.: barre review :.

one of my unspoken resolutions is to try different workouts - change your routine, change your body, right??? this meant that i would have to venture out of my free membership and comfort zone of Corepower Yoga.

with a friend by my side, i decided to try out a Barre class at Sparrow Studios in Eagan. not only do they offer a free week for visitors, but they recently ran a Living Social deal that i purchased. have i mentioned before that Groupon, Crowd Cut and Living Social all run really good deals on fitness classes all over the place?! super awesome for getting out and trying new things on a budget!!!

the atmosphere is very encouraging and welcoming - a receptionist is there to greet you along with an instructor who is happy to show you around. there is only 2 studios, so it isn't overwhelming like a big fitness club.

the instructor i had was wonderful! her name is Angie, i have taken a few classes with her at Corepower, but she really made my experience at Sparrow that much better. she was super sweet and incredibly uplifting from the time you walked into the studio to when you (painfully) walked out. there was a lot of new people in the class that i attended, but Angie led us with great instructions and energy. i really appreciated Angie's leadership from singing in the microphone to telling us repeatedly, "you can do this", "you guys look SO great" - seriously, she was one of those instructors who genuinely felt my pain and the burn, but i didn't want to disappoint her, so i pushed to my edge and beyond (FYI shaking is a GOOD sign in this class).

speaking of pain, holy crapola could you feel the burn during the class! i have been wanting to specifically try Barre since i heard about it a few months ago, but i never really knew what it entailed. let me break it down for you - you are in a studio with a ballet bar, small weights, a yoga mat, strap and a couple medicine balls. throughout class, you do various moves to burn out specific muscle groups whether it is lunges, squats, arm circles, abs, etc. most of this class is done with body weight or very little extra weight.

whether you are just embarking on a new journey of working out or are advanced, this class works for you! it is low impact (i was hardly sweating), but you are working your butt off (literally) and are working muscles you probably haven't felt in awhile, or ever....

while i was thinking about writing this review, i was trying to think of anything that i would have enjoyed more of or wished was different and to be honest, i am still thinking....seriously, this class was super awesome for any level of fitness experience, age and body conditions - even my bad knees didn't get ticked off. i wore my heart rate monitor simply out of curiosity - not a ton of calories burned in a hour, but look at that percentage of time in the fat burning zone! i always find the majority of my work out in the 'fitness range' (improving cardio, but not focusing on fat burning) - it was really interesting to feel a work out that was mostly in the fat burn range.


it goes without saying, but i would highly, HIGHLY recommend anyone and everyone to try out a free week at Sparrow Studios! i know a few of the other instructors personally and i know they would be just as great as Angie - Sparrow Studios has rock stars as instructors! i am excited to continue classes during my free week and with the package i bought (BUTI fitness is next).

side housekeeping notes :. you do have 'purchase the free week' - you don't have to put in a card number or anything, you just need to have an account to sign up for classes in advance on their website (http://sparrowmn.com). check out their website for more information regarding classes, schedules and even videos of what you are getting yourself into!

Sparrow Studios, thank you for your dedication to uplifting others to reach their personal and fitness goals! i am so very excited to continue practicing with you!

always striving for more,

dee b.

.:date night in!:.

it's that time of year where every dollar counts, right?

i think it has been that time of year for me ever since....i graduated college. whether you are a recent college grad, pinching pennies to save for Christmas presents or just want to be more mindful of your spending (hello early New Year's resolution), here are a few good ideas for date nights IN!

while drew and i both have full-time jobs, we hold ourselves accountable for living within a budget to pay our bills, etc. well, as most of you probably know, living within a budget can be boring and can mean a lot of nights making your own food, doing your own dishes and probably watching a movie you've already seen, but we always try to get creative so we don't feel the urge to go out and spend money!

here are a few of ideas that we enjoy....


chicken for me, with a small piece of his steak....




steak for him--both are great with wine :)




breakfast for dinner--how fun and SO good!

 




zucchini lasagna--it's always fun to try something that you wouldn't typically make.
think of it as.....exotic???

 




it isn't often that we do crab legs, but when we do, it's for a special occasion
and WAY cheaper than getting it in the restaurant. bonus:. they're insanely easy to make!

 



when was the last time you had grilled cheese??? you can play around with
making it fancy by adding bacon, tomato, avocado. cheap, easy to make
and easy clean up! (yes, that is boxed wine, we keep it classy)





who doesn't love kabobs?! winter, spring or summer,
these are fun to put together and go well with beer or wine!





taco night--tacos are by far my favorite! try to switch it up,
make mexican lasagna or try yout hand at homemade guacamole!
 plus, it gives you an excuse to buy a couple
Coronas or make Margaritas! who can complain about that?





nerd alert:. Scrabble is our guilty pleasure, but it is actually really fun-
i had never played it before we dated! board games can be a fun competition
and if it's your style, you can throw in a few drinks and really make things interesting!



hello romance and s'mores! bonfires are great for playing music,
getting away from technology and just talking to each other!










another guilty pleasure:. how can you go out when you have such a good helper with the dishes?

ok, maybe all these ideas are lame to you, but we really enjoy staying in and keeping things simple (*read: save money*). we also like that we can make our own meals and keep them as healthy (or unhealthy) as we want. don't get me wrong, we have our lazy nights when we go grab Noodles or Chipotle in our sweats or when we want to dress up and go out for dinner at Stella's, but at the end of a busy work week, spending time together is what is most important!

other date night ideas on budget:. keep your eye open for Groupons, Living Social or Crowd Cut deals. on several occasions, we have bought these to make going out more affordable or to try a new restaurant. plus, they also have activities that may be fun to explore together!


any good date ideas that i am missing?! it's winter time and it would be nice to come up with some more ideas for these next few months of hibernating!

always striving for more,
dee b.