5 OKC Holiday Traditions to Start

Raw Edge Sweater - get a discount with code AMANDASOK15 | Faux Leather Leggings - size up | Similar Heeled Hiking Boots

It's Christmas time in the City, ya'll! Throughout my ten years in Oklahoma City I've found a handful of holiday activities that have become traditions in the Martin household. I look forward to them every year! I thought I'd share a few of my favorites with you so that you can incorporate them into your family's holiday season, as well. It's truly the most wonderful time of the year - lets live it up and support our city's local businesses in 2021!

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AOK Guide to Lisbon, Portugal

Have you ever traveled somewhere that completely blew your expectations out of the water? That was Lisbon for me! I was immediately in love with the lively and vibrant atmosphere, the architecture, the colorful and hilly streets, the fresh food and the friendly people of Lisbon. In my opinion, Lisbon is one of the most underrated destinations in Europe - I would go back in a heartbeat and would recommend it to anyone!

We originally planned to only visit Spain but decided to include Portugal, as well, since it was so close. We wanted to get another country added to our travel list and wow am I glad we did! Lisbon was my favorite destination of our three-part Spain & Portugal vacation (see my guide to Seville, Spain here). Believe it or not, we arrived in Lisbon via private car from Seville - it was the cheapest and fastest way to get there! So fancy. We hit the ground running and didn't waist a second. I'm sharing all of my favorite sites, restaurants and more below! 

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AOK Guide to Seville, Spain

Hola, amigos! I finally got to take the most long-awaited vacation of my life....our five year anniversary trip turned six and a half year anniversary trip finally happened a year and a half later than originally planned (thank you, pandemic)! I honestly expected this trip to get postponed again so I didn't do the usual amount of planning and prepping and itinerary making as I normally do before a big European vacation but ya know what? I kinda liked it. I was worried that "winging it" would be stressful, but we were able to take every day as it came and really live in the moment. I waited until the absolute last possible minute to pick out restaurants, buy tickets to attractions and figure out what to do each day (so not like me) so not everything we did was a win, but I wanted to share the things that we loved and would recommend! 

We started our trip flying from OKC > DFW > Madrid and immediately jumped on a train to Seville in Andalusia (Southern Spain) - it was a little under three hour train ride. We stayed in Seville for several days, took a day trip to Cordoba, and then eventually traveled to Lisbon and Madrid (blog posts coming soon). Seville was such a cool place! It was full of history, winding streets, colorful buildings and all the tapas your heart could desire. The ambiance of Seville was unlike any other European city I've been to. There is a lot of Moorish and Islamic influence in Andalusia since it is so close to Africa, so (as I told my mom), it was more of a Princess Jasmine vibe instead of a Cinderella/Aurora/Belle vibe haha. 

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My OrthoSmile Experience with Lewis Orthodontics

BIG SMILES on the blog today because I finished my clear aligner treatment with Lewis Orthodontics in Edmond, Okla.! I can't recommend Dr. Lewis enough, my entire orthodontic experience was fantastic and I am so pleased with how my smile turned out. I shared about my first two weeks with Lewis Orthodontics and did a Q+A in THIS blog post, but I am going to recap the process for you from start to finish below, in case you are curious about how clear aligners work (note, Dr. Lewis offers traditional braces, as well). 

I was blessed to grow up with really straight teeth - I never had much of a need for braces. As I got older, though, one tooth started to shift, move forward, and turn a little which crowded my front teeth. Being a blogger, I take an obscene amount of photos and videos and that tooth really irked me when I would look at it. It wasn't a major snaggletooth by any means, but I was concerned it would continue to shift more over time. Several of my friends had clear aligners and recommended them, so I decided to get ahead of the issue and fix my snaggletooth before it got worse. 

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Spring into Fitness at Classen Curve

Spring has sprung in Oklahoma - that means it is time to lock in your workouts so you can soak up the sun all summer and look/feel good while doing it. Nothing motivates me to workout more than some cute, new workout clothes....can I get an amen? Well, that and the fact that I like to eat cupcakes and drink wine (I know I'm not alone here). Good thing a pair of leggings can work for both occasions! 

I recently got to spring into fitness at Classen Curve! It's the perfect spot in OKC to shop for fitness gear, to workout and to recover...all the things! Fitness has really become a passion and a joy of mine, I just love the way it makes me feel. I hope to inspire you to find a workout you love and that makes you feel strong, so I am sharing a few of my Classen Curve fit finds below.

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A Staycation at the Omni Oklahoma City

When you can't vacation....staycation! Pre-pandemic, C and I used to travel pretty regularly. It really became a part of our lifestyle, so during the last year it almost felt like something was missing. Without having a getaway to plan or a trip to look forward to, our weekends started to feel a bit monotonous. Sometimes, though, it's not so much the destination of a trip but the act of getting out of your routine and doing something different. Insert: an OKC staycation! 

We had such a great time at the new Omni Oklahoma City a few weekends back and came away feeling refreshed and re-inspired. It is always fun to be a tourist in your own city! I wanted to recap our experience here for locals that may be looking to staycation or for anyone planning a visit to OKC and needing a hotel. OKC is just a quick road trip from Northwest Arkansas, North Texas, Kansas City or pretty much anywhere in Oklahoma, and the Omni makes a fabulous home base. 

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My Peloton Bike Dupe: How to Use an Echelon Bike with the Peloton App

Hi, friends! If you've been following me for long, you know working out is a HUGE passion of mine. It is a major part of my life and something I truly enjoy. I'm a CrossFitter first and foremost and cardio/endurance has always been something I struggle with, but I love the results I see in my body when I combine cardio and cross training. I HATE running, but I've grown to really enjoy spinning, so I recently purchased an Echelon Connect Sport indoor cycling bike (basically the Walmart version of a Peloton) and it has been such a game changer for my overall endurance and my fitness routine. I'm sharing the details on how to use the Echelon bike with Peloton cycle classes below! 

The Echelon bike costs $500 from Walmart (a fraction of the $2k Peloton). It looks and feels the EXACT same, minus the screen, the strap in pedals and the lack of dumbbell holders. My mother in law has a Peloton, so I am speaking from first hand experience. I subscribe to the Peloton app digital membership ($13/month, with a free trial), put my iPad on the handlebar holder, and get all the benefits of Peloton classes for a fraction of the cost. WIN!! The Echelon does come with its own app (with classes and a free six month subscription), but I prefer the Peloton classes. The Peloton app also comes with a ton of other classes, too, like strength, yoga, HIIT, bootcamp, stretching, etc. that you can do off the bike.

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