July Favorites

Hello Dolls!

I can't believe that July is practically over and it's going to be August VERY soon! Seriously time has gone by way too quickly this summer. While time was flying by, I have been using some great products I just had to share with y'all! (And y'all know I typically don't do monthly favorites, but I had some that I just had to share with y'all!)

1. Target Cartwheel App

Who can't resist saving money?! Remember when I was bombarded by the Target worker about buying Boots products? Well what really got me on board to buy them was the Cartwheel app that the lady told me about! The Target Cartwheel app is where you can find coupons on your phone and add them to your "barcode" and then scan the barcode from your smartphone at the cashier during checkout! The best part is you don't have to schlep so many different paper coupons to the store because it is all on your phone! Honestly, I think I have become OBSESSED with the idea of saving so much money within this month alone...Can you believe I have saved $77.33 in the month of July? Your savings really do add up!! This is definitely worth the download and will probably become a lifetime favorite of mine.

This is the barcode that you add all of your coupons on.

2. Fitbit Flex

The Fitbit Flex is my holy grail secret to staying in shape. This thing not only practically saved my life, but has showed me how to live a healthy and balanced lifestyle. It is great for wanting to lose weight or just keeping up with your daily activities when you are out and about or on vacation. It is a little costly (mine cost about $100) but this wristband is like a personal trainer that keeps you motivated while on the go! Think about all the money you are saving by not having to hire a personal trainer just by getting this miracle band!

One of my trackings from a day in July. I love how I can track everything!

3. Dannon Oikos Greek Yogurt

My aunt introduced this favorite to me. I was over at her house and she goes "try this greek yogurt its like nothing else you have ever had in your life" (seriously how many times have we heard that sentence before). Anyways I tried it to be nice and let me say it is the BEST greek yogurt I have ever had! I had the lemon meringue flavor which was to die for but they also have other flavors such as key lime pie and vanilla coconut. This greek yogurt was already whipped and tasted like frozen yogurt. It was so rich in flavor and had a little bit of a higher calorie count than other greek yogurts, but think of this as a splurge treat throughout the day.

4. Healthy Homemade Frappuccino

This is how I stay cool and refreshed during the summer while avoiding the extra calories. I absolutely love Starbucks, (I am even a gold member in their rewards program) but their calories are just a little too much for me and my healthy-ish lifestyle. So I thought, why not make my own at home? 

1) It is a lot cheaper to make it at home

2) You can control what goes inside your drink!

3) Compared to 410 calories for a grande (16 oz) frappuccino, 160 for this one is pretty decent!

Recipe for a 16 oz Chocolate Chip Frappuccino: 160 Calories 

• 1 cup of lowfat/nonfat milk or almond milk (depends on your preference)
• 1 1/2 cups of ice
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons of Nestle milk chocolate powder
• 5 Semi-Sweet chocolate chips

(You can also add protein powder of flax/chia seeds for an extra boost)

Blend all of these in a blender on the smoothie setting until blended, pour into a glass, and enjoy!

Can you believe this is only 160 calories?

These are my July favorites that I couldn't resist sharing with y'all! What was everyone's favorites this month? I would LOVE to see what y'all loved this month!

XOXO, 

The Californian Belle

How To: Be Healthy on Vacation

Hello Dolls!

One thing I absolutely love to do is going on vacation. I love the idea of going on an adventure some place I don't go to often and exploring. One of the things I love to explore is the food (of course who doesn't like food).

The problem with this is that I personally tend to get out of control with my food explorations because I'm under the mentality that "I'm on vacation so its ok to eat what I normally wouldn't". (This may work for some people, however this is always destructive for me personally because I try to stay on top of my diet and somewhat healthy lifestyle.)

Over the years of my travels I have learned how to enjoy my explorations of food with still maintaining a healthier lifestyle.

1) Eat Everything in Moderation

Yes, we have ALL heard this one before, but it is always easier said than done. There is always such good food that we want to try, but once we take one bite how can we not finish the rest?! Well, if you are traveling with multiple people my suggestion is to "split" the higher calorie item with them so that way you all get to try the delectable treat without feeling super guilty. Also it is important to remember to ask for a calorie count menu (if the restaurant has it) and to always try to pick the healthier option.

2) Don't Stop Moving!!

My mom went to Austria with my grandmother and aunt a few years ago and she came back home losing FIVE pounds!! I was in total shock of how she could lose weight on vacation. She told me she ate what ever she wanted with her group, but the rule was they walked almost everywhere they went. This is a difficult one because it is hard to walk everywhere if you are in a location that requires a lot of driving. So my suggestion is so move at any opportunity you are given and don't take any shortcuts! For example, if there is a gym at your hotel and you know you didn't move a lot during the day, then spend 30 minutes to an hour working out.

3) Plan Your Meals

This one is probably the most important , yet the most overlooked. One of the ways my mom lost five pounds on vacation is because her sister planned when they would eat their meals. They would have a very large breakfast in the morning, followed by a snack around lunchtime, and then an early dinner to finish it off, while walking around Vienna, Austria the entire day. This worked for them because they spent their time enjoying the vacation instead of mainly eating the trip. Food was looked as fuel to keep walking for them. Now if you're at an all-expense-paid vacation, such as a cruise, where there is a lot of food, you just have to go back to eating in moderation and not stopping your movements!

4) Track it!

I am a huge believer in tracking what you put into your body as well as tracking your activity throughout the day. I love my Fitbit Flex which helps me track everything from my food intake, step count, calories, miles, etc. However, I know not everybody wants to spend $100+ on a tracker because it can seem ridiculous. There are free apps in the app store such as Nike Running, My Fitness Pal, or Lose It! which are great free trackers to help to track activity and calorie intake.

There is nothing more basic than these four steps towards being healthy on your vacation, however, this does not make it any easier. It takes a lot of discipline to be healthy on vacation, but I know with these steps it can be made easier. Enjoy your vacations while being healthy...it actually is possible!!


XOXO,


The Californian Belle

How To: Organize Your Lilly Pulitzer Agenda

Hello Dolls!

Today is July 27th and you know what that means!! Today is the first official day we can use our Lilly Pulitzer Agenda!! This year is the first year I purchased a Lilly agenda and flipping through the pages has gotten me so excited!!

As I was looking through the first thing that came to my mind was: "how will I organize this?!" These agendas are so picture perfect the last thing you want to do is accidentally make a mistake inside them!

So I'm going to show you my organization tactics in hopes that they will help y'all out!!

I got the large Tusk in Sun print agenda from Lilly Pulitzer. Don't worry if you haven't ordered yours yet, because you can do so right here. (If that link did not work because agendas are sold out then you can also buy them here or here.)

1. Monthly Overview

The first thing you notice in the agenda is that there are two separate "full month view" options. There is one in the tab called "months" and another one for each monthly tab listed on the side. I love to keep my school and personal life all together in one agenda because it makes life so much easier! And writing everything in one monthly overview can become extremely overwhelming, so I use the "months" tab for my personal life and the one for each month on the side for school.

Months Tab Overview (used for personal)

Individual month overview (used for school)

2. Color Coding

This one might sound ridiculous to some people, BUT it is so useful if you take the time to actually do it! I found these great file tab markers from Target that assisted me with color coding!

Pink: Appointments/Meetings/Events
Red/Orange: Due Dates
Purple/Yellow: Homework/Things I need to do
Green: Family
Blue: Work

Then I took it a step further and used these tabs to cover over my plans for the month overview so my eyes can't miss that HUGE chunk of color! So I put the tab over the event and then when the event is over I take off the tab so I know it has been complete. (These tabs are see-through so you don't worry you can still see what you wrote down) I personally like this better than highlighting on my monthly overview because if I want to look back then I can neatly see what I did that month, instead of having scribbles all over my agenda.

Not completely filled yet, but here is a sample of my August monthly overview for my personal calendar overview!

3. Pockets

Inside the agenda there is a double-sided pocket there on the first page (very convenient and I love that they have that in there!). Inside that pocket I keep my colored tabs, so I can stay on top of it! I also keep my school schedule in there because even though I am a sophomore in college and should know my schedule by now...let's face it, I don't. (Better to be safe than sorry!) I also carry a shopping list on the back side of the folder as a "to-do-list" just in case I don't have room in the one provided in the agenda.

I made sure I put a "key" of what my colors mean in case I need it.

My "To-Do-List" which looks like a shopping list on the other side of the folder.

4. Sticky Notes

I use these for emphasis and as a reminder for when I don't have room inside my agenda to write in. Great for a reminder you don't want to miss out on!!


So that is how I organize my Lilly Pulitzer agenda. It is a system that works for me and hopefully can work for y'all as well!! If you do something different comment down below on what you do to make your agenda perfectly organized.


XOXO,


The Californian Belle

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Drugstore Makeup Jackpot

Hello Dolls!

If you guys know anything about me, its that I L O V E Target!! In all seriousness I am there 3-4 days a week! So a few weeks ago I was at Target and decided to walk by the makeup isle. 

*For the record I am not a makeup person..I will wear makeup but typically only drugstore makeup. If it isn't drugstore then I don't buy it because I personally rather spend my money elsewhere.*

So as I'm walking I get bombarded by this sales associate for some makeup company. If it's one thing I absolutely can't stand is when people try to sell me something when I am not there to specifically buy that product. I had some extra time on my hands so I let the associate show me all of the products this brand had to offer. 

The brand, which originated in England,  is called Boots; and this company has so many different sub brands connected. The one at Target was No. 7 (their makeup brand) and Botanics (skin care). Let me start off by saying that within the two weeks I have seen MAJOR improvement to my skin and I am so happy that I took the time to listen about this product. I would wake up every morning with even better skin than the night before!! I have oily acne prone skin (ew I know) so finding really good drugstore makeup has always been difficult for me. 

Botanics Skin Care

Daily foaming facial cleanser and toner designed to make you feel refreshed and make your face matte to get rid of that shine!

Used this scrub/mask twice a week in the evening and it did a great job "deep cleaning" my skin.

Daily matte facial moisturizer with spf 15!
*The only moisturizer to leave my skin feeling hydrated and breakout free*

No. 7 Makeup 

No. 7 has a few different foundations that meet the 

A M A Z I N G matte primer!! A little goes a long way. Created a great base to put my makeup over. 

I couldn't believe the coverage I was receiving with this foundation AND its spf 15!! The color is "cool beige". 

This under eye concealer (I got the lighter of the two available) works like a charm!

Pressed powdered blush in the color "Soft Damson"

Moisture drench lipstick in the color "Blush" (I wish there was more variety in colors)
**Sidenote: THIS LIPSTICK MOISTURIZES BETTER THAN SOME LIP BALMS**

Loose face powder in the color "fair". They only have two colors: "Fair" and "Translucent". These colors work on any skin tone because they are so sheer. "Fair" has a matte finish and "Translucent" has small hints of sparkle in it. 

The number one thing I have to say about this product is that less is more. This product is meant for a little to work a significant amount. I have to say after using Boots products I am throughly pleased and would honestly recommend this to anyone who has sensitive or troubled skin. All of these products were amazing and I am so surprised these are drugstore products!!

The products I listed were only from the "matte" collection. There are so many other products from this company. I would also like to note I am not a "makeup or skin specialist" and that I am writing this blog based out of trying this product from experience. This product may or may not be for you, but I thought I would share my drug store discovery with you guys so if you think this may be a product for you then you can try it out!

Till next time XOXO,

The Californian Belle