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"If you want it, you can have it, all you gotta do is reach out there and grab it" - Weezer

♥  - The Bougie Budgetista

The Budgetista Is M.I.A No More!

Hello, lovies! Last week was rather hectic, so posting wasn’t my main priority. For those of you suffering from Budgetista withdrawal, I have a week of thrifty deals to share with you. We’ll be talking about accessories, electronics, and an AMAZING blog I just came across. Also, for our weekly edition of Work It Out Wednesday, we’ll be discussing the dreaded plateau.

I hope you all had a happy Monday and may the rest of your week be simply fabulous!

♥  - The Bougie Budgetista

Great Success!

Today, I got in front of a class for the first time. I went through my routines. I encouraged them. I left it all on the dance floor. And it paid off. My first trial run at Vixen Fitness was a great success. I got this!

♥  - The Bougie Budgetista

Work It Out Wednesday - Preparing For My First Zumba Class!

When I went to Zumba Instructor Training, Beto (THE Zumba guy), told us there's no point in reinventing the wheel. The same basic moves are used over and over and over again in different combinations, directional variations, fitness variations and so much more. And I shouldn't be afraid to borrow bits and pieces of other people's choreography, then add my own flair. On Tuesday, I'll be leading a song in another instructor's class at Vixen. Though the routine is going to be a surprise, for the most part, here is an instructor out of Baltimore  that I admire. Don't be surprised if you see something similar to this in my first class.

♥  - The Bougie Budgetista

Mission: Accomplished!

Over the weekend, I took a trip down to Miami to achieve a much anticipated goal. I am pleased to announce that I am now an Official Zumba Instructor! Next week, I will be leading a song at Vixen Fitness and hope to join the Instructor in Training program at RhythmX. Stay tuned for details on my first class!

♥  - The Bougie Budgetista

Proud Moment :)

Fashion Friday - The First Lady Rockin' A Frugal Frock, And Still Looking Fab

As I was checking my email I came across an article that made me stop in my tracks. “Michelle Obama wows in a $35 dress.” I instantly had to give my BFF the heads up about it. Her response: “You a damn liar!” Seriously. She was on the Today Show in a dress from H&M and it looked like a million bucks! A few styling edits and BAM! A phenomenal dress to fit her wonderful sense of style.

Regardless of your political affiliation, you have to admit, the First Lady has an impeccable sense of style that we haven’t seen since Jackie O. She appeals to the everyday woman and has become quite the fashion muse. If you’ve noticed, she’s not a brand snob. We’ve seen her in Target, J. Crew, White House Black Market, and now H&M. One thing is clear about Mrs. Obama’s personal style - It’s not about following trends or wearing big name designers. It’s about knowing who you are, what looks good on your body and what makes you feel good. PERSONAL style. It doesn’t matter who you wear, it’s HOW you wear it.

My best friend said it best, “Whether it's a $2000 dress or a $20 dress it doesn't matter it's all about how you wear it and how it fits your personal style.”

So find what works for you. Try different looks and trends and styles until you find what best fits YOU.

♥ - The Bougie Budgetista



Thrifty Thursday - A Valentine's Day for One

This year, I am without a Valentine. So instead of participating in Singles Awareness Day (S.A.D.), a day chock full of misery and despair, I decided to treat myself extra special for the day. Lots of restaurants are going to have great deals on dinner for two, and that’s fine and dandy, but I’m not in the mood to hang around a whole bunch of sappy couples. I’ll be enjoying an at-home spa day instead.

The first step is to plan your day. Well, mine won’t be a whole day, but more like an evening, consisting of a facial, body scrub, hair treatment, a hot bath, and a yummy and healthy dinner. If you have the ability to make it a whole day, throw in an early morning workout and plan healthy meals throughout the day. Prepare yourself for your day. Make sure your favorite robe, PJs, slippers, and workout clothes are clean and put somewhere easy to get to. Pull out your favorite candles and dim the lights in your bathroom and bedroom. Have clean sheets on your bed and your fluffiest towels right by your tub. Spray them with your favorite fragrance and indulge in your senses.

Next, prepare your treatments. You can do a search for different treatments or just visit The Spa Index to browse recipes and find whatever floats your boat. Here are the ones I’m going to be enjoying:

For the face, a Honey Oatmeal Facial, courtesy of The Spa Index:

1/4 cup plain yogurt or buttermilk
1/2 cup oatmeal
2 tablespoons of honey

Finely grind or process the oatmeal in a blender or food processor. Set aside. In a small bowl, stir together honey and yogurt, and then add ground oatmeal. Mix thoroughly until a smooth paste consistency has been reached. Smooth over your face and neck, leave on for fifteen minutes, and rinse off with warm water.

For the body, I was given a homemade body scrub a while back, so I’ll be using that, but this recipe is very similar:

2/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1/3 - 1/2 cup almond oil
1/2 tsp of vitamin E
45-60 drops of fragrance or essential oil

Mix almond oil, vitamin E and fragrance or essential oil together in a glass bowl. Add the brown sugar and mix in well. Gently scrub over skin, focusing on rougher areas, such as elbows, feet, and knees. Rinse with warm water and pat dry.

For the hair, I’m actually using a sample from Lush called Hair Doctor, but this is one that my friends and family frequently use:

1 banana
3 tbsp honey
1/2 cup olive oil
1 vitamin E capsule
2 tbsp of Mayo

In a small bowl smash up one banana and add the honey, olive oil, mayo, and then empty the vitamin E capsule into the bowl. Stir with a spoon. Mix it all together really well. Then pour all of the contents of the bowl into a blender and puree till creamy and smooth. Leave in hair for 30 minutes and then rinse.

I can’t help buy indulge myself just a little bit. So I bought everything that I needed to make Mermaid Water. The Big Blue Bath Bomb was $6.35 and the Sunny Side Bubble Bar was $6.95, and I know I’m going to get at least three baths out of them, so that’s a good deal. And finally, I’m going to jazz up what’s already in my freezer and make a petit steak dinner with rosemary roasted potatoes and steamed veggies. Valentine’s day seems like a great day to show love to the one person on the planet who deserves it the most… YOURSELF!

♥ - The Bougie Budgetista

Work It Out Wednesday - The Power of Pole

Last week, I talked about my experiences at Vixen Fitness. Today, I’d really like to go in depth with regards to my progress in Pole Fitness. Prior to January 22^nd, the most I had ever done as far as working out was concerned was Zumba and running. Strength training wasn’t very appealing to me. I couldn’t stand the idea of sitting at the gym on a machine or lifting dumbbells up and down, up and down. How boring is that? I’m all about a workout that doesn’t necessarily feel like a work out, and Pole fit right up my alley.

When I first started, I could barely hold my own body weight up on a pole. I felt like such a weakling. Before the feeling of defeat could set in, I signed up for another class. I was determined not to quit after one try. “You’ll be sore tomorrow” they told me. That was the understatement of the century. I could barely move my arms above my head but the next day, I worked through the pain and tried it again. Quickly, I realized my muscles were getting used to it and I could hold on longer. I watched other girls around me easily try a new trick, shimmying their way up the pole. But I still couldn’t climb. My body wouldn’t let me do it. I heaved a sigh of sadness, thinking “I may never get this”.

In between one pole class and another, I’d take different fitness classes that challenged my body in different ways. Here I was in Sexercise banging out push-ups like they were nothing. Eureka! After just two classes, I could see a difference in my strength! I was rather shocked because I couldn’t necessarily SEE a difference, but there it was. Upper body strength that popped out of nowhere. That night, I rushed home and signed up for more pole classes.

After a three more classes, I was faced with the dreaded Advanced Fireman Spin – a trick which required me to climb up the pole. Despite the fact that my hands were covered in antiperspirant, I felt them getting clammy. I was nervous that, once again, the pole would defeat me. It was my turn to go on the pole and miraculously, up I went nearly effortlessly. I did it.

The moral of this story is that you’ll find that some of the most unconventional fitness regiments can be challenging, but if you’re up for the challenge, you’re going to see change. It may not be instantaneous. You may not see it in the mirror. But you will FEEL it. You will see it in your abilities. Before you know it, you’re doing things you never thought you could do. Next goal – Inverts!

♥ - The Bougie Budgetista

A Budget-Friendly Birthdaycation Extravaganza

This past weekend, my best friend Shawntel of SOA Event Concepts came to visit me here in Orlando for her birthday weekend. I was forewarned that the budget was going to be tight for the weekend, so I had to prepare my budgetista skills to squeeze a dollar out of a dime and have a FANTASTIC time. Here is the breakdown of our fabulous BFFcation, and some of the killer deals we scored.

Friday night, we went to a swanky restaurant in Winter Park. I liken that area to Buckhead in Atlanta, back in the day. Some of the entrees on Luma’s menu were a little on the exotic (and pricey) side, but the ambiance was well worth it. So what do you do when you want to experience poshness, but don’t necessarily have a posh budget? Order off the appetizer menu, of course! When I was in high school working at Plato’s Closet, my co-workers and I would get together for appetizers and desserts, to a) not spend a lot of cash, and b) have a quality girls night out. Think about it - Appetizers are normally large enough to share and reasonably priced. Typically, you’re not going to find an appetizer over $20 on any menu. We opted for the fancy pizza. It was delicious! We saved our splurge for their incredible wine selection. A glass ranged anywhere from $6 to $12, but the selection was astounding. The first night was a great success.

Saturday, we attended a class at Vixen Fitness, which I will elaborate on tomorrow’s edition of Work It Out Wednesday and enjoyed lunch at Crave, an American fusion bistro. When I tell you this place is awesome, it’s an understatement. The décor is chic, but welcoming. The staff is by far some of the best I’ve ever come in contact with. And the food is to die for! Try the lamb burger. I promise you, you won’t regret it. The best part of it all was that we had an ODeals Daily certificate for $30. I only paid $15 for it a few weeks ago. The key to a great trip is preparing in advance with the deal sites. Let THEM decide where you’ll be dining on your vacation and save up to 50% on your tab. Just be nice to your server and tip on the full amount for the service you receive. Our server Blake was worth 40%. Just saying…

No BFF rendezvous is complete without a shopping trip. But not just any shopping trip. We hunt for super sales, deals and steals, and a gem of a find. By the looks of it, it was a great success. Check out her Max and Cleo dress, purchased from Dechoes for $14.99 and my Charlotte Russe romper for just $9.99. 

Max and Cleo Dress

Charlotte Russe Romper

Sunday should have been a beach day, but it was cold and rainy, so we did some window shopping instead (but still managed to come away with some loot). What? Come away with look when you window shop? Who does that?!?!? We do. No, it’s not illegal by any means. I’ve been reading about a store called Lush for what seems like ages. It’s cosmetics store with products made of all natural ingredients. After walking in and basking in the natural fragrances floating around the room, I totally understood the reasoning behind the company name. These simple products make you feel good – literally. The associate demoed Buffy, a soap with granules in it that exfoliate on our hands along with Flying Fox, a body wash with an interesting back story, and our hands felt like silk afterwards. We played in Mermaid Water, a mix of the Big Blue Ball bath bomb and Sunny Side bubble bar and became mesmerized be the waters beautiful colors and skin softening effects. And, our favorite part, they gave us tons of samples! Not just a tiny, one time use packet, but enough for a handful of applications. I didn’t have to purchase anything to get them, even though I did (I’m treating myself to a bath in Mermaid Water for Valentine’s day, but that’s neither here nor there). And the associates were so kind and so helpful that there is no way anyone would leave that store and not come back to purchase something. Great sales tactic, if you ask me.

We ended the weekend at our favorite bakery in town, Sweet by Good Golly Miss Holly for Mini-Mania. Every Monday, they sell their delicious mini cupcakes for $1 each. As a birthday gift to the best friend a girl could ever ask for, I bought her a dozen, and ended up saving $6 on the pack.

Yeah, I saved us a lot of dough this past weekend, and we scored big, but spending time with my Bestie in celebration of her special day was priceless.

♥ - The Bougie Budgetista

Work It Out Wednesday - My Love Affair with Vixen Fitness

Two weeks ago, I went to an open house for a women’s fitness studio in Orlando with a Groupon in hand and the determination to not spend a penny more on fitness classes. But when I walked in, met the members, the staff, and the owners, that plan went out the window. That night, I became a member of Vixen Fitness.

I started with a class called Foxy Boxing, and let me tell you, there was nothing foxy about it. I was sweating. My arms were burning. My legs felt like jell-o. The next day, I could barely move. But I didn’t give up. I signed up for Vixen Sexercise. And again, there was nothing sexy about this either. Yeah, there was some booty shaking and tracing and hip rolls which lasted for all of five minutes. The remaining 55 minutes were pure boot camp style torture. Pushups, wall sits, squats, planks. You name the form of torture, we did it. And it felt so good.

Then, there was the class everyone was dying to take, but would shy away from in fear of looking like a fool – Intro to Pole Dancing. There, a few members and I bonded over stripper shoes, fear of falling off the pole, and not knowing what on earth to expect. An hour, lots of bruises and many sore muscles later, we were giggling on the plush couches like a bunch of school girls about the reaction we’d get by showing a significant other the new moves we’d picked up.

The more I went, the more I felt like I was part of a little family. We bonded over the silliest things, but it felt good. Here I am, acting like a one woman wolf pack, and then I meet more she-wolves just like me. Honestly, Vixen Fitness makes me feel beautiful, sexy and strong like no other gym has. I may leave that place dripping sweat (which I nearly always do), but I walk out of there with a strut in my step and a sway in my hips, shoulders back and head high, because I am a Vixen!

Of course, you’re probably asking my how much it’s costing me to be a member, since I’m all about pinching a penny. When I signed up, it was $79 per month, unlimited classes. Now some of you are probably wide eyed and in shock right now. I know. It’s so not like me. Here I was with my Groupon for four classes and thought I’d be done with this studio. But it just wasn’t that simple. Vixen Fitness makes me happy. It makes me feel good. It’s the place that I go to take some much needed time for myself to take care of ME. It’s where I feel beautiful. It’s a no judgment zone and I love it.

I wouldn’t trade the experiences I’ve had, the friendships I’ve made, or the inner strength and confidence I’ve gained for anything in the world. Who cares how much it costs? To me, what I’ve gained is priceless… And if I can somehow wiggle my way in there as their new Zumba instructor after my training class in 2 weeks, even better (just sayin’)!

♥ - The Bougie Budgetista