My 5 Grocery Shopping Tips

Hey guys!
 I wanted to share with you a few of my tips to save on, not only the grocery bill, but to avoid too much junk being in the house! I steer clear of temptation by just not buying junk food, it's just that simple. I am far from perfect and I know that if it's around I will eat it until it's gone, so I just save myself and only treat myself when I want to. This process is what has helped me achieve and maintain balance, everyone is different and you need to find what will work for you! On to my TIPS!

  1. Shop the parameter! All of your fresh whole foods are around the parameter of the store; meat, dairy, produce, fish, etc. Typically anything boxed or canned is processed. That isn't to say that I don't purchase canned or packaged food; quinoa comes in a package! But, I try to stick to fresh foods. 2. Buy Produce at the Local Market! Not only can you support the local farmers but you get your food directly from the source and can often times speak to the people who plant the seeds and harvest the bounty themselves. I always ask if it's locally grown, there are a lot of vendors (at my market, anyways) who ship in from Florida and California. Be sure to get there early, the fresh stuff goes first!

3. Meal Plan! This one is HUGE for me! I lay out exactly what I'm going to make for dinner and have for lunch for the week. I usually eat around the same things for breakfast and snacks so those are just standard on my grocery list, but I pick 2 or 3 recipes with a few of the same key ingredients and plan out the week. Then I make my grocery list and hit the store.

4. Make a List! This goes right along with "don't shop when you're hungry"; making a list keeps me on track and typically I only end up with one or two extra things that I saw and want to try. My grocery store (Wegmans, which is the best!) also has an app. The app stores the foods I typically buy with my member card information and also has all of the aisle and department information. It sorts my list accordingly to help my shopping trip! If your local grocery has an app, I highly suggest using it!

  5. The Less Ingredients the Better! The more ingredients you can pronounce, the better! Try to avoid packaged food with a paragraph of ingredients you cannot say or have ever heard of! I hope this helps streamline your shopping experience! Please comment below if there is something you'd like me to touch on.

 XO, Nina

Please visit me on ChicFitPT or see me duplicate my content here.

New Career, New Blog, Newish Me

Hi everyone!
Long time no post.

If you remember, I had taken an indefinite break from this space.   It's weirdly comfortable that I find myself blogging once more; this time for fitness.

In November I was laid off from my office job which was a total blessing.  I was already working on my getting my Personal Training certification and already job hunting because I was extremely stressed, overworked and unhappy.  I was given, on a silver platter, a second chance to turn my career and attitude towards life around!

I am now introducing to you all my new blog ChicFit

If you fancied my weekend workout posts or my healthy recipes then this blog is for you.  For everyone else, I hope you pop over and at least check it out!

On my blog I also offer online training which is a great way to connect remotely if you're motivated to reach a goal.  After an electronic consultation I will design you a program to meet your needs.
I am so excited to finally be doing what I love and am passionate about!

Join me in reaching your goals at ChicFit !!

Don't forget to follow along via Instagram !


Here's today's post from ChicFit

You will quickly learn that HIIT is my favorite workout.  HIIT stands for High Intensity Interval Training and that's exactly what you get out of it.  Not only that, but you are guaranteed to continue to burn calories even after you're done working out for the next 24 hours.   Typically these workouts are short burst of explosive or plyometric movements with strength exercises mixed in.

They can also be a really fun way to sweat it out with your girlfriends! Sweat dates are really popular these days, and I'm a huge fan!  What a better way to catch up and get your sweat on!?

 

I love to see you working hard - don't forget the sweaty selfie and tag @ChicFitPT on Instagram!

miss me?

Hey guys!  I miss all of you but I've been super busy preparing my dancers for the North American Irish Dance Nationals, working on my bikini bod and keeping up with summers latest trends on a dime.  You can follow all of that and more on Instagram! 

I post daily #ootd, food recipes, shopping tips and anything I would share on this space. 

Follow along!

@afterthe40barfinish

think less, live more

Happy Friday Friends.   I hope you are having a good week and the spring weather is treating you well!

I've put this post off all week because I was afraid to actually pull the trigger on it.   It's with a heavy heart that I say I'm withdrawing from blogging.    This was an incredibly difficult and easy decision for me.   You might not think that makes sense, but to me it does.  

The difficulty of the decision comes because I love sharing not only the outfits I come up with 

but advice on how to style the next up and coming trend or classic pieces.   The easy part is that it's a relief to not to try and cram in photo sessions, editing sessions, posting, commenting, etc into my already busy schedule.  I understand every one is busy, some of you are MOMS!  Which, is just incredible.  Kudos to you, especially if you also work full time.  I'm giving you a big ole high five and silently saying DAYMN! 

I need some of that time back in my life.  I need to be able to go out and meet people and be social without feeling guilty for not posting or having the pressure.  

I may eventually regret this decision but think it's the best thing for me at this time. 

I want to thank each and every one of you who came here read my posts, commented, and kept fueling my style obsession and fire for the past year and a half.  The blogging community is something I was incredibly grateful to have been a part of.  

the lost week

sweater - gap (similar) | jeans - old navy | shoes - BCBGeneration (similar)(love these)

Hello Friends!!  Back to reality this week for me; last week was our recital for the studio and it was crazy-ness all week long.   It was a great show, though!!  

I also bought a new car (as if I didn't have enough going on).   Pretty stoked to have a reliable vehicle though even if it does mean less shopping allowance (insert squinty emoji face). 

I took yesterday off for a little R&R, this was my super laid back look for a few errands, laundry and hanging with my Mama.  I also enjoyed a few 'ritas with my sister & co. for Cinco de Mayo (der).   So nice to chill without a to do list looming. 

How is everyone doing?  

{fitness friday} six pack abs, part 2

image source

Happy Friday!!  Hope you've all had a great week and are sticking to your fitness routines.    

I'm continuing today with core strength.  Plank is an amazing full body workout that has focus on the core.   Plank and it's variations are something that can be done every day and it only takes 5 minutes. The above workout is a great routine! 

simple sunshine

top - old navy on sale! with code ONSAVE | skirt - forever 21 (similar) | shoes - old navy (similar, splurge, love these)

A little bit of sunshine goes a long way!   I made it to Thursday thanks to a bit of sun I caught on Tuesday.  What a gorgeous day it was.  I took these shots at the nearest park by my office.  This is where I usually go to take my snaps during work hours.  It's really nice to get out of the office and I have a good half hour mostly uninterrupted (I get the occasional curious passerby).   I was lucky to find a mostly shady spot that wasn't overrun by children!   

Tonight is our first Pub Show with my dancers.  You guessed it, we're dancing in a bar.   This year we have a big initiative to be more visible within the community and really promote our classes.  It should be really fun - or, it could be a huge disaster.  Hopefully the latter but I'll let you know 

How is everyone's week?  Any big plans this weekend?