[Recipe] Sweet & Salty Breakfast Parfait

I'm not a morning person but I love breakfast food, it's my favorite meal of the day. During the weekday rush my breakfast needs to be a "grab and go" meal, which means I likely need to prepare it in advance (a.k.a the night before). Also, planning and preparing my meals in advance ensures I'll make a good food decision that will keep my energy high all morning instead of sugar crashing on something less healthy. I've been trying out a couple of new recipes lately and had a lot of leftover ingredients in my pantry, which I would normally just find a way to incorporate them into a breakfast smoothie. However, I recently changed up my breakfast game to include parfaits and I think I've found the perfect sweet and salty breakfast combo.

Here's the scoop on my new go-to breakfast:

2 Tbs of granola [I like Open Nature's Chocolate Hazelnut Heaven]
1/2 Tbs of pumpkin seeds [raw, unsalted]
1/2 Tbs of sunflower seeds [raw, unsalted]
1 Tb of dried fruit [dried cherries & berries featured here]
1/2 c of yogurt [I like Fage Total 0 Greek Yogurt]

Also, if you are really into prepping your meals in advance I recommend putting all the dry ingredients into a snack-size bag and the yogurt into one of these little containers. This parfait is the perfect blend of sweet and salt which also makes it an awesome snack to have on hand when mid-day sugar craving kicks in. Bon Appetit!

Friday Five 04.04.14

Happy Friday, all!

This week's Friday Five is inspired by "spring cleaning." I love the spring; the weather gets warmer, the sun is out and the cherry blossoms in DC start to bloom. But most of all, I love spring for the renewed sense of energy it gives people.  So this week's post is dedicated to every type of spring cleaning you may do - whether it's cleaning the home, clearing your head or recharging spiritually - there's something for everyone. The photos above reflect some of the spring cleaning I've done in my life lately.

1. Dr. Oz's 3 Day Cleanse - I've had a couple colleagues start this cleanse, and I've just begun to dabble in it. I prefer the morning tea as just hot lemon water if you are trying to cut caffeine too (gasp!) The epsom salt and lavender bath is absolutely heavenly.

2. Daily Candy's Office Design Ideas with "Domino"- I had to include this link because one: I'm a sucker for a well designed office space and two: in solidarity for Daily Candy closing up shop this week. They sure will be missed. I absolutely love all of the design elements in this feature.

3.  #100 Happy Days - I'm willing to be you have probably seen this hashtag pop up on Instagram or in your Facebook feed lately. I absolutely LOVE this challenge and it's something I've taken on myself. However; I'll be honest, I'm not all in on sharing my 100 happy days on social sites, but instead taken to journaling it. It has been so rewarding and really allowed me to not only focus in what makes me happy, but also realize those who are negative around me. I definitely encourage everyone to take on this journey.

4. Nouvelle Daily's post on how to declutter a space - If you are taking on a spring closet cleaning in the coming days or weeks, I highly suggest reading this post. There are so many great tips on ways to pare down your wardrobe and really only keep what you actually wear. I finally got rid of 5 pairs of jeans that I've been hanging on to for years (as pictured above) - and I don't even like jeans!

5. 20 Ways to Get Happy Instantly from FitSugar - Not ready to make the leap into the #100HappyDays challenge? Start small with this great post from FitSugar.

Have a great weekend, everyone! I'm headed off to Nashville.

XO

Friday Five 2.21.14

Friday Roundup by julie-walsh showing how to wear high heel shoes

Happy Friday! 

Here's a list of things that caught my eye on the interwebs this week. Enjoy!

1. This slide show from R29 on fresh ways to style a scarf. Loving the McQueen print (pictured above).
2. These shoes from Zara. Paired perfectly with a chic pair of black ankle pants.
3. This scalp remedy from The Beauty Department. I've tried with both avocado and yogurt. Each one equally delicious for your hair.
4. This slide show from WHO WHAT WEAR on budget friendly style tips. Couldn't agree more with #3, which is why I just purchased some new pumps from Sole Society.
5.  This 7 minute HIIT workout from FitSugar. Bonus points: this workout is printable or for workouts on the fly: there are tons of 7 minute workout apps available in the iTunes store available for free.