Fri-Yay

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Congratulations!  You've made it to Friday!  

I've been playing catch up all week, but I did round up some of my favorite links* from around the interwebz for you ladies to browse at your desks while counting down the hours until 5PM.  Enjoy!

Tips on taking unwashed hair to a new level?  Yeah, this article was written for me.

I'm always on the hunt for the world's most amazing white tee.  Although I've heard great things about Everlane's version, I think this pretty (from my favorite shop, no less) is going to be my next tee purchase.

I've been doing really well following the 80/20 Rule, but Levi and I decided to get milkshakes from Chick Fila-A** on our way to the bowling alley*** earlier this week.  I woke up the next morning and felt like I'd hit run over my a Mack truck, then hit over the head a few times with a bottle of tequila.  Apparently there is such a thing as a sugar hangover, and it is real.  Very, very real.

Carrie Underwood's Leg Workout.  It's worth a try, right?

Something tells me that this recipe is going to be in heavy rotation as the weather gets warmer.

Also, thank you all so much for your kind and encouraging words about launch of Tailor & Table.  Every comment, email, or text meant the world to me.  I'm so glad you guys are joining me on this journey!

Have a happy weekend, everyone!

*Lazy Girl's Guide to Blogging 101

**Best milkshake evahhh.  Levi tried to get us to split a plain chocolate shake.  Pshhhh. Cookies n Cream or get the eff out.  Who does he think he is?

***Smokin' hot date night (no, seriously. the place smelled like smoke and the A/C appeared to be broken)

This Week According to my iPhone

Hey gang.  I hope everyone has had a great week.  I put myself on a self-imposed blogging ban in order to focus on some business stuff.  I hated being away, but my gosh it feels AMAZING to be caught up on my to-do list.  I will enjoy this feeling while it lasts -- for approximately the next 2.5 minutes.

Anyway, let's check out what my iPhone has to say about this week, yeah?

Mail day! I was excited to receive these goodies from my sweet and fabulous friends at Organaca.  I've sampled all of the products once or twice and so far, I'm in love.  For those of you who saw this photo on Instagram and asked for reviews -- I promise I'll post my thoughts and opinions after a couple weeks of consistent use!

A little breakfast fuel from earlier this week.  This is one Van's gluten-free waffle, half a banana, cinnamon, a dash of agave, and coconut shavings -- it tastes decadent, yet it's completely guilt-free.  Less one Kraft Mac & Cheese incident, I've been cooking at home and eating healthy all week.  It feels great!

So catching up on work and not leaving the house much means that I've put stuck in a pajama and yoga pant rut this week.  I haven't even put on makeup once.  As nice as it sounds, by Thursday I was ready to feel pretty again.  While makeup and real clothes didn't happen (let's not get crazy now), I was able to give myself at at home manicure with Essie Vanity Fairest.  

So I did manage to sneak out to the mall once to pick up my new favorite perfume and stopped cold in my tracks when I saw this gorgeous place setting at Macy's.  This is a terrible photo and doesn't do it justice, but I promise that it was some of the prettiest china that I have ever seen.  Buy it online at Neiman Marcus here.  You will see my dining table one day, my pretty.

Monday is the LAST day to enter in the Ginger Mail giveaway!  See this post for more details.

Happy weekend!

Friday, Already?

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Oh hey, Friday.  I know that I don't usually say this, but I am SO not ready for you to be here.  I still have approximately 5000 things on my to-do list that still need to be accomplished.  Can we rewind to Tuesday or Wednesday, pretty pretty please?  

Well it looks like I'm going to be attached at the hip with my desk all weekend, but let's have a little random Friday  chit chat before I get down to business.

- I desperately need a new pair of black leggings.  My legs are my least favorite part of my body (total pear shape here), so I'm on the hunt for leggings that are opaque and thick enough to hide a multitude of sins.  Looking skinny is the goal here, people.  I've narrowed it down to either Spanx 'Look-at-Me' Shaping Leggings or Zella 'Live In' Leggings.  I've heard great things about both, but I do prefer the waist band on the Zella pair.  I'm taking votes!  If the Zella pair works out, you can bet that I'll be buying this faux leather pair too.

- Honestly, I was feeling pretty lazy at the gym yesterday and decided to try this Intense Incline Walking Workout, thinking that it would be easy. It was no joke, guys.  My short legs couldn't keep at 4mph speed the whole time, so I did the second half at 3.5mph.  I'll definitely keep that workout in my rotation for days when I just want to get on the treadmill and watch Bravo (while huffing and puffing, of course).

- Although nowhere near the stage of my life where I start thinking about kiddos of my own, I do think this Paddington Bear for babyGap line is so amazing.  It makes me want to DIE of cuteness.  Some of those dresses would look pretty cute in my size, too.

-  Does anybody watch Sons of Anarchy? I can't stop watching it on Netflix.  It was a show that I had zero interest in starting, but both Levi and I are completely obsessed now.  Our days go something like this -- coffee, work, work, lunch, work, work, dinner with multiple episodes of SOA, sleep, and repeat*.

- I have absolutely no idea who is playing in the Superbowl this weekend**.  I mean, I could look it up, but I won't.  Once college football is over, I check out.  Sorry not sorry.

Don't forget to link up for this week's Sunday Edition and enter in this awesome giveaway!

Here's to a productive weekend!

* I cried like a BABY during Season 5, Episode 3 "Laying Pipe". 

** It is this weekend, right?

All Hail Kale

Confession time. 

 I hate most dark, leafy greens. 

Swiss Chard? Blech.  

Collard Greens? Take away my Southerner card. 

Turnip Greens? Ick.  

Kale? Less super food, more super yuck.

Enter Smitten Kitchen's Tuscan Salad recipe.  

You might wonder what inspired me to try this recipe, fully aware of how much I hated kale.  Well, Deb mentioned that she disliked kale too.  In fact, she even went as far to ask the world if we can all STOP pretending that kale tastes good.  I liked her immediately.

She followed her declaration of kale hate by saying that this salad is the first kale-based recipe that she found delicious.  I was skeptical, but intrigued.  I quickly got my butt to Trader Joe's and picked up the ingredients, half expecting that money to go down the drain.

I was wrong. So, so wrong (and I don't say that often). This salad is SO DARN YUMMY.  I can't believe kale is the main ingredient.  I crave this salad all of the time now -- I've eaten it 4 times this week!

Thanks, Deb. I owe you one.

TUSCAN KALE SALAD WITH PECORINO & WALNUTS

INGREDIENTS

1 Bunch of Tuscan Kale Leaves, Ribs Removed

1/2 Cup of Grated Pecorino Cheese

(Trader Joe's has some pre-grated for around $5!)

1/2 Cup of Walnuts, Toasted & Chopped

1/4 Cup of Golden Raisins

Juice of 1 Lemon

1 Tablespoon of Apple Cider Vinegar

(Smitten Kitchen recommends white wine vinegar, but I only has apple cider on hand and it worked like a charm)

1 Tablespoon of Water

3 Tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

*Note: Smitten Kitchen's recipe also calls for panko-style bread crumbs. I found this recipe tasty enough without them, so I omitted that portion to save calories.

PREPARE THE KALE

 Remove all ribs, roll them up, and cut them in a very thin ribbon pattern crosswise.  THIS IS IMPORTANT, PEOPLE.  I swear the ribbon cut is key to making the kale taste edible for those of us who usually aren't huge fans.  It allows a lot of flavor from the other ingredients to coat the kale (ie. oil and cheese), so that's a good thing. Since I'm a lazy bum, I used Trader Joe's bagged chopped kale for my first batch.  This was a mistake.  The big bunch of kale from the grocery store was much easier to work with!

PREPARE THE WALNUTS*

Turn oven to 350.  Lay walnut pieces on a baking sheet (I also used a sheet of parchment paper for easy clean-up).  Toast for about 10 minutes, tossing once around the 5 minute mark.

PREPARE THE RAISINS*

In a small saucepan, simmer the raisins with the vinegar and water for about 5 minutes, until plump and moist. Drain liquid and set raisins off to the side. 

INVITE EVERYONE TO THE SALAD PARTY

Once prep work is complete, combine the kale, olive oil, and lemon juice in a large bowl.  Once kale is coated evenly, add walnuts, pecorino, golden raisins, and kosher salt/ground black pepper to taste.  Let the salad sit for AT LEAST 10 minutes to let the flavors combine.  Kale doesn't wilt, so the longer you let it sit, the tastier it is.  I ate leftovers for lunch 24 hours later and it tasted even more amazing than it did the day before!

 I know this recipe is going to help give me a leg-up on a healthy 2014!

What are your favorite easy, healthy recipes that don't sacrifice flavor?




*I know what you're thinking -- is toasting the walnuts and simmering the raisins really necessary?  I thought I was smart and skipped those parts on my second batch to save time and dishes.  It worked, but I would really recommend following the recipe. It's so worth it.

Surprise!

Oh hey, friends. Remember me?

I know, it's been a while.  I took a little break -- not because I was exhausted and needed to get away, but because life has been crazy (in a good way!).  The month of June has been very, very good to me.

Let's recap, shall we?

I rescued this little nugget.  She showed up in our neighborhood with no collar and no microchip.  We searched for an owner, but after a few days we realized that someone probably dumped her in the neighborhood and left (which makes me incredibly angry, but I digress).  Peach the Puppy lived at our house until we found her a great forever family. Georgia and I miss her, but I'm so glad she has a family that loves her to peices!

I had my 5 seconds of fame on Bravo's "Newlyweds".  I worked on Blair & Jeff's wedding, and the cameras caught me in OCD mode (folding and refolding napkins until they are perfect).

We celebrated Georgia's 2nd birthday by chasing ducks and eating peanut butter fro-yo.

We've tried some new restaurants in Greenville and dined al fresco.

At home, we've been focusing on clean eating (80% of the time, anyway).

This happened. And this.

I reached out to my homegirl, Angela from Saffron Avenue, to start an exciting new project (!!!).

We booked a vacation to Mexicoooo! We leave next Saturday.



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Here's to July being just as wonderful! Hopefully I'll be around to share more of it in real time, too. :)

So tell me -- how was your June??

All the Juicy Details: Day Three

No, I haven't changed my iPhone background since February. Hush.

6:45AM- Waking up feeling very rested.  I have a leeeeeeetle headache, but nothing major. It's the last day!!  Step on the scale -- down another .6 pounds. I'm not feeling "skinny" though -- which is really strange, because I usually feel "skinny" if I'm two hours late for lunch one day.  I think I know a reason for this, but it's kind of TMI (the next paragraph covers the TMI details, so skip it if you'd rather not know)

7:35AM- You kept reading after I warned you that it was TMI? Of course you did.  Sicko*.  Truth be told, I haven't, umm... expelled of any #2 waste since the cleanse started.  Well, that all changed around 7:35AM.  Man, I feel light as a feather.  Bee tee dubs, your waste tends to be the same color as your food.  So no, you're not dying from internal bleeding, you're just drinking beet juice.

8:00AM - Take the first sip of the Start Your Engine (Carrot, Grapefruit, Orange, Kale, Spinach, Parsley, Beet, Ginger & Cayenne).  It... it tastes good. I've grown to really like starting my morning with this juice.  I know, I know... I can hardly believe it myself.

9:15AM - That headache from this morning?  Yeah, still hasn't gone away.  It's not terrible, just lingering.  Plus, remember how I mentioned that my office was having breakfast this morning? Everyone around me is chowing down on grits, bacon, scrambled eggs and chocolate chip french toast.  They all assure me that it's really not that good.  I think they're big fat liars, but I appreciate the effort.

10:56AM- Okay, I can force myself through the Stamina (Carrot, Pineapple, Kiwi, Kale, Spinach, Parsely Cucumber & Celery) on my last day, right?  Wrong.  Trash time.  Notice that I didn't even attempt the Purple Powerhouse (Apple, Cabbage, Kale, Spinach, Parsley, Cucumber & Celery).

1:00PM- Okay, this is when things go a little crazy.  All of the sudden, this happened:

Yep.  You heard right.  I ate solid food.  I went to Whole Foods and got a Vietnamese spring roll (cucmber, carrot, and red pepper rolled into a rice paper wrap).  Want to know how much guilt I felt?  NONE. ZERO. I mean, it was all raw veggies.  The day I feel guilty for eating raw vegetables will be the same day that hell freezes over, Lilo is sober, and puppies stop being adorable.  IT WILL NEVER HAPPEN. And guess what?  My headache is gone. Imagine that.

3:07PM- Despite my brief indecretion, I don't plan on completely diving back into pizza and burgers.  I want to stick with the plan the rest of the day.  I open my last Filler Up (Apple, Pineapple, Kiwi, Orange, Lemon, Celery & Chia Seeds).  Man, I've grown to love this stuff.  I want to keep drinking it after the cleanse is over.  Really, who am I??

5:00PM- I haven't drank a single Salad Sipper (Carrot, Kale, Spinach, Parsley, Cucumber, Celery & Broccoli) during the cleanse so far, so why break tradition now?  I have a ton of energy right now, so I throw it into the trash with superhuman strength.  A slam dunk, if you will.

7:30PM- Home from work! Sweatpants, ponytail, chillin' with no makeup on.  Levi comes home with Pizza Hut (have you noticed a trend in Levi's eating habits?). Pizza Hut is my FAVORITE (I know, I'm a disgusting person).  When Levi orders pizza, he always gets Dominos or Papa Johns.  He swears the Hut had a sale, but I think he's being an evil person and proceed to yell at him for every little thing for the rest of the night.  Honestly, I probably am overreacting since the pizza isn't tempting me at all (victory!).  Don't tell him that, though. Let that be our little secret, k?

7:49PM- Savor every drop of my last Night Cap (Raw Almond Milk, Dates, Vanilla, Cinnamon, & Sea Salt).  I has a sad.  I don't want this to be my last Night Cap.  It's just so good!

10:43PM - Goodnight, world.  Tomorrow, we eat (again).

*It's okay, I don't blame you.  In my world, TMI stands for "Tell Me Immediately", not "Too Much Information". 

SUMMARY OF DAY THREE:

Today was definitely the best day.  My energy was high, and I felt good (especially after my spring roll).  I'm craving healthy food, and I cannot WAIT until tomrrow!  SOLIDS!!

Want to read more about my cleanse experience?  Read Day One and Day Two.  I plan on exploring my post-cleanse thoughts next week, so be sure to tune in.

Also, be sure to read my BFF Katie's experience with cleansing.  She was the maid of honor in my wedding, and she's just kind of awesome.  She's also new to the blog world, so go give her a big blogland welcome!!

All the Juicy Details: Day Two

7:00AM - Wake up after sleeping in a bit today.  I feel fantastic! I slept like a rock and feel very rested. Step on the scale -- down 1.6 pounds.  Whoo hoo! I know losing weight isn't the point of the cleanse but  hey, I don't hate it.

8:37AM - Time for my grapefruit Bloody Mary again (vodka free, boo).  I still love the kick that the Cayenne provides, and this one goes down pretty easily.  Still missing coffee.

10:00 AM - Decide I'm not hungry and don't even bother with the Purple Powerhouse, aka cabbage in a bottle.  Blech.  I panic thinking about throwing money away, but only until I remember the taste of liquid cabbage.  Adios, amigo.

1:23PM - The biggest surprise of the day is how NOT hungry I am, especially because I've only had one juice and lots of water.  My energy level is also very high (I am shocked, I swear).

2:17PM - Get an email from my boss.  We've been so busy recently, that he's decided to have breakfast catered at our office tomorrow.  This hurts.  It hurts badly. I'm very concerned about tomorrow morning and kind of want to cry.  You know what would make me feel better? A cup of coffee.

2:50PM - Open the Stamina juice. Drink about half and put the top back on.  I want my Filler Up!

3:00PM - Open my Filler Up.  The Chia Seeds make me oh, so happy.  I probably have them in my teeth, but whatevs. 

5:13PM - Finish the Filler Up.  I savored that sucker for as long as I could.  I start fantasizing and planning my first day worth of meals post-cleanse.  Currently planning on eggs and fresh berries for breakfast, Trader Joe's Butternut Squash and Wheatberry Salad for lunch, and salmon with veggies for dinner.  Avocado will make an appearance somewhere in that mix. NOM NOM NOM.  I'm currently craving all food, but I will say that healthy/clean foods sound the most appetizing right now.  That's a nice side effect!

6:15PM - Get home from work and make the executive decision that I am not even going to attempt the Salad Sipper today.  Blech.  Thankfully, I still have a lot of energy and I'm not terribly hungry.  I am already fantasizing about the Night Cap, though...

7:00PM - Finally.  The Night Cap.  I savor every last drop, and feel completely fat and happy by the time it's done.  It really is a genius move to make the last juice of the day so delicious that you forget how awful the rest of your day was. 

7:45PM - Levi comes home with a McDonald's double cheeseburger, fries, and Diet Coke.  I contimplate suffocating him in his sleep.  I kid, I kid (sorta).  Honestly, his meal doesn't tempt me that much.  Do I want to eat it? Hell yes.  Is the desire to eat McD's so overwhelming that I can't see stright? Nah. Not at all, actually.

8:17PM - HOUSTON, WE HAVE A PROBLEM.  My energy level has flatlined and I can feel a headache coming on.  Lights from the TV and computer screen are making my headache worse.  I contimplate giving up.  I've felt so great all day long, so why is this happening now?!  Decide to suck it up.  I do have a very small handful of raw cashews (unsalted) to help suppliment my calories for the day.

10:00PM - G'night.  Once again, I fall asleep on 1.25 seconds and slept like a rock.

DAY TWO SUMMARY:

Not so bad. In fact, the day was pretty darn good. I had plenty of energy and wasn't terribly hungry.  If I hadn't been at work all day, I would have had enough energy to work out.  The evening wasn't great -- I blame the headache and low-energy on the low calorie intake for the day.  Considering that I only drank 3.5 of the 6 juices, I'm definitely below 1200 calories for the day.  No bueno. 

ONE MORE DAY!!!

Want more?

Check out Day One.

All the Juicy Details: Day One

Well, folks.  I started my juice cleanse.  I'm only on Day Two right now, but I wanted to share a recap of Day One with you guys.  It's long, so if you just want a quick summary, scroll to the bottom. 

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6:00AM - Woke up.  Pretty tired from a busy weekend.  First thought: I would kill for a cup of coffee right now.  Stepped on the scale to that I can track my progress.  Step off the scale and decide that I am definitely on board for this cleanse.  Throw on some yoga pants and out the door I go.

6:30AM - Pick up my juices from Good to Go Raw Juice Bar.  Chit chat with the girl working.  She's on Day 7 of a 10 Day Cleanse.  She appears to be in a good mood.  If she can go seven days without turning into the Wicked Witch of the West, I can survive three days, right?

7:25AM - Fix myself a cup of hot water and lemon. It's fine, but OMG I WANT COFFEE.

8:00AM - Get to my office and crack open my first juice of the day (Start Your Engine: Carrot, Grapefruit, Orange, Kale, Spinach, Parsley, Beet, Ginger & Cayenne).  Hm.  Not bad.  Kind of tastes like a citrus-infused Bloody Mary.  The cayenne gives it a nice kick.  Vodka would give it a better kick (Happy Monday?).  So far, so good!

8: 53AM - Receive a text from my cleanse partner (aka my NOLA friend Katie). She's half way through her first drink and has decided to quit.  She's already called her local juice bar to cancel her cleanse.  I should mention that it's only 7:53AM her time (love you).  And then there was one.

10:48AM - After finishing 24oz of water, I crack open my second juice of the day (Purple Powerhouse: Apple, Cabbage, Kale, Spinach, Parsley, Cucumber & Celery).  Meh.  I can taste the cabbage, which I really don't like.  This one is going to be harder to get through, but is still relatively drink-able.  I'm also not hungry at all, but I want to stay on the recommended consumption schedule.  I am, however, very tired.  I'm sure that's from my lack of coffee.

12:01PM - Honestly?  I kind of feel like crap.  I'm a little nauseous, can feel a headache coming on, and I am SO, SO, SO, SO TIRED.  I could fall asleep at my desk this very second.  I am also craving a sleeve of Ritz Crackers.  Weird.  I'm also still trying to finish the Purple Powerhouse.  I've decided that it is definitely not my favorite.

12:36PM - My coworkers are eating lunch and I want to die.  I definitely didn't expect to feel this way the first day.

1:24PM - After another 24 oz of water, I open my third juice for the day (Stamina: Carrot, Pineapple, Kiwi, Kale, Spinach, Parsley, Cucumber, Broccoli & Mint).  This one is just okay.  With Pineapple, Kiwi, and Mint as ingredients, I expected more.  Truth be told, I am forcing myself to stay on schedule.  I am not hungry at ALL, and I would definitely not be drinking this juice if I wasn't supposed to finish between 1-2PM.  It might take a while for this one to go down.  My energy level is up, just barely.  Think "I'm really tired and would kill for a nap" from "they could cast me as a zombie in The Walking Dead".

3:26PM - Only made my way about half way through the Stamina before I called it quits and threw the rest in the trash.  My head is pounding (caffeine withdrawls, I'm sure).  Every time my work phone rings, I contimplate throwing it out the window. I just want to drink my last drink (raw almond milk with dates and sea salt), curl up in bed, and sleep until tomorrow.

4:10PM - I am way behind on my schedule, so I try to make my way onto my fourth juice (Filler Up: Apple, Pineapple, Kiwi, Orange, Lemon, Celery & Chia Seeds).  Not bad. In fact, probably the best one yet.  Would be REALLY good without the celery :).  Still too full to stomach much now.  I also have the hiccups.  Everytime I hiccup, my headache gets worse. Awesome. 

4:35PM - Okay, the Filler Up is growing on me.  It's pretty yummy and I'm starting to feel much, much better. The Chia Seeds are an awesome addition, as they are solid-ish.

5:00PM - ONLY 30 MORE MINUTES OF WORK. YAY YAY YAY.  HAPPINESS!

5:45PM - Finally, a burst of energy.  My headache is gone and the fog that's been over me all day has lifted. The Filler Up must have really turned my day around. I decide to head over to Pottery Barn to do some shopping and keep my mind off of the cleanse (plus, I have a gift card to spend. Yippee!).

6:00PM - Try my fifth juice of the day (Salad Sipper: Carrot, Kale, Spinach, Parsley, Cucumber, Celery & Broccoli).  Take two sips.  Throw the rest in the trash.  Eff that, man.

6:30PM - Exhausted.  Shopping really took it out of me.  I want sweats and my DVR, stat.

7:20PM - Levi gets home and told me that he ate his Chick-fil-A in the car so that I wouldn't have to smell it.  Love him.  He then proceeds to offer me a sip of his Diet Coke.  Hate him.

7:30PM - Curl up on the couch with sweet Georgia and my final juice (Night Cap: Raw Almond Milk, Dates, Vanilla, Cinnamon & Sea Salt).  The skies opened up and angels sang.  The Night Cap is DELICIOUS.  At this point, it tastes like the most amazing vanilla milkshake that you've ever had.  I tried to savor the flavor and make it last, but I finish the entire bottle in 20 minutes (all the other juices took way over an hour to finish).  My tummy was full and felt very satisfied.  No cravings for the rest of the night!

10:00PM: Crawl into bed, with a happy, Night Cap-filled tummy.  Fall asleep in 1.25 seconds.

Summary of Day One:

THIS. SUCKS.

Brain Dump

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Top of the morning to ya.  I currently have about a million ideas for organized, themed posts swimming around in my head... and that's where they are going to stay, for now. 

This morning, I'm going rogue. 

What can I say? I'm just a WILD AND CRAZY GUY!*

- Spring has been glorious here in Greenville.  I've spent a lot of time in our yard, and everything is finally in bloom! I definitely need to take some photos and share them with you all.  I absolutely love our little house in the spring time!  The only downside of spring?  It means summer is coming.  Which means I have to wear shorts.  Eeek.  Maxi dresses fo' life.

- I've been on a bit of a health kick recently.  Whether it's short-lived or long-term... I don't know.   I figured with beach trips and weddings in my near future, it's about damn time. I've been eating lots of fruit, veggies, fish, and quinoa and going to the gym a few times a week.  It's only been two weeks, but I'm already starting to feel better!  Next, I'm going to embark on a three day raw juice cleanse with one of my BFF's.  Will our friendship last through three days of liquid torture?  Time will tell.

Part of me knows that a juice cleanse is completely stupid, but on the other hand, it will make great blog material.  See?  I'm always thinking of you guys.  My misery is your entertainment.

- I'm currently completely obsessed with the song "22" by TSwizzle.  I don't really care for Taylor that much, but I can't stop listening to this song.  It's so bubblegum-y and happy. I don't know about you, but I'm feeling twenty-twoooooo.

- 26 Reasons Kids are Just Tiny Drunk Adults

- My current favorite meal is as follows: baked tilapia, peach salsa, avocado, crumbled queso fresco, and a squeeze of fresh lime.  I would give you the recipe, but it's about as simple as it gets. We had a "clean out the fridge" kind of night, and that's when the magic happened. This will be in daily rotation all summer long.  

I'm also obsessed with this salmon recipe from Pinterest (I've made it twice in the past week and a half).

- I really want to go shopping.  But I'm trying to save money to travel more.  So I have no money to spend on pretty clothes.  I guess that's all I have to say about that.

I think that's all for now.  Catch ya on the flip side!

*Ten points if you caught the Steve Martin reference.  You also get permanent friendship status.

Raves

 Nothing gets my goat more than spending hard-earned money on something that I end up hating.*

I rarely, if EVER, buy something without researching and obsessively reading reviews first.   

Yet, I hardly ever write reviews myself. 

I'm a terrible person.

However, I care about you readers more than I care about the average Amazon user, so let's get to chattin' about some things I've tried and loved this month, shall we?

*Did I really just use the phrase "gets my goat"?  What am I, ninety?  Yeesh.

Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Highlighting Concealer

I'm a make-up snob.  Really, I am.  The only drugstore cosmetic items I purchase regularly are mascara and false eyelashes.  But this stuff? Awesome.  I have terrible dark circles and bags under my eyes and this stuff makes me look ALIVE.  I purchased this in Ivory, which is perfect for my fair, warm complexion.  I was a little iffy about the consistency at first (I usually prefer a creamier concealer), but I think the tackiness is what helps cover dark circles and makes it stay put throughout the day.   

It's comparable to the cult classic YSL Touche Eclat, in my humble opinion.

GapFit gFast Capri

I'm not going to beat around the bush. 

These make my butt look GOOD.

The material is thick and the quality is top-notch, which smooths out any lumps and bumps one may have. The rise is slightly higher than my other workout pants, and I love that I don't have to tug on these while running.  Plus, the higher rise means that it sucks in love handles really nicely.  

The seams are also placed in really flattering locations.   

Do I even need to say it again?  

THESE WILL MAKE YOU LOOK HOT.

I wouldn't hesitate to say that I love these as much, if not MORE, than my Lulu's (especially for the price!!).

I've fallen hard for the GapFit line, and these capris are the cream of the crop.

Big River Sweet Magnolia American Brown Ale

While in Tennessee the other weekend, we went to Big River for dinner.  While there, I had my first sip of a sweet, sweet nectar known as Sweet Magnolia American Brown Ale.  Big River brews their own beer but to my knowledge, does not bottle or distribute any of their brews outside of their own restaurants.  

Can anyone prove me wrong? 

Please?

PLEASE?

I still dream of this deliciousness and want it in my refrigerator. If you're in Nashville or Chattanooga,Tennessee, make sure you stop at Big River for a Sweet Magnolia (they also have a random location in Lake Buena Vista, FL).

Lauren Conrad's "7 Days to Skinny Jeans" Smoothie

Yum-mo.  Sadly, I can't claim a smaller jean size, but I will attest to the fact that this makes a delicious breakfast.  When I drink one around 9am, and I stay full until 1pm or later.  For a girl who usually starts thinking at lunch around 10:30am, this is a huge win.  

I tweaked the recipe slightly, using frozen strawberries, SoDelicious unsweetened coconut milk, banana, Fage 0% Greek yogurt, rolled oats, and honey.  Whatever you do, make sure you include the oatmeal in the recipe.  It adds a lot of flavor and makes it feel a bit heartier.  I also like to add peanut butter to the recipe (I use PB2 to cut calories).  I know it sounds a little weird, but you'll thank me once you're drinking a liquid peanut butter and jelly.

There you have it -- my favorite finds of January!  Have you made any great finds recently?

*I was not in any way compensated for these reviews.  I just wanted to spread the love!

Weekend Recap

So I have a weekend recap... on Tuesday. Ahem. Just go with it.

Weekend on Instagram (follow @nataliaetc)

Let's recap on the goals I set for myself on Friday:

1. Deep clean the house

Check! Well, we didn't deep clean the entire house, but our living area, kitchen, breakfast area, and hall bath are spotless.   I'm not too annoyed that we didn't complete every room because Levi spent several hours installing my brand new lighting fixture in our breakfast nook! Isn't she a beauty?!

2. Cook at least two dinners at home

Check! I bought a ton of London Broil on sale, so we had a red meat-filled weekend.  Saturday's dinner was nothing to write home about, but I made a brown rice stir fry with edamame and teriyaki-glazed steak on Sunday night that was delicious. 

3. Go see Django Unchained and Zero Dark Thirty in order to complete my Oscar Challenge

Check! Well, sorta.  We saw Django Unchained (awwwwesome) and Beasts of a Southern Wild.  Beasts was at Redbox for $1.25, so we decided to save Zero Dark Thirty for another day.  As soon as I see all of the Best Picture nominees, I promise to do a post reviewing each one!

4. Finish Week 3 of Couch to 5K

Check! Although, I'm not super thrilled about this one.  I spent my latest run tired, sweaty, and so ready for it to be over -- quite the difference from the previous run.  I must have jinxed myself.  Le blah.

5. Relax

Double check. Times 10. It was awesome.

I wrapped up the weekend by watching the Golden Globes.

 I live for awards season.  

Tina & Amy rocked.  Fashion-wise, it was fairly mediocre.  A couple of beautiful gowns, but nothing that completely knocked me out of the park.  

Did you watch?  What did you think?

Weekend Goals

via

1. Deep clean the house.  It's bad, y'all.

2. Cook at least two dinners at home (I haven't given up on my resolutions yet)

3. Go see Django Unchained and Zero Dark Thirty.  I'm on a mission to watch every 2013 Oscar Best Picture Nominee before February 24th (Oscar Night).  I've seen Les Mis (seriously awesome, I can't say enough good things) and Lincoln already.  I also watched Moonrise Kingdom after hearing rumors that it would be nominated, but no such luck.  I need to cross some more off of the list!

4. Finish Week 3 of Couch to 5K. It's still, dare I say, not too difficult... I have a sneaking suspicion that Week 4 might change that.

5. Relax.  We have lots of crazy weekends coming up so Levi and I need to enjoy the quiet while we can

Welp, I have a lunch meeting in a hour and my hair is a giant fluff ball. I need to get moving!

Have you guys seen any of the 2013 Best Picture nominees?  Any recommendations?

Have a wonderful weekend, all!

Little Victories

Hey-oh. It's Thursday and I have big news, guys.

I have finally reached more than 1,000 followers on Pinterest.

 This may seem like nothing to some of you, but this is the best thing that's happened to me all week.

It's the little things.

In other little big news?
I went for a run on Tuesday and didn't feel like I wanted to die.  Actually, I wanted to keep going.
Y'all. This is huge. HUGE.
Couch to 5K is working.

I literally said "YEAH" out loud as this #selfie was taken. Painfully awkward.

Now it's your turn. What's been the highlight of your week? Big or small -- I just like hearing good news.

Ready, set, GO!

2013 Resolutions

Yes, this is a New Year Resolutions post. I'm such a cliche. 

THINGS THAT I MAY OR MAY NOT DO IN 2013

RUN A 10K RACE

This one scares me.  At this moment, I can't run a mile without stopping to walk.  I go through phases of working out, but I've always wanted to be a runner.  I recently started the Couch to 5K program.  Everybody needs to start somewhere right?  So far, so good.

DRINK MORE WATER

The more I drink, the better I feel.

BECOME TRULY DEDICATED TO A GOOD SKINCARE ROUTINE

I noticed my first fine lines this year*. ACK.  After a mini meltdown (complete with a vodka-powered Google search for local Botox offices**), I sobered up and  decided such drastic measures probably weren't necessary at this point.  I did some more research and purchased some skincare products to reverse some damage and prevent future wrinkles. I'm loving my current routine and I've already noticed some results!  That alone is enough motivation for me to keep it up.

*Can I get preachy for a second?  If you go to the tanning bed, STOP.  If you don't wear sunscreen, START. My dumb self ignored both pieces of this advice for so long, hence my current predicament.

**Dr. McFadden is apparently the best of the best.  You're welcome, Upstate readers.

MAKE MORE MEALS AT HOME

Save money and be healthy? I'm in. Plus, Pinterest has so many recipes that I'm dying to try.

Follow my "Foodie" board on Pinterest by clicking here.
(I always try and add a comment with a quick yay/nay once I've tried a recipe, too!)

AND LAST BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST...

buy this print here

All day, erry day

Happy 2013, y'all!  What are your resolutions?