Friday Pick-Six: 3/9/18

Here's what we're loving and living for this week!

1.  We always get excited for great Target collaborations and this week, they announced an upcoming collection with Hunter!  You better believe we'll be standing in line for this one!

2.  We love stripes in any season, but they're especially great in the spring and summer.  Jess immediately ordered these earrings after spotting them 40% off at JCrew last week!   Can't wait to rock them!

3.  You guys know how much we love Smitten Kitchen and this week, we tried her black bean soup.  It was awesome served up with a little avocado toast on a Meatless Monday!

4.  It's time again for the GAP Friends and Family sale.  Everything is 40% off and free shipping with the code FRIEND.  We've got our eye on a few new arrivals for Spring including this top, and this floral dress.

5.  If you're looking for a great neutral nail polish that's perfect as a spring transitional color, try Essie Mixtaupe!  I tried it this week and my nails looked super professional and pretty all week! --J

6.  We each pinned this recipe for Penne ala Vodka to Pinterest within minutes of one another, so it must be a good recipe!  Going to have to try it out soon!

What are you loving and living for this week?  Let us know in the comments below and have a great weekend!

Healthy Smoothie Recipe Round-Up

Hey gang, it's Jess.  Although Ry and I are not big on New Year's Resolutions, one thing I'm trying to do this year is eat more breakfast.  I am notorious for getting up with JUST enough time to get myself out the door presentably.  I rarely leave myself enough time to eat breakfast and as a result, I end up with just a venti latte in my stomach all morning.  Not the healthiest of options.  I'm trying to find more healthy breakfast options that I can grab and go.

Smoothies are great for this because they pack a lot of bang for their nutritional buck.  You can stuff them full of fruits (and veggies) and start your day off right.  You can pour them and drink them as you drive to work or while you get going on work, too.  Also, for you mamas out there, they're  super kid-friendly.  I know my kiddo loves them and will happily drink them, no matter how much spinach I cram in there!

Here are a few of my favorite smoothie recipes from Pinterest.

• Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Smoothie
• Triple Berry Kiwi Smoothie
• Blueberry Muffin Smoothie
• Strawberry Lime Watermelon Smoothie

Now, here's one of my favorite homemade recipes that we've been enjoying in the mornings.  The addition of the oats seems odd, but it thickens the smoothie, gives you extra fiber and keeps you feeling fuller longer!

Fruity Oat Smoothie (Makes 2 servings)

• 1/2-3/4 cup milk (you can use regular milk, soy, almond, etc)
• 1/2 cup vanilla yogurt
• 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
• 1 1/2 cups frozen fruit (We use bananas and berries but anything you like works)
• Optional add-ins: 2 tablespoons peanut butter or almond butter, handful of spinach, scoop of vanilla protein powder 

Pour the oats into the blender and pulse until they're powdery.  Add frozen fruit, milk and blend until smooth.  Depending on the consistency of your fruit and how you like your smoothie, you may want to add more/less liquid.  

Do you like smoothies for breakfast?  What are your favorite recipes?  Let us know in the comments and give them a try!

Pumpkin Overnight Oats

Jess here!  A couple of weeks ago, I made some Pumpkin Overnight Oats and posted a couple of pictures on our Instagram stories (if you're not following us--you should be).  An Instagram stories poll said that folks wanted the recipe, so I figured I'd write it up.  I originally tried a Pinterest recipe, but I was disappointed with the results.  Most recipes I found were too heavy on the pumpkin and too light on the oats.  I tweaked it a few times before settling on this recipe.  It's fast, easy to prep, healthy breakfast for a busy morning.  Oh, and it's kid approved!  Mom for the win!

Here's what you'll need:

• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin (use pumpkin puree NOT pumpkin pie mix)
• 1/2 cup vanilla yogurt
• 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie seasoning
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 Mason jar or resealable container

Here's where it gets complicated, guys.  You literally just put everything except the walnuts into the jar and stir it.  Feel free to pause to snap a photo for your Instagram because you'll look like a total hipster layering stuff in a Mason jar.  Right??

Seal the jar or container and leave in the fridge overnight or at least 4 hours.  In the morning, add the chopped walnuts, stir and enjoy!

Can't beat that for a fall morning!  You can easily double or triple this and make more than one serving.  Give it a try and let us know what you think in the comments below.  Happy breakfasting!

Friday Pick-Six: 11/10/17

Here's what we are loving and living for this week!

1.  We love Food TV's resident Italian girl, Giada DeLaurentiis.  On her Holiday Handbook show, she recently featured a Chicken and Pie Party.  Kind of a weird theme idea, but these recipes sound awesome!  We especially want to try this sangria!

2.  We chose some new colors at our latest manicure and we love these!  Jess is wearing Midnight Swim and Ry has Hypnotic Dreams, both from our fave CND Shellac line!

3.  Years ago, our grandma (who is 99) gave me a signet pinky ring that she had worn since the 60's.  I finally got it sized, polished and re-engraved last week and I couldn't be happier with the results.  In fact, check the blog next week for a round-up of our favorite pinky rings! --J

4.  We are in the midst of a "Healthy Living Challenge" with our friend Michelle.  Each week is a different challenge and this week's was drinking a half-gallon of water a day.  Boy, it was HARD!  We felt like we spent most of the week in the restroom, but our skin does look good so we'll take it.  Here's an article on the benefits of water drinking!

5.  Our favorite nail polish blogger, Kindra at Essie Envy previewed the Essie 2017 Holiday Collection this week!   We want one of every one of these!

6.  How pretty is this stacking ring from one of our favorites, Kendra Scott?  Hello, Christmas List?!

What are you loving and living for this week?  Let us know in the comments below and enjoy the weekend!

Friday Pick-Six: 8/4/17

Here's what we are loving and living for this week!

1.  Do you have a spiralizer yet?  These veggie slicers are a great way to create ribbon-like strands of vegetables that you can cook up like noodles.  Hooray for eating more vegetables!  You can find some great recipes with zucchini noodles, like these summer shrimp zoodle bowls!

2.  You know we're addicted to fact masks and recently I tried this Yes to Cucumbers Buh-Bye Bags and Dark Circles Kit.  This kit comes with a cucumber cooling mask for your eyes as well as a treatment cream that you can use after the mask.  The results weren't long lasting, but I did feel like my dark circles were a little brighter than usual post-mask. --J

3.  We've talked about our love for Treat, Love Color, Essie's awesome nail treatment with a hint of color.  Lucky for us, they've come out with even more colors!  The blog EssieBuff has some swatches if you want to check out what they look like before you buy.

4.  We're not quite ready for fall fashions yet, but have still been checking out the fall new arrivals.  How cool are these leggings?  Combining black and navy is one of our tricks to looking instantly chic.

5.  We both have a love of rose gold jewelry and how adorable is this necklace from Three Sisters Jewelry?  Putting it on the Christmas list STAT!

6.  In honor of our beach vacation, here's a great article with seven cocktails that are perfect for summer parties!  We'll take one of everything, please!

What are you loving and living for this week?  Let us know in the comments below and have a great weekend!

TTO the Workout: Our Favorite DVDs

We love to get in a great Pure Barre workout or go for a run (okay, well, Jess TOLERATES going for a run), but somedays, it's just too hard to get out of the house.  One of our favorite ways to work out is using DVDs at home.  We look for workouts that are simple to understand, use little equipment (Basics like hand weights or a mat are okay) and take 30-45 minutes to complete.  We've tried SO many of these, but we thought we would share some of our favorites.  (DISCLAIMER: We are decidedly not fitness professionals, so consult your doctor and proceed as she/he sees fit!)

Tracy Anderson Method: Express: Tracy Anderson is a popular celebrity trainer who has tons of DVD options.  You've seen Tracy's handiwork with celebs like Gwyneth or JLo.  Amazing, right?   Tracy's workouts combine dance cardio (more on this later) and a combination of small weights/movements and lots of reps.  This DVD is great because it contains 6 different 10-minute workouts that target different areas.  You can choose just one, combine them (Jess likes to do arms-upper body-abs together) or do them all for one 60 minute mega workout!

The Firm: Ignite Calorie Burn: As kids, our babysitter always used to workout with The Firm DVDs.  They have tons of DVDs and feature all kinds of workouts.  We like this one because of its HIIT-style circuits.  Try and do it without sweating...not possible.

Tracy Anderson Dance + Cardio: Here's Tracy's version of cardio, which features dancing in a mostly-easy to follow format.  It is a lot of jumping around, so if you want to keep it low impact, skip this one.  We like the calorie burn here, but the music is a little lacking.  We like to add our own playlist in the background once we get the choreography down pat.

Totally Fit by Mel B: Yep, Mel B from the Spice Girls (Scary Spice) has a workout DVD and it's pretty good.  It features several different small workouts that you can combine together, including two cardio options.  It's a lot of traditional squats, lunges and such, but it's efficient and Mel is pretty darn likable.

The Barre Method Super Sculpting Workout: Yes, we are sworn Pure Barre gals, but this workout is a great at-home option.   We don't have a barre, but just use the back of a dining room chair or kitchen counter to get the same effect.

Do you workout at home with DVDs?  If so, what are your personal favorites?  Let us know in the comments below!

Friday Pick-Six: 6/16/17

Here's what we are loving and living for this week!

1.  Father's Day is Sunday!  If you still need a gift for the Dad in your life, be sure to look back at our Father's Day Gift Guide.

2. Peonies are one of our favorite flowers.  Since they're only available for a small window of time in early summer, we are always looking for ways to help them last longer.  These tips from Effortless Style Blog will definitely extend the life of your peonies!

3.  Looking for a summer beverage with a little kick?  Give Trader Joe's Organic Jalapeño Limeade a try!  It's a little spicy, a little tart and great for a hot summer day.  Also, in case you were wondering, adding a little silver Tequila takes this up a notch!

4.  We often need a snack on-the-go and want something a little healthier than a handful of Goldfish crackers (although we do love those little guys!)  One of our current favorites is Sargento Balanced Breaks.  They're pre-packaged combinations of nuts, cheese and dried fruits that all clock in around 200 calories per serving.  Our favorite flavors are Sharp White Cheddar-Cashews-Raisins and White Cheddar-Roasted Almond-Dried Cranberry.  Ry swears by grabbing one of these before hopping in the car for her drive home so she's not starving by the time she arrives.

5.  As you know, we enjoy listening to podcasts.  Lately one of our favorites has been Pod Save America.  Pals and political insiders Jon, Jon, Dan and Tommy take on all the politics of the week and tell you what you need to know.  You can also check out Pod Save the World if you want a little international info.  These two podcasts plus a new longer commute are making Ryan into a world class genius.  Try them and see if they do the same for you!

6.  Summer time means ice cream as far as we are concerned.  For all the times you want something a little healthier than Dairy Queen, try Halo Top Creamery!  Their delicious ice cream is low calorie, low sugar and high protein, so you don't have to feel bad about eating the whole carton!  Ryan's favorites are Mint Chip and Salted Caramel and Jess can't wait to try Birthday Cake.

What are you loving and living for this week?  Let us know in the comments below and have a great weekend!