Life Lately + Yummy Recipes + Cleanse Recap

Thanks so much for all of your thoughts and prayers!  Hurricane Florence was thankfully nice to Charleston!  We luckily only got a little drizzle and a little wind, but that was it!

Twinning.  Just got this new raincoat a few weeks ago and love the color!

Really into the movie they were watching.

Lowcountry view from our neighbor’s house.

Each night, we switched off who hosted dinner with all the neighborhood families and children.  I wish I’d taken more photos of all the delicious food!  This was one of my faves…

Figs Stuffed with Gorgonzola Cheese, Wrapped in Prosciutto

Cook on 275 for 10 minutes.  Basically, just keep an eye on it.  Pull it out when the cheese begins to melt.

Lanier made these.  Always so good!  You can find the tray he used here.

Jalapeño Poppers

Top out and scoop out ribs/seeds from jalapeños.  Pipe cream cheese into jalapeño cavity with Ziploc bag.  Wrap 1/2 strip of bacon around each.  Cook on grill 400 degrees for about 15 minutes.  Basically, just watch the bacon.  When it starts crisping, it’s done.

I was very happy when all the restaurants opened up again.  The Cobb Salad, subbing the shredded chicken with salmon, at Ember, is one of my latest faves!

Enjoying my last beer on Sunday before starting my cleanse on Monday.  The break from school was so nice, but we all definitely indulged.  Loved having some extra time with the kids too.  We spent lots of time outside and biked a lot.  Thankfully, the only rain we saw the entire week was on Saturday and it only drizzled.

Lots of you have asked about the cleanse I’m doing.

Why I decided to do it?

To detox after over-indulging for a week.  To also restart my healthier eating habits.  Sister #6’s wedding is THIS weekend, so I wanted to cleanse before the festivities.

How many bottles a day?  And how many days?

5 bottles a day for 3 days.

Can you eat anything while you’re on it?

No.  The only other liquid you’re allowed to drink is water.  No coffee.  No alcohol.

Have you done this particular cleanse before?

Yes.  I usually try and do it at least once a year.  The first time I did it, I successfully made it seven days straight!  And lost 10 pounds!  But honestly, I’m not doing it to lose weight.  Most of it won’t even stay off.  I usually do it to jumpstart a healthier diet.

Are you hungry when you’re on it?

Since these are cold-pressed juices, it’s basically everything you’d usually put in your own smoothie compressed into a juice.  So instead of trying to down blended semi-chunky spinach and kale, these are so pressed that it’s almost juice consistency.  Total calories you get each day, around 1150.  I’m not going to lie, the second day is always the hardest, as far as hunger is concerned.  But the order they make the juices, they do it just right.

*P. S. This is in no way sponsored by Blend Juice Bar.  I just really like this cleanse.  It’s local and unfortunately they don’t ship right now, but I know when I mentioned starting it, many of you had questions about it.  Maybe one day they’ll start shipping!  You could also tell your favorite juice bar in your area.  It’s a great idea!

Drink #1: Greens to start your day!

#2: Sweet tart treat for your morning snack.

Drink #3: Pretty spicy, but helps speed up your metabolism and curb your appetite.

Drink #4: My absolute fave!  Tastes like Cinnamon Toast Crunch!  Look forward to this one each day!

Drink #5: Have never been a big fan of beets, but lemon and ginger help mask the taste.  Lanier’s done this cleanse a few times and he always says this one is one of his faves…behind drink #4, of course.  It’s not my typical red drink at night, but it’s worth the sacrifice.

All in all, it’s a great cleanse.  I finished my last drink last night and woke up this morning feeling less bloated and ready to start eating healthy again.  I’m sure it’s mostly water weight, but after doing the cleanse, I lost over five pounds.  Many of you have asked if I’ve cut out alcohol while I’ve been trying to get in better shape.  The answer is no.  How I eat and drink most of the time is a lifelong diet.  I never want to cut something out that I love because I know I’ll just cave in the end.  Everything in moderation is key…and of course, adding exercise in helps balance that out.

One thing’s for sure…I can’t wait to enjoy a real meal today!  This was one Lanier made a few weeks ago.  Instead of mashed potatoes, he made mashed cauliflower.  So good!  For my celebratory meal tonight, for successfully finishing my cleanse, he’s going to make curry shrimp.  Can’t wait!

During my cleanse, I had my fastest run yet!  My fastest mile at 8:29 and my fastest three miles at 26:55!

I also played one of my best matches of tennis all season while on the cleanse!  My partner had a lot to do with that.  We won the first set 6-3, then were down 0-3 in the second set and even got to 2-5 and came back to win it, 7-5!  It was a hard fight, but we did it! // My tennis bag is old, but my dress is from here and my purple water bottle, here.  If you’ve never tried these water bottles before, they’re awesome!  The ice stays frozen for hours!

And talk about a calorie-burner!  FYI, these stats are on your Activity App on your iPhone, when synced to your Apple Watch.  I had some of you ask where the “Tennis” workout choice was on your watch.  Before you start playing, select “Other” and when you’re finished playing, stop your workout.  It’ll give you choices of different work-outs and tennis is one of them.

My sweet boys.  They’ll never tire of their love for Legos.

Captured this pic a few nights ago.  The heat lightning was unreal!

When you don’t have time for a full fishtail braid, you get creative.  I hope they always let me do their hair!

Last but not least, loving this latest running tank!  It’s so breathable and easy to move in!  Fit is true to size.

Happy Thursday, Y’all!