Unwind & Relax

With endless to-do lists & the hectic thing called life I tend to forget to stop, unwind & relax a bit. Weekends go by too quickly, especially when you're always determined to get everything done before the work week begins. Lately, I've been trying to take time to do the things that I enjoy.

One of my most favorite things to do to is to sit down with an iced cold coffee & just relax; especially after a long day at work or a long weekend of checking off items on my to-do list. I truly cannot wait to be able to do this on our patio once the cooler weather rolls through Florida (wishful thinking).

Something I never thought that I would enjoy is yard work. As much as I truly don't enjoy the pesky little bugs & dirt, there is something rewarding about picking out flowers & transforming our yard into something beautiful. It is such a good feeling as a homeowner & something I feel like I always look forward to doing. It takes my mind away from everything that needs to be done on the inside of our house. 

Painting is also something that over time I have grown to love. It is more of just doodling around with a paintbrush but either way it is so relaxing for me. And also makes for pretty art around our house.

The beach is probably my ultimate favorite way to relax & unwind. Truly, no matter how hot it is outside, I love the feeling of the sandy, sea breeze on my face. And to just lay on my beach chair with the sound of the crashing waves... there is no better sound or feeling!

So what are your favorite ways to take time out from this crazy thing we call life? 

Go-To Healthy Snacks

I always feel like I am constantly searching for healthy snacks but I always have a hard time finding ones that are gluten & dairy free. I lucked out just recently & have found some easy snacks that are healthy and fulfilling. 

I am obsessed with making smoothies!! I literally love them for an afternoon snack or lunch. I've been making different combinations & my favorite one yet is coconut milk yogurt, watermelon, mango, bananas, peaches and a handful of spinach. 

Some other healthy go-to's that I've been enjoying are...

*Eggs with a dash of seasoning

*Boars head chicken breast with a bell pepper & tiny bit of mayo/mustard

*Avocados with balsamic glaze 

*Cup of fruit mixed in with my favorite coconut milk yogurt & a little GF granola

*Hummus & crackers 

*That's It® fruit bars 

*Bowl of Cherries or Watermelon

I tend to become obsessed with snacks & eat them over & over so much that I cannot even look at them after a while. Ha! I am hoping that won't happen with these ones because I really do like them. 

So if you have any healthy snack options, that are gluten & dairy free, please share them with me in the comments. 

DIY Grapefruit Mint Scrub

I've been trying to use products that have less chemicals, so what better way to do that than to make your own delicious smelling scrub. I've read that grapefruit is refreshing & that coconut oil is super moisturizing so I knew that this scrub was going to be a good one. 

What you'll need (to make a super small batch): 

1/2 Cup of Coconut Oil

1/2 Cup of Granulated Sugar 

1 Tbsp of Grapefruit Juice 

Zest of 1 Grapefruit 

10 Drops of Peppermint Oil 

24 Drops of Grapefruit Oil 

Beet Juice (to add the pink color)

Add coconut oil + granulated sugar in a mixer until a paste is formed. Once the paste is formed, add in grapefruit juice, zest of grapefruit, peppermint oil & grapefruit oil and mix all together. When ingredients are mixed together & a whipped scrub is formed, add in the beet juice to add that wonderful pink color. 

My first impression while making this was that it smelled amazing!! My husband & I have both tried it and it works pretty good. He uses it on his hands & it definitely smooths them out. I tried it on my face & as much as I do love the way it works, the coconut oil isn't too good for my skin since it is already super oily prone. I would definitely make this again (just not use it on my face) because it was super easy & truly a refreshing scrub.

What are some homemade scrubs that you've made & loved? 

Favorite Summer Sandals

I feel like I've always been a sandal person. I truly have more sandals then I know what to do with but I still keep buying more. I typically gravitate more towards flats but always find a few wedges that I really like. The most important thing that I look for in sandals is that they can be worn on a daily basis or to dress up an outfit for a fun occasion. 

Here are some of my favorites that I've rounded up...

[Top Left] Target | Lulus | Pac Sun | Target | Target [Bottom Right]

Target is my favorite place to buy sandals. Each year they really step up their game in the shoe department & I can't get enough of it. Living in Florida is a sandals lovers dream; I can truly wear them all year round. 

So are you a sandal lover? Wedges or flats.. what's your favorite style?

Watermelon Treats

Summer is in full swing & with that comes million degree weather which always has me craving something nice and refreshing. There truly is nothing more refreshing than sweet, juicy watermelon. We've been getting them at the grocery store for weeks now & I wanted to come up with a different way to eat it other than straight out of the melon. 

A few months ago, I picked up this awesome pop mold & I really wasn't sure what kind to make; until now! Wait for it... Watermelon Yogurt pops and they're so stinkin' delicious & so easy to make.

What You'll Need:

Watermelon 

1/2 cup of coconut milk yogurt (I used vanilla flavor)

1 tbsp of lemon 

1/4 sugar

I put all of the ingredients in the blender. Once blended all together, I just poured the yummy watermelon goodness into the molds. Then popped them into the freezer - it took about 8 hours to become super frozen. 

This is definitely a much better alternative then popsicles that you buy from the store. And other than the long wait time, it was fun & easy to make. I am going to be on the Pinterest prowl to find more recipes. 

What are some homemade popsicles have you made?