January 25, 2017

Life Lately


Hello! I'm back from a much needed few days off from blogging while I was studying for my midyear exams. Life has been pretty crazy lately, so I though I would let you know what I have been up to in a simple and fun post.

1. Exams are over and I have today off!

2. I'm officially a second semester senior!! (crazy, right!?)

3. I made these Paleo nut bars and they are amazing

4. I went to the movies... twice

Patriots Day: I vividly remember the day of the Boston Marathon bombing, so this movie was incredibly surreal to watch. There were scenes that were very difficult to watch, however I think that they did a good job recreating the events in a realistic, honest, and respectful manner. Although the film is dark, and the events that occurred on that day will always be incredibly sad and disturbing, they did an amazing job capturing the spirit and unity of Boston that was definitely felt after the attacks. I recommend this movie to everyone, but especially to those from the Boston area as it is a topic so close to home, both literally and figuratively.

Lala Land: On a more upbeat note, I saw Lala Land over MLK weekend and really enjoyed it. I was a bit skeptical of the idea of a musical, however the music was upbeat and catchy and went well with the plot. I am excited to see if it receives any awards!

5. John Mayer just released wave one of his new album and I have been listening to it on repeat for the past week. My two favorites are You're Gonna Live Forever in Me and Moving on and Getting Over!

6. Expect an exciting post about my teeth whitening experience with Smile Brilliant in the next week.

7. I went a month without going to Starbucks/Dunkin and checked that off my 101 in 1001 (only 74 to go).

8. Lauren Graham's book has been my go-to read recently... Also, I'm almost done with Gilmore Girls!!

9. My friends and I are going shopping today. I have a Sephora gift card... any product recommendations?

10. I'm off to Boston tomorrow for four days to attend a Model UN conference with my school!

xoxo,
Catherine

Preppy by the Sea 




January 19, 2017

Moisturizing with Vaseline



Massachusetts winters are the absolute worst; its cold, dry, and simply raw outside. Despite this, I find myself outside all the time in the winter. I spend my weekends skiing, and then am outside going for runs, or simply just doing errands on a daily basis. Unfortunately, spending all this time outside in the cold puts me in a never ending cycle of dry skin. Here's where lotion comes into play. I moisturize my face, hands, and legs every night before going to bed and have tried a wide variety of products in attempt to combat dryness. 

Ever since I was little there has been a big tub of Vaseline in my bathroom that I use for my lips. It's been around forever and never seemed to fail me, yet I never thought of the company as anything more than that. So, when they reached out to me asking if I wanted to try their new intensive care line I immediately said yes! These lotions are inexpensive, come in a variety of scents and work wonders on your skin. I have been testing out the Advanced Repair, Essential Healing, and Cocoa radiant moisturizers and love all three of them! The Advanced Repair has been accepted by the National Eczema Foundation, so it works extremely well on dry skin. However, my personal favorite is the Essential Healing; it's a great moisturizer and smells absolutely amazing. Have you tried anything from the intensive care line?

xoxo,
Catherine

Preppy by the Sea 


These products were sent to me by Vaseline. As always, all opinions are my own.

January 17, 2017

Winter Workout Routine


Over the past few weeks I have finally started to get into a workout routine that works with my busy schedule. I don't do a winter sport, so figuring out how to get my exercise in is completely up to me- a nice change from cross country season. It can sometimes be difficult to get the motivation to go to the gym, especially during the chilly winter months. I'd be lying if I said there were not days when I would rather spend my free time in pajamas watching Gilmore Girls. Personally, I have found that planning out my workouts on Sunday night helps to combat laziness as you are mentally preparing to spend x amount of time at the gym or a workout class each day. 

Although my routine may change slightly each week, this seems to be the schedule I have been gravitating towards for a while now. I go to spinning on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and go to the gym on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I like going to spinning on Monday nights to kickstart my week, then on Wednesdays I go to a class where they use weights and work on both cardio and arm strength, and finally a 5:30 am class on Fridays so I don't have to worry about squeezing a workout just as I start my weekend. 

I just signed up for a half marathon, so I try to focus on running when I go to the gym. Right now I am doing 3-4 miles on the treadmill, however if the weather is nice I will go on a longer run outside. One of my goals for the next couple of months is to get better about lifting weights/arm exercises. I tend to put a lot of my focus on legs and abs at the gym and need to try and even it out a little bit. Let me know if there are any arm exercises you love! As for the weekends, I am usually skiing and thus am not following a workout plan. What workouts have you been doing recently?

xoxo,
Catherine

Preppy by the Sea 

January 12, 2017

3 Ingredient Pancakes

Over the past week and a half I have been on the hunt for healthy recipes. On Monday I made a paleo banana bread that I was planning on sharing on the blog, however it ended up tasting absolutely disgusting and I obviously did not want to post about anything less than delicious. After taking a serious L with my first healthy baking experiment, I tried to find something else and give it another shot. Karlie Kloss shared a three ingredient pancake recipe on her YouTube channel a few months ago and I decided to give it a go. She said they were super easy to make so I woke up and made them before school. It probably took me 2-3 minutes to make the batter and then 5 minutes to cook them, so easy! After one bite I was hooked, these pancakes are amazing, they might even be better than the real deal. I am such a breakfast junkie, so if these pass my test I am sure you will love them as well!

What you will need (serves 1)
1 Banana
1 Egg
A Handful of Oats

Optional
Cinnamon & Vanilla
Blueberries

Directions
1. In a small bowl mash up one banana
2. Mix in egg and then oats
3. Add a little bit of vanilla and cinnamon for additional flavor
4. Cover pan in coconut oil (or butter/pam)
5. Pour batter - I recommend making four smaller pancakes as they seem to cook better
6. Sprinkle blueberries on top (use any berries, or chocolate chips if you are looking for something sweet!)
7. Cook until golden brown


Enjoy! 

xoxo,
Catherine

Preppy by the Sea

January 09, 2017

The Best of the Bars

Over the past few years I think that I have tried close to every bar out there. During sports season or before a workout class they are so easy to just toss in your bag and eat on the go and they fill you up just enough, but don't give you cramps. All of these bars are super high in protein and don't have a crazy amount of sugar, making them a decent choice if you are in a rush. Over the weekend I was at Shaws in Vermont and stumbled upon the Gluten Free Bar. I tried both the cranberry toasted almond and the chocolate peanut butter and have to say they are a clear cut new favorite! They don't have that icky aftertaste taste that a lot protein bars have, they're gluten free, dairy free, soy free, vegan, non-GMO, and have 12g of protein in every bar. What are your favorite bars, I'd love to try some new ones? 

xoxo,
Catherine

Preppy by the Sea 

January 06, 2017

Friday Favorites

Happy first week of 2017! Coming back to reality after a long and relaxing vacation is always a little bit of a shock, but thankfully the four day week helped me ease into it. We have two weeks until mid year exams at my school, so I have a feeling my life is going to get crazy busy soon. This year is honestly flying by, I can't believe I am almost a second semester senior.  

One: Vermont
I had such a great time in Vermont over New Years Weekend. We had a couple of snowstorms so the skiing was great and the temperatures were bearable, something that doesn't happen all the time in Vermont. My NYE was super casual (hence no outfit post), we went to the mountain to watch the fireworks and then spent the rest of the night with friends to ring in the new year! 

Two: Working Out 
After a long month of eating christmas cookies, and a week off from any real workout (besides skiing) I am happy to be back at the gym and spinning classes. 2016 was a pretty good year workout wise for me and I want to keep it up in 2017, especially once I get to college. 

Three: Cleansing
My friends and I are all doing a 2 week cleanse to kick off the new year. I'm pretty much paleo with a few exceptions (milk in my coffee, rice cakes, and steel cut oatmeal). So far it has been going pretty well, the first day was not great but I'm hoping it's all uphill from here. I was convinced that I would miss dessert/sweets the most but bread is definitely my number one craving. Have you done anything like this? 

xoxo,
Catherine

Preppy by the Sea 

January 05, 2017

Plaid Blouse







top (sold out online check local zara store) | jeans | boots (on sale) 

I love a good flannel shirt in the winter, they're cozy and get the job done on a lazy monday morning. My go to L.L. Bean flannels are definitely closer to pajama tops than actual blouses, so when I saw this top in Zara in New York City I knew it would be a fun addition to my wardrobe. The loose fit and bell sleeves make it the perfect trendy top for the fall and winter. Unfortunately, I can't seem to find it online, but I would guess that it is still available in stores. Happy Thursday, just one more day till the weekend!

xoxo,
Catherine

Preppy by the Sea


January 03, 2017

4 Recipes I Want to Try While Cleansing

Today marks the beginning of my two (maybe three if it goes well) week cleanse. I did something similar to this last year and decided to give it another go to start the new year as I have spent the past few weeks eating way too many cookies and baked goods during the holidays. This year my plans are a bit more intense, but still allow me to eat things I enjoy. I am cutting out all processed food and sugar, dairy, pasta, bread, snack food, and soda/juice and will focus on eating fruits and vegetables, lean meat, and protein. Additionally, I pan to workout at least five days a week. The first few days of this will definitely be challenging but I am excited to start the new year off with lots of exercise and healthy food. Below are a few recipes I have rounded up from Pinterest that I want to try out over the next few weeks! 

Gluten Free & Paleo 

Gluten Free, Paleo 

Gluten Free, Paleo, Vegan 

Paleo, Gluten Free, Vegan 

xoxo,
Catherine

Preppy by the Sea

January 02, 2017

2017 Goals

Happy New Year! I am so excited for 2017 as I know it will be a big one. In the next year I will graduate high school, move out of my childhood home, and start a new chapter of my life at college in North Carolina. Before I get into my goals for 2017, I want to reflect on my 2016 goals

Spend more time outside // I definitely made a big effort to spend a lot of time outside this past year.  I enjoyed many days on the beach, braved the cold and skied in Vermont and Colorado, and went hiking with my friends this fall in New Hampshire.  

Get out of my comfort zone // Over the past year my friends and I went on so many little adventures that I had never done before. However, I am keeping this on my list for 2017 as I want to continue to try new things and expand my horizons. 

Have a summer job // This past summer I worked at a restaurant on the Cape as a bus person and hostess. It was a great first job and way to have pretty flexible hours. 

Save at least 50% of my money // This one kind of relates to getting a job and I really followed through with this goal. I probably saved around 85% of the money I made over the summer. 

Try new recipes // I did a lot more cooking in 2016 and tried to share some of the recipes on the blog. See Valentine's Day CookiesHealthy Coconut Chocolate Chip CookiesFourth of July RecipesLemon Raspberry MuffinsDinner: Lemon Edition, Also obsessed with these chicken parmesan meatballs

My 2017 Goals

Make New Friends // I start college in August and will need to make all new friends. This is one aspect of college that is a little bit nerve wracking, however everyone is in the same situation. The last time that I was in a new place with no one I knew was when I was 11 years old and starting sleep away camp for the first time. Hopefully if I could figure it out after fifth grade I can do it at 18 years old :) 

Get out of My Comfort Zone // I am leaving my home state and going to college 750 miles away, so that in itself if a big change. I am excited to try new classes and join new clubs that will push me out of my comfort zone once I get to school. 

Avoid the Freshman 15 // This is kind of an obvious one, but I think it will push me to eat healthy and workout while at college. 

Enjoy Time at Home // My senior year is halfway over and I really want to enjoy my hometown and city before I leave. Although I am excited for change, I want to enjoy time with friends and family at home. 

Make the Most out of My Summer // This one kind of goes with the last one, but I want to spend as much time as possible with all my friends and family this summer. I also want to try and make a lot of money at my summer job before going to college. 

Spend Less Time on my Phone // This year I have spent too much time on my phone and I want to cut that habit back a little bit in 2017. One of the things on my 101 in 1001 list is to go a weekend without checking social media and I really want to check that off this year! 

xoxo,
Catherine

Preppy by the Sea