Product Review: Self-Tanning Lotions

I've done the tanning bed thing along with spray booths & airbrush tans but my most recent craze is self-tanning lotions. They're aren't harmful for your skin and you can somewhat control how much or little of a tan you get.

I aim for a gradual & natural look...nothing crazy just prefer not to be the color of the wall, that's all. So far I've tried 4 different sunless tanning lotions with very different outcomes/effects.

My #1 Pick:

Jergens Natural Glow Daily Moisturizer
(Retail price: $9.99)

For the price, you can't go wrong and it gives me the gradual/natural look I want. You can slowly build your tan over time if you use it as your daily moisturizer.


So Bronze Tinted Lotion 
(Retail price: $29.99)
It's quite pricey and I think it worked too well or maybe I shouldn't have bought the Medium/Dark lotion because I almost turned into a different race. It also dries very quickly so it's hard to spread/rub it evenly onto your skin. I may or may not try the Light/Medium one in the future.

Ulta Bronze Self-Tanning Lotion with SPF
(Retail Price $8.99)
Didn't notice any color difference in my skin so won't be purchasing this one again. Note: I bought the Medium Deep lotion color which had no effect on my skin.

Banana Boat  Sunless Tinted Lotion 
(Retail Price: $7.99)
Barely worked. Didn't notice any major color difference, however I did buy the Light/Medium Color so I might try the Medium/Dark in the future.

Any other recommendations for sunless tanning products?

Taste of Tuesday: Easy Spinach Dip

This is the easiest recipe ever especially since you can use as much or as little of each ingredient depending on your personal taste. 

Homemade Spinach Dip 
(Best served with Stacy's Pita Chips -- my fave)

Ingredients:

- Green Giant Creamed Spinach (thawed)
- Grated Mozzarella Cheese
- Four Cheese Mexican Blend
- Sour Cream
- Cream Cheese
- Salt & Pepper

Combine all ingredients and heat in the microwave abut 3-4 minutes until all ingredients are melted. Mix and serve warm. Simple as that.

You can also bake in the oven if you want to wait 10 times longer for it to be ready.  (I put more effort into it if I'm entertaining friends, but if we're just snacking at home, I prefer to do it the quickest way possible.)

Joining Jessica and Ashley for Taste of Tuesday.

What's on your menu?

Weekend Fun

Hello pretties! The weekend was sweet as usual. Nothing too crazy, just a little bit of sleeping in, eating, drinking and QT with friends

On Friday, K and I did our usual happy hour & dinner then decided to call it a night. We have some big/expensive weekends coming up so need to start saving & getting sh*t done around the house.

Saturday:

~ Went to pick out the materials and paint for our first home improvement project... We're finally about to start building a patio & deck in our backyard. Very excited to start entertaining more often.

~ Met up with Kate and her hubby for a couple drinks & lunch at Buffalo Wild Wings.

~ Homemade Spinach dip w/ my favorite chips...Stacy's Pita Chips are so yumm!!

~ A good friend from college came to visit so we went to out for some drinks downtown to catch up on life & love ;)

Sunday:
Was pretty quiet. I cleaned the house from top to bottom. Then I went on a cooking spree and cooked flatbread pizzas to feed an army.

K picked up my favorite beer from Publix so I finally got to relax with a cold one to mourn the end of our weekend :-(

Joining Sami for Weekend Shenanigans.
Sami's Shenanigans

How was your weekend?

Sometimes I Love My Job

Yesterday my company took everyone out for some bowling, beer and arcade games. It was nice to get out of the office and mingle with coworkers. Everyone becomes so much more fun when beer is involved!

Other than free cookies on a Friday, I feel pretty lucky to work for a company that takes us out on fun trips and knows how to throw a killer party!

What company takes you on a cruise to the Bahamas?

I also love our holiday parties. Last year's party was held at Universal for the evening and they put us up in a sweet hotel for the night. Way to keep me motivated ;-)

Linking up with Lauren for High Five For Friday. 


Happy Friday!

Buy It In Every Color

This time around, it wasn't shoes...but seriously, life can be short so get it in every color if that's what your heart desires.

Summers are ridiculously hot here and I've been looking for tops for work (& happy hours that ensue) that are lightweight but don't "show too much skin" so I went on a lil splurge. A very cheap splurge tho, from Kohl's. 
Apt9 Solid Chiffon Henley
These tops come with built-in camis which is def needed for work and you can dress them up with a belt & other accessories.
 
 
Candie's Dotted Sheer top
Need to wear a white cami underneath.
 
(my only complaint is the small is more like a medium or large).

 Candie's Smocked Lace top
Need to wear a white cami underneath.

If you're signed up for Kohl's mailing list, they send out discount codes every week so I got all tops for cheaper than listed on the site along with $10 Kohl's cash for every $50 spent. Always love a good deal ;-)

Where do you go to find good deals on summer clothes for work or play?

Weekend Whereabouts

Running a little late today on my weekend post. It's hard to be all "put-together" and organized on a Monday morning! 

On Friday, I went to happy hour with my girl friend Emily and had a pretty quiet night after as we had plans to go out & about on Saturday night.

We had some friends in town visiting from Memphis so we took them out to dinner and proceeded on our own pub crawl through the streets of downtown Orlando. 

~ My outfit for Saturday night
~ Calamari from my favorite Tapas restaurant
~The girls downtown at Wall Street
~ $2 dumpster dive beers. (you have to take whatever beer the bartender randomly chooses from the cooler)
~ The guys enjoyed betting on the shots wheel. Guess which shot it will land on. If you get it correct it's free, if not you have to pay for it.
~ The whole gang for our Saturday night adventures.

Sunday was somewhat lazy. We had some other friends in town visiting so they invited us to over to their hotel pool to lounge in the sun. 

I enjoyed a $14 Mojito....the joys of hotel prices.

That's all I've got for ya today. Linking up with Sami for Weekend Shenanigans.
Sami's Shenanigans

How was your weekend?

High Five For Friday

The weekend is here!

~ I am overly excited because we booked our Punta Cana Summer 2014 trip. Our friends are getting married there next June which is also our anniversary weekend so we're going on a 5-night trip!

~ #CheatMeal Carrot Cake Cupcakes = yummy! 

~My favorite lip sticks & glosses from Clinique, Mac and VS.

~ Booked my first acupuncture appointment for this weekend. Not sure what to expect. Advice anyone??

~ Starbucks Frappuccino. Delicious but not quite as good as the frozen one you get from the actual coffee shop.

Joining Lauren today for High Five for Friday.
 photo H54Fbutton-1_zpsa7aaa665.png

Have a great weekend!

Healthy Snacks Under 100 Calories

Looking for snacks that are not loaded with calories or fat? 

Here's my go-to list:

~ Sabra hummus (2 tbsp = 80 calories)

~ EAS Protein Shakes (I use this as a meal replacement for breakfast or a pre-workout snack)

~ Nature Valley Thins (80 calories)

~ Laughing Cow Cheese (35 calories)

~ Blue Diamond Almonds (100 calories)

~ Babybel Gouda cheese (80 calories)

~ String Cheese (Approx 70 calories)

Anyone have any other suggestions for low calorie snacks other than fruits and veggies?

Weight Management & Muscle Toning Supplements

For anyone attempting to build muscle and/or replace fat with muscle (which is my personal fitness goal), I was recommended the following supplements by a health & fitness professional:
 
BCAA (Branched Chain Amino Acids) - promotes lean muscle development and maintenance.
Glutamine: reduces muscle breakdown, supports muscle growth and promotes muscle recovery.

For overall health and wellness, I also take a multivitamin daily along with the following supplements:
 
Omega 3/Fish Oil - promotes overall health and wellness including heart, brain, vision, and joint health support.
 
B12 - necessary for a healthy nervous system and the utilization of fats.

I bought these specific products from BodyBuilding.com but you can also find similar supplements at GNC, the Vitamin Shoppe etc.

Joining in today for Wild Card Wednesday:
 

What vitamins & supplements do you take to support your health & work toward your fitness goals?

Weekend Festivities

Hi lovelies! How was your weekend?
I had a good one especially since we got some sun instead of pouring rain all weekend.

Friday:
 We went for dinner & drinks before going to see the movie The Heat, which was hilarious! I highly recommend it for a good laugh. Melissa McCarthy never disappoints, that's for sure!

Saturday:
I finally got my nails done ~ OPI's Linkin Park Gel color with gold sparkles.

On Saturday night, I had a work charity event & they put us up in a hotel for the night.


We got to play poker, roulette & blackjack with "funny money" and enjoy free drinks & food to support families in need.

Sunday:
We woke up and got a complimentary breakfast buffet at the hotel and decided to stick around the resort to get some sun at the pool.

Joining Sami for Weekend Shenanigans.
Sami's Shenanigans 

How was your weekend?