Sports Bra: (c/o) Marshalls/Yoga Pants: (c/o) Marshalls/Shoes: (c/o) Marshalls/Aviators: (old) – similar here/Yoga mat: LuluLemon/Yoga Strap: (c/o) Marshalls

Jacket: (c/o) T.J. Maxx/Sports Bra: (c/o) Marshalls/Leggings: (c/o) Marshalls/ Shoes: (c/o) T.J. Maxx/Aviators: (old) – similar here

I went from pursuing a career in ballet to working for a PR firm in matter of three years.

Dance was a way for me to express myself through movement. It was extremely demanding on my body, and forced me to stay physically fit at all times. Often times requiring me to cross train by swimming, practicing Pilates or doing yoga on a regular basis. To land a job in a ballet company was (and still is) very hard and extremely competitive. So when I lost my job dancing for a small ballet company here in West Palm Beach, I had to make a tough decision and reconsider career paths. That’s when I decided to go back to school and eventually, work my way into a local PR firm.

To go from being physically active everyday to sitting at a desk was really hard for me. Although I always knew I would pursue a different career path at some point in my life, I struggled with transitioning into a job that kept nailed me to my desk.

At some point, I decided to go back to the gym and get active again because I was feeling crummy, stressed and overworked. I made a vow to take better care of my health and regularly hit the gym. Not only did this slowly give me a greater sense of emotional wellbeing, but it also helped reduce stress during a tough time in my life.

I also left that job!

As a ballet dancer, you put your body under a tremendous amount of stress. You’re expected to be an athlete while looking “fit.” Many times, forcing you to adhere to strict diets. I don’t know if I was burnt out or dancing way too much, but I definitely wasn’t as healthy as I am today. Now, I nurture my body with care and take working out very seriously – it’s like therapy for me (well that… and shopping of course). 😉

It took me awhile to get to the place where I wanted to be, but I’m the healthiest and happiest I’ve been in a long time since “retiring” from dance. I’m also (surprisingly) much more stronger.

With all this working out, I’ve been in dire need of some cute clothes! Because after all, I can’t be a “fashion blogger” and look like a hot mess at the gym, right?

I shop at a lot of places for activewear, but especially love shopping at Marshalls because I can find so many of my favorite brands for half the price. But you guys already know that…

They’ve recently expanded their activewear departments in the following select cities:

Coral Ridge, FL/Bradenton, FL/Destin, FL/Altamonte Springs, FL/Sanford, FL/Vero Beach, FL/Sebring, FL/Orange Park, FL/Winter Garden, FL/Sarasota, FL/Ft. Myers, FL/South Dade, FL/Orlando, FL/Sunrise, FL/Hialeah, FL/Naples, FL/Tampa, FL/Orlando, FL/West Palm Beach, FL

(Expanded departments at Marshalls can be identified with this orange sign!)

So hurry and hit those stores up! Be sure to share your favorite finds with hashtag, #fabfound!

 Phew… that was a long post. Okay, officially signing off now – thank you guys so much for reading! Seriously! Friday marked my one-year anniversary since sharing my first blog post on The Style Bungalow and I can’t thank everyone enough for being so incredibly supportive throughout this journey. I have absolutely NO idea where it’s headed, but I can’t wait share it with you!

P.S. – Comment below for a chance to score a $25 gift card to Marshalls! Winner will be picked at random.

Xo, Stephanie