Jillian's 30 Day Shred

I absolutely love this new work-out DVD simply for the fact that I get a really good sweat in 20 minutes. Jillian makes you sweat and wishing it is over the whole time. It incorporates resistance training, cardio and abs in 3 different circuits. The gimmick is that you will lose 30 pounds in 30 days but I just don't buy that. When I first got the dvd I tried to do it daily but I was way too sore, so now I alternate it between days that I run. It also has 3 different levels all of which are challenging. I am currently on level 2 although I did try level 3 but it was too difficult. Once you get sick of listening to her talk or have basically memorized the routine put it on mute and turn up your music, that is what I do.I highly recommend this workout dvd for a busy schedule. All you need is some light hand weights and a little bit of room. Be Prepared to Sweat!

Etsy

www.etsy.com This is by far my favorite website for unique gifts and cute jewelry. Everything is hand made. I recently had a quilt made using the Alchemy option on the website and had a really sweet woman make me a quilt using all my old sorority t-shirts. There is also a lot of personalized items on there too!

Aaron's Chicken Stew

So Aaron & I wanted a hearty healthy stew and created one ourselves. It turned out pretty well and the left over portions would be good frozen to thaw out later in the week to spice up the boring sandwich rut for lunches. I don't really measure but I'll try to explain it.

Shopping List:
1) 1 onion
2) a few small potatoes ( I got the mixed bag at TJs)
3) 3 large carrots
4) Low Sodium Chicken stock
5) 2 skinless boneless chicken breast
6) 2 cloves of garlic
7) Olive oil
8) Frozen Mixed Veggies
9) Tomato Paste
10) Flour
11) Yummy red wine
12) 21 Salute Seasoning (from TJs)

Saute 2 cloves of crushed garlic in hot olive oil in a dutch oven or large pot. Be sure to turn down the heat a bit as to not burn the garlic. Then throw in 1 diced onion and cook on low, stirring it every once in a while add a pinch of salt. Meanwhile boil 2 chicken breasts in water until cooked. ( I put in some dried rosemary to the water, only because I had that lying around). Once onions are cooked add a bit more olive oil then add in 3 peeled & diced carrots, about 8 quartered red/yellow/purple potatoes(whatever you have)and 1.5-2 cup frozen mixed veggies (I used green bean, corn, pea mixture) and add a bit of salt & pepper. Saute till slightly cooked then add in the boiled chicken shredded or cubed.
At this point add 1 cup of low sodium chicken stock, 1 cup of water, 2 tablespoons of 21 Salute seasoning, 3 tablespoons of tomato paste and 2 table spoons of flour. Stir it all together. At this point I was drinking a glass of Cabernet so I added a table spoon or so ;) Cook to a boil then reduce to a simmer for 1-2 hours. Taste before serving and see if you need more salt or pepper. I added a pinch of red pepper flakes at the end cause I like things spicy. I found the longer you leave it on the thicker it gets.

Cheap Pinot Grigio Face Off

So right now BevMo is having the 5 cent wine sale and I decided to try a few new Pinot Grigios. I am always happy with any Clos Du Bois wine but their Pinot Grigio was a big disappointment. The label says it has a floral and lemon taste, both of which were absent in my opinion. I give it a 4/10 and it wasn't very easy to drink with a chemical taste. But, being the wine connoisseur that I am I chose the next bottle based off the label :) The Mezzacorona from Italy proved to be a complete delight. It has a melon taste and is mildly sweet and crisp which I really enjoyed. It is very easy to drink and I imagine it as the perfect compliment to a warm summer day with friends.

Groupon

Groupon is the best new website I have seen in a long time. Everyday they feature something cool to do at a really cheap price (usually half off) you can only get the deal if enough people sign up, which is what makes it worth it for business'. This is the one email I like to wake up early for and check out.

http://www.groupon.com/r/uu1137492

Vegetable & Turkey Sausage Soup

I found a recipe in March's Cooking Light that looked promising but I switched it up a bit with ingredients that I liked and it turned out great.

Ingredients:

* 1 package of sweet or hot turkey sausage
* 2 cups finely chopped onion
* 2 cups finely chopped zucchini
* 1 cup finely chopped carrot
* 1 tsp kosher salt, divided
* 2 garlic cloves, minced
* 2 tbsp tomato paste
* 3 cups low sodium chicken broth
* 2 (15.5-ounce) can low-sodium canellini beans, drained and rinsed
* 1/3 cup half and half
* 1 tbsp chopped dried rosemary
* 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper


Directions

Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Take turkey sausage out of the casing and add sausage to pan, and cook until browned, stirring to crumble. Remove from pan; keep warm.Return pan to medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, zucchini, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and garlic; cook stirring occasionally until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in 2 tablespoons tomato paste and red pepper; cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Place 1 cup vegetable mixture, 1/2 cup of broth, and 1 can of beans in a food processor or a blender, and process until smooth.

Return pureed bean mixture to pan. Add remaining 2 1/2 cups of broth and 1 can of beams; bring to a boil. Add turkey sausage back to the pot and reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes until thoroughly cooked. Remove from heat, and stir in remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, half-and-half, rosemary and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.

Seche Vite

A MUST for any girl's nail polish collection. This fast dry top coat is amazing. Put it on immediately after your colored nail polish (while its still wet) and your nails will be dry and extremely shiny within 1-2 minutes. No more smudges! I can't believe I didn't know about this sooner- Thanks Kelly!!

Pureology

I have been in search for the best shampoo and conditioner since I began coloring my hair in high school. It wasn't until 3 years ago my friend Kristen introduced me to Pureology Hydrate and I have been using it ever since. This shampoo & conditioner is specially designed for color treated hair and is sulfate free. It is on the pricier side but well worth it.
It is concentrated so a little goes a long way and I prefer to buy the large liters as they last me about 9 months. The scent is amazing and really leaves your hair soft and free of tangles.
I have tried the PureVolume system and I was not impressed. The smell of the shampoo was horrible and left my hair feeling dry & frizzy. I also tried NanoWorks recently and it did not live up to all the hype. At about $20 more than the hydrate system. I expected a lot more from this product and produced similar results to the PureVolume system and had a sub-par smell.
I strongly recommend the hydrate system especially for fellow blondes. It really moisturizes and decreases frizz all while smelling wonderful. I couldn't ask for more in a product.