Welcome!

Hello there, readers! My name is Ciara and this is Fitness and Things! I had another blog called The Daily Doozy that I loved very much, but for many reasons, I wasn't loving it anymore. I realized I have a real passion for fitness and healthy living that I wanted to share, as well as a passion for introducing others to new products and things I discover along the way. I've been doing a lot of work to make this blog even better and use the powers of social media to spread my posts to all the girls out there!

With all of this change, it is taking time to set up this blog, so I hope you'll bear with me. I want this blog to be awesome, so some links in the navigation bar aren't currently working and I still have some design work to do. But I hope that it will be finished soon and I can dive in to my blogging! For now, I uploaded all the posts from my old blog and I will be posting some new content later this week!

If you have any requests for topics or any questions at all, leave a comment below! Thank you for being patient and welcome to Fitness and Things!

        

Read More

Hello? Is Anyone There?

It's been a looong time since I've blogged, if you haven't noticed already. It was a long time coming, my abrupt departure from the blogging world. I was so happy and motivated when I started The Daily Doozy 6 months ago, but that went away a few months in when life got in the way. I felt stress and pressure from my normal duties as a full time student, athlete, friend, daughter, and employee. I wanted to post every week day on my blog, but finding time for just two posts was a struggle. I hated that I was missing posts, which led to me not posting more and leading my blog to a downward spiral. I lost interest in certain subjects that I was posting about and eventually, I just gave up.

I got an email recently from Her Campus saying that if I didn't post by this week, I couldn't be a part of the Her Campus Blogger Network anymore. This realization hit me and I knew I wanted to try blogging again, but in a way that made me excited to blog again. I've worked out a new schedule that will allow me to live my life and create awesome posts for everyone. 

I am going to change the name of my blog to Fitness and Things and create a whole new, social media-integrated layout. I'm very excited for this new venture and I hope you are, too. I'm going to post twice a week; once about fitness and healthy living and once about things I like that are related to a theme. I'm ready for this new challenge and I can't wait to unveil it next week. I'll leave a link on this page to the new blog when it is live!

I hope you enjoyed The Daily Doozy and continue your readership at Fitness and Things!

Read More

New Apps To Love

I've been on an app kick lately because I'm going on vacation next week and I've been trying to download as many apps as I can to keep me occupied during my flights and down time. Luckily for me, there have been so many great apps released recently. I didn't really have any type of app in particular in mind, but I found some great games and a couple lifestyle apps that are perfect. Also, they're all free! I never have money on my iTunes cards, so I'm always looking for free apps. I guess I'm already living the broke college kid life.

Instagrab

Source: iTunes

First on the list is Instagrab. This is a pretty straightforward app for capturing pictures from Instagram. Some of my friends have posted awesome pictures of our senior activities and other cool stuff that I really wanted to save and print out. I just made an Instagram a few weeks ago, so I'm completely adept at using the site, but I figured out that you can't outright save pictures unless you screenshot. This app has been a godsend for saving photos for a collage I'm making for my dorm room.


My Cycles

Source: iTunes

I don't know about you, but I am awful at remembering to keep track of my period. It's like, really, really bad. I just lose track of the day it started and when it ends, so it's always a shock when I get it. This app is like many of the other period tracker apps, but my favorite part is that it has a birth control reminder. Not only do I suck at remembering my period, I really suck at remembering the pill. This app just makes my life 1000x easier.

Two Dots

This is one of those extremely addictive puzzle games that frustrate you to no end, but are so satisfying when you beat the level. It's similar to Candy Crush in that you have a limited number of moves. It's a quasi-sequel to Dots, but it's more complex than it's predecessor because it has levels and certain goals you need to reach in order to move forward in the game.

iAssociate 2

Source: Google Play

This is another game sequel that I love. This app has actually been out for a while, but I rediscovered it in my game folder on my iPod. It’s a word association game that sounds boring, but is actually really fun. Each level has a theme, like cities across the world, colors, or websites, and it gives you a starting word. Around the first word are blank words that are associated with it. It tells you how many letters in the word and you have to guess what word it is. From there, there are even more words that associate from these words, so you create a web from the theme. I feel like it’s one of the only games that will make you smarter from playing it.

Infection

Source: heavy

If you have seen Contagion with Matt Damon and Gwenyth Paltrow, then this game will sound very similar to you. In the game, you pick a name for a disease and where it will begin infecting people. Every time it infects and kills a certain percentage of the population or in a new country, you earn DNA points. These points can be used to increase the infectivity, resistance,  and lethality of the disease. It is wicked fun, especially if you name the disease something funny like cheese or the name of someone you know. A part of me loves the ridiculousness of the game, but the other part of me is scared at how real this situation could be in the world. Other than that, it’s a fun game.

So, if you're looking for fun games or new lifestyle apps, definitely download these apps pronto. You won't regret it! If you liked this post, please share and follow The Daily Doozy in the links below!

 

Read More

My Fitness Pal

Source: 10kstepsaday

Like all women, I haven't been the happiest with my body lately. I'm not anorexic or bulimic, or anything, but I have noticed that I've put on weight and I want to get healthier. I looked on iTunes and found the perfect app for getting in shape.

The app, My Fitness Pal, is a food diary/ nutritional tracker/ goal setter for losing weight and keeping healthy. It counts your calories and tracks your workouts so you can hit a calorie goal every day. If you maintain that calorie goal, you will lose or gain between 0.5-2.0 pounds a week. You set a goal weight and your current weight and it tells you how long it will take to reach the goal. So far, it's been going well. It's really easy to use and has a simple design, which I like. 

I don't know if I'm weird, or what, but I really enjoy using it and I look forward to entering my food and fitness information every day. It's really cool to see my efforts working. When I weigh myself and my weight drops, it's so weird to think that just counting my calories is affecting my health so much. This app makes it easy to control my eating without obsessing over losing weight and limiting my eating habits. Even if you're not looking to lose or gain weight, it's great for maintaining your weight, as well. It also has the capability of connecting with friends to motivate you on your fitness journey!

The only bad thing I can say about it is that it doesn't calculate the calories burned from strength training. I like to lift more than I like running, so most of my burned calories from exercise are from lifting. On that part, it is a bit inaccurate for my calorie counting, but it's one of the best apps I've tried. 

The app can be found in the App store for Apple, Android, and Windows devices. It's free, too, which is my favorite kind of app. It also has a feature that connects it to other apps like Couch to 5K, Map My Run, Map My Ride, and many more. So if you already have fitness apps, this one is easy to integrate. 

Let me know what fitness apps you use! If you liked this post, please share and follow The Daily Doozy in the links below.

 

Read More

Workout Gear Haul

I recently cleaned out my closet and realized how many things I need in my closet. I guess that is the benefit of cleaning out the old; you make room for the new! I basically went on several small shopping sprees and amassed a decent haul of new clothes. It was mainly because I'm going on a trip for a week this Sunday, but hey, new clothes are new clothes.



I had a coupon for Kohl's, so naturally I ventured out and bought a crap load of clothes. Then, thanks to Kohl's cash, I had another coupon and was hitting the racks for workout gear. I think the last time I bought workout clothes was last Christmas. . . It's been a while and I definitely needed it! I'm wicked excited about the stuff I got. I've been looking to try yoga sports bras and I found some and I fell in love! Kohl's has so many different brands and options, so anyone looking for new workout gear should head over to the nearest Kohl's!

Here's what I got:



SO® Bra: Yoga Racerback Push Up Bra - Juniors
$10.99









This sports bra is a godsend for bigger-chested girls. Trust me - it's amazing.


Tek Gear® Core Essentials Performance Tee - Women's
Fuze Purple
$11.99




SO® Running Shorts - Juniors
Baltimore Blue
$11.99




This shirt is so comfortable and light. It doesn't rub weird when I run in it and it controls my sweat, which is awesome!



FILA Sport® Core Essential Cutout Performance Tank - Women's
$17.99

FILA Sport® Performance Compression Shorts - Women's

$18.99

These spandex are literally the best spandex I've ever worn. They don't ride up and the band is nice and smooth. I need to get more of these!

SO® Mock-Layer Bralet & Racerback Tank - Juniors

Coral Gem
$9.99



SO® Running Shorts - Juniors

Tribal Geo

$11.99

I am in love with the layered tank/ bralette combo. It keeps me cool when I work out and it looks great on. As soon as I have more money, I'm going to pick up a few more. 

Let me know what your favorite workout clothes are. If you liked this post, please share and follow The Daily Doozy in the links below!

 

Read More

The Other Woman

I saw The Other Woman about a month ago in the theaters with my sister and it was great. And now I finally have time to write a review about it!

Source: impawards

The movie follows Carly (Cameron Diaz) as she finds out that her boyfriend (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) has a wife, Kate (Leslie Mann). When Carly confronts Kate about her husband, she reluctantly agrees to help Kate bust the cheater after they discover he is dating Amber (Kate Upton). The three women team up to mess with the three-timer and get revenge. Along the way, the women become close friends, despite how they met, and Carly develops a liking for Kate's brother, Phil (Taylor Kinney).

Overall, I thought it was a great movie. One of Cameron Diaz's best movies in a while. It was fun, funny, and entertaining. Unfortunately, there was a group of cackling, middle-aged women behind me that died laughing every time something remotely funny happened during the movie. Other than that, it was fantastic. I think my favorite part was probably the night Kate, Carly, and Amber stayed up all night talking and hanging out. It was a funny montage of them by a fire pit laughing and getting drunk. I can't wait until the movie comes out on DVD in July. I wish it was out now so I could watch it again. 

Here's a small clip of my favorite scene:

I hope this trio makes another movie together because they really made this movie entertaining. I think with any other actresses, the movie would have been too cheesy. If you haven't seen this movie already, get on it! I believe it is still playing in some theaters, but it will be out on DVD in mid-July. You won't be disappointed by this movie!

If you liked this post, share and follow The Daily Doozy in the links below! 

Read More

My Netflix Obsessions

 I'm sure most of you have caught the Netflix bug like I have, and spend all of your waking moments watching season after season of the shows you never had time to watch when they aired. I have spent countless hours bingeing on shows when I should have been studying for a test or getting ready for work. It's just so addicting. Since opening an account, I've gone through 4 series and several movies in a few short months. I'm sure everyone has an opinion to what shows are best on Netflix, but here are my favorites.

Orange Is The New Black

Source: Comingsoon.net

To be honest, at first, I wasn't a huge fan of the show. I'm no pansy when it comes to vulgarity, but this show is pretty crude and rude. It's not for the lighthearted. Once you get over the consistent profanity and gross humor, you come to realize how awesomely entertaining Orange is. There is never a dull moment in series and the flashbacks really add depth to the characters, something inconsistent in a raunchy drama like this one. You really learn to love and hate every character for the actions and decisions they have made. I'm currently hating on Chapman's recent antics, but loving Nikki and Alex together! It's unlike any other TV show on screen or online and definitely worth your time. There are only 13 episodes in the first season, but season two comes out on June 6th!

Gossip Girl

Source: Foreveryoungadult.com

Alright, if you haven't heard of Gossip Girl, you must be living under a rock. What is more enticing than watching a show about the lives of privileged Upper East Side teens who obsess over a social media stalker site? It may sound dumb, but it is addicting from the very first episode. You really feel for all the characters and just want them to be happy. They get caught up in unbelievable messes and strange situations that can only be imagined. I know I would definitely want to raid Serena van der Woodsen's closet and live Blair Waldorf's life for at least a day. From the hot guys, the amazing clothes, and the crazy lives of Manhattan's elite, this show has it all, and more. This was the first series I binged on and I think I may watch it start to finish again! It's just too good to not watch, and the drama and suspense of knowing who Gossip Girl is makes it worth it.

Greek

Source: thisisablogblog

This is another favorite of mine on Netflix. I was always fascinated by the greek system and preppy sorority antics on the show. It follows Casey whose little brother, Rusty, is a freshman at her college. She is on the track of becoming president of her sorority with the best boyfriend on campus when her nerdy brother decides to join greek life and the senator's daughter, Rebecca, tries to make Casey's life hell. It sounds really catty upon first glance, but it is a really well thought out and heartwarming show about friends, family, and everything in between. It has the perfect combination of drama, love, friendship, partying, and southern sass. I wish I had best friends like Ashley and Calvin, like Casey and Rusty do. To be honest, this show makes me so excited to join greek life in college.

Parenthood

Source: Hooked On Houses

This show makes me want to have a big family like the Bravermans do. Based on the 1989 movie of the same name, Parenthood shows the trials and tribulations of a large family in Northern California. A war vet and his wife have four adult children with families of their own that go through their daily lives, fighting their personal struggles. The oldest son, Adam, has a wife, teenage daughter, and a son newly diagnosed with Asperger's. The oldest daughter, Sarah, just moved back into her parent's house after a failed marriage with two teenage children. The younger son, Crosby, is a longtime bachelor with a recently discovered son with a former flame. The youngest daughter, Julia, is a successful lawyer, wife, and mother of one struggling for another child. As most families do, they fight hard and love even harder. The family deals with everything from infidelity, sickness, and drama to family business deals and stressful daily routines. I highly recommend this show. It's very heartwarming and one of the best ensembles on TV. This September starts the last season of the show, so add Parenthood to your queue so you are caught up when the final season starts!

I hope you enjoyed this post and have a few new shows to watch on Netflix! You won't be disappointed by any of them! If you liked this post, please share and follow The Daily Doozy in the links below!

Read More