Recipe: Healthy "Pizza"

So I have a >>huuugggee<< love affair with pizza. Well, bread in general. But we all know how bad those nasty carbs are for us so I try not to eat them a lot. And ever since working out hardcore again, I haven't craved carbs or sweets for that matter. It's a miracle!!!!!!!!!
Apparently exercise curbs those kind of cravings??? Anyone else know about this?

Anyway, I found a somewhat better way to make a healthier pizza. Now, in our house, we make homemade pizza like once a week! You know rolling out the dough and so on. I have always loved whole wheat crust, but at the grocery today I found those little round pita breads and I thought, hmmm I should be able to make a baby pizza out of this! So I picked up the multigrain ones and grabbed some colorful veggies and this is what I came up with....

What I Used:
-Onion
-Green Bell Pepper
-Kale
-Spinach
-Sauce {{more on that below}}
-Parmesan Reggiano

Now the "sauce" is just an organic [salt free] tomato sauce. It was a bit tangy since it isn't a pizza sauce but I like it like that! I just added some of my favorite herbs: Basil, Oregano, & Bragg's Organic Sprinkle [which is the bomb and I use it for everything]
I also added some fresh grated parmesan reggiano which is sooo good on pizza! I find regular mozzarella to be too greasy so I just sprinkle some parm on!

xx
e

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hope all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!! I have been relaxing and enjoying the familys company. Did any of you go Black Friday shopping?? OMG, we went at 9p, to Target and it was insane haha I can't imagine how cray the midnight shoppers were. That was our first experience on Black Fri and I can tell you I won't be doing it again. Cyber Monday is tomorrow which of course is my favorite since I am an avid online shopper :)

Regular posts will be returning next week! I am doing a 5K in about 2 weeks so I will be training and I am so excited since this is my first real [marathon] type race. I am doing it with the besties so I will have all the support I will need! Back to the grind tomorrow I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday!!

xx
e

Pulled Muscles...

Are NO fun!!
I have been in so much pain the last couple days. I pulled a muscle in my chest like right behind one of my boobs. I can't laugh, turn to my right, or exhale too fast. It is quite lame and has definitely changed my workouts since I can't do upper body for a while. I've never had a pulled muscle in my chest before so this sucks pretty bad. Haha, enough of my rant right?

Sorry! I had to vent it is annoying the crap out of me!!!!

On to something more exciting, I want to show you all some things on my Christmas list cause I think its fun to see what people want and so on. These are going to be all fitness items and I'll do different categories as the weeks come leading up to Christmas. Clearly this wasn't a planned blog post today << can't you tell? >> haha but we are going to make the best of it! So without boring y'all anymore, I am going to show you some things on my xmas wish list this year!

1. New Sneaks
This is embarrassing but right now I don't own a pair! Yikes! So I have been researching which ones I want {{because I am so picky}} and I have come up with these Nikes in the shade pictured below. Ob-sessed with the neon yellow color haha. I've always been a Nike gal when it comes to sneaks and these are just too pretty. Us girls like to be pretty even when we sweat ;)

2. New Water Bottle

If you don't know by now, I am kinda obsessed with putting fresh organic lemon juice in me water. So when I found this bottle, it was love at first sight!!! I mean isn't it amazing?? It keeps the nasties from getting into your water and keeps the rind for about a day or so, something like that. Either way it makes squeezing fresh citrus juice into your water a breeze!

3. FlipBelt Fitness Storage Belt

OpenSky is easily one of my favorite websites so I was ecstatic when I found this fitness belt on there! You can store your phone, money, credit cards, etc. in it all while working out. It is a cool idea, especially if I plan on joining a gym sometime soon. I love that neon yellow color she's wearing [[ see a theme??? ]] 

4. Food Steamer

Not really fitness accessories, but still in with the healthy lifestyle items. I've been wanting a food steamer for quite some time now and this one is pretty badass looking. Its got all different tiers to cook all your food at once! Neato! Plus those steamer baskets you can get for your stove just get nasty and go bad too quick.

Well, there y'all have it! Part of my Christmas List! Are any of you asking for fitness/health items too?!

xx

e

Motivational Monday

Happy < holiday week > MM y'all! Todays motivation will be about being thankful for what we have in our lives. I think at some point, as you get older you really start realizing what's important. I want to challenge you all to think of 5 things you are thankful for [and write them down!] I try and do this every week regardless, but it is Thanksgiving week so I want you all to do it too. You can leave me a comment, write it down on a sticky note and hang it in your bathroom to see every morning, I mean whatever forces you to look at it! And everyday, I want you all to read out those 5 things and really reflect on them, just for a couple minutes a day.

I think in our world today, we all tend to forget what we have because we are soooo caught up in things we want or things we want to achieve. I admit I have been a victim of this too!!! And I know you have too whether you want to admit it or not! Either way, everyone has something to be thankful for.
So here are my 5 things...

1. My family: Who has always loved and supported me unconditionally(and always will!).
2. This Blog: Silly? No. It has allowed me to be creative in a way I never thought possible! I hope to inspire at least one of you with my stories and advice.
3. Our Country: Although we may not all have the same political opinions {ughhh I hate politics} we all share the same love for our unified country. Land of the free...
4. This Life: Each and every one of us is here for a reason. Maybe you aren't sure of your purpose yet but I promise you, once you realize it, your life will be forever changed.
5. LOVE: Because without it, well, this life would not be worth living.

I hope you all have a wonderful week filled with love, family, friends, good food/drinks, and happiness.

xx
e

InstyEm

[[ Leggings x Boots (similar) x Top x Watch x Bracelets ]]

Fitness Friday: My Fave At Home Workouts

I am going to start this new little thing called Fitness Fridays woop! Get excited!
I wanted to do a lot more fitness posts on here because I've recently gotten back into working out just about everyday [5-7 days/wk] and it kind of comes back to keeping your body healthy as well as your skin believe it or not! I am one of those firm believers that 'you get out what you put in'. If you put the time and effort into taking care of yourself, eating right, exercising, you get phenomenal results. So I wanted to share with you all some of my favorite at home workouts since I mainly workout at home and have yet to get a gym membership <<Christmas List!!!>>

You need very few things to do a decent at home workout. I like to use my own body's weight to firm my arms so there are different exercises I have found that help with sculpting different parts of the arm just by using your own weight. Exciting stuff

What You'll Need:

1. Yoga Mat
I use a pretty generic pink Nike one but any mat will do! If you use it a lot I suggest investing in a heavier duty one [on the Christmas List again!]

2. Water Bottle
This may seem silly, but I always keep a cutesy pink water bottle next to me with fresh squeezed organic lemon juice in it. Haha

3. Yourself ;)
The most important of them all! And a good attitude hehe

So here are some of my favorite workout vids I use on a daily basis. Each one is a little different, but its good to keep it mixed up.

Mandy Ingber's Yogalosophy

I love, love, love these workouts. Her shorter workout is about 33 mins long and it is the perfect amount of toning and yoga if you're in a rush. I mean, can't everyone spend at least 30 mins a day bettering themselves?!?! I think so. She also has an hr long workout on there. I find yoga so grounding and relaxing. It puts me in a better mood for the day ahead and clears my mind of negative thoughts. There are soooooo many benefits from yoga! I love it!

 I mean if its good enough for Jennifer Anniston....

Ballet Beautiful Total Body Workout

This is my newest dvd and I love it! I mean she trained Natalie Portman for Black Swan so of course I had to try it. I wasn't sure about the whole 'ballet' thing because I've never done any kind of dancing in my life ha. But I was surprised at the amount of floor work and toning exercises. Theres even a section where you can pick and choose for a custom workout and just do what you want. I do this practically every day and I am still challenged by it. She has a new one out called Body Blast which I plan on trying soon.

So as you can see I am more of a low impact, yoga/pilates gal. I do run...occasionally. I like ellipticals and all that jazz. But I still think that you can get a good workout in at home. Just use what you got! As long as you are doing something that is a lot better than nothing!!

Do any of you have any other video recs??

xx

e

InstyEm

[ [ Pants x Mat x Waterbottle ] ]

Post on this tomorrow :)

xx

e

DIY: Sugar Body Scrub

This will kind of be complementary to my last post about keeping those gams silky smooth during these harsh winter months. As much as I like to be lazy and purchase a sugar scrub, it is a lot of fun and a lot cheaper to create your own!

I use very simple ingredients and I buy them all from Amazon because it is sooo much cheaper on there than my natural health food store.
Ingredients:
-Sweet Almond Oil(my favorite) or Grape Seed Oil
-Organic Sugar<< Sometimes I also add Brown Sugar for a sizable mix of sugars
-Glass Jar for mixing and storing, although I only make enough for each time
-Any kind of stirring device

[What mine looks like]

Literally, all you do is put all the ingredients in the glass jar and mix until desired consistency. I don't like my scrub saturated with oil, but you want to use just enough to make a little paste. And that's it!! Super easy and simple ingredients most of you have in your homes already. A little side note on the oils: I like sweet almond because its not as sticky as the grape seed. But right now all I have is grape seed so use what you got even if its olive!!

xx

e

InstyEm

<< denim x necklace 1 x necklace 2 (similar) x sweater >>

Keep Your Body Smooth & Soft During Winter

So wintertime is almost upon us and it is getting tougher to keep our skin soft, supple, and properly moisturized. As much as I talk about keeping your face moisturized, keeping your body moisturized is just as important! We tend to forget about the parts below the neck. I always amp up my routine for the winter because we use the heat more and its colder out which both play a part in drying out our skin. I am going to show you some of my favorite products to keep smooth and flake free during the winter.

Dry Brushing

The first thing I do is use a dry brush all over my body daily. This may sound strange, but you brush in upward strokes starting at your feet all the way to your neck. It stimulates your blood flow and circulation, as well as decreases cellulite. There are actually many more amazing benefits to dry brushing that are beneficial to your health. I use this dry brush daily.

Exfoliate

You all know how much I love Indie Lee products from this post, so you know her body scrub must be amaze! I would suggest using a body scrub a couple times a week to keep your dead skin at bay. The dry brush does help with exfoliation but in the winter you need something stronger. With minimal ingredients and yummy essential oils, I know you will love this scrub! Plus its big so it will last you forever! Purchase here!

Moisturize

Probably the most important! I love the feeling of silky, smooth legs so after exfoliation it is key to moisturize well. One of my favorite brands is John Masters Organics. And one of my favorite scents of all time is the John Masters Blood Orange Body Milk. It smells good enough to eat! Literally! So some people think its necessary to switch to a heavy body butter in the winter but I feel that if you stay exfoliated regularly you should be just fine. Unless you have abnormally dry skin<<<<in that case load up on a heavier one ;)

John Masters also has this body milk in body wash form [YUM]

Hope you enjoyed lovelies!

xx

e

Motivational Monday

Happy MM! I am going to show you some of my favorite healthy Pinterest soups! Recipes will be linked underneath the photos. 

Cilantro and Quinoa Soup

Garden Veggie Soup

Roasted Tomato Basil Soup

Turkey, Kale, Brown Rice Soup

It's that soup time of year and I love all of these recipes above. Of course, you can substitute if you don't like or can't eat some of these ingredients but they are all amazing! I plan on making some of these this week. It's getting chilly out!

xx

e

InstyEm

{ Bracelet // watch // denim // flats }

Post workout errands in my uggs :)

Coming soon the the shop! Its the Petite Marshmallow

Homemade Cinny rolls soooo good! Such a splurge!

Thought this was cray, but its actually really amazing and so much better for you than reg pb.

Supporting BCA!!

A typical breakfast: egg whites w/ Braggs no salt seasoning & sesame seeds w/ organic toast

My most recent juice. I used beets! It was sooo good!

I will be doing more fitness, diet posts next week! As well as what workouts I like etc. Living a clean lifestyle with splurges here and there is very important to me! I'll be sharing more about my diet and what healthy foods I like to eat so I hope you all will enjoy those posts!

xx

e