Shop Local, Save Lives

So last Sunday I decided that I needed to get a jump on my wedding invitations. I had just changed my mind on my old design, so needed inspiration stat. We had our best friends over that night, and the energy in the room really gave me that oooomph I needed! After they left, I stayed up till 1am creating the design.

Originally, I was going to get them printed with Vistaprint – quick and easy. Then, I realized these are my wedding invitations! So at about 1:30am I filled out a quote with Market Mail Print. I know these guys well through the Hispanic Chamber, and they were always great to work with. So, I figured, why not?

I was off on Monday, so I slept in. By the time I woke up, I already had a quote from them – and it was way under Vistaprint. They literally blew my mind! So this is how the week went:

•  Monday: Dropped by MMP to see my invite in printed form (not a proof, but just to see how colors/design looked)
• Tuesday morning: Dropped by MMP to pick up my proof of the whole set
• Tuesday night (after hours): I put in my order for the invites, RSVP cards and envelopes 
• Thursday: I got a call that my order was ready!

The moral of the story: shop local. Not only was the service impeccable and personal, but I couldn't be happier with my invitations. They did everything as I wanted, even printing them in my unique size option.

Whether you are a bride or a business, MMP should be your new printer. I guarantee you won’t regret it. And because of their urgency, it helped my sense of urgency – I addressed all the invites late Friday evening and got them in the mail by Sunday!

Now, let’s see how the RSVP’s go…

Reunited and it feels so good...

{my "first meal" - Fuji Salad at Panera}

Well the cleanse is over and I feel absolutely fantastic! I officially ended my juicing yesterday, but went ahead and had one more this morning as my breakfast. 

I want to say that this is one of the best things I’ve ever done. I know I already said that, but seriously – I feel great! I lost another 5 pounds (even though it’s not about that) and really feel full of energy. In addition to the cleanse, I started oil pulling this weekend – so I just feel great.

Just to review what was in the Skinny Limits cleanse – I opted for the tropical with the Scorpion Lemonade as a substitution:

·         Pure & Simple: Kale, Cucumber, Spinach, Apple, Parsley, Celery, Lemon.

·         Balance: Kale, Cucumber, Spinach, Apple, Parsley, Celery, Lemon, Ginger.

·         Green Firefly: Kale, Cucumber, Spinach, Apple, Parsley, Celery, Lemon, Pineapple.

·         Scorpion Lemonade: Lemons, Agave Nectar, Cayenne, Filtered Water.

·         Green Firefly: Kale, Cucumber, Spinach, Apple, Parsley, Celery, Lemon, Pineapple.

·         Crescent Moon: Raw cashews, Vanilla Bean, Cinnamon, Agave Nectar, Filtered Water.

The highlight of every day is Crescent Moon, which tastes like Horchata but is much healthier and dairy-free. 

You get 6 juices per day for 3 days.  The juice is so fresh – as if I had just juiced them myself. Except without all the mess and having to buy produce. This is a total #win!

My journey to a decent bridal body

So, I am getting married in October. While I could go on and on about my wedding, I really wanted to talk about another journey inspired by my impending nuptials.

I’ve always battled with weight and my love of food. I came to terms with it years ago, but after starting my new job with a national healthcare nonprofit, I decided I needed to make some major lifestyle changes.

In January, after realizing how bad I was really eating and taking in too many cupcakes to count at a bridal expo, I decided to cleanse my body by juicing for three days.

In comes Skinny Limits – one of the best things that have ever happened to me! Not only do their juices have an incredible taste, but they are all natural, cold pressed fruits & veggies. So, both my fiancé and I decided to give it a go on January 13 and completed a three-day cleanse.

Fast forward to today. I have now dropped 47 pounds and am on my way to a truly healthy lifestyle. We’ve pretty much maintained healthy eating, eat at home much more than we used to, and I walk 4-6 times per week plus I go to Zumba once a week.

I decided to visit Skinny Limits this morning and do another three-day cleanse. One of the biggest reasons I wanted to do the cleanse again is to ward off all my bad cravings. In May there were graduations, parties and even a Quinceañera and I had way too much cake. Really, I’ve just had a hard time saying no to sweets since that first cupcake. After my juice cleanse in Jan, I didn’t crave any kind of sweets, and couldn’t have enough veggies.

So after a pretty bad weekend of some mimosas and a big sugary waffle, I went ahead and picked up my juices this morning. So far, so good…. It helps that I get to daydream about the last drink of the day: Crescent Moon.