Alright, I admit it. I love athleisure and especially winter athleisure. As a mom who spends most her time transporting my toddler to and from school, schlepping his stuff to and from the car, sitting on the ground playing trucks and constantly picking up after him wearing clothes that are comfortable and practical is of up most important; enter athleisure. And with winter in full swing it’s time to chat about winter athleisure.
When I am purchasing athleisure I make it a top priority to keep it all under $100. Every so often I will splurge on a jacket that is above that price range but for the day to day I strongly feel you can find some good winter athleisure for under $100. To start, ZELLA , from Nordstrom, is my go to. They make quality stuff that is perfect for fitness but fits perfectly into a winter athleisure street style. Another brand I like is ATHLETA but they are on the higher end of the price range. BUT they are currently have a huge sale with many items up to 50% off. I have linked my favorites below.
Athleisure as defined by Wikipedia is: a trend in fashion in which clothing designed for workouts and other athletic activities is worn in other settings, such as at the workplace, at school, or at other casual or social occasions…
As a busy mom and a women of 2017 you can find me in athleisure fairly regularly. And since there is no denying WE all wear it I wanted to share 4 easy tips on keeping your athleisure wear trendy and stylish.
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All photos belong to their respectful owners. Images courtesy of Pinterest.
quick tips:
athleisure tip #1
Invest in a pair of good quality neutral color leggings. The reason I say invest is that a lot of the good quality ones are upwards of $100 and while that is a bit steep but you will thank me and more importantly you will love them. Given they are the bases of your athleisure look it is important that they are neutral in color and can be worn and washed many times. Some of the cheaper pairs bunch at the knees, stretch out and/or fade in their color. My personal favorites are Zella, Athleta and Lululemon. Investing in a good pair ofleggings, or two, is a great start to elevating your athleisure look.
athleisure tip #2
Stock up on basic layering tees. Both short sleeve and long sleeve. I love wearing a basic tee and doing a little side tie to create more of a defined waist ( or snag one that already does that for you). Throw on a long sleeve baseball tee on those cooler days and feel trendy and comfortable. Personally, I tend to keep the tee’s in the neutral pallet but with so many fun and trendy prints/graphics/patterns I would say here is a place to spice it up and make it more personalized!! Some prefer to keep their tee’s long enough to cover the booty but given you are wearing good quality leggings I feel you need not be as concerned about this. Go with whatever length you feel comfortable in. Basic layering tee’s are an essential for perfecting your athleisure look.
athleisure tip #3
Find a great pair of lifestyle tennis shoes. The world is your oyster in this department as there are so many choices out there. For me, I tend to stick with Nike or New Balance but there are so many that the possibilities are endless. This is also a great place to add your personal touch with color, pattern, funk or even classic. Tennis shoes are the definition of athleisure so make sure to get a pair you LOVE.
athleisure tip #4
Get yourself an oversized zip-up, hoodie or cardigan. This is the finishing touch to complete your athleisure look. I could go on and on and recommend so many wonderful hooodies/cardigans but I will just say find one or two that are neutral, cozy and comfortable. I tend to gravitate towards the over-sized look as I love how I can snuggle up in them and just simply prefer the way they look. Plus, the oversized up top balances out the tighter bottoms! Ha.
Athleisure is life
Essentially the key to keeping your athleisure look trendy and stylish is to keep it simple, polished and invest in a few good pieces. I know there are so many options and varieties of athleisure wear on the market today- I mean it is everywhere. Let’s embrace the look- it is so practical and comfortable- let’s just do it stylishly.
I challenge you to read this blog post without doing anything else- not because the content is mind boggling or I have any breaking news but because multi-tasking is a hard thing to break…
M U L T I – T A S K I N G is crucial to my life. B U T I know how terrible it is. So, what am I supposed to do?? There are only 24 hours in a day and I certainly do not feel like that is enough. So I work, while making calls to the insurance company all while drinking my coffee and eating breakfast. Or I update Instagram while talking on the phone to friends all while watching Declan play at the park.
it has become such a habit for me and I assume for many of you. But according to all the latest research and writings it is terrible to do. I recently read an article on how multi-tasking is actually extremely unsuccessful and useless. But then why do I feel so productive when I am able to do all these things at one time? When I get some emails sent while eating my lunch or when I am able to respond to blog comments while out on a walk with the dog I feel like I really was much more productive than if had I chosen just one task. I think the concept of multi-tasking is much more generational (or so it seems). If the phone rings while my parents are watching TV they turn off the TV (or pause it) to answer the phone. Neither of my parents can walk and text at the same time. They have to stop and write their text then continue on. How inefficient is that? Well, actually it is much more effective than my ways and they likely accomplish more throughout the day and with more care and detail than I do. According the research your brain can not really focus on more than one thing, in the detail needed, to effectively complete the task. Blahhhh.
So, now what? Do I stop doing all the things I need to? Honestly, that is not a feasible solution. I need to check things off my to-do list. I need to get never ending list of errands, blog work, parenting and fun accomplished. Well, it is time to start prioritizing and setting up a system to effectively manage my tasks while giving each one the attention and detail it demands.
So, while I am multi-tasking through life I like to keep it simple and active in athleisure wear. It is easy to put on, comfortable (obviously) but can still be sleek and trendy. Gone are the days of baggy sweatpants and over-sized hoodies to run errands. In replacement I offer these leggings and fleece lined hoodie. I am obsessed with these leggings to the point where my husband has asked me to maybe give them a break! They are softer than your normal legging and the added detail of the knee patches are my favorite. I love love love the pattern and the color. I would assume they are fabulous for a run outside but in full transparency I have not tested them for that yet! This sweatshirt is perfect for everything. EVERYTHING. It is fleece lined so it goes with me to the mountains, it is a slimmer fit so it is easy to pair with some distressed skinnies and it has a pocket (everything is better with pockets). The neutral gray is right up my alley but it does come in other colors. Super soft and easy to throw on over a tank until the weather really gets warmer.
New trainer alert!!! I find myself wearing trainers more often now that I am home- which seems the opposite to me as I hardly walk anywhere but I am i love with these Nikes. I was searching for a replacement/addition to my Flyknits and these were perfect. I am a Nike girl and I realize there are many brands to choose from. I love white despite my running around all day with my toddler!! The brightness and lightness of these babies are what keeps my feet super happy!!!
THIS BAG. THIS BAG. A late Valentines Day present from Brendan but soooo worth the wait. It is personalized, fabulous and extremely functional. Not only do I use this for groceries but I use this for swimming lessons (waterproofed on inside), taking the dirty dry cleaning and an all around catch-all. Northcote Rd was the name of our “high street” (main drag) in London and this bag hold an abundance of sentimental meaning. I know that 15 years down the line I will still have this bag; it will become that one perfect bag. I am so excited to start to use it at the farmer’s markets and for picnics. I am obsessed. You can have it personalized to anything you want- make sure to check them out- makes a great gift.
conquering multi-tasking
To start I have begun prioritizing my to-do list. Like many bloggers, moms, women, humans my to-do list is about seven months long but I am working at setting myself up to be more intentional and realistic on what I can accomplish on any given day. I literally make a hand written list, each morning, of tasks to accomplish that day. My attempts at making them realistic size is still a work in progress but each day I am getting better. Additionally I am putting my phone down… a lot more. When I am with other people or Declan I try to leave my phone in another room this way I am not tempted to multi-task. Am I perfect or consistent?? NOPE but I am actively trying these small things to feel more accomplished. I try to attend to one task at time to ensure it receives the mindset, dedication and attention it deserves; even the little ones like sending a quick text.
So the last post was a bit heavy and I appreciate all the support and love! Big changes often times bring BIG emotions- and sorting those all out takes time!
But now,
Lets chat about something a bit more fun! My wunderlust. I mean, seriously, I have this itch to travel, to explore, to see the world. I am not sure when it started or really what triggered it but it is real now! I am constantly googling place to travel, looking at pictures and I follow some amazing photographers on Instagram that are a huge inspiration. That desire had obviously been feed very well living in London but now I am ready to explore the country of my origin. So, I am putting together a quick list of the places I want to see before the end of 2017- all within the United States. Any additional suggestions are welcomed!!
If there was ever an outfit to get me inspired to travel this is it!!! I wore this last Saturday for the 18 hours journey home. Just because you feel terrible traveling does not mean you have to look it. I am obsessed with these faux leather leggings and I purchased them in London I have linked several <similar> <similar> that will be just as perfect. I wear these all the time!!! Perfect for travel as they are elastic waist, comfortable and sleek. I know, I look a bit like a Nike spokesperson but I am not. But when I find a sweatshirt that is long enough to be worn with leggings and still hold some semblances of style I pounce!! This baby fit the bill. The metallic logo on this sweatshirt adds a bit of grilynes that I love. I threw on a long light weight tunic for some added layering and warmth (I get cold on airplanes). Perfect tee for everyday. These trainers have been around the block a few times and I am uber happy I purchased them last fall. They are comfortable and so incredibly light weight it feels like I am not even wearing shoes. The bag– enough said. While it is rare to wear sunnies in London (where these photos were taken) I plan to go to a lot sunny places to cure my wunderlusting. The essential Ray-Bans.
ON to the list:
Boston, MA
Washington D.C.- while I have been there I would like to return now that I am older.
Memphis, TN
Charleston, SC
Jackson Hole, WY- preferably in the winter to ski.
I told it was short! Plus I have a toddler and while he loves to travel this mama likes to travel without him so my list needed to be realistic. It would be next to impossible to take a trip every single month. I have also been working on being intentional and therefore I wanted to create a list that included place I can learn something new (Memphis and the roots of music), places where I might feel like I am experiencing a different culture (Charleston), places where I can revisit my past (Washington D.C.), places where I can do something I love (Jackson Hole) and a place that just looks cool (Boston) ! I think Boston and Washington DC will be family trips so Declan will continue to be a traveling toddler!! I hope he grows up with the same wunderlust I have.
The world is your Oyster…. I intent to find my pearl!
