March 29, 2013

Sponsor Spotlight

I can't even begin to tell you how much you will simply adore Cara from the blog The Champagne Diet.  With her mantra being "live your most effervescent life" Cara believes in eating healthy, working out and always saving room for a glass of the bubbly.  The word champagne is her way of expressing how she learned to enjoy life, even embracing her flaws, which is something i think all women should learn about!  She's also a published author, her first book Sparkle being a #1 hit on Amazon while her second book is currently in the works.  So I hope you enjoy reading about Cara and how she learned to live life to the fullest, one glass of champagne at a time!


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Meet Erin.  She is the absolute sweetheart behind Read Eat Create which truly has all my favorite things in ONE single blog!  Do you like to cook?  Check.  Are you an avid reader looking for some new book ideas?  Check.  Do you have a secret obsession with Gossip Girl and enjoy the fact that you're not the only one...double check!  Erin's blog has a little something for everyone and she always puts her own personal style into each post she writes.  She also recently started a 365 Project where each day she shares a new picture from her home each day...yep you guessed it, for 365 days!  So join in on all the fun and check out her fabulous blog!


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Julie is the writer behind the yummy food blog Please Pass the Ketchup which she started as a way to showcase all her favorite recipes in one space.  Only having her blog under two years, Julie has grown so much in the cooking world and you can expect to find healthy treats as well as indulgent desserts - the best of both worlds!  Best part is, she keeps the recipes as easy as possible so that anyone can whip up her deliciousness!  In fact I'm planning on making her macarons this weekend, yum!
 

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Raven is the uber-gorgeous, super snarky, absolutely hilarious writer behind the blog Don't Quote the Raven.  As a mom of two kiddos and a self-proclaimed day drinker, Raven talks about REAL life - the highs, the lows and even having a crush on Judge Judy.  Yep, her words not mine.  Raven's blog is simply one-of-a-kind and I promise she will have you laughing at your desk while all your co-workers stare at you.  Definitely guilty of that.  But don't take my word for it, head on over and say hello yourself!


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Dara is the super sweet 20-something girl behind Generation Y Foodie who is a lawyer by day and foodie by night!  Based out of Boston, her love for blogging came about because she wanted to put to rest the assumption that our generation doesn't even know how to boil water and resorts to take-out all the time.  Sure this might be true from time to time, but the majority of us love cooking!  Don't you just love her approach??  You can also find her fabulous cookbook here!
 

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Happy Friday lovelies!
 

March 28, 2013

Grilled Balsamic Portobello Mushroom & Steak Salad

Boy do I have a treat for you today.

I'm sure most of you remember my sweet friend Amanda from such posts like this or even this, but I definitely think she outdid herself with this delicious recipe!  She is such an inspiration to me in every aspect of her life, but most notably with her photography.  She's taught me so much and is always willing to help, so I'm honored I could share her talent with you all today! 

Thanks for having me today, Kell! (:

I'm Amanda from Marshalls Abroad, and if there's one thing I can tell you about my cooking, it's that fresh and simple meals are always the best.

I saw fresh portobello mushrooms today and immediately grabbed them, thinking to throw them chopped in a salad. I decided instead to keep the portobello whole to be the base of this beautiful salad, marinated in my garlic balsamic vinaigrette, and topped with farmer's greens, easy homemade croutons, crunchy walnuts, cherry tomatoes and creamy gorgonzola. Heaven!


This salad is loaded with vitamins, iron and antioxidents, and I cannot begin to explain how delicious it is. Hope you love it, too!

{Feel free to substitute the steak for chicken or fish, or leave out entirely for a vegetarian option}


You can find the recipe for this delicious Grilled Balsamic Portobello Mushroom & Steak Salad on Amanda's fabulous blog, right here!

March 27, 2013

Emily of Ivory Lane

Hello there! I am Emily Jackson from Ivory Lane.  I, like Kelly, enjoy sharing things in life that I am passionate about with others. I am so excited that Kelly and I are collaborating to bring our readers new fun blogs to enjoy. I absolutely LOVE Eat Yourself Skinny, every recipe is perfection!

Ivory Lane is my little corner on the inter web where I share things that I love. Those things include my husband and adorable daughter, Capri. My love for fashion and beauty, and the occasional recipe. I hope that you will hop over to my blog and check it out! Below is a little preview of what I do on my blog!

  My outfit details: Rebecca Taylor top (on sale!) also similar here, J.Crew skirt, Valentino pumps, Michael Kors watch, J.Crew bracelet (similar), earrings, Mac lipstick (Creme Cup), Glamour Gels nails c/o

 My outfit details: J brand jacket (similar here + here), Torn by Ronny Kobo top, J brand jeans (similar), Hello Fab necklacec/o, Michael Kors watch, Stella & Dot bracelet c/o Glamour Gel nails c/o

 My outfit details: Zara jacket (similar here), Ronny Kobo top, J.Crew pants, J.Crew shoes, Celine bag borrowed from Rach (similar here), Michael Kors watch, Stella & Dot bracelet c/o, Poshlocket bracelet c/o

 My outfit details: Lululemon crops (similar here), Lululemon jacket (similar and on sale here), Lululemon vest (similar here), Nike shoes, Poshlocket earrings c/o

My outfit details: J.Crew blousesweater (on sale!), Jeans (size down), Valentino shoes, Poshlocket bracelets here + here c/o,Kate Spade bracelet, Mac lipstick (pink nouveau)

Thanks for having me, Kelly! xoxo

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Isn't she simply fabulous?!   As you all know, I may love my sweets, but I also love some FASHION!  I just know you'll absolutely adore her blog and feel free to pop on over there to see one of my favorite recipes I'm sharing with her readers today!  You can find that recipe HERE!

March 26, 2013

Kitsy Lane $50 Shop Credit Giveaway!

With spring right around the corner, I can't help but begin replenishing my jewelry collection to match all the fun new styles coming out this season.  Kitsy Lane's Dreaming Mermaid is the perfect outlet to use!  Showcasing stylish new finds from emerging designers along with your favorite brands, this shop has everything you could want in gorgeous jewelry while staying on your budget!
 
With stunning designs and gorgeous colors that are sure to make any outfit pop, you wouldn't believe how great these deals are!  Everything is 60% off retail price and after you sign up, you'll receive an e-mail once a week updating you on the most recent sales, it's a win-win!  Some of my favorites are the Amanda Hoops, this Marguerite Necklace, and I'm LOVING these gorgeous tear drop Winona EarringsLucky for YOU, she's offering one lucky reader a $50 shop credit towards anything in her store!

Here's a little peek inside her fabulous shop!



Stunning, no?

Well here's here how to
ENTER!

**You must be a Google Friend Connect follower of my blog**

Additional entries:

Tell me your favorite item from her shop here
Follow Kitsy Lane on Twitter here
Become a fan of Kitsy Lane on Facebook here

Follow me on Twitter here 
Like me on Facebook here 
Follow me on Pinterest here
 
Tweet: "I just entered to win a $50 shop credit towards all jewelry from @KitsyLane's Dreaming Mermaid on @EatUrselfSkinny! http://bit.ly/YFMoH6"

All separate comments please.

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Winner will be announced this Friday, March 29th so enter now to be a part of this great giveaway!  Thanks again Kitsy Lane for such gorgeous jewelry! 

March 25, 2013

Advertise

Looking to increase your blog's traffic
or gain some new followers?
I'd be happy to help!
There are limited spots available so let me know if you are interested.
I can even design a blog button for you!

Why sponsor?
One of the ways I was able to jump start my little bloggy's traffic was with wonderful blogs willing to sponsor me, so I of course wanted to return the favor!  With your blog or shop featured on my sidebar, it gives exposure to all the traffic that comes to my site each day!  I will also be hosting giveaways and featured blog posts for each of my sponsors to help promote your site even more!  You can find more information here.

Stats
8,204+ GFC followers
25,388+ Facebook fans
Every blog post goes through my Twitter 5,845+ followers
Averages 15,000+ VISITS per day
Averages 29,000+ PAGEVIEWS per day

These numbers are always increasing!

Interested?

Winner!

Last week I had a great giveaway going on for the chance to win a Vitalicious chocolate sampler pack filled with 28 low-calorie desserts!  Well it's time to choose a winner and I'm not gonna lie, my inner chocolate goddess is super jealous.


Congratulations Jordan!  I just sent you an email and I hope you enjoy all these goodies!  Remember, if you'd like to have your own box of chocolate deliciousness OR simply have a few favorites you'd like to try, take a peek at their website here and get some for yourself!

Enjoy!

March 20, 2013

Strawberry Moscato Cupcakes

Ok so let me just tell you how much I love moscato wine.  Yes it's sweet, maybe too sweet for pretty much anybody that loves wine some of you, but it's my absolute favorite and it's literally all my girlfriends and I ever drink.  Now, let me just tell you how excited I was to find out Skinnygirl Cocktails just launched their brand new product - moscato wine.

Ummm YES!!

I literally had a mini dance party when I found out this news.  So as Skinnygirl's newest insider and recipe developer and because wine and girls nights pretty much go hand in hand, I thought I'd make cupcakes to celebrate this glorious event.  Moscato cupcakes to be exact...seriously who doesn't love boozy desserts??

Now I'm totally going to have some haters on this recipe...I'm not saying these are going to make you skinny or help you lose weight, because they're NOT and they're definitely not made from scratch, because I'm LAZY.  But these are oh so simple and have substitutions that make them much lighter in calories for you ladies to enjoy because well a cupcake a day won't kill you.

In fact, they might even make you a happier person in general.
Just sayin. 

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Servings: 24
Serving Size: 1 cupcake + 1 1/2 Tbsp frosting
Calories: 257
Fat: 5.3 g
Carbs: 27.4 g

Fiber: 1.7 g
Protein: 1.6 g
Old Points: 5.2 pts
Points+: 4 pts
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Here are your ingredients:

1 box of your favorite strawberry cake mix
1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 1/3 cup Skinnygirl Moscato
3 eggs 
1 (16 oz) container of sugar-free vanilla frosting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Mix together strawberry cake mix, yogurt, wine and eggs together in a large bowl for about 3 minutes until nice and smooth.  Spoon batter into 24 cupcake liners and bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Allow cupcakes to cool completely then pipe on vanilla icing.  Feel free to mix the icing with a drop or 2 of red food coloring to create a light pink color.  Enjoy!


These might just have to become cake pops.
What do you think??

March 19, 2013

Chickpea and Tomato Salad

Whenever I think of the perfect snack I ultimately think of tomatoes.  I could literally eat these all day every day and be completely satisfied.  Throw them together with some chickpeas and basil and I've pretty much died and gone to heaven.

Yeah seriously.
 
This is a great healthy salad that is easy to throw together for picnics, gatherings or just when you feel like stuffing your face with tomatoes.  You could even make these into fun little skewers and serve them up that way, just drizzle the mixture over top and they'd be oh so pretty!

I'm not sure you can tell {it's pretty obvious}, but I'm beyond ready for warm weather.  I'm well aware it snowed all day yesterday, but for some reason these seemed to just hit the spot.  I can't wait until my local farmer's market have these in high abundance along with all my other favorite fruits and veggies I go crazy over during that time of the year.  It just so happens to be about a mile down the road from me now that I've moved!

It's also serious crunch time to get my summer bod back.  I have exactly two months until my friend's bachelorette party in the Outer Banks and boy do I feel so behind.  Sure I try to eat healthy, but my workouts have really been slacking lately so I decided this weekend to start MONDAY.  Well Monday came and went so I suppose I'll begin today.

There's honesty for ya.

My plan is to alternate between yoga and Jillian Michaels {I swear by her DVDs!} in the mornings while doing an hour of cardio/running along with weights in the evening.  I'm still trying to lose a little holiday weight gain as well so hopefully this will help!  I'll let you know how this goes.

Bikini season....you will be my bitch!

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Servings: 4
Serving Size: 1 1/4 cup
Calories: 161
Fat: 4.2 g
Carbs: 24.3 g

Fiber: 6.6 g
Protein: 7.4 g
Old Points: 2.8 pts
Points+: 4 pts
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Here are your ingredients:
Recipe adapted from Green Lite Bites 
 
2 pints of grape tomatoes, halved
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
Handful of fresh basil, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tsp. olive oil (just a drizzle)
1/2 Tbsp honey
1/4 tsp. sea salt
 
Slice tomatoes and toss everything together in a large bowl.  Cover and place in fridge, allowing flavors to marinate for up to 30 minutes.  Enjoy!
 

Enjoy and have fun pining over summer like I am!

March 18, 2013

Vitalicious Chocolate Super Sampler Giveaway!

Yes I did in fact put "chocolate" and "giveaway" in the same sentence.
And to top it all off, this chocolate is guilt-free!


Vitalicious provides healthy alternatives to those little sweets we crave every now and then.  They have every treat you could imagine including cookies, muffins, cakes, brownies and even pizza!  All their products are made with all-natural ingredients, have absolutely no preservatives or artificial additives and they range from 1 to 3 WW points per dessert - can't beat that!  Vitalicious has had rave reviews from everyone from Dr. Oz to Fitness and Glamour magazines and has also won both the Diabetes Focus and Healthy Living's healthy food awards!

So what is you get to win exactly?

 Well you have the chance to win Vitalicious' brand new super chocolate sampler valued at $32.00!  Here is everything the sampler includes:
  • 3 Chocolate Mint VitaTops 
  • 3 Deep Chocolate VitaTops
  • 2 Banana ChocoChip VitaTops
  • 3 Fudgy Peanut Butter Chip VitaTops
  • 3 Dark Chocolate Pomegranate VitaTops
  • 3 Triple Chocolate Chunk VitaTops
  • 6 Fudgy Chocolate Mini VitaCakes
  • 4 Deep & Velvety Chocolate VitaBrownies
 That's a total of 28 desserts all 100 calories or less!  The perfect way to satisfy that enormous chocolate craving without ruining your diet.  I think you'll just love these!

      
Here's how to ENTER!
Please leave a comment for each

Check out Vitalicious and tell me your favorite item here 
Follow Vitalicious on Twitter here
Become a fan of Vitalicious on Facebook here 
  
Become a Google Friend Connect follower on my blog
Follow me on Twitter here 
Like me on Facebook here 
 
Tweet: "I just entered to win @vitamuffin's guilt-free Chocolate Super Sampler Giveaway on @EatUrselfSkinny! http://bit.ly/Wy3avg"

All separate comments please.
 
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Winner will be announced this Friday, March 22nd so don't miss out on this great giveaway!  Feel free to check out everything they have to offer, you might just be surprised at what you'll find!