Month 1 Healthy Lifestyle Results!!!

Oh my gosh, month 1 of my....healthy lifestyle revamp as you may call it is over! And I actually did surprisingly well! Okay, so it may have been a little easier this month since I was on research and I pretty much had tons of free time to exercise and watch my diet. But nonetheless, I did it and I'm soooo happy I was finally able to keep a healthy workout/eating routine for a full four weeks!! That's definitely a huge accomplishment and I'm so happy I did it. In the past, I've fallen off the bandwagon after week 2, but here's week 4 and I'm still going strong! :)

As far as June goes, my diet was much much better and I've been exercising regularly. My diet definitely improved from before but wasn't stellar and there's lots of room for improvement. I did follow a calorie-restricted eating plan with only 1200-1400 net calories each day and did well in terms of not going over except on binge days. I only had one, maybe two, binge days a week which is great since I was able to get all my food cravings out of the way! The only problem is that I didn't really eat nutritious meals on my healthy days. Yes I had a calorie-controlled diet, but I was eating things like potatoes, breads, pasta, frozen foods, cheese....lots and lots of carbs and fats and salt with very little protein. I was able to justify higher calorie foods since I've been working out and so can eat more calories than normal. Fortunately, the number of calories is the most important thing for weight loss so yes I did lose weight despite eating utter junk. But, I kinda feel tired, less energetic, and more bloated. I think that if I focus on eating more protein and drinking more water/eating less salt, I'd feel SO much better and less bloated (meaning my clothes would look much better on me!). So that is my number one priority for next month. I'm really hoping I can keep a balanced diet during my very first core rotation in July. I'm not so worried about keeping up my workout schedule, but I'm a little worried about my eating habits. I tend to stress eat in stressful situations and on busy days, so I'm really hoping to watch my diet and make sure I'm eating enough protein with minimal salt.

But I don't want to be a debbie downer, since I'm SO proud of myself for keeping up a healthy lifestyle for one month!!!!! I was finally able to control my eating and begin a solid, steady workout schedule! I do find that I like working out most at the Wexford gym, which is quite far from my apartment but hey...if thats the only place I can work out, so be it because right now working out is more important to me than watching gas money. I'm trying to only go to that gym maybe 2-3 x a week to not waste so much gas, but like i said driving far to workout is better than not working out at all right now! Not sure if I can continue my morning workouts due to my early start schedule, so evening workouts may become my main workout time next month.

I've lost I would guess near 5 pounds this week. Maybe a bit more, but definitely no more than 10. I'm a bit scared to weigh myself because I'm scared to find a smaller weight loss than normal and get bad news and hence fall off the wagon. So, for now I'll take the fact that my jeans fit better, my face looks slimmer, and my love handles have decreased is a really really good sign! Again, I wish it was more but hey something is better than nothing. I'm hoping this trend continues into July and I can keep shedding the pounds! I'm hoping my tummy fat goes because that's the biggest hunk of fat on my body. I'm sooooo happy though and feel really optimistic and not burned out and that's an amazing sign.

Here's a summary as well as what I want to accomplish next month :)

Month 1 Achievements
- Worked out every week at least 4-5x! (thirty minutes each)
- Ate within 1200-1400 net calories each day
- Only 1 or 2 binge days a week, all moderately controlled (not totally crazy overeating!)

Goals for Month 2
- Drink more water! At least 3 (24-oz) water bottles
- Eat more protein and less carbs
- Watch salt intake and try to keep it under 2000 mg
- Plan out meals ahead of time so I don't go hungry mid-way through the day
- Try to workout 3-4x a week at least for thirty minutes each

Skincare Update: Shrinking Pores

I've been fighting insomnia for the past couple weeks and have been skimping a little bit on my skincare now that I've started working out more. It got to the breaking point this morning when I woke up exhausted as hell! and then after putting on my makeup, I noticed that my pores seem a little larger than usual. I usually have even skin, but my pores around my nose have been larger and my forehead (usually my oily T-zone) has been out of whack too. So, I figured it was time to re-hash my skincare routine for more even and smoother skin and to hopefully reduce my pores in a few weeks.


Step 1 = SLEEP! 
Step 2 = DRINK WATER!

I cannot emphasize how much better my skin looks after I get a proper night of sleep and keep myself hydrated. I know it's hard to do that with a crammed schedule, but even getting as little as 7 hours of sleep and drinking 24-36 oz of water a day makes a big difference. Not only does my skin look better, but I feel better, need less caffeine, and don't look as bloated.

Of course, after sleep and hydration, I need to make sure that I follow a good skincare routine. I make sure to use good products and ones that haven't failed me in the past. The most important part is making sure I wash my face in the morning and I make sure to remove all traces of makeup at night. I cannot stress the last one enough. I went on for at least a year thinking that my face wash removed all my makeup, but nooooo. Makeup removing wipes are essential!

Morning Skin Routine
Neutrogena Deep Clean Cream Cleanser (face wash with a tiny bit of salicylic acid)
Clinique Acne Solutions Clarifying Lotion (toner)
Aveeno Smart Essentials Daily Moisturizer SPF 30 (sunscreen facial moisturizer)
Clean & Clear Persa-Gel 10 (daytime acne cream, as needed)
St. Ives Even & Bright Facial Scrub (exfoliation, every 2-3 days)

Nighttime Skin Routine
Simple Kind To Skin Makeup Removing Wipes (removing makeup at night)
Neutrogena Deep Clean Cream Cleanser (face wash with a tiny bit of salicylic acid)
Aveeno Smart Essentials Nighttime Moisturizer (night facial moisturizer)
Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque (nighttime acne cream)
Origins Clear Improvement Active Charcoal Mask (weekly facial mask)

So thats it! I'm hoping that once I start adhering to this schedule more stringently, my skin will be thanking me and my pores will be shrunken. Of course, I will update this blog and make adjustments as needed!

HUGE Summer Haul Part 2

Soooo. As you can see, I've been doing a ton of shopping lately! Sephora was recently giving away Fresh deluxe samples for VIB members. I LOVE the Fresh products but they are so expensive that I have to restrain myself every time. Additionally, the beauty insider 500 point reward for June was a NARS "most loved" set. Again, I've been wanting to try NARS stuff, but they're so incredibly expensive that I restrain. So since my two "wish I could try" luxury brands were both giving away free stuff, I just HAD to put in a Sephora order, which of course justified the $60 worth of other Sephora stuff I purchased. I did get a body scrub with my Sephora order, but I'm returning it since it has the Soap & Glory scent, which I cannot stand. I also bought a few bits and bobs from other stores. It's stuff that I needed, some fashion stuff that was on sale, and a few splurges.

FASHION & ACCESSORIES

Mossimo cream-colored cardigan -- picked this one up 75% off at Target, hoping to wear it in the fall! I've been wanting a long, flowy cream colored cardigan for a long time and when I found this on clearance, I just had to have it. yay bargain shopping!
Merona black sleeveless tank -- to pair with maxi skirts and sheer tops
The Sak cream-gold glittery cross body bag -- how perfect is this bag! Got it for the summer to wear when I'm out with friends, but also for the holidays and christmas season
Anne Klein braided strap watch -- I needed a new watch since my old one was beaten and torn up. This one from TJ Maxx was affordable, good quality, beautiful, and will hopefully last a long time!
Victoria's secret striped sequin pink and white iPhone case -- saw this at the semi-annual sale and had to have it. how strikingly beautiful is this case?!

BEAUTY

John Freida Smooth Start Shampoo & Conditioner -- makes my dry summer hair so much smoother and frizz-free!
EOS Hand Lotion in Cucumber -- smells so fresh and yummy
Sephora Daily Brush Cleanser
OPI Toe Separators
Origins Clear Improvement Active Charcoal Mask Pods -- cannot wait to try this out next spa night
Karina Large Claw Clip -- finally something to keep my mop of hair outta my face!
Fresh Sugar Lip Polish (sample) -- I love how this one has fine sugar granules compared to my Lush lip scrub and doesn't get all over my face after use
Fresh Sugar Shine Lip Treatment (sample)
Fresh Sugar Advanced Therapy Lip Treatment (sample) -- smells so fricken good!!! Probably the best smelling lip product I own (which is saying alottt). Wish it wasn't so expensive :(
PINK Ready to Party Body Mist -- smells very very very similar to Fresh & Clean. Giant bottle was on sale for $6!
Benefit Ultra Plush Gloss in Coralista -- finally reunited with my love <3
Maybelline Color Elixir in Rose Redefined -- finally got my hands on this! Perfect summer lipgloss for tan girls! And work appropriate since it lasts about 1-2 hours :)
Maybelline Volum' Express Pumped Up Colossal Mascara -- lovvvving the pink tube
CoverGirl Outlast Nail Polish in Lingering Spice -- love this formula and it was on sale!
NARS Satin Lip Pencil in Rikugien (sample) -- a bit too frosty for me, but the formula is amazing
NARS Larger Than Life Longwear Eyeliner in Via Veneto (sample) -- I don't wear eyeliner, but I'll still test this one out since it is so raved about
NARS Blush in Deep Throat (sample) -- color is fricken gorgeous for the summer! cannot wait to try out my very first (baby-sized) NARS blush!
and some random samples....

RANDOMS

PaperMate Gel Ink Pens -- on sale for $1 per pack!
Home Presence Reversible Dual Size Egg Ring -- I can finally make my own egg mcmuffins! :)
Bare Foot Peppermint + Plum Foot Lotion -- hello soft, beautiful feet
Adroable elephant and cupcake printed napkins (<3) -- HOW CUTE ARE THESE?! in love! and only 25cents! I'll have to make some cupcakes and give them out to friends in these cute (and very dessert appropriate) napkins

Summer Lip Products ♥

I did my favorite springtime pink lip glosses post back in April and thought I would follow it up for the new season with my favorite summer lippies! :)
I'm obsessed with lip products (no literally, I cannot leave any store without buying a lip product) and so, it's obvious that I would have two overflowing baskets of lipsticks and lip glosses in my makeup drawer. Unfortunately, the downside to my lip product obsession is that I often lose amazing lip products to the bottom of my makeup drawer and I forget about them until they're gross and yucky. Soooo, what I've started doing for the summer is picking out certain makeup products I want to use this season and putting them in a little metal tray on my dresser so when I'm getting ready in the morning, I'll 'reach for' products instead of rumbling around my makeup drawer, picking out the same stuff on top. Make sense? So far it's working pretty well! I've been using up all the new makeup I got for the summer and have my fall/winter/spring makeup stashed in my makeup drawer. I might do a post on my summer makeup products later, so watch out for that!

But here are the lip products I currently have in my "summer makeup tray" -- gotta come up with a better name for that. They're a mix of glosses, balms, and lipsticks...but mainly glosses since I love me sheer, shiny lips during the summer. They're lightweight, make me look polished, and very low maintenance. As you can tell, I swap out my darker lip colors for more fun, vibrant pinks, corals and some nudes. While I'm scared to wear vibrant lipsticks in the fall time, they're more easy to wear in the summer because my skin gets darker and vibrant colors tend to look a little...better? Haha, not as striking against tanner skin. I do have my favorite favorites amongst this bunch, but I use each of these products pretty regularly and hope to use some of them up by the end of the summer.

Swatches from left to right:
Benefit Ultra Plush Lip Gloss in Hoola -- a sheer nude-bronze gloss with fine golden glitter
Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Creme Brûlée (swatched heavily) -- a sheer, light nude creme lipstick with a slight sheen
Revlon Colorburst Lacquer Balm in Ingenue (swatched heavily) -- a sheer, darker nude lip balm with very fine silver micro shimmer
Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Juicy Papaya -- opaque creamy coral-pink lipstick
Revlon Super Lustrous Lip Gloss in Pango Peach -- peachy pink gloss with golden glitter (very similar but more peachy than NARS Orgasm gloss)
Benefit Ultra Plush Lip Gloss in Coralista -- sheer, creamy, true coral lipgloss
CoverGirl Lipslicks Smoochies Sizzle Gloss in Hot Stuff -- sheer baby peachy-pink lipgloss with heavy silver-white glitter
NYX Mega Shine Lip Gloss in Nude Pink -- sheer cool-toned, creamy, true baby pink lipgloss
The Body Shop Watermelon Lip Gloss -- sheer, watermelon pinky-red lipgloss with sparse glitter
Maybelline Color Elixir in Rose Redefined -- mid-sheer, creamy medium pink-rose gloss (looks more cool-toned in swatch than on lips)
Revlon Colorburst Lip Gloss in Strawberry -- opaque hot pink lipgloss with silver glitter
Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Sweet Tart (swatched heavily) -- mid-sheer, cool-toned creamy bright pink lipstick
Maybelline Baby Lips in Rose Rush (swatched heavily) -- sheer, bright medium pink-rose lip balm

Natural, Glowy Summer Makeup

What's one beauty item that always reminds me of summer? Coral peachy blushes! 

I sadly only have one coral-peach blush in my collection (the bareMinerals READY Blush in The Aphrodisiac) and I am about to hit serious pan on it soon. But, it is literally the most perfect peachy blush for the summer....it looks beautiful on tan complexions, it's shimmery without being an over-the-top glitter bomb, it's nicely pigmented, true to color, decently priced, made with good ingredients, the list goes on and on. There's never been a need for me to invest in another coral blush because this is literally the most perfect blush for my skin tone. As much as I love my new bright fuchsia blush, my favorite summertime blush will always be a shimmery peach blush. It makes my tan complexion look super glow-y, sun kissed, and healthy. And it can be paired with any kind of eye look or lip color and still look beautiful.

I bought the shade (pictured below) on a whim about three years ago when a Sephora employee suggested an apricot colored blush from the then-new bareMinerals READY Blush line. I was a little skeptical as I was a makeup newbie back then and anything except for pink blushes scared the crap outta me! I'm very glad I asked her opinion and bought this blush, because I don't think I have a more perfect blush color in my collection, especially for the summer. It's a true apricot colored blush with a very slight hint of pink and fine golden glitter. I'm not a huge fan of peachy-pink blushes because those tend to make my skin look a little drab. I love this blush shade in particular because it is more peach-coral than pink and doesn't have large chunks of glitter (ahem, NARS Orgasm....). I prefer this to matte peach blushes because the slight hint of glitter cancels the need for a highlighter, instantly perks up my look, and makes me look fresh, sun kissed, and glowing! 

Photo credit = http://www.cosmeticsaficionado.com/

Again, this blush can she worn by itself, but I chose to wear a natural, shimmery bronzey-taupe eyeshadow along with a bronzey-nude gloss to complete the look. These two products make me look even more awake and glowing. What I love about this look is that it's very customizable. I can wear a different eyeshadow or lipgloss and it will still look amazing, but yet different. Next time, I'm hoping to pair this blush with my Coralista gloss or even with my Naked3 palette!

Products Used

bareMinerals Matte Foundation in Golden Tan

CoverGirl TruFix Blend Concealer Stick 

bareMinerals Mineral Veil

Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze

Make Up For Ever Smoky Extravagant Mascara

bareMinerals READY Blush in The Aphrodisiac

Benefit Ultra Plush Lip Gloss in Hoola

The only issue? My bareMinerals Aphrodisiac blush is about to hit its 3-year expiration mark (self-made expiration date. Something about having a blush for that long just irks me...) and so far, I've had a hard time finding a replacement blush. I'm all for trying new blush brands and I wasn't impressed with the fact that this blush kinda fizzed out as you get closer to hitting pan. What I mean is that when I first used it, the color payoff was amazing but as it got older/closer to pan, the pigmentation and color start fading. Not sure if that's due to its age or something else. Nonetheless, I would love to try a similar color in either the Tarte or NARS line. I haven't found a Tarte dupe, but NARS Torrid blush is a really really close match to the bareMinerals Aphrodisiac blush. 

But, I'm hoping to use this blush up by the end of the summer and toss it. I don't wear coral blushes during the fall/winter season (I swap corals out for pinks and berry and mauves!), so I'll likely purchase another shimmery apricot blush next summer. But so far, this is my goto makeup look next to the fresh, youthful look I achieved in this post with my fuchsia blush. Love love love these two blush colors for the summer! :)

Fall Beauty Wish List -- Ulta, Drugstore, Sephora, MAC, Chanel, LUSH

Research month = plenty of time online window shopping.

And recently, with all the fall collections being announced and the scorching hot weather, I've been dreaaaaaaming and counting down to when autumn rolls around. September 1st, I cannot wait for you! Like I've mentioned before, this fall is going to be a really busy time for me, but I'm still excited because I'll at least have some weekends off in September and October to enjoy the gorgeous fall weather :) Plus, with my recent kicking butt on my diet, I'm hoping to be a few inches smaller during the season too. 

I've added a bunch of stuff to my beauty wish list recently and boy do I have a lotttt of things I want to get for this fall. I'm not going to get everything on my list and probably will be adding more stuff as more fall collections get announced, but here's my comprehensive wish list and products to try for fall so far :) 

ULTA

Eye Products
Maybelline Leather Color Tattoo in Creamy Beige

Lip Products

L'Oreal Glossy Balm in Lovely Mocha
Maybelline Color Elixir in Mauve Mystique
NYX Butter Gloss in Tiramisu
Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Rose Velvet

Nails

Essie Nail Polish in Fishnet Stockings
Revlon Parfumerie Scented Nail Enamel in Autumn Spice

DRUGSTORE

Face Products

Milani Baked Blush in Berry Amore
Milani Illuminating Face Powder in Amber Nectar

Eye Products

Milani Baked Eyeshadow in Intermix
Milani Bella Eyes in Bella Copper
Milani Bella Eyes in Bella Gold

Lip Products

Maybelline Baby Lips Crystal Collection in Mirrored Mauve

Maybelline Baby Lips Crystal Collection in Pink Quartz

Nail Products
Milani Nailpolish in Mauve Medley
Milani Nailpolish in Morning Coffee
Milani Nailpolish in Teddy Brown

SEPHORA

Bite Beauty Luminous Creme Lipstick Duo in Natural (Lychee and Musk)

Too Faced Natural Eyes Palette

MAC & CHANEL

Chanel Illusion d'Ombre Eyeshadow in Mirage

Chanel Lipstick Rouge Coco Hydrating Lip Creme Color in Mademoiselle

MAC Customizable Eyeshadow Duo in Woodwinked, Bronze

LUSH

LUSH Butterball Soap

LUSH Rose Queen Bath Bomb

Summer Hair Care

Ahh, my least favorite season of the year: summer. I know I'm probably in the minority, but nothing about summer really excites me. In my school days, the prospect of having 3 months off was joyous, but now that I don't have a summer break, there is absolutely nothing I look forward to about the summertime. (Hence my copious fall dreaming, especially in this 92 degree weather!). I hate the beating sun on my face, sweating like crazy, wearing shorts I have to pull down every two minutes, feeling parched all the time. Blah I hate it all!

One of my least favorite parts about summer is dry, frizzy, unmanageable hair that requires extra TLC during the harsh summer months. Thanks to some product experimenting, I've discovered a few wonderful hair products that seem to work wonders to hydrate my lifeless summer hair! Not perfect, but it definitely tames frizz, moisturizes my hair, and makes my hair feel silky smooth. And with only a few, inexpensive products.

Shampoo & Conditioner

John Freida Smooth Start Shampoo & Conditioner

Photo credit = www.lipstickrules.com

I start off my mornings with a quick workout and naturally have to wash my hair afterwards. I've started to use this set of shampoo/conditioner and oh my gosh, my hair has never felt and looked better!! This line tames my frizz and conditions my hair like none other. This is the only thing  I've changed up about my hair routine in recent months and my hair is smoother than ever. I massage the shampoo around my roots and a little bit on my strands. The conditioner I apply just to my strands, not my roots. I leave in the conditioner for 2-5 minutes and rinse with cold water. 

Leave-In Conditioner

Organix Moroccan Argan Oil Weightless Reviving Dry Oil

Photo credit = www.glesnibeautyblog.wordpress.com

Healthy Sexy Hair Soy Tri-Wheat Leave-In Conditioner

Photo credit = www.thatwinsomegirl.blogspot.com

The Wet Brush

Photo credit = www.momstart.com

Once I get out of the shower, I spritz either my Organix or Healthy Sexy Hair leave-in conditioner throughout my hair (mainly on my strands, little bit on my roots) and brush it out with a wide-tooth comb or my Wet brush. I recently rediscovered my love for The Wet Brush and can't believe I went months without using it! My hair tends to get tangly during the summer and this brush smooths out any kinks and tangles in my hair, leaving my hair silky smooth and manageable.

Leave-In Serum

Organix Coconut Milk Anti-Breakage Serum

Photo credit = www.beautyblogger94.blogspot.com

To finish things off, I pump out a quarter-size amount of this product in my hands and pat this onto my damp strands. I have to be really really careful not to get this product close to my roots because it is heavier and can weigh down hair. I've made the mistake of applying it close to my scalp and the results are not pretty (a mega greasy, unclean feeling!). I like to pump out an extra dime size amount and put it on the ends of my hair just to hydrate them a little bit. 

That's it! A few easy steps and a few products and my hair is ready to go! I normally let it air dry, but even if I blow dry it, I use the same steps and products. Here's to hoping things cool down a bit and to  more fall dreaming posts in the future :) 

Beauty Must Haves for Fall 2014 ♥

Just some pretty little things I have my eye on for the fall! I wish I could buy a lot of these products right now, but I will have to wait until September and the new season :)  Luckily none of these are limited edition. No buy July/August all the way! :) 

Bare Minerals Marvelous Moxie Lip Gloss in Hot Shot

Bite Beauty Luminous Creme Lipstick in Pepper

Clinique Chubby Stick in Ample Amber

L'oreal Visible Lift Blur Concealer 

MAC Custom Palette Eyeshadow -- Woodwinked, Bronze

MAC Creme in Your Coffee Lipstick 

Maybelline Baby Lips Crystal Lip Balm in Pink Quartz, Mirrored Mauve, Twinkling Taupe

Maybelline Color Tattoo in Creamy Beige

Milani Baked Blush in Red Vino 

NARS Lip Gloss in Orgasm

Wilton 24-Cup Mini Muffin Pan

Mega List of Recipes To Try! June & July 2014

I've had a lottt of spare time on my hands this month. So naturally, lots of down time full of boredom. One of the things I like to do when I get bored is browse Pinterest. And boy have I had a lot of Pinterest-catching up to do since Step 1 sucked my soul! I decided to break down my "Healthy Cooking" board into separate boards for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack recipes. Plus the Baking Goodies and the Sinful Eating boards. I've also added a bunch of new recipes to each board since there's been so many amazing new recipes popping up on my home screen. 

Here are some of the recipes I really really realllyyy want to try this month! It's probably going to take me until at least mid-July to finish my list since I make a week-long batch of food when I cook (except for breakfast). Here's to spending my summer cooking some healthy (but tasty) noms!  

Breakfast
Egg whites and cheese sandwich on sourdough bread
Hash brown egg white muffins
Sausage & potatoes with red peppers and onions
7 Grain pancakes with scrambled egg whites
Strawberry cream cheese waffle sandwiches

Lunch
Egg salad sandwich
Ham & cheese with mayo on a baguette

Dinner (can also be used as lunches)
Chicken fried rice
Spinach & cheese lasagna
Yellow curry tofu with chow fun noodles

Guilty Pleasures
Chicken alfredo lasagna roll-ups
Hash brown casserole
Trader Joe's Vegetable & Tofu Pad See-Ew
Strawberry Cream Cheese Muffins

Simple Everyday, Glowy Summertime Makeup

I've been experimenting with a lot of new makeup recently and I think I've mastered the glowy, everyday makeup look that is perfect for the summertime! I haven't really felt like doing heavy, sophisticated makeup looks recently because it's super hot and I sweat like crazy and don't want to end up wiping out an entire eyelid's makeup on accident. Plus, wearing a lot of eye makeup just feels heavy and uncomfortable in the summertime. So I've channeled my inner blush addiction and have started using blush to focus and drive my makeup looks rather than my eyes or lips.  

So, here is my take on the perfect glowy, fresh, simple summertime look. It uses very little makeup and can be done in under 5 minutes! A hot pink/bright berry blush is the focus point of this look and makes me look lit from within. Similar to a post-workout glow. It goes on very bright and pigmented, but blending is key. I usually apply it super saturated and then sheer it out with a big fluffy brush. Ah, I'm just in love with this blush color, I cannot believe I didn't discover it sooner! It is scary looking in the pan, but the color looks just absolutely beautiful on tan complexions. Kind of what a light pink blush looks like on more fair skin. Another thing I love with this look is that it's so versatile. If I want it to be more powerful or colorful, all I have to do is add eyeshadow, a lipstick, or a pigmented lipgloss. You have to be careful though because you don't want to pair a smoky eye or red lip with this blush, because it will start to look more vampy and unnatural. This blush, in my opinion, is more suitable for natural, more sheer makeup looks. Wearing a bright blush like this with heavy eye makeup or a dark lip would just look a bit too much. Usually I wear this look with just the blush and a light wash of a sheer nude or coral gloss. If I do want to do more, I just add a shimmery neutral eyeshadow or a nude pink gloss/lipstick. 

Face

BareMinerals Matte Foundation in Golden Tan

CoverGirl TruFix Concealer Stick

BareMinerals Mineral Veil

Clinique Cheek Pop in Berry Pop

Eyes

Make Up For Ever Smoky Extravagant Mascara

For a more put together, but still natural look, use Physician's Formula Matte Collection Quad in Classic Nudes 

For shimmery eyes, use a gold eyeshadow

Lips

Benefit Ultra Plush Lip Gloss in Hoola 

For more pigmented lips, use Revlon Lip Butter in Creme Brûlée or Revlon Lip Butter in Pink Truffle

For a wash of sheer color, use Benefit Ultra Plush Lip Gloss in Coralista or The Body Shop Lip Gloss in Watermelon

My Updated Morning Routine

I've made some pretty big changes to my morning routine now that third year has begun and I can't quite fit everything in my day as easily as I could in college. I wish I had began this routine since day one of medical school, since I'm actually finding it to be quite refreshing and energizing!
Pretty much, my entire day has been changed thanks to a few, but drastic changes to my morning schedule. I've written out my "ideal" morning schedule on most mornings. Now, the timings will probably change based on the starting times of the rotation I'm currently in. Right now I'm on a research month, so my schedule is pretty flexible. But, next month I will be in Ob/Gyn, which starts as early as 6am! But, no matter what rotation I'm on, I'd like to shape my mornings and days around this basic schedule.

4:30 am: Pill time
I wake up a half hour before the time I really want to be outta bed so I can take my thyroid replacement pill (which needs to be taken on an empty stomach 30 minutes before breakfast). I put the pill and a bottle of water next to my bed the night before so I don't get too lazy to get up and fetch my pills in the morning and end up sleeping in instead. Also, I can nap while the medicine's being digested and I can then eat a little morning snack before my workout so I'm not starving. Also, I chug a bottle of water with the pill, so it helps me to start off the day hydrated!

5:00 am: Wake up, get clean, run out the door
After my little post-pill nap, I force myself to get outta bed and put on my workout clothes. I try to set these out the night before, or otherwise I just grab the first gym clothes I see haha. I also refill my bottle of water and grab a little quick digesting carbohydrate-rich snack like a granola bar or banana. I usually eat these and maybe sip some water on my 15 minute drive to the gym.

5:30 am: Exercise time!
I park right outside my gym so I don't waste any extra time. I try to fit in at least a 30 minute cardio workout, usually a sweaty elliptical workout or an incline treadmill hike. If I have some extra time or I'm feeling motivated, I do some crunches, use the weights machines, or bump up my workout to 45-60 minutes.

6:30am-6:45 am: Come home, shower
On days I have rotation, I like to be home around this time so I have plenty of time to get dressed and head out. I like to ideally have 45 minutes to get dressed and leave home a half hour before if my site is on campus. I usually hop in the shower the second I get home and save eating for later. If I'm ravenous, I'll grab a fruit or a snack before I head into the shower.

6:45 am-7:30am: Get dressed, grab breakfast, pack lunch
Like I mentioned, I like to blow dry my hair after my morning shower, which normally takes me about 10-15 minutes. I then just pop it into a bun so it's out of my face. I then get dressed, put on my contacts, pat on my moisturizer, and apply my makeup. If I'm running late, I just apply foundation, concealer, powder, maybe a swipe of blush and mascara, and grab a lip product before I head out the door. I also try to set aside at least 10 minutes to make a quick breakfast and pack my lunch/snacks for the day. As much as I try to pack my lunch the night before, it never happens! I do have a growing mental list of quick grab and go breakfasts that I have, so maybe I'll make a blog post about that in the future.

7:30 am: Head out the door!
Once I'm dressed and prettied up, I make sure I have all my essentials in my work bag (which I definitely prepare the night before!) and head out the door! If I can, I make coffee at home. Otherwise, I just grab a quick coffee at the hospital to reward myself for a great workout! :)


So I have definitely been LOVING my new morning routine. Yes, it is incredibly difficult to get into the habit of waking up extra early, but it's definitely worth it. From the very first step, you wake up and hydrate, which I'm finding is really important for mental function. And then getting exercise out of the way is a really great feeling and sets the tone for what I eat throughout the day (trust me, you don't wanna eat a fried chicken sandwich for lunch after you spent the morning busting your butt on the elliptical!).
I find that I don't need caffeine as much after exercising in the morning. Of course, being the coffee junkie I am, I still have my morning cup, but I don't depend on my afternoon cup of coffee like I used to. Exercising in the morning is also helping me focus much much better and increases my work productivity like none other!
The only thing about this morning routine is that it is a little jam packed and I can't have as leisurely of a morning as I would like. But as I said, the boost in mental and physical energy is definitely worth it. I hope I can keep it up during my early morning rotations because I would hate to adjust to a great morning routine like this only to not be able to do it anymore! 

Spa Night Essentials

This post has been a long time coming! It's that point in my life where I feel as if I should be taking just one day off each week to pamper myself and restore my "beauty homeostasis" as I call it. Pretty much, take the morning or evening off to treat myself to a nice mani/pedi, take a long hot shower, lather on tons of body butter, relax with a face mask, bleach my face, the works. Unfortunately, my days are so incredibly busy that I often forget to have a spa night. However, I had last Friday afternoon off and decided to have a little "spa morning". And boy, was it relaxing! I felt so relaxed, groomed, hygienic, and scratched off a lot of beauty things I had wanted to get done like shaving my legs and finally giving myself a pedicure! 

So, I will be trying extra extra hard this summer to take one afternoon or evening off each week to pamper myself to a home spa. To really enforce this habit, I even made a little "spa night essentials tub" full of the products I want to use for spa days.



Doesn't have everything I mention below, but most things for a great spa night. I'm thinking of putting the tub in my bathroom since most of these products are bath products. These are the things I used for my spa night Friday and I think I got a good batch of stuff! Here's my routine below:

First things first, I hopped in the shower. Nothing relieves stress for me like a nice long hot shower. I used my Bath & Body Works Shower Gel in Rome Honeysuckle Amore with a loofah for exfoliation. I would actually like to start using the BBW Aromatherapy shower gels for future spa nights since they smell so incredible and the scent is so much more potent than the regular shower gels. My favorite Aromatherapy shower gel is the sandalwood rose one, which is so incredibly soothing! I also applied some of my Neutrogena Body Clear Body Wash  on my chest and back to zap some of the zits there. I know, gross, but I've found that since I've started working out more regularly, I tend to get more acne around my cleavage area and my back so I've been using a salicylic acid body wash to help clear them. To treat myself a little bit more and finish up my bath, I lathered on my LUSH Neon Love Soap that I had gotten back in February. Oh my it smells SO good in the shower but definitely not worth the $5 I paid for the little sliver since it barely left any scent once I hopped out of the shower. I also used the Bare Foot Lemon & Sage Foot Scrub all over my feet, focusing on the heel area, to soften and clean them. To finish things up, I washed my hair with my regular Pantene shampoo and conditioner, washed my face with my new favorite St. Ives Even & Bright Pink Lemon and Mandarin Orange Scrub, and shaved my legs with the Skintimate Shaving Gel in Flirty Mango. So citrusy! I may start applying a hair mask, but I don't have one at the moment. Organix makes some good hair masks, so I may try another one out for next spa night.

Once I got out of the shower, I put some of my favorite body butter, the Lavanila Body Butter in Pure Vanilla all over my legs. I don't put any lotion over my torso or arms because the BBW shower gels are moisturizing enough for those areas. Now, I think for future spa nights I may try and bleach my face before I apply any lotion or makeup. It's hard for me to find a time to bleach my face, so I think combining it with spa night may work nicely. Either that or applying a face mask on days where I don't have to bleach (I just bought some little sample pods of the Origins charcoal mask that I'm probably going to try next!). For moisturizing my face, I used my Aveeno Smart Essentials Nighttime Moisturizer. Even though it was the afternoon, I used my evening moisturizer because it is more hydrating than the daytime version. Plus, my foundation has SPF in it, so it wasn't a huge deal.  For a little acne control, I applied the Murad Acne Spot Fast Fix, which is great because it dries completely clear. Finished up with some LUSH Bubblegum Lip Scrub followed by Nivea Olive Oil & Lemon Lip Balm to moisturize my lips.

Next for some much needed relaxation! I first lit my new Bath & Body Works Mason Jar Candle in Lilac Blossom. Smells so good once the top wax pool layer is melted! Excellent springtime candle. I watched some YouTube videos while I was doing other stuff, but normally I just listen to my chillout playlist on iTunes or turn on the Colbie Caillat Pandora radio station. After relaxing and watching some videos with a nice cup of Celestial Seasonings Peppermint Herbal Tea, I decided it was finally time to pamper my feet! I massaged in a foot lotion all over my feet and then put on a pair of warm fuzzy socks so the lotion could soak in. I left the socks on for about 30 minutes. In the meantime, I decided to paint my fingernails. I first used some of my Rosebud Perfume Company Rosebud Salve around my nails and cuticles to soften and moisturize them. Since it's officially summer and I've been craving neon nails, I applied Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Nailpolish in Sunkissed (bright mandarin orange) with NYC Extra Shiny Topcoat. Then I went back to my feet. My oh my, when I took the socks off my feet were smooth as a baby's butt! Loving the scrub + lotion regime on the feet! Anyway, once the socks were off, I popped in some toe separators and applied a few coats of Revlon Colorstay Nailpolish in Delicious (bright red).  I may do a separate, more detailed mani/pedi routine blogpost in the future, but for now just suffice it to say that the results were amazing! Three days later, and my feet are still super soft and my feet look great in flip-flops!

That is it for last week's spa night! Hope I can keep up the routine and take some time off each week to pamper and groom myself, preferably on a Sunday evening as a way to detox and unwind after a harsh week. You feel so much more energized, ready, and re-charged to start another crazy rough week, which makes your work performance soar and boosts up your confidence. As you can tell, I'm absolutely obsessed with home spa nights at the moment, haha.

Here is a recap of all the products mentioned: 
Bath & Body Works Shower Gel in Rome Honeysuckle Amore
Neutrogena Body Clear Body Wash 
LUSH Neon Love Soap
Bare Foot Lemon & Sage Foot Scrub
St. Ives Even & Bright Pink Lemon and Mandarin Orange Scrub
Skintimate Shaving Gel in Flirty Mango
Organix Quenched Sea Mineral Moisture Surge Treatment
Lavanila Body Butter in Pure Vanilla
Sally Hansen Creme Hair Bleach
Origins Clear Improvement Active Charcoal Mask
Aveeno Smart Essentials Nighttime Moisturizer
Murad Acne Spot Fast Fix
LUSH Bubblegum Lip Scrub
Nivea Olive Oil & Lemon Lip Balm
Bath & Body Works Mason Jar Candle in Lilac Blossom
Celestial Seasonings Peppermint Herbal Tea
Rosebud Perfume Company Rosebud Salve
Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Nailpolish in Sunkissed
NYC Extra Shiny Topcoat
Revlon Colorstay Nailpolish in Delicious

June: New Years Resolution Update

I wanted to do a life update post today but instead of just rambling on, I figured I would shape this post around my New Year's resolutions and how I'm doing with them.
In a nutshell: not exactly the place I want to be at, sadly.
But that's okay! Because life is all about improving yourself and I'm not going to give up just because I have had a few setbacks this year. By far, the number 1 thing getting in the way of my goals has been Step 1. I know that's a really crappy excuse, but that test and prep period literally drove me crazy. Let's just not even go there. It was by far the worst period of my life and will probably end up being a lifelong regret because I wish I had studied harder and did better on Step 1. But I didn't fail and my dream isn't over so that's what really matters!

#1 Weighing 125 pounds
It's taken a lot of courage for me to even talk about this in a post because my weight is the most out of control part of my life right now. Instead of losing weight, I actually gained weight during my study period. I don't even want to know how much I weigh right now because I will probably have a panic attack if I see the exact number. But let's just say that all of my clothes have become tighter. Very very hard to suck it in and admit it, but I need to really buck up and turn the scale in the opposite direction. I could go on about how I gained all this weight but that would just be counterintuitive and put a lot of negativity in this post. Let's just say that it happened and I am trying my very hardest to take restorative steps towards improving it. I don't want to get too much into it because I am just starting my weight loss regime ALL over again, which kind of really sucks, but I will do some updated posts in the future.

#2 Capturing moments
I have been pretty good about this! I haven't had the greatest social life due to Step 1, but every moment I spend with friends and family, I try to capture. I even took a photo when I hung out with my best friends from college a few weeks ago for my birthday, which will definitely end up in a scrapbook!

#3 Keeping up with friends
Again, something that's been going relatively well. I try to keep up with my friends as much as possible, but I could always do a better job at it. For example, I don't see a lot of my old friends and I usually hangout my current med school friends and a few old friends here and there. I need to spend a bit more time talking to my undergraduate friends because I really feel like I'm losing touch with them. Don't know what I can do, since they all seem to be busy with their lives, but I am trying and will hopefully try to meet up with them sometime this year, maybe during my research month. My social life is something that I am always trying to work hard on, but is sometimes really hard to manage because everyone's at different points in their lives right now.

#4 Processed foods, refined sugars
Kinda going along #1, Step 1 killed this goal. But I am trying to get back into the swing of things and will update this blog as I keep trying new things out. Just went grocery shopping, though and most of my cart was natural stuff. Lots of fruits, veggies, protein, and healthy snacking. Also cleaned up my Pinterest and I'm excited to try new and healthy recipes soon.

#5 Sleeping
Yes! Doing well! I've recently started to get up between 5-7am depending on what I have to do that day and working out before going to work. So far (in the past 4 days I mean), I have been kicking butt at this! It's hard to wake myself up that early, but I've been treating myself to coffee from either Starbucks or Dunkin every morning I wake up early and workout, and it's working! I definitely love the way my mind feels after a morning workout and not having to exercise after a long, hard day at work. Also love seeing the beautiful morning sky and listening to the news on my way to the gym early in the morning. Just really relaxing for me, minus getting my brain up that early. Hopefully I can keep it up and shed those pounds!

#6 Credit card bills < $300/month
Ahhhhh, definitely not going well but I am working on it! I'm trying to shop less and eat more at home this month, so we shall see how well that goes when I get my bill at the end of the month :)

Spring Beauty, Fashion, Food Favorites! ♥

Since I skipped my April favorites, I have a lottttt of beauty products I've been wanting to talk about this month! Plus, I have a few non-beauty favorites (like FOOOOOD) and some fashion-y stuff (who would've thunk!?!?!) to share too. Overall, there have been some great new products out this spring, much more than I've shown here. As always, I wish I could raid the entire drugstore/Ulta/Sephora racks for every single amazing beauty product out this season, but my wallet just isn't that big sadly :(
Anyway, without further rambling, my favorites for this season!

St. Ives Even & Bright Pink Lemon and Mandarin Orange Scrub

Photo credit = www.makeupandbeauty.com

A great new scrub I found in Target a few months ago! I love the St. Ives face scrubs, but the scrubby beads are usually really large and rough, so I can only use it 1-2x a week to prevent my face to get red and irritated. However, I was really excited when I saw a bunch of new St. Ives scrubs, and a few of them have really fine, small, less scratchy beads in really fresh scents! So I picked up this scent for the spring and summertime and boy is it a refreshing treat when I'm washing my face in the morning. And the best part is that I can use it every other day or even every day since the beads aren't as irritating to my face as the original St. Ives scrubs.

Bath & Body Works Shower Gel in Rome Honeysuckle Amore

I change up my shower gel every month and don't really mention them in my faves because they're just plain old body washes and I usually really like them, but not to the point where I have to mention them every month. BUT, this month I have absolutely fallen in LOVE with this shower gel. It's one of the few BBW shower gels that leave a scent lingering the whole day after I shower. It smells like flowers and it's soooo perfect for this season. Makes showering a definite treat. Plus, I love the hot pink color and how it stands out in my shower. Hoping that they didn't discontinue it so I can pick up a few more bottles for next year.

Healthy Sexy Hair Soy Tri-Wheat Leave-In Conditioner

Photo credit = www.athunderheart.com

So this product is one of those hair products everyone and their mother raves about. It's been around for a long time, but the $20 price tag has always scared me away. But, sometime in April, Ulta had all of the Sexy Hair products on half off, so I was able to get this for only $10. Oh my oh my, I wish I had discovered this earlier! It makes my hair sooooo much softer, more manageable, and makes it feel healthier. It does reduce frizz a little, but I still have to use a serum after this to really get all my frizz down. I've been using this spray about once a week or when I have a special event coming up. Love the way this smells, how lightweight it is, and what a great job it does at taming my hair after a shower. Overall, love love love and I will be buying this again!

Organix Coconut Milk Anti-Breakage Serum

Photo credit = www.glesnibeautyblog.wordpress.com

I bought this product I think last June and I used to love it but stopped using it in the fall/winter because of how heavy and oily it made my hair. But, I pulled this baby out again this month because my hair has been feeling a little dry and getting unruly, so I thought maybe this serum would help moisturize my hair. Ahh don't know why I ever stopped using it! A few drops of this stuff smoothed across my strands and ends really reduces frizz and brings my hair back to life! Plus, coconut milk is really good for the hair so I'm sure it helps fortify the strands too. The only issue is that it is a heavier product and probably not good for fine hair, but if you use it sparingly on your strands while avoiding your scalp/roots and wash your hair every other day like me, you should be fine. Definitely going to be a staple hair product for me the entire summer!

BareMinerals Matte Foundation in Golden Tan

Photo credit = www.theneonleopard.com

Ah foundation. Something I've always been really resistant to wearing. Finally decided to cave in and try a BM foundation and boy I am in love. Why have I not used this before?! Evens out my skin like a dream, feels really lightweight, stays all day, and matches my skin tone perfectly. Only thing is that it is a pain to sit there buffing this stuff out, but the results are worth it. Feels like you just put on a new skin!

Physician's Formula Matte Collection Quad in Classic Nudes

Photo credit = www.wickedstarryeyes.blogspot.com

After hunting like crazy for neutral matte eyeshadows, I finally found an amazing drugstore matte eyeshadow quad! This isn't really a popular product, but it's definitely a hidden gem. The colors are SO pigmented and this quad in particular has all the perfect brown shades. Except for the whitish shade, I've been using all three on a regular basis for when I want a more natural eye look or as a transition color for my crease. In love, probably will end up getting the other matte quads from this collection eventually.

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Mood Exposure

Photo credit = www.lovecharmaine.com

Another recent beauty hype. Again I was hesitant to get this blush because of the hefty price tag. I heard a lot of great things about this blush, but just paying $35 for a single pan of blush was a little over the top.  But I decided to treat myself and pick up this blush as a post-step1 gift, especially given the fact that I was stressing hardcore during that period and was just glad that the nightmare was over. I got Mood Exposure in particular because I don't have this shade in my collection. It's a gorgeous plummy-brown shade and it looks very natural on my tan complexion. All the hype about this blush is true. It lights up my complexion, makes me look fresh and awake, doubles as a highlighter-blush combo, and adds the perfect amount of color to my cheeks -- perfect for everyday, especially office-wear. Comes in a very sleek, sophisticated packaging. Super easy to blend even if you slap on a little too much and again, this color is just beautiful! Love the formula and I may just be naughty and pick up another shade!

Physician's Formula Happy Booster Glow & Mood Boosting Blush in Natural

Photo credit = www.makeupandbeauty.com

Okay, let's be honest: the reason I got this blush was mainly the packaging. Love the little hearts and the pink container it comes in. Swirled together, you get a shimmery, light pink blush. I was a little afraid at first because the swatch looks mega shimmery, but on the cheeks it looks stunning and makes you look like you have a post-workout glow. No need for highlighter or anything else! A really gorgeous blush color for the springtime!

The Body Shop Watermelon Lip Gloss

Photo credit = www.bellabluelovesfashion.blogspot.com

I've been eying Body Shop glosses since forever. These are definitely my type of glosses: smell great, taste great, add a sheer color, lots of shine, no glitter. PERFECT. It's very appropriate for summertime since it smells and tastes exactly like watermelon. Delivers a really gorgeous sheer pink-red wash of color on my lips. More for everyday wear, not exactly for the office as it wears off easily and requires touch-ups every hour. Definitely favorite summer lip product this year!

Benefit Ultra Plush Lipgloss in Hoola

Photo credit = www.beautynerdbynight.com

This gloss is another everyday sheer lip gloss that I love for the summertime. It's a really pretty bronzey-nude lipgloss with some shimmer. It's a great gloss for the warmer months with a nice tan. Plus, the tube looks so summery! I love the Benefit Ultra Plush glosses because they are so moisturizing, smell/taste like peaches, add a ton of shine, and look amazing on the lips. I'm probably going to pick up the Coralista shade for the summertime and possibly Bella Bamba for the fall. Hope these never get discontinued because I go through about a tube every season or every other season. That's how much I apply it and love it!

Maybelline Color Elixir in Caramel Infused

Photo credit = www.makeupandbeauty.com

Now for a pigmented gloss that I have been loving this season. The Maybelline Color Elixirs are fairly new and come in a ton of shades ranging from brights to nudes to pinks to reds. I only have this shade so far and I'm in love. THE most perfect MLBB shade for me. It's almost like a gloss version of my Revlon Lip Butter in Pink Truffle. Smells like vanilla/floral mix, so if you don't like lip products smelling perfumey, then stay away. Otherwise they make my lips feel super soft and aren't super sticky, although they last about 2-3 hours. I probably will buy a few more shades because the formula feels really nice and lasts a good chunk of time. I'm a total lip gloss junkie and I love me a gloss that feels like a gloss but lasts like a lipstick!

Revlon Parfumerie Nail Polish in African Tea Rose
Revlon Parfumerie Nail Polish in Apricot Nectar

Photo credit = www.vampyvarnish.com

My favorite new nail polishes this season! As you know, I love beauty products that smell yummy and these polishes fit the bill. Each one of them has a unique scent upon drying that is related to its shade name. So, African Tea Rose smells like roses while Apricot Nectar smells fruity. They also have a lot of shine, good staying power (not the best though!), a great applicator for really precise application, and come in a really cute bottle! Plus, the two above are absolutely stunning shades for this spring/summer season. The bottles look very boudoir-ish and ughhh I wish all nail polish bottles looked that vintage and cute! Not the best formula since it does tend to chip after a few days, but the other good qualities of these polishes make it worth the buy. Not all that expensive either, so I'm looking forward to buying a few more shades this fall/winter season. Definitely no more polishes for me this summer since I've been hoarding nail polishes like cray these past few months!

Merona Ultimate Scoopneck & V-Neck Tees

Photo credit = www.polyvore.com

I don't always feature a fashion favorite, but this month I went clothes shopping for a new office wardrobe and picked up a few little goodies. One of my favorites are the Merona basic tees. I love plain tees because they are so easy to style and can work either as casual shirts or more dressy shirts when paired with statement necklaces. I used to buy the Mossimo tees from Target, but they were so thin and flimsy and tended to get damaged easily in the washer. But I tried the Merona tees and they are SO much better! They're about the same price, but are made with a thicker material and fit a lot better on me. They come in a great range of colors and styles and I believe they're always coming up with new shades every season. They have $5 sales on them occasionally so it's great to stock up on these around holidays and such. I have 4-5 colors and cannot wait to buy some more because they are just so amazing, durable, fit great, and look very chic even as officewear!

LC Lauren Conrad Clothing Line

Photo credit = www.laurenconraddaily.blogspot.com

Another recent fashion favorite has been the LC clothing line at Kohl's. The clothing and jewelry are actually surprisingly affordable! The line's style is really similar to mine with a lot of frilly, delicate, flawy, vintage pieces. I wish I could afford every single thing from this line because everything I see I love. Not a single piece I'm like "hell no!" about. Honestly, I should just put Lauren Conrad as my favorite for this month because I love her shoe line, website, beauty/fashion style, advice, and tips as well!

Alexia Hashed Browns with Onion, Garlic, and White Pepper

Photo credit = www.heatherlikesfood.com

I love potatoes. LOVE them. My favorite "veggie" if it can even be counted as one. But, I don't like to buy fresh potatoes because I don't have time to peel them and last time I bought a bag, I had a massive fruit fly infestation in my apartment. Yuck, bad bad memories. So, I've resorted to frozen potatoes and I have been absolutely loving the Alexia brand for my potato fix. I've tried the sweet potato, crinkle cut, and hash browns from this line. I love them all but I particularly like their seasoned hash browns. They are a little unhealthy because you have to pan-fry them and can't just pop em in the toaster over like the fries. I've been making them as a Saturday morning breakfast treat for myself and nom nom they are so good with eggs or sausage on the side! It comes with seasoning already there and are still quite low in sodium (brownie points!). Love love love this brand of potatoes since they're delish, healthy, and affordable so I don't feel super guilty about my potato addiction. In fact, I wish I had more freezer space so I could have multiple bags of potatoes there for my random potato cravings :)

Whew! SO that is it for my spring favorites this year. I'm posting this on June 1st which to me is when summer begins! Time to bust out the heavy duty sunscreen, tank tops, shorts, and sunglasses!