challenge group Archives - Popcorn and Pandas

Black is Boss

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Dress: Tobi – now on sale! / Jacket: Goodnight Macaroon – similar here and here / Over-the-Knee Boots: ALDO – similar – also love these / Earrings: Forever 21 / Lip: MAC Dark Side

While I LOVE pops of color and mixing in lots of color to my wardrobe, there is always something super comforting to me about basic black. Maybe, it’s the New Yorker in me, but I gravitate toward black frequently, especially in the winter time. Black is just classic, and will never go out of style. I scored these over-the-knee boots on sale after Christmas of LAST year, and had been keeping my eye open for the perfect dress to wear them with. I saw this one from Tobi with the open V-back, and had to snag it! A little bit sexy, a little bit chic, and a little bit badass with the boots, no? The top knot with the drop earrings finish the classic look…and since it’s still winter…a quilted moto jacket so I don’t freeze. The day we shot this, we actually had weather that was creeping into the 60s which is crazy for a New York winter!

This week I hit the 12 week mark of my pregnancy! Yay! Hoping to come out of that 1st trimester fog soon, though been suffering with some headaches as of late, which are typical for me during pregnancy when my hormones are going crazy. We’ve also been dealing with an insane 4 year old this week. Not sure if it’s lack of sleep or if something deeper is going on, but it’s been impossible to get through to him. Mamas can you relate? I thought 3 was a tough age and 4 was honestly getting better for us. So I’m hoping this is just an off week for him, because it’s really been out of hand with pretty much everything. My 2 year old is dabbling in potty training, and he’s doing okay, but there’s also some stress that goes along with cleaning up pee off your floor every 20 minutes. LOL. #momlife

My February Challenge Group started up on Monday, and these gals are off to the races! Their progress in January was AMAZING, and I am so very proud at how hard they worked! We have lots continuing on with their goals, and some new faces just starting out with us as well! I decided I’m going to jump into a program called PiYo, which is a pilates/yoga based program that focuses on stretch, strength, cardio, and core. I did this same program when I was pregnant with Luca, and it was fantastic, so I’m going to dive in again so that I have something I can stick to this month and stay motivated to keep moving with my growing babe.

I have so many ideas and posts in the works for this blog in the next few weeks and also some exciting projects I’m working on, so stay tuned for what’s to come! Hope you have an incredible week!

XO,

Gina

#SUMMERSTRONG

Holy smokes, you guys…Memorial Day is RIGHT around the corner, and before you know it, we are in JUNE!!!

There is never a perfect time to get started on making a change. We are never “less busy” than usual. There will always be parties, and holidays, and soccer practice, and traveling. So the perfect time to get started often has to do with something within.

There has to be something within you that wants to make a change. A reason. A why that is propelling you forward. Without that why, you may start something new excitedly, but then quickly fall off because you weren’t serious about making your change or you didn’t fully understand why you jumped in.

So maybe you are the:

*Former athlete turned mama who wants to get back to her old self again

*The working mom who just can no longer fit in that gym commute

*The gym rat who loves working out, but it somehow just not getting the results

*The one with the sweet tooth who cannot stop late night snacking and wants to improve with healthier habits

*The gal who just wants to feel confident in her bathing suit this summer

*The woman who is daily going through her closet disliking everything she puts on.

*The mama who just seriously is craving some ME time

*The person who is tired of being sick and tired and wants that boost to energy and motivation

Because I have been ALL of these women and more at some point and time…

And I can say now that:

*I am happier + healthier than ever before

*I have found a community that supports each other and lifts each other up

*I have gained a ton more confidence in myself and my capabilities

*I feel excited to get dressed in the morning

*I feel strong in mind, body, and soul

*I have opened my mind to so many more possibilities and have learned so much

I may never be completely confident in my bathing suit…but hey we all have our insecurities, and no one is perfect.

But it’s not about being perfect. It’s about improving yourself and being the best version of yourself there is.

If you are READY to commit to making a change. If you want to reach your full potential. If you want to be happy and healthy. If you want to feel #SUMMERSTRONG…

Then I would LOVE to include you in my upcoming #SUMMERSTRONG health + fitness Challenge Group starting June 5^th!

Each person in the group will be following an at-home workout program that I will help to recommend based on your goals and interests, drink a daily superfood shake packed with clean energy and nutrition, follow a nutrition plan, have my full support as your coach, and be surrounded by other positive uplifiting challengers like yourself who will motivate each other to reach our goals.

These groups have been LIFE CHANGING for me, and I know if you are ready, they will be for you too!

Please comment below with your email address or email me if you would like to learn more! Make it a great day everyone!!!

XO,

Gina

Country HEAT Giveaway + More!

Happy MONDAY!!!! I used to get a “case of the Mondays” every now and then, but not so much anymore…and especially not today. Today I am announcing the BIGGEST popcorn and pandas giveaway of the year!

Most of you know by now that I became an online health + fitness coach almost 2 years ago (Jan will be my 2 year anniversary), and trust me when I say being able to get results doing 30 minute workouts AT home while having two children has been a complete game changer. After having my 1st son, it was near impossible for me to get back into shape and to feel like my old self again. I took a different approach the 2nd time around as a coach, and it’s been life changing, for realz.

In an effort to pay it forward and show someone else that it is indeed possible to feel like yourself again and get into a routine with only 30 minutes a day, I’m giving away a COUNTRY HEAT Package on my Facebook page this week! Here’s what you’ll get:

-Country Heat DVD Workout Program

-Nutrition Guide

-Portion Control Container System (this is KEY!)

-A 7 Day Supply of Shakeology in all 7 Flavors

-A Shakeology Cup

-A Spot in My Monthly Challenge Support Group for the Month of November (the support is MAJOR!)

HUGE!!!! Not only does this program guarantee you an amazing cardio dance workout, but it’s FUN! You’re so busy movin’ and shakin’ that you don’t realize how hard you are working until you are done and in full sweat. Not a dancer? No worries. The best part about this is that you’re in your living room! LOL. So you don’t have to stress about looking silly dancing in front of others 😉

“Okay, enough already. What do I have do to WIN this program, Gina?”

Alright, here you go. Here’s what you have to do:

Go to my Popcorn and Pandas Facebook page and click LIKE.
Comment on the Country Heat Giveaway post which will be pinned to the top.
In the comment TAG 3 friends to let them know about this giveaway, and let me know WHY you want to win this program! (do you need something fun to mix things up, do you love to dance, are you stuck in a rut, do you want to work off the baby weight, etc.?)

That’s it!!! Simple as that.

Winner will be announced on my Facebook page this FRIDAY.

For more details on Country Heat, check out this link here.

In other news…our new KICKBOXING program, Core de Force will launch on Halloween! Today (and for the next 3 days) we are opening up a FREE sneak peek of the program if you want to check it out! Sign up here if you want to try it out. I have personally tried it out, and it’s awesome!! I will be the first one buying that complete program on Monday!!!

Okay, hope this little post and giveaway has officially cured your Monday blues today. Can’t wait to draw a winner on Friday for this amazing Country Heat giveaway!!

Make it a great day!

XO,

Gina

Lipstick + Lunges

TRAIN LIKE A BEAST AND LOOK LIKE A BEAUTY!!!!

It’s FREE Challenge time, and for the first time ever, I will be collaborating with Suzie Engler for LIPSTICK & LUNGES! In this 5 Day Challenge, we will focus on how you can look and feel beautiful on the inside AND out. 🙂

I will be providing a progressive lunge challenge in which we will increase the number of reps each day, and I will also be sharing multiple different versions of the lunge that you can try. In 5 days, those hamstrings, quads, and glutes will be on FIRE, but you will be feeling oh so strong + sexy.

Suzie will be sharing her favorite techniques + tips + tricks for applying not only lipstick, but eye shadows, liner, and wait for it…BROWS. Boom! I know I am personally excited for that one. Her tips will be beautiful, yet simple enough that even the busy mama will have time to apply. 🙂

Together we will be sharing the cohesion of how health + beauty combined are so important…not only for aging, but for your confidence too! Our hope is that you will leave our group having gained some amazing beauty/makeup tips, some lean muscle, and that feeling of confidence to rock out whatever you dream of.

We start MONDAY SEPTEMBER 19th! Please comment below if you’d like to join or message me for more details! You can also feel free to email me at gina.notes26@gmail.com.

Can’t wait! It’s gonna be so much fun!

Happy Wednesday all!

XO,

Gina

{39} Lately…

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Lately I’ve been…

reading A lot faster than I had been! LOL! I recently finished The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo. Part of me wants to immediately start tidying every single inch of my apartment, and the other part of me is experience extreme anxiety at the thought of going through her process! I am also reading Balancing in Heels by Kristin Cavallari and I have to say I am enjoying it! We have a lot in common in terms of being moms, trying to live a healthy lifestyle with fitness and food, an interest in fashion yet realizing that being busy moms we have to be more practical and other things have become more important than mani/pedis and putting on a full face of makeup every day. (although it IS a nice treat to do so!) Lastly I am reading the 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman with my husband. We thought it would be a good idea to figure out what each of our love languages are and then to read about them individually to see how we can make sure we are on the same page. If you don’t know what love language you are speaking, take the quiz here! Btw…Kristin Cavallari and her husband read this book too! LOL!

writing This blog post, e-mails, and coach welcome posts on my team page!

listening Okay, I know I posted this on Facebook the other day, but I am completely obsessed with “Lost Boys” by Ruth B. right now. OH and Nico is requesting “My Name is NO” by Meghan Trainor on repeat.

thinking About my upcoming free challenge group that I am going to host this month. Excited to share soon!

smelling A pumpkin spice candle. Yes, in the spring. Does that mean I’m NOT basic? 😉

watching Orange is the New Black. And Teen Mom 2. Yup. True story.

wearing My J. Crew jammies. So cozy!

feeling Excited that this Mother’s Day I will be a Mama of TWO! 🙂 Feeling very blessed!

wanting The hubby to come home! He is out of town again and I am missing him big time.

needing To book my flight to Nashville for this July!!! I am so excited to go see my fellow team of coaches, get inspired and grow my business! It was such a blast and such a great learning experience last year. I am pumped to go again.

loving The new Tony Horton 22 Min Hard Corps workout program. Granted I’m only on Day 3, but it’s simple and it’s quick! The boot camp style exercise moves are a total body workout and seems to be effective so far!

wishing For sunny days. I have had enough of this gloomy, rainy stuff! bring me some sunshine please!

hoping To find some pretty new dresses to wear for wedding season! We have THREE weddings coming up this June!

craving Fresh fruit! My favorite time of year is approaching, where all the best fruits come out to play. Some of my favorites are watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, blueberries, and who am I kidding…I love it all…

clicking For Mother’s Day gifts for all my favorite Mamas out there 🙂 What is your favorite place to shop for this holiday?

HAPPY WEDNESDAY!

What have you been up to lately?

XO,

Gina

P.S. The mug is from Francesca’s. It’s sold out, but I also love this one 😉 #likeaboss

Melt Away May

Melt Away May Invite

ICE CREAM!!!! No, I am not running an ice cream eating challenge group (although that might be pretty fun 😉 ) …

We all like ice cream. You can say you don’t, but I know you do…or maybe you are just weird 😉 No one wants to give up these kinds of things for life. And we don’t have to. Your journey toward health and fitness does not mean you have to eat food that tastes like cardboard, be hungry all the time, or work out like a maniac for hours and hours each day. To me that doesn’t sound fun or healthy. And neither does depriving yourself of the finer things in life…like said ice cream.

Just because I love ice cream doesn’t mean I need to eat it every day. But it also doesn’t mean I can’t have it and still live a happy and healthy lifestyle. In fact, that happy factor goes right up after a delicious bite! I’m a firm believer that if you are fueling your body with the right whole foods, vitamins, and nutrients 80% of the time, then you should absolutely enjoy that ice cream (or pizza, or chocolate, or whatever you please)…the other 20%…and you should enjoy it guilt-free! Enjoying these things can be satisfying and it can also curb that urge to go on a super binge down the road.

My post-partum health and fitness journey has been different than any other journey I have had previously because while I have always been an athlete…I never really thought too much about what I was eating. I liked to think that I was eating healthy most of the time, but I never REALLY paid a super amount of attention. After baby #2, I really dialed into my nutrition, paid attention to what I was eating and learned a lot about my habits from doing the 21 Day Fix program. It made me think about healthy habits for a lifestyle rather than just a fad diet.

In addition, the workouts were an awesome variety that really targeted the entire body each week. Previously I was a soccer player, basketball player, a runner, etc…I had natural results because I was so active every day with 2 hour practices or hour long runs. After baby #2, 2 hour practices on the soccer field were definitely no longer practical! With this program I could get a 30 minute workout in each day without ever leaving the house…and I got a total body workout that produced amazing results…while still allowing me to enjoy life with those treats J

While I do still sometimes crave that game on the soccer field…with my current lifestyle and hanging out with my little guys on a daily basis…this is how I am able to get it done…and how I am able to get results. I have to say I am probably the HEALTHIEST I have been in my entire life. All it took was:

*Healthy Meals & a Realistic Outlook on Nutrition

*30 Min Daily Workouts

*Drinking a daily dose of dense nutrition each day

*Checking into a group full of positive, inspiring individuals that keep me accountable each day

*Surrounding myself with positive “co-workers” who build me up and make me a better person, athlete, mom, and businesswoman.

These days everyone has a full, busy life…but it doesn’t mean we don’t have time for the things that matter. And our health definitely matters. It’s all about what we choose to do with that time. You deserve that time for yourself. YOU MATTER!!!

I am starting my next Challenge Group up on May 2^nd, and would love to have you MELT AWAY MAY with me! Comment below with “I want to Melt Away May!” and the best way to contact you if you want to learn more information or need help choosing a program to fit your needs, likes, and goals. This summer I am excited to finally feel confident in a bikini while enjoying that ice cream guilt-free! Who’s with me? LET’S DO THIS!

Hope you are all having a great day! We are in Maryland this week spending some extra time with family while Nico is on Spring Break from school and the hubby is on a work trip in Austin. Make it a great one all!

XO,

Gina

Summer Sweat Sesh

Can’t believe it’s almost JULY! This summer is flying by already. School is officially out and I know many of us are prepping for family vacations. Whoo hoo!

Starting July 6, I’m hosting a little Summer Sweat Sesh, because a dip in the pool always feels more refreshing after a nice workout right? Not to mention feeling even more fabulous in that swimsuit. 🙂

Most of the workouts are 30 min per day and are combined with a healthy eating plan. Our group will provide support and motivation each day along with workout tips, nutrition information, and yummy summer recipes.

So what do you say? Who’s in for a little sweat sesh this summer?

COMMENT below with your contact information or email me at gina.notes26 {at} gmail.com.

Cheers to Summer!

XO,

Gina

February Fitness Challenge

Happy Tuesday everyone!

As January comes to a close, many of us have already started falling off those New Year Resolutions. Need a little boost?

If this lil’ guy can do it, so can YOU!

Spots are NOW OPENING for my February Fitness Challenge!

As I mentioned in my last “Lately” post, I have decided to take the plunge as a Beachbody fitness coach. While partaking in my own workout this past month, I have also been co-hosting as an apprentice coach in a January challenge group and learning the ropes.

So what does this mean?

Basically, it’s a month-long challenge focused on your fitness goals. I will post daily motivation, food, and fitness ideas. It can be tough to get motivated on your own, so having a group to keep you accountable has been my key to success!

I also offer one-on-one support to all of my challengers and help you choose the best program for your goals and budget.

Start Date: FEBRUARY 2

Where: Private Facebook Group

For more info you can e-mail me at gina {dot} notes26 {at} gmail {dot} com or comment below with your e-mail, and I will send you more details!

I have to say, I am happy to have my workout on DVD today with all this snow outside! Although I do plan on romping around a bit later this afternoon with the little guy.

Make it a good one everybody!

XO,

Gina