A new look for "The BB" plus a link-up party for Friday Favorites!

Well, I feel like all I did was complain on the blog this week. Do you hate me yet?

In happier news ... SURPRISE!!!!!  Notice anything different?  The Bargain Blonde got a design revamp complete with a brand new About Me page and I couldn't be more excited about it.  My homie Jonalynn McFadden is a talented graphic designer whom I met in college at a Journalism leadership conference in Oregon and we've remained in contact ever since.  If you like what you see and are looking for a bloggy make-over, then she is definitely the woman for the job.

Check out her design portfolio and you can contact her here.  I promise you'll love whatever she comes up with!  Not to mention she's awesome to work with and a personal friend of mine.  What are you waiting for?

All righty, it's favorites time!

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$49 - Shop Here

I was so excited to see The Bachelorette Emily Maynard wearing Stella and Dot again this week!  I'll forgive that phony tail and bird necklace I blogged about yesterday because she knocked it out the park with her beach blonde hair and sun kissed skin paired with the turquoise Stella and Dot Capri Chandelier Earrings in turquoise. The Capri Chandeliers, which are also available in coral, are a steal at under $50!

Oh my goodness gracious. I'm all by my lonely laying in bed writing this post at midnight and I just let out the loudest, most unattractive cackle ever. Why? Because I just re-watched the clip of Bravo's (and my imaginary bestie) Andy Cohen getting attacked by the bird during the RHOC Reunion.  I could watch and will watch this a million times over. So funny.

Really Lindsey? Favorite pen?  I know.  But this pen is pretty much life changing.  If you are a cray like me, then you are very particular about your pens.  My BFF told me about the Pilot G-2 07 and on Sunday I picked a pack up at Target. Can't. Stop. Writing.  Seriously, this pen writes as smooth as butta. Get yo'self some.

This 100% all-natural Lucini Italia Bold Parmesan and Garlic vinaigrette is so amazing on salads and as a marinade. If I could drink it straight, I would.

Remember way back in November I blogged about a boot camp I was doing?  Well, now that I'm back into the swing of things thanks to Tone It Up, I signed up for another Boot Camp session with my friend and certifiable personal trainer Jeremy Jackson.  He started his own boot camp called GetFit Nation and convinced me to sign-up for his new camp that starts this coming Monday.  

EFF MY LIFE because when I signed up I didn't know it was a MORNING boot camp and if you know me, you know I do NOT do mornings.  My only saving grace is that Jeremy is really good at keeping you accountable and does not accept excuses, so I will be be dragging my ass up to the camp Mon/Wed at 6 a.m. and Tues/Thurs at 6:45 a.m.  I know my family reads my blog and I already know they are laughing out loud at the notion of me going to a 6 a.m. boot camp.  Guess I better start going to bed earlier.  

If anyone is interested in the boot camp, all fitness levels are welcome.  E-mail Jeremy or text him at 469.438.7898 if you have any questions.  Or check out the boot camp's Facebook page for deets. Let him know you heard about it on The Bargain Blonde.  Hope to see some of you Dallas area ladies there!  

Now it's your turn! Grab my button at the top of the post and link-up below!

Become a healthier you with these 5 common sense tips

I have such a happy heart from all the positive feedback I received from my post yesterday. Keep them coming! I can't wait to e-mail you all back, especially those of you with questions.

As I mentioned yesterday, today I'm sharing easy things anyone can incorporate into their daily lives to become healthier.  I said I'd share recipes too, but this post ended up being longer than I thought, so I'll share recipes tomorrow.  It will just be a week of health here on The Bargain Blonde!  (FYI - Friday I will have Friday Favorites)

1. Cut out all artificial sweeteners.  I know this isn't the first time you've heard artificial sweeteners are bad for you and can even cause cancer.  I've heard it for years, but disregarded the advice.  Finally I'm listening and I've switched to using Truvia (brand of Stevia, which is a natural sweetener made from plant derivatives not chemicals) and a splash of skim milk instead of flavored coffee creamers and Splenda. I used to drink a Diet Coke or Coke Zero every afternoon, but now I have Green Tea or water and I am perfectly content. I know some of your love for diet drinks may run deeper than mine, but I promise you can give them up if you really want to. Drink carbonated water if your need the fizzle.  

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2. Drink lots of water.  Again, how many times have we heard this?  We all know water is good for our bodies, hair, skin, etc., but a lot of us don't drink enough of it.  The Tone It Up (TIU) girls recommend dividing your body weight (in pounds) in half and drinking that many ounces of water.  So if you weigh 150, you should be drinking 75 ounces of water a day. 

If you really hate drinking water, flavor it with fresh fruit or lemons.  Keep a big bottle on your desk at work and know how many bottles you need to drink to stay on track with your water intake for the day. 

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3. Have fresh fruit and veggies available always. Say bye bye to processed snack foods.  A little bit of prep can make a big difference in choosing healthy options over junk.  I've made sure I have fresh fruit and veges cut up in my fridge in the event I'm hungry but in between meals.   This way I have a smart, healthy option at my disposal.  Pre-cut fruit in your fridge is an easy snack you can grab instead of something like chips. The Tone It Up girls live by the motto, "A piece of fruit never made anyone fat."  So make the right choice!

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4. Limit starches and dairy after lunch time.  I'm not saying don't ever have them at night, but if you are trying to slim down, it's best to limit these when you can in the evenings.  On the TIU plan, your evening meal essentially consists of veges, unlimited green veges and lean protein.  I've started do this and feel so much lighter and "cleaner" in the mornings.  

5. Move your booty.  Small changes add up. Instead of taking the elevator, take the stairs. Park your car in the farthest spot from the door and walk.  Yes it's summer in Texas it is hot as HELL but a few extra steps aren't going to kill you.  You'll just burn a few extra calories.  Go for a walk with your dog/roomie/lover after dinner instead of just sitting on the couch. Wake up 30 minutes earlier than normal and walk 15 minutes away from your house, turn around and walk back.   Just be more active!  The more active you are, the less likely you are to be bored and eat out of boredom.  Win-win, right?

Whatever you do, don't give up.  Your body isn't going to change over night just like you didn't gain extra weight over night.  You have to take it one day at a time and if you slip up, it's not the end of the world. We all cheat and we should.  But if you are making smart nutrition decisions the majority of the time, you WILL feel a difference and eventually see a difference.  Trust.

How do you motivate yourself?  Have any "healthier you" tips not included in this post? Share them below!

The "Tone It Up" plan and me

I first stumbled across the Tone It Up girls, Katrina and Karena, via Pinterest months ago.  Wouldn't these toned bishes catch your eye too?

I followed the link to their Web site and saw that these perfectly sculpted ladies had a blog, nutrition tips, printable workouts, and lots of YouTube work-out and nutritional videos.  A lot of their stuff is free, but it you want their comprehensive diet and fitness plan including recipes, workouts and a 7-day slimdown, you've gots to pay.  You can choose between the original plan, vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, gluten-free vegetarian or pescatarian and it will cost you $149.99.  Go to their site to read more about the pricing and what you get for your money.  

I was mesmerized by how perfect they looked, but didn't think much about it again until very recently.  You see, I'm completely out of shape and that's putting it nicely.

Simply put, I'm fat. I'm not saying this so you can tell me, "You are not fat. You are beautiful."  I don't need to hear that. I don't want to hear that.  No, I don't need to be craned lifted from my bed every morning, but I'm unhealthy, it's not cute, I'm not happy with body and it is time to do something about it.

Prior to committing to the Tone It Up plan, I stumbled across another girl on Pinterest named Laura who blogs/vlogs about her weight loss.  I spent hours watching her body transformation videos and started following her on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.  She is truly an inspiration and has a blog Laura Must Lose Weight if you want to check it out.

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Girlfrand is brave because she puts it ALL out there.  We're talking filming a YouTube video in nothing but her bra and panties at her heaviest weight of 195.   As much as I'd love to be able to show you my transformation, you will not be seeing me in my bra and panties. Ever. Laura covered that one for us thank the Lord.  

Anywho ...


What I like most about the TIU girls and Laura is they are all about clean, healthy eating and working-out. None of it is a quick fix. It's not a fad diet.  It's about avoiding processed foods and eating balanced meals of carbs (yes, you eat carbs, but at the right time of day and the right portions), lean proteins and lots of fruits and veges!  You also eat fats, but good fats like fat from olives, olive oil and avocados.  You even can sneak in a few glasses of red wine a couple times a week if you like to hit the bottle.

The plan is so sensible.  It's not an extreme diet that inevitably sets you up to fail (i.e. cabbage soup diet, Atkins, egg white diet, etc.).  On the TIU nutrition plan, you eat five meals a day, you drink lots of water, you work-out and you have an entire online community of TIU members who are there to encourage and hold you accountable.  Hence, if you follow me on Instagram/Twitter, you have seen me blowing up your news feed with pictures of healthy meals.  These are called "check-ins" and that's what every member of the TIU community does on the daily.

Now you know more about the TIU plan and why I've decided to do it.  I am in no way associated with TIU or Laura. I simply stumbled across them and was compelled to make a life change.  With that being said, there are a few changes I've already made that are easy changes any of you can incorporate into your lives if you are looking to become healthier versions of your already fabulous selves.  Tomorrow I'll blog about those and some recipes that are easy to make and yummy!

It's only been a little over a week since I started TIU, but I'm extremely committed and determined.  I lost about 3 lbs last week.  Even if you don't have weight to lose, this plan could still benefit you.  The girls implore you to be TONED, not "skinny soft".  I'm an ex-gymnast so I can co-sign. I have muscles and as much as I'd love to, I'll never have the build of a super model.  Even if I starved myself.

So there you have it; my take on the Tone It Up plan.  I'd love to talk more about it with any of you, just leave your questions in the comments.

Recipe: Baked Summer Squash and Tomatoes

Ello!  I hope y'all enjoyed your extra long Memorial Day weekend.  Long weekends are the best, but going back to work after one of them is the worst.  Am I right or am I right?  However, the good news is that we now have a short work week, so yay to that.  

My cousin drove to Dallas from Houston Saturday morning and stayed with me this weekend.  Saturday we went to the lake, Sunday we took it easy and yesterday after brunch I insisted we go to my local Farmer's Market because it's been on my "to-do" list forever. 

Here are pictures from the market and a recipe for Baked Summer Squash and Tomatoes, which I made yesterday evening for dinner.  So fresh, so good and so easy. 

My cousin Sierra is in the white pants although you can barely see her.

The tomatoes were enormous, a gorge deep red and perfectly ripe.  There is no way I would ever find that kind of produce at my local grocery store.

blackberries, peppers and strawberries

I didn't even notice the wall of coffee beans and tea until I went to check out.  The clerk ringing me up said the Country Special Blend variety was their best seller and so I got half a pound of it.  I brewed a cup of it this morning and the flavors were magical.  

Call me crazy, but there is something fun about taking your produce home in a box.  I left with a cucumber, corn, avocados, new potatoes, eight ball squash, jam, coffee and those jumbo tomatoes.

Sitting pretty in my kitchen. 

I knew I wanted to bake the squash, so I took to Google. I combined a few ideas I found online to make the recipe I'm sharing below.  I loved it so much, I will be making it again this week and all summer long for that matter.  I used eight ball squash, but you could make this with the longer, Italian squash as well.  

Do you visit your local farmer's market?  What's your favorite way to cook squash?

Legit: Skinnytaste Spinach Lasagna Rolls

I get little kid excited when I find a recipe that is healthy, easy and yummo.  A little "recipe trifecta", if you will. 

I bought all of my ingredients from Aldi (except the tomato sauce & spinach, which I already had on hand) and the bill was about $20. This recipe makes 9 servings, so you do the math.  Eating at home is sooooo much more economical than eating out.  It's disgusting what you will spend at a restaurant compared to what you will spend having a home cooked meal. Literally disgusting. 

I know a lot of you of you are familiar with the blog Skinnytaste, and if you aren't, then you need to get acquainted.  Gina, the blog's author, features the low-fat, healthy version of all of our favorite full-fat dishes. 

Last night I tried one of her reader's faves: Spinach Lasagna Rolls.  Can we say heaven in my mouth?  Perfectly portioned individual lasagnas at 225 calories a pop.  Don't mind if I do.  Each serving is 6 WW Points+ for those of you keeping track like moi (Down 5 lbs in 2 weeks btw. Thank you boot camp & WW!).   

My brother aka the roomie thinks I'm insane for taking pictures as I cook.  Keep side-eyeing me bro, but I must give the readers what they want. 

Ingredients:

9 lasagna noodles, cooked

10 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and completely drained

15 oz fat free ricotta cheese

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 egg

salt and fresh pepper

32 oz tomato sauce

9 tbsp (about 3 oz) part skim mozzarella cheese, shredded

While my noodles were boiling, I mixed together the spinach, parm, ricotta, egg, salt and pepper in a bowl.

Once noodles are cooked and dried, scoop and spread 1/3 C of the ricotta mix on each noodle:

Ladle a cup of spaghetti sauce (I'm clearly not Italian, so the canned sauce is fine by me.) in bottom of casserole dish before rolling and placing seam side down dish.  Top each roll with remaining sauce and 1 tbsp of mozz cheese.

Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 40 minutes.  Bam!

Dinner is served! 

Spring salad with baby carrots, cucumber, green olives, fat free croutons, fresh ground pepper and bacon bits served as a side.

Check out the spinach lasagna recipe page for step-by-step instructions.  If I can whip this up in less than 30 minutes, then you can too. 

I could spend hours stalking her blog and drooling over the recipes.  Up next I've decided I'm giving her Pork Chops with Dijon Herb Sauce a whirl.  What recipe of hers is your stomach eyeing?

Your sink is dirtier than your toilet. Yummy.

VOM.  A long time ago I watched an Oprah Show (RIP) about where germs breed in your house and how to eliminate them.  It was highly disturbing to say the least.  While I do joke about living in a crack den (which, half the time is true), I truthfully can't stand a filthy house. 

Some of the advice from the show I adapted to my everyday life, but I forgot about a lot of it so I researched the tips.  I figured I'd share with you bargainistas.  Could your house be making you sick?

To get my kitchen sink clean (which is dirtier than your toilet), I like to use Comet.  I'm guilty of not disinfecting my sink nearly enough, but when I do, Comet is the bomb.

It disinfects while it cleans and all you have to do is sprinkle a little onto a wet sink or tub, let it sit for a few seconds then scrub and rinse.  You can buy this at the $1 store. 

Dishrags and sponges: Clean them in a washing machine with bleach. No one should use a sponge for more than a month.  Actual sponges sick me the hell out.  However, I do love a dish wand sponge to clean dishes before putting in the dishwasher. 

My fave are the O-Cel-O brand because they have a non-stick version and they come in cute patterns.  I've bought mine at Wal-Mart in the past.

Trashcans should be sprayed with a disinfectant every time you empty it, and if you see any liquid, you should thoroughly wash it. 

Trash cans are so gross obviously.  I didn't start doing using disinfectant spray on them until I saw this Oprah show,  and now I have to every time I change the bag. I like Lysol disinfectant spray, which comes in different scents.

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Air-dry everything. Dryness kills germs and prevents them from growing.  I do this anyway especially to save money on my electric bill.  Every time I wash my dishes, I stop the drying cycle, pull out the racks and let my dishes air dry over night. 

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Dust mites: Vacuum your carpeting and drapery at a very high setting and wash your sheets on the hottest temperature setting.  Cold and warm water won't kill mites. I will DIE if I ever get dust mites. Literally die. 

Pillows functionally last 3 to 5 years. Just thinking of dust mites living in your pillow by the millions, eating your dead skin and hair should be enough to make you go get new pillows if your pillows are old.
 
I bought some awesome feather pillows from Ikea on the cheap about a year ago. I love them!  They have so many to choose from depending on what kind of a sleeper you are.
 

$14.99 Ikea - [BUY]

Stuffed animals: Vacuum weekly and/or throw them in the dryer at a high setting to kill germs.  I need to do this to all of my nephew's stuffed animals. I won't be vacuuming them, but hot dryer I can manage.

My neph & Elmo back when he was a wittle bebe.

"They" say disposable razors are only good for three uses. They become dull, knick your skin, and the old skin cells become a breeding ground for infection.  Razors are too expensive for me to throw out after only 3 uses, but once I feel like they are getting dull, I will toss them.

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Are you thoroughly disgusted yet? Do you plan on kicking any dust mites out of bed now? Because I don't know about you, but I feel like I need a bath of bleach.

Read more here if you are so inclined.

If I die from a heat stroke, tell Bradley Cooper I love him ...

I decided to check out weather dot com this morning to see what temps I was working with for the weekend, and I started sweating just reading our 10 day forecast:

Excuse me, 104 today?  Not cool.  Literally.  And these are just the temps before you factor in the heat index.  I've lived in Texas basically my entire life, so I'm used to this.  It doesn't mean I like it. 

I always wonder how people in the North survive the winters and blizzards, but I'm sure y'all wonder how we survive our sizzilin summers.  You just stay inside as much as possible and accept that you may pass out from a heat stroke at any time. 

In case you don't want to take out a loan to pay your summer electric bill, here are 5 ways to avoid a heat stroke on the cheap:

1. Cool your pulse. Wrap an ice cube in a towel and apply it to any of your body’s major pulse points (wrists, behind the knees and inside elbows) for a minute, then remove it for a minute—repeat until you feel sufficiently cool.  Pulse points are areas with the best circulation, so lowering your blood temperature in those spots will carry the cooling effect throughout the entire body.

How cute are heart shaped ice cubes?  I found this heart ice cube tray on Amazon for $6.99:

[BUY]

 2. Try a hint of mint. The menthol that's in mint creates a cooling effect. Chewing a piece of gum that contains menthol will trigger cold-sensitive nerves in your mouth, making a glass of water taste colder than it normally would.  Similarly, lotions and soaps that contain mint or menthol will lend your skin an icy sensation.

Bath & Body Works carries a Mentha Body Vitamin Body Lotion for $14:

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or Target has a Mint Mojito lotion for $5.99:

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3. Go downstairs. It's true that heat rises: warm air is less dense, so it floats upwards. If you're in a house, head to the first floor or the basement to enjoy chillier temperatures. A good way to rid upstairs rooms of hot air is to place a fan in a window to suck the warm air out.

4. Slice up a cucumber or watermelon. On a hot day, eating fruits and vegetables with high water content will not only help keep you hydrated, the added fluids allow your body to release heat by thinning the blood.

Watermelon is so good in the summer!  I can't get enough of it.

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5. Sit still. Though it's tempting to create a breeze by fanning yourself, excreting energy by moving around in the heat will actually end up making you feel even warmer. So stay calm—and stay put—to avoid raising your own body temperature.

Get a personalized fan instead like this pink personal air circulator for $19.99 from Target:

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Stay cool this weekend bargainistas!  If you need me, I'll be in my apartment slathering on mint lotion, inhaling watermelon and taping ice cubes to my wrists.  TGIF.

Blonde gets bronchitis + bye bye cig holder

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You may have noticed I've been complaining about being sick for over a week.  Well, I finally gave in Friday and went to the doctor.  Good thing I did because turns out I have bronchitis.  Say what Dr. McHottie?  

Y'all!  I went to the emergency care center un-showered, no make up on and may or may not have forgotten underwear.  TMI?  Just my luck ... the curtain pulls back and in walks a young, cute doctor.  Oh hell no! He's hot and I smell.  I spotted a wedding ring, so I was like ehh .... doesn't really matter that I look like shiz.

Dr. McHottie hooked me up with some magic elixir hydrocodone cough syrup, which has made a world of difference and is the only reason I can sleep right now.  I almost feel back to normal, but bronchitis takes a while to get over. 

Take this as a lesson ladies.  Even if you are on your death bed, put some make-up on, spray some dry shampoo and most importantly, THROW A THONG ON before you leave the house.  You just really never know.

Ok, now onto the most important thing of all ...

I thought about it all weekend and although most of you said you liked (or were just being nice) the Grandma bingo hall cig holder option,  I just couldn't co-sign.  Plus, I really wanted something for every day use and that pattern was definitely more for going out.  Sooooo, I returned it today. 

Bye bye my lady, I found someone I liked better.  The Hobo International Leann in red, which is bigger and I can throw all my shiz in here with no problem at all.  The Lauren was a little too small for my phone and keys. 

This little lady was about 40 bones more, but was still 30 percent off it's original price.  Plus, it doesn't hurt that it's one of my Alma Mater's colors (red and black). 

I scored a few other items during my shopping trip today that I'll have to share later this week.  All on sale, duh!  The Bargain Blonde does NOT pay full price.  

Do you still like this one or are you bummed I returned the other?? This blonde with bronchitis needs to get to bed.  Cough syrup is kicking in.