tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83716835057394314672024-03-13T08:38:51.301-07:00BrittanyxoLeighBrittanyxoLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09851557425960008379noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8371683505739431467.post-89757439144991367122014-02-05T06:00:00.000-08:002014-02-05T06:00:06.794-08:00What I Ate Wednesday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I finally get to participate in the What I Ate Wednesday blog trend. Since I was on the juice cleanse last month, I figured it would be completely boring to see the five juices I drank. I try my best not bore my followers to death, so I avoided too many juice pics. Anyhow, now that all of that is in the past, I figured it would be prime time to take a day in the life of Brittany, food style. </div>
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I start every morning with lemon+apple cider vinegar+warm water & a <a href="http://www.yourtea.com/products/28dayteatox" target="_blank">tiny teatox tea</a>. After about a half hour, I ate my breakfast. My go to breakfast lately has been green tea and grapefruit. In the past I used to drown my grapefruit in sugar. yikes! Recently, I've been using <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005P0IVJM/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B005P0IVJM&linkCode=as2&tag=pintat-20" target="_blank">coconut nectar</a> and let me say yum! I would totally recommend switching your sweetener to raw coconut nectar. It's not overly sweet, which is really nice. </div>
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Can we all take a moment of silence for my favorite pink mug shown in the above photo. It is a sad day for all, and it breaks my heart to let you all know my poor pink mug was smashed very shortly after this picture was taken. My dad will be facing the consequences for such actions later. Anyhow, I spent the afternoon at Whole Foods, which every normal girl does right? Seriously, I love going to the grocery store! I slowly browse each isle, finding all kinds of good finds. I took my mom with me and we both had salads for lunch. I have absolutely no portion control when it comes buffets, so needless to say I filled my bowel to the rim. I used the quinoa salad which had a light lemon/olive oil dressing as an overall dressing for the salad. I loved the falafel, which was my first time trying it. I also loved the sweet potatoes and marinated mushrooms. Yummy in my tummy!! I had a black chia kombucha to drink. They were on sale so I stocked up. I love those!!<br />
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Dinner, which sorry about the horrible picture, but let's face it, it's winter and all natural light has been gone since 4pm. So bare with me. My mom bought the vegetable lasagna from Whole Foods and some parmesan bread. The lasagna was absolutely delicious, but super rich and filling. I only ate half of it. The bread, which was only 99 cents for the whole loaf was amazing. It was a splurge, because I really do try to avoid wheat.<br />
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No dessert tonight, wah! Seriously, though, I was so full I don't think I could even eat a chocolate chip. Ok, kidding, there is always room for chocolate. After the adventure at Whole Foods my mom and I stopped at Target. The clearance racks were insane and I impulsively bought three new tops and the cutest bag ever. Luckily, we had to pick my dad up from work, so we weren't able to shop around too much/spent all my money. The rest of the day I got caught up reading some of my favorite blogs. I love having lazy days off.<br />
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I hope everyone has a good Wednesday. For those that work a normal schedule it's humpday, and the work week is half over. For me, I'm extremely lucky to only have to work tomorrow and have a four day weekend. It's a little crazy and not really planned, so we will see what trouble I get into. Maybe I'll be a good girl and pick up some shifts at work, but probably not. Who likes work anyhow?!</center>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; text-align: start;">**</span>disclosure<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; text-align: start;">: if you purchase anything I link to you via Amazon I make a small percentage out of it at no cost to you! So it's a win, win!</span></span></div>
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BrittanyxoLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09851557425960008379noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8371683505739431467.post-10284841916243997952014-02-03T05:43:00.000-08:002014-02-04T09:27:34.447-08:00Valentine's Day Giveaway!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
We are officially into February and that means it's cupid's birthday. Just kidding, that baby who shoots people with magical arrows obviously doesn't age, so in other words Valentine's Day is just around the corner. Don't worry, if your a single lady like me there is no reason to avoid this day by sitting in your sweats, drinking wine, eating ice cream and crying your eyes out while watching the notebook. Us single ladies can indulge in all the v-day hype like buying ourselves chocolates and lots of them. Maybe send yourself flowers, oh hey, why not even send them to your work with an anonymous note. Ok, maybe don't that would look very desperate if anyone ever found that little secret out. So let's go the safer route and go shopping!! Does anyone else ever think about the movie White Chicks when they say this?! I always do. What better way to go shopping than with a $200.00 gift card?! Yes you read that right! The lovely Bella at <a href="http://www.datelessndallas.com/" target="_blank">Dateless in Dallas</a> is hosting an amazing giveaway I so greatly got to be part of with a bunch of other fabulous ladies. The gift card is for <a href="http://www.stelladot.com/sites/bellaramos" target="_blank">Stella & Dot</a>, which is also where my next paycheck is going to. They have the most glamorous jewelry, plus they also carry handbags, wallets and scarves. This is an awesome gift, so make sure you enter!</div>
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<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/c25c780/" id="rc-c25c780" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
<script src="//d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cptr.js"></script><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>TERMS AND CONDITIONS:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">1. Winner will be notified on <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1184564097" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">February 8th</span></span>.<br />2. Winner will be verified. If the winner cannot be verified, a new one will be selected.<br />3. The winner has 48 hours to claim their prize after the notifying email has been sent out.<br />If they do not respond to the email within the 48 hours a new winner will be selected.</span><br />
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Good luck ladies! This is so exciting, I almost wish I could enter myself. I guess I will just have to live through you all. </div>
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<br />BrittanyxoLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09851557425960008379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8371683505739431467.post-87828241361581461412014-02-03T04:00:00.000-08:002014-02-03T05:41:12.203-08:00Monday Morning MantraI thought I would try something new and start each week with a new mantra to instill positive thinking into my life. It's so amazing the amount of negative self talk we do. We would never treat our friends or family the way we treat our own selves at times. I'm one of the worst at it. I've always been more introverted so self dialog is very natural, but can easily go in the wrong direction. "Why did you just do that?" "I'm such a mess up" "I don't even care anymore" are just some of the negative self talk I do on a daily basis.<br />
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Not only do I abuse myself verbally, but my greatest fault of all is food. I use to abuse my body every single night when I came home from work. It would be late at night, I would be extremely stressed out and tired, yet I would sit in the kitchen for hours eating peanut butter toast like nobodies business. I would tell myself I deserved it, I had a rough day and all. The the spiral would continue and I would feel worse from ruining all the healthy food and exercise choices I had made earlier in the day. The worst part... I deserved it, I would tell myself. I knew what I really deserved was to better myself. If I really respected and loved myself I would not trash it every night with unhealthy bingeing. I realized every night how much I really must hate myself, that I could not overcome the urge to constantly hurt my body. "You can do better tomorrow" a slight glimmer of hope would tell myself every night as I lay feeling sick, although, tomorrow usually wasn't better.<br />
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During the juice cleanse I resisted any evening snacking, but since going back to "normal" food again I find myself going back to my old ways. To really love ourselves we respect every part of our being. That means no abuse in any form whether that be self-talk, cutting, starving, bingeing, etc. That's why I thought I should start every morning with a mantra. A mantra is basically just repeated words or phrases. In my case something positive. The more you say something the more you start to believe it. When I graduated nursing school I had post-its around the house saying "You will pass the NCLEX the first time" and you bet I did. I intend to use the same theory to change my inner voice. Change my self-talk to positivity and self love.<br />
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Feel free to join me. I intend to use the same mantra for a week, putting the mantra on my bathroom or vanity mirror so I see it every morning and repeat it to myself. This mantra I created is intended to aid my self awareness and create a better love of my body to avoid destructive behaviors such as bingeing.<br />
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Do you use mantras to self-empower? What mantras do you repeat to yourself? Hope everyone has a wonderful Monday and a great week. </div>
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<br />BrittanyxoLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09851557425960008379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8371683505739431467.post-73757083140102839592014-01-31T22:49:00.000-08:002014-01-31T22:49:56.874-08:00Liebster Award<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I'm so excited to announce that I was given the Liebster Award sometime last week. I was completely shocked when I received an email from Bella from <a href="http://www.datelessndallas.com/2014/01/liebster-award-sponsoring.html" target="_blank">Dateless in Dallas</a>. I absolutely love reading her blog and could not believe she noticed little 'ol me. Of coarse this award is for bloggers with less than 200 followers, which is definitely me, but it's nice to spread the word on blogs we admire and feel deserve more followers. So I was not only excited to answer the questions Bella asked, but also to nominate and ask questions to my fellow bloggers. </div>
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<b><i>The Rules</i></b></div>
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<b><i>1. You must link back to the person that nominated you.</i></b></div>
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<b><i>2. You must answer the 11 questions given by the nominee before you.</i></b></div>
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<b><i>3. You pick 11 nominees with under 200 followers to answer your questions.</i></b></div>
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<b><i>4. You cannot nominate the person who nominated you.</i></b></div>
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<b><i>5. You must tell the nominees that they have been nominated by you.</i></b></div>
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My nominees:</div>
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Jasmine @ <a href="http://thejasminemaria.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The Jasmine Maria</a></div>
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Nina @ <a href="http://ripsinmypockets.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The Grand Adventures of Me</a></div>
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Ginny @ <a href="http://www.buttergirldiaries.com/" target="_blank">Buttergirl Diaries</a><br />
Chelsea @ <a href="http://afitlittleone.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">A Fit Little One</a><br />
Paige @ <a href="http://fitnotfad.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Fit Not Fad</a><br />
Victoria @ <a href="http://povertyluxe.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Poverty Luxe</a><br />
Lindy @ <a href="http://www.trendylindy.com/" target="_blank">Trendy Lindy </a><br />
Alison @ <a href="http://lavieambrose.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">La Vie Amberose</a><br />
Yesi @ <a href="http://theyesidiaries.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The Yesi Diaries</a><br />
Stephanie @ <a href="http://www.showeredinsparkles.com/" target="_blank">Showered in Sparkles </a><br />
Jordan @ <a href="http://a-musingsofatwentysomething.blogspot.se/" target="_blank">Musing of a Twenty Something</a></div>
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<b>My Questions from Bella</b></div>
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<b>1. What did you like most about high school?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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The socialization. I went to a relatively large high school so I loved meeting new people and being around such diversity. I also loved going to football & basketball games, homecoming, homecoming week and all that high school crap. It's funny how easy life was then, but it never felt like it.</div>
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<b>2. What is your biggest fear?</b></div>
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Anuptaphobia- Fear of staying single. Kidding, not kidding. I hate storms, while everyone is making their status "love thunderstorms, best sleeping weather". I'm praying my house doesn't get sucked up in a tornado like Dorthy's did in the Wizard of Oz. My biggest irrational fear is the fear of falling. I hate flying in planes, roller coasters, squeaky stairs, cracks in wall, overstocked shelves, and oh boy the trip to the Grand Canyon well that was a barrel of fun. Not!</div>
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<b>3. If you won the lottery and had one day to spend it, where
would you spend it?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Well, I would start off with something really fun like paying off my student loans. Then I would buy myself a nice black Range Rover. Next I'd buy myself every miniature dog breed starting off with a teddy bear, a miniature french bulldog and a pomsky. Google them, you will not regret it. I really should probably donate some, but being conceited for one minute I would blow the rest on make-up & clothes, preferably by taking a trip to France to do so. </div>
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<b>4. What do you like most about blogging?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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I love having an outlet to express myself and write down my thoughts. Even more though, I love interacting with so many different people. I love reading and commenting on other people's blogs and it seriously brightens my day when someone comments on one of my posts. It's so fun to connect with other people!</div>
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<b>5. Do you have kids? If not, do you want kids?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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No kiddos here folks. I would love to have 4 kids, if the stars align 2 girls and 2 boys. I grew up with only my younger brother who is my complete opposite in every way. I love him to death, but we aren't super close. I would love to have a big family for that reason. I always wished I had a sister to confide in. Now I just need to find a man, and then find a man who isn't running for his life when I say I want 4 kids.</div>
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<b>6. How has 2014 treated you so far?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Besides this freezing weather, great! I'm finishing up my 30 day juice cleanse and could not feel any better. I feel like 2014 is my year to really find myself and be the person I really want to be!</div>
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<b>7. Describe yourself in three words<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Introverted, Caring && Tough</div>
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<b>8. Which is your favorite holiday?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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As much as I love the Christmas holiday season, I love Halloween. Fall is by far my favorite season and everything about Halloween I can't get enough of. This year I really want to take a tour of haunted mansions!</div>
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<b>9. What do you think about dating in our generation?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Well, I hate dating in general, so... I love the show Million Dollar Matchmaker, because I think Patti really has it. I think guys should plan the dates and do the "guy" stuff. I want to be swept off my feet. Is that really too much to ask?!</div>
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<b>10. Tell me about a time when you met a celebrity {or
someone important}, who was it and how did you react?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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This question made me really feel like a loser. I know after this post I will actually think of someone, but all I can come up with is the city's mayor when I was in middle school. I had some of my poetry "published" with a few of the other kids in my school, which allowed us to be invited to the mayor's mansion. All I remember is how scary his wife looked. </div>
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<b>11.Which one, Edward or Jake? {Twilight}<span style="font-size: 14px;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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Ok, are we talking Jacob book or Jacob movie, because there is a big difference. When I read the books I fell for Edward hard. I could not even stand Jake I hated him! Then the movie comes out and Jake is hot as hell, and I'm like why are you being so mean to him. So answer is book Edward, movie Jake. I'm weird I know.</div>
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<b>My Questions to my nominees: </b></div>
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<b>1. What is one food you couldn't live without?</b></div>
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<b>2. Would you ever go on a reality show? If yes, which one?</b></div>
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<b>3. What was your worst date ever?</b></div>
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<b>4. If you could know one thing about your future, what would you want to know?</b></div>
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<b style="font-family: 'Droid Serif';">5. </b><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 17.68000030517578px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>If you could breed two animals together to defy the laws of nature what new animal would you create?</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 17.68000030517578px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>6. What is something you pinned on Pinterest that you want to do or have?</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 17.68000030517578px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>7. What is your favorite breakfast food?</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 17.68000030517578px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>8. What is your favorite part about being a blogger?</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 17.68000030517578px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>9. What was your most impulsive buy ever? </b></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 17.68000030517578px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>10. </b></span></span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 17.68000030517578px;"><b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">If you could steal one thing without consequence what would it be?</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 17.68000030517578px;"><b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">11. </span></b></span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 17.68000030517578px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Is there anything you wished would come back into fashion?</b></span></span><br />
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BrittanyxoLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09851557425960008379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8371683505739431467.post-35794593083581955702014-01-30T17:03:00.000-08:002014-01-30T17:03:24.049-08:00Acts of Kindness So today was my day off, which I could not be happier for. This week so far has been both emotionally and physically draining and I have felt completely exhausted. So I was so happy when my mom told me the neighbors were all going out to lunch. A little background here, the "housewives" on the street like to call themselves the <i>Blacksmith Babes</i> after the street we live on or the <i>Blacksmith Bitches</i> to be more accurate. They really do need their own TV series. Every so often they ever so graciously invite their lovely daughters, the <i>Babes in Training</i> or <i>Little Bitches, </i>to tag along to their weekly outings. So the Babes and Babettes made it through the slight snow storm we were having to Panera. We were there for over two hours laughing about strip clubs, getting drunk in Vegas, grooming the lady garden, tattoos & weird piercings, and our crazy families. I laughed the entire time and felt so good to be a positive, happy mood.<br />
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We had to leave because I had a dentist appointment, which I had already rescheduled multiple times. I hate the dentist, but who really does like it? It had stopped snowing, but the roads were still a little bit slippery. My mom was driving my car home, blabbing away. Why I let her drive I may forever question. We hit a slippery patch and began to slide. Instead of letting off the gas a little and slightly correcting, my mom did the complete opposite. If you are not from a place that is so blessed to receive a shit ton of snow each year, consider yourself blessed and lucky you have no idea what a fish tail (not the braid) is. So let's all picture this. We are beginning to slide, my mom with her foot still planted ever so nicely and stupidity on the gas petal cranks the steering wheel all the way to the left. Next thing I know we are heading straight for the median. I grab my arm rests in terror and scream for my life. I'm sure this did not helped matters, but I'm not good in these situations. So my mom, again still with her foot on the gas petal tries to prevent this and cranks the steering wheel to the right. Everyone who has ever driven in the snow knows this is the worst thing you can do. So now the back of the car is coming around to the front and we are headed straight for the curb. I scream "STOP!" meaning stop turning the gosh damn steering wheel, my on the other had decided this means hit the breaks. Again, worst move to do in the snow. We spin straight up onto the curb, stuck!<br />
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My first thought, "well, I'm not making it to the dentist today." and second thought, "wow everyone must think we are fucking idiots!". My mom looks over at me, "your gonna have to push us out". Um was she kidding?! Do I look like the hulk? & I'm pretty sure I'm dressed to go out for lunch, not enter in the Alaskan strong man contest. Then like a shimmer of hope I see a car pull ahead of us and stop. A young man comes walking out. Like the patron saint of dumb ass drivers he pushes us out to safety. I felt like handing him the $5 I had in my wallet, but kind of felt like that would be stupid. Instead, we thanked him 100x before he hopped back into his car and left.<br />
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Wishing I could have thanked him more for his act of kindness, I thought about the movie <i>Pay it Forward</i>. As much as I wanted to thank this man, these small acts of kindness should not be rare occasions. When someone holds the door, we shouldn't be overly surprise, but I am and thank them according. We need to do small things for people everyday, and worry less about paying people back for their help, rather pay it forward. Has anyone ever had someone ahead of them in line pay for your coffee or maybe your toll? I would love to do that for someone, just to make their day. Shouldn't we all do small things for strangers, just because we are human[kind]. Let me know your thoughts. What have you done today to brighten someone's day?<br />
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<br />BrittanyxoLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09851557425960008379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8371683505739431467.post-36088043098683260712014-01-29T11:06:00.001-08:002014-01-29T11:06:48.372-08:00Juice Fast // Week 4<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, Times, FreeSerif, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.479999542236328px;">I'm on my final stretch this week. Thursday will be 30 days of my juice fast and all I can say is "</span><span style="line-height: 18.479999542236328px;"><i>allelujah!</i>". Seriously, I'm ready to eat!!</span></span><br />
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<b style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, FreeSerif, serif; line-height: 18.479999542236328px;">Grocery List</b><br />
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4 bundles of curly green kale </div>
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2 bundles of red kale<br />
4 bunches of spinach</div>
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10 large carrots</div>
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1 celery bundle</div>
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3 bundles of red chard<br />
2 bundle of (6) beets</div>
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5 cucumbers</div>
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2 pineapples</div>
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8 pears</div>
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8 yellow apples</div>
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10 red apples</div>
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8 green apples</div>
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8 oranges</div>
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10 lemons</div>
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*I had to buy a little more groceries than usual. I usually do my shopping on Tuesdays and then buy for a whole week. I didn't feel like going shopping yesterday, especially for only a few days worth. So, I did my usual shopping last Tuesday with enough food to get me to Sunday, then I went shopping again on Sunday and bought enough food to last me until Thursday. So this is a rough estimate of the combined shopping trips.</div>
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<b>Energy</b></div>
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Energy has been stable. There hasn't been too many changes from my last update. I think my energy level has hit a great level and maintained that throughout my cleanse.</div>
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<b>Skin/Hair</b></div>
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I would love to report nearing the end of my cleanse that my face looks clear and flawless, however it is not the case. Honestly, I had moments it was on the bounds of clearing up, but I think it's the stress of my job that is preventing my skin from clearing up. Last night work was so stressful and I went home with two new huge pimples. My hair and fingernails however have been great. My fingernails have not been breaking and are strong, which is amazing dispite this dry, cold weather we are having. My hair has been growing fast and healthy. The split ends I usually have, are not. My stylist was even amazed.</div>
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<b>Sleep</b></div>
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Besides staying up to read some good books, I have been sleeping like a baby. The cleanse has definitely helped me get a good nights rest.</div>
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<b>Mental Clarity</b></div>
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The beginning of last week I finally had a little bit of the "fog" everyone always talks about. I was a little sluggish, I had a slight headache and felt dizzy for about the first two days. After that, I went back to having clarity and feeling great.</div>
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<b>Weight Loss</b><br />
Can I just tell you that over last weekend I wore jeans. Now for some this is like what?! I hate jeans, even more so the last few months because I felt bloated and fat. I hated the way I felt in jeans and even if I put them on I would feel sick to my stomach about what other people saw when they looked at me so, I would take them off and wear my "go-to" leggings or yoga pant. Even the last few months I felt fat in. So my self-esteem has been low lately. But when I tried on a pair of straight leg jeans I loved wearing with sneaker wedges and they fit perfectly, I was beyond happy. I felt confident and my mom even complimented how slim I looked. I wore jeans the following day and the waist was falling down. I could not believe it! Thank you mother earth for green juice!</div>
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<b>Overall</b></div>
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This past week has been harder with cravings and temptations. I will go more into depth next week as I review my whole juice cleanse, but I have no idea how the guy from <i>Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead</i> did it for 60 days. Honestly, I don't think you should. The cravings I have now are not for junk foods or random cravings. I believe my body is telling me "It's time to actually eat something!". I really wanted to accomplish my goal of 30 days, which I will, but I think 30 days is too long. I think if people want to do a long fast 2 weeks is a great length and you will receive all the benefits. Next week I will put up a post of how to do your own juice cleanse, my final results and conclusions and other tips on doing a juice cleanse, so make sure to follow!</div>
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I thought I would also share my favorite drinks from the week. I would definitely recommend these. Each juice I make is roughly 2 cups worth. </div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Tropical Green Juice</span></h3>
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1/2 of a large cucumber</div>
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1 green apple</div>
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2 stacks kale<br />
3-4 bunches/handfuls of spinach<br />
1/2 pineapple </div>
*My version of a green juice piƱa colada<br />
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Two more days to go. Hope everyone has a great rest of their week, and don't forget to read my other update posts.<br />
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BrittanyxoLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09851557425960008379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8371683505739431467.post-81388320377652563652014-01-20T06:00:00.001-08:002014-01-25T14:26:58.241-08:00Juice Fast // Week 3OMGosh I can not believe I've made it through three weeks. I still have two more to go and I'm so anxious to start my raw lifestyle. As promised it is Wednesday and here is my weekly update!<br />
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<b>Grocery List</b><br />
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2 bundles of curly green kale</div>
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2 bundles of red kale<br />
2 bundles of lacinato (dinosaur) kale<br />
3 bunches of spinach</div>
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4 lbs of carrots</div>
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1 celery bundle</div>
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2 bundles of red chard<br />
1 bundle (3) of beets</div>
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6 cucumbers</div>
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1 pineapple core</div>
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7 pears</div>
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7 yellow apples</div>
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7 red apples</div>
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8 green apples</div>
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8 oranges</div>
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10 lemons</div>
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*I swear Whole Foods is always out of some essential item I need. They usually have a stack of large carrots for $1 a pound, but they were cleaned out, so I had to buy bagged up ones, which were smaller and I had to use more in my juicer. Otherwise Whole Foods is the my favorite place to buy produce. They usually have a great variety and it's organic. Total side note but on the news today they said the average length an apple is at the grocery store is 14 months! yikes, buy organic people they don't have that waxy preservative to keep them longer. yuck!!</div>
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<b>Energy</b></div>
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My energy continues to improve. It's still hard to wake up in the morning, but once I roll my lazy butt out of bed and wake up a little bit, I'm awake. Like really awake, ready to conquer the day awake. I also have not taken any naps on my days off. This is crazy ladies and gents. Usually my day off is crash day and I take a huge long nap and hate myself for it. No such thing this week. I caught myself yawning a few times at work over the week, but I think I'm falling into too much of a routine at work. I need a change. </div>
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<b>Skin/Hair</b></div>
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Ok, I hate to potential curse myself, but my skin is clearing up. My mom looked at me the other day and said "your skin is starting to look better". I felt like the clouds had parted and angels were singing. I'm still waiting until the end of my cleanse to determine if I still want to go to the dermatologist like my mom keeps suggesting. I hope by the end of my fast/cleanse my skin is clear and flawless. Is that really too much to ask?!</div>
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<b>Sleep</b></div>
<div>
My sleep is still amazing, well kinda. I feel like I don't need as much. So at times I sit up at night with energy still. I guess my body doesn't need as much "rest & digest" time as before. I'm still getting great sleep and have no trouble falling sleep either. </div>
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<b>Mental Clarity</b></div>
<div>
This is probably mood, rather than mental clarity, but I have felt great. At work, which 9/10 I dread going to has been better. At work I usually get frustrated, tense and stressed very easily and I keep all this bottled up to give that friendly appearance. So usually by the end of the night I'm drained, I can feel my heart pounding and the muscles in my neck and back tight. This past week was crazy I was cheerful and positive and had no worries. I went about my job calmer and felt relaxed doing it. Although I say this is mood, it is also mental clarity because I see things in a new light now. </div>
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<b>Weight Loss</b><br />
I feel my body has stayed relatively stable from last week. I can't believe how flat my stomach is and the lack of bloat. My arms look thinner and I look toned, even though my activity has been light. I'm waiting for the fat to melt off of my thighs. Whoever passed on the wonderful gene of fat thighs down the family tree is gonna hear from me in the next life. I'm ever so slightly a girl dreaming of a thigh gap, only because I know my body type could have one. However any weight I gain goes directly to the old thighs. Oh mother nature why do women have to have so many problem areas. </div>
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<b>Overall</b></div>
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So my week started with my mom flinging down a fitness magazine telling me to read the article inside. The article bashed juice cleanses stating they were unhealthy. It went on to say it can lead to dehydration, kidney problems and lack of nutrients and vitamins. One thing, I'm not sure how a juice full of fruits and veggies doesn't have nutrients and vitamins and how drinking fluid throughout the day leads to dehydration. It is recommended to drink at least 8 oz of water with or after each juice along with regular water intake, which I have been pushing myself to do. My mom's other big concern protein. She gave me the concerned mother speech, which I so lovely hate. I decided to please her with adding additional protein to my drinks. I say additional because yes most fruits and vegetables have protein in them, kale and spinach being some of the top. I added chia seeds to some of my juices along with melted coconut butter. Let me just tell you how freaking flavorful coconut butter is. Seriously this juice cleanse has made my taste buds 10x stronger! Unfortunately, what I'm thinking is the fat in the coconut butter did not sit well with me or my digestive system. After that I refocused and remembered one of the main reasons a juice fast is so effective, it allows the digestive system to rest. So I stopped using the coconut butter that day and cut the chia seeds out thereafter. I have no concerns with my protein or nutrient intact and will continue to do what I have been doing with one exception. On week three I added one thing. <a href="http://www.yourtea.com/">Yourtea Tiny Teatox</a>. I have seen this all over instagram and thought it would aid in my cleanse and detoxification. So far I love it, especially since it may be the cause of my clearer skin. I will do a review soon. </div>
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I thought I would also share my favorite drinks from the week. I would definitely recommend these. Each juice I make is roughly 2 cups worth. </div>
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<h3>
Lean Green Juice</h3>
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1/2 of a large cucumber</div>
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1 green apple</div>
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2 stacks kale<br />
3-4 bunches/handfuls of spinach<br />
1 large handful of green grapes</div>
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*This is a super yummy green drink. It's refreshing and has a little sweetness that will quench your appetite. </div>
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Love Potion Juice</h3>
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1 beet</div>
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1 red apple</div>
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1 large carrot<br />
2-3 bunches/handfuls of spinach<br />
1 slice ginger</div>
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*I love this drink, not only because its bright red, but it tastes delicious. I could have beet juice all day long.</div>
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Have your done a juice cleanse/fast before? I'm curious other peoples results. && if you have a favorite juice I would love to know your combinations! Hope everyone is doing well, don't forget to follow for future updates. </div>
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BrittanyxoLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09851557425960008379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8371683505739431467.post-27118506692283138152014-01-20T06:00:00.000-08:002014-01-20T08:03:50.591-08:00Morning Orange JuiceGood Monday morning! Mondays area weird, especially for me. Some weeks I hate them like the rest of the world and other week, like this week its a beacon of hope. Why? Well I don't work a normal work week like the majority people. I just finished working over the weekend so this week Monday means one more day until Tuesday, my day off! Either way mornings can suck. While doing my juice cleanse one of my favorite juices has been the one I make in the morning. I posted this combination in my Week One update post, but I wanted to share it again. I have always felt like orange juice was a breakfast juice. Why I feel that way I don't know. The only other time I drink orange juice is when I'm sick. I seriously drink OJ like nobodies business when I start to feel a cold coming on. So much so, I feel like my teeth will rot out by the end of the day. Hey, it's been the way I've stopped some sicknesses died in their tracks. Gotta love that vitamin C. I hope you like this juice. It has such a yummy orange taste, like a raw dreamsicle. Have a good Monday morning and I hope this brings a ray of sunshine to your day!<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Wms4awKljtM/Utwf1iW6kzI/AAAAAAAAAr0/7x7Nus1gTVU/s1600/OJ2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Wms4awKljtM/Utwf1iW6kzI/AAAAAAAAAr0/7x7Nus1gTVU/s1600/OJ2.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
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Morning Orange Juice</h3>
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1 extra large carrot or 2 medium sized carrots</div>
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1 yellow apple</div>
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1 orange</div>
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Place fruits && veggies in a juice and enjoy!</div>
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BrittanyxoLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09851557425960008379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8371683505739431467.post-44576101710588588312014-01-15T11:00:00.000-08:002014-01-25T14:13:23.578-08:00Juice Fast // Week 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I can't believe it's been two week already. Time flies when your on a juice cleanse, isn't that what they always say. No I think I made that up. Anyways here is my weekly update on how my fast has been going.</div>
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<b>Grocery List</b><br />
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3 bundles of kale</div>
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3 bundles of spinach</div>
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10 large carrots</div>
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1 celery bundle</div>
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3 bundles of red chard</div>
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7 pears</div>
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6 yellow apples</div>
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7 red apples</div>
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8 green apples</div>
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7 oranges</div>
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4 zucchini<br />
1 ginger root<br />
4 kiwi<br />
1 bag of green grapes</div>
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*This week Whole Foods was a little picked over. So I didn't get any cucumbers and they only had one type of kale. boo! I realized how important vegetables like cucumbers are for making the majority of your drink, so I "borrowed" two from my mom at the end of the week. Thanks mom!</div>
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<b>Energy</b></div>
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Energy has been amazing. Yes it's still hard to get up in the morning, probably because it's still fairly dark outside, darn you winter. But once I'm up, I'm awake. I have not felt drowsy, fatigued or exhausted. It's been almost weird. Over the weekend I got little sleep, but woke up each morning refreshed and guess what people no naps. Yes, on my days off it's nap day. Which has not been the case. Yeah for having energy to get shit done!</div>
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<b>Skin/Hair</b></div>
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Not too many changes here. I had a rough spell mid-week with lots of breakouts. Again my theory is my body is pushing out all the built up toxins. My hair has been great, I went to my stylist today and she asked if I had changed shampoos because my hair was holding the color better and was looking healthier.</div>
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<b>Sleep</b></div>
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Well I pretty much have continued to sleep like a baby. I love it. I also feel like I don't need as much sleep. I don't know if this is true or not, I may be heading for a huge crash at the end of the week.</div>
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<b>Mental Clarity</b></div>
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Mentally I do feel clear. It's hard to explain, but I feel almost free. Whether it has to do with the juice cleanse, I'm not sure. </div>
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<b>Weight Loss</b></div>
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My mom has made comments that I look thinner to her. My stomach is definitely flat and I love it. Also my favorite pair of yoga pants I wore over the weekend were loose. I had to keep pulling them up, I kept telling myself it was probably because I wear them so much they are stretched out. </div>
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<b>Overall</b></div>
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This past week I really missed eating, but not for the reasons you may think. I really am appreciating food more. I love the smell of food better and I believe when the fast is over I will appreciate flavors, spices and seasoning more. Also my taste buds are developing more. I've fallen in love with my veggies and can taste how the different vegetables interact and taste with each other. I realized I loved ginger, which I don't think I would have said in the past. I never did have a crash or feel like I was in a fog and then feel clear after. Maybe my body wasn't as bad as I thought, or it's just me. Even though I have missed eating food, I have no desire to cheat on my juices. After I drink a juice I'm full and feel content. I have not felt the need to binge at all. I think doing this for 30 days is going to be amazing for me. They say you can break or start a habit in 30 days so I hope to break the habit of binge eating and craving unhealthy foods. I hope to still continue for the full 30 days, but after picking up some Raw Food cookbooks over the weekend I can't wait to start experimenting. </div>
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I thought I would also share my favorite drinks from the week. I would definitely recommend these. Each juice I make is roughly 2 cups worth. </div>
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Spicey Lemonade</h3>
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1 lemon<br />
1 TBS agave/honey/maple syrup<br />
Dash of cayenne powder<br />
Water</div>
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*This was adapted from the Blueprint Cleanse. It took some getting used to, but now a staple afternoon snack.</div>
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Flavorful Green Juice</h3>
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1 large carrot</div>
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1 red apple</div>
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2-3 bundles of spinach<br />
1/2 cucumber<br />
1 slice ginger</div>
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*I modified this from a recommendation from a follower. Love the combo of carrot/red apple/ginger. </div>
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Thanks to some of my followers for their juice recommendations. If you have a favorite juice I would love to know your combinations! Remember Wednesday is update day, make sure to subscribe so you don't miss a weekly juice fast update!!<br />
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BrittanyxoLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09851557425960008379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8371683505739431467.post-46639500269577037052014-01-11T19:58:00.002-08:002014-01-11T19:58:47.447-08:00Get Organized: Cute & Stylish Daily Planners<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Am I a little late or what? It's already two weeks into the new year and I didn't have a planner yet. I really haven't had one since college. My poor iPhone just wasn't cutting it for me. There's just something about that old fashion pen and paper and the feeling of accomplishment when crossing something off. I've always been really picky on my planners. It's the only school supply I really gave a shit about. I would drive all over town to find the perfect planner. It had to be cute, but functional. Plus my handwriting is HUGE! So I always had to find a planner that didn't have lines made for little fairies to write on. Anyways, when doing my daily planner/agenda search for the new year I found a whole bunch of contenders. Thought I'd share some of my faves!</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dQL8RVQsiiI/UtILcqpYq4I/AAAAAAAAAqI/KBnM-eB4c5w/s1600/planner.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dQL8RVQsiiI/UtILcqpYq4I/AAAAAAAAAqI/KBnM-eB4c5w/s1600/planner.png" height="640" width="634" /></a></div>
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I. Rainbows = Happiness && Happiness comes from good organization. Easy to plan life with this super cute <a href="http://www.emilyley.com/collections/simplified-planners/products/the-2014-simplified-planner" target="_blank">Simplified Planner</a>.</div>
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II. What girl doesn't like <a href="http://www.momagenda.com/products.cfm?cID=25&pID=93" target="_blank">animal print</a>!? Now you can feel fierce crossing off your to-do list.</div>
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III. Love these cute planners I found an <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/167088222/2014-12-month-weekly-planner-with-back?ref=sr_gallery_1&sref=sr_3d27b478815c440f5a4e4562246519d6387f0a02ffcf0387bfc2a17911fda296_1389426525_14165241_day_planner&ga_search_query=day+planner&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=US&ga_page=2&ga_search_type=all" target="_blank">Etsy</a>. </div>
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IV. Another <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/174556764/feb-ship-date-already-authentic-day?ref=shop_home_active_1" target="_blank">Etsy</a> fave! Super chic, classic look && also totally functional.</div>
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V. <a href="http://sarahpinto.com/shop/2014-horseshoe-weekly-planner" target="_blank">This is my lucky year</a>. Such a positive message to look at everyday.</div>
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VI. If you are a Target shopper make sure to check out these <a href="https://sugarpaper.com/" target="_blank">Sugar Paper</a> planners. Love 'em!</div>
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VII. A girl cannot go wrong with <a href="http://www.lifeguardpress.com/product/2014-kate-spade-new-york-17-month-agenda" target="_blank">Kate Spade</a>. </div>
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VIII. Love you some pink, but still wanna look professional? I love the look of this <a href="http://www.kikki-k.com/diaries-calendars/2014-a6-weekly-leather-diary-fuchsia" target="_blank">planner</a>.</div>
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IX. <a href="https://www.erincondren.com/gold-edition-life-planners" target="_blank">Ed Condren's</a> gold collection is so freaking cute! Plus you can personalize your planner too.</div>
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I also found some super cool fitness planners. Check out the <a href="http://www.lornajane.com.au/DIARY2014/MNB-Diary-2014" target="_blank">Lorna Jane</a> planner. Everything she does is magic. Another great one is from Blogilates, she has <a href="http://www.ogorgeous.com/product/2014-fit-calendar-journal-limited-edition" target="_blank">fitness calendars</a> and <a href="http://www.ogorgeous.com/product/blogilates-fit-journal-1" target="_blank">fitness journals</a>. How do you stay organized? I have some great ideas on things to add to my planner this year. Maybe I'll share if your good. Kidding, kidding. Let me know your organization tips. Do you use your phone or are you old fashion like me?</div>
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<br />BrittanyxoLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09851557425960008379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8371683505739431467.post-19637739922399421232014-01-08T22:00:00.000-08:002014-01-25T14:28:49.212-08:00Juice Fast // Week 1So today is the day. I've hit one week on my juice fast, I hope to continue the fast until the end of January, so we will see how things go. As I promised here is my weekly update!! I broke it down a little so it's easier to see the long term benefits.<br />
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<b>Grocery List</b><br />
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2 bundles of kale</div>
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2 bundles of red kale</div>
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8 extra large carrots</div>
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1 celery bundle</div>
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2 bundles of red chard</div>
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6 cucumbers</div>
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1 pineapple core</div>
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4 pears</div>
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3 yellow apples</div>
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5 red apples</div>
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8 green apples</div>
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10 oranges</div>
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6 zucchini </div>
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*I had no idea how much of anything I needed. So this is in no way a grocery list I would completely recommend. This did not last me a whole week, although, almost about 6 days worth. I could have used more apples and more greens like kale, spinach, chard, etc. As you can see I forgot items like spinach, romaine lettuce, beets, ginger, etc. that other people use in their juice. This did me well for those 6 days and was a good starting point to lead me to know what to buy next time.</div>
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<b>Energy</b></div>
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Over the month of December I was extremely sluggish and constantly felt exhausted. On my first week of the juice fast I won't say I felt a huge energy boost, but I definitely felt better. Although, I do contribute this some to the fact that after work I would go straight to sleep instead of stay up a few extra hours snacking. Side note I work second shift, so when I got home at 11:00pm or later I would be starving and binge until I hated myself. Since started the juice fast I obviously no longer snacked when I got home, so I did end up getting a few extra Zs. I think my body is still recovering from the holidays. My job required me to work New Years Day, this last weekend including a double shift (16+ hrs.) on Sunday. So to say the least my sleep patterns have been a little F'd up. Thinking about it now, I have been a little more tired, but not to the point of exhaustion I was feeling before. Could it be the juice?! I also did not experience the "in a fog" "headache" "tired" hump around day 3-5 as most people describe. </div>
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<b>Skin/Hair</b></div>
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Ugh, I say this because my skin has been so cray-cray lately I could just scream! For the past 3 months or more my skin has been inflamed with adult acne. I swear my skin didn't even look this bad when I was in high school or college. So if this juicing could clear that up that would be amazing to say the least. I haven't noticed a huge difference, but again the lack of sleep and stress from work could be contributing to that. Also, I am horrible at drinking water. Next week, my goal is to increase the amount of H2O I drink and see how that helps. I have read before that skin breaks out more as you begin to eat healthier, because your body is pushing out all the toxins from your body. Myth or not, I hoping that's the reason I thought I saw a slight improvement in day 1 & 2, but then my skin starting getting worse again. </div>
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<b>Sleep</b></div>
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My sleep has been fantastic. I really mean it. I have one of the hardest times falling asleep. My normal routine before juicing was to watch some TV, check every social media outlet (twice) and then put the timer on my TV so it would turn off in an hour, hoping I had fallen alseep by than. It usually takes me 30-60 minutes to fall asleep. Since starting the juicing I have stopped putting on the TV, attempted most days to avoid the late night instagram checks and just went straight to turning off all the lights. I'm pretty sure most nights I fell asleep soon as my head hit the pillow. It's been great!!</div>
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<b>Mental Clarity</b></div>
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Again, I really never had that day 3-5 "fog" or "haze" in which I overcame and had great mental clarity. I'm not sure if my hump to over come is still on it's way or what. Either way my mind has felt energized and this whole past work week felt clear and less stressful. </div>
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<b>Weight Loss</b></div>
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Bad, blogger (slapping wrist now). I did not do a before weight. I've never been one to weight myself, so it really just slipped my mind. However, I have noticed I lost all my holiday bloat and have a flat stomach at the moment. I'm sure that after one week I just lost a little water weight and nothing too significant. I will try, try, try to remember to weight myself tomorrow and see if there is any difference in week 2. Again, I don't usually like to weight myself. To me, weight is just a number and put more emphasis on how clothes feel or how I see myself in the mirror. </div>
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<b>Overall</b></div>
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I can't believe a week is over. It wasn't as hard as I had imagined which really surprised me. I'm a snacker and a late night binger so I was preparing myself to feel starved, but I didn't.The first few days were weird, I missed chewing. I really did. I began craving pretzels and not for the reasons you may think like wheat or salt (because I also don't even really like pretzels), I desperately wanted to crunch something!! I still every once in a while get the urge to chew, but it's an easily enough urge to just put aside. Which comes to my first realization. If you are a snacker and want to stop, do a one week juice cleanse. I did not realize how many times I just wanted to put something in my mouth, for no reason! I don't know how many times I had the urge to pick up a few crackers at work like I was use to. When I thought about it, why? To cure boredom? To pacify myself? Why? I realized how many times in a day, when I thought I was nourishing my body because I was hungry I was really stuffing my mouth for nothing. Juicing was also the perfect excuse to avoid all the cookies, cakes, chocolates, etc. I was constantly being offered. To say I was on a juice cleanse was empowering. It gave me confident to avoid all the junk I was so used to easily giving in to. Overall, I think a 7 day juice fast is great for anyone. It really puts your head in the right mindset to continue to eat healthy. I just stopped at Whole Foods today and stocked up for week 2. Again, my goal is 30 days. </div>
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I thought I would also share my favorite drinks from the week. I would definitely recommend these. Each juice I make is roughly 2 cups worth. </div>
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Morning Orange Juice</h3>
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1 extra large carrot or 2 medium sized carrots</div>
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1 yellow apple</div>
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1 orange</div>
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*To me this tastes like a raw dreamsicle. I could not get enough of this juice. Perfect way to start the morning. </div>
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Sweet Treat Evening Green Juice</h3>
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1 large pear</div>
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1 red apple</div>
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2-3 red chard</div>
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*I drank this as my last drink of the night to help any late night cravings. It is so yummy you may forget it's good for you</div>
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Thanks to some of my followers for their juice recommendations. If you have a favorite juice I would love to know your combinations! Hope everyone is doing well, don't forget to follow for future updates. </div>
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BrittanyxoLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09851557425960008379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8371683505739431467.post-79196193923465700892014-01-02T09:12:00.001-08:002014-01-02T09:12:20.522-08:00Juice into the New Year<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As of yesterday I started my first ever juice fast. eek! I've been planning on starting a juice fast on the first for a while, but was unsure about mentioning it in my blog. That's when I thought, this is what I made this blog for, to keep me accountable. After watching the documentary <a href="http://www.fatsickandnearlydead.com/" target="_blank"><i>Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead</i></a>, I knew I wanted to do a juice fast. I may be a little crazy, but my goal is to do it for the whole month of January. Being a juicing virgin in all, I really should have started out with a 1-3 day cleanse. However, after the holiday and my lack of healthy eating for the past month or more I was determined. It was always my goal to do the fast for 30 days, so here I am. </div>
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On New Years Eve, I hauled by butt to Whole Foods and bought out their produce section, or at least it felt like that. I had a small plan of attack going in, but once inside the store I went a little crazy. Since getting home I realized I did forget a few things I had wanted to buy, but nothing that I really couldn't continue on without. I plan on doing weekly updates throughout my journey. So make sure to subscribe. I will post my week 1 grocery list and favorite drinks on next Wednesday. </div>
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Wish me luck everyone! && if you have a favorite drink I would love to hear your combinations. I'm still experimenting!!</div>
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BrittanyxoLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09851557425960008379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8371683505739431467.post-73530446484082831642013-12-29T17:04:00.000-08:002013-12-29T17:04:11.643-08:00New Year's Goals<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Goals. Resolution. Same thing right? I've been seeing a lot of blog posts bashing the New Year's Resolution, and while I can't disagree with what most are saying I think it's in poor spirit to criticize anyone who uses the new year to better themselves. I personally have never been one for making a New Year's Resolution, probably because I've seen so many people fail so easily. I love setting goals, it has been something that was instilled in me from a young age. So a new year really never made a difference to me because I already had long & short term goals I was striving for. Over the past year I have been slacking, I realized the other day I really didn't have any goals I was working towards. I was working a job without a future goal in mind and I was going through the motions of life bored. Without goals, life is a routine and as much as I like routine I also hate it! So setting goals is extremely important. When making goals there are things to keep in mind. Goals taking planning, it's not as easy as "I want to lose weight". That type of goal already sets you up for failure!! Within a large goal like weight loss, there should be small goals like losing 5lbs by the end of January. Goals need to be attainable, otherwise they are just dreams that seem unrealistic. I could go on, but that is not the intent of this post. If you want to know how to properly set a goal let me know, because yes, there is a proper way to do it!</div>
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<li><b>Become a fitter version of myself. </b>Although this goal is broad like how I said not to do it, I can picture in my head exactly how I want to be. This is a long-term goal, actually a life goal. This is more than fitting into my favorite high school jeans. I want to be able to do more than 2 pull-ups, do push-ups like it's nothing, run without getting winded, be faster, stronger and leaner. I would love to get back into martial arts and compete again. Maybe even a Crossfit competition in my future?! Who is to know, but it has to start with at least 5 work-outs a week, running in the mornings and eating clean/healthy foods.</li>
<li><b>Run a half marathon. </b>For those who know me, this would be a great accomplishment, I absolutely hate running. My long-term goal is to run the <a href="http://www.rundisney.com/princess-half-marathon/" target="_blank">Disney Glass Slipper Challenge</a> in February 2015. </li>
<li><b>Watch a documentary at least once a week. </b>This is a pretty simple goal. After watch <i>Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead</i> on Hulu, a whole list of different documentaries it said I might like popped-up. That's when I realized I was really missing out on knowledge I could only get from documentaries. I find them fascinating and definitely more informative than the nightly news. I welcome suggestions!</li>
<li><b>Volunteer. </b>There is no reason not to. It wasn't that long ago I was at a meeting with my co-workers and we all had to go around and say something we were proud of. I hate that kind of thing, so of course my answer was really lame "I'm proud I have a job I enjoy" which is only half true, but I have no children to be proud of, which was the common answer by most of my co-workers. But a few of them really surprised me, their volunteer work. I felt so guilty. They work as much as I do and find time to volunteer. Why can't I?! Not sure where I want to volunteer my time or if I could even settle on just one place, but my goal is to find time at least once a week!</li>
<li><b>Find my path in life. </b>I don't know if I will be able to accomplish this goal by the end of 2014, but I hope to get closer than I am now. I had set so many goals right out of high school about what I wanted to do with my life, that when none of them happened I lost my fire. It wasn't my fault really. I believe destiny pushed me in a different direction, but I'm still trying to figure out what direction that is. According to my high school goals I would be going back to school right now, instead I have absolutely no desire to. I feel more lost than I was in high school. What do I do with my life? That is what I hope to figure out...</li>
<li><b>Be more social. </b>I love being around my friends, but I can be the biggest homebody. In 2014 I want to reach out to my friends more and make new ones. "No new friends" is the biggest joke (sorry Drake I still love you). </li>
<li><b>Become a better me. </b>Here's another broad one, but this one is important to me. In college I surrounded myself with people who were negative, judgmental and mean. Spending such time with people wears on you, and eventually I started seeing changes in the way I was acting. After distancing myself from those people I felt free, but I feel I have a long way to go to prove to myself I'm not like those people. I'm starting simple, but it really is a mind set to always be positive, kind and loving. We instantly judge people, most times without trying. So there is where I'm starting. When I see the people around me I will complement them in my head instead of tearing them down. We do this all the time, especially as women "That girl looks like a bitch, Wow she is fat." We've all done it, admit it. Instead before you can even judge someone, make a compliment in her head "She looks nice, I love her hair". Than appreciate the things around you. Be amazed by the clouds in the sky. The warmth of the sun. The sung of the birds. Life is beautiful, we have to appreciate it.Think positive and you will be positive.</li>
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Thank you for reading this post. It's been a while since I've made goals for myself and even longer since I've had people read them. I did this however to keep myself accountable and hopefully you all will motivate me to do so! Post your goals for the new year below. I would love to know how you intent to better yourself in the new year!!</div>
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<br />BrittanyxoLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09851557425960008379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8371683505739431467.post-63432587203139779032013-12-26T10:22:00.000-08:002014-01-06T09:29:58.060-08:0012 Days of Christmas<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-v-cbv64Nbao/UrxxyrRIUYI/AAAAAAAAAl4/E-kI5yNIAMQ/s1600/iTunes+12+Days+of+Gifts.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-v-cbv64Nbao/UrxxyrRIUYI/AAAAAAAAAl4/E-kI5yNIAMQ/s640/iTunes+12+Days+of+Gifts.jpg" height="312" width="640" /></a><br />
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If your an Apple user like myself then you have to <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/app/id777716569" target="_blank">download this app</a> NOW!! Each day starting today December 26th, Apple releases a free gift lasting for 24 hours. So what are you waiting for download it now!!<br />
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<b>Gifts from this year 2013 - 2014</b><br />
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24.75px;">December 26, 2013 (day 1):</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24.75px;"> Justin Timberlake's iTunes Festival EP</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24.75px;"> (4 songs)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">December 27, 2013 (day 2): </span>Tiny Thief and Once Upon A Time TV series (1 game, 1 TV serie)<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">December 28, 2013 (day 3): </span>Lonely Planet's Best in 2014 and The Ice Princess (2 iBooks)<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">December 29, 2013 (day 4): </span>Toca House (1 game)<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">December 30, 2013 (day 5): </span>Hugo and Home Alone (2 Movies)<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">December 31, 2013 (day 6): </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">New Year's Eve from Avicii</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> (2 songs)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">January 1, 2014 (day 7): Rayman Jungle Run (1 game)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">January 2, 2014 (day 8): Diary of a Wimpy Kid (1 iBook)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">January 3, 2014 (day 9): Kings of Leon's iTunes Festival EP and more Albums (4 songs)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">January 4, 2014 (day 10): Sesame Street and Despicable Me (1 TV serie, 3 mini-movies)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">January 5, 2014 (day 11):</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Mr. Crab by Illusion Labs</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">(1 game)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">January 6, 2014 (day 12):</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Rolling Stones</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> (3 songs)</span><br />
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I will try to update you everyday with the new gift of the day! Enjoy!!<br />
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<br />BrittanyxoLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09851557425960008379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8371683505739431467.post-33370728310813802532013-12-23T23:10:00.000-08:002013-12-26T10:04:02.277-08:00I was born on the cusp<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Does anyone else remember when zodiac signs were extremely popular?! I think I was in middle school when all the stores in the mall were filled with zodiac "fashion". It was in trend to display your sign on a cute little shirt or on a necklace. Being a middle schooler, fitting in was extremely important and I jumped on the old bandwagon. Unfortunately for me I had no idea what my sign was. Thank God as a middle schooler there weren't too many boys using corny pick-up lines about my sign. Anyhow, thanks to Wet Seal they ever so nicely labeled the dates for each sign. However, I came to find my birthday of December 21st could either be a Sagittarius or Capricorn depending on the source. For the most part it's considered Sagittarius, plus I liked the sound of Sagittarius more so I decided that is what I was. As trends come and go, it wasn't until high school that I thought about my zodiac sign again. My teacher had divided the class into their zodiac sign without us knowing and asked for us to try to figure out why we were grouped that way and what we had in common. My group consisted of one other girl, whom I had pretty much nothing in common with expect for the fact we were both females. The teacher finally told us the common thread between the groups and handed each student a sheet of paper explaining the characteristics of our sign. When she came to my group, she hand me and the other girl in my "group" two sheets. She stated our birthdays were on the border and to read and see which one we were more like. As I read both I realized I was more of a Capricorn than a Sagittarius. I had a moment of panic at this thought. Clearly the $10 necklace I purchased as a pre-teen stating I was a Sagittarius meant I was a Sagittarius, right?!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MetOaCxMLoI/UrpsEaU1hdI/AAAAAAAAAhY/HHmwyzdeoUg/s1600/sag.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="512" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MetOaCxMLoI/UrpsEaU1hdI/AAAAAAAAAhY/HHmwyzdeoUg/s640/sag.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The one and only original <i>Sagittarius</i> necklace</td></tr>
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Well it took another 5 years for me to revisit my zodiac sign characteristics again. When I read the description of a Sagittarius, it fit me very well. I'm bored easily, I'm large-hearted, I love to travel and seek adventure, I'm positive & my mouth gets me into trouble all the time. One thing though, Sagittarius is the luckiest sign and let me tell you, my family will tell you too, I'm the most unlucky person there is. My mom always says "if something bad could happen, it will happen to you". I didn't want to, but I looked again at the traits of a Capricorn. I realized this description fit me well too, I'm shy, detached at times, I can be stubborn and moody, loyal to a point of flaw & overly responsible. I felt if I combined both traits it fit me to a T. So of course I googled this, only to find this was indeed true, because I was born on the cusp. I was a Sagicorn and this was the reason for my afflictions. I hate routine and I get bored easily, but I hate change. I'm humorous, but I can take things too far. I like being social, but have no problem being alone and prefer it most of the time. I'm ambitious, but I like things done my way on my terms. I'm positive, friendly and caring, but don't catch me when I'm grumpy because I can be a bitch. I love athletics, but I'd rather do an independent sport like martial arts. I love to travel && I have a need to find the meaning of life. Some may think that astrology and zodiac signs are a bunch of crap. Honestly, I will admit I like reading my horoscope, but rarely believe what it tells me. I do believe I'm a Sagicorn. It has led me to better understand myself and my flaws.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sagittarius Constellation Necklace I got for my birthday this year!</td></tr>
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Do you find your zodiac sign interesting? Could you have been born on a cusp too!? Since it was just my birthday the other day I thought I would share. Hope we all can have some self-realization and improvement of our selves.</div>
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<br /></div>BrittanyxoLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09851557425960008379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8371683505739431467.post-60864420778275703872013-12-20T22:18:00.000-08:002013-12-26T10:04:16.072-08:00You Know Your Birthday is in December When...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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... you get more Christmas cards than Birthday cards.<br />
... people like to combine your Christmas & Birthday present, gee thanks.<br />
... your family acts like it cost $100 to send a Birthday card, so they just hand it to you on Christmas.<br />
... you can't go out for your Birthday because no one wants to go out in a blizzard. babies!<br />
... you either have to get really drunk to stay warm in your slutty little b-day outfit, or you end up wearing clunky winter boots and a huge winter coat.<br />
... you hint everyday that your Birthday is coming up so people don't make Holiday plans on your big day.<br />
... you treat yourself to your own Birthday gifts because everything is on sale.<br />
... no one is able to celebrate your birthday with you because everyone is out of town.<br />
... you drown your sorrows with spiked egg nog (It's my party I can cry if I want to!)<br />
... you'd rather wear an ugly sweater than a cute little dress.<br />
... someone along the line has forgotten your Birthday because of the Holiday madness.<br />
... you wake up to a beautiful winter wonderland on you Birthday & then have to defrost your car.<br />
... you choose a warm cocktail over a margarita. brrr!<br />
... you look like a ghost in all your Birthday pictures (girl go get you some fake tanner now!)<br />
... your family asks how your Birthday was, because it's the only conversation starter they have.<br />
... people tend to get more excited about some guy name Jesus' birthday more than yours (totally joking keep Christ in Christmas folks).<br />
... somehow your birthday dinner consists of left-over turkey, potatoes, and Christmas cookies.<br />
... you actually got excited if your birthday fell on a school day, instead of over winter break. Hello birthday cupcakes!<br />
... the bars are usually died, or filled with weird, drunk loners.<br />
... people sing Christmas carols instead of Happy Birthday.<br />
... you have to spend more time with your extended family than your friends.<br />
... you've received at least one present that you are sure was a re-gift. how precious.<br />
... birthday parties involved ice skating and sledding instead of a pool party.<br />
... you've been called a Grinch or Scroogie because the Holiday cheer and lack of Birthday celebration was just too much.<br />
... your wishlist is always huge, but you always miss out on the goodies that come out in the Spring/Summer.<br />
... your presents are wrapped in paper with snowmen and Santa hats on it, instead of balloons and cupcakes.<br />
... you can't reschedule your birthday plans because whoopty freakin doo it's New Years!<br />
... there are people everywhere toasting and partying, but it's got nothing to do with you.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not ok people!! <br />(taken from google.com)</td></tr>
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This Holiday season please don't forget those who were born in the month of December. They need love too, if not more. Also, if you even consider gift combining just remember one of these day us December babies will come after you. It will not be pretty! You have been warned!!<br />
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<br />BrittanyxoLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09851557425960008379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8371683505739431467.post-689441352476976412013-12-19T23:05:00.000-08:002013-12-26T10:04:32.816-08:002013 Gag Gift Guide<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This year Christmas per usual, has been filled with the <i>oh so lovely</i> family drama. What's Christmas without some family members feuding, right? Fortunate or unfortunately, however you want to take it, I've learned over the years my family is far from dysfunctional as other families, although, my family is also far from sitting around hugging and singing kumbaya. We all have our own family problems, so I won't go into great detail on my own, but my small family consisting of my parents, brother, grandma and uncle is what is going to make up my Christmas Eve since my uncle & aunt and their children and grandchildren decided they much rather spend Christmas Eve at a Hotel/Water Park (so we are told). Anyhow, this crushed my grandma who cried saying Christmas is ruined. That is when I decided we had to make Christmas Eve fun!! I decided this year we would do the White Elephant gift exchange game. Specifically, we would all buy gag gifts. I thought this would be a great way to get everyone laughing. I had no idea how many crazy gag gifts there are out there, so I had a hard time choosing my own present. That's when I decided I would share some of the ideas that made me LOL. Please note some may be inappropriate, but I have the humor of a 12 year old boy, what can I say.</div>
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1. No need for plastic surgery this year. Just get <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/79707517/the-original-boob-scarf-christmas-party?ref=sr_gallery_2&sref=sr_ca99622b567e96e38224034febaabb1656d6218cd5d5066ecf8496b10d3ef182_1387514493_14324681_scarf&ga_search_query=boob+scarf&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=US&ga_order=price_asc&ga_page=0&ga_search_type=all" target="_blank">this boob scarf</a>, it will keep you warm too.<br />
2. Perfect for all the men in my family who <a href="http://www.lookhuman.com/design/35213-when-you-stop-believing-in-santa-you-get-socks" target="_blank">receive socks</a> from my grandma every year. <a href="http://www.lookhuman.com/" target="_blank">Check this website</a> out it has tons of hilarious Christmas Tees.<br />
3. For the golfer in the family. One can never have a big enough <a href="http://www.mysack.com/" target="_blank">sack for your balls</a>, golf balls I mean.<br />
4. Is this mean? Yes, yes it is. But can anyone else picture how hilarious this would be to see some unsuspecting person drinking from <a href="http://www.stupid.com/surprise-im-a-douche-mug.html" target="_blank">this mug</a>?!<br />
5. We all know religion & politics are usually not a good conversation starter. So why no bring it up on the holidays, with some <a href="http://www.gadgetsandgear.com/obama-toilet-paper.html" target="_blank">presidential toilet paper</a>?<br />
6. If you don't feel like you have a <a href="http://fredandfriends.com/products/view/muffin-tops-baking-cups" target="_blank">muffin top</a> after the holidays already, here is the present for you.<br />
7. Sorry I'm from Wisconsin, we like our <a href="http://www.funslurp.com/keystone-light-beer-cowboy-hat" target="_blank">beer and cowboy hats</a>. No further comment needed.<br />
8. Who doesn't like bacon? In case your wondering there is pretty much bacon everything even <a href="http://www.jdfoods.net/products/incrediblepopcorn" target="_blank">bacon flavored popcorn</a>!<br />
9. Forget the gift! Fool everyone by boxing up a pair of socks or T-shirt in these <a href="http://www.prankpack.com/" target="_blank">hilarious gift boxes</a>!!<br />
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I hope everyone is having a good Holiday season. Please try to get along with your families for at least one day!! I'm curious if anyone else has done a White Elephant gift exchange or done gag gifts. Let me know what your funniest gag gift has been! I ended up buying the Obama toilet paper and then buying <a href="http://fredandfriends.com/products/view/category/kitchen/abc-cookie-cutters" target="_blank">these cookie cutters</a> to make ginger bread men with them. Hope everyone finds it funny!<br />
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<br />BrittanyxoLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09851557425960008379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8371683505739431467.post-34405783670637388932013-12-17T09:16:00.000-08:002013-12-26T10:04:54.594-08:00The Blogmopolitan Quiz<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I've been seeing this float around for awhile now and thought it was so cute. Since my blog is so new I thought it would be a great way to let you all know a little bit more about me, plus who doesn't love a good Cosmo inspired blog quiz. Thanks to <a href="http://www.twothirdshazel.com/">Erin</a> I can pretend like I'm a celebrity for a day. </div>
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If you would like to do the quiz too, head over to <a href="http://www.twothirdshazel.com/2013/12/the-blogmopolitan-quiz.html">Erin's blog</a> and download the quiz! It was lots of fun!!<br />
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<br />BrittanyxoLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09851557425960008379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8371683505739431467.post-49707381392623907742013-12-15T21:57:00.000-08:002013-12-26T10:06:05.673-08:00It's Winter Weekend Update<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
This weekend felt like Christmas/Winter time && I loved every moment of it. When your from Wisconsin you have to put your big girl winter boots on and deal with the bitter cold and make the best of it. I swear some day I'm moving somewhere much warmer, but I also can not image a winter without snow. I'm just never pleased. I started Friday finishing up some last minute Christmas shopping. Eek! I love Christmas shopping, but I hate not being able to tell my mom my crazy shopping adventures because it would totally give a way what I was getting her. Anyone else like this?! I finished my Friday making Christmas cookies. As much as I want to resist all the Christmas food temptations, what is Christmas without Christmas cookies!! I made peanut blossoms, chocolate crackle cookies and of course no Christmas is complete without decorated sugar cookies. I have to say I was getting a little tired at the end so no judging the decorating skills!!</div>
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Saturday I splurged and went out shopping for myself. Oops, I'm a girl what do you expect!! I bought a new Wisconsin Badger sweatshirt and headband for the Hockey game I went to that night. I also did very last minute shopping for my Christmas outfit. I found a super cute peplum top at Forever 21. I don't know if it's just me since I was late in my holiday outfit shopping, but I could not find anything that looked holiday to me. I lucked out with the last one, unfortunately (although maybe not...) the strap around the belt was ripped off. I asked for a discount and got 10% off. All it took was a few stitches and good as new! Always look for discount girls. That night I went to my first hockey game of the season. Nothing says winter like a good hockey game! </div>
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Sunday was the annual Dinner Theater Christmas Program with my mom, grandma and great aunt. It's always a great way to put me in the holiday spirit. In the picture below I'm wearing my new peplum top. Please note how great it is for the holidays as it will completely covers the holiday bloated stomach *wink wink* not that anyone tends to overeat during the holidays. It was a beautiful Sunday. </div>
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How was your weekend? What helps put you in the holiday spirit!?!</div>
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<br />BrittanyxoLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09851557425960008379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8371683505739431467.post-17344734776079445522013-11-19T10:57:00.001-08:002013-12-26T10:06:18.761-08:00Pumpkin Spice Protein Shake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I had some pumpkin puree left over from some previous pumpkin baking I had done, so I thought I'd use it up by making a yummy pumpkin spice protein shake. No need to continue saying it but I love anything pumpkin. I seriously have to get in my fix before the season has changed. Eat as much pumpkin until fall comes again next year, anyone else like this? I must say this was delicious, it was a real treat and I could see myself making one again for a nightly snack rather than just for a post-work refuel.<br />
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Pumpkin Spice Protein Shake<br />
Ingredients:<br />
1 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk<br />
3/4 cup pumpkin puree<br />
1 scoop vanilla protein powder (I love my <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003ATYKTK/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B003ATYKTK&linkCode=as2&tag=pintat-20" target="_blank">Sunwarrior</a> protein powder)<br />
1/2 tsp. pumpkin spice<br />
1/2 tsp. cinnamon<br />
1/4 tsp. nutmeg<br />
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Blend!! and enjoy!<br />
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Give this a try! I know you will love it!<br />
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<br />BrittanyxoLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09851557425960008379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8371683505739431467.post-22735648475932694202013-11-14T10:54:00.000-08:002014-01-12T00:06:42.516-08:00Paleo Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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One of my fall staples is pumpkin, pumpkin everything! I've been pretty naughty this fall as the pumpkin obsession has spread to the majority of restaurants and fast food places. Some of my guilty pleasures are <a href="http://www.starbucks.com/menu/drinks/espresso/pumpkin-spice-latte" target="_blank">Starbucks</a> pumpkin spice latte, <a href="http://www.culvers.com/menu-and-nutrition/featured-items/menu-item-details/salted-caramel-pumpkin-concrete-mixer-medium/" target="_blank">Culver's</a> salted caramel concrete mixer & <a href="http://www.einsteinbros.com/pumpkin" target="_blank">Einstein Bagels</a> pumpkin bagel with pumpkin cream cheese, oh and don't forget their pumpkin bagel clusters and frozen pumpkin pie drink. No judgments please. My pumpkin obsession may have lead me to some very bad food choices, but sometimes the devil on my shoulder wins the battle and I indulge myself. So when I found this yummy pumpkin chocolate chip cookie recipe I was immediately drawn it. To my surprise it was paleo and a much better alternative to some of my past pumpkin choices. </div>
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I found the recipe at <a href="http://purelytwins.com/2013/11/08/grain-free-chocolate-chip-pumpkin-coconut-flour-cookies/" target="_blank">Purely Twins</a>, which is an amazing blog by two (twin obviously) sisters. They post the most delicious recipes + workouts. Definitely a great blog to check out!! I didn't change the recipe at all, except for my own mistake. Please note above the vanilla extract I did not use. At times I can be the most frantic baker, so as I'm cleaning up while they are in the oven I notice "oh hey, I forgot to put in the vanilla extra - dang-it!" They still tasted great, but if your following their recipe they don't mention it again in the directions, so if your like me it could be easily missed. I made mine pretty big and if (ok, not<i> if </i>but when) I make these again I will flatten them out more. They were delicious!! But be careful though, it's hard to just eat a few ;)</div>
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Let me know what your favorite pumpkin recipes are! I'm dying to try more before fall is over!!</div>
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<br />BrittanyxoLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09851557425960008379noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8371683505739431467.post-53128291901122621062013-11-12T20:44:00.000-08:002013-12-26T10:06:50.402-08:00Gotta Try It Tuesday: Kiwano Ever go to the grocery store and see a new fruit or vegetable and say "What is that?" "I wonder how that tastes?" "What do I do with it?". I do all the time. I love trying new foods and when I see something I have never tried before I'm completely drawn to buying it. That's why I want to bring to you <i>Gotta Try It Tuesday</i>. I'll give you my honest first impressions and simple recipes.<br />
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That brings us to my first <i>Gotta Try</i> the Kiwano or Horned Melon. Honestly, I've seen this beautiful fruit a few times now and could not resist the urge to give it a try. The first one I bought I had no idea what to do with it, but that bright orange color and small little spikes were too irresistible. So there I was at home with no idea how to cut it, eat it or even what earthly taste this little spiked melon may have. So let's start off with how to choose one. From my little research and multiple taste testing, the darker orange the riper it is. It will be soft in nature, this is normal. You will see why once you cut it open. Speaking of, how in the world should you cut it? The best way I found was to cut it longitudinally. The inside will be quite the little shocker. It's dark green!! The meat inside is basically the encasing of the seeds, which are quite edible. I would then scoop out the edges much like a grapefruit. Once you get started you will see the various pockets the seeds are held in. After working around the edges the middle pocket is the hardest. I just squeezed out the rest of the meat like I'd squeeze a lemon. It fairly easy and once you get going, you get the feel for it. Now the big question, TASTE! I read that it has a cucumber, banana taste. I guess I can see that, but I would describe it more of a sweeter kiwi fruit taste. I would only compare it to a not yet ripe banana if I were to compare it to a banana at all. I really enjoyed the taste, but had no idea what to do with it, so I basically just added it to my green smoothie for the day. After much thought I came up with two possible uses for the Kiwano melon. To read about the many health benefits of the Kiwano plant click <a href="http://www.healthbenefitstimes.com/health-benefits-of-horned-melon/" target="_blank">here</a>. <br />
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Ingredients:</div>
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- 1 Kiwano melon</div>
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- 1 Lime</div>
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- 6 tbsp. Apple cider vinegar</div>
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- 3 tsp. Honey</div>
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- Salt & pepper </div>
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Directions:</div>
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- Remove meat from kiwano melon. </div>
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- Add ACV, honey and juice from lemon. If honey is raw, it will need to be in liquid form.</div>
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- Place in food processor or individual blender. </div>
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- Add salt & pepper for taste!</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BGRHWAHw2z0/UoLuAikdCMI/AAAAAAAAASw/uNVy9xD_njE/s1600/sbsdressing.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BGRHWAHw2z0/UoLuAikdCMI/AAAAAAAAASw/uNVy9xD_njE/s400/sbsdressing.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XLmu0JnApDI/UoLhC8EPhXI/AAAAAAAAAOw/2vdCpC7XjWQ/s1600/DSCN0029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XLmu0JnApDI/UoLhC8EPhXI/AAAAAAAAAOw/2vdCpC7XjWQ/s400/DSCN0029.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Served over greens, mango, tomato, red onion & avocado + hemp seeds on top</td></tr>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ntm2beFNngM/UoL8sir5iLI/AAAAAAAAAT4/vo2C29WH4Ck/s1600/salsa.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ntm2beFNngM/UoL8sir5iLI/AAAAAAAAAT4/vo2C29WH4Ck/s400/salsa.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-N00viZgTNb4/UoL97kMrKxI/AAAAAAAAAUM/EJ-wlHDaqhk/s1600/salsaing.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-N00viZgTNb4/UoL97kMrKxI/AAAAAAAAAUM/EJ-wlHDaqhk/s400/salsaing.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Ingredients:</div>
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- 1 Kiwano
melon<o:p></o:p></div>
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- 1 Orange
bell pepper<o:p></o:p></div>
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- 1 small Tomato<o:p></o:p></div>
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- 1 small Onion</div>
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- 1/2 Mango<o:p></o:p></div>
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- 1 Lime<o:p></o:p></div>
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- 1/4 tsp. Chili powder<o:p></o:p></div>
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- 1/4 tsp. Cayenne
pepper<o:p></o:p></div>
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- 1/2 tsp. Garlic
powder<o:p></o:p></div>
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Direction</div>
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- Cut Kiwano horizontally and scoop out center. Save outsides for later use.</div>
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- Place all ingredients in a food processor until desired texture is reached.</div>
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- For decoration serve salsa in left over, hollowed-out melon shells. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IeC7M_0VfN0/UoLkm_dnDmI/AAAAAAAAAR4/yyR8V437AuI/s1600/IMG_2699.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IeC7M_0VfN0/UoLkm_dnDmI/AAAAAAAAAR4/yyR8V437AuI/s400/IMG_2699.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Serve with raw corn chips*</td></tr>
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I believe the kiwano melon is something "You Gotta Try" at least once. Let me know if you have ever tried it and how you eat it!</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">*recipe for raw corn chips coming soon!</span><br />
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<br /></div>BrittanyxoLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09851557425960008379noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8371683505739431467.post-24663988434055041642013-11-08T09:52:00.000-08:002013-12-26T10:07:04.535-08:00My Current Workout Schedule<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Ready for my first Friday Fitness post?! I was on my way to the gym this morning and decided I should really share what I do here. I currently work out at <a href="http://www.planetfitness.com/" target="_blank">Planet Fitness</a>, which has easily become my favorite gym. I say this like I'm some gym guru or reviewer, by the way I'm totally NOT!<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JfsCu5NEsYo/Un04gY8a7VI/AAAAAAAAAOM/8wR5vDuaqmk/s1600/workout+schedule.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JfsCu5NEsYo/Un04gY8a7VI/AAAAAAAAAOM/8wR5vDuaqmk/s400/workout+schedule.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Really I've only ever worked out at a few places. When I was in high school my mom dragged me with her to Curve's. I was excited to see this "female only gym". However, I was completely disappointed as it was the most boring, light-weight circuit I have ever done with a bunch of women who were probably my grandma's age, while listening to songs like "Let's get physical" and "Girls just wanna have fun". I'm not trying to bash anyone if this is where you go, but this particular Curves was just not my style. I believe any activity is better than nothing, but when my mom complained she was not seeing any progress, I could only wonder why. After that I convinced my mom to change gyms. For over 5 years she worked out a nearby Anytime Fitness and during my summer breaks I would get a summer membership and workout with her. I have always loved working out and felt I've had at least basic knowledge, but when I look back at my workout routine then... Oh Lawdy! My workout routine then consisted of a half hour warm up, doing some machines, and half hour cool-down and stretching. I spent Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays doing arm workouts and Tuesdays and Thursdays doing legs, since I thought my half hour warm-up on the bike/elliptical/treadmill also worked my legs. Now, when I say I did an arm or leg workout, this really consisted of me awkwardly walking around finding all the machines that worked arm muscles or leg muscles and used them. The end. Again any activity is better than no activity, but my method was a little off. So when I graduated from college that was it, time to buy my own gym membership. Honestly, I didn't really like our Anytime Fitness. They are great facilities, but the one I worked out at was tiny. I mean no girl wants to be doing the leg abduction machine while facing some guy as he's grunting to finish his last reps on the machine across from you. Hello awkward-ness. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Image taken from google</td></tr>
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So when a Planet Fitness opened up near my house I was all on board. I know they have a bad rep from some hardcore fitness people, but I find I'm able to get what I want from there. My first few months working out were the same; warm up, random machines, cool-down/stretch, go home. After doing P90X I found I liked his routine and took inspiration from there. Below is posted my normal workout schedule.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BkZ-hR_pBO0/Un0eWs9hmfI/AAAAAAAAAM8/L24oyHudqw8/s1600/workout+routine.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="334" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BkZ-hR_pBO0/Un0eWs9hmfI/AAAAAAAAAM8/L24oyHudqw8/s640/workout+routine.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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My workout now is more tailored and I'm seeing better results. I do a 15 minute warm-up, usually on the elliptical and weights/machines for about 30 minutes and a 15 minute cool-down and stretch. You don't have to spend forever at the gym to see results you just have to work hard for the time you're there! I also start my workouts using dumbbells, then the cable machine, and finally the other machines. Total reverse of how I use to do it. Let me know what your workout schedule is like!<br />
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</div>BrittanyxoLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09851557425960008379noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8371683505739431467.post-39591473973048914602013-11-03T14:41:00.000-08:002013-12-26T10:08:53.507-08:00Saturday Afternoon Adventure<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"I'm king of the world"</td></tr>
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Spending the day with my best friend, yes he may be a little hairy but no judgments please, is my favorite. My little mutt, he's a mix of border collie and golden retriever, has more personality than Honey Boo-Boo after eating all her Halloween candy. After he had stolen the third pair of socks from my room I decided that was it, we need to get out of this house! Our normal walks usually consist of walking around the neighborhood or a small field close to home, so I thought this little rascal needed a changed. I packed him in the car and drove to a dog park just out of town. This was his first time at a new park and he was in a craze. I was excited to do some hiking and see all the changing leaves, he was excited to be at a no-lease dog park where he could meet a ton of new friends. We had a blast, we even went around the path twice because he was still a maniac at the end. </div>
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I wasn't completely convinced I had worn him out, but after I started getting weird looks from people as I passed them a few times, usually the last time they were on their way home and we were going around again, I decided he had to be tired. We were then off to run a few errands. I made a quick stop at TJMaxx and bought a few new workout pants. I'm so picky, but I'm starting to get to the point were half of my wardrobe is workout clothes. Is this normal? Fit girl problems right?! My next stop was Whole Foods. I love that store, but it's on the other side of town so I only get there every so often. I really didn't need much, but I still walked out the door spending more than I had planned. Story of my life! </div>
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The items I picked up were <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004SRH2B6/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B004SRH2B6&linkCode=as2&tag=pintat-20" target="_blank">ZICO Pure Premium Coconut Water</a>, which is my favorite coconut water. I use this everyday for my green smoothies. I wanted more, but this was the last one! <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005SPI45U/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B005SPI45U&linkCode=as2&tag=pintat-20" target="_blank">Brad's Raw Chips</a> were sitting on an end cap and I just couldn't resist. I had never tried them before so I thought why not? I bought the kale flavor and tried some once I got home. Let's just say YUM! Plus they are organic, raw, gluten free, non GMO, and vegan so I call that a score for me! I got two supplements; <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0032FHQ0C/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0032FHQ0C&linkCode=as2&tag=pintat-20" target="_blank">Chlorella</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000PRQHL4/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B000PRQHL4&linkCode=as2&tag=pintat-20" target="_blank">Spirulina</a> powder as I was just about running out of the ones I had at home. I use these in my smoothies for extra vitamins and protein. After reading <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/030788869X/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=030788869X&linkCode=as2&tag=pintat-20" target="_blank">Easy, Sexy, Raw</a> by Carol Alt, I have been curious on the taste of Kefir. Although, I eat mainly a Paleo diet I was willing to break my dairy is "no-no" to give this a shot. I bought the brand from <a href="http://www.redwoodhill.com/goat-kefir/" target="_blank">Redwood Hill Farm</a>, as they use goat milk. Goat milk is suppose to be easier on the digestive system than cow's so I thought this was a better alternative. Since eliminating dairy, when I do have a cheat meal I feel it way more than I did before, so I tend to avoid dairy anyhow now. I must say this is an acquired taste. I had it with my Saturday supper. It has the consistency of drinkable yogurt, which could be a turn off I suppose. It has a creamy taste and I enjoyed the after taste almost better. I had no tummy troubles after drinking it either. It may be a new staple in my diet, we will see. I impulsively bought some sushi because I almost never get to have it since no one in my family enjoys it, but I could eat it all the time!! The last thing I bought was some <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0001TPRGM/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0001TPRGM&linkCode=as2&tag=pintat-20" target="_blank">Aura Cacia Jojoba Oil</a>, which was actually the main reason I had went to Whole Foods for. I have been changing up my facial routine and decided to add in jojoba oil. I'm not sure if this a great brand, but there weren't many choices. Anyone else use jojoba oil? What brand do you use? I also bought a salad for supper which isn't shown. I wish I would have taken a picture of it now, because it was absolutely delicious. Everyone go to your local Whole Foods and get the seasonal salad with dried cranberries, onions, walnuts and butternut squash, because it is like heaven in your mouth. I finished the night cuddling with my baby dog and catching up on my favorite shows on Demand. Hope everyone had a great weekend!! Let me know what your favorite items from Whole Foods are!!</div>
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<br />BrittanyxoLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09851557425960008379noreply@blogger.com4