Hi Friends

Today is all about...

Natural Beauty  Tips

Growing up I was never into beauty tips. I've never wore make-up, the only thing I dabbled in was lipstick and I stopped wearing that in my teens. Washing my face twice a day was my beauty regiment for the first 27-28 years of my life. Once I turned 30 I realized play time was over. I had to start taking care of my skin, my teeth, and my body if I was going to age as gracefully as I desired.  

I pride myself on being naturally beautiful, from my natural hair, no make-up rules, to never wearing any kind of spanxs or a girdle. This last year I've been focusing a lot on making my own scrubs and acne treatments. After making 60 mason jar sugar scrubs for christmas presents I've been more inspired then ever to use natural products that I can find in health store or even my kitchen. 

That's where todays posts comes in. 

For the last 4 years my boyfriend and I enjoy date night every Friday. It started when we first started dating and its still going on strong. I use date night as an excuse to use masks and exfoliate my entire body on a weekly bases. Masks always make my skin glow. Body scrubs soften and exfoliates my body. 

Check out these natural face and body scrubs for dry skin to oily skin 

Homemade Scrubs for Oily Skin


Almond and Honey scrub
You need: handful of almonds & 2-tsp honey 
Method: Place almonds in food processor, coffee bean grinder, or blender, pulse for 30-60 seconds until almonds are a fine and grainy consistency. Mix honey with almond powder and apply to face 
*be careful not to over pulse, almonds can turn into almond butter
*almonds are a great lightening agent which also helps reduce blemishes 
*honey keeps the skin smooth 

Lemon Juice and Salt Scrub
You need: 1-tbs lemon juice & 1-tbs sea salt
Method: Mix lemon juice with sea salt and massage into face for 3-5 minutes
*lemon juice helps reduce blemishes on skin

Strawberry, Oats, & Lime Juice Scrub
You need: 2-3 rip strawberries, 2-tbs of oatmeal, 1/2-tsp lemon juice
Method: Mash strawberries and grind oats, mix in lemon juice, apply to face avoiding eyes, concentrating on forehead and nose, rinse with cold water
*you should see a difference instantly 

Homemade Scrubs and Masks for Dry Skin


Sugar, Olive Oil & Honey Scrub
You need: 2-3 tbs extra virgin olive oil, 2-tbs honey, 1/2-cup granulated sugar
Method: Mix all Ingredients together in small container
*scrub will last for a month 

Avocados & Honey Mask
You need: 1/2 of a very ripe avocado, 1/4-cup honey
Method: Mash avocado in a bowl, then stir in honey, apply to skin and leave for 10 minutes. Rinse face with cool water 
*this mask is great for mature, wrinkled and ry skin
*use ripe organic avocados and make sure to mash into a creamy pulp 

Carrot & Avocado Mask 
You need: 1 carrot peeled and de-stemed, 1/2 avacodo, 1-tbs honey, 1/2-tbs extra virgin olive oil, 1 tsp lemon juice, 1 egg yolk
Method: Steam carrot until tender enough to pull apart with fork. Mash with fork until it becomes a creamy consistency or blend carrot until it forms a pulp. Mash avocado, add honey, lemon juice, egg yolk, and mix together. Spread over clean face and leave for 15 minutes. Rinse and moisturize face 
*this mask is full of antioxandants, which are great for anti-aging, 
*potassium rich carrots prevent skin dryness and has anti-inflammatory properties 
*this mask helps revitalize and tone skin
*All ingredients are moisturizers 

That was fun! Now let's dive in a little deeper, it takes more then scrubs and masks to keep us looking youthful and radiant

Cucumbers

Make cucumber water... Get a pitcher of water and add thin slices of cucumbers (about 1 cucumber) leave in fridge for a few hours or overnight. Strain out cucumber and use water to rinse hair and wash face 

Why Cucumbers? They are rich in Vitamin A & C, Silica, Potassium, Alkaline Minerals, Molybdenum, Manganese, Chlorophyll. Cucumbers also promote hair growth, prevents hair loss, and is proven to prevent cancer I'm the body  

Avocados

Mash them up and use them as a mask or as a treatment for shinny hair 

Why Avocados? They contain monounsaturated fats that are beneficial for improving skin tone and vital for maintaining good moisture levels in the epidermal layer of your skin. Rich in Omega 9 fats which can help reduce skin redness and irritation while repairing damaged skin cells. Protects skin from wrinkles and other visible signs of aging with antioxidant, carotenoids. Avocados also have Britain E & C, they help maintain skins elasticity and firmness. 

Strawberries

Cut strawberries in half and rub them on your skin or add them to scrubs and masks 

Why Strawberries? They contain alpha-hydroxy acids that help remove dead cells so new youthful skin can be revealed. Strawberries are rich in Salicylic acid which is found in most commercial acne treatments. They also have astringent and anti-inflammatory properties. **Ancient Egyptains used them to treat acne. 

That's all today folks
Hope you have a awesome weekend, 
Blessings Friends
Mary 

References:
www.holisticbesutycompass.com
www.kitchen-parade-veggieventure.blogspot.com
www.kinkycurlycoilyme.com
www.healthiestfoods.co.uk
www.thefrugalfairy.com
www.talk2thetrees.blogspot.com
www.wikihow.com
www.for-the-luv-of.blogspot.com
www.beautyabout.com








Hi friends

Today is the first day of the rest of your life, make it count.

It's good ole'
Challenge Monday
Fitness Challenge 

I feel like I went pretty easy on you guys in this category last week. Squats are annoying but they won't make you loose your breath, unless you are super-setting. This week it's time to pick up the pace and get back to the basics. Cardio! You have to burn fat to loose fat.

We are taking it back old school, recess in the school yard, sassy songs passed down from older kids... Do you know where I'm going with this?? I'm talking about good old fashion jump roping.




Jumping rope was one of my favorite ways to past time when I was younger. Who knew that jumping for 20 minutes could burn up to 220 calories? You don't need to purchase expensive equipment.

All you need is some reliable tennis shoes, a good jump rope, space, and patience.

Jumping rope is an high intensity workout. Take it seriously and don't be too hard on yourself when you can't last long.

A few months ago I started jumping rope and I was pretty disappointed with myself when I couldn't jump for longer then 3 minutes at a time. After some research I learned that was pretty good for a beginner. It took me a few months to get my time up to 5 minutes without stopping.

Because I love you guys I'm going to make this a gradual climb. Lets start with:
Jump Rope everyday for 5 days
Try to jump in 30 second intervals for 2 minutes 
That's all you have to do this week
It sounds easy enough.

I'm going to start building routines out of the challenge Mondays exercises. Just because we are starting slow doesn't mean it's going to stay that way.

My main goal is to get you all used to exercising on a daily bases. In a few months you will be completing supersets and complexed exercises. If you take it slow, you can improve at a faster rate. It's the people that jump in head first that end up quitting before they start. We are setting ourselves up for success.

***Do at your own risk!!! Only work to your comfort level. Any pain is bad pain. Be careful not to over exert you back during this exercise.
Nutrition Challenge

Last weeks challenge was actually hard for me. I eat a lot of fruit, but I noticed I don't always eat fruit everyday. This week I pushed myself to consume fruit even when I didn't want it. I am proud of myself and plan on keeping up the habit of daily fruit intake.

This week....
We are going to stay on the fruit track and add to it.
I challenge you to consume 1 piece of fruit and 1 serving of vegetable everyday this week.

Why is it important to eat your vegetables?

People that eat more veggies are likely to have a reduce risk in some chronic diseases like:
-heart disease
-heart attack
-stroke
-certain types of cancer
-obesity
-type 2 diabetes
-lower blood pressure
-reduce the development of kidney stones
-help decrease bone loss
-help lower calorie intake

Vegetable Facts
Most vegetables are low in fat and calories and none have cholesterol, they are an important source of potassium, dietary fiber, foliate (folic acid)




Tips to Eat More Vegetables

Breakfast is the perfect time to get an extra fruit or vegetable serving for a day. Adding fruit to your oatmeal, or make a smoothie with kale and spinach

Double the amount of vegetables called for in the original recipes in soups, salads, pastas, sandwiches, pizza, stews, and casseroles

Say yes to salads

Change your snacking to vegetable snacking

Invest in dried vegetables

Try a vegetable you have never tried before

Just eat more green stuff. 

Self Improvement Challenge 

I hope you enjoyed lasts weeks challenge about Positive Affirmations. I know I did. 

This week
I challenge you to face your fears and learn from your failures



This is something you have to constantly work on, but why not start this week. 

You only fail when you don't make the best out of adversity. When something doesn't go the way we would like it to, there is something to be learned from that. It can be applied next time you are in a similar situation. Get up and try again. 

Stop telling yourself you can't reach your goals, dreams, and aspirations, it's up to you to believe in yourself. 

Stop being terrified of failure. You are going to fail sometimes, its a fact of life, you have to look at failure are a positive. 

Homework
-Take out a sheet of paper
-Jot down 5 goals (they can be big or small, just make sure they are realistic and obtainable) 
-Make a road map to how to reach those goals
-Go for it! Start  moving forward now in the correct direction



Reflection
One of my biggest goals is to become a popular blogger, motivational speaker, published author, and motivational coach to obese teens. 

Everyday I work towards those goals by:
-Posting blog entrys daily
-Writing and practicing my motivational speech weekly
-Editing my book and working on my book proposal

Its been a long journey for me and I'm not close to being done. I have failed at all of these things recently. 

-My blog doesn't get as many hits as I would like it to, but that doesn't discourage me, I've been blogging for the last 8 months, and I've seen my readership slowly grown. I could have given up by now, sometimes blogging feels like a full time job, but I'm not ever going to stop. I will constantly come up with fun topics to write about until one day the world knows who I am.

I was supposed to set up some speaking arrangements 6 months ago, and I have yet to do that. Instead of getting down on myself, I continue to practice my speech. The day I finally grow a pair will be the day I let my failures be my success.

I sent a few book proposals to a few publishers last year and didn't receive great response. Instead of killing my dreams of being a published author, I purchased books on how to get published and how to write a book proposal. I am currently re-writing my book proposal and I have a list of editors and agents I am going to send it to this spring.   

I'm going to reach my dreams and goals or die trying. 

Failure is just a bump on the road map to success.




That's it today folks
Blessings my friends
Mary 

Coming soon..
Natural Beauty Tips

Quick, Healthy, Dairy Free, Gluten free Chicken Noodle Soup

Delicious Vegan Cookies Recipes

Exercises that can be done anywhere

References
www.choosemyplate.gov
www.cookinglight.com
www.wikihow.com




Sent from my iPod


Hi Friends!

 Today's is all about:
Healthy Recipes 

 I made granola bars for the first time last night. It was a lot easier then I thought it was going to be and man are they tasty. It hard to believe that they are good for you!! Not to meantion they can be made vegan and gluten free, what's not to love?? 
Granola Bars
1/3 cup maple syrup (Gluten Free)(Vegans replace with GradeB Maple Syrup) 
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar (Gluten Free)(Vegans replace with raw can sugar) 
3/4 teaspoons flake sea salt
1/3 extra virgin olive oil (Gluten Free) (Vegans replace with coconut oil)
2 cup old fashion rolled oats (Vegans and Gluten Free Peps purchase GF Oats)
1/2 cup pecans, chopped finely
1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut

 Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 300 degrees 

 Make foil sling for 13x9 inch baking dish, make sure foil hangs over edges of pan

 Spray with oil spray

 Whisk maple syrup, sugar and salt together in large bowl


 Whisk in oil

 Process 1/2 cup oats in food processor until finely grounded 30-40 seconds



 Transfer to bowl with maple syrup mixture and stir in pecans, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, coconut flakes, and remaining 1-1/2 cups oats until all dry ingredients are thoroughly coated


 Transfer oat mixture to prepared baking dish and spread into thin, even layer. Using oil coated spatula

 Firmly compress oat mixture until very compacted

 Bake until deeply golden brown, about 45 minutes, rotating baking dish halfway through 

 Let cool in pan on wire rack for 15 minutes

 Cut while still in pan, into 16 bars

 Let cool completely for about an hour

 Use foil overhang to lift bars out and transfer to cutting board

 Use sharp knife, carefully recut bars following original cuts

Bars can be stored at room temp in airtight container for up to 1 week


Serving Size 1 bar
 Cals 169
Cals from fat 98.88g
Fat 11.04g
Sat Fat 1.955g
Mono Fat 6.82g
Chol 0mg
Sodium 124.43mg
Potassium 46.75mg
Total Carbs 17g
Dietry Fiber 1.61
Sugars 9g
Protein 3g
Vitamin a 1%
Vitamin C 1%
Iron 8%
Calcium 22% 

Its cold and flu season and my boyfriend got hit with something bad. Whatever it is he's sick and it's my job to take care of him to the best of my ability. I decided to make a hardy beef stew to make him feel better. It worked and the stew rich, tasty and heart healthy


Cowboy Stew 
Serves 4
4 slices morning star fake bacon or 2 sliced turkey bacon
1 pound top round trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspooon pepper
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 large onion chopped
4 carrots cut into 2 inches lengths
1-1/2 cups water
1 cup strong brewed coffee
1/4 cup ketchup
1 pound all-purpose potatoes scrubbed and cut into 1-inch chunks
3 tablelspoons coarsley chopped parsley
1/2 pound of thickly slicked mushrooms 


Cook bacon in medium nonstick Duth oven over medium heat until crisp. Transfew to paper towels to drain. Crumble bacon

Pat beef dry with paper towels. Mix together flour, salt, and 1/8 teaspoon of pepper and sprinkle all over beef 

Heat oil in same Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add beef, in batches and cook until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Transfer to plate

Add onion to Dutch ove; cook, scraping browned bits from bottom of pot, until onion is golden, about 8 minutes. 

Return beef to pot along with carrots, mushrooms, water, coffee, ketchup, and remaining 1/8 teaspoon pepper; bring to boil 

Reduce heat and simmer, covered 1 hour

Add potatoes and simmer, covered until beef and potatoes are for-tender, about 20 more minutes. Serve stew sprinkled with bacon and parsley


Per serving (about 1 cup) 
366 Cals, 11g total fat, 3g sat fat, 0g trans fat, 63mg Chol, 579mg Sod, 37g Carbs, 11g Sugar, 5g Fiber, 34g Protein, 71mg Calcium

That's it today friends. I'm going to snack on my delicious granola bars today. I'm going to Seattle this weekend, I hope you all have a wonder-filled weekend

Blessings My Friends
Mary 

Reference:
www.fatsecrets.com
www.sparkpeople.com
www.americastestkitchen.com
Weight Watchers One Pot Cookbook






Hi Friends

Today is all about

My Top 10 Instagram Accounts



Instagram is the new facebook. I enjoy posting pictures and slightly obsessing over how many likes and comments they draw. Like most people, I dream of getting my instagram friend count up to the thousands. 

It's a big goal that's going to take some time for me to accomplish, but that doesn't intimidate me. 

I put together my favorite instagram accounts. They range in topics from healthy eating, to fashion, to crafts, to intense inspiring workouts. 

Enjoy the list and check out these phenomenal accounts. 

Fitness


@MISSTULZ47
She calls herself the "Fitness Whisperer" you can tell this young lady has a serious passion for fitness and health. This account features fun, exciting, energetic and easy to follow fitness clips with homemade equipment. You don't need a gym when you have a walker and some gallon water jugs. I love this account because it give me some fun and creative workout ideas. 




@INSTAFEMMEFITNESS
With 536,000 followers these peps have found the winning formula to Fitness and Inspirational Instagram accounts. With inspiring fitness pictures, tons of meal planning and tips, plus plenty of exercise clips what's not to like? They also post eye dropping before and after pictures you have to see to believe. I love the exercises on this site and the pictures of beautifully shaped fitness models. They help remind me what I'm striving so hard for. 
**if your a jealous woman do not show this account to your significant other. I'm not that jealous, but my man drools over these shapely fit woman every time I look at my instagram. I can't blame him, fitness is beautiful 



@_RED_WARRIOR_
She is the creator of the RED way of life as well as a Health and Fitness Specialist and something called a toughness coach. She sure looks tough to me. The exercise clips make me want to head to the gym right now. Whenever I'm feeling a little bored with my workout I  checkout @_red_warrior_ for some fitness inspriaiton. 




 @TRANSFORMATIONALGEORGIA
This girl rocks. Georgia and I ended up exchanging emails and keeping in touch, so I can admit Transformational Georgia is one of my personal fitness friends and I appreciate her and her account. She started her transformaition on August 20, 2013, so far she's lost a good amount of weight and added some beautiful muscle tone. Georgia contiunes to push herself to the next level with an appetitle suppressant called Visi. It loooks like it works to me. 

Healthy Eating



@GREENGLOWLOVE
This is another personal friend of mine, her name is Anna and she is a marvelous soon to be holistic nutirtionist who believes in Positive Affirmations, Gluten-free eatting, pilates and yoga. What's not to love? On top of all of that goodness, Anna is a green smoothie queen. Check out her account if you are ever looking Positive Affirmations or tasty green smoothie recipes. 



@POWERBYPLANTS
The name says it all: Powered By Plants. This account has a whopping 12,000 followers and its all about healthy eatting with direct focus on plants, recpies, pitures, inspiring quotes, meal planning and much much more. 



@VEGANASIAN
Nope I'm not vega, but that doesn't mean I don't 100% support my vegan friends. Jessie is a cutie that is kind enough to share hundreds of pictures of delicious looking vegan meals. When I want a healthy meal of food I check out her account to get some ideas.

Crafts



@DIYHOWTO101
I love crafts. There is nothing more satifying then creating master pieces with my hands, a glue gun, and a little imagination. DIYhow101 includes step by step directions from makeup tips, hair styles, to how to make browines in a cup. DIY is an account that everyone can benefit and learn from 



@TEEN_CRAFTS101
OK...OK... I realize I'm not a teen but this account crafts rock. From nail designs, to fun wall art to how to make sugar crystals, whats there not to love? 

Fashion



@BESTTRENDS
I realize this account is 100% different from all of the other listed accounts, but I love love love fashion and as I get older I like to put more effort into what's in-style and what's not. Since I'm not going to read the lastest fasion magizines this account is right up my alley. With 1.1 million follows I trust @besttrends with my fashion repetation. Plus she has deals on jewelry and discounts on high quality clothes. 

Thats it today friends!
Enjoy your Thursday
Blessings
Mary 


Check out:
 @misstulz47, @instafemmefitness, @_red_warrior, @transformationalgeorgia, @greenglowlove, @powerbyplants, @beganasian, @diyhowto101, @teen_crafts101, @besttrends

About

My name is Mary! I was obese for most of my life, around 7 years ago I decided to take control of my life and successfully lost over 150 pounds. But that's just the beginning of my journey. Join me as I evolve into the person I was born to become. I love to cook, craft, read, and make people smile. I'm happy you've stumbled on by. Let’s Evolve Together.

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