Extra Elle: My Disney Weekend!

Is it Monday already? Normally, I'm pretty positive about Mondays, but not today because I don't want my weekend to end! It seriously flew by and mine even started early. So unless you were taking a social media break, I'm hoping you saw all of my Snaps, Insta stories, check ins, and pics of my trip to Walt Disney World. I had the best time. Let's recap!

I started off with a Spirit Airlines flight to Orlando. I had heard lots of negative reviews, but I had a great flight. No complaints and the staff was hilarious. It was an hour flight, though, so no complaints from me.

Some like to park hop, but I usually just hit up the Magic Kingdom. Enjoy my pics:

Dole Whip!

Afternoon Starbucks

day 1! I don't wear makeup at Disney. I'm wearing a MM shirt.

Day 1 ended early with drinks and fireworks on the beach at the Polynesian resort.

Day 2! Huge Orange bird fan!

Citrus Swirl--you can only get these at Magic Kingdom, not Disneyland

Character lunch with Eeyore, Pooh, Tigger, and Piglet 

Day 2! Pink ears for the day!

This day I finished at the Skipper Canteen for dinner. I was going to meet up with a blog reader, but I kept missing her! She was there for her gender reveal. She's having a boy! I stayed until the park closed!

Day 3 was a quick MK run and then to Disney Springs for shopping. I was hoping to have time off to meet up with fellow Orlando bloggers, but just not enough time. And then it was time to go home. Back to Atlanta and the Falcons losing the Superbowl. I enjoyed Gaga's performance.

I had a great time. It was nice to have a break from the anger and politics I encounter online. It was just what I needed. I'm hoping to get caught up on blogs and emails soon!

I’m Changing My Life

So...

I did a thing.

A big thing.

I decided to take control of my health. I am on a quest to lose weight. 

But before we get into how, let's talk about my weight loss story:

I've lost weight in the past, but then I'd get back into old habits and back the weight would come. Even when I thought I was eating healthy, I don't think I was. My portions would be too large or too small. I'd skip meals. Also, I always lost weight for others (weddings, to please people, etc,) because my weight never bothered me; it bothered other people. 

But this year, I could see how choosing a non-healthy food lifestyle was going to hurt me in the long run. I was tired all of the time. My knee started to hurt going up stairs--I am constantly going and down stairs at work as a nanny. What if I couldn't keep up with the kids? What if they ran faster than me and I couldn't catch them, protecting them from danger? Reasons like those are why I decided to get healthy, to lose weight for myself and myself only.

I'm changing my life, and I've chosen Jenny Craig to help me.

Jenny Craig is a clinically proven weight-loss program designed to provide structure and support to help members lose weight and learn how to keep it off. That is exactly what I'm looking for!

The program takes a holistic approach to weight loss and weight management, focusing on food, body and mind. Jenny Craig members can expect to lose an average of 1-2 pounds per week, which is a healthy range of weight loss. 

Jenny Craig features prepared food, which is delicious by the way, portioned out perfectly. It features a meal plan, leaving the guesswork out of what to eat and how much. You add your own fruits and veggies. You get breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert. Pictured below is about a week's worth of food, minus the extra fruits and veggies that I add in.

Here's why I chose Jenny Craig--I don't like to cook. At all. I come from a family of amazing cooks, but I'm not one of them. I work long hours, come home and then work until midnight on my blog, waking up at 6 and working on blog stuff until my day job. It's easier for me get something from a restaurant than cook. Or eat a sandwich. Or cereal. Or be too tired to eat dinner and then wake up starving.

I don't like leftovers, either, to be honest. With Jenny Craig, there are over 100 options to choose from, created by 40 professional chefs. I like variety. Pictured above is the yummy chicken fajita bowl. There's no fork in the pic because I'm not sharing! ;)

I was worried I'd be hungry, but that hasn't been the case at all. Yummy options, like this cheddar popcorn help with that! 

Here's another dessert--sweet things are my weakness and I'm glad I don't have to give them up. This cupcake was so delicious, y'all. I'm happy to report the food is truly delicious and satisfying. 

Another reason I chose Jenny Craig--the amazing support system and knowledge from their consultants. I've tried to figure out weight loss stuff on my own, but I've failed. I was kind of embarrassed about losing weight and didn't want to make it this big THING, so in typical ME fashion, I kept it all to myself and didn't ask for help. I finally realized it's okay to get help from others. 

At Jenny Craig, they've made personal support the cornerstone of their program for 30 years. Every member is paired with a dedicated consultant who provides them with one-on-one support to identify their challenges and goals, and helps them to create unique weekly meal and activity plans.

Here I am meeting with my consultant, Ashley. She is a doll! Each week, she works with me on my menu, discusses any challenges from the previous week and determines a plan for the week ahead. Like for this week, I am currently working on drinking more water. I'm not where I want to be, but I'm doing better than last week! She also keeps track of my success with weekly weigh-ins and is teaching me how to self-monitor. She's been so helpful. I don't feel alone in this. I can call anytime I have a question. The staff has been so wonderful!

Don't live near a Jenny Craig center? They offer one-on-one support through consultations over the phone or via video chat!

I have been so pleased with Jenny Craig--enough that one of my friends has signed up too! I am not starving all of the time like I used to be, I have energy now, and I'm learning how to portion and make better food choices. I'm learning about incorporating more activity into my day. Losing weight is the icing on the cupcake...that I have occasionally! ;)

I plan on doing another post on my progress, but let me know if you'd like to see more posts about my journey!

If you're interested in checking out Jenny Craig, click here! 

Thanks for the support, y'all!

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

What's In My Bag?

Y'all, I love a What's In My Bag post. Do you? It's like I can secretly be nosey since it's all laid out there.  But to be fair, I'm sharing mine today. It's been over a year since I've shared what's in my bag. And while I don't have a ton of stuff, there's quite a bit! Let's take a peek, shall we?

What's In My Bag--September--Starting on the left hand side going clockwise-ish in a spiral:

Black quilted bag with fluffy key chain thing (official name). Key chain also serves as toy for my pup Charlie

DIY Makeup Refreshing Spray--This must have fallen out of my makeup bag onto the floor in my car, so I threw it in here to take it back inside

Lip Balm--I'm trying to use up my many lip balms up

YSL Elle Sees Lip Stain--Because I always wanted my blog name on my own makeup. I wish this was my own creation! #goals

Sunglasses--because I always need them

Hair elastics--There was a clip, which I prefer, but apparently it was broken when I dumped out my bag for this post. Luckily I have these!

Let's zoom in closer:

Tin of solid perfume--I took an old lip balm tin and converted it to solid perfume. It's better than having a bottle leak in my bag.

Embryolisse cream--Just shared this on this post. I tend to use this on my hands when it's in my bag, but as a primer or even a mask when at home. But I only put lotion on the tops on my hands. Is that weird?

S6 Phone--#teamdroid, baby! Okay, I'm like the only one who is.

Frends Ear Buds--These are in their natural state of tangledness. No matter what hack I use or suggestion, they end up back like this.

Pink & White Striped Planner with Pen--to write down blog ideas and plan them! I don't do the stickers or anything cute; just the pen and paper.

My Business card--I still get shy giving these out!

Wallet--Contents are self-explanatory on this, right? This is in the bottom left corner.

Moisturizer/Skin Brightener with SPF--Usually put this on my face in the am but keep it in my bag for my hands and arms. Really good stuff. More info soon.

Let's zoom all the way in!

Random contact lens--My question: Where is the other one?

Lipstick--in a classic good ol' nude shade

Earrings--Did you know that you're supposed to remove the plastic disks on these? I keep them on anyway.

Mints--that fell out...no idea where the container went

Earplugs--because I'm the world's lightest sleeper and they are AMAZING for ear pressure

Penny--My late Daddy collected rare coins and would get onto ya if you didn't pick up a penny off the ground. I've always associated pennies with him and have even more stories. This one was found on the table after my nephew's birthday. Say what you will, but to me, it means he was there.

ZonePerfect bar in Chocolate Mint--Because I need to keep the "hangries" at bay. Y'all know what I'm talking about! These are really tasty and I got mine at the pharmacy section at Walmart. Sometimes I need that emergency snack when I'm stuck in Atlanta traffic, y'all. They come in other flavors, too, but this is the one I grab the most often.

Any bag surprises?

What's in your bag?

PS: I posted yesterday--did you see it?

I have been compensated by ZonePerfect for this post; however, I am sharing my own thoughts. All opinions are my own.

#ZonePerfectLittleWins #LittleWins

How To: Orange Creamsicle Nails

What are your favorite summer treats? I have a few, and creamsicles are right up there. I have fond memories of getting them from the ice cream truck. And the orange sunny color makes me think of summer too. Today I'm using that treat as my inspiration for my nails.

You'll Need-

• clear base coat (to protect natural nail)
• white polish
• orange polish
• cosmetic sponge
• matte top coat
• paper plate, toothpick, optional polishes for color match, optional peel off base coat
• polish remover

You'll Do--

• After letting the base coat dry, paint nails white. Allow to dry fully.
• TIP: Try 2 coats
• Optional TIP, but it makes clean up SO MUCH easier, is to apply a peel-off base coat AROUND the nail. Once you have finished the tutorial, just peel away the dried peel-off polish. It works!! You can use eyelash glue or watered down Elmer's Glue, but I suggest Sally Hansen, as pictured.
• On the paper plate, dip out some of the orange polish.
• TIP: If you're crazy dedicated to matching the creamsicle exactly, mix in a little yellow and white. Use a toothpick to mix.
• Using a cosmetic sponge (you can find these at any drugstore or beauty store) dip the corner into the orange polish. Press onto the top of the nail and lift up. Repeat this dabbing motion to near bottom of the nail. The bottom should be left white. The nail should be darkest at the top and fade towards the bottom.
• TIP: No one ever mentions this in nail tutorials, but dampening the sponge before dipping into polish really helps.
• Once dried, apply a matte top coat to closer mimic the matte look of the creamsicle. It helps with the ombe effect as well. If you applied the peel-off around the nails, peel it off.
• TIP: If you went too far with the orange, simply use another corner and dip into white polish and fix any mistakes.

Repeat for all nails or use as an accent nail. TIP: Do not hold the creamsicle for a picture. They say not to work with children and animals. I'm adding popsicles to this list! ;)

More Nail Ideas:

• Donut Sprinkle Nails
• Flash Tattoo Nails
• Glitter Heart Nails
• Zodiac Constellation Nails
• Candy Nails
• and more! 

Extra Elle:

• Oven is fixed! I tried baking cookies and...well...after 20 min they were still not cooked through. Still ate a few though!
• Saw the documentary on Amy Winehouse--so heartbreaking! Like many of us, addiction runs in my family, so I wanted to understand why and how it happens. 
• Y'ALL! I have so many giveaways--these are just a small way to thank YOU for stopping by.
• $100 JCPenney Gift Card
• Urban Decay Naked Smoky Palette
• IT Cosmetics Palette
• $100 Jockey Gift Card

On Making My Life A Little More Sweet

I admit it: I can be awful at taking time for myself. I think many of us are that way, right? Life is just so busy, and we are constantly giving ourselves to others, that we just forget or think about taking time to enjoy ourselves like we should. Here's one example: I wake up early, get started on my blog stuff, and then I'm off to work. I go from one activity to another, and it doesn't stop there. I'm a nanny and am usually chasing after two little ones. Since my day is very occupied, it'll be almost lunch and I'll realize I've forgotten breakfast. Or it will be later in the day and I'll find myself tired, reaching for a less-healthy snack alternative. It leaves me unable to be the person I want to be or be as great as I know I can be. But I've decided to change all of that.

I've made a conscious effort to try and add more "sweet" to my life. These are just little things that are making a huge difference. Here are just a couple of things: I'm using a timer to remind myself to get off of the computer and stretch. I've started making spinach smoothies--think spinach, Greek yogurt, a little ice, or maybe some protein powder. The iron in the spinach has really helped my low-energy levels, and I love choosing something that's healthier for me. I'll mix it up and add different fruits, but what I love is to add more greens, like kale, romaine, and celery.

And I finish it off by sprinkling a packet of Born Sweet™ Zing™ Zero Calorie Stevia Sweetener. I love this stuff! It’s perfect for mixing into coffee, tea, and other favorite drinks. It's made with only real ingredients-- nothing artificial, with the sweetness extracted from Mother Nature’s stevia plant! In fact, 1 packet equals the sweetness in 2 teaspoons of sugar. It turns my spinach smoothies into a delicious sweetening experience.

By making these little changes, like my spinach smoothie, I can be assured that my personal “sweet” bliss isn’t pushed to the back burner by a busy schedule. And now I want YOU to try some for yourself! 

ADD ZING™ TO YOUR LIFE!  Give your taste buds something new and amaZING to be excited about -- try new Zing™ Zero Calorie Stevia Sweetener for yourself! Visit www.zingstevia.com to request a Free Sample of Zing™ Zero Calorie Stevia Sweetener, plus a $1.50 Coupon. Look for Zing™ in the Sweetener Aisle at mass merchandiser and grocery stores nationwide.

 

And now you have a chance to add a little more sweetness to your day with a giveaway for a $100 Visa gift card! To enter for a chance to win, leave a comment below letting me know which one of your favorite beverages are you most excited to mix Zing™ Zero Calorie Stevia Sweetener into first?

 

Entry Instructions:

No duplicate comments.

You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:

1. Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post
2. Tweet (public message) about this promotion; including exactly the following unique term in your tweet message: “#SweepstakesEntry”; and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post
3. Blog about this promotion, including a disclosure that you are receiving a sweepstakes entry in exchange for writing the blog post, and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post
4. For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.

This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older (or nineteen (19) years of age or older in Alabama and Nebraska). Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. The notification email will come directly from BlogHer via the sweeps@blogher email address. You will have 2 business days to respond; otherwise a new winner will be selected.

The Official Rules are available here.

This sweepstakes runs from 3/25/15 – 4/21/15.

Be sure to visit the Zing™ Zero Calorie Stevia Sweetener brand page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ posts!

 

DIY Snickerdoodles Sugar Scrub

Hey you! How was your weekend? Mine was spent cleaning, shopping, and...baking! Yes--I am the world's worst cook, but managed to bake some yummy Snickerdoodles cookies to remind me of fall, even though it's 90 outside. I love that cinnamon-sugar scent and remembered that I haven't made my Snickerdoodles Sugar Scrub in forever--okay, since last year. It smells amazing and is an excellent exfoliating treat. The best parts about this diy? No calories and it takes just minutes to make. I hope you try it!

National Candy Month Nails With Q-tips!

Here's a little fun fact for ya: June is National Candy Month! To celebrate, Q-Tips once again teamed up with celeb nail tech Kimmie Kyees for some delicious nail designs. And Q-Tips sent me the best goodie bag of fun things to recreate her nail designs. All of these designs are easy to do, and they don't require any fancy nail tools--just use Q-Tips Precision Tips. I love these and have 29 Uses for Q-Tips and consider them one of my must-have beauty tools. Check out my recreations of her yummy manis that are so cute for summer:

First up are Silly Stripes. I chose an orange polish, similar to the candies pictured above. I also used a white polish and a matte top coat.

After my orange polish dried, I poured out a bit of white onto a paper plate. I took the Q-Tips Precision Tips and twisted them to make my own nail striper. It really worked! Just trim any bits if needed. I dipped my "striper" into the white polish to create the shine lines of the candies. Tip: I find it easiest to slowly move your finger and hold the striper still. Once that dried, I added a matte top coat.

I love how these mimic the colors of a candy necklace! For Candy Tips, I used a blue polish, a pink polish, and a glitter polish with similar colors as the candy necklace.

I painted the blue and allowed to it dry. And then the pink on the tips (it's not showing that well in the pics). I used the Q-Tips to dab on the glitter. The Precision Tips absorb the polish, making the glitter easy to apply!

These Sassy Sprinkles are so cute and fun (I did a similar sprinkles nails design here). And they are so quick! Paint nails white and while nails are drying, pour out a little of red, green, yellow, and blue polishes. Just like in the first design, make a striper out of a Q-Tip. Then dip into the polish and stripe on your "sprinkles."

I love how these Seeing Dots look like candy dots! I used white, blue, green, yellow, and pink polishes. Add a paper plate and some Q-Tips, and you're set!

After my white coat dried, I dipped a Q-tip into my desired color (I followed the pattern of the candy dots) and dabbed a column of that color. And then I repeated for the rest of the polishes. No nail art tools needed. To complete the look for designs 2-4, I added a clear top coat. Thanks Q-Tips for the polishes and candy, and thanks Kimmie for the step-by-step guide!

More Q-Tips posts:

• 29 Beauty Uses for Q-tips
• Easy Nail Art With Kimmie Kyees & Q-Tips

*This post is NOT sponsored.

Toast It and Post It With Tiziano! Win The Ultimate Party!

I love to entertain, and yesterday I had a little get together with three of my girlfriends. All of us are big UGA football fans, and the UGA vs. FL game is one of the biggest of the year, so it was a perfect occasion. I didn't want it to be a like a regular football party. I wanted it to be a relaxed, fun evening, with light hor d'oeuvres. Luckily, Tiziano Wine sent me some Piniot Grigio and Prosecco to try. They've got an awesome contest going on, which I'll get to in a moment. Onto the party! This took me a few minutes to prepare and I was able to do this very inexpensively.

First, I started with decor. I used autumn as my inspiration, and purchased these cute napkins and plates that were on clearance. I grabbed an autumn mix of flowers for a couple of dollars, and used a wine decanter as my vase, fitting with the Tiziano wines! I used trays from the dollar store to display the food.

For food, I served filo cups strawberry cream topped with a strawberry slice, and cups with black pepper and chive cream cheese. There were crackers and cheese cubes, which went well with the Tiziano Pinot Grigio. Of course, there had to be a reference to the South, with boiled peanuts. Have you ever had them? I also had veggies and hummus. I purchased mini brownies that I topped with sea salt for dessert. The brownies were a perfect companion to the Tiziano Prosecco.

Pinot, cheese, crackers

Sea Salt brownies and Prosecco

Food and drinks!

We all loved the Pinot and the Prosecco from Tiziano. They were delicious! The latter received the highest score in the entire sparkling wine category! You can find where to purchase Tiziano here.

About to start the party! And time for dessert!

But what about the game? After a great lead in the beginning, it became a nail-biter at the end. Luckily, the Dawgs squeaked by and WE WON! Charlie was worn out at the end, as you can see in the bottom right photo. Also, note me supposed to be smiling, but distracted, as usual!

How they arrived--so gorgeously packaged! 

My #TiztheMoment wine stopper, and info on the contest!

Tiziano has a contest called Toast It and Post It, that ends on November 7, so HURRY! All you have to do is follow @TizianoWines on Instagram and post a photo of your favorite Tiziano Wine Moment on Ig or FB. Be sure to hashtag #TiztheMoment. And that's it! Extra points are given for featuring Tiziano in the photo.

So what are you waiting for? 

Post your favorite Tiziano Wine moment and good luck! 

Contest ends November 7!

DIY: Cupake Bath Bombs

Hey you! Happy weekend to us! I actually have a busy weekend ahead of me, and I'm excited! But if I get a chance to relax, I'll be using one of these sweet treats in my bath: cupcake bath bombs! While I've shared lots of bath bomb recipes on the blog before, these are one of my most-requested by
my friends, and they're so easy!
Enjoy.

N e e d:

• 1/4 c citric acid (try Whole Foods or online)
• 2 1/2 c baking soda
• 1 c Epsom salt
• witch hazel or water
• cupcake liners
• cupcake pan
• optional: soap colorant, essential oils, eggs for meringue "frosting", icing bag with tip

D o:

Add dry ingredients and mix well.

Then add soap colorants (won't stain like food coloring can. I got mine at Michaels) 

and essential oils. Mix these thoroughly.

Lightly spray mixture with witch hazel or water until it starts to stick together.

If you spray too much, it'll fizz.

Add liners to the pan.

I like using a pan because it will help the cupcakes keep their shape.

Allow these to try at least overnight.

I kept these in my car to dry. :)

Add garnish of meringue. 

I used an icing decorating bag from the dollar store.

Pop in the tub and let it fizz!

T r y:

• These make great gifts!
• Be careful if your skin is sensitive to citric acid (like mine). I would suggest gloves when mixing.
• If you don't have citric acid, use cream of tartar instead. 
• Please click the DIY tab at the top of this page for more ideas!
• For more bath bomb recipes that I've shared, search "bath bomb" in the handy search box on the left-hand side. 

Have a great weekend. Be safe, behave, and be well. Love, Elle

Click to enter my Mason Pearson Hairbrush giveaway!