Wishful Wednesdays
Spring is in the air and we all know what that means. Wedding season is right around the corner. I feel so honored and blessed to have been asked to be a bridesmaid in one of my coworker’s weddings. We’ve only known each other for 6 months, but we’ve become very fast friends. Some people just click, you know?
With that in mind, I’ve been hounding stores and boutiques at the mall and scouring the internet for dresses for the upcoming events, including the bridal shower, bachelorette party, and rehearsal dinner. Lo and behold, I found everything in one stop. Nasty Gal is my go-to. I’ve come to terms with the fact that it probably always will be.
1. White & Neon Green Pop Crochet Dress ($48)
2. Black Lunar Cutout Dress ($31)
3. Mint Sweet Slice Dress ($48)
Tasty Tuesdays
Zero carbs, high in protein. If you ask me, this is the perfect meal for any time of the day, especially after a workout!
Egg Muffins
(Makes 12 muffins, recipe created by Kalyn with inspiration from The South Beach Diet book)
Ingredients:
15 eggs (for silicone muffin pans, use 12 eggs for metal muffin tins or individual silicone cups. You can use less egg yolks and more egg white if you prefer.)
1-2 tsp. Spike Seasoning (optional, if you have food allergies or don’t have Spike, use any type of seasoning blend that’s good with eggs.)
1-2 cups grated low fat cheese (I like sharp cheddar or a blend of cheddar/Jack cheese, use less cheese if using meat)
Optional, but highly recommended, 3 green onions diced small.
Optional: chopped veggies such as blanched broccoli, red pepper, zucchini, mushrooms, etc. (Using veggies will reduce the fat content)
Optional: diced Canadian bacon, lean ham, or crumbled cooked turkey sausage
Instructions:
Tasty Tuesdays
Ever since I discovered Chocolate Covered Katie, I’ve been dying to try out a dozen of her recipes. I constantly have peanut butter and ice cream cravings, so why not combine the two in a healthy way? That’s exactly what she’s done and dare I say, she may have created perfection to scoop!
PB Banana Soft Serve
(free of added sugar!)
- 4 medium bananas, peeled and chopped into pieces (the riper, the better)
- 3-5 tbsp peanut butter (or other nut butter or sunbutter)
- optional: pinch salt
Freeze the chopped bananas in a Ziploc-type bag. Later, combine all ingredients in a Vita-Mix or food processor or blender. (If you use a food processor or blender, you’ll probably have to add a little liquid to get everything to blend. You might also have to thaw the frozen bananas if your freezer is super-powerful.) If you want the look of ice cream, use an ice-cream scoop to serve! (If you scoop it all into a container and freeze about 10-15 minutes, the texture will also become a bit firmer like ice cream, as opposed to soft serve.)
Self-Reflection Sundays
Life. Goals. Ambitions.
I think we all like to think of ourselves as independent go-getters, and most of the time we are. But we are human and that means sometimes we may need a little push to get us going. Well, I found my “push” and the reason for writing this post is to share it with you.
My “push” is a journal, but this is no ordinary journal. It’s a “Get Off Your Ass” Journal to Help You Change Your Life, Achieve Your Goals, and Rock Your World!, or so it says on the cover. Yes my friends, I’m talking about Skinny Bitchin’ by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin. Also the authors of Skinny Bitch (which is an eye-opener in terms of diet and health choices), these two are the fiercest power authors I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know. They’ve had their worlds rocked and decided to use their experiences to make a difference in the lives of others.
Each page in Skinny Bitchin’ has a new, thought-provoking, and usually hilarious prompt. From prompts like “Just for today, try not to care about how you look. Wear whatever you want, don’t obsess about your hair, and detach your sense of self from you appearance” to “Often in life, we don’t get what we want because we aren’t clear on what it is we actually want. Get clear here and now. The universe will respond”, this journal covers everything from head-to-toe.
Writing in this journal daily has really opened me up to, well, me. I’m learning more about myself everyday, including things I didn’t already know and things I’ve somehow forgotten. I feel like I’ve gotten back on track because I’ve been forced to think in different ways, from different perspectives, with different emotions and prerogatives in mind. So if you’re in need of a little kick in the rear, I encourage you to give this journal try. Who knows? It just might make that little difference you’ve been searching for.
Savvy Saturdays
Let’s cut to the chase. I wish I could say I’ve been more interested in clothes than fitness equipment lately, but if I did, I’d be lying. I found myself waltzing around Marshall’s HomeGoods today in an extremely great mood. Why? Because everything I was looking for was sitting on a single shelf right when I walked in. Divine intervention.
My hands were starting to blister during my weightlifting sessions,
but now they won’t with these super comfy, super flexible GoFit training gloves.
Perfect lightweight dumbbell set to incorporate into my home cardio workouts.
Fitness Tube for resistance training.
My cat is very interested in this water bottle. It has an area to grip your hand so
you can run outdoors without having to clutch onto your water bottle. Genius.
Ecowise foam roller. One of my friends introduced me to this and I absolutely
love it. Perfect way to stretch out your muscles and prevent injuries!
Fitness Fridays
HIIT (high-intensity interval training) has become a routine part of my daily workouts. It’s the most effective way to burn fat in a short period of time. This means spending less time working out and achieving results faster. Who doesn’t want that?
I saw this infographic floating around Pinterest and really felt the need to post it for one of my Fitness Fridays posts, so here it is. The best fact on this sheet? Studies show that 27 minutes of HIIT 3 times a week produces the same anaerobic and aerobic improvement as 60 minutes of cardio 5 times a week. It’s a win-win, people.
And while you’re at it, grab an HRM (heart rate monitor). I already have one, but I’ve had my eye on this pink Garmin Forerunner 110 Women’s GPS Sports Watch for quite some time. I feel a new purchase coming on soon! Check out the Heart Rate Monitors USA website for more options. Happy HIIT!
Travel Thursdays
How to Fly Comfortably
Smart steps for the best travel experience
By Carol Kaufman from Reader’s Digest | July 2008
1. Fly early in the day. At airports scheduled to capacity, any delay in the morning means there will be at least that much of a delay for every flight thereafter.
2. Leave a day early. Depart a day in advance for crucial trips, such as a business meeting or a wedding.
3. Check the delay statistic for your flight. How often that flight is more than 15 minutes late on a scale of 1 to 9 (the lower the number, the more often it’s late) — before you book your tickets. Airlines are required by law to give you the stat if you ask for it; many post it on their websites. If the number is 5 or below and time is of the essence, consider another flight.
4. Skip the lines. Sign up for the registered traveler program to take some of the pain out of the preflight experience. Travelers who pass a voluntary background check can use special lanes to whisk through security at nearly 20 U.S. airports, including in Denver, Oakland, Orlando, and San Francisco.
5. Make a call. If you get to the gate and the airline says you’ve lost your seat, contact the Coalition for an Airline Passengers’ Bill of Rights at 877-359-3776. Kate Hanni, the group’s founder, says stranded passengers have told her that seats were suddenly found for them when they called CAPBOR from the airport and let airline personnel know they’d done so. If your flight is canceled, the group’s volunteer staff will help you book hotels, research your flight status, offer alternative routes, help with car rental, and relay weather information.
6. Understand your options. When you’re stuck on the ground for hours after boarding, there’s a reason. “If the airlines lock the doors, they don’t have to provide refunds, credits, lodging, and food expenses,” says Paul Hudson, executive director of the Aviation Consumer Action Project. You can circulate a petition demanding to be let off the plane and take it to the cockpit. An airline can’t hold people against their will unless there’s a safety reason, and the captain has the authority to let people off. If the situation worsens, call the police or a local TV or radio station from your cell phone. CAPBOR hotline volunteers can also put you in touch with the media.
7. Don’t let it drop. If you have a truly terrible experience, write a reasonable letter afterward to the airline CEO, explaining what happened and asking for compensation. Refer to the contract of carriage listed on the airline’s website; it explains the compensation policies. It’s up to the airline whether to remedy a passenger’s bad experience. If you used plastic to buy your ticket, your credit card company can challenge the airline for violating its contract with a customer.
8. Fight for passengers’ rights. Join the fight to enact an Airline Passengers’ Bill of Rights, federal legislation that would mandate, among other things, that passengers be allowed to deplane when they’re held on the tarmac for more than three hours as well as require airlines to provide delayed passengers with food, water, sanitary facilities, and medical attention. The major U.S. carriers are dead set against the bill, arguing that cockpit crews should make these calls. Decide who’s right after you learn more at flyersrights.com.
[Read more here]
Wishful Wednesdays
Another skincare line I was reintroduced to while I was home for the winter is philosophy. Since it’s after the holidays, they’re having a huge 50% off sale. Time to stock up on some old favorites!
