Coffee Talk! 14 Things .....

Coffee Talk Time!!! Let's have some weirdness FUN today!! 14 things you may or MAY NOT know about me....you ready?! Let's do this!!


1. I am a TOTAL romantic! I LOVE planning date nights whether it's at home or going out somewhere.

2. I lived 11 years in Florida, 6 years in Arizona and am currently back in PA. (yes, I DESPISE the cold & snow, that is all)

3. I have had an array of jobs that I think have really helped make me a well rounded person ~

• Marketing Assistant
• Interior Design Assistant (hellllloooo, this could be why I HEART HGTV so much!)
• Preschool Classroom Aide
• A Curves Fitness Coach

   Sit down for this last one......WAIT for it:

• Lowes Home Store in the Flooring Department!!! (are you having a hard time picturing PRISSY me at Lowes in the red vest?! ;) LOL, no worries I did too!!! Actually I really enjoyed that job, met some great people and it took me back to my design roots, which I LOVED! It also was the trigger to help get me OUT of the house after moving back to PA and being completely depressed.

4. I have high blood pressure (I know, I know, I don't fit the mold for that either, but hell would you expect anything less from me at this point) High to the point that the Dr told me if I wasn't doing what I'm doing eating & fitness wise I would be a walking Stroke! What the?! (so that is one of my BIG reasons that I started this healthy lifestyle journey and am grateful every single day for it)

5. I have never EVER smoked a day in my life! I joke that I wouldn't even know what to do with one and I'm at peace with it! LOL! I don't feel like I "missed" out on trying anything and I see how hard it is for people to quit so I'm actually happy that is something I never started.

6. I adore WINE! (go ahead roll your eyes!) The HUGE misconception everyone has however is that I drink A LOT!!! Um, I'm ALL talk and no ACTION! I enjoy a nice glass of wine with a good dinner or while I am watching one of my guilty pleasure shows but it very RARELY goes past ONE single glass! I'm a light weight my loves, sorry to disappoint!

7.  I have an AH-MAZING 15 year old daughter who is seriously like my mini bestie. I couldn't imagine my life without her. (this of course doesn't mean we don't have the trials and tribulations of the teen years, but I know I got pretty lucky with her)

8. I have the sweetest, most compassionate 11 year old son. Every day I think how he is going to be an amazing husband for some lucky lady some day!

9. I DESPISE sneakers OR tennis shoes (depending on which coast you live on) I know, I get it, this is NOT normal for someone who is into fitness.

10. I workout barefoot most of the time because of the above ^ reason! (told you things would get weird)

11. I am a complete, total GIRLY GIRL!!!! Sparkle everything...YES, Please!

12. My dream is go to go to Italy with my camera and just enjoy it all while sipping on good wine.

13. I started trying to relax more and make my office space very ZEN and I am totally DIGGING it!!
     ~hello coloring books for meditation
     ~essential oils
     ~himalayan salt lamp
   

14. I definitely suffer from social anxiety disorder. If we are in a setting with a large group of people that I don't know or even just going to a busy restaurant or bar I will NOT be the first to walk in. Let that be your warning if we ever dine together....you are walking in first and if we have to find our own table FORGET it...I will break out into a FULL sweat!!! I think this is why I LOVE being a photographer because I can HIDE behind my camera!!!

Ok, those are all the secrets I could share with you today!!!! I don't want to completely BORE you to death!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you for sticking with me! Love you all!!! XO

Salmon with Brown Sugar & SPICE!

Soooo today was CRAP!!! (isn't that a DELIGHTFUL way to start a post with a recipe!!??) Sorry. It just was. I got home from work and needed something to throw together SUPER QUICK!!! I had been wanting to try this for some time so I figured there's NO time like the present!!! It seriously was EASY, PEASY and FAST! Total time between prep and cook....um, a mere 20 MINUTES!!! What the?! SIGN me up!!! I am all about a fast dinner on days that I work.

The other fabulous TID BIT....the family LOVED it!! That's always a concern when I decide to make something I have NEVER EVER made before.....Will the crew like it? Or will it be a BIG FLOP!!! Proud to say...this was a KEEPER!!!! If you are a salmon lover and like the whole sweet/spicy mix, give this a try!!!! Let me know how you like it! OK, now I'm off to guzzle enjoy a glass of vino to end this day! No worries, tomorrow is a NEW day and hopefully I will have a better one!!!! ;)  XO

Ingredients:

1/2 cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
4 - salmon fillets

1. Preheat the oven to 400 Degrees and line a baking sheet with foil and spray with olive oil or some other non stick spray.

2. In a small bowl, mix together all of the spices and sugar.

3. Put the salmon on the baking sheet and divide the spice mix evenly between each of the fillets, coating them completely.

4. Bake for 10 - 15 minutes depending on the thickness.

ENJOY!!!

Turkey Taco Mason Jar Salads!!

Welllll heellllooo scrumptious, EASY lunches to go!!!! Why did I wait so LONG to try you?!
Ok, so these have been floating around my challenge groups for the last few months and I can't really give a good explanation of why I didn't try them I'm LAZY. LOL! So maybe I was a little LAZY on the meal prep biz but the point is in turning over my new leaf this year I am doing ALL sorts of things I NEVER did before and that there my loves is PROGRESS!! No such thing as PERFECTION! Progress is where it's AT! Anywhooooo enough let's get to the important stuff just in case you are FAMISHED!

So these are SIMPLE to make and last for about 4 days in the fridge when they are in the sealed glass mason jars. (some have lasted longer for others)  The key is to make sure you have ALL of the wet ingredients at the bottom and end with your crispy lettuce at the top.

Now basically you can make these with whatever you like. My family is not huge on tomatoes so I didn't even bother and my daughter is vegetarian so you know damn well she's not touching ground turkey!! ;)  So I modified to fit my family and feel free to do that with yours as well.

Ingredients:

- ground turkey
- ground cumin, chili powder, himalayan sea salt, garlic & pepper (these are all by PERSONAL preference of how much spice you like)
- 1 cup cooked quinoa
- avocado chopped up
- black beans, drained & rinsed
- tomato

Now basically after you have cooked your ground meat with the above spices I had everything out in bowls on my counter to make it easy like an assembly line.  Start with your meat, then the beans, the quinoa, avocado, tomato and then top with lettuce packed in there and seal with your lid! Presto!!!
(for Fixers I filled per the container guidelines except for my daughter's where I doubled up on the beans and quinoa for her)

If you are someone who needs/likes dressing on your salad you can do Frank's Red Hot Sauce or I decided to try plain greek yogurt mixed with the Frank's Red Hot Sauce for a creamier taste.

***So I really wanted to be able to tell you how I liked them, but I will get on here tonight and give you my honest review! I was just tooooo EXCITED not to share with you right away! ;)

Coffee Talk!

Let's get pouring my pretties!!! :)

5 Random Thoughts: 

1 - Um yeah, I DID NOT in any way shape or FORM miss WINTER weather! Blahhhhh!!! My drive home from work the other night = NOT FUN! If you think white knuckling and screaming profanities is wonderful then yes, you are a TWISTED person!!! ;) LOL! I absolutely detest it! I was sliding all over the road and almost got in an accident. I'm ready for the warm Christmas weather that everyone else was complaining about!!!!! Ha!  Rant over.

2 - Why do people like to tear other people down? Or maybe it's just that there are soooo many people who are unhappy with themselves they don't want others to be happy. Come on now peeps. If you want to be miserable that's one thing. Be happy for those of us who are changing our lives whether YOU agree with it or not. Wow....Rant #2 over. 

3 - I have become FULL BLOWN addicted to Gossip Girl thanks to my lovely teen daughter!!!! Ok fine, I secretly LOVE that we are binge watching this series together because I completely HEART getting to spend any quality time with her. I've said it before and I'll say it again....it goes FAST so I'm soaking up every second I can get with her! But really this show is FAB!!!! The bummer is she will only let us do 2 episodes at a time and sometimes that is just NOT enough!!

4 - So I am doing a challenge against MYSELF!!!! Hardcore, I know! No seriously. I am doing a water challenge!!! I KNOW how absolutely amazing water is for you in general and when I'm sweating HOT I have no problem whatsoever drinking it but now that it's COLD it's a challenge. I think I found something to help me along besides my super cute water bottle. The little tiny 10 oz mini bottles!!!! Wooo hooo!!! The other day at work I sucked down 5 of those babies!!! Maybe it's because they are small and it looks like a smaller amount so it's less intimidating? I'm not sure, whatever the reason I'll take it. I will check back with you and let you know how it is going. 

5 - My new Hammer & Chisel workout started on Monday! That beeeooochhh is NO JOKE!!!! OMG! I am super duper proud of myself but my body doesn't know what hit it!! In a good way. I LOVE the feeling of being sore in places that haven't been sore before. Summer body is being built now...BOOM!!!! (um yeah because we all know I LOVE to parade around in a bathing suit!) LOL! Whatever, don't be mean, I just like to feel toned and good about myself IN my clothes. :) My new challengers are kicking some serious BOOTY too! If you have NEVER been in a challenge group and you are interested in finding out more about what one entails....totally MESSAGE me!!! My team is doing a SNEAK PEEK into CHALLENGE GROUPS!! Totally free, no obligation but if you have been on the fence because quite frankly you were scared about what freakishly horrible things happen to you in these groups...(KIDDING!!!!)  don't know what to expect from one, this sneak peek is PERFECT for you!!!! 

Alright you AMAZING peeps! That is it for today!!!! (oh and because I don't LOVE to rant and rave....Sorry about the RANTS today!) XO

Update: Happy to report I kicked my creamer habit and NEVER looked back since the day I made my homemade creamer!! Just another lesson...we CAN do so much more than we think we are capable of!

3 Ingredient PEANUT BUTTER CUPS!!!

Sit down chocolate LOVERS!!! Seriously I absolutely LOVE, like ADORE Reese's Peanut Butter Cups!!! So when I was introduced to this recipe in one of my Challenge Groups it's like the Chocolate Gods were looking down on me!!!!!
Super Duper EASY and totally scrumptious!!!

Give them a try and let me know how you like them! (I did not have a mini muffin pan for these but I wanted to see how I liked them so I just did 4 regular size)

Ingredients:

4 Tbsp of Coconut Oil
8 Tbsp Chocolate Shakeology
4 tsp natural Peanut Butter

1. Place 2 Tbsp of Coconut Oil in a microwave safe bowl and cook for 30 seconds or until oil is liquified. (Mine was more like 40 seconds)

2. Stir in 4 Tbsp of the Chocolate Shakeology.  Divide this mixture evenly between 8 spots in a mini muffin tin. Place tin in freezer for 5 minutes.

3. Pull the muffin tin out of the freezer. Place a 1/2 tsp of peanut butter on top of each chocolate spot. Spread the peanut butter over evenly with a knife. (mine kept popping out of the tray when I was spreading so I found it easier to just hold it in my hand, spread it and then put it back in the tray.)

4. Melt the remaining 2 Tbsp of Coconut Oil in the microwave. (You want to do this AFTER you pull your tin out of the freezer and do the peanut butter step because you don't want it to harden on you while you are waiting for that first layer of chocolate to harden.)  Stir in the remaining 4 Tbsp of Chocolate Shakeology. Use this to pour on top of the Peanut Butter layer.

5. Place the muffin tin back in the freezer until hard and then slide them out pop them into a ziploc bag and store them in the freezer!!!!

Voila!!! A quick YUMMY chocolate treat!!!!

Dryer Balls!!!

Ok you know I LOVE to share with you when I find something that I heart! Yep, here's my newest addition.....Dryer Balls!!!!! What the hell are those you ask??  They are wool balls made of upcycled sweaters that will do the following:

- reduce the time it takes to dry your clothes....helloooo money saver right there
- fluff and soften
- reduce the static

Ohhhhh and the BEST partS.........................NO CHEMICALS and you can use your lovely new essential oils (that I know you all ran out and bought, so don't even try it!) on them!!!

No but seriously! I got some Lavender and all you do is use a couple of drops on them and throw all 3 in with your laundry!!!! Voila!!! Your laundry and laundry room smell HEAVENLY and you used something natural and healthy for your family!!! BOOM!

I LOVE the little online store I got them from and here is the link to it. They have other great stuff as well. I may or may not have picked up a home made soap....Frankincense and Oat!!!! YUM!!! If you are local to me let them know that you are from this area and you won't pay for shipping. She will meet you somewhere local....um ya know like where she met me for our "deal" to go down - STARBUCKS!!!!  (surprised aren't you!?)

Just my 2 cents! I have been using them and they are FABULOUS!!!! Give them a try if you are looking for an alternative!!! XO

Coffee Talk!

Ohhhh so did you think I would REALLY kick my coffee habit on my journey to healthy??!!!! Um heck NO!!!! ;) Grab yours and let's get chatting!

5 Random Thoughts:

1 - Seriously....my new creamer is LIFE CHANGING! Ok, fine...is that a little dramatic? But seriously for this girl it is!!! I had MAJOR stomach issues from what I thought was only god knows what. I was concerned that something in the food I was eating was not agreeing with my stomach!!! That was actually making me nervous because I didn't even want to THINK about having to do an elimination diet!!! I am almost 2 weeks in on my new homemade chemical free creamer and I'm like a new lady!!!!! No stomach issues, well except for 2 days ago when I was STUPID and had a Starbucks latte. I think I need to try those with the coconut milk that they offer now because I was HURTING after that! Who knew that the love of my life, the IV to my whole being, my little cup of happiness was one of the culprits ALL. ALONG? Thankfully I don't have to get rid of coffee altogether. Phew!  If you didn't see the recipe for the creamer...here it is!

2 -  2016!? Really, already! We had such a FUN New Year's Eve! Laughed until I almost (I said ALMOST) peed my pants! (don't judge...you pop out 2 kids and let me know how your bladder is!) We played Cards Against Humanity! If you haven't played that game go ahead and dig yourself out from under that rock and PLAY! (I say that with LOVE) Ok, unless you are a SUPER, SERIOUS, CLEAN person...um, then do NOT play that game....RUN for your life!!! ;) Thrilled that we surrounded ourselves with some of the BEST to bring in the New year!

3 - Isn't life weird? That alone was a WEIRD statement! ;) No but really. Look at the people who come in and out of your life? Or the paths you cross with people you have met or that know people you know. It's makes you sit and think how REALLY REALLY SMALL this world is!!! Or you think about the decisions you made. "If I didn't do that, this wouldn't of happened" or "If I did this, I wouldn't have met so and so"...yep, it happens regularly. I'm going to soak up the happy parts of those and keep them close and example of one of mine - If we didn't move to PA, I wouldn't have met my bestie (who lives in NJ, but we lived ACROSS the street from her brother when we lived in AZ - yeah, WEIRD, but BEST thing that could have happened!) You're welcome, I just wanted to give you something to really work your brain for today!

4 - Starting to book for SPRING for photography!!!! I am thoroughly enjoying my time off but can't wait to get my camera snapping again. (I am doing newborns thru the winter though so if you or someone you know is pregnant definitely message me so I can get in on those squishy little cuddles!) Otherwise let me know if you are wanting a session once our weather turns from cold TUNDRA to beautiful flowers and sunlight!

5 - My challengers in my current groups are kicking some serious A**!!!! These peeps are ready to conquer their goals for 2016!!! So much heart and passion and I LOVE seeing the interaction between people who didn't even know each other before these groups but they are helping each other nonetheless. It gives hope that there are still good people out there who aren't constantly hoping & wishing for someone to FAIL! In other BIG Beach BODY news....my team is officially a TOP 5 TEAM in all of the network!!! What the WHAT?!!! It blows me away that I was so hesitant to start coaching, so hesitant to keep pursuing it and yet it's been a total life changer for me!! Cheers to helping others on their journey to happy & healthy!!!!

Well loves, I have talked your ears off today so I am going to wrap this up!!!! If I haven't told you lately.....I heart you ALL so much for following me and my little journey via this little space in the BIG old world of the internet!! I have the BEST clients & challengers EVER!!! If you get a moment go ahead and follow me on here and stay up to date with all my shenanigans!!! ;)  XO

Zen Changes for a New Me!

Hello loves! As you all know I've been on a journey to a new lifestyle and a new ME for about a year now and it was by far the BEST decision I have ever made. I'm happier, healthier, more positive and just generally a better person to be around. That being said there are STILL days that I feel BLAH, that I am sooooo insanely homesick for AZ that nothing can pull me out of my FUNK or that I'm just having a bad day. Guess what? I'm human. Life is NOT perfect and although you can make all of these lifestyle changes to help you, you will still have "those" days because that is LIFE!!!! Anyone who has a PERFECTLY perfect life, um, has to either be on something really good or is just flat out lying. ;)

So in my quest to help achieve a more zen environment in our home and for a more peaceful, serenity filled space I have been making some additions. For those who know me really, really well you know that my son really suffers from anxiety. And although it gives me many "cute" stories for lunch break at work, I do worry about him as he gets older because he can worry about something that happened 2+ years ago. (the boy has a really STRONG conscience, which I do love because he is truly a good person) However, no one should have so much worry in them that they make themselves sick, have stomach aches, headaches, can't sleep etc. etc.

Last year I invested in a himalayan salt lamp which you can read about here. And I LOVE that little guy and still use it EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. I feel it was a great addition to my office space. If you have been contemplating getting one, I highly recommend it! So recently I was invited to an essential oil party and I really couldn't WAIT to go because I have been very interested, intrigued and probably a little skeptical as well (you know I like to be honest) but wanted to see what they were ALL about. YEP completely SOLD!!!! It was so informative and anything that could help without the help of doctors and drugs I am ALL for! (not that there isn't a time and place for those things but I've just personally had my fair share of doctors this past year so in my quest for doing more natural things for my family this is one of the routes I'm choosing to try)

I am totally hooked and although the initial investment is a little pricey, I truly feel like they will be worth it. I did start off small however and am going to be building from here. I got 3 ultrasonic diffusers and chose Frankincense to diffuse since one of it's popular uses is for it's emotional benefits (from anxiety & depression to helping induce a feeling of calm, relaxation and peace). We have been using them for about a week now and everyone is really enjoying them. They do light up and change colors which I find to be very soothing as well.  The nice thing is there are soooo many other uses for Frankincense which include using it on skin burns, cuts, rashes. It can be used on your face for healthy cell regeneration so some use it for wrinkles around the eyes and mouth. Some even use it to help soothe aches and pains away. It's seriously crazy at how MANY different benefits all of these different oils have. If you are thinking about trying them out GO FOR IT!!! If you are already using them I would LOVE to hear what your favorites are and if you have concocted any fabulous blends!

That's it for today! I will say this new way of living seriously brings a sense of calm to you and I for one am ALL for that!!! I will definitely be doing a follow up post in a few months to let you know if we feel the oils have truly helped our family after having used them for awhile.  Have a fabulous day!!! XO

Here is a picture of the one I got and a sample of the color changing! :)

Bye Bye Chemical Filled Creamer!!!!

Happy New Year!!! So my FIRST big step for this new year was my decision to say good bye to my BELOVED Cinnamon Bun & Pumpkin Spice Creamers!!! I swear I still get heart palpitations even thinking about it. However, one of my goals for this year is to work on being even healthier & happier so I knew it was time to take the PLUNGE!! Those who know me REALLY well know that the love affair that I had with my creamer was not even up for discussion in my challenge groups!!! I made it CRYSTAL clear that I would NOT give them up for anything. Well then I started working more on ME and what is best to be putting into my body and if you ever sat and REALLY looked at those creamer labels and the ingredient list......um, yeah, you would be freaking SCARED!

There are soooooo many chemicals and un-natural CRAP in them. So long story short I started researching making my own and tweaked a few recipes until I found one that worked best for me. Now, I will start by saying if you are trying to replicate your current creamer down to the texture, color etc. nope this is NOT going to do that. It's now quite as "creamy" as those thick, fake creamers are, but I'm almost a week in and I haven't DIED yet from missing it and surprisingly I am still loving my cup of java! I knew a HUGE test was letting Hayley try it and see what she thought and she LOVED it immediately. Anywhoooooo, here's what I'm doing. It's a HUGE, GIANT step for me but I will say that my stomach is feeling 100% better since making the switch so that alone is worth it for me. Give it a try if you are on the fence about giving up your favorite creamer for something a little "better" for you. :)

Cinnamon Swirl Creamer

Ingredients:

1 can of coconut milk (I did try this with the carton first and did not like it as much so I switched to the can)
8 tbsp of maple syrup (you can add or subtract according to your taste)
Cinnamon (I did not measure this, just use to your taste, you can also switch this out to pumpkin pie spice if you want something different)

Add all of them to a bowl and beat with an electric mixer for a few minutes until it's well blended. Pour into a glass container and keep in the fridge. (It will last for as long as your expiration date on your coconut milk)

UPDATE: Coconut milk is VERY temp sensitive. I found in the colder temps we have been having that it was clumping up even when I mixed it. On cold days I now heat it in a small sauce pan on low for a couple minutes and then beat the ingredients together. :)