Get The Balance Right

Get The Balance Right

Jul 27, 2016

This is a sponsored post for Balance however all opinions and content are my own

I'm not big on snacking. As a matter of fact, unless it's around that time, I would rather have a juicy steak or seared salmon than sweets any day. But like I said, sometimes I crave nothing but sweets. Now I'm not a health nut but ever since I moved out here to SoCal I started to put focus on what I ate and that's why sugar was totally cut from my life. Chocolate used to be my best friend but somehow (somehow? yea, suuure!) it got in my head that sugar, sweets and fun food were bad and eventually my love for it dissipated.

Now that I'm not as obsessive with what I eat, and am allowing myself to have some 'fun', I want to have snacks that aren't going to send me over the deep end. I want to satisfy my craving for chocolate without feeling guilty if I didn't work out that day (or week) so thankfully Balance came to my rescue

Balance gave me a few of their bars to try out and I feel in love with the Chocolate Peppermint Patty. It reminds me of peppermint mocha lattes but with a tasty crunch. It also allows me to balance out my juicing with a little bit of indulging. At under 200 calories I don't feel guilty about eating a bar as a snack amidst spinach and kale and true to its name it. And along with their three other new flavors (Dark Chocolate Pecan Turtle, Dulce De Leche and Chocolate Caramel Peanut Nougat) the Chocolate Peppermint Patty is an excellent source of fiber with 5-6 grams per bar. This is perfect for me because I juice as opposed to making smoothies so I lose a great source of fiber by doing that so getting the fiber I need plus having something sweet and tasty is a win-win in my book. It's so cool to have found a perfect balance between the suppressed love of sweets that is trying to come out and eating nothing but greens and protein. 

Balance can be purchased at CVS, Amazon and some Walmart stores and are sold in full-sized bars as well as mini bars (the new flavors) so if you're anything like me and tend to be super stringent one week and eating nothing but chocolate chip cookies and other sweets the next, eating Balance bars every now and then as a snack might help you snack smarter the way it's helping me. And if you're in California check out their Facebook page to see where you can catch the Balance Truck sampling tour this summer and try it out for yourself!

Now If you're not in the LA area and can't make it to any of the Balance Trucks you can win a 16-pack box of Balance in one of their new flavors! To enter just leave a comment letting me know how you plan to use Balance bars to #Cravefreely this summer!

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Gym Bag Essentials That'll Freshen You Up Before Your Workout!

Gym Bag Essentials That'll Freshen You Up Before Your Workout!

Jul 20, 2016

Thank you Cottonelle® for sponsoring this post. Share your Clean Confession with Cottonelle® and enter to win a VIP trip for two to Wanderlust 108 in Miami!

I'm going to put all the cards out on the table. I'm a new workout junkie. When I was living in NYC the only thing I ever brought to the gym was a cold water bottle and towel but now I have a bag that's filled with so much more.


Even though I have a gym in my building that is open 24 hours I still do some classes, mainly Pure Barre, to switch things up a bit and not lose my interest in working out. I have a gym bag that (to me) is jam packed with everything I'll need to get ready to sweat so here's what I have in there and what think everyone else should have as well!



1. Yoga Pants

I used to work out in sweats but these are just so much cuter and COMFY!!! They're much better than shorts, I can run some errands before I hit the gym and not feel out of place (this is LA after all) and they are in my way restricting when I am doing any kind of work out.


2. Grippy Socks

The classes that I take are meant to be either barefoot or with socks so I always make sure I have these in my gym bag. I have zero interest in slipping when I already have a hard time keeping myself balanced!


3. Sports Bra

My girls will not have fun without my trusty sports bra. I've been buying the same ones year after year because I finally found one that I can not only wear while working out but also to and from the gym without having the uniboob. These sports bras have hooks in the back like a traditional bra as the straps have really strong velcro which is great for me because as I lose weight (YES!) I need to make constant adjustments. 


4. Cottonelle® CleanRipple Texture Wipes

Did you notice anything missing? I'll point it out to you: panties. I like to work out with as littleas possible and Cottonelle lets me get away with that! Only Cottonelle® CleanRipple Texture is designed to clean better, so I'm clean enough to Go Commando. It makes sure that I have all the confidence I need while I'm doing positions that I've never done before. The last thing I need is to worry about my undies make me uncomfortable and taking my concentration away from what the instructor is asking for. Cottonelle® knows it takes a bold confidence to go commando, but once you’ve got it – it makes all the difference. 

5. Make-up Remover

I don't always hit the gym straight from home and even though I take the barre classes only a few blocks away I have my days where I lose all motivation once I look at my couch. Being able to wash my makeup off is a total must because I don't want to clog up y pores by combining it with sweat. I also don't want a dirty towel. EEK!

Aside from these gems I also always have my iPhone (for when I'm working out on machines) and my hoodie because it always makes me feel like I'm ready to kick some calories to the curb when I'm in full workout mode.

So there you have it! Now along with carrying these items in my gym bag I also make sure to have them in my bathroom because they are just a lifesaver. Having a clean face is my number one focus in life but I also like keeping the right toilet paper and Cottonelle® CleanRipple Texture is what works for me because it's designed to clean better than other leading value brands and their wipes are totally flushable. A problem I have with about 90% of the ones out there.

You can tell a lot about a person by what they keep in their bathroom and mine says I'm like to be as fresh as possible. What does yours say?



Ohhh and don't miss out on the Cottonelle® sweepstake. You can get a chance to win an all-inclusive trip to their  Wanderlust 108 Festival in Miami on October 22! Click on the link above to enter. 
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

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