Work Hard, Play Easy

I've been incorporating this workout tip from Dr. Jeff Spencer, Wellness Chiropractor to elite performing artists/athletes and have found great results! It's the perfect information to help you find a balance and enjoy being active, as well as stay in excellent shape. 

Workout tapes are my life (so 80s), but I also love yoga/pilates, running, endless beach cruising and gymnastics class (yes, gymnastics), or any other fun class for that matter (obsessed with ballet for awhile-ha!). Incorporating harder workouts throughout the week allows me to keep more entertaining actives a part of my fitness routine, love that! 

He cracks me up. I suggest starting at 2:20. xo

A dDress This:

The Midwest needs our help. Disheartening tornadoes have killed many and left thousands homeless in Missouri. Let us continue to pray and support! xo

Here is a list of a few organizations providing relief: 

• American Red Cross
• AmeriCares
• Convoy of Hope
• Feeding America
• Ozarks Food Harvest
• Heart of Missouri United Way

Dress Up Dessert

Half the fun of baking is displaying and a memorable event is an especially great time to buy a special piece (or two!). My parents collect really unique pairs of champagne glasses, which they buy for each other on their anniversary each year. I guess it’s safe to say, I’ve been raised to cherish the many kinds of different kitchen and dinning options!

I am head over heels for the Gracie China Victorian Rose cake stands I found for Marlo and Bob's engagement in early May and it seems I’m not the only one; Lauren Conrad couldn’t have said it better!

This article on Conrad’s FAVORITE THINGS is in the June 6^th issue of People, coincidently enough the same issue that announced the engagement of Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries! 

PS. Marlo recently bought a pair of TOMS at Nordstroms that give the same vibe as white lace (based off my last post). Thought I'd share! xo

Thrifty Gifting

Affordable and unique gifts can be difficult to find, that is why I love incorporating my 3rd grade art skills by making "modifications" to things I buy! 

My sister Marlo is the best big sister in the whole wide world!!! It was really important to me that the gift I gave her for her engagement was fun yet had meaning behind it. 


Marlo loooooooves workout clothes (especially Lululemon!) and exercising. Health overall, is a huge part of our relationship and something we enjoy sharing with each other. My inspiration came from the whole lingerie tradition, giving a bride lingerie for her wedding night, instead I got her a white sports bra and booty shorts from Lululemon (our dad was happy about this one-and no again dad, a bodysuit was not an option)! I made a lingerie hanger (what "bridal" looks to me) so the idea was clear, plus added the "something old/borrowed" and "something blue" tradition. 

Supplies I got at Michael's: 

• White satin ribbon-1.5-2''w (2 yards)
• Blue satin ribbon-1''w (1 yard or less depending on bow size)
• Lace ribbon (Marlo's has "pearls" on it. Any size under 2''w is fine)
• White feather edge satin ribbon-3/8''w
• Scrapbook flowers
• Scrapbook pendant 
• Large (larger the better looks cutest for this in my opinion!) safety pins (2)
• Super Glue
• Large tee-shirt box 
• White tissue paper 

First, I bought a padded coat hanger (Target or Home Goods). 
Use the thickest ribbon to cover the hanger fabric, working around the hook, wrapping it tightly and gluing as you go. The lace ribbon is for decoration, so again wrapping it around the hanger, but more spaced out than the first (cut and glue all ends at the end of the hanger to keep things consistent). Tie a few knots at the base of the hanger hook with the lace and feather edge ribbon, letting excess hang. Use the remaining thick ribbon to tie a large bow above the knots. Add scrapbook flowers or whatever else you'd like to the middle of the bow. Attach with glue. 

Use the blue ribbon to tie a bow on one side of the bra. I wanted the two pieces to come out of the box together so I safety pinned the bra to the shorts and tied a small bow on each pin using the thinnest white ribbon. Add the pendant (most have double sided tape already on them) to the top left or right corner of the shorts (the one I found was vintage inspired with a love quote engraved, so it stood as the "something old/borrowed"). White tissue paper and a tee-shirt box to wrap it all in. 
*You don't want to physically glue anything on to the bra or shorts because then it's not realistic to wear and a Lulu bra can run you about $40+. If it's just an inexpensive one time thing, then glue away! I made friends ridiculous Valentine's Day shirts this year for pictures with Fruit of the Loom tees.

The groom-to-be was easy! I got Bobby a six-pack (found a bright green tin beer holder) and a good-bye card. Bobby can get crazy off of beer so we love joking with him about it, he's rarely "allowed" to have him some brews-ha!

These gift ideas can be used for different occasions, you'll just need to theme them appropriately. I once made a "birthday suit" for a friend using a nude bra and bottom from American Apparel. You can always email me if you need help too!

Congratulations Mar and Bobbo!! I love you!

...And they lived happily ever after...

Channel your inner bride:
Between all the Kate Middleton press (who didn't love her wedding dress?!) and thinking about my future duties as Marlo's Maid of Honor, I am loving white, especially white lace. You can imagine my excitement when the most recent WhoWhatWear Trend Report found it's way to my inbox-- white lace dresses! I DO! xo

Hopeful Hummus

After reading Natalie's post it inspired me to come up with my own hummus recipe! Of course, it needed to not only be healthy but easy and taste great too. 
Me and my sister Marlo cooked for family and friends on Mother's Day and fearlessly tried out some new recipes (family will always love your cooking just for attempting, right?). Most of the preparing was managed to be completed before anyone got to our house, so it was after they tried our creations (and liked them) that we then admitted we made them-ha! 

Days like this are the best. The house filled with evening sun, laughter, country music and the occasional snap of dad's finger as he aimlessly whistles mom's favorite radio tunes!

3 cans chickpeas, drained, liquid reserved
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
Trocomare, spicy herb seasoning salt
Sea salt

Serves a "party size" amount.

In a blender add chickpeas, garlic, olive oil, lemon and a pinch of sea salt. Blend on low speed, if necessary gradually add reserved bean liquid, increase speed and blend until consistency is as desired. Add a few shakes of Trocomare then blend and repeat until it tastes good to you! 
Refrigerate for about 30 minutes-an hour.

Add a spoon full of plain non-fat Greek yogurt on top (not necessary) and dip with raw veggies, pita chips, or any other finger food.

I love Trocomare seasoning and use it on all kinds of things, it's spicy but salty too, plus all organic. A lot of hummus recipes call for Tahini (sesame paste), but I really don't think you need it and leaving it out will save you from adding extra calories. 
Skinny Crisps (made with almond and chickapea flour), are a perfect low-carb option and taste great with hummus. You can find Skinny Crisps and Trocomare at Whole Foods. 

Homemade appetizers are extra special and guests will appreciate the added effort, especially that mama in your life!
Meet my mom, Tams! xo

Meet Natalie

Thanks to a double date, Natalie and I became friends and have so much in common I wonder how I ever managed without her! Thoughtful and open-minded, she is just as much beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside. Don't let her charm and pint size full you, she loves kickboxing and packs quite the punch! 

Name: Natalie

Age: 22

Healthful Tip: Drink lots of water and try everything at least once! 

Hummus is Yummus… and good for you!

            

Yes, it is true! You can have a delicious snack that is good for you and tastes great! Take a trip down the Mediterranean coast and there you will find the goddess of all snack dips, hummus. Although it comes from humble origins, made mostly as an appetizer dish in the most modest of households along the Mediterranean, it packs a double punch of flavor and nutritional value! Two large tablespoons have only 50 calories and contain at least 1 gram of protein. Pair this dip with raw vegetables like carrots or celery and you have yourself a healthy and filling snack that will satisfy you until dinner time. Plain hummus not good enough for your exotic palate? These days hummus is made in a variety of flavors, including jalapeño, roasted red pepper and garlic herb and can be found at almost every local grocery store! So eat away without a care! … Wait, I take that back, one downfall of the miracle snack… because it contains both protein and carbohydrates (as any other legume does) it digests slowly, keeping you full until your next meal, but it can create some… uncomfortable bloating? However to avoid this unappetizing effect make sure you pair it with raw vegetables (like the ones suggested above) and not meats and fruits! Doing this will make sure you can snack happily in all situations! 

Nothing beats my mom's homemade hummus, but Trader Joe's does have a great selection.

Love, 

Natalie

The purpose of this blog is to help friends. It's a place to share and learn from each other; all types of girls in their 20s with different lifestyles and many different interests. I'll be introducing friends and family from time to time, they'll post on their favorite tips or how they incorporate health into their lives! 

Wanna join us? Email me at: A.dDress.MollyMY@gmail.com. Share something healthy you enjoy! We want to try it too!! xo

Made In America

Justice. 

We will never forget that day, it will forever remind us of how great it feels to live in America and have such brave men and women representing our country. 

My cousin Jamie is in the Navy, she is one of the strongest women I know and we miss her so much! Last time she was home we cruised Newport Beach:)

My dad owns a brewery in Newport, so when I was younger I’d spend the summers there, riding my bike and living in my bathing suit. In between the beach and countless ferry rides to Balboa Island, my friends and I would make pit stops at the Brew Co. and my dad would load us up on root beer floats (greatest AMERICAN invention of all time)!

An early 4th of July party was put into order to honor those fighting and I made a healthy alternative to one of my favorite American treats.

Side Note: I love serving drinks in mason jars! Have friends bring their own next time you have a casual party (the one with the float in it is a jam jar), everyone will know which drink is theirs (especially if you leave the labels on), plus it's a fun and easy way for guests to contribute.

These might be totally new products to you, but they honestly taste fantastic and together contain much less sugar and calories than your traditional float, plus no chemicals!

Zevia soda is sweetened with Stevia and Erythritol, has zero calories and is low in carbs (Ginger Root Beer has 7g per can). Many of you may have already heard of Stevia, it’s an herb, an all-natural sugar substitute and Erythritol is an all-natural sugar alcohol (mixing these two together helps dilute the bitter taste Stevia can leave on its own). All the flavors are very true to the real deal, I really don't think you'll feel like you're missing out! 

So Delicious has been making dairy free options for awhile now (it’s most popular being soy), my new favorite is their 'No Sugar Added' line of coconut milk products. Coconut milk holds some great vitamins and a type of saturated fat that is comprised of short- chained and medium- chained fatty acids, which the body utilizes by converting it to energy instead of storing it as fat.  The ice cream itself is low in sugar and all-natural.

Soy comes up a lot in conversation about health and friends always ask what I think about it. I will have to go into more detail later, but basically soy contains estrogen and as a female we usually don’t need anymore of that and men definitely do not (us girls would like the whole tissue box to ourselves during The Notebook, thanks). There will always be different opinions and health products and foods are no exception. Oh freedom. 

Another brand of ice cream you could try is Tempt (I buy their milk sometimes), it is made with hempseed and tastes great too but is just a bit higher in sugar. Either option, along with Zevia, you can find at Whole Foods.

GOD BLESS! xo

For The Love Of Chocolate

Healthy to me means having dessert! Just whenever possible, try not to compromise the quality of your food, even when it comes to sweets. I made this super easy chocolate cake out of almond flour. The frosting has only two ingredients: egg whites and agave! It's 

great with all kinds of berries and perfect for BBQs. 

Chocolate Cake

2 cups blanched almond flour

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder-sprinkled extra on the cake after frosted

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 cup light agave nectar

2 large eggs

1 tbs vanilla extract 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Grease a 9-inch cake pan with grapeseed oil and dust with almond flour.

In a large bowl, combine almond flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking soda. 

In a medium bowl, combine agave, eggs, and vanilla.

Stir the wet ingredients into the almond flour mixture, stir well. 

Scoop batter into prepared cake pan.

Bake for 35-40 mins, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake, comes out clean.

Let the cake cool in the pan for at least 1 hour before removing from the pan and/or frosting. Serves 8

Marshmallow Frosting

1/2 cup light agave nectar

2 egg whites

In a small saucepan, over medium heat, bring the agave nectar to boil, stirring frequently. Decrease the heat to low and simmer for 4-8 mins, watching constantly but only stirring occasionally, until agave darkens slightly in color.

In a large bowl, using a handheld mixer and whip egg whites to stiff peaks. Drizzle the agave slowly into the egg whites, whisk until blended.

Almond flour is a great alternative to traditional baking flour if you're looking for something lower in sugar and carbs. Bad part is it can be difficult to find in stores, sometimes I'll make my own with sliced blanched (meaning the skin is removed) almonds-make sure the almonds are blanched or it wont turn out well.

How to make almond flour (different than almond meal):

Place sliced blanched almonds (bulk section of Whole Foods) in a clean electric coffee bean grinder or food processor. Pulse several times until until the almonds form a medium-fine flour texture. Place in a flour sifter and sift. Place any large particles of almonds back in the coffee grinder/food processor. Repeat. That's it! 

This cookbook also uses agave nectar in place of processed sugar. Agave is safe for diabetics and like almond flour, has a lower glycemic index (releases glucose gradually into into the bloodstream-that's a good thing)!

You can find agave and remaining ingredients (all but almond flour-unless you're really lucky!) at Whole Foods or most other grocery stores. Happy May! xo