It's Super Bowl week!

I love the Super Bowl but hate that I have to wait until Fall for football to start up again. So in honor of football coming to a close for another season, this weeks challenge is to "REPRESENT" we want to know who you are cheering for and how. We want pictures of your parties and your tailgating gear. Whether you do body paint or sew your own jersey, show us.

Post your photos on our wall by 11:59 PM PST, Super Bowl Sunday. The Fan of the Week will be chosen the next day!

fist pump fridays

Woohoo! It's Friday.



Don't ask me why but I am particularly ready for Friday this week. Perhaps it's because the gorgeous SoCal sun decided to shine all over LA this January...perfect beach weather in the middle of winter...nbd. Or, perhaps it's because the Coachella line up has been announced.

The line up stunned me a little at first, but as the fonts get smaller, there are some truly awesome acts gracing the desert this April. One band that I've been introduced to by a very special source that really has gotten my attention is Foster the People. They play Sunday, and if you are planning to make it out to Coachella this year, and are still alive by Sunday (best line up of the three, in my opinion) then I wholly recommend you check out Foster the peeps.

Turn your volume up and listen to their song, Helena beat.

Foster the People - Helena Beat


And check out the Coachella line up below.

Coachellyyy 2011!

Have a good weekend everybody! Let's hope the sun stays out!!

Woman of the Week: Amelia Earhart

WOMAN OF THE WEEK

AMELIA EARHART

1897 - 1939

The first thing that I truly admire about Amelia is her mother Amy, "did not believe in bring up nice girls". This is definitely the right setting for the most famous female aviator to grow up in. She played outside, climbed trees, collected bugs all the things girls were not "supposed" to do growing up. 

As she grew older, she endured tough times and began to take interest in careers that were socially only available to men, such as film direction and production, law, advertising, management and mechanical engineering. Though it wasn't until 1920 that she took her first ride in a plane after moving to Long Beach, CA. Three years later she was issued her pilot's license. 

Amelia not only set records for women, she also was the first to do many things even before the boys. though she failed to make it completely around the world, the fact that she attempted to do so is what is so remarkable about her. 

What are some of your accomplishments? Who do you respect and look to for inspiration? Submit your selections for Woman of the Week or contact us to guest blog in this segment.

This Week in Sports

Things I liked:

• Green Bay Defensive Tackle BJ Raji made his first career touchdown this weekend after intercepting a pass. His victory dance is amazing.
  

• Texas beat undefeated, number 2, Kansas after being down 18-2 at the beginning of the game.

Things I didn't like:

• Mark Sanchez is disgusting.

• The NY Rangers beat the Washington Capitals in a shootout. No horses were involved.

Things that made me laugh:

• Ben Rothlisberger isn't the only one inappropriately molesting people.

And an unsolicited update, I am on day 6 of my yoga challenge. So far I have been to two pilates classes and three vinyasa (not hot) classes. It's time consuming, but going well!

52 Week Challenge - Week 4 - Pull an Ellen

So I think Ellen is hilarious. . . and because she likes to dance, and this year is the year of fun, she is the perfect example for this weeks challenge "Pull an Ellen". Now you might be saying How? What? Huh? So let me explain.



At the beginning of the Ellen Show, she will some how bring dancing up and then dance around the audience. So, your challenge this week is to some where and at some time, get up and bust a move.

Get this on video (No longer that 10 seconds) and post it to our WALL by this Friday 28 January 2011 11:59PM PST. The winner will be announced the following Monday. Good Luck.

Fist Pump Fridays

Today's theme: Coachella

Since tickets go on sale today, I see it only fitting we pull our FPF out of the line-up. Soo, I don't know about you but Cee-Lo's song "Fuck You" always makes me roll down the windows and turn up the stereo.

My favorite part is when he say "I'm sorry, I can't afford a Ferrari". Also, as you watch the video, and are thinking "WOW that man is short, I did some research and found out that Cee-Lo is 5'6.5".

He's playing the first day of Coachella and you can see the rest of the line-up here. What bands are you excited to see? 

Woman of the Week: Eleanor Roosevelt

As I began doing this weeks challenge I began thinking about how with this company I really want women to be proud of the lives they live and the things they are accomplishing. This has nothing to do with a feminist movement or burning your bras but more about being proud to do what you do.

I think the scariest thing in my life has been moving forward with a company that I have been working on since I was in 6th grade. But those fears and butterflies that you have are normal and as I believe tell you that you are about to do something great.

So along with our other days that you have grown accustomed to seeing I have finally found a topic that I would like to showcase on Thursdays. Women. Now I know that you might be thinking . . . uhh duh. But I really wanted to think hard about how this blog segment would live. You see a lot of women power, girl, pink yatta yatta. But I want this to showcase the tomboy powerhouses, the women who did the things girls aren't "supposed" to do or were not even allowed to do.

If you have any suggestions I would love to hear them, and if you would like to guest blog on this segment, even better. Otherwise I will be writing each week about a woman that I deem amazing.

WOMAN OF THE WEEK

ELEANOR ROOSEVELT

1884 - 1962

Obviously the first woman that I am going to showcase is Eleanor Roosevelt. The words that came out of this woman's mouth alone were amazing. "The purpose of life is to live it, to taste the experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for a newer and richer experience." "Well behaved women rarely make history." Great stuff. Not only was she well-spoken, she was incredibly intelligent handling politics and most of the men of the time.

Before you hit the trail, make sure you have the right shoes

All running shoes are not created equal. Not only can they alter your speed, but they can also affect your knees, your back and your joints. Selecting the right running shoe can make all the difference, and it can be overwhelming when faced with a wall full of shoes that all look pretty much the same. But if you follow these steps, you can find shoes that will have you running like an Olympic marathoner.


1) Find a good running shoe store. You can buy your shoe at the local mega-mart, but the sales professionals in a specialty store are better trained to help you pick the right shoe. To locate a store, ask friends who run, check running magazine reviews, or check the yellow pages.

2) Examine the soles of your old running shoes. Notice the spots where the shoes show wear from the road. This tells you where your foot falls every time it hits the ground.

3) Place your shoes side-by-side on a flat surface. If the shoes tilt in toward the middle, your new shoe probably needs more stability than your old shoe. If they tilt to the outside, you may have a high arch and your new shoes should have good shock absorption.


4) Look at the top of your shoe. If you can see an outline of your big or little toe, and you've noticed discomfort in those areas while running, you should try a larger or wider shoe.

5) Go to the running shoe store and bring a pair with you. The employees should be able to help you find on the shoe based on the wear patterns discussed previously. If not, you probably should find a different store.

6) Try out the shoes. Many stores have a treadmill that you can use to audition the shoes. Try on as many shoes as it takes. Make sure you like the feel and fit of the shoe. Make sure the shoe maintains its comfort during wear.

7) Be sure to replace the shoe once you have ran the recommend mileage with them. Once the shoe breaks down from wear, it no longer provides the support that it is suppose to.

Nicole Renna/ Invictus Fitness

This Week in Sports

Things I liked:

• All of the NFL bird teams lost this weekend - the Ravens, the Falcons & the Seahawks. Too bad Vick couldn't keep the Eagles in til this weekend. Would have been cool to see all four of them lose.
  
• Eric Staal and Nick Lidstrom have been selected as the NHL Allstar team captains.
• It is rumored that Sidney Crosby may miss the Allstar game because he's injured. Waaaah.
  

Things I didn't like:

• The Jets really took it to the Patriots. It seems the Jets really wanted it and the Patriots thought they had it.
• Two Seahawks players were taken to the hospital and kept over night for observation after being knocked out during the game. John Carlson landed on his head on the frozen side line and knocked himself out. Marcus Trufant took a knee to the head and was out cold (no pun intended) - he wasn't even able to wave as they carted him off the field.
  
• For the NHL Allstar game, the fans were able to pick the players who participate, but not the captains. The captains have to pick their teams from the selected group of players. Sooo, the fans basically just picked popular players, not necessarily all the best or great up and coming players.
  
• Wes Welker was benched for the opening of the Jets/Pats match up because of foot references he made in an interview. Background: Rex Ryan, coach of the Jets, has a foot fetish. The Jets were talking trash. Bill Belichick doesn't allow trash talking.
  

Things that surprised me:

• Florida State beat Duke in basketball to end Duke's 25 game win streak
• The NJ Nets proposed a 3 team, 15 player trade in order to sign Carmelo Anthony. Everyone agreed to it, except him! He doesn't want to play for the Nets, he wants to play for the Knicks (although one would wonder why?!)

Also, a little unrelated to my sports posts, I am starting a 90 day yoga challenge on Thursday. I have to go to 70 classes in 90 days, but will go to more if I can to stay consistent. Wish me luck, I'm nervous I'm not going to be able to do it - totally a head game at this point!

52 Week Challenge: Week 3 - Who do you admire?

Week 2's winner is posted! Congrats to Danielle O'Neil who posted a delicious looking grub down of steak and taters. But it's now onto week three.

This week, in celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. we want to know who do you admire? Who makes you want to be a better person? Mine is Eleanor Roosevelt, she was such an intelligent woman and knew how to get what she wanted. Not to mention she is who inspired me to start this company with the quote "Well behaved women rarely make history."

For this challenge, just go to the facebook wall and post a message saying who you admire and a sentence on why. The deadline is this Friday, 21 January 2011, 11:59 PM PST. The winner will be announced the following Monday.

Good Luck!

FIST PUMP FRIDAY!!

This week's song is My Body by Young the Giant. It reminds me of driving on the freeway through the desert with the windows down.  Also, with the East Coast under inches of snow, I figure you guys could use a fun summery song.

BONUS, you can download this song for free this week on iTunes.

Have a great weekend, and post your best of weekend pictures on our facebook wall!

Is a glass of wine a day really ok? The facts on alcohol and fitness.

One of the topics that produces the most controversy and eye rolls when it comes to conversations about fitness is alcohol consumption. How bad is it for you? And are there some drinks that are ok to have? Can you lose weight and drink? Not only is there a lot of misinformation out there, but also many people struggle with sustaining from their stress relief in a glass.

The bottom line is is alcohol is poison to your body. It has a negative effect to your general health and it will most definitely impede your progress when it comes to fitness.

In order to process the toxins produced by alcohol, the liver will STOP doing things advantageous to weight loss. If you must drink, try to limit your intake to your cheat meal once a week in order for your body to click on all cylinders for at least 6 days in a row.

Avoid drinks with high sugar and carb contents. Stick to light beer, clear liquors and sugar free mixers and you will minimize the damage. Also avoid in-taking mass amounts of food while drinking, your body will not be able metabolize the calories and they will be stored!

For a closer look at the cold, hard facts check out the link below. If you know the consequence chances are you will think twice before sucking down that next post work beer.

The Real Effects of Alcohol

Nicole Renna/ Invictus Fitness

This Week in Sports

Things I liked (not much this week, unfortunately):

• So far, the Spurs have won 17 of 20 games, their most recent win against the Timberwolves, 107-96
  

I'm ready for March Madness and some exciting college games.

Things I didn't like:

• Auburn beat Oregon by a last second field goal.
• TCU is also undefeated for the season. I can't help but wonder if they'd have played better than Oregon.
• The big college basketball game ESPN was hyping for the weekend was #9 UConn vs. #12 Texas. UConn just barely beat Texas, 82-81.
  

Things that surprised me:

• The Seahawks upset the Saints and the Jets upset the Colts.
• The Nuggets are looking to trade Carmelo Anthony to the New Jersey Nets. Anthony has apparently expressed thoughts that he could go to the Knicks. Yeah. Right.
  

52 Week Challenge - Week 2 - SHOW ME YOUR FOOD.

Ok so everyone has to eat right? right. Well quit eating the same 'ol same 'ol and try something new. Try that new restaurant that just opened or blow the dust of your skillet. Bruonis wants to see what you are eating this week.

Our fan of the week will have posted a picture of some serious mouthwatering grubb. When you post your picture let us know what it is along with where you got it!

Photos are to be posted on our wall by Friday 14 January 2011, 11:59 PM PST and the winner will be announced the following Monday. Remember all winners of the Fan of the Week will receive 25% their next purchase at http:shop.bruonis.com.


WEEK ONE WINNER -

Deanna Hartmann of Bend, Oregon

Deanna is the queen of the outdoors, whether it is hiking or boarding she's all for it. Check out Deanna profiled on the Bruonis Facebook page this week!

fist pump fridays

Hey All!

Hope everyone had a fun and happy new year and are ready for the first official Friday of 2011! Woop woop!!

This week's track is a Star Slinger remix of I AM YOU by COOLRUNNINGS. I've been lovvvving this song and it should be sure to provide a smooth transition to the 1st year of the new decade.

Enjoy party people!


COOL RUNNINGS - I AM YOU (Star Slinger Remix)

Kettlebell Meltdown 300 Workout

This week I decided to do something different and post a basic workout. This workout is a high rep work out and the cool thing is all you will need is a kettle bell. This workout is done for time and should be completed as quickly as possible. If it is necessary you may rest at any point, but remember we want work at a high intensity so don't cheat yourself. Push yourself and I think you will be surprised at how much you are capable of!

GOOD LUCK!

Nicole Renna/Invictus Fitness

Catching up on Sports

Hiya! Happy New Year!! Sorry to have been so MIA for the last few weeks. I was staying with my parents and didn't have a computer to use - it was like 1989 all over again, but I did get lots of knitting done. Watched football and knitted things. That about sums up my life.

So, what's been going on? Lots in sports, huh? It's bowl season and the bowls are all about over, college basketball is really taking center stage and professional football is in playoffs. It's a good time of year!


Things I liked:

• As for the NFL, I think Jimmy Fallon tweeted it best the other night: "The NFL playoff matchups are all set! The Eagles will play the Packers in Philly, the Jets will play the Colts in Indianapolis, and the Giants will play the XBox in Eli Manning's basement."
• As for college football, my alma mater won their game on New Years Day against Northwestern. I haven't been a big supporter because of all the business with Leach last year, but I'm happy to get a win.
• Drama, drama with Ohio State who won their game last night. 5 of their players got in trouble with the NCAA for selling memorabilia items and "taking improper benefits." They were suspended for 5 games, to be sat out next season. Jim Tressel (<3) made the players commit to coming back next year to serve their penalty before he would allow them to go to the bowl game. Good for him.
  
• The Miami Heat the first team in NBA history to go undefeated on the road in a calendar month - they were 10-0 on the road. Overall they were 16-1. Still not bad. Once they get in the groove and really learn to work together seamlessly, they'll def be looking to win a ring in a real way.
  

Things I didn't like:

• This past Saturday when bowl game after bowl game was on, not a single Big 10 team won. Pathetic.
• The Seattle Seahawks, under the direction of Pete Carroll (gag), are going to the playoffs with a 7-9 record, while Tom Cable, coach of the Raiders, was fired for an 8-8 record.
• The undefeated UConn Women's basketball team lost to Stanford, ending their 90 game winning streak. Interestingly enough, Stanford was the last team to beat them before the streak.
  

Things that made me laugh:

• During Alabama's thrashing of Michigan State, MSU was at one point 4th and goal on the 38. That's some serious penalizing! MSU lost 49-7.
• During an interview shown during Saturday's game, Ram's QB, Sam Bradford, said the largest purchase he has made since starting his NFL career is a ping pong table.

So fantasy football is over for the year and I have a few friends who won their leagues. Did you win? What did you get?

Happy New Year! A deal and some updates.

Wow, it is REALLY cold today. So, I thought we would offer a deal that would get things heated up a bit.

We are going to do 15% off your entire order this entire week. My recommendation: buy a hoodie. You will look good getting warm. Just use coupon code: HEATUP when you are checking out.

Act fast because at 11:59 PST Saturday 08 January 2011 this deal will melt like a snowman in the desert.

Couple of updates on the company:

1. We are starting an email list - get deals and updates sent directly to your email. If you are interested in being part of the list (you can opt in or out at any time) please email getsome@bruonis.com with OPT IN in the subject line.

2. CHALLENGE - So as in previous posts last year I talked about having a fan of the week based on weekly challenges. This is the first challenge of the new year.

GO OUT AND DO SOMETHING.

While you are out doing something take a photo of you doing it and post it on our facebook wall at facebook.com/bruonis. The most adventurous (safe adventurous) outdoor activity will become the fan of the week and receive 25% off their entire order at shop.bruonis.com

All photos must be submitted by 11:59 PST Friday 07 January 2011 on the bruonis facebook wall.

Good Luck, I can't wait to see what everyone's up to!