My Fascination Street

Okay so I've been having to get back into making smoothies for a long time. The main reason why I haven't been doing them is because of my timing. If I make a smoothie that is delicious and filled with lots of ingredients I'm stuck with a major clean up. Not only that but I have bottles that just aren't made for smoothies. They're made for either water or infused water since they have an insert.

This awesome air tight smoothie bottle by Asobu has come to the rescue. This double wall, vacuum insulated smoothie shaker is awesome.

Let's start with the basics:

It's a great size. It holds 17 ounces of any smoothie that's made.
It's air tight which means that you don't have to worry about it spilling in your purse or car.
Aside from it being airtight, there a little mechanism in the pump that you press over and over until it doesn't pop up anymore, letting you know that all of the air is out and your beverages won't oxidize before you finish it.

The Asobu Smoothie Keeper comes in 12 colors and can keep your drink cold for up to 12 hours so you don't have to worry about chugging it right away. The one that I got was in Smoke but they have other colors available like purple, orange, silver, blue and lime so there's something for everyone.

Did I mention it comes with a straw?

I'm doing a hardcore weight loss challenge at work and need all the help I can get. Making smoothies and protein drinks that I can put in my purse without worrying about spillage is totally work it and I high recommend it!

Asobu Smoothie Keeper

I had a super fun end of the summer in The Hamptons with family and friends. I, of course, over packed because I ended up wearing my tunic bathing suit for about 8 days straight but one thing that I did remember to pack was this cool snorkel by Usnork that was sent to me. While I have a pool at home and would have been able to use it there it was super fun to be able to not only use it myself but for my little cousin to enjoy as well.

This Usnork snorkel was cool because it covered the entire face and was very air (and water) tight and comfortable to wear and the tube was long enough where we were able to go kind of deep which made it more fun.

Now along with the snorkel, the package came with a waterproof smartphone bag that we used the entire time we were in the pool which was much needed when we wanted to change a song on the bluetooth speakers and take a photo to show off our fun pool times!

I know the summer is officially over but with heated pools and beaches in warmer climates, this would totally be a fun thing to always have handy!

Snorkeling Fun To End The Summer

I recently moved into a new apartment that has huge built in shelves in the bathroom. I thought about using them just for my linens but decided to make them a bit more girly by making use of some of the items I've purchased for shoots. The first theme I decided to do was roses because I secretly adore the color pink. I also received an amazing Chloe perfume set for Christmas and their bottles designs are meant to be displayed.

After a trying year I've been focused on finding ways to calm my mind, create a sense of peace and have feel good vibes so while I always liked the scent of roses, I started to like it even more when I read about how great it was for the senses. It aids in depression by boosting self esteem and help relieve anxiety and i's a great aphrodisiac--trust me, I know. Wearing my Chloe perfume drove my last boyfriend nuts!

With all of that it's only natural that I want at least one room in my apartment to be dedicated to subconsciously making me feel good even though I'm never there for more than 30 minutes at a time. And not only does the essence of roses make my mind feel great but I absolutely adore walking into my bathroom and looking at my perfect little shelf. Here's what I was able to get in order to put this shelf together. I received a lucite tray a few months ago and thought it was just what I needed to take great photos and I was right. I was finally able to get the perfect white, or any color background that I wanted for my shoots. But once I got my light box I didn't need it anymore and thought it would be a great way to display my favorite products.

1. Chloe Perfume Box Set- This is one of my favorite Christmas presents from this past year. This has been my signature scent since 2014 and I had finally ran out of my original bottle. I love this set because it came with the lotion, a small travel size and it a cute tin box. I was going to use the box to hold arts and craft items but having it on display is so much better

2. Artificial Rose Petals- Over the summer I had a great idea for a post on scents and bought rose petals for a video that has yet to be properly edited-whoops! Anyway, I'm not sure if I will ever use these again so I didn't know what to do with them but I know that I can't have these tucked away because I'll forget about them.

3. Dr. Bronner's Castile Soap- I've touted this brand before and I will do it again. I'm in love with this companies products, especially the ones that are rose scented. These bar soaps are great for the shower or on a bathroom sink in a cute tray.

4. Bracelets- I love bracelets but I can't wear them because I work on a computer all day and end up putting them off to the side. They're cute when I want to hang out with my friends but wearing one of them everyday is a no-no. When I saw these at ban.do I kinda lost it though and needed to have them. I was also in my breakup shopping binge so I had to have them even more. I'm glad I snagged these when I did because they're no longer being sold on the site. While the colors aren't all pink or rosy I think they add a nice touch.

5. Peter Thomas Roth Rose Stem Cell Face Mask- I had this for almost six months before I actually used it because it was an impulse buy. Once I got into the scent of roses I decided to give this a try. Not only do I love how hydrated my skin is the scent is heavenly. I like wearing it overnight sometimes in lieu of my retinol cream just to change things up a bit.

There you have it! I've already started on my lavender shelf but I'm still searching for more products in order to consider it complete. I also have others that I want to create themes for because I think only having two out of four isn't going to work so keep an eye out for the rest!

Coming Up Roses

I love tomatoes. Love love love! They go with everything and make every meal super refreshing. When it comes to maintaining, and trying to shed some weight, I tend to eat low/no-carbs meals a few times a week and eating a caprese sandwich is one of my favorites. It's super easy, has cheese, which I love, and it's actually quite filling.

There really is no recipe needed and it's only 5 ingredients. If you make caprese salads the only difference is that you can use the top and bottom of the tomato to have 'buns'.

Most of my meals comprise of of these staples: tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, and basil. Before I constructed it I added salt, pepper and olive oil and let things sit for about 10 minutes. While I love the taste of all of these ingredients separately they taste even better after marinating in that for a bit.

After that it was just a matter of adding some balsamic vinegar, put all together and it was ready to get in my belly. It's totally something you should try out if you love caprese salads and want to try it in a different way. Plus, if you like the feeling of eating a burger you can totally trick yourself into thinking that you're having one.

Easy Caprese Sandwich

Paradise of Collectives

As the summer approaches as does the anniversary of my blog finally turning around. I mentioned before how last summer is where things started to kick into high gear and I want to set some really attainable goals for the year to come. I've always wanted to do more with this site but life just kept getting in the way. Or really, i just kept using that as an excuse. With big things happening this fall I want to build some great momentum now that will have writing as second nature. I want it to be something I need to do like eating or sleeping. I've been part of the Ultimate Blog Challenge in the past but haven't even thought about it since forever so now that a new one is beginning tomorrow I want to see if I can write informative, funny and cool content for at least 31 days straight. If I do I will rewards myself with having good momentum and maybe I'll buy myself something nice for my birthday (since it'll be on the last day. Hint Hint!).

Here are my blog goals that I want to get started on this summer. I'm really hoping to focus and not let myself get easily discouraged or distracted. Cross your fingers!

Write More

I don't want to write just for the sake of writing. Nothing is worse than filler posts. I do however have tons of ideas running through my mind and my notes on my iPhone is filled with them. I want to finally give them a try and see if they're actually worth writing about. I need to put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) and keep things moving along. Plus, the more I write, the higher my confidence in it will be so I want to exercise that part of my brain to help keep my lovely readers entertained. Speaking of which, another goal is to...

Engage with Readers

You know, I get a lot of people reading my posts. A lot! If I didn't I wouldn't have any income to report. But my weakness is getting the engagement. I can easily rope an entire bar into a conversation but I'm having some trouble getting you guys to speak up. So I want to make it more enticing. I don't want people to engage just to make me feel better. It's not happening much because there really isn't a reason for it so I'm going to make an effort to have each post be the start of a conversation.

Create a Newsletter

This will happen in a few months. I want to get into the flow of things before doing this. I don't want to send out newsletters that are boring or when people haven't made this blog worth talking about. I also need to keep this updated with fresh content so that the newsletter isn't just letting someone know that they missed one or two posts. BORING!

Find the Perfect Template

Last but not least, finding a perfect template. I have a vision for how I want this site to look but I haven't found something that works for me yet. Maybe I have template ADHD or something. I've seen a lot that I think are great but there's always something missing. I might bite the bullet and just hire someone to design one for me because I am a bit picky but I just want something that's easy on the eyes, can be navigated through seamlessly and that I am 100% happy with.

Those are the goals that I'll be working towards starting today and I'm hoping to not be derailed. I'll be home for a few weeks so it's not like I can spend 24/7 working on my blog but I will dedicate a few hours a day on this. I want to take this to the next level and that means there is no time to slack off.

***Don't you just LOVE the photo I chose for this blog? My friend Sarai takes some of the most amazing photos ever and I'm so glad she's allowing me to use this pic on my blog. As someone with a minor in photographer I get butterflies when I meet someone who's got an amazing eye so hopefully I'll be featuring a lot of her photos here until I'm ready to get behind the lens again***

Blog Goals: Taking it to New Heights

Hi guys, I'm back! And I have a super yummy recipe to start 2018 with. Yes, I realize that we are well into January but throw me a bone, I'm still defrosting from the bomb cyclone that happened in the Northeast. Check out one of my favorite breakfast recipes. It's quick and easy to make but packs a big punch!

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Vanilla Chai Pancakes

by Diane D January-16-2018

Two things I love: pancakes and chai tea. So I thought, why not mix them up!

Ingredients

1 Chai Tea Bag
1 French Vanilla Tea Bag
2 cups Water
1 link Aidells Italian Style Susage
as much as you want Pancake Mix
ummm...a little? butter

Instructions

-Cut Aidells sausages into whatever size you want. I like to cut mine straight down the center and then cut those into small pieces. I then cook the sausage in butter until it's up to my standards. These sausages are pre-cooked, so it's just getting them warm and crispy
-While the sausage is being cooked, I warm up 1/4 of the water and steep both bags into it. I don't want it to be too watery because I want the amount to be somewhat heavy and concentrated
-While the sausage is being cooked I pour water and tea concentrate into the mix and whisk it until it's at the consistency that I want
-Once the sausages are done I use the same butter to cook the pancakes. Turning them only once to keep them fluffy on the inside.Serve, eat and enjoy!

Details

Prep time: 5 mins Cook time: 20 mins Total time: 25 mins

Vanilla Chai Pancakes

Let's talk about salads. People love them, people hate them, I personally find them okay if they're not made with a lot of lettuce. This is why I tend to make super easy salads that are pretty much filled with nothing but protein and of course, my favorite ingredient ever: avocados!

I've been slacking in the kitchen department lately but now that I have a space that is perfect for cooking, I've been getting into it a bit more. But because it's summer, I don't want to overdo it with things that will make the studio space super hot. So without further ado, here's a super yummy salad that I put together with just five ingredients. And yes, there are some greens hiding in there!

One thing that I did different this time around was use Premium Organic Tiger Nut Oil, which I've never used before. This oil is considered to be a healthier alternative to olive oil because of its consistently high performance of the nut itself. The taste is amazing and really give a different flavor to whatever it's used with because it's a unique flavor that I've never experienced before.

Avocado Club Salad

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Yield: 1 yummy serving

A super yummy salad with really savory ingredients. No dressing is needed thanks to the creaminess of the avocados. How great is that!

Ingredients

2 Haas avocados
2 cups of spinach
2-3 bacon strips
Chicken breast
Fresh parmesan cheese
Premium Oganic Tiger Nut Oil

Instructions

Cut the chicken breast and cook in a small amount of Tiger Nut Oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. And garlic salt. You should totally use garlic salt. Once it's fully cooked put it on a paper towel to soak up any excess oil
Fry the bacon strips. Or microwave them. Whichever is quicker and will prevent you from eating it all before it goes in the salad
Chop the avocados and season with a bit of salt. I do this last so they don't start to turn. You know how fickle these can be!
Thrown it all in a bowl of spinach and grate as much fresh parmesan cheese as you want
Bon appétit