My Secret To Being A Golden Goddess

Wish you could be a golden goddess over the Memorial Day holiday? You're only a few steps away!

Check out my video below to discover my secret to a year round glow and for getting a seamless self tanning experience! xoxo

Interested in getting your own? Here's where I found mine:

Bronzing Mousse - St. Tropez Tanning Essentials

Hand Cleaner - Fast Orange

Olé!

In my house, Mexican night is one of our favorite dinners to have. In honor of Cinco de Mayo on Monday, I wanted to share a fun and easy recipe that I love to make: The Taco Salad Bowl.

 What you'll need:

• Meat - I used ground turkey.  You could use chicken, beef, shredded pork.
• Flour Wraps
• Vegetables - I used peppers, onion, tomato, shredded lettuce and cucumber
• Cilantro
• Limes
• Taco Seasoning - I used cheesy seasoning
• Shredded Cheese 
• Toppings -  Salsa, Sour Cream, Guacamole, Jalapenos

Substitutes/Additions:

• Black Beans
• Corn 

To make your bowl:

I use the Perfect Tortilla Pan Set (see below) - they're AMAZING!

Pan Set

Let's get cooking!

Start by cutting up your veggies.
 

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and layout your tortilla pans. Once preheated, place your tortilla into the pan and put into the oven for 7-10 minutes or until golden brown on the edges.

While your tortilla bowls cook, brown your meat.  Once fully cooked, drain the excess water. Add your taco seasoning and 3/4 of a cup of milk to the meat like so:

Once your meat is nice and cheesy, your taco bowl should be ready as well.  It's now time to make your salad! Add your lettuce, meat, veggies. Squeeze some lime over your salad. Sprinkle your cheese. Add your toppings - I put salsa, light sour cream and guacamole on mine. Garnish with cilantro.  Here's a picture of my dinner before I added my toppings:

Pair your salad with Spanish rice or another side such as black beans or corn. And don't forget to wash it down with a margarita! I broke out my Skinny Girl :)

While you're enjoying your Mexican fiesta and cocktail this weekend - don't forget to wear your best Derby hat.  I'll be sporting one of my mine! xoxo

Let’s get our beach bodies ready!

If you’re anything like me, your diet went right out the window Easter weekend.  Those damn Cadbury eggs and chocolate bunnies get me every time!! 

With Memorial Day weekend and the kick off to summer just around the corner, I thought today’s post could be geared towards getting motivated, overall fitness, and showing off our best selves.

Below are my top 6 essentials (in no particular order) for getting into shape.  Let’s support each other in this get-fit journey and pack away those beach cover ups!  We’re ready to show off our best most healthy self!

The Outfit

Shirt - Sports Bra and Pants - Sneakers

Picking out the right outfit is key.  Having good support, feeling comfortable and wearing the right size is so important to optimizing your workouts.  A good outfit is also good motivation.  If you’re just starting out – it’s a reason to buy some new clothes.  Think about how great you feel when you put on a new piece of clothing – it changes your mindset! :)  Nowadays, they have so many great workout pieces, in a variety of colors, your options are endless. 

To start, it’s important to find a quality sports bra that offers the right support.  You don’t want to run the risk of tearing any ligaments and/or having your “girls” sag.  Lift those babies up in the right support bra – I promise you’ll notice a difference in your work out. 

Having the right sneakers is also very important.  As you work out, you need to have the right shoes.  You don’t want to run the risk of your hurting your feet or causing injury to other parts of your body.

The right shirt/tank top and pants/shorts is key.  When you’re exercising you don’t want to be tugging and pulling at your clothing. If you are, you won’t be as effective in your workout.  

A Good Playlist

Having the right playlist is essential.  Think to yourself – what music makes me want to get out of my seat and dance? Make sure whatever song(s) just came to mind is on your playlist!  

Music has the ability to empower you through that last mile of the race, last minute on the elliptical or last song in cardio class.

Here are a few songs that appear on my playlist, and that get my booty in gear:

• Pharrell Williams - Happy
• Robin Thicke - Blurred Lines
• Pitbull  - Shake Señora
• Kid Rock - All Summer Long
• Carly Rae Jepsen - Call Me Maybe
• Dave Matthews - What Would You Say
• Cascada - Evacuate The Dancefloor
• Black Eyed Peas – I’ve Got a Feeling 
• Shakira -  Hips Don’t Lie
• Aretha Franklin - Respect

Variety

Switch it up!  Do not do the same workout day in and day out.  Your body will get use to the workout and you will not see the results that you were hoping for.  For me, I combine running, walking and taking gym classes (Zumba and Kickboxing). Interval training is also a great option, see some examples here: Womens Health Magazine

If you run one day, work with weights the next.  Another great source for variety is “on demand”.  If your cable provider offers an “on demand” feature, often times they have a fitness section. From dancing, to your core, to total body, there are a ton of fitness options for FREE!  These programs also vary in length from 8 minutes to 1 hour.  There is something for everyone. 

A Good Support System

Find support in your friends and family.  Having a gym buddy is a great way to get fit.  You act as motivation for each other and can share in the accomplishments of your weight loss / getting fit.  

Can’t find a gym buddy?  No sweat!  Share your goals. Call a friend or post to your social network your plans.  This keeps you accountable. 

For me, I also find motivation in things that I read.  Quotes like the below keep me going.  Print them out and read them when you need that extra push:

Eating Right 

Working out is very important, but you won’t see the results you want if you don’t pair working out with the right food. 

This point needs its own post as there are so many ideas for eating right.  To start, look to the internet for great ideas.  There are a ton of fun recipes out there.  Eating healthy doesn’t have to be boring. 

  

Here are a few resources to get your healthy chef juices flowing:

• Pinterest
• The Food Network 
• Cooking Light 
• Fab Fit Fun

One last healthy eating tip, write down everything you eat and drink.  You will be surprised at what you intake in a course of a day.  This will help you make observations about the type of food/drink you’re having, how many calories you are consuming, and will help to identify changes you need to make.

Goals 

Whether it is to be a certain weight or to fit in an old pair of jeans – keeping your goals in sight is important to your fitness success.  

Also remember that when you're starting out your goals don’t have to be huge.  Make small, attainable goals that will eventually lead you to your overall end goal. 

For me, my goal was to run a 5k.  I am by no means a runner so this was a large goal for me.  I started making small goals for myself. Run a ½ a mile, run one mile, etc. until I eventually worked my way up to a 5k (3.2 miles).  Signing up for a road race was also great motivation.  Knowing I had committed myself to a race, forced me into training. If running 5k is also a goal of yours, the Color Run is a great 5k  (http://thecolorrun.com/) to start with.  It’s a fun, less competitive road race for all ages. Below is a picture of my first 5K Color Race with my Aunt. I am also taking part in the Boston run this May with my girlfriends!

Last but not least – don’t forget to treat yourself for any small and big wins you make while on your fitness journey.  Buy yourself something new or treat yourself to something good.  Once in a while it is okay to cheat on your diet. Whether it’s having a small piece of chocolate or a glass of wine.  These are all okay as long as it is in moderation.

I hope you found these tips helpful!  Are there any other tips you use to stay motivated?  I’d love to hear from you.  Let’s add to this list and support each other!  Happy exercising Chickies! xoxo

Sweet Tooth Saturday!

Happy Saturday! I hope you are having a wonderful spring weekend. For today's post, I wanted to share an easy and fun Easter dessert for you to share with your friends and family (of all ages). Break out that apron and let's get our sweet tooth on!

To begin you will need:

• Peeps - any color, any shape
• Sprinkles - any kind (the Nonpareils were my favorite to work with)
• Candy Melts - any flavor (I did white, orange, and milk chocolate)
• Cookie Sticks or Colored Straws (I used color straws)

Step 1:

Prep your bowls with the chocolate melts (use a separate bowl for each color melt) and your sprinkles.

Step 2: 

Heat up your chocolate for 1 minute in the microwave, stir, and reheat for 30 seconds.  You don't want to overcook the chocolate.

Step 3:

Dip the end of your cookie stick/straw into the melted chocolate.

Step 4:

Stick the chocolate end into the bottom of the peep. Then, dip as little or as much of the peep into the melted chocolate. Once covered in chocolate, pour on your sprinkles.

Step 5:

Prop the peeps upright for the chocolate to harden.

Check out the finished product:

Easy, right? If you're in a scramble to figure out what to bring to an Easter get together this weekend, I hope this helps.  Have a great holiday Peeps! ;) xoxo

Romantic Up-Do

Happy Saturday! I have the perfect hair style to share with you for whatever your plans may be.  Last weekend we talked products.  This week let’s create a romantic up-do using some of those items.  Here is a picture of the finished style:

Let’s get started on yours (video below)! xoxo

 PS. This is my first EVER tutorial so please ignore the major dork moments that happen throughout the video.  My videos can only get better from here...right?? (haha)