Pumps & Iron

Styling My Latest Stitch Fix

March 4, 2015 by Nicole 21 Comments

I had a couple “meh” fixes where I only kept one or two items, and then BOOM. Came back from Australia to this glorious box of Stitch Fix goodies waiting at my doorstep. This ended up being a pricier fix (prices listed are before the 25% discount you get for keeping all five items), but I had some Stitch Fix referral credit to cover the cost, so I decided to YOLO it. That’s what two weeks of vacation will do: turn “YOLO” into a verb.

If you want to request any of the items for your next fix, I have the product names listed. You can also pin any image to the Pinterest style board you have linked to your Stitch Fix account and the item name should automatically populate in the pin. The non-Stitch Fix clothing details are listed below the pictures.

Peyton Woven Vest by Monoreno $64

I think this will be a great piece for spring! Once the weather is warmer, I think it’d be cute to pair with a white crop top and high-waisted shorts. The zipper detailing adds a little edge, and there are top and bottom drawstrings so that you can really play around with ways to wear it.

Also wearing Aldo wedges (mine are old–I found similar but ridiculously expensive ones here) & Icebreaker longsleeve

Remi Distressed Skinny Jean by Level 99 $98

Meet my new favorite jeans. For this fix, I had requested some ripped skinny jeans, and it’s like my stylist read my mind—literally exactly what I was picturing. Do I need yet another pair of black skinny jeans? I guess not. Yes. Yes I do. These are different from the others, guy. I swear.

Also wearing Jeffrey Campbell booties (similar here), Brandy Melville t-shirt (similar here), Faux leather jacket from LIT Boutique (similar here), Quay sunglasses (similar here) & Icebreaker hat

Ridge Zipper Detail Cowl Neck Sweater by RD Style $64

I love that this sweater is tunic-length. It’s perfect to pair with leggings for a cozy day working at a coffee shop or running errands. The zipper sleeves and uneven hemming add a little edge to it.

Also wearing Nasty Gal faux leather leggings (similar here), Icebreaker hat & Necessary Clothing combat boot

Glenda Distressed Straight Leg Jean by Level 99 $128

Had I not been in YOLO mode, I probably would have sent these back simply because I already have some similar jeans. But the fit. It’s like they were made for me, and I love the way they make my butt look. At the end of the day, isn’t that what really matters?? 😉

Messi Lattice Neckline Knit Top by Pixley $68

I forgot to style this one (oops!), but I love how soft and flowy the top is. Strappy details are “in” right now. Even with its strong points, I’d say this tank was a strategic keep—if there wasn’t that 25% discount for buying all five items I probably would have returned it. I find that tops with a seam across the top of the chest make my boobs look weird.

If you’re a new reader and are unsure of what Stitch Fix is, you can check out my first post about the styling service.

What do you think of this fix? Which would you have kept?

xo Nicole

Professional model:

Disclaimer: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. Thanks for your continued support!

Filed Under: Day Outfits, Fashion, Night Outfits, Stitch Fix

No-Bake Chewy Granola Protein Bars

January 28, 2015 by Nicole 22 Comments

As I mentioned when I posted that sweet potato veggie burger recipe, I’ve been on a kitchen mission lately to recreate things I regularly buy. It saves money, and it means I know exactly what is in everything I’m eating—always a nice bonus. I try to eat as little pre-packaged food as possible, but it can be tough to avoid the convenience of granola and protein bars when I’m running around in between teaching classes, getting in my own workout, and working on the blog. There are some wholesome, real-food bars out there, but for the most part, reading the ingredient labels on those things is like reading a chemistry equation. Why not just make my own? Can’t be that hard, right? Right! These are super easy. [amd-zlrecipe-recipe:54]

As you’ve probably noticed, I’m not a huge animal-product consumer. The protein powder I used in these bars was introduced to me by a BTone client—Healthy Skoop is plant-based, and I’m really liking it! I admittedly don’t supplement my diet very often, but when I do make a morning smoothie or a recipe like this, the vanilla Healthy Skoop has been great. If you want to try it out, you can use the code PUMPS15 to get 15% off any purchase through 2/28/15 (excludes the super sampler).

Do you use plant-based protein powder or stick to whey? What’s your go-to brand? How about protein bars—what brands do you like?

Hope all you Northeast readers are staying warm and enjoyed the snow day yesterday!

Filed Under: Breakfast, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Recipes, Snacks

Cardio Tabata Superset Workout

January 20, 2015 by Nicole 10 Comments

20-Minute Bodyweight Cardio Tabata Workout - No equipment needed for this at-home tabata workout! #tabata #tabataworkout #hiit #bodyweightworkout

This cardio tabata workout is sure to leave you sweaty and out of breath! No equipment needed, and you need to set aside just 20 minutes. I originally posted this workout back in 2015 and decided to give it a little facelift and an accompanying video. If you’re an OG Pumps reader, revisit this one and follow along with the video!

20-Min Cardio Tabata Workout

This workout is broken up into four tabatas. A tabata is 8 rounds of 20 seconds of work and 10 seconds of rest. I’ll give you two exercises at a time and you’ll alternate between them. Rest for 60 seconds between each tabata.

This is a total-body workout and cardio heavy. There’s lots of jumping around and you’ll be out of breath by the end of each tabata. I’ll show you how to modify each exercise to eliminate jumping in the video. That being said, this workout was designed with jumping in mind, so if you’re looking for a low-impact, effective workout, this might not be the best option. I’d check out my resistance band workouts. They’re low-impact but challenging!

As with all workouts, you want to make sure you’re properly warmed up beforehand. Always listen to your body, modifying or stopping as needed. I have two warm ups you can follow:

5-Min Warm Up
7-Min Gentle Warm Up (no jumping)

Workout Breakdown

TABATA 1

See 1:22 in the above video for a preview of the exercises and how to modify them.

Hot Feet
180 Squat Jumps

TABATA 2

See 5:59 in the above video for a preview of the exercises and how to modify them.

Mountain Climbers
Push Ups to Low Squat

TABATA 3

See 10:47 in the above video for a preview of the exercises and how to modify them.

High Knees
Jump Lunges

TABATA 4

See 15:40 in the above video for a preview of the exercises and how to modify them.

Star Jacks
Bicycle Crunch Sit Ups

If you like this cardio tabata workout, be sure to try these other workouts from the archives. All use the tabata structure and don’t require any equipment!

xo Nicole

Filed Under: Bodyweight, Cardio, Full Body, Interval Training, Superset, Tabata, Video, Workouts