Green Smoothie Challenge - Week 2

I started my second week of the green smoothie challenge last Tuesday.  I admit I have had a few slip ups (I'm only human)  I've been drinking the green smoothies daily but I have been snacking a little. I had a chocolate chip brownie with whipped cream Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon.  I've also made rice krispie treats and caramel popcorn.  I was snacking on those during the evening mostly after eating dinner.

I have notice that my dinner portions have gotten smaller and I lost 2 pounds.  This week I added kale and avocado to my smoothies.  The kale has a strong taste so you have to use really sweet fruits to cut it.  You can not taste the avocado at all but it makes the smoothies really creamy.

Hopefully, as I continue with this challenge my need for sugar will decrease.

Here are my smoothies for week 2:



Day 8 - kale, spinach, ginger, vanilla greek yogurt, coconut water, pineapple, banana, and strawberries 















Day 9 - kale, spinach, green apple, cilantro, ginger, banana, lemon and almond milk

I only drunk half of this smoothie as I did not care for it too much.  The taste was good but the texture was too mushy for me.  I think what made the texture unappealing was that I put fresh lemon juice with the almond milk.  I plan on making this smoothie substituting the almond milk for orange juice or maybe water.














Day 9 lunch - pomegranate juice, vanilla greek yogurt, 1/4 orange, strawberries, banana, spinach and flaxseeds














 Day 10 - spinach, blueberries, strawberries, mango and water














Day 10 lunch on the go - kale, spinach, coconut oil, pineapple, mango and coconut water (MY FAVORITE)













Day 11 - spinach, kale, flaxseeds, 1/2 orange, apple, pineapple, mango, banana and almond milk












 
Day 12 - Spinach, 1/2 avocado, ginger, green apple, green grapes, coconut oil and coconut water













 
Day 13 - spinach, kale, blackberries, strawberries, kiwi, peaches, banana, 1/2 avocado, 1 cup water, 1/4 cup coconut water and agave nectar













Day 14 - spinach, 1/2 avocado, orange juice, coconut water, coconut oil, pineapple, banana and flaxseeds














For week 3, I will add cacao powder, chard and chai seeds to my smoothies.



TIP:  A good way to store the other half of the avocado so it does not brown is to put fresh lemon juice on it, wrap it in plastic wrap really tight then store the avocado in an air tight container in the fridge.  

Faux Leather Overalls

Some people may be prefer the overall trend to stay in the late 80s early 90s but I still like them. I saw these faux leather overalls on instagram. So I headed on over to the Lush Divas Boutique to check them out.


The price for the overalls are $69.00 and they are sold out of the size large.

S/N the spike wedge sneakers the model has on are pretty dope!

While on the website, I came across this faux leather skirt which I think is uber cute.  I need to add it to my closet ASAP.

The price for the skirt is $32.00.

Jeffrey Campbell Bones Chain

I follow Jeffrey Campbell  on Instagram, when they posted these yesterday I had an instant shoegasm. These Bones Chain wedge sneakers are DOPE!  I  told someone last week that I wanted a nice pair of wedge sneakers and these are it.

They are being sold on Sole Struck for $244.95.  Unfortunately, they do not have my size (insert sad face). But if you can afford the price and wear sizes 5, 7 or 9 hop on over there and cop a pair before they sell out.

Green Smoothie Challenge - week 1

I started the green smoothie challenge last Tuesday. I am not looking to lose weight, just belly fat and to be healthy.

The first day I replaced lunch with a green smoothie. The second day I replaced breakfast and lunch with a green smoothie. I ate a little over half of my dinner that night, which is not normal. On the third day I only replaced breakfast. I was going down to my mother's job later that day. She works a few doors down from the Honey Baked Ham store, I just had to have their Tuscan pesto turkey melt sandwich for lunch. I couldn't finish the whole sandwich, I was so full from just eating half! I gave the other half to my son.



Day 1 - 1 cup of spinach, 1 cup of mixed berries, 1 cup of almond milk, 1/2 banana and agave nectar:

Day 2 - 2 handfuls of spinach, 1/2 an orange, 1 banana, 1 apple, 5 strawberries, 1 cup of vanilla Greek yogurt and 1 tablespoon of flax seeds (makes 2 servings) :

Day 3 - a handful of spinach, 1 cup of mixed berries, 1/2 banana, 2 tablespoons of flax seeds, 1/2 cup of vanilla Greek yogurt and 1/2 cup of pomegranate juice:

Day 4 - 2 handfuls of spinach, 1/2 cup of pineapple, 1/2 apple, 1/2 banana, 1/2 an orange, 5 strawberries, 2 tablespoons of flax seeds, 1 cup of vanilla Greek yogurt and 1/2 cup of almond milk:

Day 5 - handful of spinach, 1 tablespoon of coconut oil, 1/2 cup of almond milk, 1 tablespoon of flaxseeds, pineapple, mango, strawberries, and banana

Day 6 - handful of spinach, 1 tablespoon of coconut oil, 1/2 cup of almond milk, tablespoon of flaxseeds, pineapple, mango, strawberries and banana (same as day 5)

Day 7 - handful of spinach, blackberries, 1/4 orange, greek blueberry yogurt, 1/2 cup coconut water and a tablespoon of flaxseeds

For week two,  I plan on adding kale and coconut water to my smoothies and replacing breakfast and lunch for a least 3 of the days.

My Struggle

I am not what most would consider a "big girl" but I feel like one.  I was always small, no bigger than a size 4 until about 7 years ago.  I started picking up weight and thus my weight loss journey begun.  For me I don't think dieting is the answer.  I think changing your eating habits and exercising will help you achieve your weight goals.  My problem is that I do not have the will power to exercise. I am the type that wants instant results.  If I don't see results withing two weeks, my desire to keep going to the gym drops.  I eat pretty healthy/clean and I drink plenty of water (most days I make it to 8 glasses).  I also try to stay away from processed food as much as possible.  My kryptonite is Coca-Cola, I can not stay away from it.  I know sodas are not good for the waist line but dammit it is good going down. I do love baked goods too

This week I have decided to try the green smoothies and do ab workouts every other day.  I am posting a motivation picture on my fridge to keep me going.  And since I want to go to Miami this summer, I really need to get it together.  Having this blog and posting my results will hopefully help me stay motivated.



January ab challenge:


















Clean Eating:  http://www.cleaneatingmag.com/
http://www.thegraciouspantry.com/what-is-clean-eating/

30 Day Green Smoothie Challenge:  http://simplegreensmoothies.com/30-day-challenge

Give me a bold lip

I am not as into make up as most women, however, I do love a bold lip.  My color of choice happens to be a matte red.  Some think a woman with a darker complexion can not pull off red but I differ.  There are different tones of red, it is about finding the one that works for you and wearing it with confidence. 

Here is a picture of me wearing my favorite lip color Ruby Woo.  My makeup artist friend introduced me to Ruby Woo back in 2009, I have been hooked every since.  I've even gotten other women hooked on it.  Which makes me think, MAC should be giving me commission.

In this picture I am wearing MAC Red. Trying to break my addiction to Ruby Woo, I went to the store to find another lip color.  Most of the colors I already have and the others I just was not feeling.  So I told the sales lady just give me the ruby woo.  Can you believe they were out?!?!?!  Not wanting to lose a sell, she tried to get me to try other shades of red.  The others either had too much orange in them or too much brown.  The MAC Red is very much like the ruby woo but with a shine.  So of course I got it and I am very happy with it. 

BTW please don't judge the bathroom picture or how huge my hands look....lol

This bold purple lip is giving me LIFE.  I am not sure what brand of lipstick this is but I need to find it ASAP. If anyone out there can tell me where to find it, I will be forever grateful.

5 things your skin needs daily

Antioxidants 
Super foods, that you mostly likely already eat, that are rich in antioxidants:

• Apples
• Broccoli
• Onions 
• Red Grapes
• Mangoes
• Greens (collard, turnip and mustard)
• Sunflower Seeds

Check out http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/antioxidants-your-immune-system-super-foods-optimal-health for a more detailed list of super foods that contain antioxidants.

Sun Protection
Everyone must protect their skin from the sun regardless of your ethnicity.  Try using a moisturizer with SPF in it and then top it with sunscreen.

Essential Fatty Acids
Certain foods you can find essential fatty acids in are:

• Fish
• Flaxseeds
• Canola Oil
• Cantaloupe
• Kale
• Spinach
• Pinto Beans

Water
I really need to drink water, if I don't it shows in my skin.  My face will look dry, dull and greyish and my eczema flairs up.  It is very important that I drink 6-8 glasses of water a day.  I would suggest you drink as much water as possible.  If you don't like the taste of water, try flavoring it with fresh lemon.

Cleansing
In the morning washing your face with H2O is good enough.  In the evening use your favorite face wash to remove the day's buildup.

Once a week try a face mask.  I like to do an oatmeal mask: ground oatmeal, add honey and lemon to form a paste.  Apply to clean skin, I usually leave the mask on for 15 minutes sometimes longer if I am in the middle of something. Rinse with warm water then follow with your favorite moisturizer

You can also try an egg mask: mix together one egg white and lemon juice, apply to clean skin, let it dry then rinse with warm water then follow with your favorite moisturizer.

I prefer to make my own face mask, if you don't a store bought one will do just fine.

Holiday VoxBox 2012

My first post that is not a transfer from Tumblr!!!

I received the Holiday VoxBox from Influenster on Christmas Eve.  I get so excited when I get a new VoxBox, it's the anticipation of seeing what is in the box (they don't tell you) and getting free stuff! With the holidays I was not able to post until now.

In the box was:

Quaker Real Medleys Oatmeal - $1.79 per cup

NYC New York Color Liquid Lipshine - $2.49

Kiss Nail Dress - $6.99

EBOOST - $28 for a box of 20

Goody QuikStyle Brush (Paddle) - $11.99

Sole Society $25 off coupon

The first thing I saw when I opened the box was the Goody QuikStyle Brush.  I must say I was really excited about this brush.  I have natural hair and I need to use something to help detangle my hair but not pull my hair out.  I haven't been able to test out the brush yet because I have box braids in but as soon as they come out I will test out this brush.

If you look closely you can see the microfibers bristles that will help with drying your hair faster.

My youngest daughter was excited about the Kiss Nail Dress, I received the cheetah print ones.  And I will NOT let her put them on her nails, she is only 9. Because I have a huge gash in one of my nails, I only tested the nail dress on my pinky nail.  The application was easy enough.  However, I did file it down too far and I didn't really size it correctly.  We'll blame my errors on the kids being home lol. I've had the nail dress on for a few days now and I have not experienced any peeling.

I've used the NYC New York Color Liquid Lipshine a few times since I have received it.  The lipshine is a nude color that really gives my lips a nice shine.  You can still tell I have on something other than chapstick.  I like it for days when I feel like rocking a natural look.  I would most likely restock when I run out of this lipshine.

Generally, I only eat Quakers brown sugar oatmeal and I eat it really fast before it gets cold (gross).  I tried to get my oldest daughter to taste test the Quaker Real Medleys Oatmeal in summer berry for me.  She didn't want to so I had to suck it up and try it myself.  It was actually pretty good.  This oatmeal may be added to the grocery list.

 

I've tested and reviewed the EBOOST before with the same results, it is not to my liking.  This time I was sent the pink lemonade flavored powder and it was still awful.  The price is also too high which means I will never purchase this product.  Sorry!

The Sole Society coupon will expire at the end of this month which means I will not be able to use it.  I will have to pass this goody off to someone else.

 

Special thanks to Influenster for sending me these VoxBoxes to test and try new products for free.  Some of these products I probably would have never picked up in the stores if it was not for Influenster.

Casual Fit

 Cute and comfortable outfit to wear out when you are running errands or doing things with the kids. 

Beauty Blogger VoxBox 2012

I received the the Beauty Blogger VoxBox on October 18th for free from Influenster to test out the products.

I was able to test each product except the Spin Pin, which I gave to my sister-in-law.  She loves the spin pin and said she was able to achieve the perfect bun with it.

I have used the NYC Individual Eyes Compact a few times.  I am still learning how to use eyeshadow and I like the fact that this compact had semi-instructions on how to use it.  I think I've been doing a pretty good job wearing eyeshadow.

The Not Your Mothers Smooth Moves was OK but did not work well on my hair type.  I would say it would be better on someone with fine hair.  I may have to passed this on to my sister-in-law too.

The KISS ever pro lashes, I like the length of the lashes.  The only negative I have about these is the glue, it doesn't work as well.  Or it could have been human error...ie I didn't know what I was doing lol.  I used another eyelash glue I had and were able to get the lashes on.

I put the Eboost natural energy powder in a bottle of cold water.  I took one sip and was not feeling it, I tried taking a couple of big gulps but I was not able to finish the bottle.  The taste was not to my liking.

I also received a mini candle from Bath and Body Works in a pumpkin cupcake scent.  I love love love this candle.  It was actually the first thing I tested out of the box.
s/n They also sent discount coupons for the candles.  



 

Out on the town

T by alexander wang
$350 - harveynichols.com

I found a similar shirt at Marshall's for $14.99. 

VILA fur vest
$66 - vila.com

Faux fur vest are available at Forever 21.  I believe my vest was $24.99

Rich & Skinny leather pants
$190 - eluxe.ca

I spotted a pair of leather pants at Marshall's for $29.99

Ballet shoes
howcool.com

Evening handbag
$40 - mememeaccessories.com

Red lip makeup
I prefer Ruby Woo by MAC or their Mac Red if you want more of a shine

Holiday Party Dress

This dress is super cute for a holiday party. I wish I had somewhere to wear it.  However, those shoes are not the business with the dress

Ferrero Rocher gift

Great surprise to get a whole box of Ferrero Rocher chocolate in the mail yesterday for FREE from Influenster. 

Ferrero Rocher has some of the best chocolate!  A box of these do not last in my house. The wafer shell and the hazelnut pieces create the crunch and hazelnut cream enhances the flavor of the chocolate.

If you haven’t tried Ferrero Rocher chocolates before, you need to go out now and get some.  Go ahead it's okay to indulge once in a while. You will not regret it if you do!

Who would have thought I would have a beauty blog?!?

Over the years, I’ve come to the realization that fashion does not just consist of clothes but shoes, hair, accessories and how you carry yourself.  The clothes do not make you, you make the clothes. 

We must also remember that it takes more than clothes and makeup to make us look beautiful. Food, fitness (I hate this word sometimes,) and confidence play key roles in beauty as well.

You may not like everything I post but please remember beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Stay tune as I will feature everything that in MY opinion goes into being beautiful from fashion to food. You may not like everything I post but please remember beauty is in the eye of the beholder 😉

Enjoy and thanks for visiting!

Mahogany

Side Note:  This blog was originally on tumblr but I decided to transfer it over to blogspot.