Pastures of Heaven Rose Confiture (coming to Lithe soon!), my slimming smoothie (I'll share the recipe tomorrow), a sneak peak at my husband's light box furniture and the way that Lithe's leather leggings crackle with age.
Images via Lauren's Canon Rebel EOS
Happy Friday! This week we are giving away a special organic gift from Korbel to ten lucky winners who are over 21 years of age.
For a chance to win, please visit our Facebook page, "Like us" then leave a comment at the post. Ten winners will be chosen at random tomorrow and the winners will be announced on Monday! Good luck!
Images via Korbel and Lithe Instructors, Elizabeth Sturgis and Nicole Sewall in hot legs via Dom
QT with Jordan, great boutiques, coffee breaks, macaroons, delicious food, people watching, Kusmi Tea, My Little Paris, fabulous pharmacy skincare finds (LUXE & Filorga) and beautiful inspiration everywhere. Can't wait to go back!
Images via Lauren and brand websites
The back of Lithe's Flashdance Top (Coming Soon!), The Middle Eastern spice, Harissa (adds major flavor to my latest low-fat meals), Mars at 6 months, Ella's Kitchen baby food is good for him and perfect for when I don't have time to cook (Mars goes nuts for baby brekki!), Mamma Chia (I'm addicted) and Lithe's Waspie.
Images via brand websites and Lauren Boggi and Lithe Instructor, Bari Rosenthal via Dominic Episcopo
Did you guys see Madonna busting out some of those L's, High V's & Low V's during the Super Bowl half time show? What did you guys think of her performance? Everyone I speak to is split. Some loved it and some thought she wasn't the Madge that she used to be.
Image of Madonna via BBC
U Bee Well (made in Philly!) Chapstick, Carla Bruni and Lithe Wear's Rio Top (Coming Soon!)
Love Bar Chocolate (made right here in Philly!), roller skating (developing our very own workout on wheels!), Esperanza Spalding, Jamie Magazine, anything by Ace & Jig and Haute Hippie's leather shorts for spring.
Images via Brand Websites & Net-A-Porter
Happy Friday! This week's giveaway is from Tierra Mia! We are giving away 5 Mimos Manicures ($20 value each) to the Lithe community. Tierra Mia has recently expanded their menu and perfected their process for enabling water-based polishes to last longer. Tierra Mia is still the only true organic nail spa in the nation, using completely non-toxic products.
For a chance to win, please visit our Facebook page, "Like us" then leave a comment at the post. Five winners will be chosen at random tomorrow and the winners will be announced on Monday! Good luck!
Images via Tierra Mia and Daily Candy
For most of us, this is the toughest time of the year (second to summertime) to stay motivated. You've probably been pushing yourself for the last two months and post-Fall Challenge, you're feeling a little worn out. Add in a few holiday parties, late-night shopping and endless running around and you're feeling less than inspired.
What's my solution? Keep reading fit.hip.healthy! Starting tomorrow, I'll be posting on ways to change up your Lithing and stay inspired. Use this as a guide and try to get to class at least twice a week. You'll be surrounded by like-minded Lithers who enjoy the workout as much as you do. It's fantastic motivation. What's in store for you next week? We're debuting our Lithe, Lither & Lithest meal plans, an awesome new workout and tons of recipes, new class programming and tips! Stay tuned!
Image of Lithe Instructor, Liz Galbally tying on Thinny bands via Dom
If you’ve been following me since my Lithe Diving days, you may have noticed that I love to include a bit of music somewhere in my posts. Whether I’m being brutally honest about the fact that I’m not the slightest bit hip, or that I unabashedly like pop music by the likes of Britney Spears (or Britney S. Pierce) and Ne-Yo, or just indulging in a bit of nostalgia with some classics, I like to leave you with something to hum along to...even if you hate yourself for it.
The famous Kabbalah guru, Madonna, once said the wise words, “Music. Brings the people. Together. Yeah.” And whether you consider yourself bourgeoisie or rebel, it’s no secret that music can have a transformative effect on your mood. It sets the tone and energy of whatever you happen to be doing while listening to it. It’s no surprise then, that this extends to Lithing. And in my three years in and out of the studio day after day, I’ve always wondered how exactly the music is selected for classes.
I went to Lauren with my burning questions, and she introduced me to Justine Masters, a sound designer who specializes in curating a musical identity for her clients, and has been doing just that for Lithe Method for the last 4 years.
Now, I like to think that I know my designers. Like all E! viewers, I love knowing who’s wearing what. I recently learned, for example, that Kim Kardashian reportedly dropped $100k at Hermes, on an array of the label’s famous Birkin bags, which start at $9,000 bucks and go as high as $240 grand A POP. And since Sarah Jessica Parker first pranced across the screen in her 5 inch Manolo Blahniks on Sex and the City, I’ve been drooling over the likes of Jimmy Choo and Giussepe Zanotti. But designer music?
That’s an entirely new concept for me--one I hoped that Justine could illuminate when I sat down with her to learn more about the music that meets our ears during our leg-quivering workouts. I wasn’t disappointed.
When I asked Justine what exactly a sound designer does and how that’s different from a traditional DJ, she explained it by saying, “When you are DJing at a club, playing popular songs is part of knowing how to work a crowd. In the realm of sound design, people are not on the dance-floor; they are having a drink at a bar, eating dinner, working out, lounging by the pool etc., so the music is a more subtle yet important factor in their experience.”
Justine has been creating those musical experiences since she was 13 years old. “I used to make mix cassette tapes for all my friends when I was in high school,” she said. “I couldn't help myself! When music excited me, I wanted others to experience that excitement also, so I made them tapes.”
In her current role as sound designer, Justine continues to share the music she loves, like: Nina Simone, The Police, Bob Marley, Sade and the Black Keys (to name a few) to curate playlists for boutique hotels, restaurants and high-profile, private clients. All admittedly different than music one needs to hear to sustain them through a workout as difficult as Lithe.
So how did she go about understanding Lithe’s musical needs, I asked her. “Lauren was looking for sounds that matched the energy flow and creativity of her workouts. She wanted the music to inspire her Lithers, not just serve as background noise, so I took some of her classes. I even took one without music, to understand what was missing.”
After realizing for herself how exhausting and demanding the classes were, Justine knew exactly what the music pumping through the speakers at Lithe need to do. “I selected songs with one thing in mind: motivation,” she said. “I wanted the music to be a motivator, an inspiration and an aid for getting through a class. When you are working out and sweating, your instincts become very primal, so the music I chose speaks to that energy.”
When I asked who decides what gets played in class, Justine said her playlists are designated as Hi-tempo, Mid -tempo and Slow-Mid Tempo. And with over 400 playlists to choose from, Lauren and the instructors make a choice from the vast and varied selection based on the pace of the class.
I went on to admit to Justine how much I love hearing top 40 hits in the studio. How hearing a song I know and recognize gives me such a boost in class, and wondered why she didn’t choose more music that Lithers may immediately recognize.
She responded by saying, “Lauren and I both agreed that Top 40 has a much shorter shelf life when played on repeat. Plus, we want the music to be as creative and out of the box as the workouts are! People are coming to Lithe for something different in their workout, so they should expect that in the music as well.”
I had to give it to her, there’s nothing worse than hearing Rihanna and Eminem telling me they love the way I lie for the 10th time in a one-hour car ride. If had to hear them duetting it up at Lithe too, I might jump out the window. (Now THAT’S some serious Lithe Stalling.)
“Ultimately,” she said, “I want to draw a positive attention to one's body--that is a big reason Lithers are in the studio--to be in tune with their bodies. Its about getting out of your head and into the movements.”
Now that’s certainly a tune I can get down to. As with everything in Lithe, it seems even the music has meaning, and is hand selected carefully to compliment the workout. I’ll certainly be listening with a new appreciation.
Images of Justine Masters: Justine at Miss P's Place in Jamaica, Justine singing, Lithe Escape Grenada with Ellen & Liz Solms and Justine in her hometown of NYC
Recent Comments