Leela & Lavender

Leela & Lavender is a fashion and gift boutique located in Fargo, ND. I recently partnered with them and have loved receiving some of their clothing. What really drew me to them was their motto, which is about helping women discover their best self! They believe in sharing, empowering, and inspiring uniqueness and confidence in all women. I love that and truly believe that all women should feel their best, especially when trying on clothing. I think Leela & Lavender does a great job of helping women feel confident in their own skin.

They have a wide variety of clothing options/gifts in any price range you're looking for. They carry everything from dresses, to jewelry, shoes, and the cutest jackets! If you live in the area of this boutique I think you should stop in and check it out. If you don't live very close like me, that's ok because they have a wonderful website that you can do all of your shopping on, https://www.leelaandlavender.com. They have quick and easy shipping and if you spend over $50 (which is easy to do), shipping is free! If you are not happy with the items you received or they are the wrong size that's ok because you can return them within 30 days.

I thought I would share some pictures of me in some of the outfits below:)

*The jacket and shoes are both from Leela & Lavender and I've worn them both multiple times already. The jacket is so cute and comfy and goes with almost anything. These shoes are a tan/brownish type color and they are the perfect little booties to go with any outfit. 

*Love love love this black floral shirt. I have also worn this a few times already for different occasions. You can definitely dress it up or down. I wear a black camisole underneath, which is also from Leela :)

*This navy blue sweater is so comfy! I love the details of the lines on the front and back. You could wear this shirt with jeans to dress it up more for a night out or wear it with yoga pants to lounge around at home. 

*This whole outfit is from Leela & Lavender. I am obsessed with this sweater and leggings. The sweater is nice and flowy and the bell sleeves are adorable. l also love the legging and it has such cute detail on the sides. These are the same cute booties from the picture above. 

*This top is everything and it's the perfect addition for Spring! It's so cute and flowy and I love the print on it. These shoes are also from Leela & Lavender and I love that they go with almost anything. 

*This black dress is sooo adorable. The bell sleeves are perfect and really add to the dress. It's the perfect length, comfortable, and flowy but also super flattering. I wore it out for date night with Adam and got a few compliments on it:) Shop this dress online here...super cute in navy too.

*These cut off jean shorts and this black T-shirt are the perfect addition for summer...whenever that may come;) Everyone needs one or two comfy black t shirts that you can dress up or down! These shorts are very comfortable and I love the length...not too short but not too baggy/ long either. 

*I recently just got these two pairs of yoga pants. I love the white ones with the flowered pattern...perfect for Spring! They are very comfortable and they are the perfect legging to wear to the gym or just to run around and do errands in.

*Be sure to check out their cute accessories too! This blue mug ("Before Kids I called it the bathroom, now I call it the break room) describes my life lol and these bracelets with the sayings on them are so cute. The two that I have say blessed and forever family.

I love Leela & Lavender and I hope you guys check out their website or stop in the store. I've loved partnering with them and they have been awesome to work with and I'm so glad I did it because through it I found one of my fav spots to do my online shopping! They really do have anything and everything your looking for...and with great quality and for a great price:) 

xoxo,

MRS T

MRS T's fav spot's to shop

I'll start by saying that fashion and shopping have never been much of an interest to me. Growing up I hated going shopping with my mom and would get so bored/impatient whenever we went. I definitely would have to say I considered myself a tom girl...especially having two older brothers and being involved with sports. As I have grown up and especially the last few years I have gotten more into shopping, especially online shopping (so much easier when you have kids). Going to the mall for a couple hours only to find a few things or maybe nothing at all drives me crazy! I'd rather order clothes, try them on in the comfort of my home in my own time and then return any of the clothing items I don't want/don't fit. Now I am not the most knowledgable in the fashion world, but it's been fun over the past couple years finding stores that I enjoy shopping at and finding outfits that you actually love to wear. To be honest I would wear yoga pants and sweatshirts everyday and to every event if that were an option (I wear that everyday unless we have a date night or some event);) 

Anyways I wanted to share a little background about my fashion life before I share some of these stores along with pictures of me (in real life settings) in some of my favorite outfits. Maybe you can find a new store or two to online shop when the kids are napping, (wink wink!) or get a new dress or outfit from reading this post..enjoy:)

Show me your Mumu-

Love love love this site! I have gotten the cutest dresses, tops, and jewelry from here. I actually just went on the site to copy it for you guys and got stuck scrolling half the site for almost an hour...whoops lol:) Prices vary but most of the dresses I have gotten from here are around $100-200. They seem to be good quality dresses with good material...they will definitely be worn again! 

Love this floral dress!

Loved rocking this cute dress in Jamaica

Loving these overalls for summer

Revolve -

I do a lot of my online shopping at Revolve. They have swim cover ups, hats, sunglasses, shoes, dresses, shirts, and everything else you'd need. Some things are designer and can be a bit pricey but you can type in your price range and those items will pull up. We have had quite a few trips this offseason so it was nice to find clothing items I was looking for off this site. This is an online only store but don't let that stop you from shopping because they offer free returns/exchanges :)

Nordstrom -

I get a lot of my clothing and especially shoes from Nordstrom/ Nordstrom rack (they have a NR in Woodbury which is awesome!). I get a lot of cute dresses, shirts, bomber jackets, and sweaters from here. If you have a budget your sticking to, that's ok because you can get cute clothes/ accesories in a variety of prices. I do a lot of my shopping online and then am lucky enough to do my returns at Nordstrom Rack (I didn't even know NR took Nordstrom returns until this year..but it's awesome!) instead of driving to MOA. I get most of my cute booties and sandals/wedges from here as well. Some of you have asked about my Timberland shoes in the last pic, which I love by the way...and those are from Nordstrom:) It doesn't look like they have that exact same pair on their website at this time but these are similar ones! 

Love this cute & flowy shirt

Black romper!

Love this navy and white off the shoulder dress

Comfy romper!

Love this tie knot sweater!

Army bomber!

Timberland shoes!

Adidas - 

I recently just switched most of my workout gear/ casual gear from Nike to Adidas. Yes, Adam has a deal with Adidas now instead of Nike so that is one reason but I also just really like the gear that much more (FYI most NFL players have a deal with some company..Adidas, Nike, Under armor, etc). They have so many more options now days and I absolutely love their shoes (especially for running). The Ultraboost ones are so light on my feet when running. I really like the Adidas original shoes too for a more casual everyday sneaker! The little kids outfits are sooo adorable. Asher has about 10 little sweatsuits from there and they are so cute and comfy. It also make's dressing him a breeze because it comes in a set!

Lululemon -

Ok so I know some people think expensive when they think Lululemon...and yes I would agree some of their stuff is on the spendy side but to me spending a little extra money on good quality is worth it. I have a couple pairs of leggings, tank tops, and short/skirts from here. The leggings from here are my absolutely favorite leggings I have ever tried (and I've tried a lot of different brands). Whether I'm doing yoga, running, or lifting they have a pair for me. They stay up, they don't slide off my legs, and they repel all my sweat (I do sweat a lot lol;). The skirts (I have a black and white one as you can see in my pics) are sooo cute and comfy..the perfect summer addition! 

Express -

I'm sure you've all heard of this store! It is one of my top shopping locations. I have a bunch of clothes from Express including sweaters, jeans, jean shorts, and jackets. Pretty much all my jeans that I wear are from Express...and it's awesome because they seem to always be having deals on jeans (and a lot of their clothing) like buy one get one half off or some percentage off! I shop in store and online (luckily there's one close so I can just return what doesn't fit/ I don't like). 

Charming Charlie -

I haven't shopped here for while but when I do I'm always in luck and come out with a few items:) I love their cute sweaters and kimonos...as you can tell from my pictures below. I have also gotten quite a few jewelry pieces from here and I love how they have everything separated by color in their store (super nice if you need a specific color for an outfit/dress)! You can shop online (their website looks like its being updated at the moment) and they usually have stores in many locations. 

Aiden & Oak -

This store has the best shirts/ sweatshirts. The picture on the right shows me wearing one of my favorite sweatshirts that I own. They have such awesome patterns, like this army sweatshirt...how cute is that?! I have a couple different shirts from here that are casual but you could also dress them up. All of the items I have received are also very comfortable and at a great price. Check out their site!

Leela & Lavender -

They have the cutest outfits at the most reasonable price! The outfit with the army type jacket and my whole outfit on the far right is from Leela & Lavender. The booties and shoes they have on their website are so adorable. If you live in Fargo, ND or close go check out their boutique, otherwise you can shop online like I do! Separate post coming soon on all my outfits from here:)

Lulus, Francessca's

I haven't shopped at either of these recently but anytime I'm at the mall I usually stop at Francesca's (dress on the far right is from there). And when I need a cute dress or two I look online at Lulu's (the maroon and blue dress pictured on the left). Pricing at both stores are very reasonable. They both carry cute accessories that I often shop for as well. 

Pumpz - 

I recently just found this store and love it! It is located in the Edina Galleria...or they have a website you can shop on. These sunglasses, both shoes, and earrings are from here. The rain boots in the picture on the right are stylish and sooo comfy (I think they are way comfier than Hunter rain boots) and they are only sold at Pumpz. They have a wide variety of items from shoes, to accessories, to super cute jackets..all in a variety of prices. The Chamonix Victoire bell sleeve jacket in green is one of my fav's...it's only sold in their store and it is a little on the expensive side...SO worth it thought! Some items are designer (like the green jacket) so some things are definitely more spendy but I'm sure you could find something in your price range or get something as a treat for yourself:) I am partnering with Pumpz so I am excited to show you more fashion items on Instagram in the next couple months!

Love these sunglasses, earrings, and shoes!

This jacket is the cutest. My earrings are also from Pumpz

Bare Necessities/ Nordstrom -

These two places are where I've had my best luck recently when shopping swim wear. In the first three pictures I am wearing suits from Bare necessities. The black swim top is very supportive and comfortable. They have a wide variety of swim wear and I love their cute high waisted suites too! I found the right swim top online at Nordstrom. It is such a fun/colorful two- piece halter top that anyone would feel good in! Surprisingly Nordstrom sells more swimwear than I thought..and a lot of it is super cute! 

Live Love Gameday, 500 Level, Pretty Rebels -

I love all three of these stores so much for gameday attire! I am wearing Live Love Gameday gear in the first three pics! They have gear for every sport and I love their fun holiday shirts around Christmas time. The next two pictures show me in my Adam Thielen 500 Level gear. No matter who your favorite player is they have the gear to support them! In the last two pics I am wearing my Stacked Collection/Pretty Rebels jean jacket. It's so cute and you can do custom orders which is so great! 

I also recently purchased a few clothing items from these two online shopping spots below! My items haven't came yet so I don't have pictures of me in them but I attached pictures below of a few clothing item's that I think are cute! 

LIVLUVSHOP -

I hope the shirts fit ok because I bought like 4 graphic tee's from here! They are so cute and I love the sayings on them:) Also, everything is super reasonably priced...none of the shirts I bought were more then $20 bucks! They have cute boyfriend jeans and it looks like they have some accessories as well.  

VICI -

I just found this site via social media. I bought a couple shirts from here so hopefully I like them! They have a lot to shop on their website (it could take you a couple hours scrolling through:). The have really cute going out tops, dresses, rompers, accessories, and shoes...it seems like they are always adding new clothes too. I know they don't do refunds but they do give you store credit if you have to return anything. This was my first time purchasing so if I like the clothing I'm sure I will be ordering from here again!

I hope you all enjoyed finding out my fav spots to shop:) Everyone have a blessed and safe week!

xoxo,

MRS T

Fitness with MRS T

I want to start off this post by saying that I am in know way any expert on fitness. These workouts and tips I will be sharing are my own personal thoughts and opinions of what I like. I am definately not the fittest or most ripped woman, but I do love to work out and always have. I am not perfect, and I indulge just like everyone else..I eat candy, chocolate, and chips & salsa, etc! We all have cravings...everything is moderation right?! Fitness has always been and still is a big passion of mine and a big stress reliever for me. I love getting time for just myself to let off some steam and I love the way I feel after a good workout. Adam thinks I'm crazy because I hate missing a day of working out. I obviously take a day off a week but otherwise it's like an addiction for me to go everyday. It just helps me feel so good and more energized!

Growing up I've always loved working out. I think it was kind of installed in me. My parents work out at 5:30am pretty much every day of the week and are in great shape. Me and my brothers take after them because we all are super into fitness. I did dance, soccer, and basketball growing up. I've played soccer since I was 5 years old all the way up through college, so cardio has always been a passion of mine. I was never the fastest player in soccer but I could last a full 90 minute game jogging around. So I'm going to start with some of my fav cardio workouts! I also think it's super important to switch up your workouts and do a variety of things. Not only does it get boring doing the same exercises, but you are also just using the same muscles everytime. 

*Cardio, lifting, and yoga are the main workouts I like to do...and a C9 or hot sculpt class every once in awhile. I vary my lifting and cardio workouts week to week, but below is an example of a typical week of working out for me...

Monday- Treadmill sprint workout for 20 minutes. Lift lower body 30 minutes

Tuesday- Stair stepper 10 minutes, elliptical 20 minutes, lift upper body 30 minutes

Wednesday- Run 4 miles 

Thursday- Sprint workout 10 minutes, yoga class 45min-1 hour

Friday- 10 min elliptical, 10 min sprints, lift both upper/ lower body 40 minutes

Saturday- Run 4 miles

Sunday- Off day

Cardio

Elliptical: There are so many different workouts you can do on this machine. You can do circuits to build up your heart rate or just go at a steady pace for longer to increase your endurance. You can look up many types of workouts for the elliptical, I usually look on Pinterest for mine! I do more treadmill workouts but I try and switch it up and elliptical once a week to give my legs a break from the pounding. 

Treadmill: I like to run 4 miles at least twice a week. I would prefer to run outside in the fresh air but obviously here in MN winters (when it's -10 outside) its not going to happen. Two of my favorite treadmill sprint workouts are below... (Side note- I always have the treadmill at an incline of 1.5...that way your using more muscles and burning more calories and it's better for you shins.)

*10-20 minutes: Walk for one minute at fast pace (about 4.0). Increase speed to 10-10.5 and sprint for 30 seconds and then walk again. for 45 seconds-1 minute, repeat. 

*20-30 minutes: walk for 45 seconds, fast jog for one minute at 7-7.3, walk 45 seconds, faster jog at 8-8.3, walk 45 seconds, sprint at 9.3 for 30 seconds, walk. Repeat 4-5 times through .

* Check Pinterest or google for more great treadmill workouts...they have a lot of good walking at an incline ones that work the booty (especially if your not a fan of running).

Stair stepper: I usually warm up on the stair stepper a couple times a week. I might do this for 10 minutes and then do 10 minutes on the treadmill doing a sprint workout. Then after doing those I'd go lift for half hour, either upper or lower body, then call it a day (done with your workout within an hour!).  

*I've never been a huge fan of machine workouts. I think body weight, dumbbell, and bar workouts are more effective and are better for injury prevention.

Below are a few workouts that I try and incorporate in my lifting routine. I switch it up weekly but these are just a few of my fav lifts. I attached videos/ pictures to show examples of how to do each one. I usually do each workout 3 sets and 10-12 times! So for instance if it's arm day I would pick maybe 4 arm workouts that I'm going to do. Then I would start with two and do 3 sets each with maybe planks in between each set and then I would do my final two arm workouts (so not all 4 at the same time..thats just how I like to do it). 

ARMS

 

-Side arm raises ( You can either do a set of front raises and then switch to side raises or do alternating like this video.)

-Front raises

Bicep curls ( So many variations of curls...barbell curl, hammer curls, lateral curl, etc.) 

Elevated bicep curls

Dumbbell upright rows

Dumbbell overhead press 

Skull Crushers

Tricep extension

Tricep Dips

Tricep kick backs

TRX Tricep extensions ( These make my triceps sore everytime I do them!)

 

 

Bent over reverse flys

 

LEGS

Wide squats  ( You can use weight and do regular wide squats or I like to go on my toes and do pulses.)

Wall squats

Hip raises 

Squats

Walking lunges

Reverse lunges ( You can do walking lunges, elevated lunges..there are so many variations, so switch it up!) 

Side lunges (Got these from Carrie Underwood--because who doesn't love her legs?:)

Leg kick backs ( I usually put a 5lb weight under my knee to add more weight.)

Jump Squats ( Go faster for more of a cardio circuit or get your butt lower on the way down to work the gluten more.)

Single Leg RDL

Stability hamstring pull ins

Dumbell RDL ( I usually do 35lbs per leg.. but start at a weight you can manage and work your way up.)

Lunge touch back (You can do it without the support from the weights.) 

ABS

 

Plank Variations

Russian Twists 

Ball plank roll outs

Like I said before these are just some of my favorite workouts. There are so many out there and I love to switch it up a lot and learn other lifts. Just be sure to watch videos or read about the correct form so you don't hurt yourself and are using the muscles that are supposed to be working! I hope you all can get something out of this post and learn some new upper and lower body workouts. In the next few weeks I'm going to do a post about my nutrition and some workout clothes that I like! 

xoxo,

MRS T