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Fashion, Lifestyle

Sonia’s At-Home Workout Essentials During #Quarantine

During this time of quarantine, a lot of people have put their fitness and health as a top priority. I’ve been using my at-home gym and have realized there are some staple products that I absolutely can’t do without. Aside from usual pieces of machinery like elliptical machines, treadmills, and stationary bikes, there are additional items that make for a good start to in-home workouts. Here are my few of my top picks.

Yoga mat: HeathYoga

In my opinion, not all yoga mats are created equal. The price points can be anywhere from $20 to $200. I’ve owned my HeathYoga mat for years and it has served me well. With a price point of $36, you can’t go wrong! Yoga mats allow you to do so much more with it than just yoga. You can do any core, leg, arm work or stretch on this.

Yoga Mat

Dumbell set: Balance Form

Depending on how advanced you are in your exercises there is an array of weights you can get on organized racks. Many of them can be delivered right to your front door, here is the rack that I currently own.  I’ve since added a few heavier weights that can be purchased individually as you build up your muscle strength. (Unfortunately these are sold out, I will keep an eye out for a restock when it happens.)

Work Out Clothes

Fabletics not only has cute styles but excellent support at affordable prices- two leggings for $24, such a great deal! I am all about high-waisted pants. Fabletics has some very cute high-waisted styles that give you the tuck you need and the slim you crave.

Hypervolt: Massage Device

I am obsessed with my hypervolt. This post-workout tool acts as a deep tissue massage and helps alleviate muscle pain and stiffness through quick and rapid vibrations.  Unfortunately, this does come at a hefty price tag ($350), so I have a more affordable massage alternative for you, keep reading.

Foam Roller: TriggerPoint

This is another affordable way to roll out muscles and ease stiffness in the body. I keep this one in my bedroom and use it twice a week to roll out my back and legs.

Foam Roller

CBD : CYTO CBD

There is a multitude of ways to engage in recovery post-workout. CBD is a natural way to alleviate sleep issues, anxiety, and pain. I have been using CYTOCBD for months and have found many benefits in pain recovery. As one of the only CBD companies to offer a product with ZERO THC, I recommend using the 1500mg Full Spectrum tincture sublingually at the same time every day for one week to see how it works for you.

CYTO CBD COUPON

What tools do you have at home that you can’t live without? Comment below!

Your Chick,

Sonia

Just Do It – Stay Motivated!
Fashion

The Jeans You Need for Spring are On Sale Now!

I live in jeans! I don’t wear skirts or shorts much, but jeans – yes! Over the years I have also crept my way up in price points out of curiosity to test out if when you spend more you get more.

Comparing Jeans
Shop This Image Here

In comparing the three brands I am going to share with you I wanted to judge them on: quality of denim, variety within the collection, price point, and durability.

It is a pet peeve of mine when denim stretches and lose their overall shape. I also don’t love it when denim loses its ‘luster’ after a few washes.  NONE of the brands I have shared here do that. They have all been tried and tested by me.

That being said I wanted to share three brands at three different price points that I love and why.

NORDSTROM.com

Articles of Society -Under $50

Let’s start with the most affordable and impressive brand in this category.  Articles of Society denim is available at Nordstrom (so for those of you who are cardholders, your money goes a lot further).  With the average cost of these jeans coming in at $50, you can get 4 pairs of these when compared to higher-end designer jeans.

These jeans are true to size, have a lot of style choices in their collection and are a good buy!  I gravitate to Articles of Society for more playful denim.  These are great for a unique pair of jeans that you won’t necessarily wear every day.  For daily wear, jeans keep reading.

Shop This Image Here

NYDJ Jeans– Under $100

Also available at Nordstrom (but on a steeper sale here), I describe NYDJ jeans as Mom Perfect.  There is truly a practical cut that feels great for ANY woman out there in this collection.  They tend to deliver the most classic and clean-cut looks that I would call “Mom-friendly.’  Because of this, they are perfect for finding a great pair of daily wear denim. 

NYDJ jeans have the perfect stretch and they’re high-quality denim that holds up.  There is a reason these are priced at a little under $100 (so many styles are on sale now). 

If you are just looking for a great pair of jeans that you can count on day after day ( I wear them around town and for playdates often) and look good and feel great, these are it!

Shop this Look Here

Good American – Over $100

Khloe Kardashian really did a great job with this brand.  I have several pairs of Good American jeans because they are ‘stylish.’ They offer an extra edge to help justify the price point which sometimes is worth it.  Ten out of ten times if I am on a Date Night or GNO, I am wearing my Good American jeans. They are stretchy, comfortable, and edgy.  In my opinion, totally worth the splurge (I have had mine for over two years).    She has added so much to the collection that I have not checked out yet, so stay tuned for a haul on that soon.

Hopefully, if you are looking to shop some new denim, this post was helpful.  Finding the right pair of jeans can be totally worth the effort when you wear them all the time.

Your Chick,

Rina

NORDSTROM.com

My NYDJ jeans were gifted in exchange for this post.

Lifestyle, Travel

5 Free Things to Do in Lincoln Park

My husband and I have moved around quite a bit in our 12 years of marriage. We both grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, and lived a few years in the city before having children and moving back to the suburbs.  However, like many, we moved back to the city five years ago in search for a shorter commute to work for my husband. We now live in the Lincoln Park and absolutely love it’s neighborhood feel and access to fun free things to do. Here is how I am keeping things fun and budget friendly for my family.

  • World Cup Viewing Party
  • Farmers Market
  • Flowers

Benjamin Franklin Park

Just south of Lincoln Park Zoo, near the Benjamin Franklin statue at 72 West LaSalle Drive is a large grassy area where the most robust Lincoln Park events take place. During the summer months, the Green City Market is the BEST farmers market in the city. We also had a great time at the Women’s World Cup viewing party this summer. Keep up with events in the area by joining these Facebook groups:

Lincoln Park Moms

Lincoln Park Cultural Center

The Lincoln Park Patch

HearthSong

Lincoln Park Zoo

Just off the lakefront is Lincoln Park Zoo. With no entry fee the Zoo is the perfect family outing and has amazing city views! They also have fun things to do in the winter,  Follow them on Facebook for events and animal births! Also, be sure to visit during the holidays, they have an amazing Christmas lights display.

Views From The Zoo

OZ Park

The Wizard of Oz themed park is nestled in the heart of Lincoln Park on the corner of Lincoln and Webster. It has dog free picnic areas, baseball diamonds, basketball courts and of course a playground. This has fun for people of all ages and best of all, it doesn’t cost a dime!

Kids at Oz Park

Bike The Beach – Fullerton Beach

A quick walk or bike ride will take you to Fullerton beach.  With sweeping views of the Chicago skyline this is a beautiful way to play in the sand, swim in the lake and create wonderful family memories to last a lifetime!

HearthSong

Adams Park 

With a small splash pad for children under the ages of 12, Adams park makes for the perfect family day!  Located near Armitage Avenue and Seminary Street, this park has a splash pad, sandbox, play set and plenty of swings!  All free!

Adams Parks

PAWS Chicago 

As a dog owner and lover, I enjoy taking the kids to play at PAWS Chicago. At no cost you can go visit animals at the shelter who need homes at PAWS Chicago. There is no obligation to adopt and the dogs and cats could surely use the love!

I hope you discovered something new on this list!

Your Chick,

Sonia

Beauty

Lifestyle Makeup : trèStiQue Review of Three Products

Chicks And Salsa is fortunate and have been on the radar for this brand for a while.  My little sister Shelly was sneaky and ‘borrowed’ my trèStiQue lipsticks on her last visit to Georgia, so I was grateful when I received some new goodies from the brand. (Check out all of our beauty posts here.)

trèStiQue is best known for making makeup that is easy to use and carry! For example, their eyeliner has a sharpener BUILT INTO the pencil, how convenient is that! I know that I have been frustrated by not having a sharpener when I needed it SO MANY TIMES.  It’s the double duty that all their products include that make them truly unique.

Check out my video review below or on YouTube.

“I created trèStiQue to solve a problem. In the midst of building a career, traveling and starting a family, my beauty routine just couldn’t keep up – my makeup bag was messy and heavy to carry, full of complicated products that didn’t perform the way I wanted them to. It was time to reevaluate the way we use, carry + apply makeup.”

– Jennifer Kapahi, Co-Founder of trèStiQue

The Look

Eye Crayon in Venetian Gold

Eye Pencil in Santorini Black

Lip Crayon in Tuscan Wine

All three of these products have a buttery soft application that required little to no pressure to apply. Its creamy texture makes it effortlessly fall onto the skin in a way that looks natural yet glamorous. The color of the lip crayon is STUNNING and, as you can see in the video, it is the red that dreams are made of.

I hope you enjoyed this review, I enjoy learning and sharing new beauty finds with you! Check out all of our beauty posts here.

Your Chick,

Rina

Trestique Review