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.

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.
 

LC - Lauren Condrad top

(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.

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.

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.

 

How was your weekend?

Happy It's Friday

SO thankful the weekend is finally here!  This week was a drag and I could hardly get out of bed every morning despite getting about 8 hours sleep. WTH?

Linking up with Lauren today for High Five For Friday. 

~ K's new signature dish that he's very proud of ;-) Baked Tilapia topped with shrimp & asparagus on the side.

~ We had a visitor in our backyard this week posing like "a deer in headlights" for the photo.

~ I celebrated the life of my friend who passed away last year July 10th. I also posted a tribute to her yesterday on my blog.

~ K brought home some pretty flowers on the 10th because he know I would be mourning Sally's loss.

~ Homemade dirty martinis. Perfect way to end a day. Just missing blue cheese stuffed olives.

Have a great weekend!

A Tribute to Sally (That Girl)

Yesterday marked a year since I lost one of my closest friends. In college we were partners in crime, roommates, and best buds. We remained close over the years but she moved 4 hours away so it was hard to stay in touch as often as we used to. Last July, she lost a short but devious battle to tongue and throat cancer.

When they say the good die young, it rings true in this case. Sally was one of my funniest, wildest, fun-loving friends who had a larger than life personality and laugh...People were just drawn to her.

I'm not gonna be sappy anymore... She was never the sappy kind. It was to laugh it off or drink it off with her. So in tribue to our crazy days in college and friendship that remained after, these are just a few memories of her that will always stay with me and make me laugh... 

~ Staying up late til the wee hours of the morning drinking huge bottles of white zinfandel and talking about life, love, etc. (We drank so much white zinfandel, I can no longer stand the smell or taste of it).

~ Doing donuts in the dirt parking lot of our college after we got out of class. 

~ Partying down to the song "Sally That Girl" at our local college bars. That was her name. She had to represent.

~ Riding around town in her black SUV we named Peggy Sue and jamming to Mike Jones or the most ghetto songs we could find.

~Bar hopping downtown and doing Irish Car Bomb shots. The Irish in her loved Guinness, Jameson & Car Bombs. 

Those definitely were the days when we were young, wild and free. Miss you girl friend!

Rest in Peace Sally. Apart, but close at heart.

Love,
Emilz

#NOtivation Fabulous Fitness Survey

Ran across a new linkup this morning that appealed to me since K and I have recently been working on our fitness and clean eating.

1. What did you eat for breakfast? During the week I try to have a protein shake, boiled egg or cottage cheese. 

2. How much water do you drink a day? I drink water all throughout the day and with every meal. I also keep water next to my bed at night.

3. What is your current favorite workout? I usually do a quick 10 minutes of cardio and then about 40 minutes on the machines. My favorite group classes are Zumba and Yoga. 

4. How many calories do you eat a day? During the week I probably eat about 1000, give or take. On the weekends I probably eat more but I don't keep track.

5. What are your favorite healthy snacks? I love almonds and cashews. Also love cantaloupe, strawberries and different berries. 

6. What do you usually eat for lunch? It varies every day but usually a sandwich, salad and/or soup. 

7. What is your favorite body part to strength train? I'm currently working on strengthening my legs and butt. 

8. What is your least favorite body part to strength train? My arm and shoulders need some working on.

9. What are your “bad” food cravings? I love Thai food! Also carrot cake and cheesecake.

10. Do you take vitamins or supplements? I currently take a multivitamin and Omega 3.

11. How often do you eat out? Mostly on the weekends. We cook dinner at home during the week and sometimes I go for lunch with coworkers. 

12. Do you eat fast food? I try to avoid it but I love Chick-fil-a nuggets and breakfast. 

13. Who is your biggest supporter? K is a good supporter now that we're both on the same diet and similar fitness program.

 

14. Do you have a gym membership? Yes I'm a member of LA Fitness. 

15. How many hours of sleep do you get a night? I try to get 8 hours of sleep every night. 

16. Do you have a “cheat” day? I allow myself to cheat on the weekends and special occasions.

17. Do you drink alcohol? I usually drink on most weekend and sometimes have a glass of wine at night during the week.

18. Do you have a workout buddy? Not exactly. K and I go to the gym on the weekends together sometimes. 

19. What is the best thing that has changed about your life since committing to a healthy lifestyle?  Since cleaning up my diet (cutting out glucose amongst other things) I've noticed that my digestive problems I used to have are minimal to none these days.

20. What was the last healthy thing you did?  Ate a salad with low-fat deli chicken for lunch.

Linking up with Mallory and Hallie.

Weekend Sunshine & Sips

Hello ladies! 

How was everyone's weekend?

1. We finally had a sunny weekend with clear blue skies.

2. Homemade dirty martinis with vodka and olive juice.

3. Surf & Turf made by yours truly. We did a lot of cooking at home this weekend instead of eating out.

4. Tried out a new spicy guacamole mix with slimcados (low fat avocados).

5. Picked up a bunch of girly drinks from Total Wine - Pink Woodchuck Cider, Skinny Girl Mojito & Skinny Girl Cosmo.

6. Lounging by the pool on a lazy Sunday afternoon.

Linking up with Sami for Weekend Shenanigans.

 

Cheers to a new week!

4th July Celebrations

Genius me should have requested the day off work today. At least the traffic was a breeze this morning because apparently the rest of the city took the day off. 

Yesterday was one for the books. We had a great day celebrating Independence day at a friends house.

What better way to spend the 4th of July with:
~ Fireworks
~Delicious food
~Good friends
~Red, White & Blue party favors
~Cold drinks

Linking up with Lauren from High Five For Friday.

Happy Friday!