Sunday, December 15, 2013
Monday, December 2, 2013
Sunday, October 20, 2013
Friday, October 11, 2013
Saturday, September 28, 2013
Run or Dye
I ran my first 5k today! This has been the mark of such a long fitness journey and I can't believe I've come this far! It was so much fun and accepting of all people.
Friday, September 27, 2013
Thursday, July 18, 2013
Saturday, May 18, 2013
Sunday, May 5, 2013
Monday, April 15, 2013
Friday, April 5, 2013
Thursday, April 4, 2013
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Friday, March 29, 2013
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Friday, March 22, 2013
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Friday, March 15, 2013
Saturday, March 9, 2013
BBW Spring Candles
Today I went to Bath and Body Works for the Spring Home fragrance event. I bought 6 candles and received 2 free gifts with purchase. I went to a test store at the Garden State Plaza, in Paramus NJ. They are currently testing out 2 lines called the Tour of Italy and Lakeside collections (pictured below). I was most interested in the Tour of Italy collection, since I'm a sucker for all things Italian. The scents available from this collection were Limoncello, Gelato, Bellini Bar, Espresso Bar, Pizzeria, Tuscan Herbs, and Sicilian Blood Orange. My thoughts on the four I purchased can be found in my youtube review. Here are my thoughts on the ones I did not purchase:
Sicilian Blood Orange: sweet, but too 'soft'. Lacks the tart, citrus edge of an orange scent. It was a nice scent, but not strong enough.
Bellini bar: description includes sugared grapes and apples. I could definitely smell the crispness of apples, but the sugared grape scent is the strongest element of the scent. I strongly considered buying this, but I chose something else instead.
Espresso Bar: a nice, smooth coffee scent. Good and strong.
The store also carried the Lakeside collection. I wasn't too thrilled with these, mostly because the scents were too heavy for Spring. Campfire Cookout was similar to Fireside, Summer Smores were like Marshmallow Smores, Forest Trail was like Fresh Balsam. The water based scents were a bit musty, but not terrible. Wildflowers was lovely and fresh.
For more on my purchases and these collections, check out my YouTube channel (link on the right!). Thanks for reading!
Friday, March 8, 2013
Snowy Day FOTD
Everything is covered in white today, so I thought I'd add a little color. I included one picture in natural light and one with a filter effect to show contrast.
Products Used:
Tarte foundation in Fair
Milani powder in translucent
Anastasia clear eyebrow gel
Too Faced Shadow Insurance
The Balm Mary Loumanizer
Urban Decay Naked Palette: virgin, sin, naked, buck
Physicians Formula gel eyeliner, black for blue eyes
Buxom Mascara
Too Faced La Vie en Rose blush
Too Faced Candlelight highlighter
NYX Hot Red lipliner
MAC Russian Red lipstick
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Monday, February 25, 2013
Learning to Cook Healthy: Banana Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Muffins
I've been trying to learn some more recipes so that I can cook healthy options for myself. I tend to crave sweets, so baking has been a challenge of mine. Today I made banana chocolate chip oatmeal muffins and they are AWESOME! You can have them for dessert or even breakfast, since they are low fat and a decent source of protein. They're not low carb, but if you balance the rest of your day, its not so bad. I am not the biggest fan of bananas in desserts, but the chocolate definitely made up for it. I added the link to the recipe below (I am not affiliated with the blog/creator of the recipe).
http://greenlitebites.com/2009/03/07/banana-oatmeal-cups-with-chocolate-chips/
(I used fat free milk with a sprinkle of stevia for baking and almond extract instead of almond milk).
The recipe says it makes 15, but I got 18 out of the batch. I'll either freeze some or bring them into work, this way I won't be tempted to finish the batch!
Happy Baking!
Friday, February 22, 2013
6 Weeks of Healthy Lunches!
I bring my lunch to work everyday, so the first challenge of my diet was finding options that I could prepare the night before and bring to work. I wanted lunch to be healthy AND flavorful, so I started taking pictures every day to keep a record of what I had made and to inspire me for the future. I love when meals have a lot of colors, which I think you'll notice in the pictures. I began this diet 7 weeks ago, but I didn't think of taking pictures daily until the second week, so I only have 6 weeks of pictures. From now on, I'll post my weekly meals each Friday or Saturday to inspire you before you shop for your week!
Operation: Get Hot (for Wedding!)
As some of you may know, I got engaged to my boyfriend of almost 5 years in September of 2012. We decided on a wedding in November 2014. Some days I feel like the wedding is way too far away, but there are tons of perks to having a little extra time. Besides the perks of saving money, having time and freedom to plan, and allowing family members to arrange travel plans, I also have the time to DIET. That's right...I'm one of those brides that thinks I should change myself before the wedding. I have been carrying around extra weight for way too long. I have tried countless diets before, but nothing has ever worked. This time, I can use the motivation of the wedding as a push. I want to lose about 40-50lbs. I should clarify that I have discussed my diet plans and goals with a doctor and was given the green light.
I began my diet on January 3, 2013. As of today, I am down 10lbs. I am keeping to a plan of 1,500 calories per day, with one cheat meal per week. I have also scheduled 4 workouts per week, averaging 40 minutes each. At this time, they consist of one Zumba class, one kickboxing class, and 2 gym days which generally feature the elliptical or treadmill. As the seasons change, I may substitute one gym day for an outdoor run/walk. My fiance is also dieting, which is also a big push! It helps to have someone to eat or run with that has the same goals.
My diet is not specific, except that I maintain my calorie goal every day. I do this using My Fitness Pal, a website and phone application that allow me to track my calories, fat, protein, sugar, carbs, etc each day. You can check out my YouTube video if you want to see how this works! Its very simple and helps me keep track of what I consume. It has taught me so much about my eating habits and what needs to change!
I try to keep one day a week meat free. It is currently Fridays, but will probably be Mondays once Lent is over (March 31st). I am not vegan or vegetarian, but I try to incorporate as many high protein non-meat items as possible. I am not trying to deprive myself or stay on a difficult diet, so I am instead trying to learn the right way to eat. I am currently eating more fruits and vegetables than ever before. I now add an abundance of vegetables to every single meal and use fruit for desserts and snacks. This isn't just about losing weight for looks, its also about learning healthy habits to keep the weight off. Remember, I have to keep the weight off in the time between ordering my dress and the actual wedding!
I don't want to be a skinny bride....I want to be a healthy, fit, beautiful PERSON. I believe that my goals and methods are realistic and are working for me. Below, I will add a link to my pinterest board featuring workout ideas and recipes. I will also add a link to My Fitness Pal. Feel free to find and add me as a friend!
I hope to reach my goal by this Summer. I will be keeping vlogs on my channel, as well as updates on instagram (weekly meals), pinterest, and this blog. Feel free to follow me, my name is always the same! I'll eventually have before and after pics, but they're not ready yet!
I hope that you enjoy this portion of my channel and blog. Thanks for reading!
Pinterest board:
http://pinterest.com/lovedork/new-me/
My Fitness Pal (also available as an app for smart phones).
myfitnesspal.com
Are you guys trying to lose weight? Tell me about it!
*DISCLAIMER: I am not affiliated with any diet or fitness website, plan, brand, or idealogy. I am not being paid to diet or lose weight. I am not a medical professional. Any diet or fitness routine should be approved by your own personal physician before you begin.*
I began my diet on January 3, 2013. As of today, I am down 10lbs. I am keeping to a plan of 1,500 calories per day, with one cheat meal per week. I have also scheduled 4 workouts per week, averaging 40 minutes each. At this time, they consist of one Zumba class, one kickboxing class, and 2 gym days which generally feature the elliptical or treadmill. As the seasons change, I may substitute one gym day for an outdoor run/walk. My fiance is also dieting, which is also a big push! It helps to have someone to eat or run with that has the same goals.
My diet is not specific, except that I maintain my calorie goal every day. I do this using My Fitness Pal, a website and phone application that allow me to track my calories, fat, protein, sugar, carbs, etc each day. You can check out my YouTube video if you want to see how this works! Its very simple and helps me keep track of what I consume. It has taught me so much about my eating habits and what needs to change!
I try to keep one day a week meat free. It is currently Fridays, but will probably be Mondays once Lent is over (March 31st). I am not vegan or vegetarian, but I try to incorporate as many high protein non-meat items as possible. I am not trying to deprive myself or stay on a difficult diet, so I am instead trying to learn the right way to eat. I am currently eating more fruits and vegetables than ever before. I now add an abundance of vegetables to every single meal and use fruit for desserts and snacks. This isn't just about losing weight for looks, its also about learning healthy habits to keep the weight off. Remember, I have to keep the weight off in the time between ordering my dress and the actual wedding!
I don't want to be a skinny bride....I want to be a healthy, fit, beautiful PERSON. I believe that my goals and methods are realistic and are working for me. Below, I will add a link to my pinterest board featuring workout ideas and recipes. I will also add a link to My Fitness Pal. Feel free to find and add me as a friend!
I hope to reach my goal by this Summer. I will be keeping vlogs on my channel, as well as updates on instagram (weekly meals), pinterest, and this blog. Feel free to follow me, my name is always the same! I'll eventually have before and after pics, but they're not ready yet!
I hope that you enjoy this portion of my channel and blog. Thanks for reading!
Pinterest board:
http://pinterest.com/lovedork/new-me/
My Fitness Pal (also available as an app for smart phones).
myfitnesspal.com
Are you guys trying to lose weight? Tell me about it!
Created by MyFitnessPal - Free Calorie Counter
*DISCLAIMER: I am not affiliated with any diet or fitness website, plan, brand, or idealogy. I am not being paid to diet or lose weight. I am not a medical professional. Any diet or fitness routine should be approved by your own personal physician before you begin.*
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