The Fast Metabolism Diet

I recently received a free copy of The Fast Metabolism Diet book by Haylie Pomroy from SheSpeaks to review. I must say, as soon as I started reading the book I was excited to try the diet and see what results I would get from it. Many of the author's clients have lost upwards of 20 pounds on the 28 day diet by keeping their metabolism guessing. The diet is broken down into 3 basic phases that are alternated every few days:

Phase 1 - Lots of carbs and fruit
Phase 2 - Lots of proteins and veggies
Phase 3 - All of the above plus healthy fats and oils


Pomroy claims that in addition to seeing pounds fall off, you will see your cholesterol drop, blood sugar stabilize, energy increase, sleep improve and stress melt away. That all sounds great to me! Now for the tricky part, sticking to a diet!

Phase 1 includes high-glycemic, moderate-protein, low-fat foods such as brown rice, oatmeal, fruits, turkey, lentils and more. Easy enough. Phase 2 includes high-protein, high-vegetable, low-carb and low-fat foods such as broccoli, leafy greens, lean beef, low-fat fish and kale but prohibits fruit and grains. Phase 3 has an emphasis on high healthy-fat, moderate-carb & protein, low-glycemic foods such as avocado, nuts & seeds, olive oil, hummus, salmon, berries, beans and my fave, lobster!

Now, I must say, the food lists aren't so bad. And each phase is only a couple of days, so it's all very doable. My problem? Giving up my vices! The "rules" of the diet strictly prohibit not only my beloved wine and coffee (caffeine in general), but also wheat, corn, dairy, soy, refined sugar, dried fruit, fruit juices, artificial sweeteners and fat-free "diet foods". I can live without most of those, but not my wine and coffee!

So, I may just have to add my own little tweak to this diet to allow for the occasional glass of wine. I'll be setting out on the venture soon and will keep you all updated on how it goes! Has anyone else tried this diet yet? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Anchorman 2 Filming at Sea World...I'm in!

I just got the e-mail confirming that my husband and I were both chosen as extras for the upcoming Anchorman 2 filming at Sea World here in San Diego! I'm so excited! Not only am I completely obsessed with all things Will Ferrell, but I just adored the first Anchorman film and find myself uttering quotes from the movie all too often. I'll find out more details on a call the day before filming, which is set for next Friday, May 24th. I'll keep you all posted! Until then, stay classy San Diego!

The Best of P&G!

I was recently chosen by SheSpeaks to receive a fun box of some of P&G's most loved products. I received my box last week, here is what was in it:

Gillette Hydrator Body Wash

Swiffer Dusters 360

Covergirl Lashblast Volume Mascara

Febreze Car Vent Clips

I put the Swiffer Dusters to use right away by testing them out on my piano. Love them! It's a nice way to dust as the disposable duster picks up everything and doesn't send it flying around in the air. But once you've accumulated dust on it, you can toss it and put on a new one! My husband is excited to finally get a freebie for himself with the Gillette Body Wash. He likes the smell and says it's definitely something he would buy. I've used CoverGirl Lashblast before and am definitely a fan, it's one of few drugstore brands that I really like, so I look forward to using it again! Lastly, the Febreze Car Vent Clip is something we really look forward to putting into my husband's stinky SUV, at least I do! He mountain bikes and also tends to keep dirty gym clothes in the back of the truck, so it can get rather rancid (in my opinion at least)...I hope this helps, I'm sure it will!

**This is a sponsored post for SheSpeaks/P&G. Visit http://www.pgeveryday.com for more info!

AVEENO® POSITIVELY RADIANT® Intensive Night Cream

I was lucky enough to receive the AVEENO® POSITIVELY RADIANT® Intensive Night Cream VoxBox from Influenster recently and am so excited to be trying this awesome Aveeno product! I've long been a fan of their skincare offerings and this night cream is no exception! Information from the Aveeno website states: "Formulated with ACTIVE NATURALS® Total Soy Complex and vitamin B3, this advanced night cream leaves skin smooth and healthy looking. This oil-free night cream will help keep you looking fresh and luminous." I concur! You can tell it's oil-free as it feels luxurious and creamy but not greasy at all. It helps to brighten and even skin tone and feels great on my skin. Thanks Aveeno and Influenster! 

**Priced at $14.99-$16.99 for 1.7 oz. jar at National food, drug and mass merchandisers, drugstore.com. Get more info here: http://www.aveeno.com/

Goody Quikstyle Paddle Brush

I recently was able to try out the GOODY® QUIKSTYLE™ Paddle brush for free thanks to Influenster. It functions as a towel and brush all in one! Under the bristles is a highly absorbent antimicrobial microfiber that removes 30% of water from wet hair which helps speed up your drying time. You can use it right out of the shower on wet hair and continue using it as  you blow dry. I found that my hair did dry faster with the brush, even when I just allow it to air dry. I've heard reviews saying that it gets really stinky after awhile but I've yet to have that problem. The package details out instructions to keep the brush smelling fresh though, so I'm sure if it becomes and issue that will be an easy enough fix! Thanks Influenster and Goody!

Stipple & People Introduce Real-Time Red Carpet Shopping

Have you ever wanted to find out more about what a star was wearing on the red carpet and even buy it right then and there? Now you can! Check out this blog about how Stipple and People are partnering to allow you to shop in real time, starting with tonight's Critic's Choice Movie Awards! Visit http://lky.me/NCJ to check it out!

Two Crowdfunding Projects to Check Out!

This is a new topic for my blog, but I wanted to post links to two awesome crowdfunding projects I'd like everyone to check out. Even if you can't contribute, please pass along the links below or send a link to this blog!

The first is to support an artist who is trying to fulfill his dream by producing a Sideshow Sketchbook, and you can get copies of it as a backer! Check it out here: http://lky.me/MFJ

Next is a new workout-related concept from Zunefit that lets users pay as they go while being able to attend multiple fitness classes or activities from various partners without having to maintain multiple memberships and contracts. You can earn free classes for backing them! Check it out here: http://lky.me/MKM

Influenster Holiday VoxBox 2012

Here is the unboxing video of my Influenster Holiday VoxBox, Christmas came early! 

Reviews to follow soon as I try out all of the products! 

December Birchbox!

Looking for a fun, creative holiday gift for someone special in your life? Check out Birchbox! I've been a subscriber for about a year now and I look so forward to seeing what's in my Birchbox every month. I think most women would feel the same way, and luckily for men, Birchbox even has a subscription option for them! Let me give you an idea of what you can expect each month as I unbox my December shipment, which just arrived yesterday:

The first thing that caught my eye in this month's box was the cute little Benefit Cosmetics it's potent! eye cream. The description says the cream is peptide-infused and can help you feign 8 hours of sleep. I need this badly!! Full-size price $32

Next up I noticed a cool looking full-size lip gloss with a built in mirror from ModelCo, a brand I'm not too familiar with. I'm not sure yet if the peachy color is something I'll wear regularly but I'm still looking forward to trying out this award-winning gloss from the Australian brand. Retail price $16

My eyes then landed on a little red bag that looked to contain some sort of chocolate, score! I quickly realized what I had was in fact a dark chocolate peppermint fortune cookie from Emily's Chocolates. I actually ate it for breakfast and it was complete yumminess!! Evidently it's one of their top holiday goodies and I can see why! Box of 6, $5.99

Next up, I unwrapped the last couple of samples that were snuggled together inside some pink tissue paper. Inside was a sample of Juicy Couture's signature fragrance, something I've actually purchased in the past and know I love! It's a blend of sweet and floral notes, sophisticated and feminine, perfect for day OR night. I tend to like all of their fragrances, even though I never gave into the terry track suit trend :) Full size ranges from $19-89

Also inside the pink tissue wrapping was 2 sample packets of Kerastase Nutritive Nectar Thermique - Protect. I'm a huge Kerastase fan but have yet to try this particular product so I'm looking forward to it! It's  a leave-in cream that repairs damage from chemical processing and protects strands from the effects of heat styling, things my hair is all too familiar with! Full-size $42

Then, as a bonus, Birchbox also added in a $50 gift card to Rent the Runway! Awesome! I'm very familiar with their site and service but have yet to utilize it, maybe this will entice me just enough?? :)

My Fave Part of my Influenster Voxbox...Boots No7!

I was thrilled to be selected for a VoxBox from Influenster so soon after joining! I have been testing out all of the fun products inside the box and found that some were right up my alley, and some not so much! The one product that has stood out the most to me as the item I would most likely purchase on my own is the Beautiful Skin Cleansing Lotion from Boots No7. It's a wipe-off lotion that you simply apply with a cotton ball or pad and it will wipe all of your makeup off without much effort! It leaves your skin feeling clean and moisturized, but not greasy or oily at all! The product is hypo-allergenic and costs only $8.49! I saw a No7 display at Target recently, so I'm pretty sure this product is available there. Go grab some and try it for yourself!