[friday favorites]

So this week was all work work work, which meant not much down time, except for one night. In that one night, I finally go to watch a show that I've been meaning to watch: NBC's Chicago P.D. I love Sophia Bush. I love cop shows. So, it's been on my list for a while. So I watched the first episode. Then the second. Then the third. Next thing you know I'd spent 5 hours watching Chicago P.D. Oops!

THIS WEEK'S ONE AND ONLY FAVORITE:

 Have a great weekend!

                                      

"cheers to the freakin' weekend."

- rihanna

[new favorite snack]

So, we all know I'm trying to steer clear of carbs. That being said, I get some really intense cravings and munchies fairly often, and let's be honest: popcorn gets boring really quickly. We've all seen the baked chickpeas recipes on Pinterest, so I finally gave them a try! 

This is what I used:

Mixed with some olive oil and all purpose seasoning.

Spread over an aluminum foil-covered baking sheet.

Bake for about 30 minutes at 400 degrees.

 DONE!

"everyone you will ever meet knows something you done."

-bill nye

[new favorite thing]

I've been trying new recipes lately, so you can expect lots of new recipes on the blog (get excited!!). My absolute favorite new thing however? SPAGHETTI SQUASH. It's not exactly a new thing, I know, but it's new to me.

THE SQUASH:

You're supposed to cut it in half, but mine rolled off the counter and cracked this way. Oops! Then I spooned out the seeds and other stringy things.

Placed upside down and put into an oven, for 40 minutes at 375 degrees.

What it looks like once it's done. The half on the left is untouched. I ran a fork along the edge of the half on the right, basically making the 'noodles' come out.

While it cooked, I made shrimp with spinach, tomatoes, goat cheese and some shredded parmesan. The tomatoes were mostly a base for the 'sauce,' which was later absorbed by the squash noodles.

THE FINAL PRODUCT!!! 

"health requires healthy food."

- roger williams

[friday favorites]

I really only came up with two favorites for the week, but they're both things I'd love to include in my daily routine. 

The first: Bolthouse Farms' Protein Plus Coffee. I wake up for work between 5 and 5:30 a.m. every day, and I have breakfast first thing. Of course, by the time I'm at work, really getting into my work, I get hungry / thirsty again. This is usually around 9 a.m. So this coffee drink (I say coffee drink because it's part coffee, part smoothie, part nectar from the Gods) really helps me pull through, giving me energy and actually filling me. 

The second: HGTV's show Property Brothers. I should probably start by saying my mom is obsessed with HGTV. Whenever we're at the house and she's cooking or cleaning she has to have the TV turned on to HGTV - no matter the show. That, plus my family's love of DIY and renovating in general, basically means now, when I have to have the TV on (and CMT / GAC aren't playing music videos anymore), I turn on HGTV. And this week, Property Brothers was on a lot. 

Pretty random favorites for the week, I know. But that's me I guess. Anywho, have a great weekend all!

"so much of life, it seems to me, is determined by pure randomness."

- sydney poitier

[running & how i do it]

So, in keeping with my recent set of posts centered around my new lifestyle, I think it's a good idea to talk about how I'm able to actually walk and jog now. I say this because even walking a mile used to cause the absolute worst shin splints ever. Applying some knowledge and tips I've learned over the years, I am now [albeit slowly but surely] increasing my running distance and shortening my average times.

A few important things:

• A good playlist. I will never understand how people can just run without listening to anything. Maybe if I loved it more or something, I could understand, but right now my music is a large part of what sets the pace of my run and what keeps me going. Here are a few songs I absolutely have to listen to:

• I Need Your Love - Calvin Harris ft. Ellie Goulding
• Levels - Avicii
• Clarity -  Zedd
• You Used to Hold Me - Calvin Harris
• All Night - Icona Pop
• Live for the Night - Krewella

• Stretching. I usually like to do a little warm up first, which I usually do by walking 1/4 mile. Then, I stop and stretch my lower body really well. The extra stretching helps prevent any pain in my calves or shins and helps limber me up to start jogging. I also make sure to stretch for at least 10 minutes after my walk to avoid cramping. 
• Ankle strengthening exercises. I typically do these after I stretch, before I start to jog. Depending on how i'm feeling, I may do more during my jog. It very much depends on how my legs are feeling. These exercises are basically calf raises. I do regular calf raises, inner v calf raises (toes pointed in) and outer v calf raises (toes pointed out). 

Basically, if I can do this, so can you!

"if you do what you've always done, you'l get what you've always gotten."

- anthony robbins

[last week's routine]

I started a new job last week [YAYYY!!!] and with that new job came a new lifestyle; a more organized one. I had to wake up at 4:30 am all week and wouldn’t get home again until about 7 pm so planning was a MUST. Basically if I didn’t plan I knew my eating habits were going to be horrible and my exercise routine was going to be nonexistent. So I made a plan from Sunday until Thursday and let me tell you, I can already tell a difference in my body from that week. I tried new recipes, pushed myself to run more than I felt I could, AND got sick and I still think the plan I was on helped me. Here’s how I was able to accomplish those things:

1.      Meal Planning. I pre-planned my entire week; I planned breakfasts, mid-morning and mid-afternoon snacks, lunches and dinners. (Well, by dinner time I usually wasn’t very hungry so I usually had a snack again.)

2.      Exercise Planning: Basically I set myself up for success by packing my workout clothes and 5 pound weights the night before work. Immediately after work I would change into my workout clothes and go for a walk / jog on the boardwalk (I work on the beach). This was the only way to do it, because if I drove home after work I would’ve gotten tired and gone straight to bed (I know, it's happened before). 

3.   Rest. Especially since I got sick, staying rested was a must. I wasn't going to let a cold break me! I went to bed at about 9:30 each night and took NyQuil the nights I needed help sleeping through the sinus pressure. 

Here are some photos!

[I posted this on the side of my refrigerator so I wouldn't have any excuses in the mornings. I prepared my lunches and snacks the day before]

[This is an example of 'dinner' I had one night. I wasn't very hungry so I had some cherry tomatoes, a cucumber and some hummus!]

[me after a 2 mile walk / jog on the boardwalk]

"discipline is just choosing between what you want now and what you want most."

-anonymous

[friday favorites]

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!!! I'm not big into today really, so for me it's just another Friday. I don't love or hate it, I'm really just indifferent at this point. But since it's Friday, it's time for Friday Favorites!!!

What's funny is I heard a song on Monday and thought to myself, "hmm, I like this song." Then, on Tuesday morning, I saw the music video and decided I love this song. So, I wrote it down as a contender for my favorites for the week. What song is it? Bottoms Up, by Brantley Gilbert. Here you go:

So my other two favorites for the week are below. The best part? I purchased BOTH at half the retail price at my local TJMaxx!! Can you say #maxxinista? The watch is by Betsey Johnson (aka my favorite designer) and the tote is a wonderful nylon tote by Olivia + Joy.

[Betsey Johnson watch][Olivia + Joy tote]

Have a great weekend loves!

"always bring your own sunshine."

-anthony d'angelo

[cleansing towelette comparison]

The past couple of years I've tried several different kinds of facial cleansing towelettes. I realized taking my makeup off before bed was something I needed to start doing, but washing my face every night just wasn't going to happen. I think I've finally found ones that I'm going to continue to buy!!! For all of you who don't know what's best for you, here's how the ones I've tried have worked on me. I'm loving the Olay Regenerist Anti-Aging cloths.

Quick note: I have oily skin so I don't like for my face to feel even a bit over moisturized after cleaning my face.

[neutrogena][jean pierre][olay fresh effects][yes to cucumbers][olay regenerist]

"beauty, to me, is about being comfortable in your own skin. that, or kick-ass red lipstick."

-gwyneth paltrow

[before & after face]

This week's posts are going to have an underlying theme: beauty. Today, I'm going to show you the before & after "me." People compliment my skin all the time and while a good portion of the reason is my skincare routine,  makeup plays an important role too. So here's a look at my morning routine: putting on my face.

This picture is me right after showering and applying moisturizer [remember, the one I talked about here?]

This picture is me after what I like to call 'putting my face on.' See the difference? It's MAGIC!

These are the magical tools in my daily toolbox. Basically this is what I use everyday. I add more products for special occasions. 

Find the products below:

[mousse][blemish concealer][highlighting concealer][similar flat top brush][foundation brush][powder foundation][powder brush][bronzer][contouring brush][similar eyebrow brush][eyebrow pencil][mascara]

"i always find beauty in things that are odd and imperfect - they are much more interesting."

-marc jacobs

[friday favorites]

Another week has come and gone and you know what that means! Friday favorites! This week I made it a point to jot dot down some favorites as the week went by and decided to limit today's post to a top 5. Here they are!

1. Being Mary Jane has become one of my favorite shows. I mean I've always loved Gabrielle Union but there's something nice about a show where the main character is a powerful, single, career-focused woman. I mean, we aren't all going to be housewives. 

2. I have fallen in love with Naked Juice. It's the perfect healthy, on-the-go choice for people (like me) with a busy lifestyle. It's almost a meal replacement because it's so filling and has so many nutrients!

3. The candle obsession continues with my Lemon Mint Leaf 3-wick candle from Bath & Body Works. I got this candle for Christmas and boy, it's the gift that keeps on giving. 

4. Ulta's Pomegranate Lime lotion has been my go-to moisturizer since I got a bottle for free in November. I've since purchased one for myself and one for my mom. It provides just enough moisture and smells fresh and clean.

5. I think I love Urban Expressions. Every time I see a purse by that brand I fall in love, and I just had to have this one. The perfect medium between casual and dressy, I use this when I want a little change. 

Have a beautiful weekend!!!

"you only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough."

-mae west

[hump day]

Well folks...it's HUMMMPPPPPP DAYYYYY!!!!

You know what this means right? It means Friday is just around the corner and (for those of us who live in Miami at least), the weekend basically starts tomorrow night. (If there's one thing I've learned, it's that Miami-ans go just as hard on Thursday night as they would on Friday or Saturday; they just don't get hungover I guess.)

So in honor of it being hump day, I'm going to show you my favorite thing for today: my Wednesday necklace!

[this necklace is no longer available on Lucky's site, but I did find it on Ebay!]

For whatever reason i'm a bit off this week. Well, it's because I had three days off and it's taking me awhile to adjust to my work routine again. So, that's going to be all for today!!

Have a Happy Hump Day ladies and gents!!!

"because you are alive, everything is possible."

-thich naht hanh

[traveling]

Under normal circumstances, I would be posting a normal blog post to start the week. However, since  I decided to high-tail it to Orlando right after work, I'm a bit unprepared. I can't load photos onto my Ipad or even post anything too lengthy on here. So instead I'll leave you with this: today will be a major (I mean four hour long) brainstorming session. So here's to the future!!!

"every traveler has a home of his own and he learns to appreciate it the more from his wandering."

-charles dickens