Spring Things

I know it's so early to logically be thinking about spring (hey a girl can dream right?) but I just can't stand winter. I just can't. That polar vortex that hit us last week was so ridiculous, I feel like I used up all my tolerance to the cold in one quick shot. Now I'm all about spring. The weather was been pretty crazy though -- one day its -2 and the next its in the 50's and rainy -- I call this "end of the world weather" because it just seems like this kind of kooky weather patterns would happen when the world is about to end! But anyway, a few days ago it was in the 50's and rainy near me and I had a hint of spring in the air. I even said to D, "It kinda smells like Easter doesn't it?" I don't quite know what Easter smells like, and I'm pretty sure he had no idea what I was talking about, but I'm craving spring. Enough said.

With this outfit, fun patterned top and some booties, you can totally get away wearing this right now!

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Paisley t shirt // Cuffed jeans // Banana republic boots //Tory Burch leather purse //Alex and ani bangle / Rayban sunglasses // Deborah Lippmann nail polish

Happy Monday friends!

xo Steph


Also linking up with Still Being Molly

Follow Up: Cleanse & Detox in Photos

As a follow up from this post on my cleanse & detox, I wanted to share some pictures of what it looks like. If you're a visual person like me, having colorful photos of what you're getting yourself into can help, can offer some food inspiration, and can make the cleanse seem much less scary and easier to tackle. These are photos I took last year when I cleansed - take a look!

Breakfast

This was the least painful meal since the last 2 weeks I've gotten into this green smoothie kick.

Granted this one had no greens and less fruit - so I have to admit less filling.

It also incorporated peanut butter (and don't get me wrong, I love peanut butter) but I didn't care for it mixed with the shake. Believe it or not, I'll stick to the spinach, kale and fruit smoothie.

Lunch

Okay, I'm going to admit right now D and I did some cheating. But it's not what you think, I swear! We weren't sneaking in scoops of Ben and Jerry ice cream or anything, however I was taking our "two snacks" during the day and incorporating it into our lunches and dinner. Mainly because I wasn't hungry for a snack during "snack time" but also because it bulked up our meals. Yeah, maybe it defeats the purpose of following an exact meal plan, but hey -- at least I'm trying right?

As you can see above, I used the cup of cucumber allotted for a snack and made a salad that included a spring mix and broiled chicken that I seasoned with garlic and onion spices. And the dressing was made with olive oil we were allowed to have, mixed with balsamic vinegar.

Dinner

Similar to lunch we "cheated" and made our asparagus snack as a side for our dinner. This time I topped the chicken on a bed of arugula which has a nice peppery flavor. I did the best I could to make these meals look appetizing, and I think I did a pretty good job if I do say so myself. 

Did anyone else try the detox? What did you think of this plan?

xo Steph

Baby It's {Really} Cold Outside

I don't think it's any secret that it is absolutely freezing outside. I'm pretty certain from watching the news that there have been abnormally freezing temperatures nation wide these last few days and almost everyone is suffering from the frigid cold! So what's the best thing to do on these arctic like days? Stay inside if you can, enjoy lots of hot beverages and some soup, and curl up with loved ones. And binge on Netflix if you got it! I mentioned before I've been on a Walking Dead kick (which D and I have already caught up!) so now it is on to Game of Thrones (on HBO Go, not Netflix sorry!) Anyone else watch GOT? Hello new obsession.

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Sweater // T shirt // Southwest Camp Sock // Essie nail polish // Capri Blue sugar jar // Happy Jackson coffee mug // Slouchy marled hat

And if you have to work on these frigid days, make sure you have all the essentials. Homemade chicken soup with some fresh crusty bread and latte to heat you up heart and soul.

Stay warm friends!

xo Steph

also linking up with Because Shanna Said So

2014: The Perfect Time for a Cleanse & Detox

With the new year and new resolutions, this is the perfect time to restart your body with a cleanse & detox. It's kinda like a fresh start (physically and symbolically) for your body to get rid of all the bad stuff we ate during the holidays (I know I overindulged!!) and get back on track to a healthy lifestyle. I acutally did this cleanse with D back in May of last year and I really felt the benefits. Not only did I feel  cleansed, but energized and excited to eat cleaner. So what did I use?  I picked up this book "Look Better Naked" by the editors of Women's Health magazine which gives you a 6 week plan to basically look, well hot! They suggest using the 2-day cleanse to kickstart your 6 week plan but you don't have to use it. I did this cleanse again starting new years day and I'm feeling so excited to restart my body and try to stick to the 6 week eating and working out plan!

In a nut shell, the 2-Day Cleanse looks a little something like this:

Breakfast:
Light shake
Blend 1 cup fat-free (soy, almond, rice or hemp) milk
1 cup berries
1tsp peanut butter or flax seed oil
1 cup ice

Snack:
1 cup sliced cucumbers
1 cup green tea

Lunch:
steamed or raw greens (romaine, spinach, mesclun, arugula, kale etc.)
4 oz. lean protein (white meat chicken, firm tofu or fish)
2 tsp oil (olive, sunflower or walnut)

Snack:
10 asparagus spears, blanched
1 cup green tea

Dinner:
same as lunch

Yeah, to some this might look like their regular food plan. But to me, this looks meager and challenging. The shake I know I'll be able to do because I've been drinking breakfast smoothies for the past few weeks and I'm totally down with it! The nice thing with this plan is we are allowed to add spices and fresh herbs to make the meals more appetizing. For example, I think I'm going to add a little vinegar and fresh dill to make a cold cucumber salad -- that's more flavorful right? We are also allowed 2tsp of oil with both lunch and dinner to use how we want. I'm thinking of mixing that with some balsamic vinegar to make a vinaigrette and fresh herbs to make a dressing for my fresh greens. Lastly, I'm trying to think about how to liven up that meat since we are only allowed to bake or broil it. I'm thinking chicken could be marinated in fresh lemon juice and cracked black pepper. And fish I could experiment with some spices and use a rub. 

and a little humor to reminds ourselves to laugh when we're lashing out in hunger (I do this, do you?!)

Has anyone else ever done a detox and cleanse, and if so how did it go??
Anyone else committing to a healthier lifestyle for 2014?

xo Steph