Warm Wishes

Today's post is purely my own desperate need for a change of scenery. Looking out my window today, I should be seeing sunshine and somewhat warmer weather, but here in Cincinnati, we seem to be stuck in a perpetual winter. So to boost my spirits and get a little more optimistic about the weather, here's a warm weather picture just for that. And might I add, this is in Australia (#1 on my bucket list).

Health Kick 02: Teas and Thank You

In conjunction with trying to get in better shape, I'm being more conscious of the things I'm putting in my body. I used to be a big pop drinker until I found out all the crazy bad stuff that's in it. The most easy change for me has been to keep a solid supply of tea around + a little sugar here and there. Honestly, you can find some pretty delish little teas out there. My favorites are peppermint, lemon, and chamomile. 

They not only have a ton of health benefits, but they're also pretty affordable. I think of it as a smarter way to spend my money because as compared to getting ZERO benefits from pop and sugary drinks, tea is on your side + helps you out.

Just to prove my point...

Here's what WebMD had to say about the potential health benefits of tea:

• Green tea: Made with steamed tea leaves, it has a high concentration of EGCG and has been widely studied. Green tea’s antioxidants may interfere with the growth of bladder, breast, lung, stomach, pancreatic, and colorectal cancers; prevent clogging of the arteries, burn fat, counteract oxidative stress on the brain, reduce risk of neurological disorders like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, reduce risk of stroke, and improve cholesterol levels.
• Black tea: Made with fermented tea leaves, black tea has the highest caffeine content and forms the basis for flavored teas like chai, along with some instant teas. Studies have shown that black tea may protect lungs from damage caused by exposure to cigarette smoke. It also may reduce the risk of stroke.
• White tea: Uncured and unfermented. One study showed that white tea has the most potent anticancer properties compared to more processed teas.
• Oolong tea: In an animal study, those given antioxidants from oolong tea were found to have lower bad cholesterol levels. One variety of oolong, Wuyi, is heavily marketed as a weight loss supplement, but science hasn’t backed the claims.
• Pu-erh tea: Made from fermented and aged leaves. Considered a black tea, its leaves are pressed into cakes. One animal study showed that animals given pu-erh had less weight gain and reduced LDL cholesterol.

Foodie: Pink Smoothie Love

So yummy! Came across this gem today via Bake Your Day. There's so many great food ideas on here, not to mention great photography of the finished product! I'm dying to try this one.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of frozen strawberries

1/2 cup of frozen raspberries

1/4 cup of frozen cranberries

1/2 of a large HoneyCrisp apple (or a whole apple of your choice)

1/2 cup of honey flavored Greek yogurt

1/2 of a peeled lemon

1/2 cup of carrot juice (you can also use cranberry, pomegranate or apple juice)

Definitely good to help with the post St. Patty's Day blues. Drink up!

Health Kick 01

Being as it's already March, a lot of us made resolutions to kick off the new year. Now, admittedly, I'm not as hardcore about sticking to mine as I'd like to be. So in preparation for upcoming vacations + a general need to get in better shape, I'll be trying to post at least once a week on new workouts I'm trying, recipes that I find that are delicious + healthy and the progress I'm making. I'd love to hear what things you guys doing to keep your resolution going strong too. Also, if you have any yummy + healthy recipes, shoot them my way! 

Here's a workout that's been pretty easy for me to get in the habit of doing. If you're not familiar with Jenna Marbles...Get on it! You won't regret it. She's a youtuber with hilarious videos posted every Wednesday. She came out with this workout to do before getting in the shower and let me tell you, it kicks butt!

50 jumping jacks

5 push-ups

20 crunches

20 mountain climbers

30 second plank

This is totally worth it, takes no time at all + the best part is, you jump right in the shower afterwards. Love it!

Style Me Pretty: Winter Wear 01

 

Even  though spring is only a few weeks away, winter is definately not giving up that easy, hence today is a snow day. So, since I'm snowed in for the remainder of the day and just looking outside is giving me the shivers, here's a look that makes me feel a little more empowered to trek out into the snow. 

I adore infinity scarves and, just my luck, these are super warm and comfy! Plus grey goes with literally anything. A little pattern and studs never hurt, so why not put them on your kicks. These shoes are great, maybe not so much if you plan on going sledding, but nonetheless I'd love to have these! Lastly, I don't know about you, but my hands are ALWAYS the first things to freeze and I can never handle wearing full gloves. These are the perfect combo. They're gloves + mittens when you want them to be. The best of both worlds if I do say so myself. This whole look can be found at the great + wonderful Topshop (links below). 

*By the way, these gloves are on clearance for $2.00!

scarf + shoes + gloves

Inspire Me: Dribble 01

It's once again the beginning of the week. Dreaded by most, but I'm kinda cool with starting up a new week. Granted, a three day weekend is something I'll never turn down, but it's nice to start fresh. So in the spirit of freshness and beginning on a creative note, I've grabbed some inspiration from Dribble. Dribble is a great community of designers + artists that allows you to post "shots" or screen grabs of what you're currently working on and get feedback. You have to be invited to be able to post, but in the meantime it's a great website to bucket up some of the things people are doing on there that inspire you and your work style. This week, I focused on a little info design and some illustrations. I don't know what it is, but the more sketchy / block color illustration style is really catching my eye lately. So simple, yet super expressive. What kind of inspiration are you guys drawn to this week?

Pretty Please: Etsy Window Shopping

Happy Friday everyone! Today seems like a good day to just take a breather and do some online window shopping. My favorite place to get inspiration for new looks and accessories is the one and only, Etsy. It carries tons of unique finds from artists all over the world. No matter what your taste, you're sure to find something amazing here. Lately, I've been drawn to a lot of geometric and color block styles. Simple and modern, they're full of pops of color (which I adore) and unexpected details. Bows have also popped up waaayyy more than once on my Pinterest boards. I'm starting to feel like I have a problem... Nonetheless, all of these things seem to play very nicely together when put into one look. The main thing is, don't be afraid to mix and match! This means mixing patterns, textures, colors, anything. Experiment. That's what makes your look, well, you. If you feel good in it, it'll show.

gloves + earrings + necklace + scarf