the Spanish Steps. It wasn’t anything crazy, but it’s on a quiet little street but still has people watching and was a great way to cap off a night. 

Siena, Italy Travel Guide

Day 3 – Travel to Siena

Where to Stay in Siena — B & B Palazzo Bulgarini

We picked up our rental car at the Rome airport (if you don’t know how to drive a stick shift make sure you book WAY ahead of time. We were lucky to have found an automatic car but they are not very common here) and drove to Siena. We knew we wanted to spend a few quiet days in the countryside of the country between our bigger city trips – so we started with Siena. On our way to the city, we stopped at the “beach” because Josh really wanted to be able to say he’s stuck his toe in a “sea” which neither of us ever had. It was only like 20 minutes off course.

Siena is a tricky town to navigate as a tourist. It’s not very frequented other than for their famous festival and it’s a VERY old town that is still completely surrounded by walls. You are not allowed to drive your car into the city so you have to find parking and walk through the gates of the city. It was a weird but amazing experience. 

We stayed at the B & B Palazzo Bulgarini – which was the most quaint B&B I have ever seen. The view from our room was unreal! It was just green countryside as far as the eye could see. 

Things to Do in Siena

We didn’t have any set plans here – we just got lost for hours and walked the streets – looked around old buildings and relaxed with each other. But Josh was so excited to be in this region because they are known for their wild boar. So naturally we walked around until we found a butcher shop that had dried wild boar and I’ve never seen that man happier. I tried it and I see what all the fuss was about.

We didn’t pick the best day of the week to go to a new city – most places were closed so we had to make do with the touristy places that were open. We ended up grabbing some dinner in the square and then buying a bottle of wine from the market and heading back to our balcony. It was so nice to relax after running around for days.

Chianti, Italy Travel Guide

Day 4-5 Chianti

Where to Stay in Siena — Villa Mangiacane

If I had to do any one part of the trip over again it would be our Chianti trip at Villa Mangiacane. I randomly found this villa on Instagram and fell in love with it immediately. We drove from Siena to this region of Tuscany and spent a few days basically just sitting around, drinking wine and talking. It was so romantic. While it rained most of the days – the villa was so beautiful it could have been storming and gross and it wouldn’t have mattered. 

We took a wine class at the villa and learned so much about Sangiovese and their history of the vineyards on site. The villa itself had and indoor Turkish bath, a beautiful pool area (it was a bit too cold in April though) and beautiful grounds to walk around. The villa we stayed in on the property was the main villa that was so luxurious. The rooms were incredible and the common area for breakfast and lounging was perfect for a honeymoon.

Places to Eat in Chianti

Rinuccio 1180- we ventured out for lunch and wine one afternoon. It’s close by and was a very modern and beautiful vineyard with a restaurant above. I was missing home food a bit so actually had a hamburger – it was AMAZING!

Antica Fiaschetteria del Chianti – This was such a quaint little restaurant. We almost felt like we were imposing by entering what was obviously a very homey place. But the owner was beyond lovely and we had the most amazing spaghetti Bolognese I’ve ever had in my life. The kind you lap up with bread at the end in order to get all the sauce you possibly can.

Villa Mangiacane – The villa we stayed at had its own restaurant but we were there in the offseason and they weren’t open till the week after we left. They graciously hosted us in their wine cellar which turned out to be the single best meal of my entire life. It was one of those meals that you literally have to unbutton your pants to keep eating but it’s worth the pain of eating so much because it was JUST THAT GOOD. I had a Merlot risotto and Josh had their nights special of wild boar sausage. Everything was perfect.

Florence, Italy Travel Guide

Day 6-8 –  Morning in Chianti and Travel to Florence

Where to Stay in Florence – Plus Florence Hostel and Helvetia & Bristol Firenze

We drove our rental to the Florence airport to drop off (if you can avoid car rentals I would – we ended up getting a speeding ticket and because its international we’ve got to figure that all out.) Anyway – we then took the city bus from the airport to downtown Florence and for the first 2 nights, we stayed at a hostel. By the third night, I was about to kill my new husband for thinking a hostel was a great idea for a honeymoon and we ended up getting a great deal on a booking website for a new hotel. (diva – I know) I think if we were here on just an ordinary trip the hostel would have been just fine. Plus it was crazy affordable.

Everyone told me Florence would be my favorite but to be honest it was the one city I could have probably left off my itinerary. But that is probably because it rained the ENTIRE time and like I said early, we aren’t really art people – and man was Florence filled with art, haha! It was definitely a beautiful city though! 

Things to Do in Florence

Statue of David – I mean can you go to Florence without this being your first stop. We lucked out by being one of the few tourists who didn’t mind waiting in the rain. Ended up getting into the gallery within 10 minutes of waiting. We skimmed through the rest of the gallery but really the statue was the main reason we went and we just stared blankly at it for an hour. It’s so much bigger than you can even imagine.

Loggia dei Lanzi –  This was a really cool outdoor statue gallery. I’ve never really experienced that before in America so it was insane to see basically an open-air museum.

Boboli Gardens – Holy Moly this was incredible! I love learning about the Medici family so this was a must stop for me! We bought sandwiches and a bottle of wine and had a little picnic in the gardens and just laid in the sun and walked around the gardens. It was breathtakingly beautiful. 

Giotto’s Campanile or Bell Tower – We didn’t get tickets ahead of time to climb the Duomo so we instead stood in line to climb the bell tower. Since we did the Vatican duomo we weren’t too disappointed. The views were so cool!

Il Porcellino – This is the famous bronze boar statue. It’s said if you rub its snout you will return back to Florence and if you drop a coin from its mouth into the grates below, it’s good luck. Naturally, I did both.

Leather Markets – Florentine Leather is famous! So of course, we were on the hunt our entire trip for a piece to take home. Both of us ended up with new leather shoes and they are stunning! Be careful though and do your research – there are so many fake leather sellers! 

Crypt of Santa Reparata – This is under the Cathedral of  Santa Maria del Fiore, we walked through the cathedral and made our way to the crypts below. I have always loved exploring crypts and cemeteries. They are so rich in history I can’t get enough. (my bridesmaids thought I was a weirdo for making us go to cemeteries in NOLA on my bach too) anyway, this was such a cool area – I highly recommend. 

Take a Day Trip – So I never claimed to be a great planner – because I scheduled us a great cooking class with Lovexfood back in Chianti after we already left. Woops. But honestly, it was such a quick and easy train ride back from Florence that it wasn’t too bad. Plus this experience was so worth it! Luca and Lorenzo were such amazing hosts and we got to make our own pastas and dessert plus take home recipes. It was worth every penny and travel time to get out of the city to take their class. 

Places to Eat in Florence

I’Tuscani 3 – A friend of mine recommended going to get a Florentine Steak while I was there so I googled until I found “the best.” Boy did Google not disappoint me. If you are a carnivore through and through like me and my husband – definitely check this place out! We ate in the basement of the restaurant and it was so fun! The waiters were so welcoming and kept giving us dessert shots at the end of dinner. 

I’Parione Ristorante – Holy moly this place was amazing. We had a beautifully intimate table on the second-floor balcony, shared another Florentine Steak, because why not and enjoyed wine and dessert. The owner was so friendly and the staff beyond accommodating. 

Venice, Italy Travel Guide

Day 9-11 Venice

Where to Stay in Venice –  AC Hotel Venezia

We took the train to Venice and that itself was such a cool experience. Once we got over the hickup that trains there have seats on their ticket and an angry lady who didn’t speak any English yelled at me for being in her seat – it was a very nice ride! You get to see the countryside and relax while reading a book. Plus they serve snacks and drinks just like an airplane – why doesn’t Amtrak do that??

Once we got to Venice we were able to check into our hotel right away, only a few blocks from the train station at AC Hotel Venezia. We decided on a more American hotel for the end of our trip knowing that this long of a trip we were going to want the comforts of home for the last leg. They had breakfast we were more familiar with amongst a more modern experience. But there were tons of other options if you want to continue on your Italian adventure.

Make sure you have google maps for Venice – you will be lost the entire time. We loved getting gelato at the end of the day and just aimlessly getting lost and then turning on our map to get home.

Things to Do in Venice

Piazza San Marco – The plaza is the main part of town – and good luck finding it. Man, this city is confusing. But it was definitely part of the charm. 

Saint Mark’s Basilica – This is a popular tourist spot in Venice but look at the schedule ahead. We got there and they were closed for Mass. We got to walk in one door and our the other though and take a peek inside.

Gondola Ride the Grand Canal – Obviously, this is on the list of things to do in Venice! While it was definitely crazy expensive and felt like a tourist in NYC who pays 80 bucks to go up in the Empire State Building, we still shelled out the money since it was a memorable experience. We had tons of fun and it was nearly an hour-long. Definitely worth the money in my opinion.

Places to Eat in Venice

Hostaria OSOTTOOSOPRA –  This was our last meal (other than a hotel breakfast) in Italy and we went out in style. We ordered the specials and shared a bottle of Pinot Grigio and boy was everything fantastic. We stumbled across the “street” to a bar where they were singing American classic rock and we spent the rest of our honeymoon dancing in the streets. It was perfection!

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Benefits of Collagen Peptides

What is Collagen? 

Lets start with the basics. Collagen makes up about 30% of the proteins in our bodies as humans. It’s a protein that keeps your joints feeling fresh, your skin elastic, and helps regenerate our connective tissues. It’s referred to as the “glue” that holds everything together. Our bodies have trouble producing enough of this, especially the older we get. 

Why I Started Taking Collagen Peptides:

I saw Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides on a bloggers Instasories around 2-3 months ago and she claimed that her hair felt healthy and her skin had a natural glow to it. Now I am a marketers dream, because I believe everything I hear and will buy a product if someone tells me I NEED to. So I went online and bought a small container. I wanted to blog about my experiences, good or bad, but my container was small and after I went through it in a matter of 3 weeks, I was lucky enough to get replenished by the company to continue on my journey. 

Now it’s been around 6 months since I began taking it daily with my coffee and I can honestly say I am a convert. I am on my 3rd container and won’t be quitting this stuff anytime soon. 

Results and Benefits of Collagen Peptides I’ve Noticed:

Nails: I have been a chronic nail biter my entire life up until maybe 2 years ago. No matter what I did my nails never recovered from the years of wear and tear I put them through. I SWEAR to the high heavens, I haven’t broken a nail since the first month I started taking this stuff. It’s crazy how strong they have gotten since I started scooping collagen peptides into my morning brew.

Hair: I’ve also dyed my hair since 7th grade…CONTINUALLY. My hair has always been a dry unmanageable mess that I just continue to torture in order to attain the Khaleesi blonde I want so badly. After a few months even my hair stylist asked what I’ve been doing differently. My hair feels healthier and not like I murder it on a regular basis with bleach! 

Joints: Now I’m by no means old, but I do put a lot of pressure on my body. I work out around 5x + a week, weight lifting, cycling, etc and my knees are not the strongest. Yes obviously my body gets stronger and more able to handle what I put it through, but I am extremely convinced this stuff has aided in my joint health in order to get me to where I am.

Now obviously none of this is actual science done by me and it’s entirely your choice whether you jump on the collagen train – but in my opinion it’s just as worth adding it into your morning regime as a multivitamin. 

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Advice For Running Your First Triathlon 

My fiancé is big into activities. He loves to run, bike, swim, camp, adventure, and everything in between. I’ve always been a runner but you can scratch most the other activities from my list. But as I’ve got older I’ve been finding more and more passion into getting my heart rate up and doing new things in life. Last year Josh got into triathlons and if you or your significant other are into the sport then you know, it takes up A LOT of time. During his training I would see him for dinner time and a quick minute over coffee, but really not much in between. He’d swim in the morning before work, then go for a long run after work, and disappear for 8 hours on a Saturday to bike. I realized that if I wanted to spend time with him, I may want to give this sport a tri (PUN INTENDED, HA!)

Where I started:

SWIM Starting last December, I couldn’t swim. I could paddle enough to keep myself above the water but I couldn’t get from Point A to Point B with certainty. Josh gave me some very informative lessons and I realized how much I actually enjoyed the serenity of swimming. BIKE Biking was also a struggle from the start. I never really rode a bike growing up. I knew how to but it definitely wasn’t something I did well. Much less riding one in a competitive nature. I took up cycling and realized it was my favorite activity I’ve ever done. I quickly went out and bought my first bike and can disappear for hours on the trails and just love life. RUN I have basically been a runner my whole life. I ran track in middle school into high school, ran races all through high school for fun, and well into my 20s have always loved signing up for local 5k-10milers. So running was the 1/3 activity I felt at least semi confident in. 

Advice To Start Training:

• Give Yourself Time –  Don’t sign up with a months notice and think that you are going to win the race. I didn’t even sign up for my first tri until I had been swimming for about 6 months confidently and biking for 4. 
• Have a Goal – I didn’t go in with a goal of winning the competition. My one goal was to finish proudly. I had never been in this situation before, I had never swam in open water before, I had never swam, biked, AND THEN ran, in one workout. I knew it wasn’t going to be easy but I knew if I finished that I would be proud of myself and that was enough for me for the first go around.
• Be Comfortable With Your Gear – Practice with the gear you are racing in. For example, if you don’t bike with cleats, don’t decide the morning of the race you are going to clip into your bike. It’s so much more comfortable to know exactly how to put things on, how you’re going to feel in your race, etc. So just purchase the gear you’re going to need ahead of time and practice with it.
• Sign Up For a Sprint – You don’t need to sign up for an Ironman as your first Tri (ahem, Josh!) I signed up for a Sprint which was 750m Swim, 14 mile bike, and a 5k run. To be completely honest, I will probably stick with that for a really long time. 
• What To Wear – This kind of goes back to being comfortable with your gear. I had the most anxiety about what I should be wearing for the entire race. Josh was no help because he didn’t understand my worry about needing to have some sort of bra for the race. (shocker!) I went with a TYR Swim Top and Tri shorts because of the heat in NC September, and then threw on a bike top for after the swim. I saw some people wearing wetsuits because it was technically 1 degree below the temperature to allow them and that was crazy to me. I’ll probably eventually invest in a one piece tri suit, but really I felt comfortable in my top and shorts and when on mile 2 on the run I was hot AF, I unzipped my bike top and ran in my swim top like a sports bra. It worked out perfectly for the warmer weather of the afternoon. 
• Have Fun! – If you aren’t doing this as a profession, then it’s for fun. Give yourself a break if you have an off day, and just give it your all the next time. I genuinely had a blast doing my first tri. (I may have cursed my way through the swim because of the rough waters, but that’s besides the point) The second I crossed the finish line I was ready to sign up for another! 

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