America

IMG_8648_Layers_v1

IMG_8629_Layers_v1

IMG_8651_Layers_v1

IMG_8610_Layers_v1

IMG_8646_Layers_v1

Top: J. Crew / Tank: J. Crew / Denim: Motherhood / Shoes: Soludos / Sunnies: Vintage Kenneth Cole / Watch: Michael Kors / Bracelets: Tory Burch (similar) and Baublebar / Lip: MAC Russian Red

You may remember this top from last summer. I decided to remix it up a bit and style it for spring. This was taken in our backyard during our trip to Nola, but figured it was a perfect outfit post leading into Memorial Day Weekend. I am headed out of town again this weekend…this time on a girl’s trip for my BFF’s Bachelorette to Deep Creek Lake, MD. I tell you, this lady couldn’t be further from a Bridezilla and she has chosen a pregnant woman’s dream of a Bachelorette celebration. A nice house near a lake with all your besties, cooking dinner, wearing sweatpants, and drinking wine? Ok fine, maybe I can’t have the wine…but I will take all the rest! And I will selfishly admit that I am glad I won’t have to squeeze on a mini dress with this baby bump and strut awkwardly into a club (although honey, I WOULD have done that for you too!) But thanks for taking it easy on me 😉 Although I will miss my little munchkin once again this weekend, it will definitely be nice to have some girl time and at least my boys will get some quality time together as well.

What are your plans for Memorial Day Weekend?

Make it a good one!

XO,

Gina

NOLA {Part 2}

IMG_8734_Layers_v1

Here is Part 2 of our 4 Year Anniversary Trip to NOLA!

IMG_9404

Elizabeth’s for Breakfast in the Bywater

IMG_9433

Bananas Foster French Toast

IMG_9416

IMG_9405

Honey Island Swamp Tour in Slidell, LA

IMG_9434

IMG_9388

SNAP!

IMG_9381

IMG_9407

IMG_9429

Me and my honey walking down Bourbon Street

IMG_9431

Another tourist must – pralines!

IMG_9430

Street music was impeccable

IMG_9343

And the indoor concerts were just as fab – these are the Brass-aholics at Blue Nile on Frenchman Street / You’ll also want to check out the Spotted Cat, Maison, Cafe Negril, Vaso, dba, and Three Muses. You can pretty much just walk along and pop in when you hear something you like!

IMG_9440

Fabulous dinner at Upperline with friends Uptown – everything from the adorable owner, incredible food, art on the walls and wonderful service made this experience perfect

IMG_9435

Is it bad that I hung out with gators, and then ate gators? This and an entire menu of amazingness at Cochon in the CBD

IMG_9428

Oh how I miss these adorable houses! I wish I had documented even more of our trip. We got a tour through the beautiful Garden District, uptown, and the area near Tulane and Loyola of New Orleans (where I went my first time to Nola). It was so nice to have such great friends to hang out with and show us around, and we also made sure to enjoy some alone time together. We walked down Royal St. checking out all of the art galleries along the way. I could have spent a week or more there just exploring…although I must admit, I was a little tired after running around for only three days! Haha.

Hanging out with my little guy today. Heading to story time and then maybe the grocery store. I have missed him!

Hope you all have a great Tuesday!

XO,

Gina

We’re in the NOLA, Baby

IMG_8729_Layers_v1

SURPRISE!!!!! 4 years of wedded bliss and a trip to New Orleans to celebrate! I booked the flights in January, and have been planning out our adventures for the past few months. Somehow, someway I was able to keep this trip a surprise for that long! Many thanks to my mother-in-law for coming up to NY to watch our little guy while we got a few days away to ourselves. Figured we needed a little mini babymoon before the new baby arrives and we are back to crazy town again. I definitely think it was worth it. The best part was being able to stay out and listen to music all night without worrying about getting up early in the morning. We were also able to meet up with great friends while we were down there and they showed us around. The culture, music, art, food, and the people down there really make you feel alive. Nola, you definitely have a piece of my heart!

IMG_9271

Super surprised – On the way to the airport

IMG_9285

The house where we stayed in the Bywater complete with a beautiful backyard garden. Thank you Airbnb and thank you Marie and Raphael!

IMG_9286

IMG_9287

Out to lunch at Booty’s – based on street food from around the world – located in the Bywater

IMG_9296

Ready to hit the town!

IMG_9307

Swamp Donkeys at Bamboula’s on Frenchman Street – so good!

IMG_9310

Coffee at Satsuma in the Bywater

IMG_9322

Morning stroll – love all the colorful houses!

IMG_9334

Beignets at Cafe du Monde in the French Quarter – a tourist MUST!

IMG_9335

IMG_9426

Dinner in the Courtyard at Bacchanal in the Bywater – amazing ambiance, food, wine (I am imagining) and music

IMG_9427

IMG_9432

Mississippi River

IMG_9336

I know we only spent three days/nights in New Orleans, but I have so many photos to share, that I am going to have to create another post to continue part 2 of our trip. What a wonderful experience to share with my amazing hubby. I know we will be back again someday 🙂

Hope you are all enjoying this Monday. As sad as I was to leave Nola, I was definitely happy to get back to my PiYo mat today and get a nice sculpt workout in as well as start up our Bikini Body Challenge with a crunch-less ab circuit. Nola is not famous for the healthiest of foods…so while it was PHENOMENAL, it was definitely a rare occasion for me to eat so much fried food! My belly was happy at the time, but my body is now craving some healthy eats! Today it’s all about the fruits and veggies!

Lastly, today is the FINAL day to shop my online trunk show with Stella & Dot. Make sure to snag those goodies and a chance to win pieces for free or at 50% off!

Happy Monday!

XO,

Gina

Stella & Dot Trunk Show With Popcorn and Pandas

Stella & Dot Trunk Show With Popcorn and Pandas
All items Stella & Dot via my Online Trunk Show
Well, gang, it’s Friday!  It’s also the perfect day for a quick little lunch hour shopping spree.  My online trunk show for Stella & Dot is still going through the weekend (last day is Monday!), and I thought I would create a little wish list of picks for inspiration!  These are some of my favorite pieces from the line ranging from bright and sunny to hip and edgy.  There is still time to shop and win a chance to score your favorite piece for free or at 50% off!   While I would love to own every one of these pieces for myself, Stella & Dot also makes a great gift for a birthday, bridal shower, or anniversary.  This is just a small peek into what they have to offer, so be sure to check out the site and browse around at the rest of their goodies.  In case you missed my earlier posts, you can also check out the looks I created with Stella & Dot to see what some of their items look like in action (look 1 / look 2).  If you have any questions about the line, you can ask me or stylist, Jessica Sigler. We are happy to help!
Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!  I am down here in NOLA for my 4th wedding anniversary with the hubs. The surprise went over fantastically, although I almost had an anxiety attack/started crying when we arrived at the airport to find an oversold flight with us being the shafted couple.  After 30 minutes of agony and bargaining from the Delta employees, someone finally volunteered to give up his seat for $900 cash.  I planned to sleep on the plane, but my blood pressure was way too high after THAT debacle!!!!  It gets crazier…Ethan Hawke was on our flight, and as I am walking onto the plane he smiles at me and congratulates me on my anniversary and that we were able to get on the plane. Ethan Hawke TALKED to me!!!!  I think my face broke from smiling so hard.
All ended well, thank goodness, and we are having a fabulous time in New Orleans!  Follow me on Instagram over the weekend for updates 🙂
XO,
Gina

Bikini Body Boot Camp

Bikini Body Bootcamp Invite Image

Happy Tuesday dahhhhhlings!!

It’s FREE Challenge Group time!!!

***Next Monday, 5/18, I’m hosting a free, 5-DAY BIKINI BODY BOOT CAMP***

Spend the week prepping for summer’s unofficial kick-off, Memorial Day Weekend!! We’ll focus on your core with a “crunchless” ab circuit. Then we’ll maximize those results in the kitchen with some “Bikini Bites” or ideas for healthy snacks + recipes. Get ready to ROCK your swimsuit + most importantly, feel great!!

COMMENT below with your e-email if you would like to be added to the group! You can also email me at gina.notes26 {at} gmail.com. Hope to see YOU + your beautiful bod next week. <3

XO,

Gina

{33} Lately…

 photo 2

Lately I’ve been…

reading  The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson. I have been reading a lot of personal development non-fiction lately. As an entrepreneur, I think it’s extremely beneficial to help keep myself on track with my goals for my life and my business.  It’s a practice that I have picked up since becoming a coach with Beachbody, and I think it has really made a difference overall in helping to improve my business as well as my life. The particular book talks about how a few simple daily disciplines can really turn into a massive change in terms of success and happiness.

writing  A workout routine for my new upcoming Bikini Boot Camp Challenge that will focus on the core using crunch-less ab exercises. The challenge will kick off next week right before Memorial Day Weekend, so let me know if you want in!

listening  Loving this new jam by Martin Solveig – Intoxicated

thinking  That I am a very lucky lady. I had a wonderful Mother’s Day Weekend spent with my boys. We had a playdate with friends on Saturday, a date night Saturday, and spent Sunday getting pampered with breakfast and gifts, hiking, and having an early dinner on the water.  I am so very lucky to have incredible moms in my life to call my own (mom, mother-in-law, grandmothers, godmother, aunts, friends, family friends, etc), and I am lucky to be a mom myself to my amazing little boy and babe on the way. I am also super lucky to have such an incredible partner in my journey through life. We are going to be celebrating 4 married years together (and 10.5 together) this Thursday, and I just feel so blessed for the relationship that we have built and will continue to build.

smelling  The fabulous chai that I am consuming at this very moment. Mmm.

watching  Was lucky enough to get a date night with the hubby courtesy of our fabulous parent’s group in our hood. We decided to catch a movie and saw, The Age of Adaline. Starring Blake Lively, this period piece was interesting and although unbelievable at times, if you vow to just be purely entertained and not focus so much on how it can be a little ridiculous…it was a really good movie. It’s almost as if she is time traveling because she is able to live through so many different time periods. And I just love her classic style throughout the film. Would definitely recommend! Even the hubs enjoyed it.

wishing  If I tell you this wish…it might not come true…so I’m going to stay mum for now. 😉

hoping  To finish up the planning this week for my BFF’s Bachelorette Weekend coming up! We already have some fun ideas in store, but putting together the final touches with my fellow Matron of Honor this week. Cannot wait for this little gal’s getaway!  Thanks for getting married, bestie, so we have an excuse to all get together! Hehe.

wearing  Plaid button down, ripped casual jeans, and flip flops! Yes, flip flops!  Cheers to warm weather!

loving  My new pregnancy pillow and the prenatal massage that I have booked for June. Spoiled mama!

wanting  Baby to move up a little bit in my belly! Apparently my placenta is lying a little low and so I am feeling all kinds of movements very low as well…feels kinda weird! But good news is, he is moving a lot!! Always kicking around in there. We go to the doc again on Wednesday for a growth check, so keeping fingers crossed that baby is getting bigger! (I am getting bigger, so I am hopeful!) Today marks 24 weeks!

needing  More sleep! I am so bad at going to bed early as I feel I need to stay up and complete so many more things on my to-do list each night! I really need to start forcing myself to hit the sack just a little bit earlier each night and tell myself that things can wait until tomorrow.

feeling  Tired! Like I said above…I need to get more sleep! I also did the PiYo Drench workout this morning and whew! Talk about sweating up a storm. They were not kidding about the whole “drench” thing. Felt good to get back to PiYo though after taking the weekend off. Never miss a Monday!

craving  Sweets. My pregnancy sweet tooth is starting to come back in full force! Nothing new really though, pregnant or not. I need to start eating more fruit to nix those unhealthy cravings for sugar! Watermelon was my fruit of choice last pregnancy. I would be happy to return to that routine 🙂

clicking  Through the recently launched site Co11ective, where 11 ladies have come together to share stories of health,  nutrition, fitness, fashion, digital marketing, entrepreneurship and more. I am so happy to be included in this dynamic group of powerful and successful women.

*

HAPPY MONDAY!

Hope all the mommies out there had a wonderful Mother’s Day Weekend!

What have you been up to lately?

XO,

Gina

P.S. I usually only share one photo in my “Lately” posts. However, we had such a fun day yesterday, that I wanted to share a little more:

photo 3

photo 1

photo 4

photo 5

photo 7

photo 8

photo 6

***I was inspired by Tina of Like Ordinary Life to create this post, and she was inspired by Lauren of siddathornton, who started The Sunday Currently.

Fitness Fashion

Fitness Fashion
Fabletics Hoodie: Nordstrom Rack / New Balance Running Shoes: Englin’s Fine Footwear / FitBit: Amazon / Pranna Henna E.C.O. Yoga Mat: Vickery / Glass Water Bottle: Camelbak / Killing It Sports Bra: LuLu’s / Floral Sonar Capri: Athleta / Nike Tempo Shorts: REI / Nike Swoosh Tee: Nelly / Rebecca Minkoff Subway Bag: Shopbop / Strong is the New Skinny Tank: Etsy
 –
Now that I am working from home as a fitness coach and freelance writer, chasing around a toddler and let’s be honest…being pregnant…the days of me dressing up for work are few and far between. I’m lucky if I put real clothes on once during the week and then I normally make up for it on the weekends. But during the week, my neighborhood is pretty casual, and I’m usually running around or working from home, so comfort is key! I decided to put together a little style board of fitness fashion this Friday in honor of my laid back athletic weekly style. What piece do you like the best?
 –
Happy Friday! Also wishing you mamas out there a Happy Mother’s Day this weekend!
 –
XO,
 –
Gina

Out in the Country

IMG_8517_Layers_v1

This look totally said “I’m going out to the country” this past weekend. Casual, comfortable with layers for a chilly morning and warm afternoon. Planning outfit shoots with a toddler in tow these days, is almost near impossible. He has no tolerance or patience for sitting still and wants to run, run, run!  We often resort to pulling over on the side of the road when the little one falls asleep for a nap. Whatever works! Haha. We found this adorable green church out in the countryside of Beacon and thought it would be a perfect place to stop and shoot since we had to wait for the little guy to wake up before exploring anyway. I’m still thinking fondly of our mini get-a-away last weekend, and can’t wait for the next one.

IMG_8513_Layers_v1

IMG_8492_Layers_v1

IMG_8502_Layers_v1

IMG_8508_Layers_v1

Top: Motherhood / Jeans: Motherhood (old) / Trench: H&M (similar on sale) / Boots: Target / Sunnies: Vintage Kenneth Cole / Necklace: Love, Lori Michelle / Bracelets: Tory Burch (similar), Stella & Sparkle, Baublebar / Watch: Michael Kors

What a gorgeous day outside! Can’t wait to get out and enjoy the sunshine. Make it a good one ya’ll!

XO,

Gina

Bright & Sunny {With Stella & Dot Part 2}

IMG_8576_Layers_v1

This past weekend, our little family of three (almost four) decided to escape the city for a little fresh air in Upstate NY. We explored the town of Beacon and settled down at a nice little spot on the Hudson that we found on Airbnb in the town of Rosendale. It was a lot of fun to tour around some unfamiliar places, try new restaurants, window shop, and hike new trails. The Wallkill Valley Rail Trail was a perfect hike for a prego mama and a newly hiking toddler. Nice and flat! We had a gorgeous view of the trestle bridge right across from our place, and the town of Rosendale was only steps away. It was a lovely get-a-way and it was so nice to spend some time in the great outdoors.

IMG_8533_Layers_v1

IMG_8605_Layers_v1

IMG_8585_Layers_v1

IMG_8538_Layers_v1

IMG_8561_Layers_v1

IMG_8581_Layers_v1

IMG_8552_Layers_v1

Dress: Old Navy / Sun Hat: Snagged on my trip to Mexico – similar here / Shoes: Cynthia Vincent / Sunnies: Vintage / Watch: Michael Kors (now on sale) / Lip: Revlon Hydrangea / City Slim Clutch, Rebel Pendant & Ring, Bianca Earrings (can be worn multiple ways!), Wanderer Cuff, Pave Triangle Cuff, & Eden Bangle: All on loan from Stella & Dot

This is Part 2 of my Spring/Summer photo shoot with Stella & Dot. I have had my eye on this Rebel Pendant for almost a year now, and now there is also an amazing Rebel Ring to match.  I am also in love with this City Slim Clutch in the metallic color. It’s super chic, and can be dressed up or down depending on the occasion.

Shop the shoot here at my online trunk show, and keep in mind that today is the LAST day to guarantee shipping for Mother’s Day! The rest of this collection is fabulous, so you will definitely want to check it out. Trust me, mom will approve! Shoppers will be entered to win free jewelry and pieces at 50% off.

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend, and I hope you get a chance to get outside today and enjoy this sunshine!

XO,

Gina