Ipsy: March 2015 - FLORAL FANTASY

March 28, 2015



Hey loves!


I am a HUGE fan of Ipsy! If you haven't heard already heard of them YOU ARE IN LUCK. Ipsy is a monthly sample and full sized make-up subscription. In Canada I pay roughly $18.00 a month. Upon signing up you are prompted to fill out a questionnaire. This aids the Ipsy team in sending you a more personalized monthly subscription. They narrow it down to Skin tone/type, hair type/color and your overall style preferences.

I have been a proud Ipsy subscriber for almost a year now and I have always been very happy with my goodies! I love that I get a mix of sample sizes and full sized products! 



Wearing NYX Butter Lipstick on my lips. 
Necklace by Be Dazzled

This is what I got in this months Ipsy subsciption.

  • NYX Cosmetics - Butter Lipstick  
  • PÅ«r~Lisse Beauty - PÅ«r~delicate gentle soymilk cleanser & makeup remover
  • Boo-Boo Cover-Up - Medium Shade
  • Dr. Brandt Skincare - Pores no more anti-aging mattifying lotion
  • VINTAGE by Jessica Liebeskind - Illuminating Face Highlighter

I absolutely LOVED the NYX Butter Lipstick. Great color/pigmentation. Very moisturising and a great application.  Also a fabulous brand that was recently introduced to me by Ipsy is Dr. Brandt Skincare.  WHOA you guys! I LOVE this brand! The mattifying lotion worked really well with my combination skin! I found my makeup application wore better. Stayed fresher longer and the overall appearance held up better throughout the day. 


















This lip butter is giving me life!
Such a great of color!

For more information on Ipsy check out www.ipsy.com/

XO

J.R




Healthy Rendition : Apple Spice Cake

March 26, 2015

Hey Loves,

This recipe was a labour of love, for my love. My Mister was going through something last year and was on a VERY restrictive diet.I wanted to make him some comfort food but his diet was SOO tricky. I made a list of everything he was able to eat. Did some experimenting and created this bad boy! Its amazing how something as simple as cake can lift someone's spirits. To this day it is still his favourite out of all my healthy renditions. :)

I've added a couple ingredients since he's been better. But this is pretty close to the original recipe.



Apple Spice Cake

Prep time: 15 minutes 
Total time: 45-50 minutes 

Ingredients:
  • 3.5-4 Cups Oatmeal Flour
  • 1.5 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 4 Red Delicious Apples *or apple of choice. You want something sweet with a good amount of moisture ( 2 Puréed & 2 Cubed )
  • 1/2 cup Honey
  • 1/2 cup Coconut Oil
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1/2 egg whites
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, almonds and pecans (optional)
  • 1/4 cup of Chia Seeds (optional)
  • 1/4 cup of Flax Seeds (optional)
  • 1 cup Prunes - Chopped into smaller pieces 
  • A Sprinkle of  LOVE :)
 Cooking directions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Grease and flour a cake pan of choice. Muffins Pans work as well for portion control/meal prep.
  3. In a pot you want to add coconut oil,honey and cubed apples. Bring to a boil. Allow to boil for 2-5 minutes then remove from heat.  
  4. In a large bowl, mix together all dry ingredients
  5. Purée 2 Apples, add in the water at to the apple purée
  6. Add all wet ingredients to dry ingredients. Mix together
  7. Add in Prunes and nuts.
  8. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
  9. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Hope you guys enjoy this treat! I also call this cake baked cereal. Great for breakfast for those days when your running late or on the go!

XO

J.R

Eye Brow Tutorial- Video

March 23, 2015


Hey Loves,

Here's a quick video on how I fill and shape my eyebrows. This video is best seen in full screen. :)


I hope you enjoyed my quick eyebrow tutorial! Still trying to get the hang of recording and editing.

Products used:

  • Eyebrow pencil 
  • Angled Brow Brush
  • Mascara Brush
  • Sculpting Wax (You can use hair wax or moulding paste)
  • Tinted eyebrow Gel
  • Foundation 

 Quick tip.

Once your done this is a great time to tweeze! You have already created your desired shape, now just tweeze outside the lines. :)

When filling in my brows I always like to use a shade lighter then my actual brow. I don't like them too dark or harsh. Fresh and defined brows for me, please and thanks!

Have fun!

xo

J.R



5000 Calorie Challenge #fitforwardjoritaaaa

March 15, 2015

Hey Loves!

I DID IT!

:)


I hope this inspires you guys to set your own mini challenges! Its good to step outside your comfort zone and prove to yourself just how bad ass you are! If you decided to create your own personal challenge I want to hear all about it! Lets create an army of #fitforward !!!

xo

#fitforwardjoritaaaa

Fresh Calamari Salad

March 12, 2015

Hello My Loves!

Super excited for this post!

I am currently doing the " Unda da Sea" Diet. Its not a real thing, I made it up and yes I'm definitely saying it in Sebastian's voice. For everyone who gets it. I LOVE YOU.

My Unda da Sea diet is basically what it sounds like. From Tuesday- Friday every night for dinner my main source of protein comes from unda da sea ( Is anyone else singing the song too? lol). I just wanted to try something different. I wanted to see if having a leaner protein for dinner would help increase the speed of my weight loss. DUH it sounds like it will, be everybody's body is different. 


Last night, I was given LIFE. I came home from a crazy workout, tired as hell. Did not feel like cooking, yet I didn't want to just have steamed veggies and squid (Calamri) AGAIN. lol
I then decided to infuse my favourite side salad with squid and BAM my Fresh Calamari Salad was created. This salad was all sorts of awesome. Tasted AMAZING, high in protein, lots of essential fatties. And the best part was I felt satisfied and not deprived of any yummy flavour or delicious goodness.  



Fresh Calamari Salad

2 Servings

4 Cooked Squid
2 Tomatoes - Cubed
1-2 Sticks of Celery - Sliced
A hand full or Parsley - Chopped
1/2 a Lemon
1 Avocado - Cubed
1-2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
Salt n Pepper to Taste

Step 1) Cut the cooked squid into rings. Plate the squid.
Step 2) In a large bowl mix together tomatoes, celery, parsley and avocado.
Step 3) Squeeze all the juice from the Lemon into the bowl, add olive oil and salt n petter to taste.
Step 4) Mix together all ingredients. Pour over Squid and...ENJOY.

I didn't have these items handy at the time but cucumber and bell peppers would go nicely as well in this salad.

Enjoy!

xo
J.R

Squats vs Lunges

March 11, 2015

Happy Wednesday Loves!

I am now 3 days into my 30 day Squat & Lunge Challenge. I wanted to touch base with you guys and give you a little update.

I have done the squat challenge before and I don't remember ever being THIS sore. My butt cheeks are sore, the front side of my upper legs are CRAZY sore.  I definitely feel a bit of a burn while I am doing the squats but the burning sensation I feel while doing the lunges is BEYOND anything in  this world.

I am really impressed with the soreness I am getting from the lunges. I HIGHLY recommend to anyone doing the squat challenge to also incorporate lunges or just try doing the lunge challenge on its own. I feel like squats gets all the celebrity but (no pun intended..ha ha) lunges are pretty bad ass too!

Loves, let me tell you every time I get up from my desk at the office I am reminded at just how well the challenge is working. I may need a walker by day 30. lol I'm looking forward to  laying on the sunny beaches of Cuba unable to walk because of this challenge. Its like extreme leg day on roids.

 I just finished my 60 squats for today. I was feeling very ambitious and thought I would do my lunges right after. I was ready to go, in position and my legs pretty much told me to eff off. lol. Yep Wasn't happening. I'll get to them later in the day.

All in all great three days. Tomorrow is suppose to be my rest day but I'd like to have finished the  challenge by the time I go on vacation. I'll be skipping my first rest day and going strong!



Also I am so proud of my girl Elicia who decided to not only to the squat challenge but she also found a really tough ab challenge to do! You go girl!









xo

J.R



Squat For Days... Well 30 Actually

March 09, 2015

Hey Loves!


 I have a vacation coming up that I'm really looking forward to. One week all inclusive on the beautiful sunny beaches of Cayo Santa Maria, Cuba.

I decided to pop into Old Navy the other day to get some shorts and sun dresses for my trip. I was very pleased to find out I can now squeeze into a size 12! Its a Tight squeeze but I'm Still happy! WOO HOO. Non scale victory! :)

The not so exciting part was my legs. Since my weight loss journey there is definitely some extra jiggle and cellulite. I've always had BIG legs but they felt more compact. It was a bitter sweet moment for me. I'm proud at how far I've come, but it also makes me realize that a still have a LONG way to go. And that's okay with me.

I had gone to visit my sister in law that night and we got to talking about legs, squats and big butts. She had told me that she had been doing the squat challenge with her best friend via Face time. They Face Time every day and squat it out. I thought that was a such a great and fun idea.

Also, I was talking to my boyfriend about it this weekend and he agreed it's a beneficial and fun challenge try. He's really great about helping me out on my journey. Very Supportive and motivational. Any questions that I have in regards to working out or diet related he does his best to answer me. And if he doesn't know the answer he will Google his little heart out and answer to the best of his knowledge.







I have exactly 29 days until my trip. The challenge is on! BAM. I will be doing the 30 Squat and Lunge Challenge! I will be doing this challenge along with my cardio and weight training routine.


What better way is there to get some extra motivation then to look at your jiggly pale legs and realise they will be exposed for all of Cuba to see. I'm definitely being dramatic, but it works.


I hope this motivates some of you to do the challenge with me. I'm excited to see what changes can happen in in 30 days. I will be posting a before and after photo at the end of my challenge.

If you're feeling inspired check out this fun website I came across. 30 Day Fitness Challenge. I will definitely be doing some more challenges in the future.


xo

J.R

Its no "Secret" I love to save.

March 05, 2015




Hey Loves!


I wanted to share a mini coupon haul with you. Im really excited about today's post. This is just to demonstrate how easy it is to coupon/price match. Also just to show you how taking these little steps can save you a lot of money in the long run!

I was fortunate enough to receive and insane amount of P&G coupon inserts this past week. One of the coupons I have had my eye on is the " Get $1.50 off for every secret deodorant product purchased".

Yesterday on my way to the gym I used the Flipp app on my phone to search for any "Secret" products. Once the app was populated with all search results I discovered that Loblaws had Secret Deodorant on sale for $1.99. PERFECT. I made sure that the item on sale met the coupon requirements. I took a screen shot of the app image and got my coupons ready.

After the gym I made my way to my local Wal-Mart. I find that Wal-Mart has a pretty good coupon/price match policy. Please get familiar with each stores price match and coupon policies as they are not all the same and some are very specific as to what they do and do not allow.

Once I got to Wal-Mart I made my way to the deodorant section. I found the product that matched my Loblaws screen capture. When price matching you have to make sure that the EXACT size/count that is advertised is what you are getting! 
Now this is where the fun begins! The secret deodorant is regular price at Wal-Mart for $3.67. I price matched it to $1.99 and then used my $1.50 off coupon. By taking these two steps this brings the price point of the deodorant to .49 each!!  CRAY CRAY


I got 10 Secret deodorant for approx $5.00, when retail it should have cost me approx $37.00. That is a total savings of $32.00


NOW the big picture here is that I have deodorant for a year and it only cost me $5.00 to have fresh smelling pits. lol Think about all the other products that you use on a daily basis. Shampoo, Conditioner, Toothpaste, Mouth wash, so on and so forth. If you can cut costs on all daily products wouldn't you? I'm not saying to go without, but to SAVE. If you can save $32,00 on just deodorant, think what else you can save on!

Hope this post was a great incentive to get you to try out couponing and price matching in the future.

If you have any questions or blog request on couponing please leave them in the comment section below

Happy Savings!

xo

J.R







Healthy Rendition : Caribbean Coconut Sweet Bread

March 03, 2015

Hi Loves!


Okay so I know most of you are wondering why is this Portuguese chick trying to mess with Caribbean recipes. Well my boyfriend is half Trini and I love to cook for him, but lord knows I ain't got nothing on his mamas cooking. From time to time I try to make some of his favourite dishes but try to put a healthy mix on it.


Trouble is I don't really know what anything is suppose to taste like. Unfortunately I always have to wait till I'm done, pray for the best and then wait to get his feed back on. Generally my experiments taste really good. But when I cook Caribbean dishes I never know what flavours to look for or what it is suppose to taste like.


For our 2 year anniversary I decided to cook a Caribbean style home cooked meal. I made some of his favourites, jerk chicken, rices and peas and for dessert I made coconut sweet bread.



I didn't feel guilty or horrible about the main meal. The jerk chicken isn't a killer on calories and as for the rice it was a pretty clean recipes. What really hit me was when I was making the sweet bread. Boy oh boy, the amount of butter, sugar and fatty yummy goodness involved made me realize that Rick is going to love/hate me for this one.


All of a sudden it was like a light bulb had gone off. "DUH, HEALTHY RENDITION THIS BAD BOY". So I did :)


I will post the link to the original recipe below if anyone would like to try it. It's DELICIOUS. I just wanted something similar I wouldn't feel to bad about having. Because even when I am having a treat I will try and make sure its still sum what healthy, or clean.

Healthy Rendition : Caribbean Coconut Sweet Bread

Ingredients

1/3 Cup Brown Sugar
3 Tsp Baking Powder
1/2 Cup Coconut milk
1/2 Water/ Coconut Water
1 tsp Vanilla extract
1 Egg
3 Cups Oatmeal Flour
1/3 Cup butter
1 Coconut , Grated
1 Tsp Angostura Bitters
10 Chopped Prunes
1/3 Cup Chia Seeds
1/3 Cup Cranberries
2/3 Cup Crushed Pecans
2/3 Cup Crushed Walnuts


Step 1) Mix the coconut, egg, butter, brown sugar, 1/4 of water, vanilla extract and bitters together in a bowl.

Step 2) In a separate bowl mix together all dry ingredients ( flour, chia seeds and baking powder)

Step 3) Mix the dry and wet ingredients together. Add coconut milk and remaining water.

Step 4) Mix  in dry fruits and nuts.

Make sure you don't over work the dough. You just want everything to mix in together.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 45-60 minutes. I generally check it at 45 minutes and use my judgement based on how it looks. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

This goes really well with a hot cup of coffee or tea!

Below is the link to the original recipe. Its DELICIOUS!

How I Coupon & Price Match :)

March 02, 2015

Hey Loves!


I have had a couple of you ask me how I coupon and price match. I put a quick intro video together for you guys! Hope this helps clarify some things. This seems to be a hot topic. I will definitely be dedicating more posts to this topic!



Happy Savings!

xo

J.R

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