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thanks,
Megan
(:

How to make a healthy smoothie!

Hey y'all! Megan here! So my newest obsession is healthy foods. Recently I've been very conscious of what I eat. Call me crazy but ever since I've gone one this whole "health kick" fast foods really don't do much for me anymore, in fact, really greasy foods just gross me out. Now, I'm all about fresh, and healthy foods. Foods that you're happy with eating. They're the foods that don't come with feeling guilty and getting that "why did I just eat that" feeling. They say it takes around 28 days for something to become a habit... and I've definitely made this health thing a habit. It's really not as hard as it sounds, trust me! Not to go all Jillian Michaels on you and be totally hardcore but whenever you get a craving for something greasy and unhealthy, JUST SAY NO! Seriously, train your body to say no to the bad foods, and yes to the good ones! What can I say..it feels good to eat healthy, plain and simple. Sure, I'll go crazy and eat some sweets, but right after that I'm right back on to my healthy foods. Eating healthy doesn't mean you have to totally change your lifestyle, or your eating habits completely, it just means you're making a better choice for yourself...the healthy choice (:


So lately I've been OBSESSED with fresh smoothies. My blender is my friend. I've traded my milkshakes for smoothies, and today I'm gonna show y'all how I make my go to breakfast smoothie!

So first, get all of your fixings together. 

You'll need:

A blender (obviously)

Yoplait yogurt-any flavor you want ( I used strawberry and banana because it just goes well with the smoothie!)

1 banana

A handful of strawberries (or however many your heart desires)

A glassful of ice

Orange juice  OR milk 

*****Blueberries & Oats & honey granola****

THESE ARE OPTIONAL- but also very healthy (:

Once you've got all your healthy ingredients together you're ready to start blendin'!

Step 1: Cut up your banana into small slices, wash off your strawberries and blueberries and put your fruits into the blender. 

Step 2: Add your yogurt- try to stay as close to the flavor of the smoothie. Common sense would tell you that if you're making a strawberry and banana smoothie, you should add strawberry and banana yogurt, not red velvet cake flavored yogurt.

Step 3: Add your ice

Step 4: ****VERY IMPORTANT STEP**** Add your orange juice OR milk. No matter what kind of liquid you choose to add to your smoothie just make sure you don't over do it. Just add a splash...and by splash I mean just a sprinkle. Trust me... a little goes a long way. Make sure you don't over do it.

Step 5: Blend! Make sure you blend it until everything is now a liquid and becomes drinkable...not chewable!

Step 6: Enjoy!! You're on your way to a happier healthier you!

******TWEET US YOUR PICTURES OF YOUR SMOOTHIES! WE'D LOVE TO SEE YOUR CREATIONS!******

Jon Hart Weekender Review

She's baaaack!

Hello pretties. I've been missing in action for a few weeks, and I just returned from Europe. I had a lovely time, but I'm happy to be home. This is the season for travel, and I'm sure many of you have hit up a few cities or beaches in the past month. On the topic of travel, I thought I would give a little review on my new Jon Hart luggage.


My first impression of this set was that it was beautiful. Each bag is so wonderfully made and I was in love with the classy colors, including the monogrammed leather that is designed to age over time into a beautiful caramel color. It was the perfect size for a weekend trip, which I know I'll be taking many of throughout the summer and school year. It was packaged nicely in tissue paper, bubble wrap, and filling paper to maintain it's structure. The shoulder strap of the Daytripper has a comfortable shoulder cushion and the handles button together nicely with a Jon Hart monogrammed snap. The makeup bag has a lined pocket on the inside and fits more than a weekend's worth of products. The chino is also a great small bag for small bottles, such as nail polish remover, shampoo, etc.

Needless to say, I loved the entire set and was eager to pack it for my impending weekend trip to Birmingham. I was able to fit a few outfits, a blanket, and the two smaller bags into the Daytripper with an impressive amount of space left to spare; I would estimate I had less than 12-15lbs inside of it.  I had everything I needed for my trip and I was totally satisfied that I was able to use the set. However, here comes the bad part. minutes after placing the Daytripper's strap on my shoulder and walking it towards my car, without any tug or motivation, the leather end of the strap ripped free from the base of the bag. I was shocked! It was so lightweight and hadn't been pulled on at all.

I still used my bag for the weekend, but because the strap was completely unrepairable, I stuck to using the handles very cautiously. When I returned from my trip I contacted the company and explained the situation. I sent them my bag for repairs but they basically said they would charge me the $15 repair fee. Now, I understand $15 is a great price for a repair, but I was not at fault for the damage and I suspected it was manufacturing error. After I returned the bag, they examined it and waved the repair and shipping fee. Although I was bummed with my broken bag, I was pretty impressed with the customer service.

Over all, I really do love this bag, despite the little mishap with the strap. It is a great travel bag and fits perfectly as a carry-on for flights. They are a timeless style, and of course I love anything monogrammed. My bag should be returned as good as new within a few days, and I'll post an update once I recieve it.

Until then, stay pretty ladies!
xoxo
Elle

full monogrammed set

Monogrammed Daytripper

Mini Make-Up

Airport Chino

detailed monogram

7 Steps to a Fun Nail Design!

Your tricks of the trade (What You'll Need)

• Your favorite base coat! 
• Nail Polish (Any color!) You'll use one of these as a coat above your favorite base coat!
• Another color of nail polish- This will be used as your highlight color, to make the base color POP!
• Tape
• Scissors 
• Top Coat-always optional, but ALWAYS recommended!

STEP 1- Paint your nails with any kind of clear base coat. This step is essential to a cleaner looking polish. 

STEP 2- After the base coat dries completely, paint those nails with your main color polish (in this case, I used blue-however, you may use whatever color you please) 

STEP 3- Use your scissors to cut a piece of tape for your desired nail design, you can make any design you please, get creative! Don't be afraid to try out new looks! My favorite design was the zig zag design in the picture down below. Don't get discouraged if you can't cut the tape right the first time, work with it!

STEP 4- Put the tape on your desired nail, and keep it in place, take your highlighter polish (in my case I chose white) and paint over the tape.

STEP 5- Peel tape off your nail and wait for the polish to dry!

STEP 6- When the highlight color dries, apply a top coat! Any top coat will do just fine! I prefer Mary Kay's top coat! It is such an amazing top coat! It smooths out  any minor imperfections that you may encounter!

Step 7- Let those pretty painted claws dry! Enjoy! Now go out & take on the world!

xoxo,

Megan 

Summer Hair

Hello Gorgeous!

As summer is approaching, or already here for some of us (ehem! This grad! :)), you're going to be seeing a lot more sunshine! Now, I'm not going to be first or last person to tell you to wear sunscreen! Believe me, I know, we're all trying to get a good tan! But please use at least spf15, you'll thank me later when you're not full of skin cancer.
As much as we're all told to wear sunscreen, so many people seem to forget protecting their hair from the sun! I'm a big fan of natural summery highlights, I'm a blonde! I love it! But throughout the summer, all of that heat, salt water, chlorine, and wind from the convertible can leave your luscious locks feeling dry and damaged. But don't you worry kiddos, I have some fool-proof tips to keep your hair healthy, strong, and soft throughout the entire summer!

For the Beach or Pool::

1) Tie it up! Screw the mermaid hair, tie up your locks when you go swimming! Keeping your hair in a braid while you're in the water keeps it tangle-free, avoiding damage from knots and having to brush those suckers out. Look sexy and protect your hair while rocking a fishtail braid!

2) Condition. The first thing I throw into my bag when going to the beach or the pool is a leave-in-conditioner. Both salt water and (especially) chlorine dry the heck out of your hair. Why would you even want to put your hair through that damage? Before you go for a dip, work a few pumps or sprays throughout your hair, focusing on the ends, which are most vulnerable to drying out. My personal recommendation is L'oréal EverCréme Nourishing Leave-In Spray. It's super moisturizing, smells great, and is sulfate free!

3) Protect. If you're really concerned about protecting your hair, or if your locks are color-treated, invest in a hair sunscreen. These aren't very hard to find, and are really good at protecting your hair and scalp in the sun. Also, you can look for a Protective Summer Oil. Personally, I think they're way too pricey and I can't stand to have oily hair. But really, its up to you!

For Everyday::

1) Limit Heat. This should really be something you should try to do all year long, but especially during the summer. Let your hair air-dry after showers and swimming at all possible times, it's getting enough heat from the sun alone, give the hairdryer a break. Rock that natural hair, or take the opportunity to try out some no-heat styling tricks. For example, a DIY beachy salt spray!

2) Condition. Whether or not you're spending every day, all day, at the pool, your hair is still exposed to much more heat and sun than any other time of the year. Take the time once a week to treat your hair to a deep-conditioning masque or treatment. And don't we all love the feeling of super-soft, moisturized hair?

3) Lighten Naturally. There are loads of "Sun-In" type products on the shelves during the summer that claim to highlight your hair in the sun. While many of these products do work, they're full of chemicals and are really only made for blonde hair. Go natural and squeeze a fresh lemon on your hair! It highlights really well, smells good, and isn't packed with damaging chemicals. Be careful though, brunettes! Lightening products can really be mean to brown, black, and red hair. And blondes, go for a purple shampoo to combat brassy-tones!

I hope at least one of my tips has helped you! Our hair can really take a beating during the summer, so please protect yours :) Now, I'm ready to hit the pool! Enjoy your summers, ladies!

XOXO,
Elle

Newwww Video! (: 

<3 

Megan

5 Steps to Polish Perfection

Ladies, Ladies, we all know I love my nail polish, but the harsh truth is manicures on natural nails just don't last as long as you wish they would. Fear not, kiddos, I've got some simple steps to keep an at-home manicure on those pretty paws longer!

1) Prep. Begin by washing your hands and removing any leftover polish from your last manicure. also take this time to buff your nails with a fine-grade nail buffer. These are easy to find at drugstores and beauty supply stores, and there's no need to buy one for more than a few dollars. A $1 nail buffer will do the job just as well as a $7 one.
2) Polish. Use a soft nail file to shape your nails to the length and finish of your desire. If you have very thick or acrylic nails, opt for a more coarse file.
3) Prime. Brush off and excess dust from your nails and apply the base coat of your choice. I prefer "milky" base coats over base coats that double as top coats. I just find that they last much longer and provide a smoother base for your nail color.
4) Paint. Apply a thin layer of your choice polish and let dry. Repeat this step until you reach your desired opacity. I find that building with thin layers prevents chipping as well as drying much faster. Not only can thick coats look sloppy, but cause the polish to chip in large pieces, making your mani's longevity much shorter.
5) Perfect. Once your mani is 80-90% dry, finish with a glossy topcoat to give your polish a beautiful shine and help it last longer. I'd recommend Seche Vite. It is a great shiny topcoat that dries quickly and can help your nail polish last for days without a single chip.

Good luck kiddo's!
Stay pretty,
Elle

PS: don't forget to check us out on http://pinterest.com/beautybybelles/