InstyEm

@naturallyem

Morning snuggles with my little man. He has 10 minutes of neck kisses every morning, so spoilt :)

xx

e

Motivational Monday

 Happy MM everyone! This Monday I want to talk about something I have been pondering lately, and that is 'perspective'. I think as we get older we become a little wiser and obvi more experienced in life, and the past few months it has been very refreshing for me to get some perspective on where I've been and where I want to go. I feel as though I am in a transition phase in my life, kind of like in limbo. Are any of you feeling the same way?? I am just starting my career which is fantastic and I get to help people everyday, which is very rewarding and I am definitely a "giver" more so than "receiver" and I really enjoy helping even if it is in such a small way. So there's that whole thing, but I know that I want so much more out of my life. I want to laugh everyday, find my soulmate who I will be lucky enough to spend everyday of my life with, travel the world, meet new people, eat amazing food, and most of all be happy every.single.day. I mean is that so much to ask for?! Haha, maybe so but I am only on this beautiful Earth once { that I know of :) } so I am going to try with every fiber of my being to literally take a step back everyday and just feel the love surrounding me. I think if you, like me, were in a 5+ year relationship at some point in your life it can really distract you from so many other things.
{ Or if your like a serial dater, which I am NOT at ALL! haha }
I forgot about MY life and now that I look back I have no regrets but it just makes your realize how much you take for granted. Or perhaps it is just this transition phase that has me all philosophical on y'all. I am really enjoying the time I have spent on me and my soul these last few months. I really hope I don't ever forget how this moment feels. Either way, I want to remember my life in a way that I can leave this world saying damn, I really lived, not just.....lived.

And so I leave you with some inspirational and motivational quotes that hopefully give you some perspective as well :D
Did I just get too personal??? Haha

{ great perspective }

:)

xx
e

Fitness Friday: Tone It Up

Happy fitness friday y'all! I want to talk to you about one of of my all time favorite websites Tone It Up! It is sort of like a blog/fitness website that two amazing, beautiful, inspiring ladies run: Karena and Katrina. I do at least 3 of their workouts a day from their YouTube channel. Their workouts are straight to the point and really give a great burn, plus you can do them anywhere { aka my living room ;) }
They also have a workout dvd you can do at home: purchase here!

Right now they are doing a 'Love your body' series and it ends on Valentine's Day! They are doing specific workouts and tons of giveaways from Victoria's Secret. Follow their Instagram: karenakatrina for amazing recipes, motivation, and workout tips!

Today I am going to show you some of my favorite workouts of theirs that I do everyday!

Beach Arms for Summer!

Leg and Booty Workout

Love Your Abs Workout

Hope you check out their website and enjoy the burn :D

xx

e

Beauty Review: Weleda Sea Buckthorn

Hey there everyone, ready for a beauty review?? I've been a bit busy as I got a job last week so sorry for the lack of posts, buuuuuuuut I found some new products I hope you all will enjoy!

This past week at Target I found that^ Weleda trio on sale for a mere $12! AND I needed new body wash and lotion! Yay! I have been wanting to try their Sea Buckthorn for some time now and I am so glad I did!

The Scent:
is to die for! I love a good citrus-y scent and this one is amaze. Its like yummy, fresh, juicy tangerines :D Citrus is really invigorating for your senses as well. It is a very uplifting scent and I really like that.

About Sea Buckthorn:
It is actually a fruit & oil and you can use it on your skin or ingest it via pill form. When the fruit is pressed thats how the oil is released. Read more about it here!

The Body Wash:
Yummy, yummy, yummy and did I mention yummy? I have a thing for lavender { as you know } but also a thing for citrus haa. I mean there's not much I can say about this body wash or any other for that matter, its only purpose it to clean me and it does that job while being creamy and smelling too good to eat :) Purchase the body wash here!
The bottle says:
"This revitalizing body wash contains organic sea buckthorn oil to help nourish your skin. Sundrenched  oranges and grapefruit from pure essential oils unfold a fresh, fruity aroma..."

The Replenishing Body Lotion
Ooooooh now this is a real treat. This isn't their regular body lotion { although I am sure that one is great too } but it is their lotion for dry skin. Obvi my skin is drier since it is winter and this body lotion is by far my favorite I have tried probably in the past year!!!!!! It is soothing, nourishing, just plain amazing.
The bottle says:
" This replenishing body lotion with organic sea buckthorn and skin related fatty acids provides lasting care for dry skin, while protecting skin from moisture loss."
I love slathering this on right after I step out of the shower, my skin literally drinks this up.
Purchase the replenishing lotion here!

I haven't tried the sample body oil yet but I am sure it is just as lovely as the other products! I just love that the scents of all Weleda products are not artificial in the least. They all smell so amazing. I hope you enjoyed this post, any requests leave in the comments below

xx
e

InstyEm

Purchase here!

xx

e

Recipe: Healthy 'Donut' Muffins

{ What mine looked like :D }

Woo Hoo! I love a healthy recipe and these are super delish! I found this recipe on Pinterest and modified it just a bit to make it healthier! I haven't done a recipe in a while and these were just so simple to make and so amazing tasting that I just know you will love them.

First off, they are kind of like a healthy baked 'donut' and that is super appealing to me. I love donuts just as much as the next guy, and these are a skinnier version and of course, much smaller than a donut; so more like a donut hole. These taste so amazing! I am sure there is a way to count the calories in these etc., but I don't count cals so unfortunately I don't know!

Again, heres the recipe I used and here's what I changed:
1. I used whole wheat flour instead of the white flour it called for
2. I didn't use butter at the end, I just brushed the tops of the muffins with coconut oil and then dipped the tops in organic sugar. I also tried to use as many organic ingredients I had on hand! Luckily, this recipe had very simple ingredients that I am sure you will all have in your kitchen!

Overall, I will make these again and again! They were a yummy sweet treat and super easy to make!
Let me know if you all make these and tell me what you think!!!

xx
e

Motivational Monday: Polar FT40

Happy Motivational Monday everyone! Today I am going to talk about one of my Christmas presents the Polar FT40 heart rate watch. Sooooo I have seen this watch on quite a few insta ladies I follow and  I have wanted one for a long time! So I was surprised by Santa and this lovely watch was mine! It is so cool and comfortable on your wrist. I obvi had to have white since I am obsessed with all things white  { macbook, car, phone, etc. } haha.
But for reals, this is my new favorite tool. I cant wait to wear it to the gym. So far I have been using it for my at home workouts and running.

How it Works:
First you have to wet the electrodes on the part that goes under your sports bra/boobies. Then you start your exercise on the watch and it tracks your heart rate through that { as you can see below }. When your workout is over, you click it to stop that workout and you can scroll through and see calories burned, max/min heart rate, % of each calorie that was fat burned, etc. It is pretty cool.

One Complaint?
That they make a smaller band for around your bust!!!! Mine is on the tightest it can go and somehow she still seems loose. Anyone know if they make smaller bands? I guess it's not that big of a deal its just kinda annoying. But so far I have no problems with this watch and am super excited to see how it fares at the gym when I get my membership { still working on that }.

Do any of you have this watch or another Polar watch?? What are your thoughts on it?

xx
e

InstyEm

[ my city, my home----> ATL ]

Insta: @naturallyem

InstyEm

[ post workout ]

Under Armour cold gear tights X Pink hoodie (similar)

My Food Philosophy

It has taken me sooooo incredibly long to compile this post. Why? Because I want it to be an accurate representation of me. I do not, let me repeat, do not believe in diets. I am sorry, they just don't work. You need a lifestyle change, not a diet! It has taken me so long to figure out how to title this post too haha.

I hate the word diet, I think when people hear it they immediately think "Ok, what can I not have". But I will never, ever be on a diet, ever. I will share with you a typical day of what I eat {{ pics included, duh }} and share with you my story of what I believe, how I eat, etc.

When I went off to college almost 4 years ago YIKES! I was appalled at what I saw. And I am referring to what college kids eat. Its more like the freshman 30 !! Needless to say, that opened my eyes. I only spent one year away before coming home to do school here and thats where my whole diet changed. I am really into nutrition and how food is metabolized in our bodies and I think when I go back to college ( I have 2 years done ) I will finally know what I want to major in, druummmroollll....... nutrition! But anywho, I changed the way I ate and now I eat a mainly vegetable diet with some fish and chicken thrown in, and of course 90% organic. I avoid dairy and red meat mainly because of the insane amount of hormones in both. I try to be as healthy as possible but we all have those days where we just want a cupcake and don't give a damn :D

Someone on Insta asked me about keeping flat abs and that got me thinking about how much of a role your diet plays in how your body looks. I've never had a tummy, I've always had a flat stomach but what I am going for is more toned and defined and diet definitely plays a large role in it. I think some people over do the ab thing but this to me, is sexy and what I am going for! 
The reason I am talking about abs is because I posted a picture of my progress. I think it is very inspiring looking at peoples journeys and progress pictures, they constantly motivate me! So someone asked about my diet and that is where this post comes in. Too much prologue? Haha

My food philosophy: 80% Diet -----> 20% Exercise

Now, does that sounds crazy? Maybe, but honestly its the truth! Don't get me wrong I do some sort of physical activity every day, but mostly its about 30-40 mins. And this works for me simply because of my diet. I eat CLEAN, and I mean really clean! I got a steamer for Christmas and it has changed the way I cook! I freakin love it and I can't believe I didn't get one earlier! I steam chicken, every veggie possible, fish, etc.

 Typical groceries: Braggs Liquid Aminos, Braggs Organic Sprinkle, tons of veggies, Quinoa anything, & fresh fruit! 

{{ Another tip, green tea all day, everyday! }}

I will probably end of doing a whole post on tea since thats about all I drink aside from water. Loose leaf, organic is best! 

Breakfast

 These were actually so fun to make! I will do a separate post on using won-ton wraps for tons of things but these are so simple and so yummy for breakfast or even as appetizers at a party. I put liquid egg whites with some arugula, grilled peppers, onions, and just a dash of pepper!

I love juicing and this is some fresh that I made with my juicer

Another thing I love for breaky is just throwing some of my favorite veggies I have on hand and making some scrambled egg whites. I just use Braggs organic sprinkle and some pepper.

I love our VitaMix and I use it for my daily smoothies [ remember this post? ] I used to drink these every morning but more recently I've been doing more egg whites etc.

Lunch

We do this for lunch or dinner! I loooveee a plate of veggies with a greek yogurt dip or a humus. Another one of my favorite snacks are Triscuits with hard salami and smoked gouda! Yum!

I do tend to have a giant salad with steamed or grilled chicken on top with cucumbers, carrots, onions etc! I only use homemade dressing or Braggs Vinaigrette.

Dinner

I love trying new recipes and this is a much healthier way to eat your fajitas! 

Tried this the other night. I CAN'T stop using my new steamer!!! I steam all my dinners now. On the salmon is just my Braggs organic sprinkle and on the veggies is cracked pepper and shallot salt from Penzey's!

Same seasonings as above, its just chicken this time! Both come out perfect in the steamer!

Grilled veggies from a couple weeks ago with some grilled salmon :)

Both grilled in coconut oil 

Yummy! Obsessed with this steamer!!! All the food looks so good in there.

Now, I hope you get more of an idea of some of the foods I eat to stay fit and toned even when I can't workout. I don't want you all to think I don't have a piece of cake or a homemade donut here and there [ because I do! ] but 90% of the time I eat really well. I know some people are super sticklers about their diets and never indulge but to me, life is about being happy and indulging every once in a while. I may not eat clean 100% of the time, but I can guarantee that 100% of the time I am happy with myself and the things I eat. Food is about moderation, it should never be something to be afraid of. Food feeds and nourishes our bodies, we need to eat. The important thing is what you eat and the amount of what your eating. Just start by making small changes and eventually you will love how your body feels and you will never go back! If any of you want to chat further you can leave a comment or email me at emasonbeauty@yahoo.com!

xx

e

Motivational Monday: New Beachbody Workouts

Happy MM everyone! This weeks will be a bit different [ as you can see already ]. I am thrilled to share with you my thoughts on some new Beachbody dvd's. Enjoy!

 So, how exciting that Beachbody contacted me to share my thoughts on some of their new videos?! There's 3 in particular I will be doing this blog post on. I believe some of them have yet to come out so this will be a sneak peek into them. You all know how much I love workout videos, I meeeaaan you don't have to leave your living room to do them and that's totally my style. ha. I have personally used the original Power 90 and the P90x, let me tell you those are insane workouts that will transform your body. My mom used the original Power 90 in her 40's and she was in the best shape of her life. So here are the 3 very different exercises I will be chatting with you about:

1. Insanity: The Asylum Vol. 2
The original Asylum was about speed, strength, power, and agility. There are 7 new all-star workouts in Asylum 2. Most of these workouts are less than an hour each so I am guessing its a lot of high intensity.  You also get tons of new tools to help with your transformation! You'll receive calendars, 24/7 online access, a playbook and more. Shaun T has an amazing body and I have a feeling if you want to get shredded and ripped in 90 days; this workout is for you! Click link above to read more/purchase.

2. Les Mills Combat Workout
Now this one is an MMA (mixed martial arts) workout. This is something I would probably get because I love mixing it up with my body. I take kickboxing classes and it really shocks my body when I mix up workouts. I can tell when it starts getting used to certain workouts because I don't feel the burn  anymore. This particular workout takes moves from 6 different martial arts disciplines. You can burn up to 1,000 calories per hour! You can choose from a few different warrior kits depending on what you want. There are some great success stories too. If you're interested in this kind of workout, click the link above!

3. Brazil Butt Lift Master Series
Leandro Carvalho created this series. Now this one looks like fun! Everyone wants a perkier, rounder butt right?? I know I do! Leandro is from Brazil [[ arguably the best bootys on the planet ]] and he implements some native techniques along with his background in dance to sculpt your booty. Supermodels seek him out to train them so I meeaan he must be good. You again, can choose from different kits depending on what you want.

So, each of these kits is totally different and thats what I love about Beachbody: variety! Haven't you ever heard that old saying "variety is the spice of life"? Well when it comes to workouts, variety is how results happen. And my friends, Beachbody has shown that they deliver proven results! So if you are interested in amping up your workouts, try one of these videos! And if you have already tried any of these or any other Beachbody products, I would love to hear your thoughts!

xx
e

InstyEm

{{ A couple new purchases from the Semi-Annual Sale! }}

New posts coming next week! I have been busy working on something you all will like if you're interested in all things Beachbody!!!!! :D

xx

e

New Years Resolutions?

I honestly hate that word 'resolution'. Why? Because its just so definite; so black and white. And life is definitely not black and white. The official definition is "A firm decision to do or not to do something." It's almost like we put way to much pressure on ourselves to succeed. And if we don't meet our goals, our self-esteem is shot, we beat ourselves up. I love having goals, it is a part of constantly looking forward and moving forward in life. We need goals. So as every new year approaches, I focus on being  a better person than I was the year before, the day before, the hour before. It is important to me to have attainable and realistic expectations of myself. I love the crazy goals I have for myself too, they keep me suuuppperr motivated. But I am going to share with you some of my more realistic, positive aspirations for my best year yet: 2013.

1. Live a Healthier Lifestyle: 
Now, I am already super healthy as it is! I try very hard to eat clean every day but we all have our indulgences and slip ups occasionally. I just want to find that perfect harmonious balance in my life that works for me.

2. Be Positive: Everyday
I always, always look at the best of every situation and I want to keep that going into 2013. I feel if I am always thinking positive, positive things will come to me ie: The Secret. This book changed my life in 2012 and I will be implementing it in 2013, and for the rest of my life!

3. Be The Change... :
I had some very big changes in my personal life last year and this year will be the year of me becoming me 100% again. Life always throws curve-balls but we cant ever forget who we are deep down. I know this year will be my year and I am so excited for you all to be on this journey with me.

4. Travel More:
I have been very fortunate in my life to have traveled all over the world already. It is one of the things that makes me, me. Traveling has been in my blood since I was born { ha does that sound lame?? }. Either way its true, and this year I plan to do it sooooo much more. It makes me so happy to experience new things, meet new people, and explore new places.

5. Expand My Blog:
I really, really have a passion for what I do. I love skin care, natural beauty products, fitness, clean eating, and so much more. I hope that my blog reaches even more people in 2013. I want to inspire you, even just for a second. I want to challenge you, support you, and be here if you ever need anything.

6. Get My Best Body:
Does that seem silly? It's really about taking care of myself every.single.day. Even if I don't want to workout; I will because it is a lifestyle. Like I said earlier, I want this year to be my best year everrrr so I want my best body everrrr. Haha.

7. To Inspire:
I want to inspire just one of you! Or more, hopefully! I want to inspire those I meet to better themselves. If I can help just one of you, well then my job is done :)

I hope you all enjoyed some [[most]] of my New Year's Goals!!! Tell me some of yours please I would love to hear them!! Happy New Year everyone I truly appreciate all of the support you gave me the last few months!!

xxxxx
e