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!  

Mary Kay® Glamor Look VoxBox

My VoxBox arrived in the mail last week from Influenster and I love the Mary Kay® products they sent me to test. I was happy to try a new makeup brand since I mainly use Mac, Urban Decay and Clinique along with some cheaper brands such as Revlon and Maybelline.

The Mary Kay© kit came with:

~  Lash Love Lengthening Mascara (I ♥ Black)
 ~ Mary Kay Lash Primer

~ Cream Eye Color in Violet Storm

~ Cream Eye Color / Concealer Brush

~ True Dimensions Lip Stick in Pink Cherie

I was impressed with the quality of Mary Kay's makeup products. My favorite is the lipstick ~ I love the smooth/creamy texture which is moisturizing like a chapstick and I really like the color they chose to send me (Pink Cherie).

The lash primer and mascara looked great on my eyes. I've never actually used Lash Primer before but I can see the difference in the density of my eyelashes, which aren't usually very thick or long. The mascara brush is different from all others I have tried and is designed to prevent clumps.

The Cream Eye Color was super easy to apply. The color - Violet Storm - looks like a dark purple but, when applied, it goes on very lightly so it works good for my skin complexion.

I will definitely be purchasing some more eye colors for everyday use.

I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes

What's your experience with Mary Kay® products?

Adios Bellas!

Taste of Tuesday: Grilled Chicken Kabobs

We love grilling dinner on Sunday evenings and I've been experimenting with different types of kabobs ~ mixing & matching veggies and meat combinations. It's healthy and fool proof so what's not to love?

Over the weekend we cooked chicken kabobs with mushrooms, eggplant, green pepper and onion. 

 

I marinated the chicken in BBQ sauce, black pepper and poultry seasonings for about 2 hours and then put them together on wooden skewers.

K cooked them on the grill for 15 to 20 minutes and...

Voila! A delicious and healthy dinner ;-)

 Joining Jessica and Ashley for Tasty Tuesday.

 

I'd love to hear about other quick and healthy dinner recipes!

Don't forget Google Reader is going away soon so feel free to follow me on Bloglovin ;-)

Weekend Shenans in Stormy Florida

Hello Monday, you're never welcomed too happily from this girl....but thankfully we have a short work week & get to celebrate with fireworks, BBQ-ing & cold drinks on Thursday!

On Friday I checked out a new Mediterranean restaurant that just opened in town called Carmel Cafe. First time using an iPad to order my meal. Oh technology! The chicken salad I had was delicious ;-)

 

On Saturday, we headed out to the beach for a friend's birthday even though the weather was overcast. We got a few hours of decent weather before the rain came. K and I then went to a Mexican restaurant for dinner and headed back home driving with a beautiful sunset view.

On Sunday, the weather was stormy again so K and I went to the gym and then lunch at Buffalo Wild Wings. We got some stuff done around the house and then grilled chicken kabobs and kielbasa for dinner.

 

 Recipe to follow tomorrow for Taste of Tuesday. 

 

Linking up with Sami for Weekend Shenanigans.

What's your plans for 4th July?