Easy Tips to be Healthy-er

Ok so let's be real. I am not the healthiest person in the world. I will never be a nutritionist, I will never be in a fitness magazine, and I will never wear a crop top (for multiple reasons). But I have realized something in the past year... when I binge on ice cream and pizza and the most exercise I get is pressing yes when Netflix asks if I'm still watching, it only feels good for a few days. After the initial goodness is over I usually feel like death. I gain weight, I feel tired at all times, and I snap at everyone.

For this reason I have developed a few things that work for me to make me feel better in general. Like I said, I'm no nutritionist, but these things help me, and I hope they will help you too.

Don't Eat Two Hours Before Bed

This one you probably have heard before, for good reason. It's pretty simple. Food=energy, and you don't need very much energy to sleep. So that excess is stored and turns into fat. How do you stop that from happening? Simply, don't eat too close to bedtime. If you are too hungry and can't stand it, eat only something small. For example a few veggies and some hummus, or a few of these baked peas, I'm in love with them. An additional bonus to not eating at night is that I wake up more hungry in the morning, which is when you should be eating the most anyway. 

Don't have an "All or Nothing" Attitude

Real talk: It's hard to stick to a healthy lifestyle. Sometimes Netflix, pizza, ice cream days are going to happen. My struggle is feeling like when I have a setback, it's the end of my routine all together. Don't feel that way! Just think about it logically for a minute. Having one bad day and the next day getting back on track is much better than having a bad year. Not working out, but eating healthy is better than binging on Doritos for dinner. Binging on Doritos after a workout is better than binging on Doritos before bed. Little steps add up, don't trick yourself into giving up! You will see results eventually, but if you give up you won't, so stick it out, even if you have a bad day.

Also, don't feel like you have to change your entire lifestyle in one day. Start with whatever you think will be the easiest for you and add more changes in a little at a time. This will add to your sanity and make a new program easier to stick with in the long run. 

Don't Workout to be Skinny

I confess, skinny is an ever elusive dream of mine. Sometimes it's the only reason I try. But usually the times I try and fail are bigger setbacks than anything else. I'm going to rant for a second, skip to the next paragraph if you don't want to hear it. Society today is based around looks, and the "right" look today is a tiny waist, huge butt, clear skin, the list goes on and on. Well it's just not realistic for the average woman. If you are skinny, people wish they were you. Good for you. If you are fat, you are well fed and have curves to be envied! Good for you. If you are average, you are at a good medium. That's awesome! Let's not try to force our bodies into a mold they don't fit into. It's not healthy. Let's be corny and realistic and say that the true beauty is on the inside, and if you have a beautiful heart that's all you need. Being healthy is not about how you look, but how you feel. 

Ok I'm done. The truth is that if you try to be healthy for the wrong reasons, it likely will not last. Workout to feel good, and along with it the best look for you will follow. 

Follow a "Healthy Lifestyle" Community

Let's admit it. You need support to accomplish big things in your life. Yes you can do anything you set your mind to, but I don't think anyone really can deny that support makes everything a lot easier. You know what else makes things easier? Motivation. It's hard to do anything if you aren't motivated to do it. These two things lead me to say that you need a community to help you in your healthy journey. 

Ok, I confess. I didn't believe in this for a very long time. It's still a little hard for me. But when I don't want to work out and I look at pictures of supportive people who are struggling too, or who have accomplished what I am trying to accomplish, it helps to motivate me. So give it a try and you might be surprised how much help it can be. 

My favorite community is the Blogilates community. I have not yet found a person who is mean or unsupportive, and the community is very involved. Also Cassey Ho is pretty much my hero. She's amazing and inspiring and I love her. Check out her website here.

Find Something Active that you Love

I am not an active activity person. I enjoy sitting on the couch watching Gilmore Girls for six hours in a row when I have a day off. So when I married one of the most active people on the planet it was quite a change for me. 

No, I am not saying that I am now an active person. But living with a sports person has taught me that I don't hate ALL active things, in fact, I actually like some of them. For example, ultimate frisbee is amazing, and I could play all of the time. It also turns out to be exercise, which I need more of.

What I'm getting to is this... if you hate going to the gym, don't go to the gym. Find something else that you actually like and do that instead. Rule of life #46 - if you hate something you won't do it for very long. If you haven't found that something yet, keep looking! I guarantee that if I can find something, so can you. Try something you haven't done before, you might be surprised. If I had never tried frisbee I never would have known that I love it. Try rock climbing (another new favorite of mine), basketball, or find a YouTube workout channel. Once again I go back to Blogilates. I'm not sponsored I just seriously love her. Cassey puts out a free workout calendar every month to videos you can get on YouTube, and they're actually really fun and effective. Sign up for the calendar here.

Keep Track of What you Eat

How many of us are guilty of bored or stressed eating? (Raises hand with emphasis) The truth is that we all do it sometimes. "I just want one" quickly turns in to "I can't believe I ate the whole bag," and to be honest, this is bad even with "healthy" snacks. Calories add up before you even realize that you've eaten them. 

I have heard it said many times that you should keep a food diary. I'm sorry, I can't force myself to keep a journal of food. If you can, do it. But for me it is easier to count calories. I use the app "My Fitness Pal" but there are others such as "Lose It" which I have seen people use and it seems just fine. 

If you aren't sure, or even if you hate the idea, do me a favor and try it for just a couple of days. If you still hate it then stop doing it, but I think you will be surprised how much more we eat in a day than we think. Even if you don't stick 100% to the calorie intake you should be at, knowing what you are taking in is the first step to making smarter choices.

Drink More Water

I used to hate drinking water. Soda was my friend and when it wasn't soda it was gatorade. Then, when I was about 19, I got kidney stones. I cannot describe to you how bad the pain was. I thought I might die right then and there. Actually I think I wished I would die instead of the pterodactyl that was ripping its claws through my kidneys until I vomited. Ok, a little dramatic, but you get the point. After that day, I swore my love to water. 

Soda is anti-healthy, no exaggeration. Fun Fact - Coca Cola is used in some applications to give a rough finish to concrete, because its properties literally melt off the top layer covering the aggregate. I don't know about you, but I do not want a layer of my stomach melted off. Water, on the other hand, makes up most of our bodies, it is natural, and we need it to survive. If we drink enough of it, it will help wash away toxins in our bodies and reduce bloating, ultimately reducing our weight as well. 

At first it can be hard to get used to drinking enough water. The first reason for this is that you will pee a lot, and it can be annoying. Eventually, however, your body will adjust and it will not be as frequent. The other reason it can be hard is that some people really just do not like water. If this is you don't worry. Try starting with something like unsweetened (or lightly sweetened if you really need it) green tea and water it down a little every day. You will get used to it eventually. 

What I like to do is fill a tumbler with iced green tea in the morning and keep adding water when it gets to half empty throughout the day. I actually think it's easier to drink enough water if I make it in a tumbler with ice and a straw and sip on it through the day. Do whatever works the best for you. 

I hope at least one of these can help you out in your journey to health! Let me know in the comments which one you find the most helpful, and don't forget to sign up to get emails every time I post something new for you. Until next time!

Spicy Garlic Cream Cheese

Fun fact about Veronica #38 - Once when I was about ten years old my Dad made spaghetti. Now my Dad is actually an excellent cook, don't get me wrong. I enjoy his food very much. But this one time he made spaghetti he decided to put 6 habanero peppers in the sauce. I don't think my stomach has ever been quite the same since then. 

Needless to say, I grew up in a spicy food family. My Mom is spanish, my Dad eats like he's spanish, and my husband will put Tapatio on ice cream if it feels right that day. So it probably shouldn't surprise you that my mom has recently discovered Philadelphia's Spicy Jalapeño flavored cream cheese and we absolutely love the stuff. 

Well, we are almost out of it. And I had a giant tub of regular cream cheese to play with leftover from some cream cheese frosting. What else would this mean besides me trying to make my own?

Now I might also mention that we are also a garlic family. We put it in everything, and frankly I blame the constant flow of Emeril Lagasse coming through my TV for most of my young life.

So if you are NOT a spicy food, garlic loving family, then I suggest you tone this recipe down a little. It has delicious flavors, but make them as strong or as weak as you prefer. This recipe is simply what me and my family love.

You can also make more at once if you prefer, but I suggest using a food processor to mix larger batches.

Recipe:

• 1 cup spreadable cream cheese
• 4 serrano peppers (jalapeños if you prefer, I just use whatever is on hand)
• 5 cloves garlic
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• olive oil

Directions:

• Roast Peppers (see below), scrape out ribs and seeds, and chop into scoopable pieces. You don't want the pieces too big or else it will make this dip harder to eat. If you like it more spicy, take out the seeds (They don't have a good texture), but leave in the ribs. This is where the heat is. They are very easy to remove, simply drag the back of your knife over them and they should come out. Also, the black pieces on the outside add flavor to the recipe, so there is no need to scrape them off. 
• Sautee garlic in a little olive oil until tender, then chop finely.
• Mix all ingredients into the cream cheese.

It's seriously that easy. And delicious. I suggest serving with pita chips or Triscuts. But you could also put this on a toasted bagel and have a pretty stinkin' good breakfast. 

To store, simply put in a small tupperware and take out however much you need at a time. It will last about how long the cream cheese you started with will last. 

If you have never roasted peppers before, don't worry. It's probably the most simple process ever. 

For Gas Stoves:

Simply set your burner to high and use a long pair of tongs to hold the pepper over the flame, rotating as it the pepper burns. Don't worry when it turns black, that's what you want. It does not have to be completely burnt, but remember that the more of the pepper is green, the less cooked it will be, and for this recipe we want nice, tender pieces of serrano. 

For Electric Stoves:

Unfortunately, the roasting trick for gas stoves does not work with electric ones. But don't worry! I've got you covered! Also, if you roast your peppers this way, you can throw your garlic in with them and get similar results as you would from sautéing. 

Simply coat a baking sheet with olive oil, and place the jalapeno's and garlic on. Turn your oven on to broil and allow your peppers and garlic to cook on the top rack until they are tender.  

I really hope you enjoy this recipe! Let me know if you try it out and what you think!!

Until next time!

My Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies

What's up my friends? Sorry for not posting this week. It was my anniversary Friday (5 YEARS Y'ALL!!!) And I've been stupid busy... But I'll try not to do that to you again :)

So I've had a baking itch lately. I guess it's a cooking itch in general. But something about putting batter in the oven and getting a delicious sweet gooey thing back out gets me every time. Thank goodness for chemical reactions.

I have a soft spot for chocolate chip cookies. I think the soft spot comes from growing up with a constant yellow tub of tollhouse cookie dough in my refrigerator so that whenever a chocolate craving hit all I had to do was scoop a couple (dozen) onto a cookie sheet and I was in business. Now that I've had a few different types of scratch made cookies I've realized that there is life after tollhouse cookie dough tubs. So here is my FAVORITE recipe at the moment for chocolate chip cookies and also how to freeze them so that you can have quick access anytime you just need some fresh made gooey goodness in your life.

Recipe

The original recipe I found on Pinterest, here's the link adventuresofmel Check her out, her blog is AMAZING!  (PS... Pinterest I love your guts. Follow me here) 

Here's my version

Ingredients

• 2 cups butter
• 1.5 cups granulated sugar
• 1.5 cups light brown sugar
• 4 eggs
• 4 tsp. vanilla extract
• 4.5 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 2 tsp. salt (Yes it's alot. Mel is apparently a genius because its SO good.)
• 3 cups chocolate chips
• 2.5 cups crushed walnuts (If you want. If not, add more chocolate chips)

Instructions

• Pre-heat your oven to 375° and grab the BIGGEST bowl you have. I'm not kidding.
• I use sticks of butter and microwave it to make combining easier, usually 30 seconds gets the job done. You don't want it completely melted, but soft enough to combine with sugar. Once its to the desired constancy mix in both sugars with a whisk until thoroughly combined.  
• Switch to a rubber spatula and mix in eggs and vanilla. A whisk is too clingy and will make mixing more difficult. 
• Add flour, baking soda, and salt. The original recipe calls for sifting. To be honest I just dump the ingredients in, and I still like the result.
• Mix in chocolate chips and walnuts.
• Use two spoons to drop cookies onto cookie sheet. They should be about 2 inches apart or they will clump together.
• Bake at 375° for 12-14 minutes. Start checking them around 11 minutes, cooking time will vary depending on how big your cookies are.
• Remove cookies from oven and allow to cool. Or eat them warm with milk (My favorite)

Now you will notice that I'm having you make A TON of cookie dough. Why, you ask?? 

Well... remember that tub of tollhouse cookies we were talking about? I'm helping you make your own. If you don't want to freeze your dough, make half the recipe and bake them all that day. But as for me, I don't care if it's harder to mix more dough, I want to make dough once and bake as many times as I can.

To freeze dough is easy. Here's how I do it. 

• Line a cookie sheet with waxed paper.
• Make the rest of your dough into 1" round balls.
• Place on lined cookie sheet, close together but not touching.
• Freeze for 1-2 hours.
• Take cookie sheet out of freezer and transfer frozen dough to an airtight ziplock bag. 
• Store for as long as it takes you to bake them off. 

I personally am in love with freezing dough since my family can go through cookies like nobody's business and they are never as good as they are on the day they come out of the oven.

To bake the frozen dough simply take out however many you want, place on a cookie sheet like you would the fresh dough and bake for a little longer than you would the fresh. The frozen cookies may be a little more round than the original cookies you baked, but they are just as delicious. If you don't like the shape, simply take them out halfway through baking and push the dough down before letting the baking complete.  

Thanks for reading! Let me know if you guys try these out and if you love them as much as I do!

7 Tips to Get of the Door Quickly and Not be a Mess

What's up my friends?

So for about a year I was doing volunteer work in New York that required me to get out of the door at 5:30 AM Monday-Friday. Guess what time I set my alarm for every morning?

5:20. Nope, not kidding.

When I tell people this they usually ask me if I slept in my clothes. The answer is no... but I thought about it.

I want to share with you a few tips I've discovered along the way to get out of the door faster and not look like a disaster.

Tip 1- Shower at Night

Ok this is the most obvious of all 7 tips. Showers take a long time. Especially when it's 5 AM and the warm water is just an extension of that warm bed it was already so hard to get out of. Don't do that to yourselves guys. Just shower the night before. It saves time and will power, and gives you less time to ponder why in the world you would ever agree to get up this early. 

Side Point:

I don't recommend skipping washing your face in the morning. It causes me to break out when I skip this step. But to make the things that actually are necessary in the morning easier...

Keep your stuff in the same (easily accessible) place every day

There is nothing worse or more time consuming in the morning that not being able to find your shoes, or your purse, or your bra. 

For toiletries like face-wash and deodorant, I keep a basket under my sink so I don't have to search. 

Tip 2- Pack an Overnight Bag

So in my experience, I never really have time to go home after work if I'm doing something fun that night. As you can guess I have been to more restaurants than I care to in my work clothes. I have finally figured out how to fix this.

Keep a bag in your car with stuff you might need

I usually will have a pair of jeans and a slightly fancy shirt, also a change of undergarments, socks, and sometimes shoes. Another good thing you can do is go somewhere like Wal-Mart and pick up a "travel size toiletry kit." These can be a life-saver, usually containing deodorant, a mini toothbrush and toothpaste, shampoo, and the like. You can't even imagine how many times I have been so glad I had it with me. I customize mine by buying other travel items when I see ones I like better, but I recommend starting with the kit and seeing what you actually use out of it.

Here's a link to the one I got at Wal-Mart-
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Convenience-Kits-Woman-On-The-Go-9-Piece-Travel-Set/16940568

Why is this a time saving tip for the morning?? Have you ever remembered at the last minute that you needed to take a change of clothes???

Thats why.

Tip 3- Keep a Planner

Want to know something about me? I stress. I stress a lot. Usually I stress over things that aren't even stressful. For example... "I can't sleep because I have to much to do in the morning."

Because of this I keep a planner. And a to-do list. And I keep it by my bed. This way when I can't sleep because I think I will forget what I need to do, I write them down. Then in the morning I can just look at my planner and know, without spending needless time trying to collect those thoughts from the night before, what needs to be done.

This tip helps in the morning, but also in everyday life. For me personally, when I write something down it saves me so much worry. If you aren't sure if this will work for you, I recommend starting with a to-do list, if you like the results try a planner. Mine was a gift, and I absolutely love it. Here's a link if you like it too.
http://www.lillypulitzer.com/product/large-agenda-tusk-in-sun/8295.uts

Tip 4- Invest in a Kuerig 

Now, when I did volunteer work for that year, coffee was provided for me every day, thank goodness. But now that I'm back to normal people life where you have to get up and make your own coffee every day, I am learning to appreciate the value of a Keurig. 

Yes, its more expensive, I'm not going to lie to you. K-cups add up. But if I can get a great single cup of coffee in under 5 minutes, I'm going to say it's 100% worth it. 

All you have to do is put in a K-cup, press the button, and go about your business. If you have a travel mug it's even better. Simply start the coffee when you wake up and grab your coffee on the way out. How easy is that? 

I'm pretty sure we got our Keurig at Costco, but they sell them just about everywhere now. Here's a link to one at Target if you're interested. 

http://www.target.com/p/keurig-2-0-k200-coffee-maker-brewing-system/-/A-16934541#prodSlot=medium_1_1&term=keurig

Tip 5- Overnight Oats

Ok so I also had breakfast provided every morning in New York. But like I said, back to normal (self-breakfast making) life again. As you can probably tell by now, my biggest defense against the morning is doing everything at night instead. Breakfast is no exception. 

I think overnight oats have literally changed my life. I hate hot oatmeal, I really REALLY hate it. And overnight oats look a little like baby food when you open them for the first time. But they're absolutely delicious. And you can customize them any way you so desire. Apples and cinnamon, banana and peanut butter, blueberry, anything you want!!! And in the morning all you have to do is take them from the fridge and throw them in your bag for when you have time to eat them. 

Also, contrary to popular belief, you can do this even if you don't own a mason jar with a lid. It works just as well in a small tupperware. Even if mason jars are way more cute.  Also, the oats balloon up over night, so try small proportions first. It gets hard to finish if you put too many oats. 

My favorite recipe right now is as follows:

1/4 cup Coach's Oats

1/8 cup Chia Seeds

1/2 cup Vanilla Almond Milk

1/8 cup Blueberry Greek Yogurt

1/4 cup Frozen Blueberries

Tip 6- Pack a "Travel Makeup Bag"

I'm going to level with you guys really quick. Before I started doing this I showed up to work looking scary more days than I didn't. I mean come on, who really thinks about makeup at 5:30 AM? If you do, I applaud you, but I my friend, do not. 

But here's the problem. I think about makeup once I get to work and I look like a train hit me on the way. Solution? Pack it with you. 

I have a makeup bag that is ONLY for keeping in my backpack/purse/overnight bag/whatever I have that day. This is honestly my number one tip for you guys, it saves my face more often than not. I don't always have time to do makeup in the morning, but I can usually put it on in the car, or after the day gets started I usually have a few minutes I can spare. It really only will take you 5 minutes if you have a small enough routine, and you can do it on a restroom break pretty much anywhere. 

When I started this it didn't go well. I was trying to use the same makeup I used on other occasions and I kept forgetting to switch it back into the proper bag. It was stupid. Eventually I went out and bought doubles of what I wanted in my "take with me" makeup bag. I recommend you do this. 

I DO NOT, however, recommend buying your favorite high-end brands for this. Why? Makeup melts, cracks, and gets messed up in ways you wouldn't even think of. Put it in a bag you might leave in an extremely hot or cold car, and that gets thrown in whatever direction you might feel like at the moment, and you have some makeup that isn't going to last as long as it could otherwise. So buy what you like, but not what you love. This is also a good place to use up those makeup samples that have been sitting in your cabinet, or those brands you bought but never use because you have one you like better. 

Here's what I keep in mine, If you would like more detail on the products I use in my "To Go Makeup Bag" Let me know... I will dedicate a post to it. 

Tip 7- Learn How to French Braid

I know... I know... The french braid is very intimidating. I didn't learn to do it until I was around 17, and I was scared to death. But I sure am glad that I learned.

French braids are great because they work for wet or dry, long or shorter hair, and you can make them work in pretty much any situation, from under a hard hat to a fancy dinner. 

Why is it time saving? Because I do them the night before. I have discovered that if I put a little product in my hair and braid it tightly before I go to bed, It turns into a loose braid in the morning that will last until I have time to redo it around lunch time. 

Why not try it? Braid your hair as tightly as you can at night and see what it does in the morning. I really like the messy effect it has. 

If you need some help in the "Learning to French Braid" department, here is a link to a video that has step by step instructions. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkmkNVQDUeU&noredirect=1

Ok those are my tips guys! Comment and let me know which one is most helpful for you! See you next week :)

Welcome!

I have a confession guys... I've never worn a pantsuit.

Actually...

I've never owned a pantsuit, Im pretty sure no one in my family has ever worn a pant suit, and I cant even figure out if pantsuit is one or two words.

And yet, I have survived, I have a job, and I even wear makeup. In fact, I like to watch videos about applying it.

But here's the problem guys.

Maybe I haven't looked hard enough through all of the "Kim Kardashian Contour Videos," but I cant seem to find anyone who can tell me how to wear my hair when I have to wear a hard hat all day. No one can tell me how to keep my feet from looking like I'm a 40 year old construction worker after walking in work boots all week, no one knows what kind of makeup you should wear when you clean someones million dollar home, and I'm 100% positive that I can't find a girl online that can keep her nails un-chipped after pouring concrete.

So here I am. The blue collar beauty girl.

Now shout out to the people who DO wear pantsuits (pant suits? pantsuites?? I give up)... I think you're BOSSES! So don't you leave either. Just because we don't have the same wardrobe doesn't mean we can't be friends. Im going to have a few "normal" beauty hacks, recipes, DIY's, and just some all around interesting stuff for anyone who wants it.

So let me know if you have any hacks you need me to try to find, if I don't know, I'll do my best to be your "trial and error" and maybe we will get some good results. If not, I'm sure we will get some funny ones.

I'm going to try to post twice a week... So stay tuned my friends!

Until next time...