The Best Things in Life are Tees

It’s that time of year again when Old Navy asks selected Style Council members to participate in a sample share. This time, my friend and I sampled the Women’s Best Tees in 2 styles: vintage and perfect. 

My free tees. The pink is vintage style, while the red is perfect.

I’m very familiar with Old Navy tees as my closet is full of them, but I was super excited about to get more as I need smaller sizes. It may not be reflected on the scale yet, but I know I’m toning up and losing fat. The last time I purchased tees at Old Navy I bought an XXL. This time, I came home with an L and that fits comfortably! Also, the last pair of pants I modeled for Old Navy was a Sweetheart shaped size 22 and this time I showcased a size 18 in the Rock Star cut! I’m not where I want to be yet, but every day I’m getting closer :)

August 2011: size XXL shirt, size 22 pant

April 2013: size L shirt, size 18 pant

The important stuff:

Our Old Navy store (Washington Pike, Knoxville, TN) was very well stocked and the sales staff was helpful in answering questions.  They were very surprised to see our Style Council vouchers as they hadn't seen them before; I guess there aren't many of us in East Tennessee.

My friend and I had a great time mixing and matching different looks with our tees. We were able to create several looks based around a simple basic tee. My favorite look of the day on me was a ¾ length sleeve coral tee paired with a colorful scarf and a pair of black Rock Star pants (picture above). I really loved the soft feel of the tee and the stretchiness of the pant.  Pelagie’s best look (in my opinion) was what I called PhD prep! She paired her jeans with a floral button-down top layered under a basic white tee.  To complete the outfit, she added a cropped denim jacket (picture below)!

Perfect PhD Prep!

My only complaint (and it really isn't a complaint) is the choice of only 2 styles of tee. Many of the tees we found didn't fit into one of these categories, so we could get those with our vouchers.  I specifically had to ask the associates which tees qualified and which ones didn't.

Overall, we had a great time shopping! I can’t wait until the next sample share. I could really use a new pair of pants (hint, hint)!

My Next Challenge

Hello again and happy day after Easter! I hope everyone enjoyed the last series of blog posts.  For the next month or so (maybe longer depending on how things go) I've decided to focus my posts on running and the benefits/pitfalls of running. Now, I’m not a runner by any means, so I’m challenging myself to become one.  I did a few calculations (and you can too with any online exercise calculator) about running.  At my current weight, if I ran/jogged for 1 hour I could burn 885 calories! That’s a lot more than I burn now during my normal exercise routine. Running/jogging for just 15 minutes a day I can still burn up to 221 calories!

Getting started will be the hardest part, so I did some research about that too. Here are a few tips that I was able to gather from a multitude of running experts.

• Weight training--specifically the quads and core; a definite must-do for runners.  I will share my routine in another post.
• Take shorter strides as that makes running feel easier. As such, you should be able to run faster and longer.
• Breathe correctly. Most runners follow a 2-2 breathing pattern: two steps while breathing in, then 2 steps while breathing out. You can also try 3-2 breathing.  3 steps while breathing in, then out for 2 steps. Figure out what works best for you.
• Eat more. You’ll get fatigued much quicker without adequate calories. You don’t have to tell me twice!
• Stretching. Do a run warm-up for about 5-10 minutes, and then stop to stretch. Also, don’t forget to stretch again after your run. Doing both helps prevent injuries, and who doesn’t need to stretch more?
• Follow the 10% rule. Only increase your distance by 10% each week. If you increase your speed quickly you are really prone to an injury. There have been multiple studies done proving that you are less prone to injury increasing your mileage by 10% each week.
• Start slow, and then pick up the pace as you warm-up.
• Wear the right shoes. This, I think is the most important tip. Go to a running store for your shoes. They’ll point you in the right direction.  I went to the store and consulted Runner’s World magazine for the best shoes. For me, the best pair was Nike Lunarglide 4! Ask the experts and try on your selection before you leave the store! You have to be comfortable or you will be miserable! 

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I can’t wait to start this new challenge! Stay tuned for what I know will be both fun and fitful! 

Here I Go!