It’s officially Copper River Salmon season in Seattle, so my husband and I decided to make one of our favorite summer time salmon recipes the other night. It’s just a simply grilled salmon with a sort of marinade/crust that my Mom created made from horseradish mustard, chopped garlic and a squeeze of lemon. We top the salmon with the marinade/sauce a few minutes before putting in on the grill, and in no time we have a delicious, incredibly flavorful  dinner with that has just a touch of heat and spice. I’m not actually a huge fan of fish and have only been eating it for about a year (which is really a crime given that I live in Seattle a city brimming with amazing salmon), but I love this preparation. The marinade turns into a fabulous crust and brings out layers of flavor without masking the richness of the salmon.  I love serving it with blasted broccoli…to make it just heat garlic and olive oil over medium high heat in a pan and throw in partially blanched broccoli for 90 seconds, season with a little salt and pepper.

This dinner is so easy (especially when served with with a Whole Foods pre-made side pasta salad) and supremely healthy with all the antioxidants, Omega 3 fatty acids and protein. But most importantly…it’s delicious!

Sun, summer and stripes…three of my absolute favorite things! I just can’t pass up stripes, … it doesn’t matter where I find them, on chairs, shirts, bedding, towels, pillows , you name it, if I find something with stripes it/s probably coming home with me. It’s a compulsion, really:)

One of my favorite ways to wear stripes is on a great sun dress, so I’ve picked out a few of my current favorites. Whether you want something nautical and preppy like the Lilly Pulitzer for Nantucket lunches, casual and cool for weekend brunches and shopping jaunts like Splendid tank dress or you want to go glam and colorful with the Coast dress for a summer wedding.  There is a striped summer sundress for everyone and every budget…the Old Navy dress is only $30! My personal favorite (and one I think I’ll have to pick it up since I know I’ll wear it everywhere) is the sexy yet sophisticated Rachel Pally maxi dress. Here’s to summer dresses!

1.  James Perse Stripe Sundress
2. Anthropolgie Between the Lines striped maxi dress
3. Rachel Pally Maxi Dress with Cutouts
4. Splendid Tank Dress
5. JCrew Villa Dress (On Sale!)
6. Asos Coast Stripe Dress
7. Lilly Pulitzer Cassie Dress
8. Felicity and COCO Jersey Tank dress
9. Old Navy Striped Tank Dress

I received an email a few weeks ago asking for a strength training workout for beginners and toning newbies and I thought, what a great idea! Many of the workouts on FitFabCities are totally suitable for beginners, but this one has exercises that I think are the best for anyone who is getting started. There are single muscle group exercises, and instead of lunges and step ups, we’ll use plies and basic squats which are easier on the knees. Plus, you’ll only do each exercise for 30 seconds and take frequent 30 second breaks ( to make the workout harder,  just shorten the breaks).

The workout should take about 15 minutes and you can do it at home with only a pair of dumbbells and a chair. So try fitting it in while watching your favorite TV show or try waking up 15 mintues earlier at getting your workout on!

Happy Workout!

You can print the workout here…Beginner Strength Workout

“Ask yourself if what you’re doing today is getting you closet to where you want to be tomorrow.”

Hope you had a great weekend! I love this Motivation Monday quote because it embodies the simplicity of setting and reaching goals. A far off goal may seem unachievable until you break it down into small, bite sized chunks. Then, it’s just about doing one simple thing each day that helps you get where you want to be. Maybe it’s getting up 20 minutes earlier to fit in a workout or maybe it’s drinking more water…for me, right now, it’s breaking my addiction to entertainment news. Granted I love all types of news, but I realized I might know a little too much about Kim and Kanye and I need to tip the scales more in favor of CNN.  So everyday, if I read People.com, I spend double the time catching up on my, how do I say this..real news:)

Happy Motivation Monday!

-Caitlin

For a little extra motivation at the gym this week here are the songs I’m totally loving on my iPod right now!

1. Calvin Harris, Let’s Go (feat. Ne-Yo) [Radio Edit] – Single
2. Aaliyah: Try Again
3. Gotye: Somebody That I Used to Know (Tiësto Remix) [feat. Kimbra] – Single

One of my favorite things to do is to document my weekends with Instagram. That way, not only do I look back and appreciate the fun things I did, but I also find that I think ahead and plan better weekends. Last weekend I loved visiting Pike Place Market and picking up fresh flowers and something for dessert. The market has amazing big fresh cookies, personal sized cheesecakes and tons of different types of pastries. There’s also the most fabulous store near the market called Watson Kennedy which is one of my favorite places to pick up gifts, Molton Brown soaps and other special things for my home. Ted, the owner, has the most amazing taste and if you’re ever in Seattle I highly recommend visiting the store.

For many more photos you can follow me on Instagram at FitFabCities.

Happy Fit Fab Weekend!

When summer rolls around, I can’t get enough of sitting outside, relaxing and enjoying chips and guacamole. I always like to see if I can find healthier versions of my favorite foods, and I’m pretty picky about my guacamole (it has to have tomatoes, not too much lime and plenty of healthy chunks of avocado) so, I was really excited to try this recipe from Cooking Light. Now avocados have a lot of fat, but it’s good fat…I just have to be conscious of portion control so I don’t over do it on the calories, but at least I know  I’m consuming something better for me than most dips. The chips are simply baked corn tortillas, so I cut calories and unhealthy fats there, and they still have a great crunch and, most importantly, enough heft to hold the guacamole.

The recipe calls for tomatillos, which are used to make salsa verde, and they give the guacamole great flavor…plus, it has kick from the jalapenos making it utterly delicious! In fact, my husband followed me around, chips in hand, until I was done taking photos so he could dig in! This recipe makes a great al fresco dinner dip and it’s something you could bring to your next fiesta…I also love putting a little on a chicken wrap for lunch the next day! Hope you enjoy!

To make the chips just cut corn tortillas into 8ths, place them on a cookie sheet covered with cooking spray, sprinkle with course salt and chili powder and I like to give a quick squeeze of lime. The coat one more spay of cooling spray at put them in the over at 375 for 10 minutes.

I’m always looking for ways to spice up my runs. I love throwing in a few intervals and combining some principles from high intensity interval training to keep the workouts short but still super effective. This workout uses one minute intervals, 30 second intervals and a four minute  tabata protocol interval section (tabata intervals use 20 seconds of intense work and 10 seconds of rest) to burn tons of calories and increase your speed in only 35 minutes.

You can do this workout outside or inside on the treadmill. If you’re running outside or if you’re getting started with a workout plan and you’d like to walk instead, use the RPE  in the right hand column instead of relying on the MPH speeds . The RPE, or rate of perceived exertion, is a scale of 1-10…1 is sitting on the couch, 5 is a comfortable workout (you know you’re working out but you can still keep up a conversation) and 10 is working as hard as you can. Use that scale as a guide to change your speeds during the intervals and recovery work. Also the speeds are just a guideline…feel free to go slower or faster if you like.

This workout has 3 sections you can do one, two or all three parts . Here is the breakdown

• Section A: 4 x one minute sprints
• Section B: 4 x 30 seconds sprints
• Section C: 4 minute tabata section,
• 8 x 20 second sprint and 10 second rest
• If you’re in a treadmill….”step off treadmill” means stand on the side rail area on either side of the belt for the 10 seconds of rest. If you’re running or walking just slow down to a slow walk or a slow jog for this part

I always need great music while I’m working out, so here are a few songs that are totally motivating me through my runs right now!

• Katy Perry, Part of Me 
• (I’m not embarrassed to say I’m totally into One Direction lately:)…One Direction, One Thing and What Makes you Beautiful
• Kelly Clarkson, Stronger
• David Guetta & Nicki Minaj, Turn me on
• Drake featuring Rihanna, Take Care
• Lady Gaga, Alejandro (Dave Aude Remix)

Praise the paper-bag waist! Seriously, if you don’t own a pair of paper-bag waist trousers or shorts, you will want to get one. They are super comfortable, really flattering (the ultimate antidote for muffin top) and perfect for anyone who is over low rise pants.

A high waist can be incredibly flattering, and when it’s paired with heels, legs undoubtedly look miles longer. I bought these silk shorts at Madewell last summer and they are my go to pair since they can easily be dressed up or dressed down. Since I have them paired with platform high heels I’m showing a lot of leg, so I like to throw a sweater over the top to tone the look down and keep it appropriate. The white racerback tank is from Nordstrom’s BP section which I always recommend as a great place to get basics. This tank is silky and perfect with jeans for the weekend or a skirt for going out…plus it was only $30.

With the neutral palette of my shorts, tank and sweater, l thought I’d add a pop of color with my favorite turquoise JCrew necklace and a pair of surprisingly confortable color blocked platform sandals. I was actually able to wear this outfit in Seattle this week since it’s been 80 degrees and sunny… who would have thought! Here’s to summer!

• Shorts: Madewell (old) but here are similar ones. JCrew, Forever21, Madewell
• Tank: Nordstroms BP
• Necklace JCrew
• Shoes: Aldo

“Repeat after me: I CAN DO THIS.”

Have a great week and a happy Motivation Monday!

-Caitlin

Paris photo is from Pinterest and http://savedbythesouthernbelle.tumblr.com

This is one of my favorite times of year…the weather is getting better and we still have all of summer to look forward too! It’s time to run outside, break out our sandals and enjoy long al fresco dinners. With spring and summer in mind, here are three things I think will make for a Fit Fab Weekend.

1. Pandora a Playlist to Paris: My “La Vie En Rose” pandora station is one of my new obsessions. I love playing it while I’m cooking, reading or getting ready in the morning as it’s the perfect way to breathe a little glamour into each day. While picking up and flying to Paris is not always a possibility:)…just putting on this playlist gets me a little closer, and makes everyday more romantic and beautiful.

2. Try Super Pink Lips: I’m a lip gloss addict, in fact one of these days I’ll Instagram a photo pf my ridiculous lip gloss collection just to prove how bad it is. Anyway, lately I’ve been embracing matte lipsticks and I’m loving bright bold pink lips. Celebs like Blake Lively, Kate Boswoth, Emily Blunt and my new favorite Ashley Madekwe (from the ultimate guilty pleasure..Revenge)  are rocking pick lips and the color is so perfect for summer. If you want to tone the color down a bit, just top your lipstick with some concealer.

3. Switch Ice Cream for Lower Calorie Gelato: Did you know gelato has less fat and fewer calories than regular ice cream! Awesome right?! Spring and summer are not complete without partaking in ice cream, so why not switch up your dessert and save a few calories with creamy, delicious gelato. It comes is so many rich, intense and amazing flavors that you only need a small portion to feel totally indulgent and satisfied. This picture is from the Williams Sonoma website where they have great recipes for gelato!

Happy Fit Fab Weekend!

-Caitlin