Friday, November 28, 2014

ALL My Favorite Black Friday Sales (with coupon codes)

I love shopping. What I love even more than shopping is shopping SALES. This year I am pumped to see all the awesome deals. Get a head start on Christmas shopping, and make sure you are getting a steal with these codes!


CLOTHES:
Piperlime: 25% Off sitewide  code: HEARTNYC
Planet Blue: 25% OFF sitewide code:BLACKEDOUT
ASOS: 30% OFF everything code: TGIBF
Helmut Lang: 40% OFF online & store 
Anine Bing: all items (no code needed)
Child of wild: 20% off Code: blackmagic
Flynn skye: 30% off store code:GRATITUDE
La Garconne: 30% off sale items code:PREBFD30
Bloomingdales: 15% off sale items code:THANKS
Loeffler Randall: 15% off sale items code:BLKFRIDAY
Anthroplogie: 25% off entire store code:HOLIDAY25
FASHION BUNKER: 20% off storewide code:BLACKFRIDAY
Saboskirt: 15% off storewide code: BLACK15
Sunday Somewhere: $50 off all black items (no code needed)
Vidakush: 30% off sitewide code: BlackFriday
QUAY australia: 20% off code:WEEKEND20
LITTER SF: 40% OFF code: TAKE40
Van De Vort: sale code:blackFriYay
SHOPBOP: sale code: GOBIG14
Joie: 25% off sitewide code:THANKS
rag & bone: extra 25% off sale items: extra25
Parker: 25% off all dresses code:PARTYGIRL25
The birdcage boutique: 20% off storewide code:BLACK
Rent the runway: 20% off storewide code:RTRBF2014
DOLCE VITA: 20% off all sale items code: BLACKFRIDAY14

SWIM:
Lulifama:30% off swim code:LULIFRI30
Velvetsphynxswim: 25-65% off everything (no code needed)
The Minimale Animale: Swimwear sale code:MIDNIGHT
Sahara ray swim: 30% off code:BLACKFRIDAY
Gypsy beach: 20% off storewide code: cyber20
Beach riot: 75% off online code: GOBBLEGOBBLE
Kaohs swim: 30% off everything code:BLACK


BEAUTY:
Dry Bar: 20% off all products and tools (no code needed)
Dose Of Colors: 20% off storewide (no code needed)
Cashemere hair: $5 off 16' hair extensions code:HOLIDAY16
$10 off 20' hair extensions code:HOLIDAY20
NUME hair wand: $169 curling iron for 19.99 code:INSTA19

HEALTH & FITNESS:
BODYROK: 2 Months unlimited $375
OLYMPIA ACITVEWEAR: 50% OFF code: black50
Caffeine & Kilos: Free shipping code:BLACKCOFFEE
GNC: buy one get one 50% off (no code needed)
PRESSED JUICERY: 20% OFF GIFTCARDS (no code necessary, in store only)
DALES BARS: Buy one get one free sale (no code needed)

HOME:
Crate & barrel: 15% off plus free shipping code:SAVE15

Monday, November 24, 2014

Being Highly Motivated: Why It's A Blessing & A Curse

"I wish I were as motivated as you".

People look to me and tell me this pretty frequently. I am so flattered when people smile and tell me this. However, it took me years and a lot of self-reflection to realize that "motivation" doesn't lead to happiness. Living a meaningful life leads to happiness. Let me explain...
When I am extremely motivated nothing gets in the way of me and my goal. My goals come first, and life pretty much comes second. When I am super set on a goal I am selfish and my lfe has very little balance. People notice my intense work ethic, because it's hard to miss (I make it my life to execute). 
Let me use fitness as an example. When I have a big fitness goal I will wake up at 5am to do cardio, work all day, workout again at night, cook all my meals, pack them for work, never have anything that isn't weighed out/portioned, and I will turn down any event that gets in the way of my routine.  I never give 80% of my efforts to a goal, I always give 100% without any excuses. This means that I become quite unbalanced with everything else in life. My fitness goals in the past got in the way of ever traveling, going to birthdays, drinking with friends, or doing anything away from my routine.
Another example is my drive to succeed with work. I worked so much after college to show how "motivated & dedicated" I was. I worked nights, weekends, and even when I was on vacation. When I wasn't working I was usually blogging, reading about work stuff, or reaching out to businesses to try to connect. I always thought that the harder I worked the better I was.
WRONG!
Being motivated or more motivated than the person next to you doesn't make you better than them. I remember thinking to myself "you're more motivated & you are willing to do more, so you will go further in life". Again... SO WRONG. Finding balance is way more challenging than finding motivation. Having a life with a successful work, personal, gym, and social life is way more important for happiness. I have learned through my extreme efforts to succeed that it is ok to not drain all of my energy focused on one thing. It's ok to not burn myself out. It's ok to have fun, live life, and do things that may not get me closer to each goal I set. I know myself well. I am able to say that being motivated isn't something I struggle with. However, being balanced is something we all struggle with. I hope you can find your happy balance.

Saturday, November 22, 2014

Raw Vegan Pumpkin Pie

Raw Vegan Pumpkin Pie

Keep it clean this Thanksgiving and bring a Raw Pumpkin Pie, yeah I said it RAW! This no bake treat is super easy, is REAL, gluten free, dairy free, egg free, sugar-free!! Your family won't even know it's guilt-free until you tell them! 

 

Ingredients:

Crust:

Organic Mejool Dates

Raw Pecans (you can also use almonds, or walnuts) 

 

Pie filling:

1 large can of pumpkin purée

Date paste (from your dates you blend)

Cinnamon

Nutmeg

Allspice

Unsweetened almond milk

Organic vanilla extract

 

1. In your Vitamix, blend your pecans with 1/4 c water so they are ground(can be pretty thick).

2. Clean out Vitamix, then place a tub of dates (pitted dates) with 1/2 c water.

3. Blend until smooth.

3. Spoon out about 1/3 of date paste in to a clean small bowl, leave 2/3 in Vitamix.

4.mix almonds and date paste.

5. Remove new almond/date paste from Vitamix and flatten out in pie pan.

6. In Vitamix blend leftover 1/3 of date paste, almond milk, spices, vanilla, and pumpkin.

7. Pour mixture in to pie pan.

8. Serve, and eat!

 

Want some whipped "cream" too?

  1. 1 cup organic raw cashewssoaked for 2 hours 
  2. 1/4-1/2 cup filtered water depending on desired thickness
  3. 1-2 Tbsp maple syrup, or more to taste
  4. 1/2 tsp natural vanilla extract, or a little more to taste
  5. a pinch of Celtic sea salt

Throw everything into a blender and puree until thick & creamy. You will need a high speed blender for thickness (Vitamix).  

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

10 Reasons You Need To Travel


1. Eat delicious food that you can only get away with eating on vacation:
Food is a huge part of any culture. Americas "melting pot" culture gives us the chance to try delicious international foods at our fingertips. When traveling, it has been one of my favorite things to "eat like a local". Eating locally means totally switching up my routine. In Greece I filled up my breakfast plate with greek yogurt, dates, walnuts, local honey, and a cappuccino. Lunch was a big greek salad. Dinner consisted of a greek salad, a local dish, lots of wine, and baklava for dessert. Every trip I've taken I try something new.

2. Clear your mind from everyday BS:
Work stress, sitting in traffic, doing your laundry, saving up money, relationship or friendship drama, and doing the dishes are things most of us deal with daily. When you are on vacation you are allowed to temporarily forget about these (or put them to the back of your mind). Clearing your mind from the day to day stressors allows you to breathe and just simply be stress-free. Be in the moment.

3. Experience different cultures:
Are you American? Do you think America is the best country in the world? Cool! Where else have you been? It's truly important to experience different cultures before you form opinions on them. Meeting people with different lifestyles, perspectives, and beliefs helps us mold ourselves in to the person we want to become. By absorbing other cultures when traveling you learn and have experiences that you can bring in to my life back in the US.

4. Go off the grid:
It is a part of culture to be on email or a phone the majority of the day. Whether you are working, socializing, browsing, or reading up on gossip. It is actually quite hard to go "off the grid". It's hard to not want to post things, talk to friends, and occasionally answer emails when traveling. The problem with wanting to always be on the phone is that you are NOT present in the moment. When on vacation it is super important to be present. Sipping coffee in Italy people watching is much more enjoyable than it is sipping coffee looking down on your phone. Take your vacations on a whole other level and try to pull yourself away from technology.

5. Relax:
When you travel, it is the perfect time to just take some time to sit and chill. You have the choice to go to the spa, take a nap, or read. Do what you need to do to enjoy your travel. There's no need to be your usual busy self.

6. Excitement:
Planning a trip is exciting. You get to pick where you want to go, how you want to get there, what you want to see/do, where you want to eat, when you want to do whatever you choose to do. It's exciting to live life without your routine. Plan your trip and get excited for the experiences you are about to have. When you are finally there remember to pinch yourself and put your experiences in to perspective.

7. Bucket list:
If you were to die tomorrow would you be satisfied with the life you lived? It's scary to think about, but nothing is guaranteed. Look at your life, and start planning out all you want to achieve in the next few weeks, months, years, and lifetime.

8. Because you can:
We are so lucky to have the freedom to do what we want when we want. If you have paid vacation you should take advantage of it! Otherwise, in my opinion, you are working your life away.

9. Do what you want, when you want:
When you are on vacation, you are able to focus one one thing... having FUN. Take time to sleep in, go on walks, say no to things, say yes to things, and make every decision for your personal likings. If you are traveling with someone it's ok to let them know what kind of trip you want. I have gone on trips where I want to workout while my friend reads, or I want to go shopping when my friend wants to take a nap. If you are paying for the trip then be selfish with what you want to do while traveling.

10. Realize the world is bigger than your little life:
Travel will help you realize that this world is HUGE. Not everything revolves around you, your life, your little city, your state, or your country. The world is here for us to explore, so take the bull by the horns and go do that!

Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Meal Prep For Results

Are you super busy, so you eat out more than you should? There are so many of us who can relate. It is extremely easy to get caught up in the craziness of our day-to-day lives that we forget the simple things. We have to eat, and a great way to get results is by planning out most of your meals. For years I planned and packed every single meal I ate. Now, it is easy for me to gauge portions and healthy options.

 

What To Do

 

Step 1. Grocery shop:

Once a week (or twice) go on a big grocery haul like this. Make sure you pick up enough items, so you can prep food for work or for you to have in case you are out and about without a place that's healthy to stop by. I love making a list before hand 

 

Step 2. Plan tasty meals:

Don't just pack 5 meals of chicken and broccoli. Go find some healthy meals that you actually look forward to eating. I love packing greek yogurt with nuts & berries, spaghetti squash with turkey meatballs, or something like a homemade protein bars.  

 

Step 3. Cook and pack:

Cook your meals and pack in containers and store in the fridge or freezer. All you will need to do before you leave the house is grab and go.

 

Step 4. Have backup:

Pack some protein bars, nuts, or fruit in your bag just in case hunger strikes on the go!

 

Step 5. Switch it up:

Don't plan the same things every week. It is important to have variety in your diet. Variety helps you stick with it, and if one day you don't like a meal you have the option to switch things up the next.