Ready to warm up this weekend? Join us for a heart pounding, music bumping workout with Nike and JW Marriot Chicago this Saturday, 12-2 p.m, to benefit the Children’s Miracle Network. Where: JW Marriott Chicago – 151 West Adams Street Chicago, … Continue reading
Monthly Archives: January 2016
Meatless Monday Recipe Roundup: Sweet Potatoes!
Sometimes veggie cooking can get a bit boring so we hunt the interwebs for new ideas. With winter on our cold minds, our thoughts have been on fireplaces, s’mores, root veggies and anything toasty and easy….after all, cooking can be … Continue reading
Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas: Organic Body Souffle
Winter is truly encroaching on our soft hands game. As much as we would loveee to get a mani and pedi every week, our pocket books shiver at the thought. There are other ways, however, that you can pamper your pretty toes and fingers (men too, don’t be afraid to feel pretty). Inner Sanctum + Wellness, a local small business in Oak Park, reached out to us to try a sample of their Organic Whipped Body Souffle and give an honest review.
Regina Thomas Dillard, owner, was inspired to create her natural beauty line due to her holistic upbringing. Her maternal grandmother and mother collected herbs and roots to heal the body and for topical skin treatments and Regina observed carefully.
After her baby daughter was born with an acute case of eczema, Regina turned to researching her mother and grandmother’s remedies and found curative results. She later became a teacher at the Oak Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, facilitating workshops like “Cooking with Herbs.” Regina delved deeper exploring more natural remedies for the skin.
Regina muses about the care she takes in creating her products: “When I select oils, I try at best to find purveyors in the countries where the oils are sourced. For instance, I currently purchase my lavender oils from a supplier in the Southern region of France and my tea tree oil from a supplier in Auckland, Australia. While oils vary greatly, as many claim to be the best on the market, I’m always on the lookout for essential oils which are high in quality, but cost-effective in order maintain a competitive price point”.
First thoughts:
Monica doesn’t utilize lotion that much and Kate is picky with her scents sooo we got some dry snaky skin over here, no lie. Body butters can be a turn off too when they are too greasy and you find your skin sticking to your couch.
The Body Butta’ Breakdown
Our Body Souffle: Ritual
Ingredients:
Vitamin E for healthy skin, almond and avocado oils, with mango butter, swirled with essential oils.
Appearance:
All of Inner Sanctum + Wellness Body Souffles are Whhhhippped (like Stewie Griffin says) to perfection. Kate kept joking that she was going to take a sample taste (note: don’t do this…it isn’t edible) as it looks like whipped butter or light fluffy whipped cream.
Texture:
Luxurious with a soft and creamy feel. The body butter was non-greasy and massaged into the skin quite easily.
Scent:
Monica and Kate’s husband battled over who would keep the body butter because of its woodsy winter scent. Ritual blends frankincense and myrrh for a delicate aroma that stays lightly on the skin. Kate is more of fruity person so she snatched the mini lavender eucalyptus scent and breathed in deeply to destress and decongest.
Other Available Products:
Inner Sanctum + Wellness carries bath and body oils, exfoliators, milk baths, and even home products like (YAY) yoga mat sprays.
Final thoughts?
Ready to slather yourself in butter? Sexy body butter that is…just in time for Valentine’s dayyy (cue the Barry White music). Inner Sanctum + Wellness products can be found at events around Chicagoland and on Etsy or shop directly at http://www.shop-isw.com/ and signup for updates.
Upcoming Events featuring Inner Sanctum and Wellness:
JANUARY
23 An Evening of Giving Back Event (7pm-1am)
One-Stop Productions, Chicago, IL
FEBRUARY
11 Sweets For the Sweetie Valentine’s Event (6-10pm)
Normandy Banquets, Elmhurst, IL
13 Married Couples Cross-Fit Event (8am-3pm)
Oak Brook Hills Resort, Oak Brook, IL
Mind and Body Revival
Learn to Barre with Pure Barre!
Are you curious about barre classes but no clue what they’re all about? Throughout the month of January, Pure Barre, a barre studio with 14 locations in Illinois alone and a multitude of locations nationwide, is spearheading an barreniative, Learn to Barre … Continue reading
Exhale Spa Evanston Studio Opening
Ready to transform your trouble zones in the new year? One of our most beloved boutique fitness spots, exhale spa, is expanding from Chicago to a new location in Evanston. It’s only a hop, skip and a jump from Northwestern University, … Continue reading
Bar Method #MeInspiresWe Challenge
Cue the Final Countdown Music and say this in a movie phone voice: “We challenge you, dear readers, to a battle to the death…of flappy arms and thighs.” Join us this month, from January 11th-February 15th, and get toned as … Continue reading
Free Workouts in the New Year: Part 2
In the new year, would you prefer barefoot or lacing up your kicks for a jog? Either way we got you covered (and for cheap too!) with Part 2 of our Free Workouts in the New Year blog.
Running
Fleet Feet Run Clubs
With 9 different Chicago area locations, you could run with friendly folks every day of the week. Fleet Feet fun runs include themed runs like Chick’s Night, Pint Night as well as new running gear demo events.
Shake Shack monthly runs
Looking for Pavlovian fitness techniques? Trendy burger chain, Shake Shack, hosts monthly fun runs on the second Tuesday of every month with a twist. Your reward for running: A free shake, beer or discounted burger! Details here.
City Fit Girls
Starting in Philly and imported to Chicago, City Fit Girls strives to give women and comfortable and supportive environment for stretching their running legs. Chicago fun runs are Wednesdays at 6:30 pm in Lincoln Park. More information available here.
Yoga
Community Yoga
Chicago has an infinite amount of yoga studios and many of them aim to give back to community with donation based or free yoga classes. Our top choices are Zen Yoga Garage (Logan Square), Tejas Yoga (South Loop) and Pilsen Yoga Tribe (Pilsen) at Thalia Hall.
Yoga at your fave clothing store
Whether you rock Lululemon, Athleta or Lole, each of these clothing stores encourage community yoga with weekly or monthly free yoga and strength training events.
Yoga With Adriene
This talented Texan yogi is friendly, silly and cares enough to share the gift of yoga classes with us! She is currently running a YouTube 30 day Yoga Camp to your daily yoga flow fluidly flowing.
Free Workouts in the New Year: Part 1
If you are living on a tight budget OR aren’t quite clear even where to start with jumping in the fitness “pool”, these fitness activities are free, fun and can guide you in the right direction to feel more calm, strong and the bomb in 2016!
Strength Training
If your goals include muscling it up or toning it down, these indoor, outdoor and online options can fuel your fitness fire.
Nike Training Club Chicago
Train with top Chicago fitness professionals in classes ranging from barre to HIT in addition to speed, endurance and long distance run training. Nike Training Club Chicago supported super fabulous events last year like Train with Hart, a 5K run with Kevin Hart, and #getouthere, a temporary Chicago river front workout facility to withstand the Chicago chill. Need a little help sorting through your fitness goals? Sign up for an exclusive Resolutions Consultation with a Nike fitness pro and get athletic coaching advice for nada dollars. Join and sign up for workouts here.
North Face Mountain Athletics
Cold air, they don’t care. North Face continues their free Mountain Athletics outdoor workouts Tuesday at Lincoln Park and Thursday at Millennium Park even in the winter. If you are looking for a challenge, this is for you!
Each session, led by two The North Face trainers, prep you for outdoor goals. Sign up here.
Chicago Park District
Looking for something local? Check out your nearby Chicago Park district building this week, January 2nd-10th, for free boxing, swimming, aerobic exercise and more.
Target Commit to Fit (with Adam Rosante and Idalis Velazquez)
It takes at least 21 days to start a habit so Target wants to bolster your fit meter with a free 21 day Commit to Fit workout program. Adam Rosante, certified athletic trainer, and author of “The 30 Second Body: Eat Clean, Train Dirty & Live Hard” and Idalis Velazquez, founder of IV Fitness LLC and the creator of the PowerUP60 training method, power through with you by leading a series of Target Youtube videos for abs, cardio and strength.
Dance
ARC Chicago
Join in a Dance Free for All January 5th-10th with the American Rhythm Center Chicago. Classes ranging from Tap, Break dancing, African Dance, Bollywood, Afro-Haitian and much more are all free!
Dance Fitness with Jessica
These short, high energy dance routines are lead and follow style but still could be club ready with practice. Jessica Bass starting a small group dance class in Knoxville, TN that expanded to hundreds of free Youtube videos in addition to a purchasable fitness program. Lace up your dancing shoes and prepare to werk.
If you don’t have twinkle toe or muscle head genes, stayed tuned for Part 2 of our Free Workout posts: Yoga and Running!