Goal Completed

Mostly Raw (Front Cover)

Hello Everyone!

Just a quick note to say that I completed one of the top items on my To Do List. Yay!!!

It is my first booklet on Raw Foods and Healthy Eating, entitled Mostly Raw.  I personally know how hard it is to transition over to a mostly raw diet, so I created the book to help others who are striving to improve their eating habits and make a Healthy Lifestyle change.
The booklet has been sent to the printer and I should be receiving my copies no later than the first part of next week.

My new website, EatRawYummies.com will be up and running soon. Copies of the booklet may be purchased on the website or at a local health store called Coffee Tea & A Healthy Me, which is located in Avondale Estates.
Join me in 2012 as I up my level of Health & Fitness. I would love to coach you through to success. More info to come about my New Year's Coaching Special and how you can receive a free copy of the booklet.


Have you completed any major goals this year? Please share your good news with our readers if you did.  We want to be excited and celebrate it with you.  
(Leave a comment in the comment section.)

Mostly Raw (Back Cover)

Hello Everyone!

I've been very busy working on my future plans.  I made one major accomplishment and that was completing my booklet, Mostly Raw. :)  I titled it Mostly Raw because my goal is to reach those people that want to become healthier, but end up feeling lost in the process. Mostly Raw is a beginners guide to creating a healthy balanced diet using raw & cooked foods.

Delicious Blooms

In my last post, I spoke about discovering what makes me happy.  While I loved making edible arrangements using fresh fruit, cookies, candies and snacks, my passion is all about HEALTH.  So I will be switching things up a bit. I've decided not to offer Candy, Cookie & Snack Bouquets when I re-open my business. However, I will continue to create fresh fruit bouquets and all of the chocolate dipped fruit items as I did before. 
I need to stay focused and true to my passion.  Of course it is okay to eat these things on occasion, but it will be much easier on me if I don't have them around me all day. Know what I mean? :) I just want to help others (and myself) to get and stay healthy by making small changes to our eating habits and by offering candy, cookies and snacks, I won't be able to do that.  As I stated in my last post, it is not about depriving yourself of your favorite foods. It's about making more healthier choices.

The year 2012 is only 1 month away!  During this month (December) a lot of people begin to think about changes they plan to make in the upcoming year. People make New Year's Resolutions and set goals to make a better life for themselves.  My goal for next year is to continue to get healthy and to stay that way. I want that for myself as well as for others.  Life is better, you look better, you feel better, you get more things accomplished and you are happier when you are healthy and feeling your best. You become more confident and more outgoing when you are loving the skin you are in. So let's all make plans to become a Healthier You in 2012.

Question of the day:
Are you making plans to  "Become a Better You" in the year of 2012? If so, what are some of your goals/dreams?

Future Endeavors

Hi There!
It's been a good while since I last posted (almost 2 months!).  So what have I been up to?  I've been in deep thought about my future endeavors.  Over the past few years, I've come to realize that life is not about money and material things. It's about Love & Happiness.  It is about Peace.  It's about Sharing.  With that said, I've been meditating on what truly makes me happy and what direction I should be going in, both in my personal and business life.

I've come to the conclusion that I should re-launch my company, Delicious Blooms.  Delicious Blooms provides edible fruit arrangements, candy & cookie bouquets, chocolate dipped fruit and a lot of other gifts for business & personal use.  I just love taking whole fresh fruit and making it bloom into an edible piece of art.  I do the same with individual wrapped candies and cookies, too.  Nothing makes me more happier than seeing the smile on a recipient's face when I personally make a delivery.  It reminds me that my work was not done in vain...that if only for a few seconds or minutes, my work bought joy into someone's life.  I just love it!

Another thing that has been on my mind is Raw Foods (fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds).  Last year I began a Healthy Lifestyle Journey and it changed my life.  I did the Master Cleanse for 10 days.  I enrolled in an online Raw Food course and I also took a Raw Food Chef course at a local raw food restaurant for a week.  I learned so much in the hands-on course.  It was well worth the money I paid for it.  I've learned so much about whole foods and the health & nutrition benefits of eating Raw Foods.  I've decided to make Raw Foods a part of my business.  I want to teach people how to take control of their health simply by eating more nutritious foods.  I want to share the benefits of eating Raw Foods and how it can change your mind, body & spirit.  I want to share what Raw Foods has done for me & my body.

Banana Soft Serve N'ice Cream

As part of my sharing, I've written a guide booklet on how to incorporate more raw foods into your diet.  It a start-up guide that was written to help you save money and time when embarking upon a Healthy Lifestyle Journey.  The booklet addresses both raw and cooked foods.  Yes, you can still eat cooked foods while adding more raw foods into your diet. :)  There is no need to deprive yourself to get the health benefits of eating more raw foods.  It is all about choices.  I share with you two(2) quick & easy changes you can make right now that will help you be healthier and feel better.  There are even a few simple recipes included in the booklet.  I'm so excited about this booklet!  I'm currently putting the finishing touches on it and it should be ready for release within the next few weeks.

So that is basically what I've been focusing on over the past two months.  I'm just trying to get my plans ready and in order so I can have an awesome 2012.  It's time for all of us to make the necessary changes in our lives to be a more productive and happier...to make a positive change & impact in someone else's life.  If you are already doing those things, then kudos to you.  You are much admired and appreciated.  If you are not, however, put on your thinking caps and make something happen!  Do something you love and share it with others. 

Oh, I almost forgot...I love to blog!  So I will be back to posting on a more regular basis as soon as I'm done with my booklet and setting up the re-launch of my business.  In the meantime, I'll be sure to stop by and post about what's happening in my world from time to time.

Thank you so much for reading my blog.  It really means a lot to me...It really does.  I appreciate you so much!  Peace & Blessings! -rena

Extreme Couponing

I was flipping through the t.v. channels last weekend and came across the Extreme Couponing show on TLC.  At first I bypassed it, but then decided to check it out.  I figured, why not, I'll probably learn something from it.

The show turned out to be very interesting.  It showed how these women would spend an enormous amount of time finding coupons, cutting them out and then logging them into their coupon system.  Each lady had her very own way of doing this.  Some of them used spreadsheets to keep track of it all.  Fancy, huh?  To get all of those coupons, they actually went through a lot.  One lady went dumpster diving for Sunday papers. 

I thought, "Wow, this couponing takes up a lot of time.  No wonder I always clip a few and then end up not using them.".  So as I'm sitting there watching and seeing how much money these ladies are saving, I decided that maybe couponing wasn't such a bad idea.  I mean I spend lots of money on paper towel and tissue...way too much...and I'm always paying more than I'd like to for everything else I purchase.    One lady on the show showed over 100 rolls of paper towel and said that she always get it for free.  FREE!!!  I was jealous and amazed. :)  One lady actually purchased over $1500 worth of food and other products and only paid $51 out of pocket.  I know...amazing right?!?!  So, yes, I now think couponing is well worth the extra time and effort.  Maybe I won't go to the extreme with couponing, but I will begin to use coupons to my advantage.  There are so many other things I can do with my money.

These ladies purchased every thing from dog food to pasta to cleaning products.  One lady got 150 candy bars, 218 boxes of pasta, over 40 bottles of mustard, boxes and boxes of cereal.  Really?  How can they possibly use all of that before the expiration date?  With as much stuff that these extreme couponers where purchasing, it gave me an idea.  I'll share it with you on a later blog post.

A few tips I learned while watching the show:

• Mustard never spoils.  Really?  This sorta makes me afraid to eat mustard now.
• Pre-order if you are planning to purchase a large amount (over 10) of any one item.
• If the store is out of something, ask for a rain check.
• Use your coupons with store coupons.
• Some stores offer double coupon days.
• Everything goes on sale at least every 30 months. (I'm not quite sure about the number of months but that is what I scribbled on my note pad.)
• Coupons can be found online in addition to those found in the Sunday paper.

One thing I didn't like about the extreme couponing was that the grocery carts were filled with mostly processed foods like cereal, pasta, candy, and sauces.  Of course, seeing all of that really turned me off because I'm trying so hard not to eat a lot of processed foods.  A couple of the ladies said they were able to buy produce, but I never saw any in the carts.  Then as I thought about it I realized there are a lot of things I can get by using coupons.  Things such as toilet paper, laundry detergent, trash bags, toothpaste, cleaning products, paper towel and deodorants are good items to go couponing for.

As I said before, I don't think I'll be an extreme couponer but I am going to begin using more coupons.  The holidays are fast approaching and I could sure use some extra money.  Besides, every little bit helps.

Question:  Do you use coupons?  If so, share your experience.  If not, do you plan to use coupons in the future?

Fashion Food & Friends

 

What I wore:
Occasion: Dinner with Classmates
Location: Evergreen's @ Stone Mountain Park
Cargo Pants: TJ Maxx
Top: Macy's
Necklace (charms): Stella & Dot
Gold Chain: Kohl's
Shoes: DSW

Fashion, Food & Friends
This past weekend I had the pleasure of meeting a couple of my high school classmates and their significant others for dinner. We dined at Evergreen's inside Stone Mountain Park. The food was absolutely delicious.  I didn't get a chance to take a lot of pictures of the food, but I did manage to get a shot of my favorite: crab legs.

Evergreens serves an awesome buffet on Friday nights that includes crab legs, a salad bar, a dessert bar and a hot bar. The hot bar for this past Friday had a delicious seafood gumbo, rice, catfish, collards, roasted vegetables, seafood chowder and a whole lot of other foods that I can't remember.
Alongside the crab legs (at the meat station), they served prime rib. My classmates said the prime rib was very good. It looked really juicy and moist, like it would melt in your mouth. I didn't eat any of it, but based on my observations, it must have been really, really good. :)
So if you are looking for some good food, buffet style, I suggest you check out Evergreen's on a Friday night.

Evergreen's is like a best kept secret. I don't think too many people know about it.
What are some of the restaurants you like to frequent that may be a best kept secret to others?

"To Do" List

Now that we are in the last days of Summer and headed into Fall, it is a good time for change. Let's all create a "To Do" list. Put things on your list that will help you to become a better you.

During the summer, I slacked off on doing my exercises and I allowed myself to eat a few more things that I wouldn't normally eat, like more sweets and eating out more frequently. So now that the temperature outside is dropping, I can get back outside and exercise. Walking outside is such a calming thing for me. I love just being one with nature and breathing in the fresh air. I have a treadmill, but it's just not the same.

I'm also making a commitment to get back to eating healthier. I was mindful of my eating habits all summer, but I did eat out a lot more than I had been. Traveling and spending time with family & friends will cause you to eat out more. Every one just seems to want to eat out all the time and because it is so hot in the summer, no one wants to cook (unless its a bar-b-que).  I'm proud to say that I've stayed away from eating pork and beef at the bar-b-ques this summer. Yay! No ribs for me and I didn't miss it at all.  Besides, I feel so much better when I prepare my own meals, because I know exactly what was put into them. When I cook/prepare, I eat a lot more veggies and I control the amount of sugar (if I even use sugar) and salt (I no longer use table salt, I use sea salt) that I put into my food.

I'm currently working on my "To Do" list for the Fall. Here is my list so far.
To Do List:
1. Exercise more
2. Cook most meals at home
3. Increase vegetable and fruit intake
4. Create a shopping budget
5. Get more sleep (i.e. go to bed earlier!)
6. Work on making the blog better
7. Go on a fast (juice or smoothie or master cleanse (I haven't decided yet. I may do a combo.))

I'm sure I have a few more things to add/change on there.  I'll be sure to share my completed list with you all when I'm done.  I'm gonna try to limit it to only 10 items so that it is manageable and I can complete everything listed.

What are some of the things you will be putting on your "To Do" List?

What's the most important meal of the day?

BREAKFAST!!!

Remember the saying, "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day."?
Well, I agree with that 100%.  I find that on days that I skip breakfast, I don't get nearly as many things done as on the days that I eat a good breakfast. I tend to get a slow start and be a bit sluggish throughout the day if I don't eat anything for breakfast. So with the season about to change (yeah for Fall!) I'd like to encourage each of you to make sure you eat a good breakfast every day. Put something on your stomach even if it is only a piece of fresh fruit. Breakfast does a body good!

In the above picture, I created an omelette using eggs, spinach, peppers, onions and cheese. Yum! Sometimes I will exclude the cheese. For the peppers, I use whatever I have on hand (red, yellow, green and orange).  I also sometimes add freshly grilled salmon or crab meat to my omelettes. So good!!!!
You can add whatever veggies and meats you have on hand to make it your own specialty and to fit your taste buds. My homemade omelettes taste so much better than almost any restaurant omelette I've ever paid for. :)

Omelette Recipe
Ingredients:
Eggs - 2 or 3 depending on your appetite
Almond milk - a splash (I use the Almond Breeze brand)
Onion - a handful of chopped small pieces
Peppers - 2 or 3 strips cut into small pieces
Cheese - desired amount
Organic baby spinach - a handful
Salt & Pepper to taste
Olive Oil
Optional items - cheese, meats (bacon, chicken, salmon, crab meat), other veggies
To prepare:
1-In a small bowl, combine eggs, salt & pepper (to taste) and a splash of almond milk (makes the omelette fluffier). Beat the egg mixture.
2-In a small fry pan (I think mine is 8"), add a small amount of olive oil and sautee your veggies until the onions begin to look a little opaque in color.  Add your cooked meat and sautee a few minutes more.
3-Pour the egg mixture over the veggies and let cook. At this stage, I like to place a lid over my pan.
4-Once the eggs cook a little, add the cheese and spinach. Place the lid  back over the pan and let it cook some more.
5-Once it looks as though the eggs have cooked on the bottom side, fold the eggs & veggies in half. Let cook about 2 more minutes then flip it over using a spatula so the other side can cook for another 2 or so minutes.

I sometimes add a tablespoon or two of salsa (I like the Tostitos brand) on the side for even more variety. Try the salsa, you'll love it!

Omelettes and Green Smoothies are two of my favorite breakfast foods.
What are your favorite breakfast foods (cereal, grits, smoothies, eggs, fruit, oatmeal, etc.)?

Who says "Fruit Is Not Dessert"?

Golden Chocolate Fruit Bouquet
by Delicious Blooms

Fruit is not dessert? Say What?!?  What you talking 'bout, People? (in Arnold's voice)
Well, I beg to differ.  All you gotta do is add a little chocolate...and there you have it...a healthy indulgence. 

The above bouquet was made by Yours Truly. :)
The strawberries are dipped in chocolate. So yummy! Especially the way I do it. (Okay. I'll stop bragging now. LOL!) Bananas dipped in chocolate is a very popular treat, but you can also dip pineapple slices, grapes and lots of other fruit in chocolate. The dipped pineapple is my favorite treat along with a bag of popcorn. mmmmm! There is just something about the sweet, tart, salty and crunchy combination that is just heavenly. I want some right now! Just talking about it makes my mouth water. Guess who's going to buy a fresh pineapple tomorrow?

Sprinkles Anyone!

So the next time you want to indulge, but you may be feeling a little guilty, dip your fruit in chocolate and enjoy.  Happy & Healthy...that's what I'm talking 'bout!

What are some of your favorite dessert treats?

Just right for Movie Night

Hi There!

Since it is officially the weekend, I thought I'd share one of my favorite snacks with you all.

This popcorn (Pop Secret - Homestyle) is a great crunchy, salty & buttery treat to serve when you are having Movie Night with the family or if you are just enjoying one of your favorite movies alone. I love to pop in a movie, get me a bag of popcorn, some chocolate dipped pineapple (I'll share this in a future post), a cool drink and enjoy my "ME" time. No Disturbances Please! :)

In case you can't read the caption in the red bar under the word "HOMESTYLE", it says "MADE WITH A SPRINKLE OF SALT AND A TASTE OF BUTTER". That's right...just enough salt & butter to give you a desired taste without adding on all of the extra unwanted stuff...like calories and pounds. Know what I mean?
As you can see from the box pictured, I like to buy the SNACK BAGS. I do this so I can have portion control. Yes, sometimes I want to eat more, but I know that a snack size bag is enough to consume without going overboard. I'm trying to maintain my weight and the snack size bag is enough for me to feed my cravings and enjoy a snack without feeling guilty.

What are some of your favorite snacks?

Nutter Butter

Hello Peaches!

Today I thought I'd introduce you to a food discovery I made since transitioning to a healthier lifestyle.  Meet my new found friend...Almond Butter...I'll just call her Almy. LOL!

 

This stuff is so good! It's just like the peanut butter we all grew up on, only it is made of almonds.  I use almond butter when making my green smoothies to add a little protein and to add a nutty taste.  I also like to spread it on toasted sandwich thins and have myself a good ole' Almond Butter Sandwich.  For snacking, I will spread it on fresh fruit or simply eat it by the spoonful.  Almond Butter can also be stirred into oatmeal to add a little flavor to your morning breakfast.  mmmmm! Yummy!

You can find Almond Butter at Walmart, Whole Foods and Trader Joe's.  I'm sure other grocery chains carry it too, but these are just the places where I've purchased mine from.  It comes in creamy, crunchy and a few other varieties...but not all stores sell them. You should definitely be able to find the creamy with no problem. There is even a chocolate version!

So the next time you're out shopping, treat yourself to a jar of Almond Butter. Switch it up a bit!

Inspired by J!

This outfit was worn on Monday, July 18th, to my niece's birthday luncheon.
We had lunch at Benihana's, then we headed over to CamiCakes for one of those cute & tasty lil cupcakes. CamiCakes is located a couple of doors down from Benihana's in Buckhead.  Check it out whenever you are allowing yourself to have a special treat.

This outfit was inspired by J of J's Everyday Fashion blog. This girl rocks when it comes to fashion. I love her blog! I read it on a daily basis and it is my absolute favorite blog to read right now. I was inspired to add fashion to my blog because of J. I'm learning so much from her. I know it is working because I'm beginning to get compliments on my outfits from strangers. :)
Please check out her blog for inspiration. She rocks affordable clothing that is accessible to anyone no matter what your budget looks like.
To see J's post on how to style skinny cargos, check out her post: Flashback Friday: Skinny Cargos.
Since following her blog, I have purchased 5 pair of cargo pants. Yes! I'm loving the cargos right now...And!?!

What I'm wearing:
Cargo Pants (Olive) - Target
Tee (Peach w/ a burgandy floral print)- Target
Tank (coral) - Sam's Club
Shoes (Madden Girl) - DSW
Jewelry (necklace & bracelet) - Khol's
Belt - Ross

A Lemon Twist Snack

The LARABAR is my new favorite thing to snack on.  I love these things! They come in all types of flavors (Blueberry Muffin, Cashew Cookie, Key Lime Pie...just to name a few). I started out with the Cashew Cookie being my favorite, but once I tried the Lemon Bar, I was hooked. I love all things lemony and these bars have just the right amount of lemon flavor.

So what makes these bars so special, you ask? Well, just take a look at the photo above and read the ingredients list. Only 5 ingredients! No sugar added. It is what it says it is on the package. There are no ingredients that you can't easily pronounce in these babies. The bars are also Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Soy Free, Non-GMO, Vegan and Kosher.  Healthy & Tasty...You can't beat that!

You can find LARABAR's in your local grocery store. I know that Kroger and Publix have them in stock, but they don't carry all of the flavors. I have to venture down to Whole Foods to get my hands on the Lemon Bar flavor, but it is well worth the trip. BTW, Whole Foods has a coupon in their latest flyer for either a BOGO Free offer or a $1 OFF when you buy 2 or more. Sorry I can't remember the exact offer at the moment, but either of those offers are very good. Right?

So the next time you are looking for a snack, skip the candy bar and grab a healthy LARABAR. You won't be disappointed and you will know that you are feeding your body a whole lot of goodness. :)

Salad Mania

Hello Peaches!

As I mentioned before, I lost about 25 pounds over the past year. Yep, this July makes a year since I started my Healthy Living Transformation. :)
I've done pretty good keeping the weight off so far, but it's time for me to seriously get back on track.
You see, I kinda been eating out a little too much lately. Plus I've been eating all of the bad things that I know don't agree with my body...like cheese. Now, I love me some cheese and it's one of the hardest things for me to put down, but I have to if I don't want to be walking around with a bloated tummy...So Not Cute! According to my scale, I've gained about 5lbs over the past 2 months. No big deal, but it is just so easy to slack off and the next thing you know, those 5lbs can turn into 10 and so on & so forth.
 

So this week, I'm challenging myself to eat "mostly" at home and to get back to the foods that helped me in the beginning like salads and green smoothies.

Freshly Prepared Salad

My body felt so good when I was eating mostly Raw Foods. I added salmon and eggs to my menu options and every now and then I would sprinkle a little cheese. I'm a work in progress, ya know?
I'll share some of the other foods I prepared during my journey in future post, but for now back to the salads...

Salads do not have to be boring at all. You can add all sorts of deliciousness to a bed of lettuce and create an awesome meal. I like to use a Spring Mix Salad that I purchase from Sam's Club. To the Spring Mix I usually add fruit (strawberries, apples, peaches or whatever I have on hand), tomatoes, cucumbers, nuts & seeds (walnuts, pecans, sunflower seeds), dried fruit (cranberries, raisins) and as you can see from the above picture, I like to sprinkle a little pepper on mine...that's just me.  If I really need a change or I'm craving for something a little bit meatier, I'll add salmon to my salad as well. Not a fan of salmon? You can add tuna or chicken to yours. For even more variety you can add hard boiled eggs and peppers & onions to your salad if you like eating those foods.

So you see... you can mix & match and switch up your salad toppings every day and get a different meal just by changing up your toppings. You can also give yourself some variety by switching up the salad dressing. I like to make my own salad dressings at home. When I do, I use olive oil and apple cider vinegar as a base. I recently started using balsamic vinegar on my salads, too. However, don't let the dressing stop you. You can always pick up a bottle of salad dressing at the grocery store. There are healthier versions of dressings available, but if your favorite dressing is ranch or blue cheese, then by all means have at it. The most important thing is that you are eating a healthy serving of greens, nuts & seeds, fruits and veggies. Right?

Oh and if you are out and about and need to pick up some fast food quickly, I suggest going to Zaxby's. I have found that they have a better quality salad than most fast food places. They have a mixed green salad and it is always fresh. You can get it with grilled or fried chicken pieces or you can just order a side salad. Now, I haven't tried the salads at Wendy's, but I heard they have come out with some pretty good salads as of late. Can we say, ComPeTition? It's a good thing.

If you are interested in living a Healthy Lifestyle, it can be done. Start with small changes and add on as you begin to make progress. I started out by eating salads and drinking smoothies. Once I got that down, I began to exercise. I chose walking as my exercise choice because of its simplicity and it worked. The more comfortable I got, I began to add more foods to my diet. I found that the best way to take control of your health is by preparing your own foods so I started cooking/preparing more. It's not hard to do, it just takes a little planning and a little bit more of your time.
If you are interested in making a Healthy Change and you need someone to coach you through, please feel free to contact me. I would love to share the knowledge I've gained over the past year. It would be my pleasure. As long as you have breath in your body, it's never too late to start.

See my post on the Green Smoothie here.

Ready For The Weekend

Hi Yall!

Not much was happening today(Thursday) so my niece & I decided to grab some lunch at one of our favorite restaurants.  Note: This is what I wore on Thursday, July 7th.

This is what I wore: (sorry for the sun being in my eyes)

                   

 Top: Ross
Cargo Pants: Target
Shoes: DSW
Bracelets: Burlington Coat Factory
Necklace: Stella & Dot

I found this shirt at Ross. I like it because it has all of the attached straps. I don't know...just makes it a little different. Besides that, when I tried it on in the dressing room, a young lady paused and said "oh, that's a cute shirt". Of course, I just had to get it then. LOL! I tried to show a close up of the back of the shirt, but you still can't really see how cute it is in these pictures.

The cargo pants were purchased at Target. I had my eyes on them every since the beginning of Spring, but I didn't want to pay $27.99 for them. So I waited. I went back to the store a couple of weeks ago and they were on sale for $14.98. I'm so glad I waited! I was able to get two pair for the price of one. I also purchased the Olive color cargos. I just love these pants. I'll be able to wear them in the Fall as well.

The shoes are my very 1st pair of Madden Girls from DSW. When I first purchased them, I thought the heels were gonna be too high, but they are quite comfortable to walk in. I've worn them quit a bit since purchasing them. Expect to see them more often.

The bracelets, I purchased from Burlington, were only $1each. I purchased the brown and green as you see in the above pictures. I also purchased black, pink and a turquoise/blue color.

I just love the Stella & Dot charm that I have on. This charm came in a 3-pk and it only cost $19. I plan to get a lot of use out of them. The gold chain was purchased at Khol's.

Fourth of July & Myrtle Beach

Hello Peaches,
I hope all of you had a great July 4th holiday weekend. I know I did. I went home to SC to visit my family & friends. I managed to spend a day on the beach with my best friend and we really enjoyed ourselves.
We went to an All-U-Can-Eat buffet that served all kinds of food, including seafood. I went straight for the crab legs, but I didn't take a picture. I just dove right in. I did manage to take a picture of the fruit platter I created for myself. It was so healthy & refreshing..

After eating lunch, we headed to the boardwalk to walk along the beach and pier.

I decided to wear a pair of shorts and a tee-shirt for our day trip so I would be comfortable. At first I put on a pair of wedges, but I knew I would need to switch out to flip flops after lunch once we started walking. Here's a picture of me with my wedges on. You can't really see them too well, but the heels are kinda high (at least for me). I've got to get used to them.

My best friend (left) and I (right)

SN: My best friend and I are both on a journey to live a Healthy Lifestyle. We are eating healthier and exercising. There will be more post about our Healthy Lifestyle Journey in the future.

What I'm wearing:
Camouflage Shorts - Wal-Mart
Tee - by Mossimo via Target
Shoes - DSW
Necklace & Bracelet - Khol's
Belt - Ross

After walking along the beach and on the pier, we strolled down the boardwalk and ventured into little shops. They had some really cute things there. I really wanted this cute purse I saw, but it wasn't in my budget. It was so hard leaving it there. :( However, I did purchase 3 necklaces that I will use as anklets by wrapping them around my ankle twice. I've been looking for these anklets (similar to the two I have on in the above center picture) for the past 2 or 3 years, and it finally hit me to try using a necklace and do a wrap-around. It worked and I'm so excited!  We also stopped by the outlet on our way home. We only had time to go into one store and that was the Forever 21 Outlet Store. They had some really cute things, but they didn't seem to be something that I would wear. I did end up purchasing a beautiful green & silver ring. I can't wait to wear it, but I will probably have to purchase something to style around the ring....yep, just an excuse to go shopping. :) Pictures of my purchases to come in future post.

Other than that, I went to a family BBQ and hung out with the rest of my family. The weekend was beautiful, but I'm glad to be back in Atlanta. I needed to catch up on my rest. :)

Check It Out!

Hi Everyone!
Notice anything different?
I do! I've added a new Blog Header and I'm so excited about it. Look up to the top of the page. Scroll over if you have to, in order to see the entire header. I think it is so cool!
I wanted a header that would capture the essence of the blog. Something that says "Atlanta, GA", and "Smart Woman". Okay, I couldn't resist. I had to post it so you could see the entire header without having to scroll over.

I wanted a woman that dressed smart and looked smart. My woman is all that and a bag of chips! Doesn't she look chic, sassy, sexy and all about business? She certainly has her stuff together. She's ready for any and everything that positively comes here way!
I wanted a peach to represent the Peach State and I wanted a cityscape of Atlanta. Say hello to my Georgia Peaches. :)
So, the above is what we (my Graphic Designer and I) came up with.
What do you think about the new header?
Do you like it? Would you change something about it?
Please let me know your thoughts by leaving a comment below.

Have a great holiday weekend. I look forward to posting more often once the holidays are over. I have a ton of stuff to share with you. It's all about Food, Fitness, Fashion and Fun...and let's not forget about Business/Career.

Almond Milk & Green Smoothies

Hi There! I've been missing in action for a while, but I'm back now.
I'm working on a really cool header for the blog. I should have it up within the next week or so.
I'm still trying to find my voice...my niche for the blog. I think I've narrowed it down now to
Fashion, Fitness, Food & Fun. Of course I will still keep the Business features in there so we can all network and support each other.

So today's post is about Almond Milk and Green Smoothies, just as the title says.
During my quest to get healthier, I discovered Almond Milk.  I'm one of those people that cannot drink regular cow's milk without wreaking havoc in my tummy, so I decided that all of the pain and discomfort is just not worth it. I've tried a couple of different brands of Almond Milk, but I like the Blue Diamond Almond Breeze brand the best. To me, the original flavor reminds me more of regular cow's milk. The texture and consistency is very similar. I've tried the Silk brand, but it is just way too thick for me. I can pour the Almond Breeze over a bowl of cereal and I honestly can't taste a difference. I love this brand of Almond Milk! As you can see, it come in both sweetened and unsweetened with original, vanilla and chocolate flavors. If you just want an afternoon treat, you can pour yourself a cold glass of the sweetened vanilla flavor and enjoy it all by itself. It is just that good! Also, if you are one to count calories, the calorie counts aren't that bad either. They are displayed right on the box so you never have to worry. The products displayed can be found in the healthy section of your local grocery store or you can also find jugs/cartons in the refrigerated section where regular milk is sold.

On to the Green Smoothies... I love these things! I discovered Green Smoothies(GS) during my "Get Healthy" quest too. This discovery was the best thing to happen to me...ever.  :)
If you are not familiar with GS, let me tell you a little about them. GS are very delicious & healthy drinks that are made with fruits, greens, milk and/or water. I like to make mine with a base of bananas, apples, spinach, almond milk and water. Then I usually add a nut butter (either almond or cashew butter) and another fruit such as a mango, strawberries, peach or whatever type of fruit I have on hand. I also add a small piece of fresh ginger or a splash of lemon or lime juice from time to time to give me some variety. Besides spinach, you can also use kale, romaine lettuce and any other green leafy vegetable that you like. It is good to rotate the green leafy vegetable, but I have to admit, I do not.
There is no set rule when making GS. Just use whatever fruits and greens you have on hand. Blend them up and enjoy.  I usually make a big carafe full (64oz) every morning and it last me all day.  Drinking GS helps to control my cravings for other unhealthy foods or drinks, provides me with plenty of fruits & vegetables servings, increases my energy and helps me to stay on track and maintain my weight loss. Nothing but goodness comes from drinking these babies!
(PS) If you decide to make GS and you carry them around with you (to run errands, to work or wherever), don't be surprised if you can't strange/funny stares and you may even get asked, "What's  that green gook you're drinking?".  Is gook even a word? LOL! I guess so.

Let me know if you decide to make yourself a glass of Green Goodness. If you have any questions about how to make Green Smoothies or any other questions, just leave a comment below and I'll be sure to answer immediately.

Thanks for reading. Look for more "Healthy Alternative" products that I've began to eat/drink since I've started my quest for a healthier lifestyle in future post. I'll also be sharing some simple, yet healthy recipes that helps me maintain my weight loss and helps me to feel better overall.

Sweet Auburn Festival & Vendors

Crowd Shot @ the Festival - so many people!

Another crowd shot - it got really packed around 2pm.

Delicious looking food. I loved this vendor table setup because of the pineapples. :)

These t-shirts were very cute. Love them!

Hello! How are ya? It's a little late, but I still wanted to share with you my outing to the Sweet Auburn Festival in Atlanta. While at the festival a few weeks ago, I came across a couple of food vendors that I really liked.

Rumtastic Cakes had the most moist & delicious rum cakes I've ever tasted. Personally, I would have preferred the cakes without the rum since I'm not a drinker (I don't like the taste of alcohol), but even so, these cakes were super delicious. The niece & nephew agreed. 6 Thumbs Up! The owner of Rumtastic Cakes was very nice. I loved her personality. Check out her website if you ever need some delicious desserts. The prices are reasonable and these little cakes were the perfect size. Larger sizes are available. Check out her website at www.Rumtastic.com for more information and to place an order.

Polish Sausage (beef)

Just in case you are wondering, I didn't eat any of this sandwich, but it looked so darn good! I really wanted to take a big bite, but I was afraid that since I hadn't eaten any beef...or pork for that matter, in quite a while, that tasting this yummy looking treasure would not be a wise decision. So, I persuaded the Niece & Nephew to order it. They gave it 4 thumbs up! I can only image! They shared this sandwich and an order of fries. After walking around for a while, they actually wanted another one, but by that time, we were too tired to walk back to find the vendor.
This sandwich had everything on it: beef polish sausage, ground beef, peppers & onions and some type of sauce. Just look at it. Foodgasmic!!!! The vendor who prepared this sandwich was Time To Eat Kitchen out of Birmingham, Alabama.  They are willing to travel to different states to cater at your events. Check them out on Face Book.

What a huge turkey leg!

I'm not sure who the vendor was for this huge turkey leg (I think it was from the vendor pictured above), but it was delicious. I took 2 bites off of it and had to pass it along. It really was delicious though. To me it tasted a lot like ham...no kidding. Of course the Niece&Nephew happily took care of it for me. :) I wrapped it up in foil and took it home. Once we got home, they demolished it. It was really that good.

I love going to street festivals to try out the food. For me, the food is the best part. I had a lot of fun. I even shared a funnel cake and ate a pickle. It's okay to splurge every once in a while. One vendor had some delicious lemonade according to the Niece&Nephew. We all had a great time and we can't wait for next year's festival.

Question(s): Do you like going to street festivals? What's your favorite part...food or shopping?

Finally!!!

Computer Woes
Well, I finally got Max (my laptop) fixed. Yay!!! I will be very careful with it from now on. These Macs are so expensive to get fixed. Un.be.lievable! I do love my Macbook Pro, but Apple makes it so very hard to afford to own one of these things. I was quoted repair cost of $550-$800 to replace the LCD and $800-$1000+ to replace the Logic Board. The sad part is that even if you just had one simple thing wrong with your laptop, you have to get the whole entire unit replaced because Apple doesn't sell replacement parts. I seriously think that Apple needs to check into changing their policy. No wonder the majority of computer owners decide to purchase Windows-based PCs. Apple makes it very hard to remain a loyal customer to them, especially in this economy. So, I will be starting a "New Computer Fund" to save up for a new computer in case I run into any more issues with this laptop. I'm also going to purchase an external hard drive to periodically back up my work in case I have computer failure again. LESSON LEARNED....again.

Now on to some fun stuff...Since I haven't been blogging in a while, I have a couple of outfits to share with you. I'll apologize for the photography now. Sorry. I really need to work on doing a better job of this. I have a tripod, but I always seem to be in a rush to take pictures. The two outfits I'm posting below is what I wore to church. One was on Mother's Day and the other one was just a regular Sunday.

I wore this dress to church on Mother's Day. I wanted to wear something with flowers in it. Normally, I'm a non-patterned sort of girl. Lots of solid pieces and not much color. However, lately when I've been out shopping, I've been picking more patterned tops and dresses and I've been staying away from solid browns & blacks.

So this dress is one (of many items) that I recently purchased from Ross. I chose it because it had a floral pattern on the bottom half and also because it had yellow colors in it. Yellow is my favorite color right now. So bright, sun-shiny and a happy color. I love yellow! It perks me up. I also liked the skinny belt that came with the dress. I chose not to wear a necklace since I had all of the floral print going on.

Note: I've begun to re-arrange clean my closet and I noticed that I also have a lot of taupe colors...especially pants suits. I guess that was one of my go-to safe colors when shopping before. I have more taupe pieces than I do black and brown. It's a little ridiculous. Really. It is. :) I think I will start a "Shop Smart Woman Atlanta" store and sell some of the clothes that I no longer need or want and clothes that are either too small or too big. I was supposed to be pulling these type items from my closet to give to charity and I didn't want to part with anything. :( I managed to give away a few things, but not nearly as much as I should have.

Dress: Ross Stores
Belt: Came with the dress
Shoes: Old (not sure where I got them)
Bracelet(Bangle): Burlington Coat Factory - $1



I found both of these pieces at Ross Stores. Yep, Ross has become my favorite place to shop as of late. If you go at the right time, you can find some very reasonably priced pieces.
At first, I didn't like the skirt as it hung on the rack because of the layers, but I decided to try it on and I loved the way it fit. I thought the layers were gonna be very bulky and look tacky, but I was pleasantly surprised.  The top, I also found at Ross. As you can see it has the color yellow in it so I snapped it up. It was a perfect match for my skirt.

Top: Ross - $10.99
Skirt: Ross - $13.99
Bracelet: Burlington Coat Factory - $1
Necklace: Burlington Coat Factory - $7.99
(earrings came with the necklace - not worn)
Belt: Borrowed from another dress purchased @ Ross
Shoes: not sure. purchased last year.

Close up of top and necklace

After church on Mother's Day Sunday, we went down to the Sweet Auburn Festival. It was held downtown Atlanta on Auburn Avenue. It was a fun time. We met a couple of food vendors that I would love to share with you all (later post) - Rumtastic Cakes and Time To Eat Kitchen.
Rumtastic Cakes is out of Atlanta. She had some of the best rum cakes we ever tasted.
Time To Eat Kitchen is based out of Birmingham, Alabama. The food looked delicious. I didn't eat any, but my niece & nephew did and they gave it 2 thumbs up. *Oh, I so wanted a bite of that sandwich!*

Well, thanks for reading the blog and being patient with me. I'm loving this bloggin' thang. LOL! If you don't have one, you should consider starting your own blog. It's a lot of fun and I'm learning so much from other bloggers and it's a great way to meet people.
If you like what you see & read, please follow me and refer this blog to others. Thanks!