Versus of the Week: Manolo Blahnik vs Christian Louboutin

 
         Manolo Blahnik                 VS            Christian Louboutin

So with the Sex and the City movie coming out over the next few weeks, fashion is in full swing! With this being some of the best parts of the movie are the shoes! While Carrie has a love for Manolo Blahniks, who can deny the beauty of Christian Louboutin! If you had Carrie Bradshaw money and could spend $600 on a pair of high heels which would you choose?

Cocktail of the week- Sparkling Orange Cocktail

A little vodka and homemade syrupy goodness makes for an awesomely yummy cocktail! This recipe is enough to serve 8 girlfriends!

Ingredients:

• 2  seedless oranges, (for syrup)
• 1 cup(s) sugar
• 2/3 cup(s) freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1/2 cup(s) vodka
• 1  orange, (for cocktail)
• 1 bottle(s) chilled Champagne or sparkling wine

Directions

1. To make syrup: With a sharp knife, thinly slice oranges. Place in a medium nonreactive saucepan and toss with sugar. Let stand for 15 minutes.
2. Add orange juice and vodka to saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Uncover and cook until liquid is syrupy and orange slices are translucent, about 20 minutes.
3. Strain syrup through a fine sieve into a bowl, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard solids. Cover and refrigerate until chilled.
4. To make cocktails: With a vegetable peeler, remove 8 long strips of zest from the orange. Twist each strip and place in a champagne glass. Add 1 tablespoon bitter-orange syrup to each glass. Top with Champagne and stir gently. Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Workouts At Home

Now that summer is coming everyone wants to be able to get into shape and to hopefully fit into the prebaby jeans again, but it is challenging when you can't get to (or afford) a gym membership or get someone to watch the baby while you work out for that matter! Well worry no more! With the help of personal trainer Victoria Gray we will learn not only how to workout from home but how to incorporate our babies into the workouts as well!

Here are a few workouts that Victoria suggest that you can use with or without free weights, but what better "free weight" can you have than lifting your baby!

*Disclaimer: The photos are of me and my son (and occasionally Bailey the Beagle so they are in no way beautifully lit, airbrushed prettiness. Additionally some might gain chuckles due to my Something About Mary hair and goofy one year old but the workouts are authentic and effective! I am still aching and pumped days later!

Here was our routine:

 Squat to overhead press with baby 3 sets of 20 reps

Lat pull downs two hands with band attached to door 3x20

 

 

Alternating side lunges with or without baby on hip 3 x 20

 

Alternating side lunges with rotational toe touch 3 x 20

Two leg bridges with baby on hips 2 x 10

While we managed to do the hour session with an overactive baby and an attention grabbing puppy the workouts were definitely affective. Victoria suggest that if you decide not to use the baby and do not have access to over the door bands to use free weights or even cans as a means of resistance to your workout. She also mentioned the following:

• When doing situps make sure to arch your back when going down to the floor to protect your back and spine.
• Make sure your butt is not sticking high in the air when doing push-ups and to be aware that you are pushing your body up as one unit, so no sequence of legs, stomach and shoulders. Just one connected push up of your entire body. 
• To make sure that your shoulders are dropped and you are in a diving position when doing the pull-downs. This will accurately work and tone your back muscles. 
• To keep in the back of your mind what it is that you are going after while you work out. While the repetitions might be tedious the only way you will achieve your goal is if you keep pushing yourself.

If you want to contact Victoria directly you can email her at victoria@vgrayfitness.com or go here to her Facebook for more questions or on baby fitness.


Enjoy!

What happened to good ole 16?

Remember back when we were 16 and how lucky we were to go to the mall with our girlfriends and if we had a boy over we weren't allowed to close the door? The days of Jr High Dances and dancing arms width apart? Whatever happened to those days? I'm sure Miley Cyrus' parents are asking the same question. Between her having a boyfriend and being "in love" to giving her much older and gay producer a dirty lap dance this road is head towards Disasterville, population Handful of Promiscuous Child Stars.

But it's not like there were any signs that she was growing up naughty....or were there?

...Ohhhh...

...oh boy...

....oh no...

....no better role model than a 15 year old pole dancer...

All My Single Mommas

While Sandra Bullock's recent adoption and separation is big news, it  now adds her to the on-going list of women who are tackling motherhood as single moms. Here are few single celebrity moms who are stars in their kids eyes.

Halle Berry and her daughter Nahla

Kate Hudson and her son Ryder

Brandy and her daughter Syrai

Jill Scott and her son Jett

Minnie Driver and her son Henry Story Driver who was born in 2008

Sheryl Crow and her son Wyatt

Garcelle and her twin sons Jax Joseph and Jaid Thomas.