This past weekend my sister and I went to this really fun place called “Painting with a Twist“, a place that offers painting classes (for beginners, advanced, etc) and is a neat venue to have a girls night out, birthday party, or whatever you want to call it party.

My sister and I are both huge Audrey Hepburn fans. So when we saw that Painting with a Twist was offering a painting class featuring a classic Breakfast at Tiffany’s design, we knew we had to try this out. The class lasted 3 hours and was an absolute blast! All the ladies there were hilarious and everyone had a great time. I highly recommend trying out some of these classes. The instructors were great and helped with any questions we had and gave really clear instructions, so following along was pretty easy. They did say this particular piece was more difficult than others, but they were sure they’d get us through it. I think the results turned out quite nice…

I’m really proud of my first attempt at canvas painting. I think I’ll get her framed and hang it in my office!

Have you ever gone to a painting class? What did you paint?

Thank you for all the sweet Birthday wishes, my friends. It was a great Birthday. My sweet husband surprised me with a beautiful coach watch and a fancy dinner out! I love getting all doll’d up and spending time with my love.

To me, a birthday is a time to celebrate (no matter the age). My celebrating often includes dessert. This birthday was no exception. I’ve learned when to indulge and when to hold back. Since I was turning 29, I said… “I’m gonna eat cake!” And that I did. But with any indulging, your body starts to feel sluggish… so now that the celebrating is over, I’m craving non-sweet anything! Anyone else ever crave salads, fruit, fresh vegetables, etc… after a sugary weekend? Just me?

Anyway… I’ve been meaning to tell you about these…

Navitas Naturals sent me these Power Snacks to try… I wasn’t sure if I was going to like them or not… they looked interesting…

After trying both… I really liked the Cacao Goji Superfood Power Snacks. Really good, and not too sweet. I did not enjoy the Citrus Chia Superfood… I think its official, I do not like chia seeds. They’re just awkward tasting to me. I. Just. Can’t. What I do like about these, is that that I could pop them into a ziplock bag and have a mini-snack on the go.

Meet the Superfoods in Navitas Power Snacks

The many nutritional attributes of the key ingredients in Navitas Power Snacks are worth noting*: 

Chia is a high-energy superseed that offers a unique blend of protein, fiber, essential fats, antioxidants, complex carbohydrates, and vitamins and minerals.  Perhaps most notable, chia is a rich source of essential fatty acids – more than 3 times the concentration of most grains.  Chia is also a robust source of protein (more than 20%) with all of the essential amino acids.

 Cacao is a raw form of chocolate that is one of the world’s best sources of powerful antioxidants, and is the richest food source of magnesium.  Cacao also provides a vast array of essential minerals and nutrients including: Iron; Potassium; proteins; beta-carotene; and alkaloids. 

 The Goji Berry is one of the highest known sources of antioxidants and it contains 18 amino acids and all essential amino acids.  Rich in beta-carotene, polysaccharides, riboflavin and carotenoids, the goji berry is known to help foster a long life and strengthen the immune system.

 Camu-Camu is most famous for its abundant concentration of vitamin C – containing up to 60 times more than an orange. This antioxidant-rich berry is also a great source of potassium, calcium, protein, beta-carotene and other powerful phytochemicals and amino acids that are known to have a wide range of therapeutic effects.

 Maca is rich in amino acids, vitamins B1, B2, C and E, calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium, sulfur and iron, and is a good source of sterols and fatty acids.  It has long been used in traditional medicine to increase stamina, boost libido and combat fatigue. Alkaloids in maca are known to nourish the endocrine system – responsible for production and maintenance of hormones.

 Lucuma is naturally sweet, but low on the glycemic index.  This alternative sweetener is also a good source of iron, zinc, potassium, calcium, magnesium, vitamin B3, beta carotene, fiber and bio-available protein. 

 About Navitas Naturals – Quality, Integrity & Food Safety

The mission of Navitas Naturals is to provide premium organic superfoods that increase energy and enhance health.  Nutrient-rich whole foods are at their best when they are produced via organic agriculture and minimal processing methods.  That is why all Navitas Naturals products are certified organic, and use methods such as freeze-drying to ensure maximum nutrition.  Food safety is very important to Navitas Naturals, which is demonstrated by the rigorous third-party testing of their superfoods.  Since its founding in 2003, Navitas Naturals has been committed to socially responsible business.  Their direct purchasing partnerships expand fair trade opportunities for farmers in developing regions around the world.  For more, visit www.navitasnaturals.com.

I like Navitas Natural’s products, I buy the Raw Cacao and add that to my smoothies a lot of times…

The taste is fantastic! AND it totally hides all the spinach I add to the smoothie. Win-win!

***Navitas Naturals sent me these samples to try. All opinions are mine, if I liked it you’ll know, if I hated it you’ll know.***

Also, I’m getting bored with my gym workouts, I picked up this (finally) to get some inspiration….

Anyone else have it? What do you do at the gym to change things up when you get bored?

Cheers to the freakin’ weekend, I’ll drink GREEN TEA to that! (Ever get a song stuck in your head? This is me today…)

Happy Friday my friends! Who’s got great plans this weekend? I have minimal plans and I’m happy about that… I actually need to double check my calendar because now that I’m typing I feel like something is going on this weekend and I’m forgetting… snap!

Anyway.

Today I wanted to share an email I got from a reader, who needs your help…

reader’s request:

“I try my hardest and my husband helps by cooking a lot, but when I have to leave my house at 6 in the morning to be a work by 7 and leave at 4 to be home at 5:15, bring my son to football practice by 6 on Monday, Thursday, and Friday, get home at 7:45, I DON’T WANNA COOK!! It is so easy to grab fast food and the last thing I wanna do is go for a jog or workout. I am a BUSY working mom and, although I would love to, I do not have the luxury to stay home, yet! Do you have any friends or followers like me who have to work and keep a healthy living that you can ask for advice?“

Ok ladies, got advice for our mom in need? Add it in the comments area or have an idea for a guest post to help busy people get a healthy dinner in their stomachs? Send me an email at: Lauren@TeamGiles.com

***Don’t forget to enter the Scentsy Giveaway! Ends tonight at midnight, winner will be announced Saturday Morning***

I think its time for another Fashion on Friday’s post. If you’re on Instagram and follow me, you’ve probably already seen these pictures. I absolutely love Instagram and I’ve gotten to ‘meet’ some fun bloggers through it. I also discovered Christina, the author of Little Fashion Diary, who created the hashtag #FashionDiaries on Instagram. It’s a fun way to share your daily outfits with other fashion lovers. Very fun, indeed!

click on the photo to enlarge

#FashionDiaries is a lot of fun. It encourages me to get out of my workout clothes or sweats and actually get dressed. For those of us that love exercise, its just so easy to live in workout clothes. But I think wearing a cute outfit is a great reward to all the hard work I’ve put in the gym and in my eating habits. I know I’ve talked about this before.. but I think its important for you to rock your success.

Today however, I will be living in workout clothes all day pretty much. Zumba clothes that is! I’m going to my normal Zumba class this morning, but this evening, the Zumba girls and I are headed to the Gin & Tonic Houston Tour, by Gina and Tanya’s Zumba Masterclass.

Holla!! This class is gonna be friggin’-awesome!! I can’t wait to go. Also, are any of you locals going to the LuLulemon Salutation Nation?

I’m thinking of going Saturday morning. The weather has been so completely great lately that yoga in the park sounds fantastic!

What do you have planned this weekend? Who’s training for races? I feel so out of the loop for races!