Monday Munchies!

UPDATE since last month:

Since starting my new diet/workout regiment, I have lost 8 pounds. Even though it's only a few pounds, I already feel healthier and happier. I have a lot more energy and I am actually able to fall asleep at night, as well as waking up well rested.

I haven't been working out as much as I would like to due to schoolwork and getting back in the swing of things, but I have made a more concerted effort to take those few extra steps, take the stairs and walk to more places instead of drive.

I have tried to be more conscientious of the foods that I'm putting in my body and reduce the amount of preservatives and processed food in my diet.




I'm excited to be starting a new posting series called Monday Munchies, where the second and fourth Monday of each month I will be sharing health conscious recipes or healthy alternatives to otherwise heavier dishes.

This one has been one of my favorites on a consistent basis:


For lunch I made a sandwich on wheat bread from Weight Watchers. I used low sodium and 97% fat free turkey lunch meat, with one slice of low fat cheese and replaced mayo with avocado, add lettuce and tomato and you've already got a great portion of your produce requirements covered for the day.

As a side I had a salad with blueberries. I also usually include strawberries, with low fat yogurt dressing. Not only is it healthy, but it's actually SUPER tasty.

Sticking to a diet of mostly produce, at least at lunch time, will help you keep

New Stage, New Me..So Healthy

Prior to coming to college, I had a pretty healthy diet and a really strict exercise regiment. Perhaps being in high school allowed for extra activities like varsity sports and extra time throughout the day to exercise. However, being undergraduate changed all that for me. From the school meal plan, to a more sedentary life style filled with studying, I was making choices that made me more unhealthy. I'm not only unhappy with the actual weight gain, but with the lack of energy I have.

Since I'm starting law school, I've made the decision with the new stage in my life I'm going to start evoking some healthier habits. With the workload increasing, I'm not going to try to create unrealistic goals or expectations. A lifestyle change will take time and dedication, but I'm ready to make that change.

I've set the goal of:

• Working out at least 3 times during the week days, and once a weekend for at least 30 minutes; my goal is to increase it as time progresses, 
• Cut out sugary drinks and other snack foods
• Restrict going out to eat to once a week
• Lastly, to try to incorporate at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables into my daily diet. 

I've started to cut out junk food and sugars a few weeks ago and already lost a few pounds. As I'm going through the diet change and dining in more, I will be posting new recipes weekly that I'm trying that are low in fat and sugar, and filled with more produce. In addition, I will be posting progress on my goals and how it is going. I will be honest when I cheat, because owning up to errors will make it easier to overcome them. 

I want to take control of my life and my health while I'm still young and can make meaningful change. 

Here's to a better, healthier and happier life!

Get The Look for Less

As most college students can attest to, spending tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of dollars can be impossible with many students taking that same amount into student debt to finance their education. Being broke and surviving on Ramen Noodles does not mean your sense of style has to suffer.

This post is to point out a few of the ways you can finance your wardrobe for less:

1. Rent the Runway...I'm in LOVE with this website. I will never way the same dress more than once, and now I don't have to pay full price for each dress, in addition to the fact that the dresses you can rent can be worth thousands of dollars.

For example, this Herve Leger dress was seen on 90210's character Naomi:

Herve Leger Sunset Ombre Dress

Retail Price: $1,500, RTR Price: $150

When I went on their website, this particular style was sold out, but a one shoulder version is still available here

2. SALES, SALES, SALES

Huge holiday sales (Easter, Mother's Day, Christmas, etc.) Retailers are all looking for their cut of the pie so they'll lower their prices to get people at least in the door and hope they'll make it out positive. Keep an eye out around these times for better than usual deals. Also check places like Nordstrom Rack, TJ Maxx, etc. for designer clothes at rock bottom prices. These websites often have sales to try to get rid of a lot of their excess inventory. 

3. Coupons and deal sites

Your mom's coupons are NOT outdated and can save you a ton of money. Some stores will offer you better coupons if you have their credit cards (Macy's, Victoria's Secret, etc.) Just be weary of taking on too much debt, so if you decide to open a store card, make sure you choose wisely. 

Also check out places like retailmenot.com for coupon codes when ordering online. Living Social even has sales going on for Neiman Marcus Last Call where you get $50 credit for $25 bucks. Use the code EXTRA 10 to bring it down to $22.

4. When shopping in-store ask for student/AAA discounts

You'd be surprised the number of stores that will give you discounts when showing a student ID or triple A card. Designer shops like Guess, J.Crew, Ann Taylor, Asos, Juicy Couture, Ralph Lauren Rugby, other websites sponsored by UniDays, etc. 

If you pay for a Triple A subscription check what deals are available online and in your area here

Fall into Fashion

Hi everyone,
I know it's been a while. Been a busy transition back to school after moving back from Germany. I also was without a computer for a while which made it a little difficult to blog. SO after a long time away get ready for some quality stuff on fashion, internship search and interview tips.

I know here at MU we're on midterm week and the last thing you want to think about is trying to polish up that resume (again). So on a lighter note some CUTE fashion finds.

As mentioned in my previous post, one of the IN colors for this summer is Oxblood, or as most people call it burgundy. It's not too late to wear dresses on the warmer days. One of this week's picks come from etsy user SophiaClothing. I definitely recommend you check out ALL of her products. They're all beautifully handmade!

Accentuate your waste with a belt like shown in the picture, although I would choose more of a neutral or pale belt to highlight the depth and richness of the red. This belt set from Style & Co (available at Macy's) includes both the pewter and crocodile belt for under $25! Although I would definitely save the crocodile one for a different day.

Moving into your more wintery weather, it's time to snuggle up with sweaters, leggings and boots! I must admit though that there aren't too many stores out with their GREAT sweaters yet. One of my favorite mall stores, NY & Co, is one having a great sale and two is always looking classy.

To the right is their Chiffon Trim Open Cardigan, which is currently on sale. Just because it's after labor day does not mean the stark white sweaters need to go out. Pair it with the stone bib electric
coral necklace from ShopGlobalThreads.Com. For just under $40 you can be ready to take on the winter season with some warmth and versatile pieces.

Anyways, I hope you all have a had a great start to fall and keep reading as I ACTUALLY post more.



HAPPY SHOPPING!

Gruss Gott! - Hiking in the Alps and the Rest of My German Trip

So a few weekends ago we drove down to Southern Bavaria -- near the Swiss border to a popular vacation spot, similar to many East Coast ski villages, called Oberstdorf. The traditional Bavarian village had all the essentials: ski and hiking shops, restaurants, cafes and of course some local bars.

Settled at the base of one of Gemany's tallest mountains, hiking was not about to be a walk in the park. This meant I had to do the unthinkable: buy ugly hiking shoes (I know I'm sorry, please forgive me). My hike on the Saturday before the Fourth of July was in the ball park range of 27 km or 17 miles. 

I also was able to ride the Gondola to the top of Germany's second tallest mountain. 

Also, I did a quick trip to Hamburg and Papenburg (a ship building town near the North Sea). 

The rivers that run throughout the city, remind me a bit of Venice. Off to the right you can see a floating restaurant that was still full despite the rainy weather.

Below: The Hamburg Town Hall 

The shopping in Hamburg is very much like Beverly Hills, with the exclusive shops such as Versace and Gucci. Most laughable is that Abercrombie and Fitch found a home in the same neighborhood (the punchline is that they have people believing their clothing is worth money). 

The following day, we went to Papenburg, which is where they build a number of cruiseships, like the most recent Celebrity Cruiseline boats, and NCL, such as the Gem, Jewel and Jade. Crazily enough, they build the cruise ship room by room and then put it together on top of steel frames. 

New Celebrity Ship that is set to be complete at the end of this month! The first tour should be later this fall! Behind the end of new Celebrity ship, crews have already begun working on a new NCL ship. 

On an unrelated note: I just joined ZipCar at my college's campus and they're offering a special now for $25.00 of free driving credit when you sign up. Just click the photo below and enjoy! 

Whirlwhind Past Few Weeks

Hi Everyone!
Sorry I've been REALLY bad at keeping up with my blog! It's been super busy working 40+ hour work weeks and all the travelling I've been doing. A few weekends ago, I went to Cologne, one of Germany's oldest cities and Europe's busiest shopping city.
I stopped by some of my favorites: Gina Tricot....Tommy Hilfiger.... Swavorski.....Lacoste....and Louis Vuitton :D Along with some  German shops....Vero Moda and Jack and Jones.

Koln Dom (Cologne Cathedral)

Another one of Cologne's beautiful sights and one of the oldest, the Dom is beautiful. To climb to the top of the bell tower on the right side is more than 500 steps. The church was built over the ruins from the Roman era (I'm talking BC people) and parts of it are still visible when visiting the catacombs of the church. I've added some photos of the beautiful stained glass windows, some of which were around Pre-WWII and others which had to be replaced following the war. Interestingly enough, the Allies used the bell towers as aerial markers during their 

We finished off this shopping spree at Wapianos. A delicious Italian Restaurant. One of the really cool watches that was available at the Lacoste store....If only they had one in upstate New York.

Anyways I'll be posting about the past few weeks in multi series posts. Give me your feedback below!

Euro Fashion Commentary #1

In America, we love our JEANS. Yes we have wrangler's and levis. We probably could argue that we invented them. But aside from the US, Europeans have also taken a special liking to this material we call denim. The denim is always tight and fades on the front and back of the thighs are very important and essential to style. We may think that we splurge on a pair of jeans here, but some of the price tickets here for jeans are pushing towards outrageous.

I will NOT be posting such blasphemy on my blog. We will be going with some middle of the line prices :).

The first store I'd like to take a look at is Gina Tricot. The store is mostly in Northern Europe, although it does have some locations here in Germany.

The fading on the back of the jeans is a true indicator of Euro style. 

Now leggings have been a staple in European fashion. This next pair are in fact jeans but still resemble the dear safety net of leggings. These are just 60 Euro and are offered in black and white. I picked the white, since white pants are IN this summer. 

Neutrals are also very important to the fashion here. You won't see too many people walking around in retro 80's Gaper jackets that were purchased at goodwill in an attempt to be non-conformist. ANYWAYS, these colored jeans I believe reflect that aspect of their fashion. They have color but aren't too over the top.

The next store i would like to pay tribute to is Vero Moda. Vero Moda is a sister brand to other Euro favorites like Jack and Jones, Only and pieces. While these jeans are pastels, they also show another popular trend that I've noticed here....ankle zip jeans. Granted not revolutionary, but cute none the less!

I tried to find a picture that highlights the zipper more, but unfortunately this was the best that I could come up with. You can see the one for the left leg if you look carefully! What I also liked about these jeans was that they were a little more high waisted. It also reflects how the fashion in general here is more on the conservative side. 

More fashion commentaries coming soon!

XOXO

P.S. I would appreciate it if you all stopped by my friend Gianni Blu's Music page! His brand new EP single just dropped last week on iTunes. https://www.facebook.com/GianniBluMusic