Treat Yourself Tuesday # 6

I am linking up with Becky over at Olives 'n' Wine for a Treat Yourself Tuesday. You can treat yourself in a number of ways such as buying yourself a little treat or clothing item, or even something like a day relaxing at the beach! Here is what I treated myself to recently.

A new look for my potted porch plant. Okay, maybe this isn't a treat to some people, but it was definitely a face lift for my porch, therefore, I consider it a treat! I found an old trestle (I think this is the correct word) laying around the backyard so I cleaned it up and had my hubby cut it down a bit. Then I painted it and 'Wala'! Now my plant might actually grow.

I ordered some more of these bad boys... They are so addicting and good! Great healthy on the go meal alternative.

I checked the lulu lemon website (awful idea, never again) Monday morning and saw this shirt went on sale. Since I had eyed it earlier this month, I had to get it.

And AdvoCare recently announced a new summer promotional Spark flavor so you better believe I ordered a box of these as soon as possible! The green apple spark is definitely one of my favorite flavors now and I'm really hoping that I can buy these in canisters sometime soon.... please advocare?! =)

That's it for me..... Have a great Tuesday everyone & make sure to treat yourself to something nice every once in awhile!

What's on the Menu # 3

Happy Monday everyone. Don't you just love Monday's? I sure don't.... especially after this past weekend that was full of junk food! I had Chick Fil A, Papa John's, and In N Out..... need I say more?

I'm in a much needed detox mode this week....who's with me? Here is what's on the menu this week for dinners.... All of these recipes are Advocare Friendly.... HEALTHY & CLEAN! =)

Monday: Sweet & Sour Chicken: I haven't tried this one before but it looks really good! My boys are napping now so after I'm done blogging, I am going to start marinating the chicken. I will serve the chicken over brown rice.

Tuesday: Zucchini Ravioli w/Ground Turkey & Spinach: Again, I haven't tried this one before (my husband is going to be so happy that I'm making new meal options!) but it caught my eye!

Wednesday: Leftovers. Mason has a swim class at 4:30 on Wednesday's so I will probably not feel like making a gourmet meal - leftovers it is!

Thursday: Andrew has a hockey game around dinner time so the kids and I will have some brown rice pasta with a clean marinara sauce before we go watch daddy play. Quick and easy!

Friday: Turkey Burgers w/ Grilled Veggies: Veggies on the BBQ are amazing!!! We have turkey burgers a lot around our house. To season our burgers, I use a little of the following: salt, pepper, lemon pepper, garlic powder, and Worcestershire sauce!

Saturday: Not 100% sure yet depending on our weekend plans, but if we are around the house, I will make a chicken stir fry..... this recipe is amazing! And if we aren't home, I will have the healthiest option available =)

Sunday: Lemon Garlic Chicken Bake: I haven't tried this recipe yet but I love lemon and garlic so it has to be tasty. I will serve this with some veggie - broccoli probably.

I hope everyone enjoys their week and makes healthy eating choices! =)

June 2014 Stitch Fix Review # 3

It's that time of the month again.... STITCH FIX!! To say I'm addicted is an understatement. This fix that I received looked a lot better than what it turned out to be..... a little disappointing. If you want to read about how Stitch Fix works, head over to my first Stitch Fix post which explains the process in detail. If you want to create your style profile and get started now click here!

When I opened the box, I saw right away that I got a statement necklace, what I had requested!

[one] Bay to Baubles Mumford Beaded Ombre Collar Necklace. This necklace was too chunky and bulky for me. I also wasn't fond of the color and style. It's definitely not a necklace I would feel comfortable wearing on a daily basis, which is what I had requested. 

Verdict: Sent Back 

[two] Under Skies Jasmine Pleat Detail Floral Print Blouse. I loved the floral print and vibrant colors of this shirt. Since the weather has been so hot lately, I was so happy it was a tank top! This looks great with skinny jeans, or you could wear it with darker jean shorts for a more casual summer look. My only complaint about this shirt would be that the fit of the top is sort of "blah", meaning the front just goes straight down. It was too cute to pass up though! 

Verdict: Kept 

[three] Pomelo Lana Lace Detail V-Neck Tank. I was excited that I got another tank top however this top is not my style. I loved the lace idea of the top, however, the detail of the lace was a little to fancy looking for my liking (if that even makes sense). Cute idea though. 

Verdict: Sent Back

[four] Renee C Tucker Printed Split-Back Tank. Again, I was so excited I got yet another tank and I LOVED this pattern. The back of the tank was awesome too! My complaint with this top was it fit a little too snug in the chest, was a little too short in the front, and went up too high on my neck...haha okay, I guess I'm making it sound like I really disliked this shirt..... Honestly though, I probably would have kept it if I had tons of money for clothes. 

Verdict: Sent Back 

[five] Under Skies Aiden Embroidered Hem Woven Top. NOT MY STYLE! Stitch Fix, what were you thinking? That's all I have to say about this shirt. Of course, this was the cheapest item in my fix, which I thought was totally bizarre and strange considering the amount of material on this shirt far surpassed all the fabric on my other tops combined. 

Verdict: Sent Back, fast!

Well, my overall opinion of Stitch Fix has changed slightly over the last three fixes I received. I love the idea of it and get so excited when my fix is being shipped, however, it's too expensive. All of the items I received were around $50-$60, which is way more than I would ever spent on an everyday shirt. I guess this is a great idea for rich women or women who like to spend money on clothes. They do seem to be great quality clothing items! I will most likely continue on this craze for awhile because it's so much fun, but maybe not monthly. =) 

For more fun reviews including my new Lipsense love and Fire n Ice blog post, follow me at https://www.whittneyhills.com

DIY Diaper Cake

I made my first diaper cake this past weekend..... CAKE - literally, it was easy! Since it was so easy, why not share a "how to" tutorial? Enjoy!

Supplies Needed:

• Anywhere from 45-60 diapers - depending on the size cake you want & spacing you use between your diapers: I used Pampers sensitive swaddlers since they have basically no print 
• Rubber bands (lots)
• Glue gun or double sided tape
• Optional: 14" round cardboard cake board to set cake on
• Decorating supplies

****You will notice below that my instructional pictures are using Huggies diapers. I made the cake with Huggies first, but then decided to use the Pampers because the cake looked 100x better with no designs on the diapers. 

Steps: 

1. Roll one diaper (printed "front" side facing inward) and rubber band it together. Repeat 2 more times for a total of 3 rolled diapers. These will be your "centers" for each of the cake layers.
    
   
   
    
   
2. Stack 5 diapers, one on top of the other, on the ground equal distance apart so they are layered on top of each other. 
   
   
   
3. Roll the first banded diaper over the stack and rubber band it together. Repeat this step approximately 5 or 6 times for the bottom base. 
• Note: On the last few rolls, my rubber bands broke so I tied two rubber bands together and wrapped it around the cake once. This held up perfectly fine.
  
  
  
  
  
  
4.  Repeat step # 3 for the middle and top cake layers. I did this step 3 times for the middle layer and once for the top layer. I used about 25-30 diapers for the bottle layer, 15-20 for the middle layer, and 5-10 for the top layer (all depends on the size you want and the count will also vary depending on the spacing between your diapers). 

   Once you have completed steps 1 through 4, you are done with building the diaper cake. At this point, you can do whatever you would like to design your cake! See below for steps on how I finished mine off.
   

   

   
   
   

5. Stack the cake tiers and cut ribbon appropriate lengths around each of the tiers. I used a glue gun to close the ribbon together. Repeat for each layer. 
   
6. Decorate with fun toys to match the baby shower theme. The cake I made was for an Under the Sea themed baby shower for a baby boy. If it is a gift, decorate with cute baby items such as shoes as a cake topper, pacifiers, bath toys, rattles, teethers, etc. 
   
   
   
   

You can even make a cake based around a theme. For example, below is a cake my friend Christina, over at Ito Floral, made for me when I had Owen. Since she knew we are huge LA Kings fans, she made a cake around that theme using those colors. It was awesome! Here are some pictures of it.

Also, if you would like, you can place the diaper cake on a cardboard cake board for a more "real" cake look! Also, to help keep the cake layers together, you can use a straw or two and feed it down the center of the cake. If you want to decorate the cake with flowers in the front of each of the layers, you can buy fake stemmed flowers and cut the stems off to hold the cake together and feed them down the center (rather than use the more flimsy straws). For my cake, I didn't use anything. 

I would love to hear feedback and see pictures of any diaper cakes you make!! 

Goodluck!

Pure LYFT Review

I recently joined the Sweat Pink community and one of the perks of being an ambassador is getting to review products. I was so excited when I got my first opportunity that I jumped on it - and I'm so glad I did!!! I got to sample some Pure LYFT clean caffeine energy sticks! Before I begin with my thoughts and review, here is some information about the product. 

LYFT Energy Stir Sticks are a cool, new way to get all natural caffeine and stir energy into any beverage you're drinking. You can use them anytime of the day and mix it into drinks such as orange juice with breakfast, soda at lunch time, or even enjoy it on the rocks to extend your evening fun. =) The energy is derived from all natural green coffee bean extract and has vitamins A and B complex.  With ZERO calories and a clean taste, it's a perfect pre-workout boost, gets you over that 3pm slump, and is great during happy hour or to keep your energy up while you're painting the town red!  

It's also the perfect alternative to sugary energy drinks and shots. And if you're ditching soda, LYFT gets the caffeine (equal to one tall coffee) you miss without the chemicals and calories.  You can easily stash it in your gym bag or even a small purse, making it an easy, lightweight, on-the-go option for energy. 

 

My Review:
The first stir stick I used in the afternoon and mixed it with water & ice. I wanted to get a good baseline of how the product tasted without any added flavor. To use it, I peeled the label off the entire stick and then began to stir the stick, for approximately 20 seconds, into my water (I will admit, it took me way too long to figure out how to get the stick "open" & unwrap it). After that, I tossed the stick (but you can keep the stick in your glass if you'd like). I noticed no change in texture to the water, but there was a distinct change in taste. It is hard to explain but it definitely took some getting used to. After a few sips, I didn't mind the taste and finished my drink. After I drank my glass of water infused with the LYFT energy stick, I did not get any nasty caffeine related side effects (sometimes I get jittery or become overly energized). I did not get tired or exhausted the rest of the day and was able to function at full capacity.... yay!! This is always a plus for me dealing with two little ones running around all day long.  

The second stir stick I used in the afternoon and mixed it with some orange mango sparkling water. I have to admit, I enjoyed my energy stir stick 100x more when I mixed it in with this drink. It was awesome! The orange mango sparkling water flavor was still there and the stick added a little kick of clean flavor. It was soooo delicious and sooooo refreshing. Once again, I did not experience any unwanted caffeine side effects.

Both times I used the energy stir sticks, I mixed it into about 8-10 ounces of my beverage. I think this seemed to be a good ratio. So after sampling the product twice, I came up with a little list of pros and cons. Here is my list.

Pros: 
Clean caffeine (equivalent to one tall coffee)
Clean taste
Zero calories
Portable
Easy to use
No artificial preservatives, sweeteners, or preservatives
Versatility (can be used in any beverage)

Cons: 
Hard to figure out how to unwrap at first
High retail price (I checked their website after I sampled the product and witnessed this)

Would I recommend the product: Yes absolutely! It has such a clean, natural feel to it AND it is zero calories! Plus, there are no added sweeteners/preservatives, which is hard to find these days!

You can learn more about Pure LYFT from their website HERE.






Disclaimer: I was provided complementary samples of Pure LYFT to try courtesy of Sweatpink and Pure LYFT.  I was asked to give an honest review and I was not required to provide a positive review, all thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Five on Friday # 9

Hi Friends!! Linking up with Natasha over at Hello!Happiness and the ladies, for a 5 on Friday.

Here is our week in review. 

[one] Monday: I took Mason to his speech therapy class. As we pulled into the driveway he started to whine a bit because he didn't want to go but once we walked in the door he was all smiles and eager to see his teacher and go in the playroom. After speech class, I took the boys on a Costco run. Owen was a little under the weather on Mother's Day so he didn't feel 100% on Monday either. After our naps, we played outside and had popsickles - my kids favorite snack now! They definitely aren't my favorite because they are SOOO messy! 

[two] Tuesday: Normally I work on Tuesdays but this week I had the day off. The boys and I went to the local splash pad in our neighborhood since it was SCORCHING hot.... What is with this weather?! Ugh, it's draining me!! I love watching my boys play because they are at the age where Owen wants to do EVERYTHING that Mason is doing. It melts me. 

[three] Wednesday: On Wednesdays, Mason has his skating/hockey lessons in the morning. This was his second class and he actually did improve quite a bit since last weeks class... Mom was impressed! He still hasn't completely figured out the skating on his own yet, but he's close..... He has some hockey skates of his own but this week, they advised us to switch him to the regular figure skates to learn on. Apparently the hockey skates are like learning to skate on bananas.....Whoops! Daddy got in trouble for this one =) After skating and naps, we played outside and Owen got stung by a bee =( It was so sad.... Mason had just started to "squirt water" as he refers to it (playing with the hose) and about 3 bees came out. Owen was playing at the water table and suddenly came crying to me with his finger pointing out.... I automatically assumed he got stung and looked at his finger. Sure enough, there was an entire stinger and the butt of the bee in his middle finger, poor little Owen! He was such a trooper and let me pull it out and put some baking soda paste on it. If one good thing came from this, it was that we now know Owen is not allergic to bees! Lastly, after dinner, we watched the Kings game with daddy. Victory!!! GKG! 

 

[four] Thursday: On Thursday we had a big morning. I took the boys to Scooter's Jungle and we met some friends there. They had a toddler time which was basically just an open play. Scooter's Jungle is an indoor inflatable jumper place. They have THE BEST and biggest inflatable slide that both of my boys love. After Scooter's Jungle, we all went to Wahoo's for lunch. The boys were pooped after this! After our LONG naps, we went to Home Depot and I picked out some sample paints/stainers for our next DIY project - painting our backyard fence!! We put the samples on the fence and made our selection so we are hoping to get this done over the weekend.... Wish us luck!! 

[five] Friday: Today, I had my first ever chiro appointment this morning. It was an examination appointment and the chiro did find some trigger (?) spots on my back and a couple areas on my spine that are out of alignment..... I don't think it's a huge deal but at my next appointment I will find out how we will go about fixing my back pain! Any other moms out there have some crazy back pain from lugging their kids around & breastfeeding?! It's horrible!!! My husband finally told me I need to stop relying on him for back massages and go get checked out! After my appointment, we went with my mom to the mall (since it's about 100 degrees here & smokey) and had lunch at Ruby's... my boys LOVE Ruby's. They are now napping and after naps, they get to go to grandma & grandpa's house to hang out for the night while mommy and daddy head down to a bar in Newport to watch the Kings game..... GKG!!!! 

That's it for now.... Here are some pictures from our Mother's Day last Sunday! Hope everyone enjoys there weekend!! <3