Summer Obsessions

Hello trusty readers! I know I haven't been on my blog in a while, but heres to a summer bountiful with posts! 

Okay, so lately I've been obsessed with two things: Yogi green tea and my Fitbit. 

Thanks to my lifestyle change about 10 months ago, I've dropped 35 pounds and counting. Its been a tough and long road thus far, but I couldn't be happier with the results. Yogi green tea and my Fitbit have been a tremendous help in my road to success these last few months.

As hopefully all of you know, green tea has AMAZING health benefits. Some of those benefits include but are not limited to: the prevention of some cancers, the lowering of high cholesterol levels,  and finally an INCREASE in the METABOLISM which leads to FAT BURNING (this is huge, hence the caps). 

My favorite Yogi green tea flavor is Blueberry Slim Life, I drink it every morning and have been for months. I also love pomegranate! I also love Yogi teas because they have amazing and inspirational quotes on each tea bag (I save all of mine). 

My second obsession is my Fitbit. If I have ever talked to you, I am sure I've recommended this amazing product to you. It has encouraged me to get moving and workout more than anything else in this world. I swear this is the key to weight loss success. I got it for Christmas and it has helped me to lose a whopping 18 pounds. 

What a Fitbit does is track: your steps, miles, floors climbed, active minutes, and calories burned based on your daily activity and your weight and age. It has been such an encourager for me and I recommend it to all!! 

My boyfriend (Anthony) got one and he loves it. He's lost about 40 pounds as well! 

These two products are things I use in my everyday life. I ABSOLUTELY recommend you buy both, you will not regret that decision! 

Fin.

P.S. feels good to be back :-)

It's Christmas Eve Eve!!

It's Christmas Eve Eve which means holiday shopping is coming to an end and hopefully you've picked out your outfit to wear to Christmas mass and or grandma's house for dinner. Wishing you luck as you finish up everything in preparation for the Holidays!!

DIY Homemade Christmas Gift: Seashell Necklace

Back in the summer, I had the idea to make homemade Christmas presents for my friends and family. I was inspired while walking on a beach in Cape Cod collecting shells for my seashell mirror. I saw a few shells that had a natural hole in them made by the ocean. I then had an idea to make jewelry out of these shells. They would be scallop and jingle seashell necklaces. Here, I will show you the step by step on how to make them!

Step 1: Handpick the seashells of your favorite beach.

Step 2: Put holes into the seashells. Here's a link on how to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRTv7tuX-u8 (Tip: Make sure you do this on a piece of cardboard and be very gentle with the shells). 

Step 3. Put a jump ring into the hole. Jump rings can be found at any craft store. 

Step 4. Loop through the jump ring any type of string, rope, or chain. I used hemp for a more natural organic look. 

Step 5. Tie the rope like a necklace and the gift is ready! 

Step 6. Wrap the necklace up in tissue paper and place it in a little box or stocking or bag with a signature note! Here was my signature note:

Small Gift // Stocking Stuffer Ideas for under $20!

Are you stumped as to what to get your sister, best friend, friends, coworkers, etc? Here are a few ideas to get one of those holiday burdens off of your shoulders for yes, under $20!

philosophy spiced gingerbread cookie // Lilly pullitzer coffee mug // twistband hair ties // butter london nail laquer // Pony Hair iPhone 5 Case - Pink Leopard // kate spade notepad // reindeer earrings 

Obsession: Patagonia Women's Pelage Jacket

Okay, so my obsession today and this whole weekend has been the (my mom's) BEAUTIFUL Patagonia Women's Pelage Jacket. It is so warm and so flattering on every body and everybody!! My sister who is 5'4 and 100 lbs can rock it and me being 5'8 and weighing just a tad more than my sister……anyways it looks gorg no matter what your body type. 

A definite suggestion for your Christmas list! I know I added it to mine!! 

Some pics of me in the gorgeous jacket:

Baklava

So, on the girl's weekend here in NYC, we sat down and ate a late dinner at Pera Mediterranean Brasserie. We had a fantastic dinner with a couple of "mezes" or "small plates" including stuffed grape leaves and lamb dishes with PLENTY of pita!

As the mezes began to disappear, we sat back in our seats completely and utterly satisfied when the waitress offered to us the dessert menu. Welp, why not. We ordered the baklava. 

Baklava is (as wikipedia explains it) is a rich, sweet pastry made of layers of fill or phyllo pastry filled with chopped nuts and sweetened with syrup or honey. Or as I would explain it: pure bliss. 

Try not to salivate too much:

The Christmas Gift That Keeps on Giving

So, do you guys want to know the secret to receiving a present monthly for a whole year? The answer is Julep Maven. Julep Maven is a monthly subscription to the nail polish and beauty supply company called Julep. The website found here: http://www.julep.com/maven.html will answer all of your questions.

Basically, in the monthly package, you receive two different color nail polishes along with some other monthly themed goodies such as cuticle cream, lipstick, lipgloss, candies, face wash, lotion, etc.. It is truly my favorite Christmas present from last year and I will be renewing my subscription this Christmas!