Getting Ready QUICK!

Waking up at 6:30am for grad school everyday on summer vacation = A LOT of prep work. To assure I don’t get lazy and blow off my hair and make-up everyday, I plan ahead and prep my hair, make-up, clothes (and breakfast!) the night before.

First I’ll start by laying out my make-up the night before in the order that I’m going to be using it, including brushes, skincare regimen and all! This makes the process go so much faster (mainly because I can’t think before my coffee) and it helps as a motivator to actually do my make-up and not come up with a million excuses as to why I should skip make-up today! ..and yesterday …and the day before that!

Second, my outfit. Set out your clothes the night before as well. You may be thinking “but what if I don’t feel like wearing that tomorrow.” 
My response to that is:

1.     But you might! And if you do, you’ll be thanking yourself for it!

2.     If not, at least you have something to work with and won’t be starting from scratch.

3.     If you’re running late, at least you’ll have a well put together outfit instead of throwing on yesterday’s clothes or scrambling to put something together that ends up not really being all that put together… (AGAIN, brain doesn’t work well before coffee).

[Pictured is Top Shop tank, Gap jeans, and Gypsy Haute horn necklace. I wore Old Navy sandals with this.]

Thirdly is hair. A quick neat and tidy ponytail can be appropriate for almost any setting. Straighten or curl your hair the night before and secure it loosely to the top of your head before bed. Using a clip instead of a rubber band will help you avoid that awkward crease hair ties leave behind. To jazz up your pony, leave out sections from each side (near your ears), secure the pony, then wrap the left out sections around the rubber band and secure with a bobby pin underneath the pony. This literally takes less than a minute (I just went and timed myself) and looks so put together!

I hope this post helps and inspires you to do some of your getting ready the night before! And because I'm a nutrition fein, I must mention that prepping your breakfast the night before will help you to not skip it and run out the house with no fuel for your body!

Prepping is great for stress relief! I sleep much better knowing that I've already done half of my getting ready. 

P.S. Stay tuned for linked posts of tutorials with a little more detail for each of these steps.

Fruit Pizza Deliciousness!

Pizza of any kind is fine by me! Especially when it's sweet, delicious, and covered in fresh fruit! I've always been wowed and intimidated by these Fruit Pizza beauties but finally challenged myself to give it a try and I am THRILLED with the results. Not only is it gorgeous but tastes even better than it looks! Best of all, it'll only take you 30 minutes but look like you spent hourssss! We challenge you to give it a shot, you won't regret it!

What you'll need:

4 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup butter

1/4 cup white sugar

1 3/8 cups cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup powdered sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 (12 ounce) container frozen wool whip, thawed

1 cup fresh blueberries

2 cups sliced fresh strawberries

2 kiwis sliced

What to do:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 12 inch pizza pan.

Crust: mix flour, butter, and white sugar; dough should be dry. Spread into pizza pan. Bake for 10 minutes or until it starts to brown. Let it cool completely!

Filling: beat together cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla until fluffy. Fold in the cool whip then spread onto crust. Then get creative with your fruit! (I recommend starting from the middle!)

Don't expect it to last very long!

Health Humpday- Detox Water

Hi everyone!! Today for "Health Humpday" I decided to share my favorite detox water recipe with you! I'm usually running late (ok always) so a detox water is much quicker for me to make than a detox smoothie, but that is an option too! Truthfully, I don't like water unless I'm working out.  I would much rather have a glass of sweet tea. Or an iced vanilla latte from Starbucks.  I know I can't be the only one!  A detox is a much healthier, and tastier, alternative.

For those of you who aren't familiar with detox waters, it is simply your normal drinking water infused with a few different fruits, vegetables, and or greens that help flush any toxins from your body.  

Here's what you'll need: 

~4-8 cups of water (depending on how strong you want the taste)

~1 lemon (I use half of the lemon, it really all depends on what you prefer)

~Fresh mint leaves (about 10-13)

~Ice cubes~1 cucumber (about 7-11 slices)

Directions: 

Add your water to a pitcher. Slice the cucumber and put them in along with the lemon cut in wedges, and with your fresh mint leaves. Pour in your water, filling the pitcher to the top. Let this infuse and chill in the fridge overnight.Ta da! It's as simple as that!  

I hope you enjoy this detox as much as I do!  Leave us any questions or comments below!  We would love your feedback! 

DIY Honey Spice Mask

Doing things yourself can be not only cost efficient, but also much healthier for you! Especially in this case with the DIY Honey Spice Mask. How can you avoid all of the preservatives and harsh chemicals that are in your typical skin care products? Create the product yourself! This ensures that you know EXACTLY what’s going onto your body. We’ve listed ingredients of the mask and their benefits for you:

            2 tablespoons honey
                        Honey moisturizes skin and provides gentle cleansing
            1 teaspoon nutmeg
                        Nutmeg exfoliates skin to reduce blackheads and even out skin tone
            1 teaspoon cinnamon
                        Cinnamon will fight your breakouts

Mix the ingredients together, apply to your face with your hands, then wash off with warm water after 20 minutes.

 As always, don’t forget to moisturize after cleansing! Use this all-natural mask once a week. You’re going to love it, we promise!