Wednesday, June 19, 2013

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. =]







Tuesday, June 18, 2013

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











Friday, June 14, 2013

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!

Thursday, June 13, 2013

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