OOTD: Casual Wear

This weekend was FANTASTIC and I'm sad to see it go. After the gym on Saturday I met one of my favorite  besties for brunch. I'm ALWAYS running late, so I only had 15 minutes to shower and get ready. I did my makeup in the car. I know that it's dangerous but I'm actually really good at it AND would consider myself a pro at applying my makeup without looking.

Here is the outfit that I rushed to put together:

{OOTD: Outfit of the day}

 

For me comfort is key.  I guess that I would consider my look tomboy chic.  When I

feel under dressed or like my outfit is a little blah I always

feel like red lipstick makes it better, lol.  It makes me

feel prissy and pretty.

 



I had to wear my hair in a bun because it was a hot arse mess. I prefer to wear it down

but "it" (my hair) decided not to behave so to  prevent myself from

looking like Musaffah from The Lion King.... I had to pull it up.



{jacket: Marshall's, Shirt: American Eagle men's dept, jeans: American Eagle, Boots: so old that I can't remember,
Necklace: Aldo, Earrings:F21}

How Would You Describe Your Style?

The Weekend

Here are some  Instagram  photos from the weekend.....

1. I hit the gym early Saturday morning...to my surprise every  member of my gym also decided to wake up early and go to the gym. That place was packed.  Good thing that I didn't look super busted like I normally do on Saturday mornings.  I worked out my triceps, chest, and abdominal muscles.

2. The clerk at Trader Joe's talked me in to buying this Crunchy Cookie Butter.....it is so good y'all, but I'm throwing it out tonight because there are 50 grams of fat in one serving & 5 grams of sugar. I lack willpower and I know that I will eat the whole thing if I keep it.

3.  Best news this week is that  Ben & Jerry's just came out with Greek Frozen Yogurt. Now,  I don't have to feel super guilty about eating my favorite Strawberry Shortcake ice cream.

4. Saturaday night we went out for drinks & snacks with our friends.  I was trying out the Self Timer iPhone App.

5.  Our dang dryer started smoking and making funny noises so I had to go to the laundromat.  The Beau if leaving on a business trip tomorrow so I had to do laundry.....if he wasn't going out of town I probably would've just left the laundry until we got the dryer fixed.  The only good thing about the laundromat is that you can wash multiple loads at once.

 

What did you do this weekend?

 

Did you Workout?

Buckwheat Banana Pancakes

iPhone photo

I made these Buckwheat pancakes Sunday and they were pretty good.  Pancakes are one of my favorite foods  and I have yet to find a good  healthy substitute that tastes the same as the original.  I blame Aunt Jemima for making her pancake mix and syrup's taste so dang good.  If it wasn't for the sweet bananas I'm sure that the pancakes would have tasted extremely bland....so if you are going to use Buckwheat I suggest that you add some type of fruit to the batter or maybe even Stevia.

 

 

 

 What is Your Favorite Healthy Pancake Recipe?

My Vitamin D Fix

Cabin fever was getting to me so I had to get out of the house today. The beau and I took our dogie  for a walk. The weather here in N.C. is so cray sometimes.  One day it's 70 degrees and the next it's pouring freezing rain or snow, but the weather was perfect today. 

It felt great to soak up the sun..

I can't believe that I STILL have this nasty cold, and to make matters worse I've been without a voice for two days...TWO freaking days y'all!!  This is the first time that I have ever had laryngitis and it sucks balls.  The beau thinks that it's funny though.

Originally, we planned to walk to CVS so that I could get some medicine but on the way there we passed this HUGE cemetery and decided to walk there. We walked about two miles.

{awe, so cute}

Bri dog loved the cemetery. We even let her run around off of her leash for a bit.

Normally, stuff like this would freak me out (dead people) but it was actually really relaxing. I can't wait to do it again.

 

What did you do this weekend?

Did you workout?

 

Aunt Barbara's Cough Syrup

 For the past couple days I've been in bed with an awful cough, runny nose ,and a sore throat. I've been coughing like I smoke a carton of Marlboro Red's daily and I sound like Big Ang from the reality TV show Mob Wives.  I was desperate to feel better so I sent out a mass message to my family requesting a natural remedy to help me get over this nasty cough.  A few of my cousin's requested that I try my Aunt Barbara's Cold Remedy and I'm grateful that I did.  I immediately started to feel better...Holler!

Here is the recipe if you want to give it a try:

You are supposed to heat the mixture & take 1-2 tablespoons every 3 hours!

What is your favorite cold remedy?

Spanish Style Salad

Today  was a true rest day for me. I wasn't feeling well so I slept the whole freakin' day. I missed church and the gym because I just couldn't get my butt out of bed. Totally not productive at all, AND I still have a humongous To-do list to complete. I hate sleeping in because I always wake up feeling lazy & like I wasted the day away.
Since I skipped the gym today (not on purpose), I decided to decrease my carbohydrate intake. For dinner I came up with this tasty Spanish Style Salad recipe.....

Recipe:

brown LEAN ground beef in a medium sauce pan.

season beef with sea salt, black pepper, and one tablespoon of crushed garlic

Franks hot sauce

add in a can of washed Organic Black Beans

 

In a separate sauce pan...

add a teaspoon of Coconut oil

Chopped turkey sausage

Onion

Red, green, and yellow pepper slices

 

mix both pans together and serve over a bed of Romain Lettuce!

 

 

This salad was dripping with flavor. It totally didn't "taste" healthy which is great. I suggest adding onion, peppers, and garlic to your healthy meals so that they don't taste bland.

The 411: Coconut Oil

{image: honeyla.com}

If you have been paying any attention to  the news lately I'm sure that you have heard a lot of talk about coconut oil and how it cures just about everything.  I currently use coconut oil on my hair, skin, and nails.  It's the perfect moisturizer and it's not too greasy like other oils that I have tried in the past.  I've even started substituting coconut oil in place of EVOO or margarine in the kitchen. Here is a recipe where I used coconut oil.

Health Benefits of Coconut Oil:

Weight loss
Reverses some of the affects of Alzheimer’s
Prevents Hair Breakage
Nail Growth
Eczema
Type 1 &2 Diabetes
Bacterial Infections and Viruses
Helps to fight off yeast, fungus, and candida

Have you tried coconut oil?

Super Delicious Detox Drink

I am extremely excited and thrilled to introduce you to the beautiful Mawiyah
from the lovely blog Packing Rainbows! 
Her lifestyle blog is absolutely amazing!
She shares a TON of healthy recipes, awesome stories about motherhood,
photography, and so much more.
 Please do yourself a favor and check her out here...I promise that you won't regret it!Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Meet Mawiyah.... isn't she so pretty!



CINNAMON - APPLE CIDER - CAYENNE PEPPER DETOX DRINK



Don't you just love Jin?

That smile is contagious and who doesn't love a girl who's all about keepin' it tight. Amen.

Raise your hand if the Holidays were filled with way too many cookies. I stand by each and every over indulgence and might I add I just might repeat it at the end of this year. But alas, enough is enough! Raise your hand if this blank slate we call 2013 has got you itching to get back to business! Hello, Valentines Day is right around the corner. This detox will help us all get back to our sweet spot. Be warned - this drink looks innocent enough, but don't let it's good looks fool you.
  It packs a powerful punch!

 here are the steps that you will need to follow to make your own yummy detox drink.......

Detox, energy, glowing skin - this drink has you covered! Spicy and sweet - try this first thing in the a.m. - your day will thank you! I'd love to meet you! Stop on by Packing Rainbows and say hello!

XOXO Mawiyah

I'm Sassy

 

 

I went back home this weekend to visit my family and to hang out with

my best friend who just had her first baby.  It's funny because after holding a newborn

all weekend, I have a small case of baby fever.  Newborns are so darn precious, and they smell delicious.

 

Saturday morning my little sister and I headed to the gym for an early morning workout.

My little sister is 21 and has an amazing body.  She can eat whatever she wants and not gain a ounce I hate her. I told her that once she turns 25, things are going to change.  Those hamburgers are going to start to stick to her and she won't be able to drink like a fish.  Her thighs will also get looser.  At least that's what happened to my body.  

What Age did you notice your body change?

 

 

 

Anyhoo, here is my Saturday morning workout:

 

5 minute warm-up on the Elliptical

Incline bench press 3x12

Bench press 3x12

Dumbbell Shoulder Press 4x12

Upright rows 3x10

Lateral Raises 4x12

Front Raises 4x12

 

 

2013 Fitness Goals

I was checking out a fitness blog here and the writer outlined her 2013 fitness goals, I decided to do the same. I figured that by putting it out there in the blogverse, I would be able to hold myself accountable. So here goes......

What Are Some of Your Fitness Goals For 2013?


 

Bacon Wrapped Asparagus

 

Look What I Made for Dinner.......

 

 

I had some left over asparagus in the refrigerator so I decided to wrap them in turkey bacon. They

turned out to be delicious.....not too crunchy or too soft.  Muy Perfecto!

 

Now, I'm sure that the asparagus would have tasted better with REAL bacon (everything seriously tastes better with real bacon) but I had to make do with what I already had. Plus, I'm really trying to clean up my diet.  After going cray over the holidays and eating/drinking  everything in sight, I really need to start cutting back. 

{please excuse the grease...eek}



Easy Peasy Recipe:

Wash your asparagus (I always wash EVERYTHING even if it says pre-washed)
Pat the asparagus dry
spray pan with PAM
wrap one slice of bacon around each asparagus
add a pinch of sea salt &pepper
set oven to 400 degrees.....and cook for 20 minutes!


What did you make for dinner?

Happy 2013

{I rang in the New Year in style.....I found these random glasses and decided to wear them most of the night}

Happy New Year!

I hope that you all had a fantastic night.

Personally, I've been in bed all day surfing the net and watching TV.

It's been raining all day, which is perfect for my lazy day.

 

I'm so excited about 2013,  you should be too!