Amanda Alvarado

Anyone else can’t believe that August is already almost over? Let me tell you a little secret…

I can’t wait for fall and am so ready for summer to be over. I love cool weather, pumpkin spice lattes, and college football, so fall can’t come fast enough.

Fall is my favorite season and if it could be fall all year long, I don’t think I’d mind one bit! Even though I am crazy about fall, that doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy summer. I enjoy the warm weather, barbecues, pool parties, and everything that screams summer, but I just want it to last like a month and I’m good.

When I realized that August was already pretty much like coming to an end, I realized that I still had some things to do before fall gets here. Georgia will stay hot for a while, but it’ll fly by! I made a list of some things I want to do before summer ends and I’m sharing it with you because I know I’m not alone. I know summer has totally slipped by for many of us. Here’s how you can make the most of what’s left of summer!

Enjoy a weekend on the water

I love the beach and I feel like a beach trip is a necessity for every summer. I haven’t made that trip yet, but I’m planning on spending a weekend on the water somewhere, whether that’s the beach or the lake. You can’t spend a summer without sometime near the water. There is something about it that is just so good for the soul.

Watch the sunset

With warm weather, you’ve just got to get outside. I love evenings and sometimes, I’ll just sit on my porch and watch the cars drive by. There is something so peaceful about being outside in the evenings. I love a good sunset and summer sunsets are so beautiful.

Go to the farmer’s market

I don’t do this enough. I haven’t done this in FOREVER! Fresh summer fruits and vegetables are great and farmer’s markets are so cool! Stop by your local farmer’s market for some of the best produce you’ll probably ever have.

Have a picnic

You can totally do the traditional sandwiches, but I love grabbing a good bottle of wine (just make sure you go somewhere that allows alcohol! I’m not against having a picnic in my own backyard), putting a good meat and cheese plate together with some grapes, and it makes me feel super fancy.

Enjoy brunch on a patio

Atlanta has so many good brunch spots and so many of these places have beautiful patios, but if you can’t get to a brunch spot, invite your friends over and do brunch at home! You can make a cute DIY mimosa bar and create a fun brunch menu or even make it a potluck brunch!

Soak in the last few weeks of summer left! Like I said, I can’t wait for fall, but I know that I’ll miss summer when its gone.

How are you celebrating summer before it ends?

xo,

Amanda

2 comments

I don’t think my eating habits have ever been so healthy and guess what, I also don’t feel deprived at all.

I went to The Vortex just last week and got my signature peach moonshine and sweet tea, with their grilled cheesy mofo, and a side salad. I still had their delicious grilled cheese and a little alcohol, but I swapped my usual tater tots for fries and to be honest with you… I didn’t even miss the tots. That salad was delicious.

I feel really good about how I’ve been eating lately and I want to share some of my favorite things that I’ve been eating lately, especially my iced matcha lattes. Yes, I have finally discovered matcha. Why didn’t I ever try it before?

Side note... I never realized how expensive matcha powder is, but thankfully, I found this one from Thrive Market that I LOVE! I recently discovered Thrive Market and I love it because they only sell organic and natural products at discounted prices! Get 25% off your first order here.

I’ve also been focusing on eating less meat, more plant-based foods, and lots more greens!

Breakfast

I eat breakfast around 8 a.m. each morning. Before breakfast, I’ve already had entire Swell bottle of water. I think it is so important to hydrate in the morning, so I drink my water while I meditate, workout, and get ready for the day. On the weekends, I’ll change it up a bit, but every weekday, I have the same breakfast. I make a veggie egg scramble with a pinch of cheese, half an avocado with Himalayan pink salt, and half a banana with cinnamon! Here’s how I make it!

I chop up mushrooms, bell pepper, and onion and cook it over medium heat until the vegetables are soft. I’ll put a lid on the pan for a minute or so to get the vegetables soft. Before they’re completely done, I’ll throw in a handful of spinach. I’ll them crack two eggs in the pan and add al little salt, pepper, and turmeric. Before the eggs are completely cooked, I’ll add a pinch of shredded cheese! Once it’s done, I just put it on a plate and add the sliced avocado. I’ll slice up half a banana sprinkle some cinnamon on top. This breakfast is delicious and very filling! In the photo, I added some chorizo!

Before I head out the door, I’ll make my iced matcha latte! I’ve been using Thrive Market’s culinary grade matcha powder and love it! I use about a teaspoon of matcha powder, a cup of almond milk, and a little bit of honey or agave. I shake it up to get it all mixed, add some ice, and take it to go!

Lunch

I eat lunch around 1 p.m. each day and lunch is usually whatever I ate for dinner before, which is a good serving of vegetables (I love asparagus!), some roasted potatoes or rice, and some protein like chicken or fish. If I’m not eating leftovers, I love to make a salad with green and romaine lettuce, tomatoes, onion, cucumber, avocado, and homemade ranch. I’ll pair the salad with some chicken or fish. I also love to make lettuce wraps… which is basically whatever I’d put in a sandwich or wrap, but I’ll eat it in lettuce rather than bread or tortilla. I really like to have some sort of salad at least once each day.

Dinner

Dinner comes around 6 p.m. each day. I love to make salmon, rice, and asparagus. I also really like baked chicken, roasted potatoes, and broccoli…or asparagus. Asparagus might be my favorite vegetable. In college, I made veggie burrito bowls a lot and they put Chipotle to shame!

For every meal, I strive to have protein, fat, carbs (think vegetables, not bread), and greens!

I mentioned earlier the my favorite vegetable is probably asparagus. What about you?

Now, my favorite think when I’ve got a sweet tooth…. has to be chocolate! But, dark chocolate! What about you?

xo,

Amanda

No comments

Alright, you probably know that I love sleep.

I am that crazy twenty-something who needs to be asleep by 10 p.m. and no, I’m not joking. I need my sleep.

Sleep is so important. This is the time that your body needs and it is also when your brain processes all the information you took in that day.

I was listening to a podcast the other day… I don’t even remember which one it was, but it was one from The Skinny Confidential: Him and Her. The guest on that podcast mentioned that ideally, we should be in bed and asleep before 10 p.m. because of how our hormones are regulated. This was music to my ears! An excuse to be asleep earlier… yay! I love going to bed early and waking up early.

To help myself fall asleep faster, there are a few things that I do. First, I simply get into bed earlier. My whole night routine is done by 8:30 p.m. every night. Around 7:45 p.m., I’ll floss, brush my teeth, and fill up my water bottle before going to my room and getting into bed. Once I’m in bed, I’ll sometimes light a candle and then do my devotions, check my phone one last time, and read one chapter in a book. I’m currently reading Bobby Bones’ new book, Fail Until You Don’t: Fight, Grind, Repeat. I also have my phone set to automatically go to “Do Not Disturb” mode at 9 p.m., which is SO helpful. I try not to touch my phone after 9 p.m.

Popular: Take Care Of Yourself, Tips For Self-Care

I do have a TV in my room, so I know that you really shouldn’t do this, but I will watch a little TV. When 9:30 p.m. hits, this is when I really make sure my body knows that it is time to get some rest. I’ll say, “Alexa, good night,” which tells my Amazon Echo Dot know that it’s time to play the Good Night Jazz playlist on Spotify for 15 minutes to help me sleep. Alexa routines are pretty cool!

Now, I have two products that really help when it comes to getting a good night’s rest.

The first… a silk pillowcase. Once you get a silk pillowcase, you won’t go back to whatever pillowcase you were using before. Silk is great for your hair and skin (it helps prevents wrinkles!). Also, I love how a silk pillowcase seems to always stay cool, because let me tell you - I just cannot sleep when it’s hot!

I also love my sleep mask. Yes, I sleep with a sleep mask. What's so great about this one is that it is raised where your eyes are so it really blocks out all the light and I sleep much better. It might look a little funny, but I love it!

What other products make sleep so much better for you?

xo,

Amanda

2 comments

6 comments

No comments

I don’t know about you, but I really love trying out new products and finding new things to be obsessed with.

Wait… maybe obsessed isn’t the right word. Does that sound weird? You know what I mean!

What movie does that favorite things song come from? You know…” these are a few of my favorite things…” Sound of Music, maybe?

Honestly, IDK, but the point is… today, I’m sharing some of my favorite things with you today! I’ve purchased a lot of different things lately that have become total game changers in my life. These are products that I use pretty much every single day and have really impacted me in some way!

I’ve linked all these products for you to make it easy for you to check out the products and some of the links are affiliate links.

So, let’s start with beauty, shall we?

Clarisonic Mia 1 - I received this a few months ago and wrote a post about it, but stopped using it for a while. Why? There’s really no reason other than I was lazy, but I started using it again and you guys… it is such a great freakin’ product.

Coconut Oil - I love this stuff. I use it every day to oil pull and occasionally use it to take my makeup off or as a hair mask. Coconut oil is a very multi-use products that is great for your health.

BabeLash - I’m not an extensions or fake lash sort of gal and have super short lashes. I discovered this product about a year ago and haven’t stopped using it since! My lashes are thick, full, and long! This is such a game-changer!

African Black Soap - I’ve got some rough skin. I’ve talked about it a few times here, but basically, I get really bad hormonal acne. Nothing seems to help, but I’ve been using this stuff for about two weeks and have noticed some improvement! I wash my face every morning with this!

Now, time for wellness! I’m working every day to clean up my diet and lifestyle, so I love finding new products that help me live a healthy lifestyle!

Sleep mask - I bought this $10 one from Amazon and I sleep so much better! It blocks out ALL the light and it’s just $10! You can’t beat that!

Silk Pillowcase - YES YES YES! The ultimate game changer. Silk pillowcases are the best for your hair and skin and I spent like $20 on this one! I absolutely LOVE it. Once you sleep on a silk pillowcase, you won’t go back to anything else!

Related: Get Better Sleep Tonight

Alive Women’s Multivitamin - So, I really like to get all my vitamins and nutrients from foods, but right now.. that just doesn’t always happen, so I decided to try out a multivitamin. I wanted one that was natural and specifically for women, so I bought these Alive vitamins! I love these! I actually only take half just because I really try and get everything from the food I eat, but I like that this vitamin can help fill in any gaps!

Swell Water Bottle - I loved my Camelbak, but it didn’t keep my water cold, so I caved and bought a Swell bottle. Yep, I’m never turning back! I even bought this straw lid for mine!

Time for technology!

Phone Wallet - I got one for free in college during a basketball game and since then, I’ve been hooked! In college, I would keep my access card to get into the AOII house, my license, and my student ID. Now, I just keep my license and debit card! It is so easy to not have to worry about grabbing my purse if I’m just running a quick errand! I bought this one from Etsy and no, your cards won’t fall out!

Beats - I never thought that I would own Beats, but when I bought my MacBook, I got them for free and I love them! They block out like all other sound and are wireless! Once you go wireless, you will realize how you ever lived without it!

Now, it is your turn! Share 5 of your favorite things in a comment! What are you loving right now?

xo,
Amanda

No comments

I don’t know about you, but I absolutely love slow mornings. If I am rushed in the morning, my whole day just feels off. Because of this, I enjoy a good, solid morning routine. I also think having a morning routine to get your day started is so important!

Sunday mornings are probably my favorite. Sunday is the first day of the week, so I like to keep it slow and peaceful, but productive! When I have a good Sunday, I tend to have a good week!

So, I don’t set an alarm on the weekends, but I’m usually up by 8 am. Just like the weekdays, I get up, open my blinds, brush my teeth and do my skincare routine, and drink lemon water. I do that every single morning and it literally takes maybe 8 minutes. After that, I meditate.

Related: My Morning Skincare Routine

I’m very new to meditation, but it has changed my life. I find myself less stressed and when I am stressed, I can manage it easier. If you haven’t meditated before, seriously… try it. Get the Headspace app or find the playlist on Spotify and do it. It is so amazing to have a moment to be still to start my day.

After I meditate, I’ll make my bed, but then I get back in it with my throw blanket! Like I said, I love slow mornings! Depending on the time, I’ll watch some Food Network (I absolutely love Pioneer Woman!!) or livestream a church service.

It doesn’t take that long for me to get hungry, so I’ll head to the kitchen. I love my veggie egg scramble that I do pretty much every morning Monday through Friday, but on the weekends, I love to switch it up! Some of my favorites are green smoothies, homemade blueberry muffins, or a full breakfast with eggs, bacon, and fruit!

I don’t do a workout, but I like to get in a few minutes of stretching or yoga. Again, I’m all about having a slow and relaxing morning. It’s my last day of doing absolutely nothing until Saturday, so I like to take my time and just do whatever I want.

As you can tell, I love slow, quiet mornings! My favorite part of my morning is probably..... meditation or sipping on my cup of coffee. What about you?

xo,

Amanda

2 comments

Okay guys. I’m not sure if you know this, but let me tell you a little story about my skin.

I had pretty clear skin for a while. Seriously, I had the occasional pimple and blackhead, but my skin was pretty good during my teen years and I didn’t do much to it. Then, I turned 20 and all hell broke loose on my face. No joke.

Suddenly, I started getting acne – which I’m pretty sure is hormonal acne – and pretty oily skin. I’m 23 now, so I’ve been dealing with it for about three years. I washed my face every morning, but that was pretty much it and when it didn’t clear up, I just accepted that the acne was here to stay. I even tried cutting out dairy and that didn’t really do much. I eat pretty healthy, striving to stick to whole, natural foods and lots of plant-based food, but my skin still sucked.

Related: Why I Went A Month Without Makeup

I stumbled upon The Skinny Confidential site by Lauryn Evarts, who I’ve followed on Instagram for years and somehow never decided to check out her blog and podcast until recently. If you haven’t checked out either of these, you are MISSING OUT!

As I was browsing her site and listening to her podcast, I heard over and over how crazy (in the best way possible) about skincare and a good skincare routine. Her skin looks amazing, so I knew I had to find a good skincare routine of my own. I did some research and started trying out some products and I’ve finally found a routine that is working for me! I'm sharing the exact products I currently use and there are a few affiliate links.

Like I said earlier, I struggle with hormonal acne and have oily skin and these are products that so far, have worked for me. You’ve got to find out what works for you. We’ve all got different skin!

I have two different routines I do – one in the morning, one in the evening – but this is my morning routine! I’ll share my evening skincare in a later post!

First, I start by washing my face. I use Dermalogica Essential Cleaning Solution. This was recommended to me when I got my facial and I've noticed a huge difference already!

After I wash my face, I dry it of course and use a toner. I’ve used really harsh toners before which just irritated and burned my super sensitive skin. I was afraid to try another toner, but I’m so glad I did! I’ve been using The Body Shop’s Hydrating Vitamin E Toner. This stuff smells great, feels refreshing, and doesn’t burn your skin! How great is that? This has helped control breakouts, hydrate my skin, and even out my skin tone.

Popular: Self Care Tips

Lastly, I use a face sunscreen! I’ve been using AustralianGold’s Botanical Mineral Tinted Sunscreen. This is designed for sensitive skin and is rich with vitamins and antioxidants. I love that it’s a mineral sunscreen because so many sunscreens are packed with nasty chemicals. SPF is so important, especially for preventing wrinkles!

Along with those three products, I also drinks tons of water and keep my lifestyle as natural as possible. Yes, I splurge with a cheeseburger now and then, but I love fueling my body with beautiful, healthy food and when I do this, my skin also thanks me for it!

I’ve been dying to try Exfoli-Kate by Kate Somerville, so that is on my To-Buy list. Is that a thing?

Tell me… what’s your favorite skincare product right now or a product that you can’t wait to try?

Taking care of your skin is really important and if you don’t know where to start, ask or just do some research! I had zero idea where to start and I took Ulta’s Skin Care quiz and also just did lots of research! For me, sticking to products with as few chemicals as possible is important. You’ve just to find what works for you. It’s all trial and error!

xo,

Amanda

No comments

I am finally going on a vacation! Okay, it is only a quick weekend trip, but still. I am so excited to have a day at the beach. My heart is so, so happy! What is something that is making you happy lately?

I’ve shared what days in my life look like as a gal working in media (specifically radio) and I’m giving you a little more insight today, but I’m sharing what a day looks like when I get to attend a concert or event for work! My everyday work schedule is pretty consistent, but when I get to go to an event or concert, that changes up my day just a bit. This industry is crazy, but in the best way possible.

Related: Tips For Your Best Resume

The concert I was working was on a military base, which was really exciting for me. My brother is in the military, so whenever I get the opportunity to support our troops, I am all for it! The concert, featuring Thompson Square and Easton Corbin, was also in the evening, so I didn’t have to go into work until that afternoon.

Morning

I slept in just a bit – 7:30am instead of 6:30am. I woke up naturally and tried to go back to sleep, because it would be a long day, but my body was ready to get moving! I opened my blinds and headed to the bathroom to brush my teeth and start my morning skincare routine. I’ve only been doing this routine for like a week and my skin is already looking better than it has in years. I'll share my morning skincare routine on Thursday!

After I did all that, I went to the kitchen, slice some lemon and put it in a glass of water with Pink Himalayan salt. It is so important to hydrate in the morning and the lemon and Pink Himalayan salt is an added health bonus! Thanks Lauryn Evarts from The Skinny Confidential for the tip! I took that to my room, sat on my bed, and meditated for 10 minutes using the app Headspace. This is a must every single morning.

After meditated, I made my bed and started my workout. On Fridays, I just run a mile and then do about 15 minutes of lower body strength training. I keep my workouts pretty quick.

Usually, after this, I start getting ready, but because I had time before I had to leave, I went to the kitchen to make some breakfast! I made a green smoothie and veggie scramble. It was delicious! As I ate my breakfast, I worked on some things for work and the blog while I watched The Kardashians. Anyone else love that show?

Afternoon

A few hours later, I got ready, packed up my bag, and ate a quick lunch. I had leftover shrimp, vegetables, and rice from the night before. Yum! I started my hour and half commute to work and listened to Don’t Blame Me podcast by Meghan Rienks. She is HILARIOUS. Oh, and of course I stopped by Starbucks for two shots of espresso over ice. I needed some caffeine!

Evening

When I got to work, I did some preparation for the concert and did some on-air work. That took up a good chunk of time before the concert. Before I knew it, it was time to head over to the base.

At the base, I set up our tent and put out all the t-shirts and tickets to give away to people who came up and said hey! Everyone was so nice. I love getting to connect with our listeners! It’s the best thing ever. I took lots of pictures and videos. I also got to meet Easton Corbin! He was so nice! I missed Thompson Square’s meet and greet, but their performance was awesome!

Recent: Let's Organize Your Life

By the time I packed up and got back to the station, it was about 9pm. I was so hungry, so I stopped by Chick-fil-a for a small, late-night dinner. I got home around 11pm and was in bed by midnight. I slept so good and either turned my alarm off in my sleep or it just didn’t go off because I woke up at 10am Saturday morning with 30 minutes to get ready and come back to work for another event!

There’s an example of busier day in my life! Anyone else have super busy days, but your job makes it totally worth it? What do you do? Comment below!

xo,

Amanda

No comments

About The Blogger

Follow Me

Labels

Get My Planner

Popular Posts

A Note To You

recent posts

Blog Archive