NEWTRITION

black & leopard

Lauren — Thu, 17 May 2012 12:41:55 +0000

top: zara, necklace: bauble bar, sunnies: chanel, pants: theory, flats: tory burch

Anyone who knows me knows that my wardrobe is almost all black. Inspired by the gorgeous spring weather Chicago has been having lately, I decided to jazz things up a bit by adding a leopard print blouse to my closet. Lately, I’ve really been into button blouses since they are a great staple item that can be worn with dress pants, jeans or skirts. I either pair these tops with a statement necklace or wear them tucked into jeans with a wide belt.

button down blouses

Peanut Butter & Chocolate Waffles

Lauren — Wed, 16 May 2012 14:12:31 +0000

I’ve had a crazy busy week! I like it when my week is busy and next thing I know it’s the weekend but I’ve felt extremely overwhelmed and the pressure is on, especially at work. I haven’t worked out, I’ve been eating terribly, and drinking like a fish. This needs to stop! However, today is a new day and I can’t wait to go to Barre Burn and sweat out all the toxins in my body and sit on my couch with a fresh organic salad.

I love breakfast food and when I’m craving something sweet in the morning I like to make these peanut butter and chocolate waffles for breakfast. I know this sounds ridiculous since I just complained about my terrible eating habits above but this is one of my lazy and low calorie recipes.

Peanut Butter & Chocolate Waffles

ingredients:

2 Van’s light Waffles
1 tbsp of Brummel & Brown yogurt spread
1 tbsp of Better’n Butter
10-12 semi sweet chocolate chips

directions:

Prepare the waffles according to the directions on the package. I like to toast them in the toaster oven until golden brown. Remove from toaster and immediately top each waffle with the yogurt spread and chocolate chips so they melt into the still hot waffles. Spread the peanut butter evenly over both waffles and enjoy!

250 calories for BOTH waffles…uhhhh-mazing!

Have a great day!

My new favorite lunch combo

Lauren — Fri, 11 May 2012 17:59:10 +0000

Happy happy friday! How awesome is the Chicago weather today!?

I’ve been enjoying my power protein smoothie almost every morning this week. I substituted banana instead of the frozen acai. Fantastic!

I want to share my new favorite lunch combo I’ve been bringing to work. I have always felt that bringing your lunch to work not only saves you money but calroies as well. I’ve been having a hard time finding good lunch options because I’ve become such a picky eater lately. I refuse to eat chicken especially from a restaurant and most recently I no longer have a desire to eat turkey- even boar’s head. I’ve really tried to incorporate more poultry in my diet but I just can’t do it.

Last week I put on my thinking hat and created a vegetarian healthy meal for weekday lunches.

Stir fry vegetables over quinoa

I know this sounds so simple, and it is! My question is why didn’t I think of this before?! I absolutely love stir fry and can eat it for any meal. It’s easy to prepare as well.

I like to purchase stir fry veggies in bulk at either trader joe’s or whole foods in the produce section. I love that the veggies are already cut up for me so I can throw them in my wok.

Stir fry sauce: 1-2 tbsp of lipton onion soup with 1 cup of low sodium soy sauce. I let the onion soup dissolve in the soy sauce before adding it to the stir fry.

I cook the veggies on medium to high heat in 1 tbsp of coconut oil.

While the veggies are cooking, I prepare the quinoa according to the directions on the package.

Once everything is finished cooking, I mix it all together and either enjoy or divide the stir fry into tupperware containers.

This stir fry lunch keeps me full and satisfied so I can be on my A game the rest of the day.

Have a great weekend! xo

gifts for mom.

Lauren — Wed, 09 May 2012 00:44:46 +0000

1. Abstract Cascade Earrings $28

2. 10-piece glass mixing bowl set $39.95

3. Jillian Michaels Workout DVD set- on Groupon Goods $25

4. Lace Leather Zip Wallet $258

5. Personalized iPhone Case $59

6. Tom Ford Perfume $195

7. Run in the Sun Crop $88

Mother’s Day is Sunday! I already got Jan her mothers day gift but since she reads my blog I can’t share that yet! My sister and I love picking out gifts for our Mom. Since she is in the fashion industry we like to get creative and get her something she needs or something she would never buy for herself. My Dad, siblings and I normally go in together and give her either one big gift or a bunch of little gifts. My Mom is such and amazing woman & I’m so lucky to have her!

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WEEKEND SNAPSHOTS

Lauren — Mon, 07 May 2012 17:43:34 +0000

1. Playing at Saks Fifth Avenue, trying on this theory white blazer. I actually purchased it and returned it the next day. I couldn’t justify spending that much on a blazer so I got this one from Zara instead.

2. New summer nail polish from Nars

3. Liz and I at happy hour

4. My beautiful co-workers and I at happy hour

5. Whitney and Blair on Cinco de Mayo

6. & 7. Showing off our colorful jeans. Mine are by Rag and Bone.

8. & 9. yummy coffee cake muffins I baked

10. Chicken and waffles!

11. cheesy garlic bread

12. almond breeze new coconut almond milk. I can’t wait to try it!

Hope everyone had a great weekend! xo

Peplum

Lauren — Wed, 02 May 2012 23:14:37 +0000

Hi guys! I’ve fallen in love with peplums. I love how flirty and feminine they are. I have found this hot trend to be flattering no matter what size you are.

I recently started a tumblr and I’ve been obsessed with posting daily. This week my posts have been similar to my tumblr posts which is why it’s been all pictures. As much as I love to post about food or what I like to eat, I’ve been inspired by picture collages and love to get creative. This is my way to de-stress and focus my mind somewhere else. Moving forward you are going to see more creative posts from me that you hopefully will enjoy.

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Need A Little Motivation?

Lauren — Tue, 01 May 2012 12:22:21 +0000

Everyone needs a little motivation this time of year including myself. Instead of a rant about how you should take the stairs instead of the elevator or how you should change your eating habits, I thought pictures would be better. I’ve also been putting more pictures in my posts recently because they speak to me more than anything else. Besides, pictures are more fun to look at.

What are you doing to get in shape for summer?

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WEEKEND SNAPSHOTS

Lauren — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 14:03:09 +0000

1. My new iPad case from Pretty Smitten

2. Awesome Friday pad thai lunch from siam rice

3. Me & Whitney celebrating her birthday

4. The birthday girl and I being silly

5. Me & the other birthday girl Chelsea

6. Italian beef sandwich from Portillos

7. Cold seafood platter at Shaws

8. Panko crusted whitefish…yummy!

9. Create your own 6-pack of beer at Mariano’s

10. Random item of the week, S’mores goldfish.

Hope everyone had a great weekend! xo

Power Protein Smoothie

Lauren — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 00:18:35 +0000

As many of you know I love Kimberly Snyder’s Beauty Detox Solution book. One of the things I’ve never tried is chia seeds which she highly recommends. I was at Trader Joe’s last weekend and I asked if they carried chia seeds. They looked at me and said “like the chia pet?” I laughed and realized they do not carry them. I headed over to whole foods and found them there.

Kimberly has a number of smoothie recipes that include chia seeds. I made her power protein smoothie and it was delicious!

Ingredients (one 24-ounce serving):

2 cups unsweetened almond milk
1/4 cup hemp or brown rice protein powder
1-2 Tbs. chia seeds
1/2 frozen acai smoothie packet (found in the frozen section at whole foods)
Liquid stevia to sweeten
½ tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

Add the almond milk and/or water to the blender first, then the other ingredients. Blend until smooth.

“Chia seeds have a high level of soluble and insoluble fiber, and swell up to 15 times their size when mixed with liquids to create a filling gel that provides long-burning fuel as it cleanses your digestive system. Because they are so nutrient-dense and filling, chia seeds can help reduce cravings and keep you on track with your diet.” – Kimberly Snyder.

So if you miss behave this weekend, no worries… make one of these babies and you’ll be back on track in no time

Happy Weekend!

New Trader Joe’s Finds

Lauren — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 03:08:54 +0000

I forgot to mention in yesterday’s post how I hit up Trader Joe’s this past weekend and stocked up on some awesome treats.

A bowl of this with sliced bananas & unsweetened almond milk = breakfast happiness

Fantastic in my morning coffee

I didn’t buy this at TJ’s… but I started taking biotin a month ago and I wanted to share how much it’s helped my skin! I haven’t been breaking out nearly as much as I used to. I’m not sure if it’s because I’ve cut out dairy from my diet, Kate Somerville products or the biotin, but my skin has cleared up dramatically.

For all you ladies & gents to suffer with adult acne (especially those painful underground ones) I highly recommend biotin. Of course, consult your doctor before taking biotin or any other vitamin you’re unsure about.