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Blog Health + Beauty Lifestyle

ProForm Pro 2000 Treadmill Review

This post may contain affiliate links; all opinions are my own. See Disclosures here

I recently ordered the ProForm Pro 2000 treadmill and wanted to do a review on my experience and the treadmill itself. I know that when I am looking into making a purchase, I scour the internet for reviews and experiences so I can make an informed decision. I hope this review can help you too!

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Blog Lifestyle

Getting Ready for a Special Event

This post may contain affiliate links; all opinions are my own. See Disclosures here

When you have a special event to attend, whether it be a birthday party, a graduation, a school dance, a wedding, or just a big date, you want to look your best.

Big Event Countdown!

1 month:

  • If you aren’t already, get into some kind of fitness routine. Exercise will help you feel healthy and energized. Nothing gives you that radiant glow like a healthy body, so go for a walk everyday or step it up and play a sport or go for a run. When your body is more fit and healthy, you’ll feel and look your best.
  • Diet is key to looking and feeling great from the inside out. Be sure to get your fair share of fruits and vegetables, or try a fun juice cleanse! Don’t forget to drink plenty of water and avoid processed foods.

2 weeks:

This is the time to knock out some of the easy things!

  • Hair cut/color – If you’re in need of a cut or a trim, now is the time to do it. Freshly cut hair can sometimes look too harsh or you may not be used to styling it. Getting your cut or color done two weeks before the big day gives you time to get used to/fix your lovely locks.
  • Plan your hair and makeup look. Don’t wait until the last minute; try out hairstyles and makeup looks that you’re curious about. Will you have your make up professionally done? You still will want to know the overall type of look you want. Practice makes perfect, so experiment and have fun. Once you have the look you love, take a picture. You will want to refer to it leading up to your big day.
  • Plan your outfit! Just like with your hair, make sure you have your entire outfit ready (accessories included); if not, now is a good time to grab a friend and get some inspiration from your favorite store (or even you friend’s closet).

1 week

Getting so close to the event! So exciting!

  • Eyebrow waxing! If you’ve never gotten your eyebrows waxed at a Benefit Brow Bar, I definitely recommend it. Waxing your eyebrows professionally will ensure the perfect shape for your face and help define your features. If you have any redness or bumps, it’ll have gone by the big day.
  • Face masks will help exfoliate the skin and even skin tone. Try the GlamGlow SuperMud or TingleExfoliate for amazing results. Repeat every few days for super glowy skin.
  • Finalize your outfit, hair, and makeup. Make sure you have everything you need to walk out the door to your special event.
  • Deep-condition your hair. Using a 5 minute hair mask can help your hair feel soft and look shiny.
  • Lips scrub & condition your lips. I love the Fresh Sugar Scrub with the Dior Creme de Rose lip balm.

2 days

  • Manicure/Pedicure. Freshly painted nails will really pull the look together. I like to get a pedicure at a salon because it’s super relaxing and I love the fun designs & colors to choose from but I usually like to do my manicure with my Sephora Gel Shine kit. French manicures are my go-to for any special event.
  • Teeth whitening is an easy way to brighten your look. I really like the Crest whitening strips because they are quick and do a great job brightening your smile.
  • Biore pore strips can help to remove stubborn blackheads and reduce pore appearance. I like to exfoliate and then wash like usual with my Clarisonic Mia before using the pore strips.

1 day

  • Face mask/ spot treatment. Target any blemishes with a soothing acne gel. I really like the Grease Lightening Cleanser from Lush. Or just dab on a small amount of any face mask onto troublesome spots.
  • Double check that you have everything you’ll need for the event; from head to toe.

The Big Day

  • Shave your legs and moisturize. Soft and smooth skin will help you feel great on the big day
  • Don’t forget the deodorant! The final stages of getting picture perfect for your special event can cause you to sweat and stress, but with a good deodorant/antipersperant, and least you’ll smell great and feel fresh.
  • Prep your skin. Primers and serums are your best friend. They’ll help your makeup stay put and keep your skin looking bright.
  • Use a makeup setting spray like the Urban Decay All Nighter. 
  • A splash of your favorite perfume is all you need before you walk out the door!

You’re all set for your special day! Let me know your tips for getting picture perfect for your big event in the comments or tag me in a picture on Instagram (@muffinchanel). I’d love to see all of your looks!

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Blog Health + Beauty

Nike+ Running Coach | Training for a Half Marathon

Nike+ nikeplus nike plus running coach muffinchanel iOS This post may contain affiliate links; all opinions are my own. See Disclosures here

The Nike+ Running App has gotten a recent update that now provides a “coaching” feature to help you train for your running goals. You know that I already love the Nike+ Running App, so I was excited for what this update could do to help me train for that half marathon I told you about back in November. Nike+ nikeplus nike plus running coach muffinchanel iOS The update helps you to train for a 5K, 10K, Half Marathon, or a Marathon each at either Beginner, Intermediate, or Advanced levels. You can select whatever skill level you want, but the App recommends a level for you based on your history of runs which is pretty neat. I selected the Half Marathon goal and was excited to get back on track with my running. I was definitely slacking during the holidays. The App recommended that I start at the Beginner level which I would have picked anyway. It was weird though, because it recommended the Beginner level when I selected the Half Marathon, but the Intermediate level with I clicked the full Marathon. After, I selected the race I was training for and what level I wanted, I was on my way to 12 weeks of training. I was curious to see what the “coaching” part was like. Was there audio feedback? A pre-run pep talk? I already knew about the run reminders, but what was the training program like?




Basically, the App tells you what your workout will consist of for each day of your training. You can click to see what it has in store for you each day. For my Half Marathon plan, it has me doing 58 runs over the course of 12 weeks. The first week is a Warm Up week with four days of running, two days of rest, and a day of cross training. There is no audio feedback with your coached workouts. 🙁 You just click the workout scheduled for that day and read what you’re supposed to do. If it is a running day, you can click Run from that page and run the way it instructs. After you complete the run, it will be marked complete. If it’s a cross-training or rest day, you have to go in and manually mark it as done.

I was really hoping for some audible feedback — more than just the usual “average pace” and “distance remaining” updates. Especially when one of the training days included 2 miles of fartleks. It would have been cool to have it tell me when to speed up/slow down without having to time myself and look down all the time. Those three minutes are very long when you’re trying to run at a faster pace.

Overall, I’m please with this update and don’t forget, this App is free! So awesome if you are training for something or just looking for a way to track your runs.




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Blog Health + Beauty Lifestyle

Fitbit Flex band breaks — UPDATED

This post may contain affiliate links; all opinions are my own. See Disclosures here

Sad news — my Fitbit Flex‘s band is broken.

I popped the tracker out of the band to charge it, and the band separated where the view finder is. I haven’t even had the Flex for that long! This is crazy. I’m super disappointed. At least I have the larger band that I guess I can use.

I didn’t really want to buy the replacement colored bands, but I might have to.

I’m going to check Fitbit.com to see if they have a warranty or something. Or maybe I can do an exchange at Target?

muffinchanel fitbit flex break wrist band broken muffinchanel fitbit flex break wrist band brokenHas this happened to you? if so, what did you do?



UPDATE:

I sent an email through the fitbit.com website at “contact.fitbit.com“, letting them know about my defective wristband. They replied in less than 15 minutes and said they’d be happy to replace my band! So awesome! I replied providing my address, phone number and wristband details like they requested.

UPDATE #2:

muffinchanel fitbit flex break wrist band broken muffinchanel fitbit flex break wrist band brokenSeptember 4. I received my new band in the mail today! Yay! Thanks Fitbit!



Update #3

You can buy your own replacement bands in the classic colors or fun/bright colors online. They come in a three-pack which is nice for some variety & just as a handy replacement in case the band breaks :/

*** Check out my first impressions of the new Fitbit ChargeHR! It even has a heart rate monitor! I love mine!

UPDATEmy Fitbit Charge HR band broke too

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Blog Health + Beauty Lifestyle

Fitbit Flex – Eureka! First Impressions Review

This post may contain affiliate links; all opinions are my own. See Disclosures here

I am so excited! I stopped by Target to pick up a few things and do my routine check to see if the Fitbit Flex had come in, and today I found it! So, of course, I picked one up and cancelled the order I made online.

MuffinChanel fitbit flex target fitness band They only had the black color available, which was my first choice anyway. They also had the extra wristband colors available in the three pack which I might consider later on.

***Update: I got the new Fitbit ChargeHR — see my first impressions here!

MuffinChanel fitbit flex target fitness band unboxingOnce you unbox everything, you’ll need to go to fitbit.com/setup. Select your device, the Fitbit Flex, and it will download some software onto your computer. I’m doing all of this right now so you’re getting the first impressions.

MuffinChanel fitbit flex target fitness band online setup

MuffinChanel fitbit flex target fitness band online setup 2Plug in your USB connector with the Tracker and Set Up a New Fitbit device. From there, you can set up a new Fitbit account or log into your existing one. I’m creating a new account.

Once you’re all set with your account, it’ll prompt you to plug in the Wireless Sync Dongle.




MuffinChanel fitbit flex target fitness band wireless usb dongle chargingThe Wireless Sync Dongle does a quick search for your device. Once it finds your device, you’ll have to double tap gently on the Tracker to “confirm” syncing.

Now, whenever your Fitbit Flex is within 20ft of your Wireless Sync Dongle, it’ll automatically sync. So cool!

Fitbit Flex 101

Charging

Your tracker battery lasts for about 5 days. To charge it, remove the tracker from the band and place it in the charger until all 5 lights are solid.

Syncing

When your Flex is within 20 feet of the Wireless Sync Dongle, your Flex will sync automatically with your Fitbit account. You can also sync via your smartphone if it supports Bluetooth Low Energy (4.0). Learn more about Supported Devices or about Syncing.

Wearing

Your Flex tracker should be placed inside the included wristband and worn on your non-dominant hand for best results. Flex is water resistant and can be worn in the shower and out in the rain.

Goals

On the dashboard, see your progress towards goals for:

  • • Steps
  • • Calories Burned
  • • Distance
  • • Very Active Minutes

Goal Progress

Each light on your Flex tracker represents 20% of your goal. When you reach your goal, Flex will buzz and flash in celebration of your achievement.

Changing Goals

To choose which goal is shown on your Flex display, go toDevice Settings in your account. You can change a goal amount on the corresponding Dashboard tile.

Tracking Sleep

Sleep tracking can be turned on by tapping the top of the Flex display area until you feel the motor vibrate and the 2 outer lights turn on. Once in sleep tracking mode, the Tracker will show two lights moving side-to-side.



Forgot to turn on sleep tracking?

You can add a sleep log on the website or mobile app. Go to the Sleep section and add a sleep log. Need help? Learn More.

Silent Alarms

Set a Silent Alarm from the Devices area of your account.

Overall, I’m impressed with how small and lightweight the wristband is. The tracker came 80% charged, so I’m just waiting until that fifth light stays solid before I start wearing the device.

See my updated review HERE

Categories
Blog Health + Beauty

Fitbit Flex

This post may contain affiliate links; all opinions are my own. See Disclosures here

I first heard about the Fitbit Flex in April and was excited for it to be released on May 1st. I signed up for the email announcement so I would be reminded to order mine. Only, I never got an email…. I went to the website during the middle of May to order one, but apparently they are on back order for 6-8weeks 8-10 weeks. I checked back recently and they’re still backordered.

muffinchanel fitbit flexDoes anyone know what’s going on? Target, Amazon, and Bestbuy are all out as well. Does anyone have the Fitbit Flex? Where did you get yours and how do you like it?