Marsha Wears Review – Horny Toad, TASC, and Sherpani

Marsha is excited for Spring! It is always refreshing to see the bright and fun colors hit the racks in the Spring time.  And, this year is no different.  Spring greens, aqua, and coral make a strong showing this year.  And today Marsha is wearing the most adorable spring skirt from Horny Toad the ChaChaCha skirt.  A fitting name because this little skirt makes you want to dance.  The cut and seams create flattering lines and add interest to the Aline skirt.  The fabric is Tencel cotton blend that is soft and drapes nicely over the hips.  It is a comfortable and perfect springtime staple that will take you just about anywhere.  Dress it up with some strapey heels or down with flip flops.  Pull it on over your bathing suit and the end of a beach day and go straight to dinner.  Wear it to work, and play.

Marsha paired the ChaChaCha skirt with the TASC Performance Bamboo sleeveless V-neck.  They colors pop and make her look like a flower.  The sleeveless bamboo top is so soft and comfortable and eco-friendly, available in a variety of colors.  This is a perfect Summer basic, cool and comfy.

The Sherpani Uno is the perfect little grab and go purse for just the essentials.   When you don’t want to haul the kitchen sink out to dinner, this cute little back is perfect for your phone, keys, and wallet.   Throw it the Sherpani Vita Tote when you head to the beach, after the beach the Uno is ready when you are to do a little boutique shopping and grab some drinks.

Find these and much more in our little beach boutique in Kitty Hawk on the Outer Banks of North Carolina or shop online anytime.

Marsha Wears Review – Oiselle Spring Collection

Here at Kena Activewear, we love Oiselle Women’s Running Apparel.  These ladies know just how to combine 2 of our passions, fashion and running.   This is a women run company based in Seattle and they have some serious style.  I have several items in my closet by Oiselle including everything Marsha is wearing today.

She is wearing the Lesley knicker in Graphite Melange.  This capri pant has ventilation mesh on the back of the knees to keep air moving and sweat from gathering behind the knee.  There is an drawstring inside the waistband for an adjustable fit and a zipper back pocket to safely stash your ID, key, or cash.  The subtle contrast of the Graphite and Graphite Melange fabric down the sides in combination with the flatlock seam creates a very flattering line along the hips and butt.  How doesn’t love that?

She is layering on top for the unpredictable Winter and early Spring weather with the Stripey long sleeve tee in Poppy.  This cute fitted tee is moisture wicking and slim fitting.  It has a scoop neck and an awesome screen print of birds on the back of the right shoulder.  I probably should have taken a picture of that, but you can see it here.  It even has off seam thumb holes for a more comfortable fit of this very functional feature.  I want one in every color.

The orange of the Stripey tee peeking out from under the Peacenik Sweatshirt is super cute.  Now, this sweatshirt is well worth the money! Super soft luxe fleece inside will make it your go to sweatshirt.  It is a perfect transitional season top with 3/4 sleeves and a crop length.  I know some ladies will say that the wide waistband and crop length are not good, but I have to tell you, this sweatshirt looks great on everyone.  And, we have had several people fall so in love that they wore it out of the store the day the bought it.  So, get one before they are gone.  You will not regret it.  I plan on wearing mine well in to June on those chilly early Summer nights we have here on the Outer Banks.

The great thing about both of these tops is that while they are performance pieces they make great casual wear as well.  As a matter of fact, the sweatshirt paired with jeans is my weekend go to.

We have all these items and much more in stock at our Kitty Hawk, North Carolina store and online.

How Yoga Supports a Balanced Active Life.

Unfortunately, the unassisted headstand was not captured. But, this one is next on my list of poses to conquer.

When I tell customers about the yoga class we hold in our store, sometimes I am met with resistance.  “Oh, I don’t do yoga.  I [insert other activity here].  Of course, yoga is not for everybody.  I think it is important to find what works for you.  With that, it is important to try new things.  Either way, there are some undeniable benefits to yoga.  Too many to list here.  I just want to speak to one personal benefit.  Awareness.

Today I transitioned from tri pod to a full headstand, out in the middle of the room, unassisted.  I have never done that before.  My mind prefers the security of a wall behind me.  I have been doing yoga for almost 20 years.  That is one of the things I love about yoga – always room for improvement.  And, the feeling of empowerment when you conquer a challenging pose never gets old.

The body mind connection and physical awareness gained from my yoga practice assists me in any athletic endeavor.  Yoga brings obvious benefits like strength and flexibility.  But, the body awareness helps me stay focused on what is important in my workout and helps keep me from getting injured.  So weather it is when I am out for a long run or in the gym.  That awareness reminds me to support my body, or check my alignment, or relax the part that is holding the tension.  There are bound to be other ways to tap into that body awareness, but for me yoga is an enjoyable way to get there.  You do not have to commit to a certain lifestyle or belief system to enjoy and feel the benefits of yoga. We give you a great opportunity to do that on Wednesdays at 8:30 am in our Kitty Hawk store.  We are friendly, casual, and eager to help you find what works for you.

Beinjoy Yoga Mat Review – Eco-friendly, Functional, Beautiful

So, we have been looking for a super awesome yoga mat to carry.  And, after a fair bit of searching and testing different mats, this is the one we decided to go with.  We hope you love it as much as we do.  There is a lot to love.

Lets start with the fact that it is nice and “sticky” yet soft to the touch.  Very comfortable.  I have used it several times and my hands and feet stay in place.  Whenever I try a new mat, I do Downward Facing Dog first.  Because, if my hands are going to slip in any pose, they will for sure in Down Dog.  No slippage on this mat. This baby has good traction.   The bottom of the mat has a more rugged finish to hold tight to the floor.   So, at least on hard floor there is no movement.  It stays in place!

Now that it has passed our performance tests (we tested a few that did not make it this far) lets talk about what really matters. It is so pretty.  It really is a functional work of art.  The artwork is custom designed and individually-pressed on each mat.  The one I have has embossed lotus flower artwork and a ‘Love’ theme that gives focus for meditation.  The lotus flower invokes a sense of peace and offers a high-quality, unique look. (We also carry a blue Koi mat with a Harmony theme and cushions too) This beautiful unique mat makes me happy the moment I unroll it, before I ever even step on it.  There is a center line embossed in the design to make pose alignment easy (a “I didn’t know I needed it, but it is really very handy” plus in my book).

Now that we have established that it is uniquely beautiful and comfortable, lets talk a little more about construction.  The Beinjoy mat is crafted using an eco-friendly material called TPE (Thermal Plastic Elastomer).  TPE does not contain PVC or heavy metals and does not employ toxic materials in its production.  It decomposes easily and is recyclable.  It do not have a strong odor like PVC or even natural rubber mats can have.  It actually smells nice.   It is 72″ long (a full 4 inches longer than the standard 68″ mat) giving you plenty of room to extend in any pose. It is extra thick at 5mm thickness for maximum comfort without sacrificing stability for balancing poses.

Here at Kena we try hard to find uniquely beautiful items that are truly functional and perform well.  We think this is ALL necessary to inspire an active balanced lifestyle.  We are very please to add Beinjoy to our offerings.  So come get one of these beautiful mats.  We will even let you test drive one in the store.  That is how sure we are that you will love it!

Marsha Wears Review – Skirt Sports Outfit

Okay, so I have been eyeing the outfit Marsha is wearing for some time.  I resisted the urge to buy it just to wear to work, even though I totally can because I work at here at Kena.  But, I decided I would save it for motivation when I started running again.  And, as I said on Facebook, I have resolved to get back into distance running.  And, what better why to jump start the process than with a  new outfit from Kena Activewear?  This is the one I picked.  I couldn’t be happier with it.

This Skirt Sports outfit is perfect for cool weather running (and for work if you are lucky enough to work in an activewear boutique like I do).  But, really lets talk about the performance of this sassy outfit.   This is the first time I have tried the Tough Girl Skirt and I think it might be my favorite Skirt Sports skirt (The Gym Girl is a close second).   First off, it is absolutely adorable on just about any body type.  The pants do run a little long, so they work better on longer legs.  The rise is higher than the Gym Girl, so it holds in the Winter muffin top while you work it off.  The fit seems to run a little bigger than the Gym Girl but I wear the same size in both styles. The 2 hip pockets are similar to the other skirts in the Skirt Sports line, perfect for stashing phone, music, nutrition, lip balm without adding bulk to the hips.   I love the Untamed print, very sassy with a range of pinks, burgundy, and black that go with a wide range of shades so it is easy to match up with a top.

We paired it with the Toasty Mitts Sweater, and I can’t say enough about the awesomeness of this piece.  The details are plenty.  Must note worthy are the built in hand mittens that tuck in to the sleeve cuff when not in use.   The 1/4 zip has reflective piping and a zipper garage to keep the cold metal of the zipper away from your neck.  The zip neck also makes it easy to regulate your body temperature when on a long run.  The back zip pocket is perfect for stashing phone, cash, keys when biking or around town.  I used the skirt pockets on the run.  I would imagine this back pocket would be too bouncy for anything like a phone or keys, but I didn’t try that.  We have had a few customers mention that they thought it may be too warm for running, but I think it is perfect for the cold windy Outer Banks morning runs.  I have been very comfortable and happy to have the mitts each time I have worn it on a run.  I also like that is is buttery soft and stylish making it a great lifestyle top too.

Fun Fitness Facts

You are never too old to do squats!

Fall Winter Running Style Tip

Do you have a cute running skirt that you do not what to give up just because the weather is getting cold? Well you don’t have to…try this layering style to extend your running skirt season. We featured 2 of our favorite brands, Skirt Sports and TASC Performance, in this video to help you get more wear out of your favorite skirt.

Marsha Wears Review – TASC Outfit

As you may know by now, TASC Performance is one of our favorite brands here at Kena Activewear.  At TASC, their mission is to elevate the feel of performance sportswear.  And, anyone who has felt, touched, tried on, or wears their bamboo performance fabric will agree that they have done just that.  The bamboo organic cotton blend performs as well if not better than most synthetics.  We are going into our third year of selling TASC, and have repeat customer come back each season to stock up on the seasons styles and core products.  Our staff and friends all love the comfort and performance of the TASC items they wear and wash and wear and wash.  We stand behind this brand and encourage everyone to give it a try.

Today Marsha is wearing an outfit from TASC Fall Collection. The Motion Fitness Long Sleeve features 4-way stretch fabric that will ensure comfort throughout any workout. Mesh side panels create maximum airflow to keep you cool during intense activity. The panels also create a flattering silhouette.  This top also has thumb holes which are great for holding the cuffs down over your hands on those cool morning runs.  This top is fitness fit and is slim to the body but not tight.  It should be noted that it is a little big on Marsha.

Marsha’s shorts are a new style this season for TASC.  They have combined the best of both worlds in the Momentum running short. An ultra light-weight polyester outer body with a Bamboo/Cotton inner liner creates the perfect running short. The inner brief provides all the natural benefits of bamboo: moisture wicking, anti-odor, comfort, breathability, and the outer layer adds next to no weight to your workout. Inner brushed elastic waist band with draw cord and key pocket. The side mesh ventilation provides maximum airflow.