Started a juice cleans...Juicer broke!

I weighed myself and I hit a number I NEVER wanted to see, so after a few days I thought its time to get real! My little of this and little of that approach was not working so I had basically thrown in the towel and ate whatever I wanted for the past couple of months....so now I had hit my "wake up" number! 

What now, where do I go from here? 

I am a certified Personal Trainer and I am not happy with my weight! I am 'too busy' to work out (I no longer work in a gym) and lately have been giving in to all my cravings. You name it, sweet or salty I would eat it and I know better!!! That is by far the worst part of this for me, that I know better! I know what I have to do to be in shape and healthy. I am cursed with genes that say I am destined to be large, I`ve got `birthing hips` people used to say.  Well that`s all well and fine but I don`t believe in destiny, I make my own so I am determined to do the same with my size!!!!

So to the point of this story, I decided to do a juice cleans. Recently I had watched FAT, SICK AND NEARLY DEAD, and its sequel which prompted me to think a reboot was the way to kick me back into a healthy, active lifestyle.

I Googled juicing and found a 3 day cleans on Dr. Oz`s website based on Joe`s journey.

(if  your not familiar with the movies they follow Joe Cross on his Juicing Journey for 60 days and profiles others he meets along the way.) http://www.rebootwithjoe.com/

So, I go to the grocery store and purchase everything I need for this juice cleans but I decide I am going to do it for 5 days not three. Yes I know how crazy that maybe to a lot of you but I need to do this...remember I need to get my buns in gear, high gear! 

There it was my quick and easy `reboot`that I jacked up...Off I go to get started with my budget juicer that had work well so far on the rare occasion I used it.  Then, halfway though my first day juices it died...Just like that DEAD!

Ok, plan B-blend and strain.

Tips to blend and strain to make juice:

Start with fruits that contain the most juice (Cucumbers, tomatoes, etc.)

Slowly add other items, pulsing along the way

Blend only till everything is chopped not to the point of mush

Use a strainer with VERY small holes (wire mesh works best)

Work liquid through the strainer with a spoon, scooping out solids when minimal liquid remains

If you want pulp free juice re-strain not working it with the spoon.

Double straining will also cut down on your liquid. First strain results in about half as much product and second cuts that in half.

My verdict the juices...

Carrot, Apple Ginger Juice - The best by far but beware of over using the ginger

Mean Green Juice - its ok...tied with Citrus Inspired Green Juice for third

Gazpacho Juice - This one is NASTY, probably because I don`t love raw tomatoes or parsley. 

Sunset Blend Juice - is surprisingly good. I give it second best

All in all they were for the most part tolerable or better except lunch. However I do recommend giving it a try, even though I will skip it next time and try a different juice from Joe`s website.

Follow me for the rest of my juice cleans and other updates on my health make over!

Ombré Walls

 

So my puppy's are accentually my children so my first DIY project had to be their room! 

So here is my quick tutorial of how I created this look....

First I started with a all white room and 3 cans of paint. Each color was off the same color paint chip, the lightest, the darkest and somewhere in between.
I painted all the walls and the ceiling the lightest color, allowed it to dry and then marked the walls in thirds. I painted the bottom third with the darkest color, but did not end the top of the section in a straight line but rather more of a zig zag look.
Then I mixed 5 shades from the 3, the lightest with the middle and the middle with the darkest. If I could do it again I would have mixed a sixth shade in between the lightest and the new second lightest to create a better blend.

Ok so how I actually put the paint on the wall... I worked in sections, about 2 feet wide slapping on the paint from the 5 shades then worked quickly with a dry brush to blend the colours.
Once the whole room was done I blended out the seams between sections by putting a little paint in areas that looked blotchy and dry brushed them until I was happy with the results.  It took some work and like I previously mentioned I would have preferred more blend at the top.

Happy painting,