Style Trend - Accessories From IMSMI Style

WOWIE! I'm obsessed with these watches and this website - IMSMIStyle.com

I've never ordered from them before but they seem pretty reasonable (these striped watches are only $29 each) and it's different from the things you can find at Charming Charlie which is usually my go-to for accessories.

Once I finally decide what to order, I'll keep you posted on the quality and everything once I get it in the mail!

http://www.imsmistyle.com/

Dry Rub Recipe - My ABSOLUTE Favorite!

My absolute FAVORITE! My lovely momma gave me this recipe and I use it for EVERYTHING, literally everything – chicken, fish, steak, etc. Put some olive oil or coconut oil on first, then sprinkle the rub on. A little bit goes a long way. GRILL!

Morning Lovely

 Good Morning Beautiful! I love this quote! =] be confident in your own skin.

Infant Car Seat Cover

I got my car seat cover in the mail the other day!! =] I can’t tell you how excited I was to get this, I’ve been anxiously checking the mail on a daily basis to see if it had gotten here yet. =] Thank you to my lovely sister-in-law, Cara who got this for us. =D

It came adorably wrapped up. 

The lady who makes these is local, you can pick out specific fabric and customize it if you want, or go with the most popular covers she has listed on her site. She seems much more reasonable than a lot of the other custom car seats available on Etsy. You can find her at www.sewcuteinaz.com. OR if you're feeling ambitious, I found this site with a tutorial on how to make a DIY Custom Car Seat Cover.

Style Trend - Tanks

How great are these summer tanks!? =] I’m a huge fan of loose fitting crop tops for summer. Pair them with some skinnies for a cute casual look or my favorite is with a pair of cutoff jean shorts for a day at the lake or the beach. Available at Nordstrom Rack for $17.95!

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Core Strengthening Workout - A Beginners Guide

Your core is compiled of 4 different parts; Rectus Abdominus, Oblique, Intercostals, and Serratus. It’s imperative to work each of these muscles in order to achieve a solid core. The following exercises will target each of these areas so you can start seeing some washboard abs!

Rectus Abdominus: 

§  Location: Covers the area from sternum all the way down to the pelvis bone.

§  Exercises: Crunch or Sit Up

Oblique:

§  Location: Side of the waist.

§  Exercises: Side Bends and Decline Oblique Crunches

Intercostals:

§  Location: Between the side of the rib cage. It comes into play when you flex the torso and twist from side to side.

§  Exercise: Air Bike

Serratus:

§  Location: Between front abs and lats.

§  Exercises: Barbell Pullovers and Cable Crunches

*Keep in mind that your diet and cardio will need to be in check in order for you to see abs.

Here are 3 sample workout plans for optimum results. Alternate each of these workouts every 3 days. Your core muscles repair quicker that the rest of your muscles allowing you to work them daily without muscle deterioration.

Core Strengthening Workouts

Workout For: Men and Women

Muscles Targeted: Core - Rectus Abdominus, Oblique, Intercostals, and Serratus

Workout #1:

Cable Crunch – 30 seconds

15 seconds of rest

Side Bends – 30 seconds

15 seconds of rest

Crunches – 3 sets of 15

Reverse Crunch Curl – 3 sets of 15

Workout #2:

Barbell Twists – 30 seconds

15 seconds of rest

Bicycle Crunches – 30 seconds

15 seconds of rest

Crunches – 30 seconds

15 seconds of rest

Leg Raises, Laying Down – 30 seconds

Workout #3:

Frog Sit Ups – 30 seconds

15 seconds of rest

Toe-Touch Sit Ups – 30 Seconds

15 seconds of rest

Side Crunches – 30 seconds each side

15 seconds of rest

Reverse Crunch – 3 sets of 15 reps

PRINTABLE WORKOUT AVAILABLE HERE

Coral Dress with Tan Flower Wedges

Dresses are the most comfortable option when you’re pregnant and none of your clothes fit you the way you want them to! If you’re like me and you try on a million and a half different  things before finally deciding on an outfit, it’s best to have simple pieces like this that don’t button or have to slide over your quickly growing hips and thighs. =[ P.S. it’s budget friendly!

Coral Dress – Charming Charlie $39.99

Tan Cardigan – Nordstrom Rack  $10.00

Tan Flower Wedges – JustFab.com $39.99

Rose Gold Watch – Michael Kors

Turquoise Bracelet – Premiere Jewelry Design

Pandora Neckalce – Charming Charlie

DIY Canvas Curtains - No Sewing Required

Aren’t these awesome! AND there’s no sewing required! =D I wanted some thick, long curtains for Baby Logan’s room and nothing was fitting with the look I was going for and I didn’t want to spend a gob on curtains I didn’t absolutely love.

I’d highly recommend buying the curtain rings with the clips so you don’t have to worry about measuring, sewing etc. Literally fold the top over and clip it!

You’ll Need:

 Drop Cloth Canvas x2 - home improvement stores (Home Depot - $10.68 each, the ones I bought are 6ft x 9ft and are plenty big)

Curtain Rings with Clips – home improvement stores (Home Depot - $7.97 for a set of 7, I bought 2 packs for both panels)

Stencil – Michaels or any craft store ($3.46)

Acrylic Paint – Michaels or craft store (99¢)

Just lay out your canvas, put some newspaper or cardboard underneath so the paint doesn’t bleed. Get your stencil out and start painting! I didn’t wash min e before painting because I was worried they would permanently wrinkle. The fold lines will relax once you hang them up.

I would love to see all your finished projects! Send me photos and I’ll post them up! Happy Crafting. =]

Toned Arms In 6 Moves - Printable Workout

Toned Arms in 6 Moves

Workout For: Men and Women

Muscles Used: Biceps & Triceps

Equipment: Dumbbells, Rope Attachment

This is a basic arm workout for fast and noticeable results. I recommend supersetting (completing two exercises back to back without rest) to make the workout fast-paced, fun and effective.

Remember to always take 1-2 days off of your bicep and tricep workout to eliminate muscle deterioration. And to avoid a plateau, start with higher weight and drop to a lower weight as you move to your next set. For example: the first set will be the max weight you can lift, the second set will be the next lighter weight and so on.

The Workout:

Superset 1

Dumbbell Bicep Curl 4sets of 12-15 reps

Incline Skull Crushers 4 sets of 12-15 reps

30-60 seconds rest

Superset 2

Tricep Dumbbell Kickback 4 sets of 10-12 reps

Incline Dumbbell Curl 4 sets of 10-12 reps

30-60 seconds rest

Superset 3

Cable Hammer Curls w/ Rope Attachement 4 sets of 12-15 reps

Triceps Pushdown 4 sets of 12-15 reps

PRINTABLE WORKOUT AVAILABLE HERE

Killer Butt, Hips and Thighs Workout - No Equipment Needed

It’s already hitting temperatures of 110+ in Arizona! In the summer we pretty much live at the lake or in the pool and considering that it’s only ever below 70 degrees about 3 months out of the year, most everyone is fit! Stay on your fitness game with workouts that are able to be done at your convenience, at home; no one wants to be inside when you can be outside soaking up some rays.

Workout For: Men and Women

Body Parts: Glutes, Abdominals, Thighs, Lower Back

Equipment: No Equipment Needed

Complete the following sets as many times as you can in 15 minutes. You’ll want to die tomorrow because you’re so sore but that means that it’s working! =]

Lunges – 50x, 25 per leg

Self-Squats – 50x

Back Extensions – 50x (just like a superman but instead of holding it, raise and lower your back and your legs off the floor)

Commit to doing this 3-4 times per week. There’s no gym equipment needed – NO EXCUSES! You can do it!

Flat Belly Foods

Getting ready for summer? Pair the 8 Minutes to a 6-Pack Workout with these lean, mean, fat-burning foods and you'll be beach body ready in no time. 

Nuts – monosaturated fats like nuts and nut butters burned more calories! Don’t let ‘fat’ in the title scare you, ,monosaturated fats are the good fats. Portions are key however, keep it to ¼ cup of nuts and 2 tablespoons of nut butters

Non-Fat Greek Yogurt – higher in filling protein that regular yogurt, also contains probiatotics (good bacteria) that reduce the bad bacteria in your intestines leading to tummy bloating.  1 cup is a perfect serving – this is an AWESOME snack that Troy and I pack daily in our lunches. We add sliced strawberries, blueberries, rasberries and 1/3 cup of homemade granola (this is my fav recipe for homemade granola)

Mushrooms – Only natural plant source of Vitamin D! =O whaaaat? Low Vitamin D levels are linked to higher levels of belly fat. Mushrooms exposed to ultraviolet light have higher levels of Vitamin D. Chop up some mushrooms and throw them in a pasta sauce or a salad.

Chocolate Milk – low fat of course =] Great post workout snack to help you gain muscle and burn fat. 8 oz is a decent serving, stick to the 1% milk for this tasty treat.

Air-Popped Corn – huh? Popcorn is a whole grain! People who eat whole grains over refined grains have less tummy fat. The key is to find the air-popped popcorn – 3 cups = 100 calories! What a great snack!

Beans – Low in calories, high in fiber! Studies have shown that bean eaters have slimmer waistlines and overall weigh less! If you don’t typically eat beans, eat small amounts to start and work your way up to bigger portions.

Quinoa – No surprise here! Another great source of whole grain but did you know that quinoa is also a complete protein!? This will keep you fuller longer. My favorite way to eat quinoa is with steamed veggies. YUM!

Watermelon – loaded with nutrients and low in calories; watermelon is about 85% water! Sub watermelon for desert or an in-between meal snack.

Last Night's Dinner - Protein

Protein Packed and Green

Long Grain Rice, Black Beans, Steamed Broccoli, Zucchini Squash

(Squirt some lemon juice over the veggies for an extra zest of flavor!) 

Coral and Turquoise - Budget Friendly Clothing For The Mother To-Be

Coral and Turquoise 

The coral top and the white skinny pants are from Papaya. It’s local here in AZ but they have an online website. Sizes tend to run true to size. Although these aren’t maternity pants, they don’t have zippers or buttons, they just slip on! =] These tops are perfect to pair with leggings for a cute look while keeping it comfy.

Coral Top – Papaya $15.99 p- H&M would have something similar

White Skinny Pants – Papaya $17.99

Black, Turquoise and Orange Jessica Simpson Shoes – The Nordstrom Rack $45.00

Turquoise Necklace and Bracelet: I bought these in Rocky Point last summer but Charming Charlie would definitely have something similar

Coconut Oil Hair Growth Treatment

Since my hair was tragically chopped off without warning in March =[ I’ve been looking high and low for ways to quickly grow my hair back out. For my blonde girls out there you know how hard it can be to get your hair to grow as we’re constantly damaging it with bleach, color, etc. Aside from consistently getting trims, which I completely hate, conditioning treatments are essential.

This coconut oil/egg conditioning treatment is amazing if you’re trying to grow your hair out or your hair is desperately needing some moisture. Coconut oil will condition your hair, smoothing out frizz and adding moisture to dry hair and the egg contains tons of protein and vitamin D to promote hair growth. =]

Whip up this quick conditioning treatment once a week and there will be significant  growth and smoothness to your beautiful locks.

YOU’LL NEED:

6 TABLESPOONS OF COCONUT OIL

3 EGGS

DIRECTIONS:

Whisk the coconut oil and eggs together until combined Massage into dry hair until completely covered and saturated. Cover your hair with a shower cap and leave it on for at least 30 minutes, but if you have more time – leave it on!

Rinse out with warm water, avoid shampooing if possible but if it’s more oily than you prefer rinse with a gentle shampoo.

I lost almost 9 inches off my hair in March – since I started using this treatment my hair is halfway back to it’s original length. Woot Woot! =D

8 Minutes To 6 Pack Abs

8 Minutes to 6 Pack Abs

That’s right! 8 Minutes – call me crazy but I swear by this ab workout. BTW...the photo of that handsome man up there is my Troy Boy =]. Do this at least 4x per week and you WILL see results!

Workout For: Men and Women

Body Parts: Abdominals and Obliques

Equipment: No Equipment Needed

This short but intense workout will sculpt and tone your abdominal and oblique muscles just in time for all those summer pool parties.

Since this is a short, high-intensity workout, you’ll easily be able to squeeze it into your days no matter how busy you get. I’d recommend doing the workout after a cardio session for faster results.

Aim towards doing this workout daily. The first few days are tough because you will be sore, but once you start seeing your washboard abs develop, you’ll have no problem doing this daily.

The Workout:

Push Throughs – 45 seconds

Single Leg Raises – 45 seconds

30 second rest

Push Throughs – 45 seconds

Vertical Leg Crunches – 45 seconds

30 second rest

Cross Arm Crunch – 45 seconds

Arm Reaching Sit Up – 45 seconds

PRINTABLE VERSION AVAILABLE HERE

This awesome workout originally came from passion4profession.net – follow along with the 8 Minute Ab Workout Video