Feedly Finds, Vol. 10 / #linklove

Good weekend? It's been chilly up here in Michigan. I'm less than thrilled about it. As my daughter would say, "we need Elsa to bring back Summer." Yes, indeed we do. But since that's not going to happen, we'll just have to cope. And distract. Like, say, with some good articles on the Internet?

1) I am obsessed with the color gray, and I want everything in this roundup. (Except maybe the tee...love me some funky, but it's a bit TOO funky for me. And the glasses because I don't wear glasses.)

2) Pretzels are amazing, especially when they're soft and warm (and covered with just a touch of salt). This recipe for pretzel bites suggests dipping them in chocolate sauce. SIGN ME UP.

3) "It never hurts to say nice things to yourself," Skinny Sometimes.

4) As a personal trainer and group fitness instructor, I get the biggest kick out of helping people transition from cardio to cardio AND weights. So many people think steady and extensive amounts of time on the elliptical or treadmill (or machine of choice) is enough to lose weight. But it's not, really. And this post puts it into perspective.

5) I work at a gym, so I don't put makeup on every day...but I love makeup. It's so fun to play with when I actually DO get out of the fitgear! But I suck at putting on lipstick because I usually apply it once and forget about it. I splurged on two favorites from MAC: A rose-ish color that highlights my lips, and a nude that makes them pop juuuuust a little bit. But I've been thinking about playing around with a bold lip color. It always looks so polished and fun on other people. Maybe "bold" is what I need to create that apply/reapply routine.

6) I'm such a marketing nerd. I love the industry. It's all about making, selling, being and doing things. It's exciting, and there's a lot to learn from it. Specifically: It teaches authenticity and the importance of it. I recently pinned this quote from a post that will explain everything:

7) My daughter is a great eater. She'll try anything, and there's not much she won't eat. Currently, just raspberries. But she has a huge sweet tooth, no thanks to me because I do, too. But we try to balance it all out. This article gave me some new strategies.

8) "Sometimes it's important to stop worrying about what everyone else is doing and just be you." Sistas of Strength.

And now, elsewhere on the Internet...

1) As we get closer and closer to that time when we all make some resolutions, you should consider making some incremental goals. They're a bit more reachable in almost every situation.

2) My stack of magazines keeps getting bigger and bigger. Seriously, I'm just now getting to my September issues even though the December issues are arriving. But that's not stopping me from putting must-read fitness, health and happiness books on a wish list.

3) I'm absolutely in love with teaching my new Barre Fit class. All those Ballet classes I took in middle school are finally paying off! I'm also turning to Pinterest for some great new exercises to use, which is where I found these 8 exercises you can do with a chair. Love them all!

4) Whenever I get a new client and/or orient a new member at the gym, it's usually one of two people: Someone who knows exactly what they want out of their time at the gym, or someone who has no clue...which can often be a challenge because it really helps if you can verbalize your goals, what you like, don't like in terms of exercise, your schedule, etc. This article explains it quite nicely.

Question: Have you ever worked with a personal trainer? Tell me something about that experience, positive or negative!