What I Eat In a Day

I'm back!  I can't believe its been almost a year since I've blogged!  Where has the time gone?

I decided to start with this post because its one of my favorites to read on others' blogs and watch on YouTube. It gives me some ideas and I just enjoy reading about it.  

I should preface this by stating that I have been doing the Whole30 for the past 23 days. If you're unfamiliar with the Whole30 I encourage you to read about it here.  I'm sure most of you have hard of pale before.  Basically, no grains, sugar, dairy, gluten, refined anything, soy, or anything processed or from a package except a few random things.  Everything all natural!  I've mostly been eating meat, fish, veggies, eggs, and fruit. If you're interested in completing one I recommend the book- It Starts With Food.  I've really enjoyed this way of eating.  But it has really taken a lot of the enjoyment out of my meals. I've just been eating to nourish my body rather than eating for entertainment.  I haven't eaten in a restaurant in several weeks other than the occasional Chipotle lunch in a pinch.  I plan on doing a full post on the Whole30 and my experience once it is over this weekend.

So on to what my typical day looks like in food!

Breakfast: 

-2 fried eggs with fresh eggs from the farmers market cooked in ghee

-A side of green beans- so random- but I try to eat veggies at each meal. Usually for breakfast I just have whatever veggies are left from the night before

-an orange

-a glass of ginger kombucha

I drink a ton of water all day. When I get to work I have either hot tea or coffee with coconut milk or homemade almond milk (tutorial coming).

-Around 10am I have one of my herbal supplement drinks: Solle Vital I will do a post on all of my herbal supplements soon

 Lunch:  forgot to snap a pic until almost done!
-salad with leftover chicken, avocado, strawberries, dill, and a boiled egg
-baked sweet potato with ghee

I had to run to Home Goods at lunch to return something and I found these snacks.  I love stuff like this. I ended up eating this whole bag. Both have only fruit as the ingredients.  No added sugar!

 And 2 pieces of this:

 Around 2:00 I got hungry and had this:

When I got home around 5 I was starving!  I randomly ate a boiled egg and drank some water to hold me over.  Then dinner was not my favorite. I actually ended up throwing half of it way because it just wasn't good.

Dinner:

-Tuna steak marinated in coconut aminos, ginger, cilantro, and green onion

- sautéed cabbage and sweet potatoes

Then after dinner I had a big spoonful of Sun Butter. 

Not the most glorious or exciting meals but this is what a typical day looks like these days!  Each meal I try to include protein, fat, and carb. Nothing fancy.  On the weekends I will cook more elaborate meals that my husband and I can enjoy together. But for now- this works.  

Hope you enjoyed a little sneak into my day:)

Weekly Meal Plan

Hope everyone had a great weekend!  We had a very relaxing weekend, and we didn't do much.  I've been trying so hard to stick to a meal plan again.  I started to get away from that, and its costing us more money...  So this should hold me accountable. 

Monday: Crockpot white beans and rice

Tuesday: Skinny Taste Cajun spiced fish with tomatoes (made with tilapia)

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Wednesday: Spaghetti

Thursday: Skinny Taste baked broccoli Mac & cheese

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Friday: frozen pizza

Saturday: Unsure- probably a date night

Sunday: leftovers

Hope everyone has a great Monday!!

Xo-Heather

Mixed up Monday: October Birchbox

Happy Monday! I'm starting a new feature today where I will do a post and review of what comes in my Birchbox each month.  If you haven't heard of the Birchbox service yet you can read about it here.  I really love this service!  It comes all wrapped up with a note each month! I get it delivered to my office because I'm always so excited to get it.
Sorry about the blurry photos.  I didn't notice they were out of focus until I uploaded them this morning. 

What's in my box:

Redken Shine Flash glistening mist

 

The claim: Redken’s signature Shine-On Complex has antioxidant-rich camelina oil and vitamin B5 to condition strands. It smoothes the surface of hair to give you a mirror-like finish. 
My take: I forgot to use this this morning so I have nothing to report on this yet.

Blinc Mascara

The claim: This mascara doesn’t just paint your lashes to make them darker and longer — it uses a copolymer-based formula to create little tubes around each one of your lashes. And since it’s not a paint, the mascara won’t flake, run, or smudge. When you’re ready to remove it, each individual tube slides off in one piece — no more black smears under your lashline!
My take: Ok guys, this stuff does EXACTLY what it says it will.  I should've taken pictures but I forgot!  It really does put "tubes" around your lashes.  It didn't smudge or flake at all.  When I washed it off at night I got freaked out b/c it looked like my own lashes were coming off, but it was just the tubes coming off.  My only complaint is that it doesn't really plump or lengthen the lashes.  It just makes your own lashes more defined.  This is not good for me because I have puny lashes.  But if you have full lashes your are happy with then I HIGHLY suggest this!

Pangea Organics Facial Scrub 

The claim: Made from natural ingredients, this nourishing scrub has both chemical and physical exfoliators for an effective one-two punch. First, Cranberry Seed enzymes dissolve dead cells, and then finely ground Adzuki Bean gently whisk them away to uncover fresh, healthy skin. Geranium Oil helps to tone, while Vitamin C brightens, and Almond Oil restores moisture.

My take: This is probably my favorite in the box.  I have very dry skin.  Lately it's been really bad.  And I use powder foundation so you can see dry patches sometimes.  I've been using this every night after I wash my face since Friday.  My skin is a lot smoother and brighter.

Befine Belips: Lip Exfoliator

The claim: The key to smooth skin — be it on your lips or your visage — is exfoliating. Befine’s ultra gentle scrub uses pineapple enzymes to dissolve dead skin and finely ground almond meal to softly buff lips. The matching lip serum has plant-based amino acids and peptides to boost collagen and firm skin, plus soothing chamomile oil and moisturizing safflower seed oil.

My take: I used this a few times because my lips have been dry lately too.  But I wasn't too impressed.  I couldn't tell that much of a difference after using it.  But it also says it should've come with a lip serum too.  And I only got the exfoliater.

Tea Forte Mints 

The claim: These pick-me-up treats are laced with healthy ingredients that keep you balanced. The flavors are designed not only to taste good but also to accomplish specific wellness goals. Resist boosts immunity with lemon and lime extracts, while Results, a spicy matcha chai and cinnamon blend, spurs metabolism.

My take: I guess it's a little difficult to tell whether or not they're doing what they are supposed to do.  So it's kind of hard to report on.  But they taste really good!

The only thing I would order a full size of out of this box is the facial scrub.  

If you're signed up for Birchbox- what did you get?

If not- what are you waiting for?

XO-Heather 

 

Mixed up Monday: Weekend Recap

I'm writing this from my new recliner today...  I wasn't feeling too good this morning so I took a sick day.  I've spent the day catching up on my shows on DVR (Revenge, Big Rick Texas, Secret Circle, Rachel Zoe...) and lounging with the pup.
I just wanted to share some pictures with you guys from my last few days.

Mocha and Fred in their Halloween pumpkin shirts.  They even glow in the dark:

A few pics from our craft night- making Halloween wreaths:

A few pics from yesterday featuring my new Saints tee.  My spent the day in NOLA with Victoria and her BF, Mike.  But we forgot to take pics!

Hope everyone has a great rest of the day.  I'm getting back to my DVR... Man, my life is EXCITING!
What did everyone else do this weekend?
XO-Heather

Mixed Up Monday: Recent Beauty Purchases

I thought it would be nice to share with you guys my opinion on some new beauty products I've recently purchased.

1.  E.L.F. Studio Bronzer in Golden $3

I picked this up at Target one day.  I usually use the Bare Minerals Warmth, but it's just so dark and messy.  I really like this bronzer.  It has great build-able color.  It's not orange at all.  It does have a good bit of shimmer to it though.  I like to apply it all over my face, neck, and chest after i put on my foundation.  It gives a nice sun kissed glow!  It is a great product I would recommend, and an absolute steal! 

2.  E.L.F. Studio Cream Eyeliner in Midnight $3

Another great find!!  I picked this up after The Bargain Blonde sang it's praises!  I got the midnight, and it is a great blueish black color.  But it's not harsh looking, and that's what I like about it.  I think it works great for daytime and work when I don't want to wear a dark black eyeliner.  The little brush it comes with actually works great too!  It goes on super smooth, and it's really easy to apply.  It last all day!  I use this to line my upper lash line.  The small brush makes it easy to get real close to the lashes.  I definitely want to get some more colors.


4.  Ulta Automatic Eyeliner $3

This was another recommendation from the Bargain Blonde.  I got the deep brown and a purple color that I can't remember the name of.  They glide on really smooth and last all day.  But it's also easy to remove with eye makeup remover.  I really like this eyeliner.  I use this when I'm in a hurry, and I don't have time to mess with a liquid or cream. 

3. Benefit Eye Bright $20

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I picked this up from Sephora over the weekend after reading about it on a few blogs.  This is the first eye brightener I've ever tried.  I used to use a lot of Benefit's products, but once I put myself on a budget I started to buy cheaper products.  Their stuff isn't expensive, but it's also not really cheap!   Their products have the cutest names and packaging.  I put this on my inner and outer corners and under my brown bone after I finish the rest of my eye makeup.  It REALLY makes a difference!  It's a light pink color, and it does exactly what it says it will do- brighten your eyes!  It's easy to apply and blend.  I also highly recommend this.   
I have dark circles under my eyes naturally, and I often look tired and washed out.  It doesn't matter how much sleep I get or water I drink, I still have them too!  (BTW, I use Excuviance CoverBlend concealer $22 from Ulta and it works WONDERS. I've had it for over a year and have barely made a dent in the tube b/c you don't need much.) 

So anyone else find any great new beauty products lately?  Would you all be interested in a post or video about my daily makeup routine and daily products I use? 

*I purchased all of these products on my own.  These are my honest opinions. 

XO-Heather

Mixed Up Monday- Weekend Recap + Challenge Update

As promised on Friday, I had a very uneventful weekend.  Friday night the husband and I went to Baton Rouge for a little while to get out of the house.  We rode around LSU's campus just looking at the lake, the sorority and fraternity houses, and the scenery.  They have such a beautiful campus.  The sorority row there is so different from Southeastern's campus, where I went to school. 

LSU

Then we went over to Perkins Rowe, an outdoor mall with boutiques, restaurants, and a movie theater.  We walked around a bit.  We went to Starbucks and had a cupcake and root beers.

Saturday we laid around most of the day then went to have a few drinks at The Londoner that night.

Sunday was my usual grocery shopping day.  Then we went to the mall to find the husband some new shoes.  I walked in Sears while he was looking at something and came across the cutest t-shirt.  It looked just like this one from Victoria's Secret that I've been wanting.  But I refuse to pay $35+shipping for a t-shirt.  Except this one was $7 and had stripes! I love stripes.   

Victoria's Secret Cut-Out Shoulder Tee- $34.50

 

 I was quickly brought back to reality when the husband reminded me of my challenge.  So then I pouted the rest of the day, and I am still mad I didn't buy it.  It was $7, had stripes, and cut-out shoulders.  How did I pass that up?  Stupid challenge...
XO-Heather

Mixed Up Monday- New Month, New Challenge & OOTD

Good morning!  Hope everyone had a fabulous weekend.  It's the first day of a new month which is when I like to reflect on my spending habits from the past month.  I decided this morning I am challenging myself to not shop for any clothes for the entire month.  I'm not making this decision because I went overboard with shopping last month.  I've just realized that I have a lot of stuff in my closet. 
When I first started reading fashion blogs, about a year ago, I would buy a lot of clothes to recreate the outfits that I saw.  I toyed with the idea of doing  Kendi's 30 for 30 challenge.  But I didn't think I was quite ready for that, and I still don't think I am.
I feel like August would be a good time to take on this challenge.  It's still really hot here and very much summertime.  So I'm not itching to buy fall clothes yet, but I'm sure I will be next month.
So in order to make this official and hold myself accountable I am announcing a "Shop My Closet Challenge" for the month of August.  I hope to discover items I haven't worn in awhile, use what I have to recreate others' outfits, and learn to shop wisely.  This just means that I will learn what sort of "staples" my closet is missing.  Wish me luck.  Anyone wanna join?
Now I'll leave you with an outfit from the weekend.  We went to dinner with friends at a casual sushi restaurant and then out for drinks.

dress- Victoria's Secret; belt- F21; shoes- random store in the mall

Hope everyone has a fabulous day!
XO- Heather

Mixed Up Monday- Weekend Recap and OOTD

Each Monday I am going to do an edition of Mixed Up Monday- which basically just means that it could be totally random postings and nothing in particular.
Weekend Wrap-up:
This weekend was relaxing.  It rained most of the weekend.
Friday was a usual work day then Body Pump after.  That night the husband and I watched Lincoln Lawyer.  It was a great movie.  I heard a lot of great things about it.  So I was really happy when we finally got it from Netflix. 
Saturday husband studied all day (he is taking a part of his CPA exam today).  I needed to get out of the house for a little while so I started off with a manicure and pedicure.  I got the Shellac Gel polish on my fingernails in a pretty coral color- can't remember the name.  I love to keep my nails painted, but it doesn't usually last for more than 2 days.  This gel is supposed to last up to 2 weeks.  I'll make sure to note how long it takes for it to chip.  I found an OPI shade for the toes that was similar.  I never get mani/pedis anymore- just b/c I don't like paying for them.  I always do them myself at home, but we're going to Destin, FL on Thursday so I wanted something that would last.

Then I went to visit my parents for a few hours.  We live about an hour away from our hometown. So we don't visit friends and family as much as we should.  Then I visited with my best friend, Jaclyn.  We've been friends since the 1st grade, and we were each others' maids of honor in our weddings.  She's the type of friend that we might not talk every day or even every week, but that has no effect on our closeness.  When we talk or see each other it is like no time has passed.  She's got 2 adorable little ones so they kept us entertained.  

Sunday husband had to review a lot before the BIG DAY!  I did a little grocery shopping and Mocha and I did lot of this:

Isn't she cute?!

I also took a trip to Best Buy to get a new digital camera and get a game for the husband.  He'll have a little downtime before starting to study for his next part of the CPA.  We fried some fish that my dad caught and gave us for lunch, and I made homemade sweet potato fries.  We've had a fry-daddy since our wedding, but we've never used it.  I never fry anything at home.  I try to keep eating fried foods for special occasions or eating out.   

Here is my outfit from today:

tee- boutique near work; skirt- loft; shoes- Diba Lynley via DSW

 Hope everyone has a great Monday!  I'm counting down the days until our weekend vacation to Destin on Thursday with 2 other couples- including this girl.  I cannot wait!

XO-Heather