Category: Sincerely, Karina


Dec
2016

Wednesday Wishlist: Holiday Gift Guide

categories: Holiday Shopping Guides, Sincerely, Karina

Hey guys! I can’t believe this is the last weekend before Christmas, which means Nico and I have A LOT of shopping to do this weekend. To be honest, I have been buying tons of gifts online this year because of the great deals and quick shipping! My neighbor just told me that him and his wife finished all their shopping last night on Amazon Prime – they even got the gifts wrapped and delivered to their family’s house in PA! #genius That way, when they load up their car with the baby, all the luggage and the dog for the 6+ hour drive, they don’t have to pack any of the gifts! Amazon lets you put in different delivery address and they gift wrap for you and even put a note on each saying not to open until Christmas! Love that!

How cute are these seasonal inspired gifts? They are perfect when you just don’t know what to get someone or even better for yourself if you’re hosting a holiday party! My mom gets me Christmas socks every year and I wear them all winter long ….and into the Spring 🙂 Oh, and all the links to the exact products are below the collages – just click on the number!

1 | 2 (the hat lights up!) | 3 (Sale for $5)| 4 | 5 | 6 (also loving this one) | 7 (AE has really funny boxers/briefs) | 8

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Dec
2016

If you’re planning on getting a puppy for Christmas…

categories: Dog Mom, Personal, Sincerely, Karina

I have been wanting to write about my experience with Freddy for a while, but it’s one of those things that I’ve kept putting off because I had so much to say. Lately, I’ve had more people asking about our experience with him and about getting a dog in general.  I thought now would be a good time to share what I’ve learned, since I know there are a lot of people thinking about adding to their family this time of year.  I’ll tell you how we ended up with Freddy, and what I’ve learned since.

If you’re one of those who’s thinking about getting a puppy for Christmas, you’ll find this post helpful! (more…)


Nov
2016

Be Thankful everyday, especially today!

categories: Sincerely, Karina

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Happy Thanksgiving! I just re-read my What I’m thankful for list from 2 years ago, when I first started blogging and it made me realize a few things. For one, how happy I was when I first started blogging and also how important it is to stop and reflect not just on Thanksgiving Day but every morning when you start the day or at night when you finally climb into bed —  I have been practicing mindfulness and meditation, and it has made me a much happier person, able to enjoy the small things in life.

So, (more…)


Oct
2016

Friday’s Five

categories: Dog Mom, Sincerely, Karina, Style

img_0998— getting used to making myself an office anywhere I go–

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— finding a Chicken of the Woods on my daily walk through the forest with Freddy —

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— a weekend drive up North to enjoy peak foliage season–

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— being selected to be in 2 different movies filming in Boston — actors sure do work long days! 14+ hours, I was drained!–

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–and enjoying some poutine pizza (from CheeseBoard SO GOOD!) in Windsor,Vermont at Oktoberfest with Harpoon Brewery—

Happy Friday everyone! I am just (more…)


Oct
2016

What’s in my running fanny pack

categories: Dog Mom, Health & Wellness, Sincerely, Karina

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I am not a great runner, but I find myself signing up to run 5K road races all the time — I get sucked in for the cause of the race, and then hate myself when the running part happens telling myself I am never signing up to run again. I figured since I was on the cross-country team in high-school, and that running is as simple as putting one foot in front of the other, I can do it with ease. Wrong.

My neck and shoulders always hurt when I run – I end up just rotating my head from side to side to get the kink out and continue running. I lose my breath so quickly and don’t get it because I eat healthy and exercise on the reg!  Now that I have a very energetic dog and a very active fiancé that take me on trail runs (we have a reservation about 4 minutes from our house, it would be a shame not to utilize all the trails),  I decided I would actually learn how to run. 

Back story: When I was in Poland last month, my uncle (who is a renowned surgeon) came over to me and put his hand on my back telling me to stand up straight. Uh, I thought I was standing up straight? I have tried to be more observant of my posture and constantly find myself adjusting and cracking my back.  

Check back next week for a post about what to be looking for when evaluating your posture.

So to learn how to run properly,  I first focused on 2 things that instantaneously changed how I felt when running: posture & breathing.

Proper Running Posture Tips:

  • Hold your head high, centered between your shoulders, and your back straight. I focus on keeping my chest out and tightening my abs (or sucking in your stomach). This will give your back that straight line.
  • Focus your gaze in front of you. This can be hard when you are running on rocky trails, and want to see where you are stepping. Glance down every so often so you do not run into a rock tree stump (it happens a lot!) but generally speaking focus your gaze about 30 yards in front of you.  Looking down when running could lead to that strain on your neck muscles and spine.
  • Keep your shoulders relaxed and parallel to the ground.  Your shoulders should hang loosely with a slight forward roll for optimal relaxation. Several times during my run, I have noticed my shoulders rising toward my ears or tensing up, so I just drop my arms and loosely shake them out. 

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