Click here if you have missed part 1 of my post, I never really paid attention to Sam food because Kayla is mainly the highlight of every photo, some of her clothes are pretty ridiculous but thats just Sam! Love her for being quirky and i wouldn't mind Kayla wardrobe really! 

Today i paid a little attention to Sam Food and still am convinced she bought all of that and place it nicely on a plate! haha but of course i know she whips them up by herself, best thing is that she shares her food with Kayla. 

Kids don't learn if you tell them what to do, but if they watch you do they would imitate and follow, so what Sam is doing amazes me! getting a child to eat an array of vegetable is no doubt a task for many Mom!  Most parents i've come across would rather feed anything from a bag or chips because its so tasty the kids would eat it for sure and man! kids take forever to eat,seriously. I don't have kids of my own but i've had 2 nieces that i had to feed and look after when i was barely 14 and i sang every freaking song in the nursery rhyme book, dance around,every spoon i held took of all sort of airplane rides into their mouth. But when  i was 14 i couldn't know any better about children and relationship they have with adults or any one they come across, everyone they meet moulds them into the person they become! So good on you Sam! i'm so proud of you.

What i'm trying to say is basically if you want to start inculcating a healthier lifestyle for your children or for your love ones, you have to take the first step and show them, time is only a factor you have 24 hours a day and 1 hours could be spend doing any physical activities together! yes i know you have an 8-5 job and you are tired by the time you get home, but if you just put in 30 minute of activity once you get home every other day thats a good 1.5 hours- 2 a week and darling in the long run your body would take you. 


Here are some workout that don't feel like a workout!
1) Washing the car together.
2)Swimming or building a sandcastle by the beach.
3)Explore a different park everyweek! i just discovered there's so many click here 
4) Walk around the shopping centre(not my favourite, but everyone seems to do it)

If you do have any other suggestion do share on the comment box below : ) 


photo credit: Samantha/gorgeous sleeping beauty:Kayla

Glitters is always an option but tights is a must have! Print are here to stay! unfortunately Nike Singapore takes a while to bring in all the latest design , i promise myself not to shop before my holiday, so here i am window shopping, hoping santa will send me some of this goodies. Here Nike take all my money! click on the image to purchase them for me , haha. i'm a size S also please throw in either one of those black beauty below i am a size 8! 
Have a good day !  

Being a fitness trainer it's my job to keep my client being challenged,engaged, motivated and at the same time giving them results! i always believe that functional movement out rule every other fancy movement but typical weekend warriors and desk jocks get bored and lose focus and motivation if you get them to squat and do push up and planks at every session! Don't get me wrong all my clients do squat,deadlift, press, pull, rotate, and lunge at every sessions according to a program but there are a bunch exercise out there that you could do to keep them interested! Also the fitness industries have made all sort of fancy equipment for you to use, so why not use it safely in between your main exercises, if you do have excess to a gym of course. I've mention, I love working with balancing exercises with my client, because its such a simple exercise but it can be a taxing to some.

So today I'm going to show you some example of exercising using just 1 dumbbell, i am sure all of us have 1 dumbbell at home, or a water bottle, or if your at the gym, pick up something heavier and challenge yourself! this may look simple but throw in a circuit or add a couple of burpees in between those sets!you will get your heart pumping, so here we go

3 sets of 10 reps

OR 

Pick 3-5 exercise and repeat for 3 sets of 10 reps! between every exercise throw in 20 jumping jacks!
(you know jumping jacks right?, i don't have to show you or burpees if you love it like i don't ) 

1. WARRIOR FRONTAL RAISE 
   
2. 20 SECOND BOAT POSE HOLD 
   
3. LUNGE AND RAISE (CHANGE SIDE AFTER FINISHING 12)
   
4. BOAT POSE CRUNCH (CHANGE ARM OF STARTING POSITION OF DUMBELL)
   
5. SINGLE LEG BACK ROW
   
6. SINGLE LEG HIP EXTENSION (CHANGE SIDE)
   
7. WINDMILL(CHANGE SIDE)
   
8. SINGLE LEG BACK ROW TO HIP EXTENSION ( CHANGE SIDE)
   
9. 20 SECOND BOAT POSE HOLD(AGAIN YES!)
   
10. HIGH PLANK ROW(CHANGE SIDE)

It is not easy to find quality workout/yoga apparel under the price range of $70. And today, i am  excited to share with you a local active-wear label in Singapore!

I'm super particular when it comes to workout clothes! hey also because its my uniform. Having a top that isn't to long and a bottom that isn't ridding up my butt makes a hell load of difference. I want to be able to do my exercise in comfort and not keep adjusting my top every repetition, also i want something that i can wear out looking chic. 

Vivre Activewear is a local start-up by a super talented yoga enthusiast who seeks to bring affordable and beautiful clothing to yogis in Singapore and all over the world. Choose from a wide range of tops, bottoms, sports bra, and yoga towels from their store! Prices range from $30 to $60. Vivre also offer exchanges within 7 days should items received does not fit/ is not up to your expectations, so you can have a worry-free online shopping experience with them.

I swear that the material for the tops are to die for, and with an in build bra you do not need to buy another set of sport bra. I have another top that I've yet to get a photo with, its a toga top and I've been given compliments that it accentuate my shoulders!

Here are 3 of my favourites! YES it is that affordable!  I've got 2 pairs in my closet and you should too since you will be getting a discount!


No its not only for yoga! i workout in it and felt so much cooler in the top! perhaps its the material!

Follow them on their Instagram and Facebook to be updated of their new arrivals, events, and promotions. * From now till 31st July 2014, use coupon code “jd10dc” to be entitled a 10% discount when checking out! Do support local brands!

Website: www.vivreactivewear.com
Facebook: Vivre Active Wear
Instagram: @vivreactivewear
Enquiries: admin@vivreactivewear.com

 

What is free.
Can be done anywhere.
Can be done by yourself or with someone else or even an entire country.
Comes with some health benefit.
A truckload of bad reputation. 
Distintive knees and joint injury.
A total waste of time to some and an addiction to many.

Running or Jogging!

 I had to go look up on the difference between those two, beside the pace/speed, Jogging is usually done more leisurely and comes with a slight more bounce as compared to Running which sounds more competitive, a little less more demanding than Sprinting.  

Just google jogging the minute you insert "jogging is" the word bad follows through. I wouldn't associate jogging with being bad, every sport that we play have a little element of jogging/running/sprinting, so is sports bad? 

Reason why running may be bad, because there is no follow through or planning or progressive training. People see running as a way to lose weight and they beat themselves up and start going for miles and hours for their first run, they do it a couple of days, every day! get tired, pull a muscle, and blame it on running! To much of every thing is not good and too little of everything is not good either, therefore building up miles takes time, i wouldn't do marathons, maybe 1 and get it over my bucket list but thank god its not in it. haha 

If you are planning to start running,because its cheap, free and makes you feel good, always start of with a 5-10min warm up. Run/jog no longer than 30 minutes for the first time and if you need to stop then stop! listen to that poor body that sit on a desk an entire day , you can't just force it to run immediately, Let it get accustom, let the joint and muscle start developing and firing up. 

For the first week plan to run 2-3 times per week depending on individual , get ample of rest and remember to hydrate, try not to run more than an accumulated to 2-3 hours a week unless if you are planning to compete in a race, but if you are just planning to stay fit, and if that 30 min is getting to easy, instead of increasing the time of the run why not increase the speed! 


Why i don't run anymore? i find that i can do more efficient exercise in the gym and my knees are not in the best shape since my netball days! but just for you and to prove that running is safe if done correctly, i'll try adding it into my program and let you know how i feel after running bur of course you're not gonna get 10km per week from me, maybe 2km if you're lucky! on my next post i will find a suitable APP to use via your phone to track the distance and speed and if you do know of any, drop me a comment. 

Below are some pointers to remember when running! yes there is an efficient way to do everything, no right or wrong. When i workout or when i participate in activity, first thing that i love to address is that it shouldn't hurt you, nothing is safe, people die while running, but people die getting choke with a fish ball too, we just need to be more well prepared and aware to actiivites that we can control. 

till then.
j.d

Besides looking after my hair,the people at BlackHairSalon especially Nick always keep  ensuring i care for my hair more, I'm the type of girl i would just bun my hair up in the tightest knot with 3 thousand rubber bands, here are some tips that most of you already might know!

1) Condition your hair only below your ears onwards focusing on the ends, the scalps do not need much conditioning.

2)Never towel dry your hair and rub it like your going to rip your head apart, usually when your hair is wet, it breaks more easily, just place a towel and use your finger to massage to remove all the water.

3)Its definitely okay to change shampoo, find one that works for you and trust me I'm still finding one if it doesn't change, i usually go with one that is paraben free or contain less crap in the ingredient secret, those are the ones that cost the most too, like the saying beauty comes with a price.

4) Rinse your hair in cold water.  cool rinse of water will close the cuticle and seal in the moisture to each strand. It’s ok to shampoo your hair in hot water but finish it with a cold rinse at the end.

5)To achieve the waves on my hair above, after washing my hair, towel dry it to about 80%, i sprayed argan water(i mix 20percent argan oil and 80% water) on my hair and i braid it loosely and let it sit in till its completely dry or until you feel like removing it, gently remove the rubber band, flip your head over and ta da instant waves.

Super upset right now, i wrote one of the longest post and its all gone, it's one of those moment kinda writing and i can't rewrite it, sadly it wouldn't come as close as the first draft, but the only thing i manage to copy was the end of this paragraph which said,

Get out of your head and get into your heart. Think less, feel more.” ~Osho

What works for me, may not work for you, its similar issue with everything in life and recently i can't help but take extra effort to look after my skin especially towards the sun, i love my face being sun kissed and tanned but i never made any effort to wear any sun protection before for the very reason i hate my face being oily and i keep my skin care regime to the minimal, I'm a moisturiser and eyeliner girl and anything more than that requires more effort. 

My current favourite is 
1)Biore UV aqua which i use when I'm about to be in the sun for a longer periods of time. 
2)Maybeline Baby skin not only protect my face but gives that extra glow, couldn't ask for more.

As quoted from (HUFFINTON POST)
What are the top five reasons you believe everyone should wear sunscreen?

1. The ozone layer is depleting and your body needs shielding from harmful rays.

2. Skin cancer rates are on the rise and sunscreen has been proven to decrease the development of skin cancer.

3. It helps to prevent facial brown spots and skin discolorations.

4. It also helps to reduce the appearance of facial red veins and blotchiness.

5. It slows down the development of wrinkled, premature aging skin.

whats your favourite SPF? leave me a comment. 

 I recalled netball training, my coach made us toss around 5 kg medicine balls countless numbers of repetition until your arms literally died, but hey it did get me stronger, it made the netball lighten and in crossfit! we would usually toss a 5kg or 10kg medicine ball up against a wall while dropping into a squat way too many time until you have no more gas.

 I am sure you would be able to find a medicine ball in any gym you visit, it comes in a variety of weight range depending on how atas(classy) your gym is,  here's a bunch of exercise you could do with a ball and not just use to sit on it like i do at times :) 


Feel free do 3 sets of this circuit anyway you fancy in 12-15 repetition, throw this in after your weight training or do it as your total body workout or just pick 3 that you like and keep doing it for 30 second intervals!


1) ball plank ( hold for 30 seconds)
2)ball stability lunge
3)ball push up
4)ball pike ups
5)ball power pike ups
6)basic ball lunge
7)ball sit ups