Shop Ruche

I recently stumbled upon a fabulous online shopping site, Ruche, and fell in love!  Have y'all heard of Ruche or shopped on their site?  It's a wonderful mix of modern and vintage and reminds me A LOT of Anthropologie. 

But the prices are so much more affordable, especially for my current budget.

These are some of my favorite items :)

(Everything shown below is less than $55!) 

Hope you're having a wonderful week!

XOXO

Food swap

I found this great article on Shape.com, and I just had to share! It gives some great ideas for swapping out several yummy (but fatty) foods, with some healthier options (and just as yummy!).  I plan on trying out some of these "swaps." I'm on a mission this summer to get in better shape and eat healthier (I've already cut out desserts!).    Have you tried any of these foods yet??  Do you have any great healthy foods/snacks that you love??

 Instead of Mexican take-out, try these low-fat Cedar Lane Burritos.  They are just 260 calories and packed with fiber and protein.  Not to mention, delicious!  Buy at Whole Foods.


 If you are a Coke or Diet Coke lover, this is the drink for you: Code Blue.  It's lightly carbonated, low in calories, and is made with natural sweeteners (agave), electrolytes, and antioxidants. Sounds to good to be true!  Buy at The Vitamin Shoppe.

 I LOVE this next food "swap" item: Edemame.  Trade in your celery sticks with these substantial and satisfying veggies.  They are nutritious, delicious, and they require no peeling or chopping!  Keep small bags of frozen edemame in your freezer, pop them in your lunch bag, and they will be ready for snacking when you get to school or work....also they are fun for kids, my nephews love them! :)

 Instead of sweetened yogurt, try non-fat Greek Yogurt.  Sprinkle with cocoa powder or cinnamon to satisfy your sweet tooth, or dress it up with fruit and granola for a delicious and healthy snack.  My hubby lives for this stuff, especially the Chobani brand - his faves are the raspberry and mango!

 Say goodbye to boring (and carb-packed) white rice, and hello to lentils!  It will keep you fuller for longer and is packed with protein and and fiber.  Try this recipe to make a yummy lentil salad!

I have a MAJOR salty tooth, and a sweet tooth, and a savory tooth, and a chocolate tooth, .....(ok, i have lots of teeth!)  I definitely have cravings for pretzels or cheesits, just about every day.  Instead of wasting your calories on your typical salty snack, Pop Chips promise to deliver all the taste, with HALF the fat of regular chips. There are 7 flavors to choose from, and each bag is just 120 calories a serving.  These are a must-try for me!
Buy at Target and other grocery stores.

Happy Sunday! 
XOXO

Welcome to Atlanta

So, I'm way behind on blogging. I don't know about y'all, but this time of year is just so busy!  John has just finished up his classes at Duke, and he is getting ready for his summer internship.  We have been squeezing in lots of date nights/dinners/movies, which has been wonderful :)

  We've also done some traveling lately...which can be crazy, but it's been so much fun to have some wonderful mini-vacations! 

The week before last, I set off for Atlanta, to visit Mal (long-time friend), and 2 of my best girlfriends from college, Ellen and Chelsea.

Ellen recently became a Mommy (!!) and this was my first time to visit Baby C.  And he is PERFECT! 

The week was full of LOTS of outdoor dining, movies, shopping, frozen yogurt, and of course catching up.  It was a much needed trip, and I'm so glad I got to go!

And now, for the pics...which are for the most part of us eating....no surprise here :)

Lunch with Mal!

Brunch in Buckhead the following day with Chels :)  So delish.

Roomies!

YUM

Dinner with Chels and Ells in historic Roswell.  So much fun!

Meeting sweet Baby C!

Hope you are all having a lovely weekend!  It's muggy and rainy here in NC...

(perfect weather for naps and Netflix.) 

XOXO

Beach getaway

Last week, John and I scooted off to the NC beaches for a much needed getaway!  John had just finished all of his finals, and I am always up for a vacay! 

We stayed at my aunt and uncle's gorgeous home, and spent lots of time basking in the sun, cooking, and spending good QT together.  My fam was sadly out of town, so we didn't get to see them, but it was so nice for them to let us come anyway!

We didn't take too many pics -- it's hard when it's just you two, and there is no one else around!

Here are a few :)

Yummy dinner at Flipperz

One of the best burgers ever :)

Beach time!

Hope you all are doing lovely :)

XOXO

Bday Happies

First of all, let me say, thank you to all of you who left me sweet birthday messages! I felt so loved, and it really was a very special day.  I was able to celebrate with my parents in DC, the week before my bday, which was so wonderful. 

The actual day of my bday was on Friday, and I took the day off from work, and had the WHOLE day with my hubs!  (He just finished his 1st year at Duke getting his MBA, and he was done w/ his exams!)

We slept in, and he made me a delicious breakfast: buttermilk pancakes, fresh fruit, and his amazing berry smoothies. Then I got to open some presents that had come in the mail, and some that my parents had left me to open on my big day :)

Some of my loot!

From left: cute "e" stamp, Charleston coaster, Jonathan Adler phone cover, Stella and Dot earrings and necklace, notecards, tea towls, a printed scarf, Gwenyth Paltrow cookbook, gorgeous necklace, and monogrammed casserole dish cover.

Thanks to my wonderful parents, my thoughtful in-laws, and Ash for my amazing gifts - I love them all SO MUCH!

John gave me the Longchamp bag (from this post), and I am so in love with it :)

So after a lazy morning at home, John and I headed off to explore Fearrington Village, which is an adorable historic farm area that has cute boutique shops, gourmet dining, a spa, bookstore, acres of lush pastures, and gorgeous gardens.  (I kind of sound like I wrote their brochure!) 

We spent the late morning/early afternoon wandering around, and we loved it!

 

These chalkboard panels outside the bookstore announced upcoming events, etc.  So cute!

After spending most of the day at Fearrington, we headed back into downtown Durham for a delicious late lunch at Toast.  It is one of our favorite restaurants, and it was perfect for a bday meal :)

 

Next up was a quiet bday dinner at home :)  John and I had a very busy week that week (school dinners, parties, luau, Cinco de Mayo festivities, etc), so we decided to cook together, and have a low-key evening. It was perfect!  My bday cake was a delcious lemon/raspberry cheesecake - amazing.

Thanks again for the bday wishes and my fam and friends who sent cards and gifts!!

XOXO