Mother's Day Tea Party

 

 

 

 

In honor of Mother's Day this year I wanted to share some photos from the Mother's Day Tea Party Dinner that I hosted last year.  We celebrated with my mom, my grandma, and Steve's mom and it was such a memorable day.  They were all so grateful and it was so much fun to throw a party just for them. We made their favorite foods, had delicious desserts, and each of them got handmade personalized gifts. 

 

This year we are doing something a little more low key and just having dinner at our house with my mom.  We are planning to make this yummy Strawberry Rose Tart for dessert though!

 

Happy Mother's Day Mom...Love you!

 

Thanks for stopping by!

5 ways to Get Back on Track After a Binge

Hi Everyone!

As you may remember from this post, one of my New Year's Resolutions was to finish all 3 P90X programs by year end.  For the month of January I was doing really well with my workouts and noticed a big difference in my strength and endurance.  My nutrition was probably 85% on point, and most of my clothes were starting to fit a lot looser.

During the last weekend of January I started to cheat a little more with my meals.  The next week I cheated a little more, but still stuck to my workouts.  Then last week I missed 4 workouts and my eating was way off track.  I added up my calories for one of those days and it was around 4,000...yikes!!

Needless to say I got way off track, but am recommitting This week. I decided to start over with P90X and track my calorie intake and I am feeling much better about where I am on this journey. I'm getting my eating habits back on track in the meantime and am starting next Friday. I realize that this may happen to some of you as well, so I wanted to provide some helpful tips to get back on track after you've "fallen off the wagon".

 1) Don't Give Up:

Just because you fell off track does not mean you are a failure, so don't beat yourself up about it.  If anything feel proud about the fact that you identified the steps you are taking in the wrong direction and that you want to change it!  That means that you are already much further along than people who refuse to make changes, and accept these habits as a way of life.  Keep moving forward and don't look back!

2) Re-Visit Your Why's:

Think about why you wanted to make these changes in the first place.  Was it to fit into an old pair of jeans, feel more confident, get more healthy?  Whatever it may be, this will help motivate you again.  I always take a look at my before picture and that does it every time. 

3) Identify your Triggers:

Take some time to reflect and figure out why you were tempted to make unhealthier choices.  Was it a change in environment?  Too many potlucks at work?  Someone who is a bad influence?  For me it was lack of sleep and not being prepared with my meals for the next day.  Once you can pinpoint where you went wrong, it's easier to set yourself up for success in the future. 

4) Make a Plan:

"If you fail to plan then plan to fail." Once you know where you went wrong make a plan and stick to it.  If your trigger was driving past Krispy Kreme on your way to work, then plan to take a different route tomorrow. In my case I need to plan out my meals the day before, especially if I know that I am not getting enough sleep.  Grab an accountability partner, tell them your plan, and ask them to help you stick to it. 

5) Clear Out the Junk:

If you're anything like me during a binge, you start to sneak things in to your shopping cart that shouldn't be there.  You know, a bag of chips or a box of cookies here and there.  Go to your kitchen now and throw that stuff away! It's too hard to be tempted by it, especially after being in a more vulnerable state where your willpower is not as high. 

Hopefully these tips were helpful! I'll be posting an update of my progress every Friday as part of my own accountability plan, so stay tuned. 

What do you do to get back on track?

Thanks for stopping by!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Hi Everyone! Wishing you all a very Happy Valentine's Day filled with love, chocolate, and all things pink! We're keeping it pretty simple this year. We did a double date dinner with some of our friends last night. The restaurant had a special Valentine's Day menu with heart shaped appetizers and delicious desserts. This morning I made some pancakes for the first time along with bacon, eggs, and orange juice. Then we spent the day watching a bunch of chick flicks and eating chocolate covered strawberries. 

How did you spend your Valentine's Day? 

Thanks for stopping by!! 

Quick and Simple Pesto Recipe

Hi Everyone! Today I wanted to share a very simple recipe that is delicious and full of flavor! How many of you loooove pesto?  I love it on pizza, sandwiches, caprese salads, and so much more.  The funny thing is that I've never actually made it myself, but have always heard it's so easy.  Well this week I decided to give it a shot and I was so pleased with how it turned out. 

All you need is some oil, nuts, and fresh herbs.  You can use any combination you would like, but I went with olive oil, basil, and pine nuts. I was thinking a parsley version would be good with cashews, so I might try that next.  I didn't measure anything, but if you start with the herbs and nuts first you can add oil as you go for different consistency levels.  Mine ended up more thick, but it was perfect for a spread.  Next all you do is mix everything up in a food processor or blender and voila you have delicious homemade pesto! 

My new favorite breakfast is a slice of toast smeared with pesto and an over easy egg on top...it may look/sound strange, but I promise it is so delicious!

What is your favorite pesto combination? 

Thanks for stopping by!

My Favorite Lush Hair Care Products

Hi Everyone! I wanted to share the last bit of Lush products that I've tried.  These are all hair care products and I have some new favorites I'm excited to tell you about. 

Big:

The name says it all...this gives you big giant volumous hair and that is saying something for someone with flat fine hair like mine.  It has chunky pieces of sea salt in it and smells like beachy salt water too, which I like.  Just rub some in your hand to get some suds and then wash your hair like you would with any other shampoo.  Then condition as normal and let your hair air dry afterwards.  It will leave you with volume and beachy waves afterwards. 

 

Roots:

If you only buy one thing from Lush this should be it because this is a game changer.  So I've noticed over the past year that my hair is getting a lot thinner and that I'm losing a lot of hair.  My hair has always been thin, but I've had a lot of it.  My hairline over my forehead seemed to lose a lot of hair and it wasn't growing back anymore until now!  I have been using roots every two days and not washing my hair in between.  Think of this as a deep conditioner that you rinse out with shampoo.  You apply a little bit to your roots and massage it into your scalp.  I let it set while I finish my shower and then rinse out with the rehab shampoo below.  The result is a tingling scalp and smooth hair, which I let air dry.  When my hair is dry it has volume and shine and I have noticed little baby hairs growing again near my hairline...yay!!  My hair has seriously never felt more healthy and I totally love this stuff!

Shampoo Bars (Montalbano and Honey I washed my Hair):

Enter the amazing invention of shampoo bars! These are another saving grace for when I travel because they are solid, so I don't have to worry about the liquid oz. restriction for my carry on.  I am currently using the Honey I Washed my Hair which smells amazing and leaves my hair really shiny.  It pairs nicely with Roots as well.  All you do is wet it a little and rub in your hands to gather some suds.  Then use those suds to wash your hair like a normal shampoo. They have all kinds of different ones for different hair types as well. 

Rehab:

This is a regular shampoo, but does not have the same feel that other chemical filled shampoos have.  It's light, it's not sticky, and it leaves your hair feeling soft and smooth afterwards.  This one also has peppermint oil to stimulate hair growth as well, so it pairs perfectly with Roots.

Fairly Traded Honey:

This shampoo is another staple for sure.  It smell sweet like honey, but don't worry it's not as thick and sticky.  This also leaves your hair really shiny and smooth afterwards.  This is a good cleansing shampoo for those extra sweaty workout days. 

American Cream:

This conditioner smells sooooo sweet and amazing! I seriously bought it because of the smell and I actually really like it.  It pairs nicely with any of the Lush shampoos and is a lightweight conditioner that really hydrates your hair.  This one will definitely become a staple for me. 

R&B and Dirty ToothyTabs:

One awesome thing about my visit to the stores is that they give me samples if I want to try something.  I have the sample of the R&B conditioner to use on split ends and it's great.  You only need a tiny bit rubbed across your fingers and then apply it to your ends after styling.  It keeps them healthy and adds great shine.  I have not tried my tooth tabs yet, but you basically chew these and they'll sud up like regular toothpaste.  Then take your toothbrush and scrub like your normally would and then rinse.  I think it's such a cool idea, especially to travel with and I'm excited to try these. 

What do you think?  Which one of these products are you most excited to try?

Thanks for stopping by!