Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Frank Coffee Scrub Giveaway!





Got cellulite? Yeah, me too {insert crying emoji here}.  Adam always looks at me like I'm a crazy woman when I point it out to him and claims that he doesn't see it......isn't that what husbands are supposed to say?!  I see it though, and I know it's there.  Luckily with a good diet + exercise mine is pretty minimal.  I'm always on the lookout for new products that aid in bump reduction and after seeing Frank Coffee Scrub blowing up everywhere on Instagram, I decided to do a bit of investigating.

First off, I absolutely LOVE the marketing behind Frank.  The first thing you see when visiting the Frank website is, "Hey babe, I'm Frank coffee scrub."  I also love the Frank slogan: 'get naked. get dirty. get rough. get clean.' {I'm such a sucker for clever wording!}  

Frank promises that:
 "i’ll target cellulite, stretch marks, psoriasis, varicose veins, eczema and acne with roasted and ground arabica coffee beans.
then i’ll moisturise and tone your skin with grapeseed oil, and use coconut oil to hydrate your skin and tend to any imperfections. i’ll take coconut flakes, brown sugar, jojoba beads & sea salt and gently smooth your lumps and bumps, and use vitamins & minerals to work wonders from the outside in."

Given that I like anything all natural, and since I love body scrubs + use them weekly {always before I apply self tanner}, I decided to give Frank a whirl.  I purchased both the original scrub {coffee w/ sweet almond oil}, and the coconut / grapeseed coffee scrub as well.  

 Applying Frank is pretty easy.  You get wet in the shower, apply a large handful of Frank all over your bod concentrating on problem areas, let it dry for 5-10 minutes {I multitasked & applied a hair mask at the same time}, then rinse off.  Waiting for it to dry was a little weird, I just stood awkwardly in my shower the whole time.  I will say that Frank is super, super messy.  All I could think of while I was applying it was how much of a bitch this was going to be to completely clean up.  Also, if you're not a big fan of the coffee smell, this may not be for you as my bathroom smelt like a coffeehouse for a good full day.

As for the results, that remains to be seen.  The instructions on Frank instruct to use the scrub 1-2 times per week, and since I've only used him once, it's too early to tell.  I will say, however, that my skin was the softest I've ever felt it after using one time.  :)


 Coconut & Grapeseed

 Original




To read more info on Frank, check out their website by clicking here.

Now, onto that giveaway!  I purchased a couple extra packages of Frank when I placed my own order, and I'll be gifting both the original & coconut scrub to one lucky reader!  All you have to do is leave your name + email address in the comment section of this post and you'll be automatically entered into the drawing.  This giveaway will run until noon on Sunday, May 11th.  The winner will be chosen at random, and announced on Monday morning.

Good luck, ladies!! Thanks so so much for reading my blog! xx


** Giveaway is closed **

Thursday, May 1, 2014

Vacation Diary Part 2 \ Capri & Positano, Italy

Ciao bellas!  I hope you're all having a great week so far!  Can you believe today is the first day of May?  Summer is soooooo soon! :)

Today I wanted to share more of my vacation pictures.  Initially I thought that I'd share all of my pictures from Italy in one post, but after going through all of my photos I think that it's best to split them up rather than bombard you with literally hundreds of pics!  Seriously, everything in Italy makes for a good photo!

After Israel, Adam & I flew directly from Tel Aviv to Rome, which was only a 3 hour flight.  I was beyond excited to be back in Italy; I just feel like Adam & I have so much history in Italy since he proposed to me there in 2012, and last year we were married in Tuscany.  So for that reason, Italy will always be so special to me. 

Our first stop on our 10 day tour of the Amalfi Coast was Capri.  Capri was absolutely magical!  We spent 3 nights staying at Hotel La Minerva, which was the most adorable boutique style hotel located in a quiet section of Capri that is very close to the high end shops {perfect for me!}.  I would highly, highly suggest staying here if you are considering a trip to Capri.  The attention to detail that they pay to each guest is second to none. 

During our stay in Capri, we did quite a bit of reading on our balcony {I read Gone Girl in 2 days!}, toured around the island + visited Ana Capri, went on a hike, got custom sandals made {a real tradition in Capri}, shopped, ate amaaaaazing food {EATaly as my friend Irina calls it} and drank entirely too much wine.  This basically set the tone for the rest of our trip on the Amalfi Coast; drink vino, eat pizza with a side of pasta, and daily gelato.....Bliss!

After Capri, we took a quick 30 minute ferry to Positano.  I was thrilled to visit Positano because it has been a bucketlist destination of mine for years!  Positano was breathtakingly beautiful, but by comparison, it didn't come close to measuring up to Capri.  I wish that we would have just extended our time in Capri and only taken a day trip to Positano.

There was one great aspect of Positano however.  I had a little surprise up my sleeve!  One of my favorite photographers that Adam & I both follow on instagram, KT Merry, was scheduled to be in the area hosting a photography workshop.  When I found this out, I immediately reached out to her about doing a surprise 1 year anniversary photo session with Adam.  The timing was absolutely perfect because she was free during the 2 days we were in Positano, and she was completely on board with the surprise!

The session was so much fun; we took pictures all around the town of Positano with the sherbert colored houses built into the side of the mountain as the beautiful background.  I can not wait to see the photos!

Here's a selection of photos from our time in Capri, and Positano.






This was such a beautiful time of year to visit - wisteria was in full bloom all around the Amalfi Coast!

Andrea Adler
I'm pretty sure this is what Heaven looks like!

The cutest little flower shop.




Wearing: the most comfortable jumpsuit from Splendid {here} //  my favorite Dolce Vita sandals {here}


We did a whole lot of this - wine + relaxation.

Picture perfect.

Wearing: Vince knit {no longer available} // Citizen of Humanity cropped skinnies {here} // Joie slip on sneakers {here}





I loved the simple but chic decor of our hotel {think gorgous blue & white tiles everywhere, and linen everything!}

Beautiful Positano.

I love this picture so, so much!  Framer for sure :)









Where We Stayed:

Capri - Hotel La Minerva 

Positano - Hotel Buca di Bacco 
 

Thanks so much for taking the time to read!  xx

Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Banana Chocolate Cake In A Cup - Vegan & GF

We've all seen those recipes on Pinterest for 'Individual Mug Cake'.  They've been going around pretty strong for the past year.  I have my own version that I've been making for a couple years now, except I don't have a cutesy name for it like "mug cake".  I call mine cake in a cup, and I used to torment my husband with my best Austin Powers Goldmember impression, "Would you like a cake in a cup?  How about a smoke and a pancake?" :)  Ahhhhhh the joys of being married to me....

Anyhoo, my cake in a cup version is dense, fudgy and full of chocolate, banana, and coconut goodness.  It's super easy to whip up and cooks in approximately 3 minutes!  Oh, and did I mention that it's vegan, gluten, and refined sugar free?  Thank me later girls.  This is your new go-to for those type of days.  :)





Ingredients

4 tbsp white rice flour
2 tbsp sugar substitute {I use Z Sweet}
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp baking powder
Dash of cinnamon
1/2 of a ripe banana; mashed
3 tbsp unsweetened apple sauce
3 tbsp almond milk {I use an unsweetened chocolate version from Almond Breeze, but any flavor is fine!}
2 drops vanilla extract
2 tbsp vegan chocolate chips
Large pinch of unsweetened shredded coconut
Almond milk ice cream **optional**


Directions

In a small bowl, combine flour, sugar substitute, cocoa powder, baking powder, and dash of cinnamon.  Set aside.

In another small bowl, combine banana, apple sauce, almond milk, and vanilla extract.  Slowly add in dry ingredients, mixing well to combine.  

Add in chocolate chips, and shredded coconut.  Pour batter into a microwave safe coffee mug, place in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes.

Serve immediately with ice cream on the side.  




How cute are these 'his ice cream & her ice cream' spoons?!  You can find them in the most adorable Etsy ever shop by clicking {here}


Have a great day! xx
 

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