Throwback Tuesday?

Well I don't know is Throwback Tuesday is a thing but hey if it isn't it should be am I right? I wanted to share some photos of our trip to the Vatican City. It was so beautiful there and I loved the Egyptian Hall. I'm literally OBSESSED with any and all things Egyptian so they won me right when I saw that. They even had a mummy so I was basically freaking out. The square was also really gorgeous and neat to see in person because until then I'd only ever seen it on tv. Anyway here are a few pictures from the trip. 

My Favorite Quote

 Okay so I normally DO NOT like to use curse words on my blog or Instagram account but I just loved this too much because I connect with it on so many levels. This quote is so true, I mean at least in my experience. When some girls were basically attacking me on social media, for days, they started calling me a Bitch!  After I stood up for myself by blocking them all. Even the girl I thought was my best friend(I had known her for almost 10 years) took their side and said I was a bitch and then joined them in spamming my Twitter and Instagram. Standing up for yourself(in a classy, nice way)in the face of bullies should not be a reason for people to call you a Bitch. They then preceded to call me a slew of other degrading names, all because I said they were being childish and blocked them. That is called dealing with mean girls in the best way. I will never understand why as women, we feel the need to tear other women down. Being girls we know how harsh the world is, we should really all be sticking together and try to help other women whenever we can. If standing up for myself and other women makes me a Bitch then I guess I am. 

Doctors Today!

So today I have an appointment with my family doctor to talk about this lump I found in my left breast a few weeks ago. It has been hurting and swelling for almost 4 weeks now so I'm going to get it checked just to be safe. It's honestly probably nothing really serious but since my mom had breast cancer I'm a little paranoid. My mom thinks it's fribroids which seems most logical but better safe than sorry right? I'm really not looking forward to having my breasts felt up but I guess you gotta do what you gotta do! I'll let you all know how it goes. Positive thoughts and prayers are much appreciated. 

Biore 1 Minute Self-Heating Charcoal Face Mask Review

I was at the drugstore the other day when I saw these Biore Charcoal masks. Honestly the self heating and charcoal are what drew me in because I heard charcoal is really good in helping draw out gunk from your pores and the self heating just sounded really nice during these cold winter months. They cost around $7 dollars I believe and you get 4 packets. I took some pictures of my first time using a packet that I'll share with you guys. Please excuse my makeupless face!

The excitements is real guys. 

And it's on. It was very easy to apply and I loved the self heating. It also smells amazing!

Washing it off. When you rinse it off it heats up again which feels really great!

And it's off. My face felt super clean and refreshed. I will definitely be taking these on my trip to Europe to give my face a little pick me up whenever I need one. 

When in Rome

Definitely one of my favorite cities that I saw in Europe was Rome. I absolutely LOVED it there and didn't have enough time there at all. When we drove through Rome we were on our way to a different city and unfortunately could only spend I day there. It was short and sweet but still amazing in every way. Seeing the colosseum was just mind-boggling and roaming the ancient Roman cobblestone streets was priceless. You could practically feel the history in every nook and cranny of the ancient city. I would definitely go back again and recommend everyone go at least once if they can. Here are some pictures from my trip.  

Here is the view driving towards Rome

Rome here we come!

First stop,Colosseum!! 

Colosseum up close, about to go in. 

Finally Inside!

It's huge guys!

After we left the colosseum to find the Trevi Fountain we stumbled upon some ruins. 

"Rome-ing" the streets(get it?) ;)

Finally found the Fountain!! I threw in 4 pennies! 

Circled back around the Colosseum on our way to our hotel. 

Sick Day Essentials

Today I woke up with an awful cold and it couldn't have come at a worse time either. I'm in the middle of packing for our trip to Texas and then Pakistan and Europe but since I'm not getting anything done today I thought why not share my sick day essentials with you guys. So let's get into it!

 Green tea is one of my sick day staples. It's full of antioxidants and the warmth is so soothing on your throat. 

I don't take multi vitamins on the daily but if I feel like I might be coming down with a cold or like today, if I wake up with one I will start taking it in the morning until I'm feeling better. This one is one of my favorites because it also helps your skin and gives you a nice glow, which is nice when you're sick and look like death. 

SMOOTHIES are definitely must sick day must have! I literally cannot stress how much they help me and how good they are when you're sick. They deliver so much nutrients and antioxidants which I feel like is exactly what you need when fighting off a cold. I have the recipe for my Power Smoothie on my blog if you want to check out what I put in mine! 

Okay so this essential sounds a little gross but I swear it helps, eating raw garlic. Now don't freak out, it's definitely not the BEST tasting thing ever for sure but it's bearable and I swear by it. I've done a lot of research and many people say that eating raw garlic helps soften their colds significantly and also eases symptoms. If just chewing on a raw clove is too much for you, you can try a trick my mom uses she takes 8-9 cloves, 6-7 cherry tomatoes, half a red onion and then blends them together in a food processor. Then add a little salt and pepper and it's almost like salsa just REALLY garlicky.

My last essential is Lemon Water. It helps wash down the garlic and will help you heal faster. You need to drink a lot of fluids when you're sick and lemon water is my go-to. I have a hard time drinking plain water when I'm sick so lemon water became my staple because the light lemon flavor helps me get it down. 

Well that's all my sick day essentials, let me know what yours are down below. I'd love to know what helps you guys through your colds! 

Come Dine with Me

Okay so this is probably one of the MOST requested posts that I've ever been asked to write. I'm not sure why people want to know what I eat all day but hey you guys asked so I'm giving it to you. Let's get into it then. So I started keeping a food journal about a week ago just to see exactly what I was eating so here is what I usually eat on a given day. 

For breakfast I noticed that I rotate between these different meals. Either a huge smoothie, two fried eggs and a mango, or a PB&J and chocolate milk. These are like my breakfast staples. 

For lunch I usually had some either chicken breast with salad or a whole bunch of raw veggies like broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, etc. and half a chicken breast with some hummus for the veggies. Sometimes I will just have whatever my moms cooking if I don't want to make my own lunch. That includes homemade burgers, veggie pasta, and sometimes different Pakistani meals.

For dinner I rotate around with either a GIANT smoothie(so I get enough calories) if I had a big lunch, an egg white omelette loaded with veggies and some kind of fruit on the side, or a few slices of chicken breast with vegetables and hummus(again) 

Now for snacks I usually had about 2, 1 in between breakfast and lunch and 1 between lunch and dinner. My snack options are usually half a cup of cottage cheese with fruit and honey, an apple with some almonds(sometimes it's different fruit depending on what I have), and raw veggies with hummus.

Drink wise I usually have either unsweetened tea, lemon water, or plain water. Water is basically my go to especially with a little lemon squeezed in there. I don't drink coke very often if I do it's usually only on a holiday. Once in a while I treat myself to a Starbucks Frapp but not very often. 

This is just kind of an example of the main staples I eat in my diet. Basically I try to eat very whole, organic foods it that doesn't mean I don't treat myself because I do. During the week I kept this food journal I treated myself to a slice of chocolate cheesecake, and also on a different day some cookies. It's all about balance and making sure you don't go overboard with the treats. I aim to eat about 1500-1600 calories a day sometimes more depending on my activity and workouts for that day. If I am doing a big workout one day I will usually up my calories to help my body repair but if I'm say going on a trip and will just be sitting in the car all day I drop the number of calories down a bit. Now I NEVER go below 1200 calories because that isn't enough for anyone and will send your body into starvation mode. You guys can adjust the calories you need based on all your factors like activity level,height and all that. I hope this post kind of helps give you a glimpse into my food world and what I eat. Let me know how you liked it below! 

Trend Alert!

Now that Paris Fashion Week has officially come to a finish I wanted to share one of the biggest trends I noticed while watching all the shows and street fashion. Long to mid-lengh skirts! They were literally everywhere in every kind of pattern,design, and fabric. They were styled dressy and casual. I really loved this lentgh of skirts I was seeing because it's a length you don't see very often and it really made the wearer stand out. I gathered some pictures of my favorite looks using this hot trend for you guys to check out. Let me know what you guys think about this new trend, would you wear it? 

#TransformationTuesday

When I look at my #transformationtuesday I feel so accomplished. I mean I worked my butt off and I can't complain about the results at all. A lot of people would look at the picture on the left and be completely disgusted by that girl, I used to feel that way too but not anymore. I don't hate or despise her at all, far from it actually.  The girl on the left is just as amazing as the skinnier girl on the right. She was just as funny, smart, and beautiful. Loosing weight is definitely gratifying and makes you feel better about your appearance but being skinnier isn't all that matters in life. Now being healthier is definitely important. The girl on the left was not as healthy as the girl on the right. She hardly ever exercised or ate any whole food. She was filling her body with artificial foods and unhealthy chemicals.  The girl on the right however lives off whole, clean foods. She enjoys fruits and vegetables and loves to run. She fuels her body with the best fuel am treats it so much better.  So when I look at these two pictures the biggest transformation I see isn't in appearance, or weight, it is in the way I transformed my lifestyle. I transformed my unhealthy eating habits and inactive lifestyle and that's the best #transformationtuesday you can have.  

I Think I Have a Problem...

Okay so I was strolling through my Instagram and it dawned on me, I'm ADDICTED/OBSESSED with Mexican food!!! I'm not kidding, at least half my lunches and dinners are Mexican food. Tostadas, tacos, taco salads, you name it and I've eaten it people. I literally put jalapeños on everything and I might as well drink salsa. I'm pretty sure I must have some Mexican blood down my family line somewhere. It probably has to do with the fact that I've been raised In Texas  for most of my life, hello Tex-Mex. I don't know if this has anything to do with it but my mom has told me that she ate an abnormal amount of Mexican food when she was pregnant with me so basically I've been eating it since before birth. I thought I'd share some of my favorite Mexican themed meals with you guys. Let me know what your food obsessions are! 

Taco Salad!

Tostadas!

More Taco Salad! 

Baked Oatmeal!

Guys I have discovered my absolute favourite breakfast of all time. BAKED OATMEAL!! I finally got around to whipping up a batch and its official I'm hooked. It is literally the best thing on earth. Here is the recipe so you guys can jump on board my new obsession.

Ingredients-  

2 eggs

1/2 cup of brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp of baking powder

1 tsp of cinnamon 

1 1/2 tsp salt 

1 1/4 cups of milk

1/4 cup of butter(melted, I used salted but I don't think it matters) 

3 cups of rolled oats 

**I added walnuts and chocolate chips to mine but you can literally add whatever you would like before baking and afterwards**

Directions- preheat your oven to 350 and butter an 8 by 8-inch baking dish for later. 

In a large bowl mix together the eggs then add in the brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt, wisk together until no lumps remain. Stir in the melted butter and milk and then add the oats. Now you bake it for 30-40 mins until it has set(you can also store it In the fridge overnight and bake the next day if desired)

After you remove it from the oven you can serve it warm and add whatever toppings you like. Berries,honey,milk,cream,maple syrup,chocolate chips, nuts, you name it, it's entirely up to you. I hope you guys enjoy this recipe, let know below how you liked it!

This is how mine turned out, unfortunately I couldn't get the pic before my Fam had already started digging in.

Flashback Friday!

Today I'm flashing back to when I got the privilege of joining my parents on a trip to the school we have opened in Pakistan and delivering some supplies and goodies to the students. It was such an amazing trip and was so humbling. These kids want to learn so bad much more than students here. Are school allows kids who can't pay to still attend so if it weren't for our school at least half of the 400 students wouldn't even be in school. We took backpacks and candy to all the students as well as some new books and supplies. The kids were so excited because they had never seen any American candy before. I was so blessed to be a part of that fantastic trip. Here are some pictures of my parents and I with the students and teachers. 

February Favorites!

Hey guys! So I'm starting a new thing on my blog today. I will be doing my favourites of each month. I'll be sharing all the things I've just been loving for this month  so let's get into it. 

My mascara fave this month is the Almay get up & grow in blackest black. It just looks so natural on and gives me tons of lengh. 

My favorite lip product this month has been the Pixie Tink Tint in this bubblegum pink. It is so moisturizing and the corporate lasts forever. Plus Pixie is all natural and paraben free. 

My favorite scent this month is definitely my Pink Sun Kissed body mist. It smells like a tropical paradise and just makes me smell like summer. I'm in love. 

My favourite shows this month have been Baby Daddy and Reign. Omg these shows are like my addiction. If I had to pick a fave out of the two I would probably Reign just because I love shows set in this era! 

One of my favorite songs this month has been Little Red Wagon by Miranda Lambert. I fell in love with it when she premiered it at the Grammys. 

My favorite snack this month has definitely been MANGOES!!!!! I'm obsessed and I have literally been eating them almost everyday. 

Well that's all for my favorites this month I hope you guys liked them. Let me know what your favorites are down below!