The hottest new sneakers in town

It’s hard to find the motivation to hit the gym when you’re not feeling good about the way you look, especially because workout wear tends to be so form-fitting. With that in mind we tend to dress in head-to-toe black (we like to think of it as a funeral for our fat), and focus on adding pops of color with our sneakers. So, you can imagine our delight when we got wind of adidas’ new ClimaCool Seduction running shoe. How HOT is that metallic red shade? Better yet, these shoes aren’t all show and no substance.

Made with 360-degree ventilation to help you stay cool and sweat nothing, this next generation ClimaCool blends a killer new design with tons of breathability to give you a carefree run no matter how hot it gets. We also can’t help but love all of the celebrity spokespeople the brand enlisted — Katy Perry, David Beckham, Derrick Rose, and Lionel Messi…not too shabby.

The ClimaCool Seduction is available now in 10 colorways.

Central Park…here we come!

Dish with us: What are your go-to sneakers?

A fitness documentary to get you moving

Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead is a fascinating film that chronicles Joe Cross’s personal mission to regain his health while traveling across America, juicer in tow, and inspiring others to do the same. Here’s are 10 things we learned, which will hopefully inspire you to see the film.

1. While most people have a hard time doing the three days most juice cleanses recommend, Joe did 60 days of all green juice in so next time you think three is impossible…

2. You don’t need to drive yourself crazy scheduling gym-time, you can radically improve your health for the better simply by altering your diet.

3. Changes in diet can have way more of an impact than pills when it comes to treating a host of diseases.

4. Many health problems can be reversed with dietary changes.

5. The key is to make sustainable changes.

6. Juice cleansing can be a useful tool to reset your taste palette.

7. Make sure to consult a doctor if you have any medical conditions before going on a juice cleanse — especially if you plan on doing it for more than one day.

8. In 60 days Cross managed to shed 90 pounds and alleviate the effects of an autoimmune disease…just 60 days!

9. Cross makes it a point to shop at local food markets, which we love because many people, sadly, can simply not afford to eat as many healthy foods as they wish because of price. If you buy locally and in-season prices drop dramatically.

10. What we loved most about this documentary is that it shows that when push comes to shove, the only person who can get you to change is you. Luckily if you’re willing to do the work, miracles are truly possible.

So…what are you waiting for? Run out and buy yourself a juicer!

Dish with us: What’s your take on juice cleanses?

Who needs coffee?

We’re partial to thinking mama always knows best, but if Tipu’s Chai is any indication, sometimes it’s Grandma who knows best.

When Tipu founder Bipin Patel’s grandmother moved to Uganda from her native Gujarat, India to raise her family, she brought along her treasured chai recipe. During Patel’s childhood in eastern Africa, he learned to cook native Indian cuisine from his grandmother and enjoy the chai’s rich flavor. Later, he moved to England and then to Montana, where he opened Tipu’s Tiger Restaurant and offered his grandmother’s special brew. When the chai beverage became one of the most popular items on the menu, Patel started bottling a concentrate for local cafes and restaurants. Now, a decade later, we can all enjoy a slew of Tipu’s Chai products including liquid concentrates, slow brews, and instant chai via a new online presence (and thank goodness because the trek from NY to Montana is a bit far for chai…).

Our favorite product in the line is Tipu’s Chai Now (an instant chai latte blend), which is vegan, dairy, gluten-free, certified Kosher, includes four grams of protein per serving, and can be enjoyed in a snap. To boot, all the spices are blended in-house from pure spices so the chai is not only healthier than coffee, but more flavorful.

Who needs Starbucks?

Dish with us: Have you ever indulged in chai?

The Pelvis in Pregnancy

With the  forthcoming release of the film “What to Expect When Your Expecting,” based on the must-read book of the same name, we thought now would be the opportune time to highlight another notable read for first time mommies, “Preparing for a Gentle Birth.” Dancer, dance instructor, and physical therapist, Blandine Calais-Germain, who is renowned for her movement-based classes on anatomy and for authoring several books on fitness and well-being, co-wrote a book with Núria Vives Parés. Parés is a psychomotor therapist who teaches anatomy and movement to hospital and maternity ward staff throughout Europe.

Most little girls dream of the day they become pregnant with their first child, so it’s no surprise that when it happens it’s usually greeted by immense joy — and fear of failure…and pain! This new book, which hits bookstores next month, offers an illustrated hands-on guide to the dynamics of the female pelvis for expectant mothers. It also features illustrated exercises to help expectant mothers prepare her pelvis for birth and details the anatomical intricacies of the female pelvis and its capabilities for expansion and return to its original form.

There’s nothing like being prepared to ease a stressed out mind, so in between your total-body toning exercises (Tracy Anderson has come out with some fantastic ones for pregnant mommies!), squeeze in some of these moves and you’ll be well on your way to being the enviable mommy we know you can be.

Dish with us: How did you prepare for childbirth?

Farm to GRILL to table

Marriage is about comprise and that’s exactly why we love the new book, The Gardener & the Grill. The coffee table-worthy book’s tagline is “The Bounty of the Garden Meets the Sizzle of the Grill” - we couldn’t have dreamed up a better book to satisfy everyone in the family if we tried! Going off the farm-to-table trend, this new read is all about creating a garden-to-GRILL-to-table movement and we’re loving it.

Just launched this month, all 125 fresh and fabulous recipes take a seed-to-sizzle approach and include everything from appetizers and sandwiches, to pizza, sides, soups, salads, entrees, and desserts. Authored by Karen Adler and Judith Fertig, recipes are simple to master, time and cost-effective, and are complemented by beautiful photographs. Better yet, in addition to savory meats, grilled vegetables, gourmet pizzas and the likes, the authors show us how the practice of harvesting vegetables according to season maximizes flavor and minimizes cost, and - much to the hubbies delight — how grilling can be one of the most flavorful ways to cook.

Our fave recipe? Skewered strawberry and marshmallow s’mores…who would have ever thought!?

Dish with us: How often do you grill come Summer?

Don’t drop the fitness ball

When the temperatures heat up it’s hard to want to do anything other than lounge about by the pool, but - believe it or not - that isn’t always the best thing for our waistlines. To keep us motivated for our outdoor runs come Summertime we’re reaching for Brooks Running new Spring ’12 D’Lite collection and here are 10 reasons why you should too.

1. The collection includes two tanks and a skort offered in a variety of colors and patterns.

2. Everything is made from a super lightweight mesh.

3. The collection’s materials transfer moisture so you don’t need to worry about getting uncomfortably sticky.

4. The tanks are super breathable.

5. The tanks can be layered for a custom look.

6. The tanks can be thrown over a sports bra for extra coverage without the weight.

7. If you’re like us and don’t like hyper fitted tops, you can get the tanks one size up and you won’t risk looking like you’re drowning in fabric.

8. The skort is a great option if you’re going straight from working-out to running errands.

9. The collection is versatile enough that you can wear it cycling, to yoga, to a step class…

10. The collection comes with a no-questions-asked, 30-day satisfaction guarantee.

We still rather lay sedentary sipping on a pina colada than go workout, but if we’re gonna go run in the sun, let’s do it in comfort AND style.

Dish with us: Come Summer, what do you wear to workout?

The Swiss brand dazzles again

We’re kind of obsessed with Kuhn Rikon. Not only do they make top quality kitchen appliances, but everything they make is brightly colored and beautifully designed. To boot, nothing they stock will break the bank.

Among their latest launches is their KochBlume (German for cooking flower), Spill Stopper. The nifty contraption is a flexible silicone lid that prevents boiling liquids from overflowing on stovetopes. Pretty sweet, huh? We can think of very few things that drive us as crazy as when the hot chocolate we’re brewing for the little ones boils over — now, never again will we have this mess on our hands! Heat resistant up to 400 degrees F, the lid also doubles as a splatter guard for microwaves.

We got our flower in red, but it also comes in purple or green and it’s available in 10 or 12-inch iterations.

Life made easier…one kitchen appliance at a time.

Dish with us: How do you prevent pot spillover?

Gratis family fun

We pretty much live for fun-filled family days with the little ones, especially when they don’t entail spending a pretty penny, so we’re excited to tell you about Amtrak’s National Train Day. Taking place on Saturday, May 12^th in select cities throughout the country (NY, Chicago, LA, Philadelphia…), there’s an incredible educational component for kids to the activity-driven day. The number of things going on is a bit overwhelming so we’ve outlined some of the most notable events for you…See you all there!

Kids activities for Chicago include:

· Arts and crafts activities (think coloring, play-doh, blocks, legs, etc.)

· Wii (focused on dancing or physical fitness)

· Local Chicago Choir

· Miss Lori

· Radio Disney will be “emceeing” the event and offering kid-friendly programming all day.

Kids activities for Los Angeles include:

· Arts and crafts activities (think coloring, play-doh, blocks, legs, etc.)

· Wii (dancing or physical fitness)

· The All American Boys Chorus

· Aaron Nigel Smith

· Dora the Explorer will be on-site to entertain and engage with children.

· Ringling Brothers Clown will juggle and captivate attendees.

Kids activities for Philly include:

· Arts and crafts activities (think coloring, play-doh, blocks, legs, etc.)

· Wii (dancing or physical fitness)

· Philadelphia Boys Choir

· Ernie & Neal

· Radio Disney will be “emceeing” the event and offering kid-friendly programming all day.

Kids activities for NYC include:

· Arts and crafts activities (think coloring, play-doh, blocks, legs, etc.)

· Wii (dancing or physical fitness)

· Vy Higginsen’s Teen Choir

· Bari Koral Family Rock band

· Radio Disney will be “emceeing” the event and offering kid-friendly programming all day.

We’re just crossing our fingers that we don’t loose the hubbies as soon as they spot the Wii…

Dish with us: Have you participated in National Train Day before?

1. Every cookie is a perfect blend of crisp meringue and chewy macaroon.

2. The cookies are individually packaged for portion control (thank god because it would be easy to eat the whole pack).

3. The cookies come beautifully packaged in a ready-to-gift cylinder-shaped box.

4. Crispy on the outside, Cloud Cookies will melt in your mouth with their flaky inside.

5. The ingredients are pure and simple: egg whites, sugar, coconut, rice flour, white vinegar, and salt.

6. These are 100% Natural.

7. The cookies are gluten free.

8. Each cookie is handmade.

9. There truly is love in every bite of these cookies. The company was started by a passionate chef, Tamalpais Star Roth-McCormick, who was raised on an organic farm in the Pacific Northwest

10. Not convinced - they are stocked at gourmet food Mecca Dean & Delucca - we need not say any more.

Got a pup? Check-out Tamalpais Star Roth-McCormick doggie treats!

Dish with us: What are your favorite gourmet cookies?

A stellar lingerie and loungewear brand

Since making their runway debut in September 2010, skin has grown to be one of the most lauded up-and-coming editor favorites for lingerie, loungewear, basics, and other intimates. Here’s why we love ‘em and why we think you will too!

1. The brand’s designs are soft making their loungewear the perfect choice for a lazy Sunday in with the family.

2. Multi-functional designs mean that many of the brand’s pieces can be worn in more than one way.

3. Intelligent cuts come in lush pima cotton gauze, organic pima cotton, terry and fine cashmere.

4. Luxe details include raw edges, natural dyes and colors, in never before seen styles that float on the body.

5. While the brand is focused on what you can wear while you’re at-home, many of the looks are versatile enough to take you from dusk till dawn - check this out.

6. Who wouldn’t want to warm up in this alpaca baby?

7. After having a child - even if it’s been a few years - it’s hard to get back to that “sexy feeling place,” skin offers a number of pieces that cover just the right amount to make us feel GOOD about our body.

8. We all know (and love), the likes of La Perla and Agent Provocateur, but there’s something about shopping an up-and-comer’s designs that makes you feel like you’ve got something truly special.

9. Colors are kept neutral in the collection so they’re universally flattering.

10. This is a brand made for women BY women.

Dish with us: Do you ever venture out in loungewear?