Author Archives: beccamariaa

Pale Girl in a Tan World

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Hey everyone.

So I am pale. I am petit, punctual and very pale. I also like alliteration, but that is besides the point. Yes, I am pale, and so while I love summer to death, it is a dreaded season because it’s when everyone darkens up to that perfect glow-y version of their skin and I remain about equivalent to Casper the friendly ghost.

So, in that light, I wanted to share some tips, if you too suffer from some serious #PaleGirlProblems

  1. Jergen’s Natural Glow — I know, I know everyone so-called “swears by Jergen’s” so you’ve probably heard this tip often and to an annoying extent but I promise 2 things. First being that it actually gives you a nice glow-y color to your already natural color and it is gradual so you won’t all of the sudden look like Snooki. You’ll just gradually look like Snooki. Secondly, they fixed the smell, now it smells actually kind of good. So yay!
  2. Comodynes Self Tanning Intensive — I used these last year and they were awesome! I have yet to re-purchase them for this season, but I have full intensions to. You get a giant wipe that you apply in a circular motion to your skin, and in a few hours, you have a nice real-tan looking glow. It was amazing. I wish I had them now.
  3. Application tips — It’s not rocket science to know that you need to apply self-tanner to clean, exfoliated skin. Always apply in a circular motion. If you can, apply it naked and give it a few minutes after application to dry and soak-in, that way your not accidentally getting it on your clothes and your not smudging it.

If you’re a pale girl living in a tan world, like I am, I give you a shout out! Happy safe sun-bathing! XO – B.

The Decluttering Diaries: Part 1

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Hey Everyone!

It’s summertime. Saying – well, typing – that still makes me feel so happy. I have hit a bit of a wall in my life, and it’s not one that you’d usually hit like with your career or your love life, but I’ve just gotten to a point in my own existence where I hate everything that I own and do, and use to love. So, what with graduation looming in the next year, I decided that I needed to downsize everything about my life. I got too big with all my crap, and that needs to change. Especially if I am going to fit it all into a cheap moving truck next year to go wherever the wind takes me.  So, I’m going to wildly embarrass myself and show you this picture of what my room looks like right now:

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Now, bear in mind, that I did just move back from college, moved in and out of an apartment in Oakland recently, and never unpacked from either of those events, so there is stuff everywhere. But this is just step one of giving everything a place and throwing all the junk out (check it, you think this is bad but I already threw out around 6 trash bags when this picture was taken).

I’ll update you as I go about organizing, clearing out, maybe even some feng shui (my mom says that my room is the “prosperity corner” of the house so I “must, must, must clean it!”)

Enjoy! XO – B.

Squat Challenge & Infused Water & Succulents

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Hello Ya’ll!

I am in full summer swing, and have just started work this week. It’s like all I want to do is lay out and tan my very, very porcelain skin. Over this next month, I am going to have a lot going on: I am working as a full-time nanny to save money this summer for school next year and a mission trip that I will be going on, I am taking 2 summer classes online, and I am cleaning out my room and my life of all the clutter that I have been holding onto.

It’s going to be an exciting month, but it’s also been an exciting week. Not only have I started nannying for a fantastic kid, but I started a 30 day squat challenge that I’d like to share with you! Here’s how it works! You start at 50, then every day you increase by 5 squats (50, 55, 60, 65, etc.). Every 4th day (Day 4, day 8, day 12, etc.) will be your rest day. Now I am only at day 3 but I’ve got to say that it is harder than I thought it would be to pump those out! I’ve been doing yoga workouts every day (except rest days) and doing various other workouts that I found mostly on pinterest.

Here’s the abs workout that I will be doing today: Miley Cyrus Abs Workout, which is a pilates-based workout, since that is the regime that is responsible for her hot, rock-solid abdominals.

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It should be tough, but we’ll get through it, then tomorrow is my spinning day with the DIY Spinning class I posted before which can be found Here. 1ff7490ae3f23fa670e130e6037eab04

I also started making some yummy infused water for my days to keep me hydrated throughout, since that is especially important in the summer since your constantly sweating and losing that moisture. Now I’ve been doing the regular lemon and cucumber infusion but then I found these amazing recipes for a few other types at Free People Bldg 25 Blog which can be found Here, and they are soo good! I especially love the watermelon and cilantro infused water.

Lastly, I got more plants! I already had the Japanese Peace Lily and the Aloe plant that I was nursing back to health, but I got 3 more and they are all succulents. It was fun going out to buy them with my sister, and plant them in their new pots which I will be doing a DIY project on later to make them a little prettier, ’cause why not right?

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Shopping for some Plants

All Together New Plants

All Together New Plants

So that’s it for this week guys. Any of you going to join me for my squat challenge or my abs workout today? If I like it, it might end up being a regular thing! Let me know what kinds of posts you’d like to see, I’d love to hear some input from you guys! And I have a lot of good stuff coming up so look forward to more posts! XO – B.

 

Summer is Finally Here!

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Well color me embarrassed (that honey-glow pink in the cheeks!) because it has been so long since I posted! Shame on me, shame on me! I don’t have wild stories or crazy happen-stances that kept me from blogging, simple fact was it was the end of the semester and classes got so crazy work-heavy that I simply didn’t have the time! When I did have a few hours, I would do something active outside, which brings me to my post: Summer is Finally Here and You Should Go be Active Outside!

Now, I’ll be the first to say that not all outdoor activities are created equal, but there are a few that I’ve taken up that is a great workout without you even realizing it!

  1. Ultimate Frisbee – A sport played almost exclusively by college students, but is really for anyone active. Rules are simple, you’re broken into teams, you can’t move when you have the Frisbee, and you try to pass and catch until your team gets it into the end-zones. Simple, but vigorous. The game is nearly all running back and forth. And when you aren’t running, you are jumping, diving and passing the disk to other players. It truly is a great workout (and you’d be surprised how fast you can pick up a Frisbee and look like a veteran).
  2. Outdoor Yoga - Now this, is sort of a given for me considering that I am training to be a Yoga instructor, but being outside changes the whole vibe! You get in the zone in a sort of one-with-nature kind of way, and you sweat a lot more out in the summer sun than in your air-conditioned home or studio.
  3. Beach (or Backyard) Volleyball - This is another game that I’ve recently taken-up and found that I wasn’t half bad. Unless your half-butting your position, or just cowering in the back, the volleyball is a very legit workout. The whole time your are constantly squatting, diving, jumping, and hitting the ball, and if you’re playing in a sand court then you get extra points because it becomes a lot harder to jump to block or spike the ball. Your legs and core with work hard with every move!

There you go, 3 valid workouts that are done in the great outdoors! Now that summer is here, you best believe that I’m going to be spending as much time as possible out in the sun! Happy summer everyone! XO – B.

Some Quick Tips on Sun Protection!

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Hey guys!

So I got out my first dress of this spring/summer season and I could not be more excited that the sun is shining. However I have some really fair skin and have to protect it! It’s a rule for me, I don’t leave the house without my sun properly protected from those harmful rays. I know, I sound like a broken record, because you probably here this from your mom, your husband/wife, magazines, books, you’re favorite TV show – but that’s because it’s pretty darn important! By protecting your skin from harmful rays you can prevent skin cancer, and signs of aging. When I’m 80, I’m going to have the skin of a 60 year old. It’s gonna be awesome.

So here’s some quick tips & facts on sun protection:

  • Use a wide-spectrum sun block or sunscreen to protect from UVA and UVB rays. UVA rays cause premature aging, while UVB rays cause burns. Pretty easy to remember if you think A=Aging and B=Burns!
  • Know the difference between “Sunscreen” and “Sunblock” and for immediate protection, grab the block! Sunscreen contains chemicals that absorb UV rays before they damage the skin. Sunblock contains particles that act as a physical wall against UV rays. Sunscreen must be applied 30 minutes before sun-exposure.
  • Know how long you plan on being outside, and pick the according SPF. The SPF, or sun-protection factor, number indicates how much additional time you can stay outside without burning. In other words, if your skin would normally burn in 10 minutes without sunscreen, wearing an SPF of 15 means you can be outside 15 times longer, or 150 minutes (2.5 hours), before your skin burns!
  • Use a lip balm with an SPF because your lips are skin too and therefor CAN and WILL get burned!
  • Hopefully, you know this already, but self-tanner do NOT prevent you from getting burnt.

There you go! Enjoy the sun in safety! (I am!) XO - B.

It’s Ok to Treat Yourself! (Recipe)

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Life is too short not to have the damn cheesecake, after all! It has been a while ride, so far with you guys. I’ve changed a lot, I’ve morphed. But as much as I preach healthy eating and working out all the time, its ok to cheat once and awhile! I do. So here you go, a recipe of something to cheat with!

I made this soufflé last time that I was home and it turned out so delicious!

Here’s the recipe for the Cheese-Crepe Soufflé!

You’ll need: Half cup of butter, 2 (13 oz.) packages of cheese-filled blintzes, 6 egg whites, 6 egg yokes, 2 cups of sour cream, one-third cup of white sugar, 1 teaspoon of vanilla, and half teaspoon of salt.

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
  2. Place the butter in 9×13 inch baking dish, and put into the oven until melted, about 3 minutes. Place the blintzes into the baking dish in a single layer on top of the melted butter.
  3. Whip the egg whites in a bowl until they form soft peaks, about 5 minutes, and set aside.
  4. Whisk together the egg yolks, sour cream, sugar, vanilla extract, and salt in a large bowl until smooth. Use a rubber spatula or wire whisk to fold 1/3 of the whipped egg whites into the sour cream mixture. Gently run the spatula through the center of the bowl, then around the sides of the bowl, repeating until fully incorporated. Add the remaining whipped egg whites, folding just until incorporated. Pour the mixture over the blintzes in the baking dish.
  5. Bake in the preheated oven until the eggs are set and puffy and the top is golden brown, about 45 minutes.

It’s ready in an hour and 5 minutes, and it is delicious! I recommend making them, and have breakfast with your family with strawberry or peach in syrup! They’re fantastic!

Here’s me with my finished piece:

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The original recipe can be found here, at AllRecipes.com

Best of luck! Let yourself indulge a little! XO – B.

 

 

 

DIY Spinning Class!

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SO not only am I dirt poor and living in a college dorm, but I have no place in town here where I can try out these magical spinning classes that I keep hearing about! I mean, that’s what SoulCycle is all about, right? I’m not making that up, I don’t think…Yep, I googled it, it’s a thing. There’s a new “revolutionized” way of doing an indoor cycling and I just had to get a bite of the action!

So here’s what I did: a little research, a little digging, and a little music mixing to come up with a DIY Spinning Class that I could do at my schools gym (right along with a playlist)! The original structure of my workout came from this awesome blog Fit Fab Cities that can be found here, along with some inspiration from SoulCycle’s programs. So here we go:

Warm-Up: (5 min) Seated with low resistance (Anything Could Happen, Ellie Goulding)

First Hill: (3 min) Seated, increasing resistance every 30 seconds (Thinking of You, Ke$ha)

Seated Sprints: (4 min) Seated and sprint on the chorus, ride easy the rest of the song (Let Me Love You, Ne-Yo)

Standing Hill w/ Sprints: (4.5 min) Standing with medium resistance, sprint on the chorus (Marry the Night, Lady GaGa)

Seated Sprints: (5 min) Seated and spring on the chorus, ride easy the rest of the song (Dancing On My Own, Robyn)

Hill: (4.5 min) Seated, increasing resistance every 3o seconds (Somebody that I Used to Know (Tiesto Remix), Gotye)

Standing Sprints: (3.5 min) Standing on medium resistance, sprinting on chorus, recovering the rest of the song (Sweet Nothing, Calvin Harris)

Seated Sprints: (3.5 min) Seated on low resistance, recover the rest of the song (She Wolf, David Guetta)

Seated Arm Workout: (3 min) Seated on medium resistance, grab 3-5 pound dumbells and do (1 minute each) Shoulder presses, Bicep Curls, and Windows (We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together, Taylor Swift)

Hill: (4 min) Start seated and increase resistance every 30 seconds. (Call Your Girlfriend, Robyn)

Cool Down: (4.5 min) Be really nice to yourself now (Some Nights, Fun.)

So, I did this workout a few hours ago, and let me tell you, I feel great! During the workout, I did not feel great, I was feeling sweaty, disgusting, and I really felt the burn but now after having some almond milk and a banana post-workout and laying out in the beautiful sun we are having today and I feel fantastic! It was a great workout, I’m really excited about it, I’ll probably do this once a week, just to keep mixing-it-up with my workouts!

Best of Luck! XO – B.

How to Revive a Dying Aloe Plant

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My younger sister, Kiki, has this aloe plant. We have had it for years and years, and for the past 2 years or so (possibly more) Kiki has done absolutely nothing to take care of it. Literally it hasn’t been watered in forever, which is actually kind of OK since its a very Succulent plant, but still should be better taken care of then it has been. So, basically long-story short, she wasn’t taking care of it so I stole it and brought it back to my dorm.

So my mission: save the dying aloe plant. Its literally not even attached to its roots anymore, if it wasn’t so sad it would be very funny.

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Literally, not attached.

So here are a few steps to revive your dying aloe plant (if you ever need it).

  1. Put the dying plant in direct sun, maybe even outside if it is warm enough, but it needs light.
  2. Let the soil dry completely between watering’s, since it is so succulent. Too much water will NOT be good for it.
  3. Plant it in a Clay pot. I’m going to be honest, I don’t know why this is important but the person that I talked to about reviving my plant told me to do this.

Those are just some quick tips, apparently saving the Aloe plant is fairly easy. I’ll of course keep you updated on how my plant is doing!

Happy Thursday! XO – B.

Sweating for the Wedding

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Not my wedding, my sisters. I am just the maid of honor, and I could not be more…well, honored! Now the countdown’s been ticking away and we are a little bit under 3 months until she walks down the aisle!

My sister, Sarah, and I in 2010

My sister, Sarah, and I in 2010

This is exciting news, since her and her fiancé have been together for over 7 years! That is a feat that is rare, and I can barely hold a relationship to a year or even 5 months, and I am so proud to be a part of their wedding.

We are, however, all sweating for the wedding! Now I am going to do what no girl should do and say that I weigh 138 pounds. That’s not bad, I have a goal weight of somewhere between 125-130. I am not built to be super thin, I have huge curves (definitely “hips for birthin’”) and I really don’t believe in having a goal weight because I don’t think it should be about the number. It should be about how you feel.

Now, I am going to track my workouts and meals as best I can for you guys, but part of my whole not believing in the number thing is that I don’t own a scale so I will not be able to tell you how much weight I am actually losing or not losing, but I am going for just a tighter body and look.

So this sweeping declaration was brought on by the very shameful thing that I did this morning. It’s Easter, and I ate chocolate for breakfast. I have not eaten anything else. Its past noon. So except for my very unhealthy morning, I will be eating on salad and almond milk the rest of the day. Not really but you understand.

I’ll be tracking and posting workouts for you guys to follow to for newbies to running and lifting, and intermediate pilates and yoga workouts. Feel free to try them and post how you’re doing! Maybe it will motivate me to know you’re sweating it too!

XO – B.

 

Finding Your Vitality

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Hello there!

So I was chatting with a friend of mine the other night, and she said something kind of dis-heartening. She said: “Its weird to think that this is the best shape we’ll ever be in.”

Right now, she is 21 and I am 20 years young, and I am calling bullshit on that statement. I refuse to believe that that could be true.

It is also very true that I have been known to say that aging scares me and that I will never look older than 30 years old because of one of two things – a lot of cosmetic surgery or science will catch up and will just be able to stop the aging process. Of course, I know that both of those are completely unrealistic and I’m not actually serious when I say that I will be getting all that crazy stuff done. Aging is scary. While one might say that age brings you wisdom and inner beauty, another might say that age brings you higher pressure to look beautiful. Its true, just ask Tina Fey:

“Now every girl is expected to have Caucasian blue eyes, full Spanish lips, a classic button nose, hairless Asian skin with a California tan, a Jamaican dance hall ass…the hips of a nine-year-old boy, the arms of Michelle Obama, and doll tits. The person closest to achieving this is Kim Kardashian, who was made by Russian scientists to sabotage our athletes. Everyone else is struggling.” (Tina Fey, Bossy Pants)

Now I understand if you argue with me, and you think that the pressure is more on the younger side of life, but as we are young, we don’t have to really worry too much about our appearance, its sort of just ingrained in us to be in the best shape of our lives. However, that doesn’t mean at all that the statement is true: this is the best shape we’ll ever be in. That is false.

It isn’t easy to keep yourself at your healthiest, especially when there is a Starbucks and a McDonalds on every street corner of our great country. But it can be done, you just have to choose that path.

I am not in great shape. That is why I push so hard for this green living, and making yoga not only a habit but my career. Because I want to be better. Need inspiration? Here take mine, her name is Bernice Bates.

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She is 91 and is still teaching yoga to youngin’s like us. I hope that when I am that old, I am able to do what she does. She is an inspiration and keeps me going when I feel like picking up those fried pickles.

Now, go be healthy! Enjoy your life! XO – B.