summer

Nude Is The New Red In Summer 2015

June 18, 2015 By lyndsinreallife Leave a Comment

I don’t often blog about cosmetics or fashion, but I was watching the new season of Orange Is The New Black and something caught my attention. I LOVE makeup; I have more eye shadow than I’ll ever be able to use in a lifetime. So when I saw Lorna’s new look of nudes and beiges, I was surprised at how much I loved it!

Nudes and beiges are in this season. Some say it’s to accommodate the 2015 runways and boho-chic trends. I am all about boho-chic. I remember loving that “no makeup” look in high school (flashback to Vaseline and foundation mixed to be a lip balm), so I figured I’d try a few new products and see if this trend is worth the hype.

Here are my fave five; you’ll find these beauties in my makeup bag or beach tote all summer long:

1. bareMinerals NUDE PERFECTION™ Lip Trio – $15

Sephora

Photo: sephora.com

2. Tarte Amazonian Clay Universal Lipliner – $18

Tarte Cosmetics

Photo: tartecosmetics.com

3. Neutrogena Long Wear Eye Shadow + Built-in Primer in Classic Nude – $9.49

Neutrogena

Photo: neutrogena.com

4. Lancôme Paris Miracle Cushion – $46.50

Lancôme USA

Photo: lancome-usa.com

5. Formula X The Cut – Summer 2015 in Supreme (latte nude creme) – $10.50

Sephora

Photo: sephora.com

If you want more nude essentials for this summer, Elle.com names a few great products for that perfect beach glow. With the change of season comes the change of color (or lack thereof), which means one thing: SHOPPING. My personal favorite!

Are you ready to go nude this summer? What are your must-haves for warm days and cool nights? Don’t keep those cosmetic gems to yourself; share in the comments below!

Connect with me!

Twitter | Instagram | Facebook

[subscribe2]

Nutrition Reviews

Decadent Chocolate Deliciousness With Cocozia® Coconut Water

May 11, 2015 By lyndsinreallife Leave a Comment

Coconut water is my all-time favorite drink. Like, EVER. It’s a topic of discussion all throughout my blog. I drink it daily, especially in the summertime. But sometimes I get bored with the taste, and most nights, just like any other female, I want chocolate. What’s a girl to do?

Good thing Cocozia® coconut water has a brand-new chocolate flavor! Seriously, it’s amazing. You may be saying, “But [insert another brand here] already has a chocolate flavor; what makes this any better?”

Disclosure: I received a case (12 pack) of Cocozia chocolate coconut water in exchange for an honest review on my blog. I make a small profit of any purchases through my affiliate links. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.

I’m glad you asked (or at least I’m pretending you asked 😉 ). The other brand comes in a plastic bottle, which I despise. I should call myself an anti-plastic warrior. Ha! It’s terrible for the environment and anything that comes from a plastic bottle tastes weird. Plus this other brand is from concentrate, which I’m not really a fan of. Cocozia (affiliate link), however, comes in a biodegradable Tetra Pak, and it’s not from concentrate. Plus Cocozia is 100% organic and non-GMO Project verified. The chocolate flavor comes from light, all-natural chocolate.

I like to drink Cocozia for a few different reasons throughout my day:

To hydrate
To raise my blood sugar when it gets too low (hypoglycemia)
As a snack
As a replacement for not-so-healthy chocolate
As a nighttime snack (I probably used it mostly for this one!)

When I was craving something extra chocolaty, I would make this recipe:

For this recipe, I used PBZero powdered peanut butter and Navitas Naturals raw cocoa nibs (affiliate link). Of course, you can use whichever brands you prefer!

If you want decadent chocolate deliciousness in your fridge, you can order a case of Cocozia on Amazon (affiliate link)! A 12 pack case of 16.9 oz is $35. You can also find Cocozia on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

What is your favorite flavor of coconut water?
Are you a chocolate fanatic like me?
What was the highlight of your weekend? (I’m just curious!) :p

Thank you so much for reading! To stay in the loop, please subscribe to my blog here:
[subscribe2]

Connect with me:

Instagram | Twitter | Facebook

Nutrition

Coconut Water Smoothie Recipe + LiveZola Contest

March 9, 2015 By lyndsinreallife Leave a Comment

The weather is warming up! Well, unless you’re in the Midwest or East coast (sorry about that!). But here in sunny SoCal, it’s officially summer. The temps are in the 80s, the rain has passed, and the sun is shining bright! With warm weather comes the desire for an ice cold pop (okay, not really pop, but something cold). For me, that means it’s time to experiment with new smoothie recipes!

I usually use coconut milk in my smoothies, but Zola was awesome enough to send me a 12 pack of Zola coconut water (regular, with pulp, and espresso) to try some new recipes for their contest! *No monetary compensation was received. This post contains affiliate links.

As some of you know, I have a serious obsession with coconut water. I first tried it last July (thanks to Zola!), and instantly became hooked. So you can imagine my excitement for coming up with a coconut water smoothie recipe!

Here’s the details for the #ZolaJuiceShop contest (ends March 16, so get your entries in ASAP):

Contest runs through March 16th
The contest is hosted on Facebook (http://bit.ly/1AwCoWz) but you can enter by uploading an image in four ways: direct from your Facebook photos, from your computer, or by sharing a picture through Twitter or Instagram and using the hashtag #ZolaJuiceShop
Submit the actual recipe in the entry form along with the image of the smoothie, but the recipe itself is not required
There will be three grand prize winners who will each win a Vitamix Professional Blender (not this exact one), a $200 gift card to their grocery store, and a 1-year supply of Zola. We are selecting one winner for each of the following categories:

Most creative/inventive smoothie
Best use of Zola Acai Juice/Zola Coconut Water in the recipe
Best use of a functional ingredient to benefit a healthy & active lifestyle

Get your entries in and good luck!!

Zola Coconut Banana Berry Blend Smoothie

Ingredients:

1 cup ice
1 cup Zola coconut water
1 cup spinach
1/4 cup raspberries
1/4 cup blueberries
1/2 banana
1 tbsp chia seeds
I added a bit more coconut water for easy blending*

Put the ingredients in a blender (in order listed):

Serve & enjoy!

Want a pinable image to share? Cool, because I have one! 😉

To create your delicious smoothies, use the store locator to find Zola near you. Don’t forget to submit your entries by March 16!

Follow Zola on social media:

Website – Facebook – Instagram – Twitter – Youtube – Pinterest

What is your favorite smoothie recipe?
What is your food/drink obsession? 😉

Share with me in the comment section below!

Thank you for reading my blog! Connect with me on Twitter | Instagram | Facebook!

[subscribe2]

Personal

Life Update; August Edition

August 24, 2014 By lyndsinreallife 7 Comments

We are nearing the end of summer, and I wanted to give a “life update” for those who are curious about what I’ve been up to. It’s been a busy summer, and a really good one!

Last summer was my first one in California, and it was surprisingly not the best. I was in a depression after making such a big move (from CLE to LA), so I didn’t get to enjoy my time too much. But this summer, I did a lot of awesome stuff! Here are a few:

Worked a booth at the PLUSH Expo with Delta Labs
Completed my first 5k
Attended & covered the San Diego International Boat Show as a blogger (my first event specifically as a blogger)
Completed a virtual 5k with my little brother on Kelleys Island (Lake Erie, OH)
Visited Ohio for 2.5 weeks
Visited Chicago for the first time
Completed the Chaarg Booty Camp + became a virtual Chaarg member!
Made the decision to move back to Ohio (still debating this one..)
Got two new babysitting jobs
Attended my very first blog conference: BlogFest at IDEAworld (it was AMAZING!)
Signed up to become an FXP Fitness instructor

When I look at that list, it doesn’t seem like much. But considering all I did last summer was finish 14 seasons of Law and Order: SVU, I feel pretty good about it! I’m excited for autumn – crisp, cool air, job stability, fall clothes, traveling (hoping to take a trip up the PCH), holidays, and so on.

I’m in this weird limbo. I’m not really sure what to do about moving back to Ohio. I want to be with my family, but part of me feels that I’ve changed too much to go back. It reminds me of one of my favorite quotes by Nelson Mandela:

“There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered.”

It’s nothing against Ohio (or the people there) at all. For me, moving across the country with no one but my boyfriend was obviously life-changing. I’ve been in LA a year and a half, and I have grown & changed so much. I had a dream last night that I was back in Ohio, going back to a job that I once had, seeing friends who were on different pages than myself. It was comforting, but I felt completely out of place. I want to settle down in San Diego, so part of me is wondering if I should even leave SoCal in the first place. Can I handle making such a big move three times in five years (or whatever it ends up being)? Clearly I have some things to think about.

I’m also trying to figure out what I want to do with my life career-wise. I am a health coach (for the past two years), blogger (obviously), and nanny/babysitter. I have a bachelor’s degree in speech therapy and audiology, but totally love the flexibility of babysitting. I’m so untraditional- 9-5 has never really been my thing. But I am 26-years-old, and should probably make a career decision, right?

Anyway, these are all things I need to figure out myself. But writing is therapy for me, so there it is!

Have you been in a position where you weren’t sure what to do with your career/life? What did you end up doing?
How was your summer?! What was your favorite moment?

As always, thanks for reading 🙂

XO, Lyndsay

Let’s connect! Twitter + Instagram are my faves 😉

[subscribe2]

Technorati Tags: summer,2014,life,update,los angeles,LA,SoCal,California,decision,personal,limbo,career

Nutrition Reviews

#FindYourZen With CocoZen Coconut Water

August 9, 2014 By lyndsinreallife 2 Comments

I have a pretty serious obsession with coconut water. It’s my absolute favorite thing to drink, and I like to try every brand I find. I had the opportunity to try CocoZen™, and I am a huge fan!

What is coconut water?

Coconut water is the clear liquid obtained by opening a young, green coconut, the fruits of the coconut palm tree. Coconut water is fat and cholesterol-free and has a light, sweet taste. Its unique mixture of natural sugars, vitamins, minerals, electrolytes, enzymes, amino acids, cytokines, and phyto-hormones makes it the perfect refreshment solution (as found on the CocoZen website).

(Image Courtesy of CocoZen.com)

Why is it called CocoZen?

We want to help you find the calm within the chaos. Your Zen is here. Our mission is to create elements and communities that help you discover, experience, and vitalize the core of your true nature every day.We are dedicated to providing authentic and natural coconut products that help support your healthy and active lifestyle. From source to shelf, we’ve covered every angle to bring you the finest coconut water on the planet. CocoZen is 100% natural, filled with essential nutrients, packed and sealed at the source, and as fresh as nature intended (as found on the CocoZen website). Their motto is Find Your Zen. I love it!

CocoZen comes in a tetra pack, which helps to keep the coconut water fresh for several months. This way, it can be easily stacked on shelves, plus it’s recyclable! I like it because it has a screw cap, so you can drink a little bit at a time, and put it back in the fridge to finish later (within 24-48 hours).

Where can I buy it?

CocoZen can be found in select NYC stores, and also on Amazon. It will also be sold at fitness centers and yoga studios as time goes on. The package on Amazon comes with 12-11.1 ounce tetra packs for $29.45. It’s not the cheapest coconut water I’ve found, but it’s really good quality, and that definitely makes a difference!

A few fun facts:

Coconut water is 95% water and a fat and cholesterol-free drink. It also a rich source of electrolytes, B vitamins, minerals, amino acids, antioxidants, and phytonutrients.
It is naturally gluten-free, vegan, and kosher.
The fruit sugar is natural and derived from fruit such as pears and apples. These sugars are added to ensure every serving of CocoZen delivers the same sweetness level.
Coconut water is considered an isotonic drink because it contains the same concentration of essential salts and minerals as in your body cells and blood. This makes CocoZen the ideal rehydration drink to replace these precious substances lost from physical activity.
Electrolyte-rich CocoZen is perfect for keeping the body hydrated and supplied with essential nutrients during and after pregnancy.

(Image Courtesy of CocoZen.com)

If you want to give this delicious drink a try, you can buy CocoZen here! Have questions or comments? Follow CocoZen on Twitter. #FindYourZen

Have you tried coconut water? Do you like it?
Have you tried CocoZen specifically?

Disclosure: I did not receive any monetary compensation for this review. I received a free case of CocoZen coconut water to try and review on my blog. All opinions are 100% my own. Thank you CocoZen for the opportunity!

Nutrition Reviews

Zola Coconut Water Lemonade Webisode + GIVEAWAY!

July 22, 2014 By lyndsinreallife 19 Comments

A couple weeks ago, I shared about a new drink (new to me, at least) I had tried: Zola coconut water. Well, Zola just released their brand new lemonade coconut water (which is absolutely amazing!), and to celebrate that, they’ve created a series of 5 webisodes that encompasses the “live life to the fullest” campaign.

Check out the first webisode here:

Zola Webisode

About the Zola Campaign:

Rolling through the summer, Zola is sharing its passion for life with consumers via a brand campaign that aligns travel and adventure with the dream to “Live Life to the Fullest.” The campaign will engage with consumers through Facebook, Instagram and point-of-sale in U.S. retail stores.

Participants thirsty for adventure are able to enter the “Live Life to the Fullest” Sweepstakes through the “LiveZola” Facebook page. Fans will be eligible to win a travel-themed “Go Bag” packed with adventure essentials, like a GoPro® Camera and $1,000 along with a one year supply of Zola Coconut Water. The Sweepstakes begins July 14 and runs through September 15.

In addition, five cinematic Zola webisodes that embody Zola’s company mantra of living life to the fullest will run on YouTube, with supporting radio spots on Alice 97.3 FM in the San Francisco Bay Area and digital media on Hulu, Women’s Health Network and Zola’s website. Webisodes are available for viewing on YouTube.

for… lemonade!

Zola coconut water lemonade is now available nationwide, and Zola has offered to give away one free case of the lemonade to one of my readers!

To be eligible to win, you must:

Like Live Zola on Facebook
Follow Live Zola on Twitter
Follow The Balanced Brunette on Twitter
Comment on this blog post why you’re excited to try Zola coconut water lemonade
Live in the United States and have a physical mailing address (not a P.O. Box)

This giveaway ENDS on Monday, July 28 at 9pm PST!

Disclosure: I was offered to give away one free case of coconut water lemonade after reviewing Zola coconut water a couple weeks ago. I did not receive any compensation for this. All opinions are 100% my own.

Nutrition Reviews

Zola Coconut Water; The Perfect Summer Refresher

July 10, 2014 By lyndsinreallife 10 Comments

My mom buys coconut water all the time, and I just assumed it tasted bland, so I never gave it a try. I was given the opportunity to try Zola coconut water, espresso, and lemonade, and my life has forever been changed! It is SO good! Zola is hands down my favorite drink right now, especially for summer.

Zola is a company that makes different juices (acai and coconut water) using acai berries from the Amazon Rainforest and coconuts from Brazil. Zola is also a proud supporter of biodiversity and sustainable harvesting.

The first thing I noticed was the amazing box of goodies I received from Zola! I expected one can of coconut water in a box (which would have been fine), but instead, I received this:

Four different types of coconut water, a journal, four cute straws, a canvas tote bag, and pretty literature! Oh, and an iTunes gift card! I was very humbled and couldn’t wait to try each flavor. I put them in the fridge to let them chill, as they taste best when cold.

I tried the plain coconut water first since I’ve never tried any kind of coconut water before. I was amazed at how good it was!! I even tweeted right after I tried it. Next up was the coconut water with pulp. I’m not usually a pulp girl. The texture is weird to me when I’m drinking something smooth. But of course I wanted to try it for myself! Definitely make sure you shake it up so the pulp isn’t stuck on the bottom. With that being said, it was really good! I love coconut, so having that raw coconut pulp was very delicious. It’s not the one I would choose out of all of them, but it was definitely worth trying and was pretty good!

It’s recommended that you drink the coconut water lemonade within 30 minutes of drinking a plain coconut water, so you can get the full taste and experience. I did just that, and let me tell you, the lemonade is perfection! It is the perfect summer drink. It’s not too sweet, but sweet enough to satisfy my sugar cravings. Plus it has the added hydration of coconut water, unlike sugary lemonade which usually dehydrates you. Next up was the espresso coconut water. This is my new obsession!! I love iced coffee, but again, it usually has a lot of sugar! For someone recovering from a sugar addiction, this is no bueno. The espresso tastes just like an iced coffee from Starbucks, but has the hydration of coconut water! I am definitely ordering a 24-pack (or seven) of this ASAP. It’s the perfect amount of hydration and caffeine; not too much and not too little.

I highly recommend Zola products to anyone looking for good-tasting hydration. Yes, you can drink water for hydration, but coconut water tastes so much better! I am definitely a Zola fan.

You can follow Zola on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram using the hashtag #LiveZola. You can also check out their website here.

Don’t forget to follow me, too! Facebook, Twitter, Instagram. 🙂

Give it a try and tag @drinkzola and @balancebrunette (on Twitter) to let us know your thoughts! Stay hydrated this summer, friends!

XO,

Lyndsay

Disclosure: I received a free sample of Zola coconut water (four flavors), along with a journal, iTunes gift card, and tote bag in the hopes that I would mention it on my blog. I only use and review products that I would personally use, and feel would be beneficial to my readers. Therefore, all opinions are 100% my own.

Fitness Lifestyle Personal Races

Relay For Life Virtual 5K Recap

July 8, 2014 By lyndsinreallife 15 Comments

This past Fourth of July, I participated in a virtual 5k for Relay For Life! I am currently in Ohio visiting family, and the day of the 5k I was on Kelleys Island on Lake Erie (my family has a cottage there). My little brother Mike was visiting as well, and he did the run with me!

The day before, we rode around on the golf cart and mapped out 3.1 miles. It turns out it’s almost exactly that from my front door, past the West quarry, and back. Gorgeous route! It ended up being 3.43 miles. My longest run yet!

Our view on our run 🙂

It was awesome because Mike moved to Chicago today to attend graduate school, so we had the opportunity to talk and bond. He is four years younger than me and I don’t see him nearly enough! We decided to do a fast-paced walk (he didn’t have running shoes, and I have two sprained ankles). It still ended up being my fastest mile and fastest 5k!

My nephew Toby held on to the medal for when I got back to the house. He is such a great helper! I now officially have two medals!

The 5k was the perfect start to my Fourth of July this year! I spent the rest of the day (and weekend) with family on the island. Next race: San Diego Beer Run in August!

How did you spend your holiday?
Have you ever done a virtual race?

XO,

Lyndsay

[subscribe2]

Here are my fave five; you’ll find these beauties in my makeup bag or beach tote all summer long:

1. bareMinerals NUDE PERFECTION™ Lip Trio – $15

2. Tarte Amazonian Clay Universal Lipliner – $18

3. Neutrogena Long Wear Eye Shadow + Built-in Primer in Classic Nude – $9.49

4. Lancôme Paris Miracle Cushion – $46.50

5. Formula X The Cut – Summer 2015 in Supreme (latte nude creme) – $10.50

Connect with me!

Twitter | Instagram | Facebook

I like to drink Cocozia for a few different reasons throughout my day:

When I was craving something extra chocolaty, I would make this recipe:

Thank you so much for reading! To stay in the loop, please subscribe to my blog here: [subscribe2]

Connect with me:

Instagram | Twitter | Facebook

Here’s the details for the #ZolaJuiceShop contest (ends March 16, so get your entries in ASAP):

Zola Coconut Banana Berry Blend Smoothie

Ingredients:

Put the ingredients in a blender (in order listed):

Serve & enjoy!

Want a pinable image to share? Cool, because I have one! 😉

To create your delicious smoothies, use the store locator to find Zola near you. Don’t forget to submit your entries by March 16!

Follow Zola on social media:

Website – Facebook – Instagram – Twitter – Youtube – Pinterest

XO,

Lyndsay

XO,

Lyndsay

Thank you so much for reading! To stay in the loop, please subscribe to my blog here:
[subscribe2]