Kung Hei Fat Choi my friends!

Kung Hei Fat Choi! 

and Happy New Year of the Snake to you!

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Today begins the first day of the Chinese New Year. Since a little part of me is Chinese I wanted to tell you a little bit more about the year of the snake...

This 2013 year of Snake is meant for steady progress and attention to detail. Focus and discipline will be necessary for you to achieve what you set out to create. The Snake is the sixth sign of the Chinese Zodiac, which consists of 12 Animal Signs. It is the enigmatic, intuitive, introspective, refined and collected of the Animals Signs. Ancient Chinese wisdom says a Snake in the house is a good omen because it means that your family will not starve. However, there better be no snakes in this mother fucking plane!!!! Adapted from [here]

I had my chinese new year's dinner yesterday, but if you venture out to eat chinese food today, make sure you have some dumplings for good luck! And if you see small red envelopes around...that just means someone is gifting money and wishing them fortune and prosperity!

Just like the astrological zodiac signs, the Chinese have their own zodiac and horoscope too! The Chinese actually designate each year with one of 12 animals. The Chinese calendar uses a unique counting system so that every 12 years, a new cycle begins. If you want to know which sign represents you, just look for the year of your birthday below to find it:

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Therefore, instead of asking "How old are you?", you can ask "In which (animal) year were you born?" If you are asking me, I'd tell you I am "Year of the Monkey".

What does your birth year say about you?

Snake (2013)
Dragon (2012)
Hare or Rabbit (2011)
Tiger (2010)
Ox (2009)
Rat (2008)
Pig (2007)
Dog (2006)
Rooster (2005)
Monkey (2004)
Sheep (2003)
Horse (2002)

So my little peanuts, which year are you?

谢谢

Xièxiè
(Thank you!)

HIIT me baby one more time!

No it's not another Britney song. It's just HIIT!
High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is the best workout there! That's just my honest opinion. It is a quick, super fast and a fat cell killer! HIIT is any workout that alternates between intense bursts of activity and fixed periods of less-intense activity or even complete rest. Shape Magazine gives us 8 reasons as to why you should be doing HIIT!

1. Efficient
2. Burns more fat
3. Healthier heart
4. No equipment necessary
5. Lose weight, not muscle
6. Increases metabolism
7. Do it anywhere
8. Challenging

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I have my own HIIT method which I will share in a few. If you are just starting, make sure you are cleared by your doctor first. We don't want to see anyone falling apart or being sucked by a treadmill in the middle of the gym.

An example of a beginner HIIT workout, consists of running as fast as you can for 1 minute and then walking for 1.5 to 2 minutes. Repeat that 3-minute(ish) interval five times for a 15-minute awesome, heart pumping workout! As always, stretch out your calves, ankles, quads, and hamstrings, so you don't pull any muscles and decrease soreness.

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I usually do HIIT on the treadmill, but you can do this anywhere (i.e. elliptical, bike, running outdoors). What I like the most is that you do not really need any gadgets, just a desire to challenge yourself!

Warm-up with a fast walk at 3.5 mph on the treadmill for 3 to 5 minutes.
1 minute of low intensity running  (I keep it the same at 5.0mph throughout)
1 minute of high intensity  (I begin at 7.0mph and increase it by 0.2 every two sets)
Each interval will be FASTER
I will do this for 8 rounds
Cool down slowly for 5 minutes

As I progress with my work outs, I will start my high intensity running at 7.2 or 7.4. The whole point is to run as fast as you for as long as you can in a short period of time. The rest period should be brief enough to get you ready for the next one.

Hope you try it out too!

PS - HIIT in the morning is best since it will keep you pumped for the rest of the day!

What I Wore: Style Sessions

Hello there my little lovelies. 

I'm linking up today with Lauren from Stylelixir to show you what I wore!

I had a little shindig I went to this weekend and this is the outfit I came up with.

My current living situation has minimized my closet to 1/4 of what it really is. That's why I have to get creative and try new things and new combinations.

I didn't have my trusty hubby (aka my personal photographer) with me so I took some selfies with my iPhone.

Please excuse my background and messy bedroom.

A little office chic, a little street fun...

I'm in love with my new iPhone case too.

Jacket - H&M | White Long Sleeve - Ross |  Jeans - Guess | Boots - Material Girl | Watch - Michael Kors | Necklace - Gifted

Oh yeah..I also got to hold this gorgeous baby. 

Apparently, everyone was telling me this was my best accessory...hmmmmm

TRUE STORY

Feeling a Little Sunday Social Today!

Oh hi there lovely peanuts!
Today I'm linking up with Ashley and Neely for a little Sunday Social today.

Sit back, relax, and enjoy ;)



1. If you were stuck on an island what are the two material items you would want to have?

I'd say I must have my iPhone and probably my bikini!

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2. What are two TV shows you’d watch over and over?

That has to be Law and Order SVU and Sex and the City

3. If your house was on fire what two things aside from family, pets, etc would you grab?

My camera and my photo albums. I am a visual person and I rely heavily on my photos as my memories.

4. What are your two most favorite articles of clothing?

A pair of jeans and my scarves!

comfy outfit by andiegator featuring super stretch jeans

5. What two movies that you saw in the past year would you recommend to us?

Django and Step Up Revolution because I made a cameo in it....ha!

Can you find me?

6. What are your two biggest guilty pleasures?

Christian Bale and Nutella. You can't have too much of those two!

::20 Songs to Run To::

For me, running is about:

* motivation

* getting up and running

* feeling free

* connecting with myself

* challenging myself

* fitness

*sweating the day off

All of these are great reasons for me to run. However, once I'm out there, I have to stay focused and entertained. This is why I have my trusty iPhone playlist to keep me company. Here are the songs that make me run and move!

Check out my playlist on Soundcloud:

Source: helpwithweightloss.org via Andie on Pinterest