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Espresso and Ambition

A not-so-serious gal with some serious dreams.

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August 2018 Favorites

September 3, 2018 by Taylor Leave a Comment

August 2018 Favorites - Espresso and Ambition

Is it just me, or does time pass five thousand times faster when you’re not in school anymore? I swear, it shouldn’t be September already. Pumpkin spice lattes should not be a thing yet. (Did I order an iced PSL on Saturday anyways? You betcha.)

August was a really fun month for me; it’s been the month where I’ve really gotten settled into my new city and my new life here. And the manager at my gym now knows me well enough to make fun of me for being there on a Friday evening instead of at a happy hour, so I like to think that means I’ve officially become a local. But anyways, let’s get into my actual favorites of this month.

 

Express Shirtdress

So, my office’s dress code is pretty laidback – to the point that I’ve declared T-Shirt Tuesdays to be an actual thing that I do every week. But nonetheless, I like looking at least somewhat put together for work, and this dress has to be one of my favorite additions to my work wardrobe. It’s super simple and comfy, but also looks really cute and put-together.

 

Gymshark Energy Seamless set

I’m really surprised this didn’t make it onto my favorites list earlier, to be honest. This set is, quite honestly, the single most flattering workout set I think I’ve ever owned. I love the high waisted look, the fun detailing on the leggings and the sides of the sports bra, and the strappy back. It’s literally so good and it’s taking all of my self-control not to buy it in all sorts of additional colors.

 

Trader Joe’s Raspberry Cream Bars

These are the best little dessert treats at the end of the day. They somehow feel like both sorbet and ice cream all at once, which is great if you’re horrendously indecisive about your dessert choices like I am. They’re also small enough that you can have two and not feel the least bit guilty about it. The nearest Trader Joe’s to me requires taking a bus out into random suburban Maryland, but it’s honestly almost completely worth it for these little bars alone.

 

Binge Mode Harry Potter

So, I’m reading the Harry Potter series again. (Again? Haven’t you read it, like, 20 times? Yes.) But I’ve also been listening to the Binge Mode Harry Potter podcast in time with my reading – so basically, I’ll read the book at night and listen to the podcast on the way into work the next morning, and let me tell you: it’s so fun. There’s so many little details that I’d forgotten about, and listening to the two hosts chat about their favorite parts and funny observations is incredibly entertaining.

 

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before

Both the book and the movie, actually. I basically read the whole book in a day, and then watched the movie a few days later. It’s actually so cute, and I love the characters and the storyline so much. It’s the kind of adorable teen romance movie that will leave you smiling like an idiot. And I’m sure that – unless you’ve been living under a rock – you’ve witnessed social media’s obsession with Peter Kavinsky/Noah Centineo. And he 100% deserves that. If someone could find me a boy like this, I’d really appreciate it.

 

And that’s it for August! Did we share any of the same favorites this month?

xo, Taylor

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Meet Taylor

A real-life combination of Elle Woods and Hermione Granger. Recent graduate of the University of Georgia, currently living and working in DC. New blog posts every Monday, new YouTube videos every Thursday. Subscribe by clicking the link below for post updates and exclusive content!

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tayy_kay

📍 dc
🔥 nasm certified personal trainer
✨ self-love + balance
🎥 2 new workouts per week!

tayy_kay
without heavy weights, it’s sometimes a little c without heavy weights, it’s sometimes a little challenging to really feel like i’m working at my full potential on leg days 😶 enter: single-leg movements. since all the weight is in one leg, you’re putting way more emphasis on it than you do during two-leg movements - and you’ll definitely feel that 🔥 you also get some added bonuses in the form of ensuring you’re working each side of your body equally AND a balance challenge!!
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you can add in weights or bands to up the challenge level, or do it all bodyweight like i am here!
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1️⃣ 15 single-leg box squats per leg (use other leg as a kickstand for an easier modification!)
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2️⃣ 15 bulgarian split squats per leg
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3️⃣ 15 single-leg hip thrusts per leg
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4️⃣ 15 single-leg deadlifts per leg
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throw on at the end of a longer leg day workout or do it 3-4 times as a workout all on its own!!
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👚 @girlfriend 🎧 numb - neffex
🖤 go easy on yourself 🖤 this is a weird time 🖤 go easy on yourself 🖤 this is a weird time to be alive, and it’s more important now than ever to listen to your body and stop being so hard on yourself. motivation is a fickle thing and working out when you don’t have all the equipment you love is weird. give yourself permission to take a break when you need it. don’t beat yourself up for missing workouts - exercise should be something you do because it makes you happy, not because you feel like you have to punish yourself. if it doesn’t make you happy that day, that’s okay. give yourself a break, come back and try again tomorrow. 💪🏼
circuit-style upper body workout 🖤 honestly not circuit-style upper body workout 🖤 honestly not kidding about how much i love this long resistance band, it’s so versatile! definitely worth getting your hands on one for home workouts 😊 (although almost all of these can be completely with dumbbells or heavy objects if that’s what you’ve got in hand)
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also please watch to the very end of the fourth video for quality footage of greg 😂
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1️⃣ 12 long band shoulder presses to standing chest presses
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2️⃣ 12 upright rows to bicep curls
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3️⃣ 12 overhead triceps extensions per arm (the one leg stance is some bonus balance work!)
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4️⃣ 12 rear flies, featuring greg trying to fight my shadow
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5️⃣ 12 commandos
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6️⃣ 12 side-to-side pushups
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repeat 4x total!!
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👚 @underarmourwomen
🎧 best of me - neffex
giveaway 🔥 we’re all handling this weird, cra giveaway 🔥 we’re all handling this weird, crazy time in the world a little differently, and for me, it’s looked like a lot of establishing to and sticking to routines (seriously, sometimes it feels like my skincare routine and workout split are the only thing still giving meaning to days of the week, lol). my morning smoothies have been another important one - there’s a recipe in my story highlights and surprise surprise it uses this protein powder 😛
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anyways, onto the real reason you’re here! i’m giving away 25 $20 giftcards for @310nutrition with NO STRINGS ATTACHED 🤯 you hear that? you ain’t gotta do a thing to win - the first 25 people to use the code KAYGC20 on their order automatically win. get your hands on some fire plant-based protein powder, courtesy of me and 310 😋 (p.s. if you’re still seeing this caption, there are still giftcards available!!)
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#310gc20 #310shake
sometimes you just gotta get hella dressed up and sometimes you just gotta get hella dressed up and hold a fake photo shoot just to prove to yourself that you’re still a real human
posted a new youtube video. this picture is tangen posted a new youtube video. this picture is tangentially topical. link in bio.
upper body circuit ‼️ i’ve been gravitating upper body circuit ‼️ i’ve been gravitating towards circuit-style workouts lately, because they really work up a sweat and home workouts just don’t feel as legit to me unless i’m hardcore sweating 🤷🏼‍♀️ i don’t mind not breaking much of a sweat at the gym, but it feels weird not to when i’m working out at home - anyone else feel this or am i just weird?? 😅
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do all exercises back to back with no rest in between!
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1️⃣ 10 push-ups to renegade rows
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2️⃣ 12 alternating bicep curls
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3️⃣ 12 diamond front raises
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4️⃣ 8 sets of 3 tricep pulses to this lil cross-body weight move that doesn’t have a name {keep your core tight to feel it on your obliques!}
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5️⃣ 15 bent-over rear delt rows
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6️⃣ finisher!! 🥵 10 burpees with 2 shoulder taps and 2 toe taps in the middle of each rep
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repeat 🔁 for a total of 3 rounds!!
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👚 top from @gymsharkwomen, shorts from @nike 🎧 dangerous - neffex
would be nice if both sides of my head could agree would be nice if both sides of my head could agree on whether my hair is wavy or straight, but apparently that’s a little too much to ask of it 😂
got a circuit-style leg workout for you today! 🥳 there are 3 sets of 3 exercises that you’ll complete back-to-back - once you’ve done those three moves, rest for 30 seconds before repeating them all over again 2 more times! rest for 1-2 minutes in between each circuit - keeping your heart rate up is the goal here, i was driiiiiiipping sweat by the end of this one 🥵
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circuit 1️⃣: 10 step-ups to reverse lunges per leg
10 reverse lunges to curtsy lunges per leg
20 lateral lunges
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circuit 2️⃣:
10 squats to surrenders (stop in a squat position before standing up at the end to really feel this one)
10 stagger-stance rdls
20 criss-cross squat jumps
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circuit 3️⃣:
15 leg lifts per side
10 single-leg glute bridges per side
15 frog pumps
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👚 top from @fabletics, joggers from @gymsharkwomen
🎧 watch me - neffex
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