Category Archives: Fun

Reasons to Love the Fashion Show Mall

25 Wednesday Apr 2012

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When I was about 10 years old, my mother got my brother, sister and me dressed up in our Sunday best, and announced we were going to the mall! What?! Yes, that’s right. We got dressed up for a shopping trip to the Fashion Show Mall. My mother had set rules about what we could and couldn’t wear, when and where. When we started public schools without uniforms, we were only allowed to wear jeans on Fridays. When we went to church, girl were not allowed to wear pants, and when we went to the Strip, we had to get dressed up. My, how things have changed. However, my love for the Fashion Show Mall has not.

Long gone are the days of Goldwaters and Robinsons-May, and the little food court at the end of the mall. Now it’s a high-class fashion center filled with top brands, great food, and lots of energy.

Location is key. The Fashion Show Mall is located off the I-15 and Spring Mountain, and once you navigate through the 5 lanes of traffic, you are on your way to the convenient parking structures. Depending on which end of the mall you want to be on, both the Nordstrom’s and Neiman Marcus valet is super quick and easy.

Fitness fanatics can take in one of the complimentary classes offered at lululemon athletica, get a quick run up and down the Strip or work the stairs at the front of the mall in the early morning hours when no one is there- that is of course, except for those who are just coming home, and that makes for a great distraction! If you are fitness freak, lululemon atheltica offers free yoga classes on Sundays, or the front of the mall is a great starting point for a run on the Strip.

lululemon atheltica las vegas

You’ll go for the shopping, you’ll stay for the food. Some local favorites like Grimaldi’s Pizza and Red Velvet Cafe will tempt you with their homemade specialties. Red Velvet offers vegetarian and veagan dishes, and do not leave there without sampling their chocolate chip cookies. (Eat first, ask if they’re veagan later.) Nordstrom’s Cafe and the NM Cafe are both exceptional and perfect settings for lunching and lounging. For more familiar staples, California Pizza Kitchen and Johnny Rockets is available, and if you want to take it up a notch…head out to the front of the mall where the fancier restaurants are like Capital Grille, Maggiano’s, Ra Sushi, and Burgers and Shakes reside.

Grimaldis Pizza

Shopping. Need I say more? Some of my favorites like Neiman Marcus, Nordstroms and lululemon athletica call the Fashion Show Mall home. I also love popping into some of the smaller chains that I wouldn’t normally frequent, mainly because I shop on-line. It’s always fun to check out Betsy Johnson, J. Crew, the Banana Republic Concept Store, and now Top Shop and Free People are on my pop-in list!

I love that the Fashion Show Mall offers so many things for everyone. And, I especially love there are places to enjoy the great weather and views of the Strip without having to get all involved in a Hotel/Casino/Resort situation.

You can keep up with the haute happenings at the Fashion Show Mall through their website, Facebook page and Twitter.

What is your favorite place to shop in Las Vegas?

 

Week 1: Re-Inventing Myself at Strength Center Las Vegas | Fitness

23 Monday Apr 2012

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Along with 20 other ladies, I made it through the first week of the Strength Center Re-Invent Yourself Challenge.

 

My biggest reminder this week? You are what you eat.

I have always considered myself a pretty healthy eater. Only buying organic, all-natural products, steering some-what clear of dairy and trying not to eat too much meat. I have my faults: coffee, red wine and chocolate, but everything in moderation right? Wrong. Let me tell you. So wrong.

1. The Measurements– I knew I was a tad overweight. I mean, I had twins 18 months ago. Before they were conceived, I was in pretty decent shape. My previous employer had, “Attend fitness classes 4-5 times a week,” in the job description, and I was surrounded by vegetarians and vegans who inspired me to be a healthier me. I didn’t realize how far off the track I had gotten with having the babies. I’m also not one to step on a scale. I judge my appearance by how I feel on the inside, how my clothes fit, and how many layers of Spanx I have to use. Granted, lately the layers had worked itself up to around 3 in certain spots, but I was in disbelief when I stepped on the scale last week. 141 lbs. And, not only that, but 27% body fat. Whoa. That really floored me. I had a lot of work ahead of me.

2. The Diet- Afterwards, I headed over to a health food store and cafe right next to the Strength Center called Pure Health. Ron, the owner, was the same guy who introduced my sister and I to a whole new world of diet regimen 10 years ago-before kids, before husbands. In we walked, hearts a little heavy, but spirits lifted knowing Ron would whip us back into a new state of nutritional health. The first thing he made us do was take an alkaline test. The more yellow, the more alkaline, which is bad. The more blue, the less alkaline, which is good. Guess what color mine was? Off the charts orange! Again, I just could not believe it. I truly thought I was conscience of my diet, and here I was being slapped with a reality stick. Ron loaded me up with all kinds of good stuff to help get my body balanced again. I forgot that they were actually some of my favorite supplements, and guess what? They are all natural, organic and gluten free, and he even carries Vegan protein for smoothies. Love this place!

Pure Health

Everyone knows Ron! He's got a great selection of vitamins at his Pure Health store located at 1450 West Horizon Ridge Pkwy in Henderson.

3. The Accountability– My friends have always sworn by some sort of diet system, like Weight Watchers or Jenny Craig. And, I have always sworn never to diet again. My motto is to learn how to eat so you can eat well- portion control, types of food, times of day you eat, etc. I refused to be a slave to the Points or the Food Scale, insisting that I knew how to eat and what I was doing. Adam Gentz, owner of Strength Center Las Vegas, suggested kindly that maybe I should try out this app called, My Fitness Pal. After those two strikes with the measurements and the diet, I thought, well, maybe he is on to something. He is a professional with lots of years of experience under his belt. Plus, I love apps, so why not give it a try. Let me tell you…this app is my new BFF! I am addicted to entering my daily diet choices and the amount of exercise for the day, and seeing where I land in my Daily Goals. I input my current stats, and my 8-week goals, and it calculated a caloric intake daily average. Add in the type of workout done that day, and it figures out how many calories can be added back into your diet. It’s amazing. And, you can add your friends so you can share and support and be accountable to each other. It’s an awesome tool and totally made my day!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At the end of last week, I definitely felt better. I had more energy, and I noticed my craving for coffee has waned a bit. Though I was literally fatigued in my muscles, I also noticed I had a much better quality of sleep. Yes, this is an individual challenge to re-invent myself, but I have to say, the energy of the women in the group, the excitement of the instructors and the classes they teach and the way they train has got me pumped to start my week all over again. That first week flew by! It’s a great reminder for me to stop, take time for myself, and block out an hour of fitness. Just this one week has made a world of difference for me.

Learn more about Strength Center Las Vegas and Adam Gentz’s rocking team of instructors on FaceBook and Twitter! Anyone can join in the fun! Drop in group classes are only $10 a class.

Keep up with my Fitness Journey with more photos on Google+!

I have been compensated from the Strength Center to participate in the Re-Invent Yourself Challenge for free. All words, thoughts and opinions, however, are my own.

 

Cox Conserves Tips for Earth Day | Foundation

18 Wednesday Apr 2012

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Really, we should be celebrating Earth Day every day, but it’s a nice reminder once a year to make sure we are all doing our part to help out Mother Earth. Or, we are learning new tips or how we can support already established company’s initiatives for conservation. It’s great to hear that companies are not only working to be conscience with the amount of resources they are using, like energy, water and fuel, but also seeking out innovative ways to make the resources available work for them and for us by being conscience about the bottom line. It’s a great feeling to learn the resourceful ways in which they are saving on their end, helps our pocket books! Cox Communications has shared information with me on their Cox Conserves campaign, jut in time to share it with my readers we we launch into Earth Week.

I love it when companies share their Earth friendly insights. I get stuck in my daily routine and it’s nice to have some different ideas, and inspiration injected into my old ways of thinking. Plus, conservation tips change quite frequently, with the evolution of new equipment, inventions, and concepts. It’s always great to check in with companies, like Cox Communications, who have their finger on the pulse of these actions. You can visit their Cox Conserves website for all kinds of tips, but here are some of my favorite:

  • Instead of an aerosol air freshener, douse cotton balls with oils, such as lavender, citrus and rosemary, and tuck them around the house.
  • Baking soda and lemon are natural alternatives to chemical cleaners.
  • Avoid using non-native plants that may be invasive in your area.
  • Use the hotel van instead of renting a car, or share a taxi.
  • Participate in hotel linen programs, or let the hotel know that it’s not necessary to change your sheets and towels every day.
  • When you leave your hotel room, turn off the AC/heat, lights, TV and radio. Close the drapes.
  • Make the most of natural lighting by opening the blinds.
  • Use hand-dryers rather than paper towels.
  • If you have to print a document or email, just print the text you need.

Additionally, Cox Communications has asked me to help spread the word about their conservation efforts in specific cities throughout the United States.  I love this Alternative Energy solution they have implemented in several states:

Cox actively identifies opportunities to harness solar energy and employ fuel cell technology. Overall, Cox annually prevents more than 17,400 tons of greenhouse gases from entering the environment through its alternative energy projects.

To date, the company has completed alternative energy projects in:

• Arizona
• California
• Georgia
• New Jersey
• Oregon

These programs are not only good for the environment – they’re good for the bottom line.

I, for one, appreciate the efforts Cox Communications is making to preserve our resources for now and for future generations. Learn more about the Cox Conserves program by visiting their website. You can also follow them on FaceBook, Twitter and YouTube.

This post was compensated by Cox Communications, however, all thoughts, words and opinions are my own.