How much do you love this sign? I just think it’s so great… I want to hang it in my kitchen! Ha! Anyway, I know I’ve said it before, but this sign is a good reminder so I’ll say it again: sometimes, you really do just have to treat yourself. Whether it’s a latte or dessert, it’s nice to have something to look forward to and reward yourself with. Just make sure you keep it a treat and save it for the occasions when you really need it…like Mondays!

Here are 3 smart treats you can pack yourself if you need to de-stress with a little dessert:

1. Sherbet or sorbet – Sherbet or sorbet is a much smarter, much more refreshing alternative to ice cream. Perfect for summer!
2. Angel Food Cake with berries – Angel food cake is naturally low-fat but still very sweet and yummy. Add berries for even more flavor and extra nutrients.
3. Dark chocolate and nuts – Try making a little trail mix with your favorite variety of each!

When you need to treat yourself, what do you reach for?



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Print by Rock the Custard.

I am swooning over these China Glaze Capitol Colors nail polishes! So much that I started out a video about spring cleaning your diet and ended up talking about the nail polishes for most of the video!


Which polish is your favorite? And WHO is going to see the movie tomorrow? Or midnight tonight?!

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Hi loves! If you’ve been following my recent tweets and videos you know that I’ve embarked on a month-long self-improvement project where each week I concentrate on one area of my life that needs some “spring cleaning.” As I move onto the next phase each week I’ll continue to incorporate my healthy habits from the previous weeks. Watch this video for more information on my project:



Last week was all about eating healthy so I thought that’s what we could talk about today. I tend to eat all on the go snacks even if I’m not on the go, just because it’s easier for me since I’m not a super experienced cook (I don’t usually like preparing big meals so I tend to stick to the easier stuff). I’m curious to know how all of you eat and snack healthily and wanted to get some of your suggestions!

What are your favorite on the go snacks? Do you pack your bags for lunch? If you do pack your own lunch for work or school, what’s in it? Tell me in the comments please! And for more of my tips on eating clean(er), click here!

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Photo is from here.

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Hi beauties! A lot of my Motivational Monday blogs so far have been about heading into the week and Monday mornings. But the afternoons of the day can be just as hard, if not harder…I’m talking about “the afternoon slump.” It hits all of us and it can be hard to power through, especially on Mondays. That’s why I decided to make this post all about the different ways to make it through the dreaded slump and carry on with your motivated Monday!

Here are 3 things you can try if you’re feeling rather sluggish come 2 or 3PM. Try just one or try them all to help you get through those longer Mondays…or any day of the week!

1. Treat yourself. Prepare ahead of time and pack yourself a special little snack or treat that you won’t let yourself open before the afternoon. Maybe it’s a little Ghirardelli chocolate square or your favorite drink from a nearby coffee shop. Either way, make sure it’s something that you keep as a treat, and not something that you let yourself have all the time in order to keep it something you look forward to. I love making myself coffee when I need to take a breather, but be careful about your caffeine consumption in the afternoons; you want to be able to fall asleep later! (And try to avoid energy drinks, because even though they give you energy for the time being, they’re really not good for you in the long run.)

2. Take Five. Take a 5-minute break to close out of what you’re doing and move around. Sing and dance to your favorite song, do a few jumping jacks, do a quick walk around the block, whatever! Just as long as you get that blood pumping and step away from whatever it is that you’re doing. You will feel so refreshed when you return to your work!

3. Get Traditional. Create a fun tradition that you do every Monday after work or school. Make it something that you really enjoy so that it gives you something to look forward to. Some possibilities might be getting together with your friends to watch the latest episode of The Bachelor or Gossip Girl. The anticipation of fun times after work or school will motivate you to power through those last few hours. Plus, having a tradition that you do each week will make Mondays less daunting and might even make you look forward to them a little.

What are some of the ways that you beat the afternoon slump?

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What you eat has just as much of an impact (if not more) on your skin as the makeup and products you put on it. Consuming the right food can make such a difference in your complexion and it can be as simple as changing your snacking habits. Foods high in antioxidants are some of the best beauty foods for your skin and today I’m sharing my 5 favorites and explaining how they help! To keep things fun, I’m limiting this list ONLY to snacks that I personally find yummy – these are all beauty foods that you’ll actually want to eat.  Click here to check it out!

What are some of your favorite beauty foods? Tell me in the comments below!

P.S. Photo is from here.

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For this week’s Monday Motivation, I thought I’d share my favorite breakfast and all the different ways you can customize it to please your taste buds: yogurt!

Yogurt is such a good breakfast staple because it is nutritious and easily adapted to fit your cravings on any given day. There are a lot of different varieties of yogurt, too, from dairy-free, to soy, to Greek yogurt and more. Here are some yummy mix-ins that you can add to your yogurt for a breakfast creation that’s all your own:

• Any and all fruit (click here to learn why you should fruitify your breakfast)
• Granola
• Your favorite cereal
• Quinoa
• Nuts (almond slices or pecans work well)
• Honey
• Cinnamon
• A bit of vanilla extract
• Raisins
• Coconut flakes or coconut milk
• Or just eat it plain! If you’re having Greek yogurt, adding a little sweetener can take some of the bite out of the taste.

Get creative! Think of it as a healthy ice cream sundae.

I’m usually not too hungry in the mornings, but yogurt is a light and easy way to make sure I get something nutritious in my tummy before I start the day. I recommend giving this a try if you’re not much of a breakfast person yourself. Bonus: this also makes for a tasty and healthy dessert, so stock up!


What’s your favorite yogurt topping?


Photo is from here.


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Beauty sleep is a real thing guys! When I decided to write a blog about beauty sleep I wasn’t sure what I’d find about proving this point. But low and behold, there was so much evidence proving that sleep really does affect the way you look. The more, the better! Sleep is also essential to your overall health and well being too. So let’s all kick 2012 off to a good start by getting more sleep!

Here are three reasons why you need more sleep this year:

1. Sleepy time is a natural moisturizer! Did you know that when you sleep you perspire more than normal—all of your body, especially your face?! I know it sounds kinda icky, but it’s actually a really good thing because the sweat moisturizes your face. The more hydrated your skin is, the smoother and younger it looks! So be sure to get at least 8 hours a night to reap the full benefits of your built-in moisturizer!
2. Sleep is the best repair cream money can’t buy. Think of sleep as your body’s maintenance time. It’s the one period during the day where your body doesn’t need to focus on daily tasks and movement. Instead, it can put all of its energy into refreshing, repairing and rebuilding. Apparently your skin cells regenerate faster when you’re sleeping too. And you know what that means…better skin!
3. Sleeping helps your metabolism! When you don’t get enough sleep, your metabolism can be totally thrown out of whack. In most cases, sleep deprivation really hurts your metabolism. When I say hurt, I mean it can slow it down. According to the Harvard Women’s Health Watch, “chronic sleep loss” can “contribute to health problems such as weight gain.” Yikes! Make sure you get those zzz’s!

Plus, when you get enough sleep, you’re less likely to be cranky and irritable. And cranky people are never beautiful…right? So there you have it! Beauty sleep is a must. I’m going to commit to getting at least seven or eight hours of sleep every night.

Are you going to get more sleep this year too? How many hours of sleep are your averaging now??

Sources: Harvard Women’s Health Watch, WebMD
Photo is from here.

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So I'm not going to lie to you guys, this back to school season has me feeling a little nostalgic about when I used to pick out new notebooks and pencils for school. I loved matching the colors to a different subject and having three ring binders for all my classes. But let's get real—the best part of any school day is always lunch! Back when I was in school, I wasn't that health conscious. My favorite lunch was fried chicken and mac & cheese LOL.

Now a days I still have times where I'm in need to take a meal somewhere with me. Whether I have two back to back meetings around lunch time with a little break in between to scarf down my food, or I'm going on a road trip for a few hours - I love packing my own healthy meals. Since getting a little older I've realized the importance of not filling my body up with processed junk (even though I still allow myself Cheetos and Oreos and all the yummy treats—it's all in moderation).

Here are a few tasty packable lunch ideas I found on Easy Lunchboxes to inspire your next lunchtime meal…

Half of a sandwich with yogurt (with granola on top) and fresh cut strawberries.

Full sandwich with a side of sliced cucumber and raisins.

This one looks really yummy… Chicken kebobs over couscous and orzo with a side of fruit and a couple small slices of blueberry bread.

Flat bread PB&J with sliced bananas, a hard-boiled egg and a side of carrots with ranch (or try hummus instead of ranch for an extra dose of protein).

Make your own “Lunchable” with crackers, turkey, cheese and a side of edamame and some cut up strawberries.

Or swap out the turkey and make a tuna plate with a side of apples like this one I blogged about. YUM!

When it comes to actually packing all of your food up, I really like the cool Tupperware containers featured in the photos above. If you don’t have one though, don’t worry because you can easily make your own! To make your own sectioned off Tupperware, take a regular size container and place cupcake papers in it… Fill the cupcake papers with individual snacks to keep everything separated. Cool idea, right?

What’s in your lunch box? If you’re finished with school or bring your lunch to work, what’s your favorite healthy lunchtime meal?

Photos are from here and here.

This is a picture of my new workout shoes!

Last week I told you guys about the treadmill challenge… Well, as a little reward to myself, I bought a new pair of workout shoes! And I LOVE them. I went to Nike and bought them there. I got the turquoise ones—I didn’t even get pink! Well, they didn’t have pink in my size, so I kinda had to go with the turquoise. Needless to say, the turquoise is just as cute as the pink and I think they are the cutest workout shoes ever!! Whenever I look at them I just want to put them on and go for a run, LOL. I guess that’s a good thing, right?

Anyway, when I was buying my shoes I wanted to make sure I got the absolute best kind for my needs. I had no idea until I got to the Nike store, but depending on what you like to do (run, hike, lift weights etc.), you need a special type of shoe. But if you’re not dedicated to one specific exercise, I suggest buying cross-trainers like I did. These shoes are made for a variety of activities and are usually great for everything from working out at the gym to running and most PE activities.

When you’re buying an athletic shoe make sure it’s sturdy and flexible since you need stability and a wide range of movement when you’re exercising. Also, traction and cushioning are super important. Traction prevents you from slipping and having a cushioned shoe will keep your knees and hips feeling good! Most importantly, try the shoes on (with socks!!) and walk around in them for 5 to 10 minutes or so while you’re in the store. Most stores are really nice about this and let you go for a little test run in the shoes. If you can, shop for your shoes in the afternoon since your feet tend to swell throughout the day and you will get a better idea about the fit you need.

Anyway, I hope you guys find my workout shoe shopping tips helpful!

Have you tried The Treadmill Challenge yet? If so, how did you do!?

P.S. This is a little off topic, but I found my favorite pair of workout socks EVER! They're called "duo dry" and I buy them at Target. They're awesome so I thought I'd share.

A couple weeks ago I told Sawyer that I wanted him to take me to the gym and be my trainer, not my boyfriend. I’m not sure if you guys already knew this, but Sawyer is a certified personal trainer. Anyway, Sawyer was so cute, he was like “No, I can’t do that!” I was really insistent and told him that I seriously wanted him to do it because I wanted to work out with him like he was my trainer and I knew I wouldn’t slack off with him. He finally agreed (but still acted like my boyfriend LOL) and here’s what happened…

Before Sawyer and I went to the gym together, I told him that I absolutely, positively cannot run a mile and that cardio is what I am worst at so we’re gunna have to start really small and then in a couple weeks I could hopefully I can run a mile or two… Sawyer laughed when I said this and led me over to the treadmill. I thought, “Great. Now I’m gunna have to run.” Once I got onto the treadmill, he changed the screen distance to “k” instead of “miles.” I had no idea what “k” was at the time, but now I know it means “kilometers,” which is another measure of distance. Anyway, Sawyer told me to walk for 3 minutes and then run for 3 minutes, and continue alternating between walking for 3 minutes then running for 3 minutes for as long as long as I could until my legs started shaking. I figured it wouldn’t be so bad since I could walk and didn’t have to run for very long. The time flew by and when my legs finally gave out, Sawyer stopped the treadmill and converted the distance screen back to miles. Guess how many miles I walked slash ran? 4.8 miles!

I was really amazed! I realized I was able to do this because I wasn’t running the whole and I wasn’t focused on the time and distance like I usually am. Plus, I found out that interval training (alternating cardio and less aerobic activities, like running and then walking or running then doing weights) is actually better for you. People think that walking half the time is slacking, but it’s actually better because you get your heart pumping and it helps you burn more fat.

Treadmill Tip: Cover up the time and distance. If you want to know how long you’re running or walking for, use a stopwatch instead. You will be surprised to see how far you can go!

Fitness Tip: Try my alternating cardio exercise of running for 3 minutes and then walking for 3 minutes on the treadmill! If you don’t have a treadmill, go for a run outside and walk for 3 minutes and then run for 3 minutes until you’re really tired. Trust me, it's such a good exercise!

I’m really proud of the 4.8 miles I ran and walked, but let me tell you—I was SORE! I seriously couldn’t get in and out of my car today. I couldn’t get in and out of my bed. Everything from my toes to my fingertips hurt. I felt like my hair even hurt. LOL. I might have overexerted myself a bit, which I am going to keep in mind for next time, but at least I know I got a really great workout in. Plus, I am really excited about proving myself wrong and running way more than just one mile!

As a little reward for my multi-mile accomplishment, I got myself a new pair of running shoes. I love them so much! If you guys want, I can do a blog about them and give you guys some tips on how to pick out a good pair of exercise shoes.

What’s your favorite cardio exercise?

P.S. The picture above isn’t me… I just thought it was perfect for this blog! I found here.

Aside from the almond chicken recipe that I like to make for dinner, I also love cooking up a delicious shrimp dish that’s super easy to make and really healthy too. It’s called Sesame-Orange Shrimp. It’s a really yummy spin on basic shrimp since it has a kind of Asian flair to it. I usually make it for dinner. If I have left overs, I’ll have those for lunch. I love this recipe because it’s protein packed, full of flavor and keeps your feeling full… and I LOVE shrimp too

I found this recipe on one of my favorite food websites, EatingWell.com. Below, I have posted the entire recipe for you to try from the Eating Well website…

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons sesame seeds (white, black or a mix)
• 2 large egg whites
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 pound peeled and deveined raw shrimp (21-25 per pound)
• 2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
• 3/4 cup orange juice
• 1/4 cup dry sherry (see Note)
• 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 scallion, thinly sliced

Instructions

1. Whisk sesame seeds, egg whites, cornstarch, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add shrimp and toss to coat.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add half the shrimp and cook until golden, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Repeat with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and the rest of the shrimp.
3. Add orange juice, sherry, soy sauce and sugar to the pan. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened and reduced by half, 4 to 6 minutes. Return the shrimp to the pan and stir to coat with the sauce. Serve immediately, with scallion sprinkled on top.

The first time I made this recipe I wasn’t sure what “sherry” was so I asked my Mom and she said it’s a special type of wine that’s typically used for cooking. Make sure you don’t use “cooking sherry” though since it’s really high in sodium. Instead, you may have to ask your parents to get you normal sherry that you have to get from a wine store. But, if all else fails and you only have “cooking sherry,” that will work just fine too!

Unlike the chicken recipe, I literally follow every step and make it just like the recipe says… I like to have it with a side salad and some brown rice.

Try this recipe out and tell me what you think!

And if you have another healthy dinnertime recipe that you love, please share it in the comments below!