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 

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.

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 

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

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