Reccessing riches

So as a girl who loves fashion, fashionista if you will, I love nothing more then finding that perfect shirt, bracelet bag etc. (okay its kind of an addiction) But as we all know all to well, times are tough and cutting back is something we've all got to do. But lets face it, I don't want to stop shopping! With the majority of my paycheck going to bills and student loans I need to get creative with my money so I still can afford to spend some money towards clothes. I recently discovered the BEST solution for a girl (or boy!) looking for some extra cash- Buffalo Exchange!! This place is awesome! I may be a bit late jumping on the bandwagon, but better late then never! I have to give a special shout out to the costa mesa location, the workers are friendly, and they keep the line to sell moving! I never realized what a profit there is in selling old clothes. For those of you like me that are new to this whole buy trade sell thing, the way it works is they go through each item you bring in, and if they think they can sell it they put a retail value. You then have the option of taking 50% of the total value in store credit, or 35% cash. Needless to say, I took the cash. I ended up with an extra hundred bucks that went towards those oh so cute new Tory Burch sandals I have had my eye on for months, which make me so much happier then some old clothes taking up space in my closet.

So the lesson is-

I highly recommend going through your closet and take anything you haven't worn for 7 months take it, sell it, and go buy something you will wear! Have a hard time letting go? I use to have this problem, so what I would do is things I hadn't worn in over 7 months I would put in a container in my garage, and give it a month. If I didn't go out and use, time to get rid of it!

Enjoy selling!

x0x0

lula mae

Green Giant

I have a confession to make: I am a closet foodie. I love to talk about food, I love to watch people make food, I am borderline obsessed with looking through recipes for that oh so perfect meal. The problem is that I don't really cook. It isn't that I can't cook, mind you, only that I don't really do it. I have no doubts in my mind that once I decide to hone my cooking talents I will blossom into a gourmet chef... I've just been too busy with my comings and goings that I never try to make anything much.

Since I'm a young, unmarried gal, though, I tend to have a bit of solo meal time. I don't have kids and my boyfriend (the real chef here) usually does the cooking when we get together- but I DO have nights alone where it's just me making a plate for one. For the longest time I would rely on diet TV dinners, but the more I read about different real meals, the more grossed out all those preservatives and freezer-burned vegetables seemed to me. Today I want to talk to you about one major part of realistic meals for one (or two!).

The number one rule I have learned in my quest for good health is that hardly anybody gets enough vegetables. Think about it- did you really get your recommended 3-5 yesterday? And no, potato chips don't count as a veggie! Come on, lovelies, didn't you get the memo that vegetables give you better hair, skin, and overall health?

Studies are finding more and more that women in the US are getting plenty of meats and dairy in our daily meals, but no where NEAR as many of those little green monsters. Here's the great news: vegetables are one of the easiest things to cook for just you, yourself, and you! The tricks are: incorporating it into your meals and considering portion size. The "best case scenario" dinner plate looks like this:

You should have HALF of the plate filled with vegetables (or fruit, but really it should be veggies), and a quarter of it meat/protein, the other with a starch. Yes, I know you can see that already, I'm just sayin'. So your main course, per se, of your meal should be that veggie! The problem is that lots of people don't quite know how to cook vegetables that aren't boring and bland. There are lots of awesome things you can make that will light up your plate AND your palate. Another trick, too, is using what is in season. Trust me, it will be a lot fresher and yummier- not to mention more "eco-friendly," if they don't have to ship it from some Lab in Timbuktu. There are a few different basic ways to make vegetables. Number one is steaming. If you don't know how to do this- it is SO easy and takes almost zero hands on time. All you need is a pot and a strainer of some kind. A few of my favorite things to steam lately are: Asparagus, Bell Peppers (I recently fell in love with Orange ones), Sugar Snap Peas, Carrots, and broccoli. I like to either dust them with a bit of butter, seasoned salt, or some Parmesan cheese for flavor. The best part about this kind of cooking? You can make as much or as little of the vegetables as you need! It's not like with a casserole where you make a ton and feel like the lonely cat lady as you eat it alone. Another great way to make vegetables is to fry them in olive oil, perhaps with a little bit of lemon juice and some Sea Salt and Black Pepper. I just found an cooking article with Asparagus, lemon juice, salt, and lemon rind that Im pumped to whip up. This one sounds dangerous due to the whole "frying in Olive Oil," but as long as you don't cook out all the great antioxidants- you need not fear Olive Oil. The studies on this bad boy are getting better and better and with that Vitamin C from the lemon juice this one sits to be a heavy hitter in the benefit arena. Another option is to bake them in a thick and yummy sauce- but it's a little higher in fat and should be used sparingly. Broccoli in a cheese sauce or Asparagus (clearly one of my favorites) in a peanut butter sauce can be delicious if baked correctly. Want to get an even easier meal? Buy yourself a Spaghetti Squash. It sounds complex but it is one of the EASIEST ways to sneak veggies instead of a starch into your meal. And it's delicious too! The "how to" is usually on a sticker on the squash itself- no research required!

The benefits of vegetables are amazing. chock full of Vitamins and Minerals, don't ignore these little buggers! If you are in a huge rush or (like me) don't have a stove and 30 minutes on your lunch break at work, you can buy microwave steamable veggies. If you're REALLY lucky you have time to get to your BBQ and cook your vegetables on the grill. This can be one of THE most delicious ways to make them. Kabobs are an excellent way to get your fill of the whole shebang. And not that it's closing in on Summertime it's the perfect opportunity to fire it up and invite a few friends over for some good low-fat eats. And now I leave you, hopefully pumped on the greens (and Reds and Yellows), with some pictures of your potential new best friend: awesome (and healthy!) food- totally doable by the solo diner:

Dieters Be(A)ware!!

Today's post is about dieting. Now I have read a LOT about dieting, myself being a major magazine-aholic. I think that a lot of women, particularly one's who try to "wing it," don't know diddly squat about the way their body works. Now I am not a dietitian, but let me share a couple of things that I have learned from magazines, books, and personal experience.
1. Eat something! I know we women have our emotional roller coasters and sometimes lose our appetites. But not eating is one of the worst long term things you can do. I hardly ate for like 2 months one time (over some stupid breakup). I got into my size 1 jeans again, I looked good in my bikini... it was awesome. Or so I thought. I also had sunken eye-sockets from malnutrition and my hair looked like crap. I had zero energy and my brain wasn't functioning properly. But, hey! I looked skinnyyyyy!!! Unfortunately I didn't understand the way my body worked. I was skinny because my body was literally feeding on itself, mainly the muscle (and less of the fat than I had hoped). Not to mention that at some point, I got over that boyfriend and back on my feet. Aaaannd... back in the kitchen. My appetite was still small, and I wasn't eating junk food. But my metabolism was SO screwed up from adjusting to a smaller diet that any food I DID eat went straight to my no-longer-size-one ass! I'm not saying I got hugely fat, but my point is that your metabolism WILL have it's revenge. It took me months to get back to my normal weight AND metabolism. Trust me: the no food diet sucks.
2. Eat for your environment. Our bodies adapt to the environment we live in for a reason. Even the color of our skin adapts, as you will notice that people closer to the equator are taller, leaner, and darker. People further from it are shorter, heavier, and lighter skinned. The human body is an amazingly adaptive creation. We have existed for centuries based on the food the land provides for us. We have adapted to technological changes that have enabled us to not walk everywhere and to import food from around the world. And these are all awesome things. But it's important that we respect our environments as well. The fact of the matter is that if you live in a colder environment, you NEED to eat heavier food to keep your body warm. If you're living in, say, Southern California, there IS no real cold. Therefore you don't really need to eat a Porterhouse Steak to keep you insulated. Lean meats will do, and even then you should use sparingly in the summertime. I'm not saying you shouldn't enjoy a good steak once in a while. I simply mean that there is a reason you crave juicy fruits and light meats in the warmer months and mashed potatoes when it's cold: your body knows what it needs. Respect the knowledge that has been genetically passed down to your body.
3. Drink lots of water. And I am talking LOTS. Hardly anyone gets enough water these days. Considering the fact that your body is made up of something like 92% water... it's important that you refill that or else it wont run properly. If food is your fuel to get you moving, consider water your oil. It enables the "flow" of your body and lubricates it to run smoothly. I don't really buy into that whole "it will fill you up" stuff. I DO know that it will clear up my pimples, make my brain function better, and get rid of those nasty dark circles under my eyes. I like to keep a few bottles in my car and refill them from my water jug to make some attempt to slow down the plastic use that's so bad for the environment.
4. Limit your white starches intake. This one is a "duh" situation. Sugary white foods like Weber's bread, sugar, and sweet-tooth cereals are a no-no. Get with the program.
5. Pimp your plate. There is NO reason your food needs to be boring, even if it's from a microwave. There are so many nutrient enriched foods out there it's doggone ridiculous. Bread with extra fiber, butter with Omega 3s... Why settle for something that ISN'T adding more to your intake of good stuff? And to top that idea off- don't settle for stuff from the can! Add something to everything you make. Sneak in those extra servings of veggies wherever you can! I taught my boyfriend (the smoothie KING) to add some spinach to a fruit smoothie. Not only could he not taste it, he LOVED the idea. And there you go, a sneaky super-smoothie! Make a microwave dinner (I like Lean Cuisines because they usually have no preservatives) and steam up some extra veggies. They usually sell them so you can even steam them in the microwave as well. You can add them to your food for a super-microwave meal!
I hope these are helpful tips! Have a fantastic day!

Love,

Lula Mae

A story of a brunette, told by a blonde

As you fellow blondes out there know, changing your hair color can be as scary as getting a tattoo. Why we are so attached to our golden locks? who knows. But something about it is slightly, well terrifying! For years I have been talking about taking the plunge and giving my strands some chocolate lovin' and go brown!

It literally took me over 2 years to actually get the guts to do it, and finally I did.

On February 11th, I celebrated my twentieth birthday, I guess you could say I felt older, more mature, and was ready to say goodbye to the look I have had since 9th grade. I

suddenly felt empowered and knew it was time. So February 12th, I died my hair brown.

Sitting in the chair as I saw my platinum blonde streaks rapidly change itself, I had a mini panic attack.

I was FREAKING out. What if its horrible? what if I hate it?

But as my hair stylist blew out the last strand and the look was complete, I was jumping out of my skin I was so excited!

I felt like this whole new person. I looked more mature, older, and someone that people would take a bit more serious then the platinum blonde.

Also I felt something I haven't really felt before, sexy!

I found myself looking at my reflection over and over, not in vanity but just shocked to see that I didn't even recognize the girl staring back.

Now out of the salon how do I like the hair? Im still in love, I just feel like the brown hair really brought out the true me.

Is that lame to say a hair color can do that?

So my lula mae readers, never fear if change is near! Change is what makes life exciting, and who knows, you might like the change more then where you started!

x0x0,

the newly brunette lula mae blogger :)

I'll let you be the judge..the brunette me..or the blonde?

CVS=Certainly Very Spend-thrifty!!

I discovered a lovely little secret last week: CVS Pharmacy! What a gem. I've been going to this place since I was a kid, but I never realized the quantity of CVS Brand beauty products they have that are JUST like the big-name brands. And for a fraction of the cost! Here's the thing (in my humble consumer opinion)... there are definitely some things you want the original formula for. I would not buy CVS brand self-tanning lotion, for example. But there were SO many CVS products that had essentially the same ingredients as their more expensive cousins sitting proudly next to them. Here are a few of the awesome beauty products CVS makes:

$5.49
Compare to $6.99 L'Oreal Eye Make-up Remover

$6.29
Compare to $10.99 Aveeno Body Moisturizer

$10.49

Compare to $13.49 Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream

$13.97

Compare to $21.99 Olay Regenerest Daily Thermal Mini Peel

$12.99

Compare to $16.99 Aveeno Positively Radiant Moisturizer

$2.09

(And this one, no joke, smells WAY better than the expensive one. It reminds me Tropicana Suntanning Oil... YUM!)

Compare to $5.99 Palmer's Cocoa Butter Lotion

$5.99

Compare to $7.99 Neutrogena Acne Stress Control Scrub

$4.99

Compare to $5.99 Venus razor

All in all, I have a feeling that I will be doing a lot more of my shopping at CVS these days! Happy shopping to you too!


Love,


Lula Mae