Patio Project

I love that I have a first floor apartment because we get a larger patio area than the 2nd and 3rd floor apartments. The downside of the patio layout is that it's not a complete rectangle so it's harder to place furniture.

We decided to buy some bricks and fill it in! We bought 12 x 12 bricks from Lowe's for 97 cents each. To get started we first had to rake all the leaves and add more dirt so the bricks would be level with the concrete slab.

We laid the bricks but realized the dirt we added was too soft, and the bricks were shifting and tipping when we walked. Because we live in an apartment and will need to remove the bricks when we move out, we couldn't make this a permanent patio addition. To stabilize the bricks, we wet the dirt and used a tamper to condense and strengthen the dirt. Then we added gravel on top of the dirt and put stakes in the ground at each edge of the bricks to keep them from sliding around.

And voila! A larger patio! (some of the bricks are wet in this picture, that's why they're discolored) Now I can spread my patio furniture out more and have space to add more chairs when we have guests! Once we figured out the best way to make the bricks stay put (by consulting with my Dad - he has infinite wisdom with home improvements) this project only took us about 2 hours and cost about $30 for the bricks, dirt and a rake. We borrowed the tamper and mallet from my dad and he gave us the stakes and gravel, which were left from a previous project. We could have made do with just using our feet probably to flatten the dirt and a hammer for the stakes.

4th of July!

Hope you all had a wonderful 4th of July! Mine was great and spent with loved ones. We had a BBQ at my aunts house and a mini photo shoot. Check them out below :)

Snack Yourself Skinny

Yes, that’s right, you can still snack and lose weight. It’s actually a key component to losing weight, if you’re eating the proper foods. Fueling our bodies regularly throughout the day helps keep our metabolism running at a more constant rate, which supports calorie burning. Eating a healthy, low calorie snack in between meals will also help you avoid feeling overly hungry as you approach your next meal. Not allowing yourself to get overly hungry will aid you in making smart meal choices and you’ll be less likely to overeat at each meal. Below you will find a few healthy snack ideas that are easy to enjoy on the go.

Almonds and Walnuts – Both of these types of nuts contain healthy fats, are high in fiber and contain heart healthy vitamins.  A small handful goes a long way in keeping you’re hunger at bay; be sure to portion your serving before you start snacking, as the calories can add up. Buy raw nuts, as the salted variety can cause you to consume too much sodium per day.

Fresh Fruit and Veggies – Snacking on fruits and veggies is a great way to ensure you get your recommended daily servings and most are low in calories. Clean, cut, portion and baggie fruits and veggies that are too big to consume at once right after you purchase. This allows you to grab and go when in a rush and avoid settling for high calorie packaged foods.

Hummus – Replace traditional cheese or sour cream based dips and spreads with hummus as it is high in fiber and protein. Hummus comes in a variety of flavors and is great with an array of breads to incorporate into a meal, but as a mid meal snack, stick to eating with veggies to keep the calorie intake lower. Adding hummus to veggie snacks will keep you fuller longer because of the added fiber and protein. Sliced bell peppers, cucumbers and carrots all go great with hummus.

Green Tea – Although green tea isn’t really a food, it is a great source of antioxidants and has been proven to aid in the fat burning process. As green tea contains no calories on its own, it is a great drink to consume when you start feeling hungry, as often filling your stomach up with something warm can help satisfy your hunger until your next meal or snack time.  

Shopping for Fitness

I don't know if any of you are like me, but having new clothes for an occasion makes me way more excited. Yes, typical girl thing to say. But in this case it's a good thing - I got new Nike's to keep me staying motivated to be active. Best part is, there is a Nike factory store 15 minutes away from my place. Hello half price everything!

My boyfriend also got new Nike's at the factory store - not even realizing he picked the same ones! Great minds think alike :)

I also went to TJ Maxx for some new workout pants and lighter dumbbells than my usual 8 pounders. They have great prices and decent selection on fitness items. On this same shopping for fitness kick I found a bunch of different fitness DVD's for really cheap at Safeway. They had one DVD that I already own and really like, which is surprisingly enough one of the Kim Kardashian "Fit in Your Jeans by Friday" DVD's. I know I know, sounds ridiculous, but the trainer featured in the video is really great. There are 3 DVD's in the series, I have 2 of them. Trust me, you will be very sore the next day after doing one! These tapes are why I need lighter dumbbells, each routine focuses on one body area so after a 25 minute workout, your arms will be sore even with only 3 pound weights! You can find the DVD's on Amazon, and apparently at Safeway! (and I'm sure some other stores as well). 

Moral of the story is - if you're feeling unmotivated, try something new! Whether that be a new type of activity, a new setting or a new outfit! Sometimes rewarding yourself and wearing something that makes you feel good will inspire you to work a little harder.  :)

Grilled Chicken Salad

I thought I'd post the recipe for one of the best salads I've ever made! I used leftover grilled apricot glazed chicken from the previous night's dinner to make this quick salad to bring to work for lunch.

(this picture doesn't do it justice)

-Apricot glaze from Fresh and Easy
-Skinless boneless chicken breast
-Spring mix
-Shredded carrots
-Persian cucumber
-Cherry tomatoes
-Almond accents in tomato basil flavor
-Lighthouse light poppyseed dressing

All of these ingredients came together so well and the best part is, it was a very low calorie lunch because the dressing is only 60 calories for 2 tablespoons! Dressings and salad toppings are often times so high in calories and fat that salad can end up being just as bad as eating a burger! I'm very picky when it comes to low fat foods, most of the time I'd rather just cut the item out of my diet all together (i.e. mayo vs. miracle whip - gross). This dressing is very tasty, even my super picky boyfriend likes it, and he usually will only eat thousand island!

Get Fit!

Now that the weather has warmed up, I have been excitedly digging out my summer clothes. That is until I tried on a pair of shorts to find them a bit too tight to wear in public. Needless to say I was NOT happy. I will admit I've been having a little too much fun lately and not enough conscious eating and exercise. I'm sure most of you have the same problem as me, I have good intensions to workout in the evening, but after a long day at work, I'm too tired (or wine is too tempting!). Lunch hour walks have become pretty common to ensure I get some sort of movement since I sit at a desk most of the day. I've come to realize I will forever be on what some people (and occasionally myself) refer to as a "diet" because of the combination of a sedentary job and slower metabolism. I was not blessed with skinny genes but I have come to accept it. Honestly, I really like my figure when I'm in shape; curvy and toned. My goal is to do at least 3 strength training and cardio workouts a week with some lunch time and weekend walks as well. It's only been a few days of my re-dedication to health and fitness and I feel better already! I'm sleeping better and I have more energy. I even went for a random late gym sesh tonight. Go me! :)

DIY: Painted Bottles

Hi Everyone, I'm finally back with a new post! Things have been very busy around here, but finally starting to settle down a bit (I think!). Anyway, this project has been one of my favorites so far, I just LOVE how these bottles turned out! They were originally Belgian beer bottles that a family friend had brought over for dinner one night. My mom thought they were very cool and decided not to throw them away, thinking maybe we could do a project with them someday.

Fast forward 2 months, and I'm at Target looking in the home decor section and find some painted bottles that I thought were very chic. There were 3 different sizes, meant to be a set. They were red, beige and grey, 2 colors per bottle. I was so tempted to buy them except they were $18-$25 each, (depending on the size) and those colors weren't exactly what I was looking for. I fought back the urge to impulse buy (which is typically so hard for me!). A few days later I'm visiting my Mom and see those beer bottles - bingo. DIY project! I still had leftover teal and beige paint from a previous DIY project (the teal end table) and my mom had some rust/red color paint. My original plan was to include all 3 colors in each bottle, in different orders and different sized sections. I first peeled the labels off the bottles and used painters tape to section out the bottles for each color.

After a few coats of these sections dried, I took the painters tape off and ran into a snag. Turns out, I should have purchased glass paint because the tape did not come off completely clean and the paint would easily scratch. It wasn't too bad, so I touched up the edges and decided to leave one section the natural brown color of the bottle. I ended up liking it better this way because the texture of the bottle showing added dimension.

I had purchased a can of Martha Stewart clear protectant spray that is good for glass to seal the paint and give it a little gloss. This spray is really great, it dries enough after 10 minutes to repeat coats, with full drying in about 6 hours. I did 3-4 coats on each bottle to make sure the paint would not get damaged. Not only does it protect the paint from chipping or scratching, it makes them look much more expensive and polished.

And here is where they live now, in my bay window! I am obsessed with my little kitchen nook. The vases on the left were done with the same paint and spray as the bottles. Most of the other items were purchased at Target and TJ Maxx.

Recap!

Hi Everyone,

I know I've been slacking on the posts lately, but I've had a lot going on! I made a lot of apartment changes and I started a new job! I never thought leaving a job where I was overall pretty comfortable but not very satisfied would be so tough! Although it was time for me to move on, I will miss so many of my coworkers. My new job is similar in title to my previous, but with a higher level of responisbility and more potential for future growth. It is largely a marketing position with some executive level administrative work. I still work in the same industry - architecture and engineering but this company is located in the East Bay, only 20 minutes away from my apartment (compared to my previous hour commute to San Francisco). I am very excited for what the future holds at this company and in other avenues of my life. I'll continue to fill you all in on the upcoming events and a new DIY project post this weekend!

Refinished Bar

Here is another DIY refinishing project. My mom and I found this old TV console/small buffet at a garage sale for $10. It was very 70's looking with the lattice screen in the doors and we really wanted to update the piece and give it a classier feel. The photo below is the before, after it was sanded and one screen removed.

The piece came with a cool marble insert on the top of it so we thought this would make a great bar. Covering it with a TV seemed silly, and it's not quite long enough to fit today's large flat screen TV's. My mom was looking to get rid of a large china cabinet and needed to move her china into a kitchen cabinet that was holding all the bar essentials. This piece was the perfect size to become the bar and fit all the bottles and some other accessories.

We stained the wood with a cherry stain, the same as the end table from a previous post. Polyurethane was applied after the stain dried to give it a nice sheen and protection. The screens were replaced with glass to showcase the items inside the bar. To give the piece and the items inside an extra pop, we painted the back red on the inside.

I LOVE how the bar turned out. I must admit, I'm a little jealous my mom gets to show it off in her house. I might just have to take it someday, or I guess start hitting the garage sales to redo my own!

Nerd Alert

I love office/school supplies. I get very excited about an awesome pen or colorful post its. Back to school supply shopping was always something I looked forward to, that excitement was pretty short lived though once I had homework and studying to do. Anyway, my coworker introduced me to these new erasable pens and I LOVE them. Pilot makes some of my favorite pens, they write beautifully, are easy to find in stores, are affordable and come in a variety of colors. Naturally, their new line of erasable pens, called FriXion, have the same great qualities. They have a few different color assortments, which can be purchased at Target, Walgreens, Amazon, and other stores that sell office supplies.

This pack has purple, pink and orange in it. The purple is my favorite because it's dark enough to easily read; the orange is the lightest. The first time I had gone to Target I could only find this color assortment, but I have since found a pack with black, blue and red. FriXion pens are different than other erasable pens, which tend to always have some ink remaining after you erase. I also saw they have a line of erasable highlighters! I'll have to try those next!

Ciabatta Garlic Bread

Garlic bread has become a food that I make quite often as my boyfriend really loves it. He now asks if I'll make garlic bread every time I make pasta, which is pretty frequently.

Side bar on pasta. I LOVE pasta. When deciding where to study abroad in college, a huge factor for me was food. I asked myself, "what European cultures' food would I be ok with eating everyday?" The answer was a no brainer, Italian. I am obsessed with Italy, I think in a past life I was Italian.

Anyway, back to garlic bread. On this particular occasion, I had not planned to make garlic bread when I had gone shopping for the ingredients for Spaghetti. I got creative and took inspiration from my restaurant owning family's resourcefulness and looked though my cupboards and refrigerator for ingredients that I could use to make garlic bread. I sliced the rest of a loaf of ciabatta, mixed together fresh garlic and olive oil and spread it generously over the bread. My boyfriend and I are both garlic lovers so I'm never shy using garlic in my cooking. I stayed away from using butter because I'm trying stay on the healthier side (I used ground turkey instead of beef in the spaghetti). I am a believer that you don't need large amounts of butter or fatty oils if you season food properly. That goes for salt as well-herbs and spices add a huge amount of flavor and you can reduce the salt! For cheese, I only had pecorino cheese so I grated it on my bread. Pecorino is a pretty powerful flavor, similar to parmesan and is a bit salty. Because of the salty flavor, I did not add any salt to my olive oil and garlic mix, as I would have had I used mozzarella cheese. I baked the bread in the oven at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes.

I loved how this garlic bread turned out, great flavor and crunch from the baked ciabatta. I also liked that it wasn't so bread heavy like many garlic bread recipes that call for a sourdough roll. I've made this same garlic bread again since; the second time I added a little of my favorite seasoning I got in Florence. It's called arrabbiata, it has close to the same blend as a traditional italian spice blend, but with some spicy pepper flakes mixed in as well. We both love our food with a little spice so a sprinkle of the arrabbiata seasoning before baking the garlic bread really added some flavor and kick.

Homework: Have some fun trying out garlic bread creations, please share any success stories, as I'm always looking for new ways to cook favorite dishes!

Leopard Print Flats

Hi everyone, I just bought these Material Girl flats from Macys over the weekend and I wanted to share! I love little pops of leopard print, they can really make an outfit.

These will be great to wear to work, not too flashy but will give my outfits some personality. I am fortunate to work in an office with a pretty relaxed and casual atmosphere; I typically wear nice dark boot cut, straight leg or trouser jeans a few times a week. I also think these loafer type flats will look really cute with a dress as well, once the weather gets a little warmer.

I love having something new to wear to work, it makes facing a busy week easier :)

End Table Refinishing

A few weeks ago, my mom and I decided we needed a project. On a sunny Saturday we decided to go garage sale hunting to find some small furniture pieces to refinish. I am slowly starting to think about a furniture look I'd like for my next apartment, trying to keep the cost as low as possible without sacrificing a cute and sophisticated decor.

Here is an oak end table/night stand we found for $10. This photo was taken after its light finish was completely sanded away and the knob removed. The grain of the wood was so beautiful as this is a very solid, and at one time expensive piece, it would be a waste to paint the entire table. I really wanted to do something more interesting than just restaining, I was looking for a pop of color. To get the best of both worlds, I decided I wanted to paint some parts of the table and stain the rest. Here's how it turned out.

My dad had this stain called "chestnut red" in his work shed so that cost me nothing for this project. For the paint, my mom and I went to Lowe's to look at colors. I picked "a day at the jewelers" by Valspar. For $3 they mixed up a 7.2 oz sample, which was more than enough paint for this project (I actually have about half left to use on other DIY projects-yay!) The knob I also picked out at Lowe's for $4. My dad had the polyurithane as well; we applied 2 coats to give it a protective layer and that wonderful shine. $17 for a unique and beautiful end table. I'm a fan!

Make-Over

Hi Everyone,

As you may have noticed, I haven't been posting very often. The main reason is that going out to eat frequently is just too expensive! I've started to really watch my spending and learning how to live on a realistic budget. During this time of financial maturity I've started getting into DIY home projects after realizing store prices can be obsurd for the quality you get. In addition to my crafting adventures, I'll also share some of my cooking experiences, restaurant reviews, my favorite beauty, style and household products, my ever evolving fitness routine for a happy and reduced stress life, and of course my biggest passion of all: TRAVEL. I'll be posting my first DIY project later tonight so check back later!