New Year! New You! Event

I've been making pretty gift bags for my Open House

New Year! New You! 

Event

I am getting so excited!

Everyone's invited!

Bring a friend!

Three gorgeous friends,

Jeanne Norsworthy of Worthy Granola of San Francisco,

Amy Sidebottom with Norwex,

and 

myself with Arbonne International.

Side Note: I only used the word "gorgeous" to describe myself because

I'm reveling in the discovery that I've lost 10 pounds

since I started the 30 Days to Feeling Fit.

Thank you!

And for all of you out there I encourage you to say something nice about yourself

 to yourself!

It feels so good to say something sweet about yourself!

Did you say something nice about yourself yet?

Well done! You gave yourself a gift!

So, back to my event!

This event is just to introduce friends and family to what makes

Arbonne products so special and why I am so delighted to be embarking in this business.

 This event is informal, no heavy sales or pitches,

just discovering new fantastic products and booking demonstrations/events

for the year and this is a great time for people to start booking.

So,

for everyone who books an event with me,

they will get to take one of these delightful gifts home!

Please make sure you are one of those people!

In fact, 

if you can't come on Monday,

you can still book an event with me

925 389-2775.

Mmmm!

You are interested and you do not know what an "event" means?

Great question.

An event is just simply getting 3 or 4 friends together.

It can be at your home, office, coffee shop, or you can even bring your friends to my home,

to learn and experience what makes Arbonne so fantastic.

These events are easy, fun and super educational!

When you host an event for me,

there are wonderful incentives like special pricing and free product!

Plus, you are helping me build my business in a very fun venue 

with your very own precious friends.

Come.

Bring a friend! Bring two friends!

We will be sipping on smoothies, effervescent energy "cocktails",

chewing on luxurious herbal carmels,

all while sampling amazing botanical skincare.

That's not all!

Remember that Norwex will here demonstrating how to rid 

chemicals from you home with effective rags that

require only WATER! And by "demonstrating" I mean cleaning some of my

tables and mirrors! Don't you want a "demo" in your home? You don't even need to clean

first! Right?!

And still, that's not all!

Worthy Granola has won me over to granola!

You can bet that she's going to have fresh, scrumptious granola circulating and ready to buy. So come hungry and take home a few jars of granola that is definitely 

worthy of your devotion.

A great idea is to just pop in on your lunch break, 

you won't leave hungry after you've sampled all of the fair and it will only take a moment to book your event!

Please call for directions: Nicole (925) 389-2775

Smoky Eyes

The Smoky Eye

is a look that we all wish we could pull off.

Right?

The look is sultry, dramatic, warm and soft.

Somehow in the world of 

beauty and glam,

the picture has been painted

 that the look

is only for some people, 

some very glamorous, 

gorgeous, 

fashionable people

but not for all of us.

Not true!

A year ago, I had my makeup done by

one of the top artists of Chanel.

He had just been working with a beautiful Asian woman.

She said to him, "I'd love to learn how to do a smoky

eye but I'm not sure I can wear it. I have no eyelid."

He told her that she ABSOLUTELY could do

a smokey eye and that she'd find it 

very easy and he began to show her how.

He said, I quote, "Anyone can wear a smoky eye."

According to Molly Stern, Makeup Master for Cover Girl

the smoky eye is "by far the most requested look my clients ask for."

For anyone who would love a fun way

to try this dreamy look,

I have a trick up my sleeve to share too.

Arbonne is offering a limited time special that 

I think is a perfect way to learn this look and

try some new products.

The beauty of these cosmetics, no pun intended,

is that they are 

pure, safe and beneficial.

Arbonne prides itself on the things that they do NOT put 

in their products:

animal products or by-products

parabens

formaldehyde-donating preservatives

petroleum-based ingredients (benzene, mineral oil, petrolatum, phthalates, toluene)

paba

Yes, those are things that you will NOT find in these cosmetics or skincare.

You will find lightweight, richly pigmented makeup with botanicals.

The eye shadows key ingredients are: cucumber extract,

mallow extract, vitamins A, C, and E 

suitable for all skin types.

Having said that, I think these smoky eye sets are super fun!

They would make great Valentine gifts,

birthday gifts,

employee gifts,

or just because gifts.

Fun!

The Sky Smoky Eyes Set: Lilac, Blue Slate, Ocean, and Snow.

It comes with a travel brush set, tutorial sheet and the patent look bag.

It is a $124 value or $68

The Twilight Smoky Eyes Set: Jave, Midnight, Divine Plum, and Petal, a copper

lipstick, tutorial, and patent look bag.

It is a $134 value for $68

I'm sure you could fit a blush in that cute little bag while they are on special at 50% off.

They come in apricot, berry, taffeta, sunset, and merlot.

Regularly they are $35 but this month $17.50.

I hope you don't mind me sharing this little tidbit. 

I promised my blog family that this blog will not become all about my new Arbonne business adventure, and I do mean it,

but I really couldn't keep these goodies to myself. 

Who doesn't love makeup and trying something new,

especially at a good price?

So, thanks for letting me share.

You can purchase at nicole.gilmore@myarbonne.com

or just let me know and I'll do it for you!

I apologize that I don't have time to do my typical 

ravings about how awesome this dish is.

You must trust me.

I take no credit for it's amazingness

except that I did somewhat follow the directions.

Also, I don't have the ample time to give you a tutorial,

especially when the real deal is so easy to follow.

I suggest that you either subscribe on line to 

Living Without

or buy the publication at the supermarket or bookstore.

The recipe is in the current February issue.

Living Without is a magazine for people with allergies and food sensitivities,

which thankfully I don't, 

however I'm eating like I do on my

30 Days to Feeling Fit

and I'm loving it!

May eat gluten free forever since

eating this way has made some very 

positive changes in my appearance.

The only thing that I did different is that I used my left over chicken that was prepared with only salt and pepper. This recipe calls for soaking chicken in fish sauce

and sorry, fish sauce is just plain weird and I don't use it.

Plus I added a bunch of Crushed Red Pepper Flakes because I forgot

to pick up the chili sauce for garnish.

I followed everything else except I put broccoli in there and let it cook while the soup was simmering and I must say, that I went way overboard on my portion control.

I've been fighting and winning a chest cold and this 

spicy, flavorful soup was just what the doctor 

ordered. It might even replace the old

fashioned chicken noodle

soup that I usually 

crave during

a cold.

This

recipe

is 

a

keeper!

Cake Pop Fun

This is what happens when Calli and a 

few of her girlfriends get together 

to make

cake pops 

from a kit.

The kit was for making bumble bees and chicks and probably purchased at any local craft store or cookware shop. I love that it was for making critters and Calli took it to another level. 

Fun!

And really,

If you're going to eat sweets,

that's about the portion size a body needs.

I love cake pops for kids!

Luxurious Gluten Free Coconut Basil Pasta oops!!!

Correction!

Friends,

I am so sorry if you tried that recipe 

and did not find it insanely good.

I made it again last night

according to the recipe I posted

and realized that I 

FORGOT A VERY IMPORTANT INGREDIENT-

CURRY POWDER.

What on earth? How could I forget one of major ingredients?

The recipe I posted is being updated now

for those of you who want to try it.

Again, I am so so sorry.

I will not give you a bunch of excuses

as to why I was not running on all cylinders that night,

although I might say we were preparing for a speech tournament,

coaching students,

TrueLove way out-of-town for about the 8th day

and 

or course I am not giving you any excuses.

If you tried it and it was not insanely good because of my blooper,

I do hope that you give it another go,

and I will try not to do this to you guys ever again.

Thanks for your grace!

Spaghetti Squash Primavera Gluten Free

Spaghetti Squash Primavera

Remember the magic spaghetti squash trick I shared

a while back?

Yes, well, I didn't do it this time.

I went for the old fashioned method of roasting the squash.

As soon as I tried cutting that sucker in half

I had regretted the magic trick,

but I wanted the roasted flavor and for this supper

I'm glad I did.

I cut it in half, drizzled with olive oil, salt & peppered it real well,

and THEN!

I smothered it with the garlic spread from Hummus Heaven

that I blogged about earlier this week.

I roasted it 25 minutes on 425.

Wow!

Then I sauteed some onions, zucchini, broccoli, kale, and garlic.

When it was all looking ready to go

I dumped a bottle of organic marinara sauce over it

and ample celtic sea salt and pepper.

Once I ran my fork through the spaghetti squash

I got all of those beautiful pasta ribbons on a plate and topped 

with the veggies and sauce.

This was so easy.

Sorry if I'm boring anyone with my 30 Days to Feeling Fit text,

but I know about 13 of us are enjoying the references

since we're journeying together.

On this plan, we are not topping this meal with

fresh parmesan,

but I didn't miss it too much!

I had some skillet, no oil chicken to set on the side,

and I was happy.

See, 

we don't have to eat weird on this plan!

Nutritious isn't weird,

difficult,

time consuming,

or

bland.

Have fun with your nutrition.

Luxurious Coconut Basil Gluten Free Pasta

Well, sorry for the long name.

I wasn't sure what to call it,

other than "insanely good" dinner.

I wanted to blog about it immediately so that

I'd remember what I did.

First,

I'll tell you what is in it.

quinoa noodles

onions

coconut oil
CURRY POWDER

olive oil

garlic

kale

canned tomatoes drained

 Seggiano raw basil pesto (an amazing product you can find at Whole Foods)

light coconut milk (canned kind)

celtic sea salt

pepper

red pepper flakes

and 

skillet chicken

This is a three burner meal.

One to boil the quinoa noodles,

one for the sauce,

and one for the chicken (which I'm so excited to tell you about).

I don't have any groovy pics to make this a tutorial

because I made it up as I went 

and didn't know how crazy-good it would 

end up tasting! 

sorry bout that.

Heat up all you pans on medium heat and start boiling the water

for noodles.

For the chicken:

I bought (2) free range, unadulterated chicken breasts, fresh not frozen.

Just let that stainless steel pan get hot.

Rinse the chicken and pat dry with a paper towel.

Then generously salt and pepper both sides.

Once you think that pan is nice and hot

throw those chickens down.

Think I forgot something?

I didn't.

Decidedly not!

You do not need oil to make this juicy brown chicken.

Trust me.

This is a trick TrueLove taught me and

it's fool proof, works every time, is 

tasty, juicy, perfect, and

oil free!!!!

Now, cover the pan and let it sit,

do NOT tinker with it,

let it sit and sizzle for 5 - 8 minutes.

Then you will flip it for five minutes

still covered.

Then remove from burner and let sit

while you finish preparing the other

elements.

For the veggies and sauce:

Use about a tablespoon of coconut oil

and throw in the medium chopped onions, garlic (it's ok if the garlic

gets a little golden brown), and keep it moving in the pan.

Sprinkle with celtic sea salt to help the 

onions sweat a little.

Then you will add your strips of kale and let those 

cook for just a few minutes.

Now use about half the jar of the raw basil pesto

(soooooooo good).

Expensive but good.
Add as much curry powder as you like,
I used at least 2 TBSP, maybe a bit more because I love it.

Stir it all up and add a little bit of olive oil.

Salt and pepper.

Then throw in the drained tomatoes and the light

coconut milk.

Let it get nice and hot.

Then throw in about a tablespoon of red pepper flakes

or however many you prefer.

By now the chicken is probably resting and the noodles drained.

Throw the noodles right into the sauce pan and toss around.

I wish I could tell you how luxurious, delicious, and 

belly warming this meal was.

Almost like a Thai Italian Fusion of sorts, 

because you could taste the pesto and the coconut

equally.

Then roughly cut up the chicken and throw it in there.

Jake pounded it down.

I wanted to eat until I burst but my 30 Day thing

makes me eat

small feminine dinner portions.

Good thing I did

because now I get to have some for lunch

tomorrow too.

In an effort to keep it all real,

I'd like to add that I am very comfortable with

experimenting in the kitchen.

I inherited the trait from my mom who could 

whip up something out of nothing

and dazzle everyone.

Sometimes my experiments flop

and we just add a lot of salt 

and choke it down

and 

sometimes

you get an amazing treat

that you wouldn't have thought of before.

This one worked.

I literally made it up as I went

and so glad for my blog

because now

I will remember what I did to make that

scrumptious, healthy, 30Day Friendly,

Coconut Basil Yumminess.

Juniper Berries

Uh-oh.

It seems that THE COUGH that has been lingering

in Calli's chest just got passed off to Jake.

Oh dear.

Perfect timing (heavy sarcasm) as he's 

preparing for a speech tournament

this weekend.

I've tried all of my regular homeopathics,

so when I get a tip off of something

new, that I've never heard of,

I try it.

Juniper Berries.

Those sticky berries that grow in our yards?

Yep.

Of course I bought them at Whole Foods.

Here is a list of things that Juniper Berries can improve: blood sugar levels, bladder function, congestion, prevents bloating, improves digestion, gout, arthritis, muscle pain, intestinal gas, stomach pain, gastrointestinal infections, cancer, weight loss, cleansing toxins from the blood, tooth aches, acne, etc

IN fact, Juniper Berries were believed to ward off the plague.

We don't have the plague, but it sure feels like it when it

disrupts everything else and makes you feel 

miserable.

So here's what to do.

But a big handful of Juniper Berries. I found them in the bulk area of Whole Foods,

in a little display area designated for spices.

Wash them off.

They smell like a pine tree air-freshener. Very strong.

Then put them in your mortar and pestle and smash them up.

Do this while you are boiling water. 

While the water is boiling, you can throw a towel over your head,

lean over the pot and inhale the vapors as well.

Use this process for some good aromatherapy.

Once the water has boiled, turn off the heat

and let the berry smash seep for 15 minutes.

Then pour through a strainer and into a pitcher or container.

Sorry I needed three hands to photograph that step.

What you get is a strong, piney, bitter tasting tea that you add lots of honey to.

It is not a pleasant tea, it is medicinal and it tastes medicinal.

I tried it for the first time last night and although

Jake was not healed instantly,

I will report that he had a very good night sleep.

I did not hear him cough one time during the

night which I was very concerned about.

This remedy can be done 2-3x a day

and in all of the research I have

done, I have not read of any 

side effects.

(Except if you drink too much of the distilled kind, aka "gin".)

You said it Patrick Star!!

Spongebob: What's wrong Patrick?

Patrick: I just realized that my whole life I've been

eating and sleeping,

eating and sleeping,

eating and sleeping,

WITHOUT A BREAK?

And I laughed so hard because I can relate.

And thus,

that is why I am happy to be doing the

30 Days to Feeling Fit and Fabulous.

(Coconut Blueberry Smoothy with Arbonne Vanilla Protein Powder)

By the time you read this

little blurb it will be 

Day 9.

I feel slimmer,

more energetic,

and I'm noticing that I look less puffy.

That is a strange thing to notice 

and I would never expect 

anyone else to notice,

but I do.

I noticed where my watch and bracelets sit,

that there was always a puffiness to my wrists

and it's gone!

So there's hope for the puffiness 

under my eyes.

I do not crave sugar

and I'm not climbing up the walls.

The hardest part so far was meandering the

Farmer's Market on the weekend 

and not tasting all the happiness

that was shoved in my face.

On my plan,

I do not snack between meals

because I'm letting my blood sugar dip to 

a normal hungry spot before I eat,

rather than keeping it elevated

by eating all day.

I love it!

And Oh, can I relate to Patrick Star?!

I'm taking a 30 Day vacation 

from indulgence

and it feels 

really 

good.

Hummus Heaven

Hummus Heaven is a new favorite find of mine

 and since I am

on day EIGHT of my

30 Days to Feeling Fit and Fabulous,

this find is especially dear to me.

Hummus Heaven is a local based company in 

San Leandro and they whip their beans in 

such a way that they don't use as 

much oil as in most hummus.

Well, that's great, but not only is it 

lighter and healthier,

but it tastes fantastic!

I have always referred to myself as a

"junky for variety"

and 

I am pleased to say that this junky found

that Hummus Heaven has

SEVENTEEN

varieties of hummus.

Also they make spreads.

My favorite,

the Tomato Basil spread,

has only tomato, oil, basil, garlic, salt and pepper.

It tastes like pizza!

It's light and fluffy and I can enjoy it in plenty

on this program,

or any program for that matter.

Unless there's something out there that 

villainizes tomatoes. 

Saturday, when I took the kids to the Farmer's Market,

I let them pick out a bunch of their 

favorites after tasting seventeen varieties.

They chose:

Avacado Cilantro Hummus

Pesto Hummus

Roasted Garlic and Chive Hummus

Black Bean w/Chipotle Hummus

Spicy Harissa Hummus

Just to name a few of the delicious flavors. 

They claim that their Artichoke Hummus

is their best seller.

So, for lunch Sunday, I had already had a Recovery Shake

I decided on a small snacking style lunch.

I put the leftover roasted butternut squash from the other night,

sliced up some cucumber for dipping

and put a drop of Avacado Hummus

and a drop of Tomato Basil spread.

It was so refreshing and lovely.

Now, 

although I have a lovely Farmer's Market,

just a mile and a half away,

I did go out of my way to shop the market that

carries this item.

On the 30 day plan, when I am extremely limited

on what I can indulge in and when,

I found it worth the drive to the

Shadeland's Farmer's Market 

to get it.

Perhaps if we all start nudging Whole Foods to 

pick up this brand,

we won't have to drive so far.

For me, it's worth it for the Tomato Basil Spread alone.

My family puts it on everything.

They are going to have to package it

in bigger tubs to accommodate our love for this product.

So, I thought I'd share it with you!

In November, I posted a Butternut Squash Pizza recipe,

which will show you how to roast butternut squash if you need to know.

It's very easy and a very acceptable carb on this plan.

I LOVE IT!

And all of these dips can be added to recipes

to enhance flavor, 

cut down prep time,

and 

let's not forget the old stand by--

forget the recipes and just eat by spoonfuls right out of the container! 

P.S. Hummus Heaven is not the same as Heavenly Hummus.