Reading Up: Happy at Home

Several blogs ago, you read about the SPEND OUT. I'm thrilled that Gretchen Rubin is out with a new book, Happy at Home. It came out today, and I cannot wait to snatch it. Of course, I'll be back to talk about it when finished. If you aren't familiar with her work, please check out the above blog and corresponding links. How ironic that this book is called Happy at Home? This is something I had to get very used to the past couple of weeks. I don't think I've ever been more thankful to get back in my routine. Hope you guys have a great Tuesday. Catch up on those leisure reads. Take time to make time. Enjoy!

Get Well Smoothie

I'm back! A lot to catch up on this week, whew! I've got so much to type. Still, a quick blend for today:
Frozen Mango
Frozen Blueberries
Frozen Blackberries
Frozen Raspberries
Low-Fat Vanilla Yogurt
Skim Milk

Blend all with blender. I have eaten so much of this over the past few weeks. I'm talking multiple Sam's bags full of fruit. More fruit takes more milk. I dump in a few spoonfuls of yogurt for a little sweetness. Plain and simple, eating at its best.

Cocoa Roasted Almonds

I found a recipe for Cocoa Roasted Almonds on Pinterest. They only had a couple of ingredients, so I decided to give them a try about 10:30 last night. The perfect late night snack for the Olympics! I doubled the recipe, and it worked well. I hope all of you have a great Friday! Here's how:

Ingredients:
1 cup plain almonds (I buy the big jars of the Target brand, they are the best I've found)
1 tbsp. maple syrup
2-3 tbsp. cocoa powder
1 tbsp flour
dash of salt (my own addition to bring out the flavor)
cooking spray

Directions:
1. Mix almonds and syrup together with wooden spoon to coat.
2. Add flour and cocoa powder and coat.
3. Throw in salt
4. Mix all well and pour on baking sheet
5. Bake at 275, recipe called for 25 minutes, but I only did 20.
6. Allow to cool, as eating them out of the oven is a bad idea!!!!

Here's the website, too: http://cleaneatingchelsey.com/2010/11/03/cocoa-roasted-almonds/

Honey on Yo' Face

So, I saw on Pinterest where you could put straight honey on your face as a homemade mask. I, a little skeptical, wasn't sure if I wanted to smear this sticky substance all over my face. Curiosity and no homework got the best of me, so I tried it. Whoa. It feels amazing! When you first apply the honey, it has a warm feeling, very relaxing for a home spa night (insert enthusiasm here). After you leave it on for about thirty minutes, the stickiness goes away. It becomes very soft, like body oil. You simply wash it off with lukewarm water and that's that. My pores seemed smaller and my skin felt super soft. Plus, what can beat the price of honey compared to cosmetic masks? I LOVE this natural method. I'll be using it time and time again.

6pm.com

You can often find good deals in stores, though, not always the best deals. If you're looking for an everyday item like tennis shoes, workout wear, or pullovers, to the internet you must go. In particular, I've found 6pm.com a great place for popular staple items. I know, it sounds risque, yet, it's a Zappos outlet! Haha! They provide free shipping on all orders, which is a must. They might be last season's colors, but who cares? I highly recommend checking this site first, before you do what I call, "replacement shopping." You'll save time, gas, and money! Holla! Here's a couple great items they've got going right now, if you're interested:

1. Men's Patagonia Synchilla, retail $119, here, $35.00! Patagonia

2. Asics, my favorite workout shoe. ASICS