My Recent Amazon Purchases

Quarantine has me utilizing delivery services more than ever: Amazon Prime, Grove, Instacart and Door Dash are among my favorites.  I'm excited to be back blogging after YEARS away and share my favorite Amazon quarantine purchases that are tested and have been given my stamp of approval.  

Warning: very random list ahead!!!

This post does contain affiliate links, but all products were purchased with my own money.

Jumpsuit :: Hello comfy!  Feels like pajamas, but cute enough to wear all day and out of the house (wishful thinking)!  I love that it has adjustable straps and the material is cool and washes well.  TTS - I purchased a large and am a true size 12 and 5'4''. I love this piece so much that I've already ordered it in another print!


Foot Cream :: I haven't had a professional pedicure since December or January - oh the horror!  This stuff is INCREDIBLE!  It's way more than just a lotion or cream.  Think foot peel but not quite as intense and with long-term results.  I use it a few times a week before bed.  I have a full at home pedicure post coming soon as I have mastered this process the past few months and may not ever go back to paying for one!


Sheets :: Yes, the infamous sheet set that every influencer under the sun has shared.  I've had these in my cart forever, but when our older sheets finally bit the dust I went ahead and gave them a shot and I'm telling you, they did NOT disappoint! I purchased the King size in white and we love them!  Comfy and cool.


Coffee :: There are a few things that we just can't run out of in this house - toilet paper, Topo Chico and coffee! Since quarantine I've been ordering it via Amazon and it's so much easier and guarantees we never run out.  Our favorite of this brand is the medium house blend.

Tea :: Coffee definitely trumps tea in our house, but tea is a close second.  I love to drink hot tea in the afternoons or before bed to curve my snacking habit. I used to have an expensive habit of grabbing my afternoon tea at Starbucks on my way home from work last year, but now I keep this one at home and it's delicious!

Coloring Book :: I love to color at night while watching a really heavy show like The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills or Below Deck! This one is so pretty and has the best inspirational quotes.


Paleo Pro Protein Powder :: This is hands down my favorite protein powder. I've been using it way before quarantine, but sometimes it can be hard to find so now I just get it on Amazon to make things easy! I love the Ancient Cacao in protein smoothies and chocolate banana pancakes.  The Aztec Vanilla protein is really good too - I use that one in my favorite snack to have on hand for the afternoons: Lemon Coconut Protein Balls.

Kids Foot Measure :: This is SOOOO random, but I needed to measure the boys fast-growing feet for summer shoes and this thing was perfect!  I don't anticipate taking them into stores anytime soon so I'm very happy to have this on hand.


Resistance Bands ::  We don't have a fancy home gym...just a tiny space we carved out of the playroom (part of the workout is avoiding stepping on tiny LEGO pieces), but we have a few items that help me get strength workouts done. Some small weights, a jumprope, yoga mat and sweat towels. I added a set of Resistance Bands recently and I'm so happy with these.

Bathtub Caddy :: I've always wanted a bathtub caddy to hold my book and wine glass, but it always seemed excessive and indulgent...until you find yourself stuck in your house for months!  Suddenly that bathtub caddy seems like a mental health necessity, ha!  My favorite candle pictured above smells so amazing without even having to light it!


Just to clarify when I say quarantine, we aren't actually in a strict quarantine right now, but with cases sky high in Texas we are staying at home as much as possible.  

New Year, New Goals, New Start, New Happy

As you may have noticed I walked away from my blog in 2017.  Priorities changed and this space was the easiest thing to let go.  My last post was February 2017 oddly enough about my Whole 30 journey last January.  Funny because Whole 30 is exactly why I even dusted this 'ole blog off.  Since I wasn't planning on writing on this space anymore I let the domain expire and someone snatched it up, why I have a new domain today.

But ever since I got it back online a few weeks ago simply so my new Whole 30 group could reference my past posts, I started feeling a tug to write again.  Then just today I was encouraged to start at it so here I am!

Trust me, this does not mean I'll be blogging full-time or even regularly, but I love to share my life...the good, the bad, the online shopping worthy!  Still same 'ole Chelsea living my imperfect life one hot mess at a time!

A few life updates from 2017...

February I finished Whole 30 and hit a HUGE Milestone in my Rodan + Fields business: becoming a Level V Leader!

March was full of celebrations for Jason's Birthday and the best girls weekend for Shannon's upcoming wedding!  We finished the month in Dallas where I got to celebrate my Level V achievement with a special dinner and training with my fellow consultants and top leaders from the company!

April was my one year anniversary with Rodan + Fields and I treated all of my customers to a little Treat Yo Self tee.  I also jumped on the Orange Theory bandwagon some of my favorite girls!  Easter fun of course and the boys started teaming up and making my life crazy...never a dull moment! The month ended with the most special trip to Magnolia with my mom and her bestie...we got to stay at The Magnolia Bed & Breakfast...OMG!  It was a dream.

May is always cray with Jack's birthday, Cinco de Mayo, my birthday, Mother's Day, Anniversary and more!  Hydration Serum launched and literally changed my skin's life.  Sounds a little much, but it's true.

In June Colin had his annual kidney check and everything looked this same!  We will take it.  More Orange Theory, lots of pool time including swimming lessons for the boys and a trip to the Houston Zoo to the Bug Exhibit...Jack was VERY into bugs!

We started July in Matagorda which was Colin's first trip to the beach


Sorry for the that long trip down memory lane from the past year.  Sometimes it's fun to go back and reflect.  But as fun as that is to look at the past, I'm thrilled to think about the future.  I just love fresh starts and a new year...

New planner, new goals, reflection, new starts, new possibilities and hopefully a new happy! Hope you'll come along for the ride!

I Think I Want to Try Whole 30...Now What?

I've had quite a few people tell me they are curious about Whole 30, but not sure where to start or what it would really look like so I wanted to share what I did to get started and wrap my brain around giving up so many of my {poor} diet staples for 30 days!

Research

So you may know the basics of Whole 30, but you might want to know a little more about the why.  I recommend purchasing the official Whole 30 Book (Amazon and Target both have).  It discusses everything from the science behind the program to prep to recipes and even how to properly cook foods that you may not have experience with!

You can also purchase the Whole 30 Cookbook, but I honestly did not use this one as much. I used the Whole 30 Book mentioned above plus Pinterest and the Whole 30 Recipes Instagram account for most of my meal ideas! 

If you want to dig a little deeper, I recommend checking out It Starts with Food.  I haven't read this yet, but plan to before/during my next round!

There are also some AMAZING Bloggers out there who have graciously shared all of their tips and tricks.  I'm linking some of my favorites below!

Life in the Green House
Meg O. On the Go


Support Groups

Join some support groups on Facebook or seek out some accountability partners in your life to do this with you.  I joined several groups on Facebook, but my friend Jennifer and I were official accountability partners so even on the days I wanted to quit, I didn't because I did not want to leave her hanging or let her down...it's the people pleaser in me!

You can join my little group "Treat Yo Self with Whole 30" that is starting March 1 and I also recommend the following:

Keep Calm & Whole30 On
Whole 30 First Timers Support Group 

It's also helpful to start following the official Whole 30 pages on Instagram like @whole30 and @whole30recipes
 

Clean Out

This one can be hard if you also have to think about other family members that you share a pantry with, but it's a good exercise to do anyway to clean out expired items and really look at labels on things you use often to check and see if it's W30 compliant.  I went through my refrigerator and pantry and cleaned out everything that I knew no one else would eat. 

If you live alone I would recommend being brutal and getting rid of the stuff that is not compliant and will be calling your name as you get into days 10 and 11 - the hardest days! 


What to Buy and Where to Find It

Most items that you will be eating can be found at any supermarket.  I'm in Texas and love HEB!  I was able to purchase 90% of the items I ate here, but there are a few things I had to search for.  And remember when shopping during Whole 30 to stick to the exterior of the store {meat, produce, eggs}...skip the interior of the store!

Also, plan on those first few grocery store trips of W30 to take almost twice as long!  You will be stopping and reading every single label! 


Whole Foods
Coconut Secret Coconut Aminos
Bone Broth
Tessamae's Dressings
Applegate Chicken & Apple Sausage
Applegate turkey deli meat
I love to be lazy and buy the pre-cut Sweet Potato cubes, bell pepper &  Zoodles


Trader Joes
Chomps Snacks Sticks
RX bars
Unsweetened Coconut Flakes
Avocado Oil
Ghee (I've learned that I do not care for ghee, but you can purchase here if you want to try)
Frozen Organic Riced Cauliflower
Frozen Vegtable Blends (I love the fajita peppers)
Sunflower Seed Butter

Amazon
Barney Almond Butter
Primal Palate Meat & Potato Seasoning
Nutpods Dairy Free Creamer 
Primal Kitchen Greek Vinaigrette
  

Hope this helps!  Comment below if you have any questions or tips to offer me and my next round!  

Whole 30, Round 1 Recap

Happy Sunday!  Today is Day 31 of my Whole 30 plan which technically means I'm "finished."  People keep telling me "it's almost over...yay"  but really it's only getting started.  Sure I could jump off the plan, but then the bad habits would slowly creep back in and eventually the weight and I still have lots of lbs to lose!

I lost a total of 12 pounds in 30 days, but I have about 20 more pounds to go!  

But before I tell you what I'm going to do now that these 30 days are done, I'll share with you what the last 30 days have been like!

The Whole 30 mood chart really is spot on!  The first two weeks are the worst.  I was hungry, shaky at times, CRANKY, moody and tired.  I never got that actual sick feeling, aka the carb flu, but I definitely wasn't feeling my best.  I think what got me through was knowing that it was normal and there was an end in sight.  I also did not work out during these adjustment period.  I actually didn't work out much during these last 30 days.  I really made my focus on food prep and staying on plan 100%.  


So what is my plan moving forward?  

I actually plan on sticking to the W30 basics 90% of the time, but I will allow myself an indulgence every now and then like a glass of wine or a dessert.  If I ever do add these prohibited items into my diet I will be sure to watch my body closely to see what affect, if any, those items do to be now that I'm detoxed from them!

It's interesting that I thought dairy would be one of the hardest items to quit.  I love cheese, queso, milk in my lattes, and butter, but now non of those things even sound good!  The sight of cheese grosses me out and I got a whiff a butter the other day and almost gagged.  I'm sure I'll eventually add them back occassioanly, but for now I'm perfectly content without them. 

What I Ate :: Whole 30, Days 1-7

I guess it only took giving up sugar, dairy, grains, beans and alcohol to get this girl back to blogging!

I've missed this space, but hopefully you haven't missed me as I still continue to overshare my life on Facebook, Instagram and occasionally SnapChat {theperfectcatch}.

In case you did miss it, I started Whole 30 exactly one week ago today on January 13!  Most people started Whole 30 on January 1, but I needed some extra time to get my act together and what I have learned so far about W30 is that you must prep in order to be successful.  Prior to starting my W30 journey I did a 3-day juice cleanse and lost 5 pounds! 

I will talk more about why I finally joined this program and my thoughts so far another day, but the biggest question I get asked is what I actually eat so I've decided to track every meal and share it with you to hopefully show you that it might not be as hard as you think it is and that even a busy, working mom who has a major sugar, bread addiction and no skill in the kitchen can do it and not die!

You can also find my Whole 30 Pinterest Board here...it's a work in progress but constantly growing!

DAY ONE :: Friday, 1/13

B -2 hard boiled eggs, avocado with pico & lime

L - Ground Turkey with red peppers with Cold Thai Salad & Sunshine Dressing (recipes in W30 Guide Book)

This cold Thai salad is awesome!  Has cucumber, zucchini noodles, carrots, cilantro and cashews

Snack - Cherry Pie Larabar (I was super hungry)

D - Chipotle copycat beef barbocoa from the slow cooker stuffed in bell peppers with lettuce on top

DAY TWO :: Saturday, 1/14

B - 2 hard-boiled eggs, one banana with a few strawberries and W30 compliant Almond Butter

L - Repeat lunch from Day 1 (recipe made enough for two days)

Snack - Cherry Pie Larabar

D - Used the leftover Barbocoa beef to make "Burrito Bowls" with Meat, lettuce & avocado

 
Late night - Herbal tea


DAY THREE :: Sunday, 1/15

B - Repeat breakfast from Day 2

L - Ground Turkey with Power Slaw and roasted sweet potatoes

D - Chicken & Apple Sausage with veggies (this recipe will need to be modified to be W30 compliant so no rice, quinoa or cheese like she mentions).  I made plenty to eat on for lunch that week!

Loved this Applegate Chicken Sausage from Whole Foods - W30 compliant!

 Late night - Herbal tea


DAY FOUR :: Monday, 1/16

B -Repeat breakfast from Day 2 (I get stuck on things)

L - (Leftover) Chicken Sausage with veggies

D -Grilled chicken breast and skewer veggies with a few grilled pear slices

Late night - Herbal tea & banana with coconut flakes (I was bad...but still compliant)


DAY FIVE :: Tuesday, 1/17

B - Repeat breakfast

L - (Leftover) Chicken Sausage with veggies

Snack: Chomps Jerky (W30 approved)

D -Taco meat with homemade W30 compliant taco seasoning and Mexican Cauliflower Rice (made extra for lunch next day

If you are dying to actually make a taco use these Jicama tortillas!

Late night:  Herbal tea & banana with almond butter


DAY SIX :: Wednesday, 1/18

B - Banana with almond butter

L - Taco salad with sliced avocado and Cauliflower Rice

I just used a squeeze of lime for salad dressing and it was delish!

 
Snack: Chomps Jerky (W30 approved)

D - "Drip Beef" from slow cooker with roasted red potatoes and leftover grilled skewer veggies
Late night: Herbal tea *I pushed through and kicked the late night food habit

DAY SEVEN :: Thursday, 1/19

B - Egg and Avocado Salad

L - Spinach Salad from La Madeline (No chicken, dressing, mushrooms or bacon) with leftover Beef from the night before.  Used Tessamae's Balsamic Dressing since it's W30 compliant! 

*No snack!  Trying to kick this habit too...part of the program is to stick to 3 solid meals rather than snacks which should only be used when necessary.  

D - Turkey Power Slaw

Late night - Herbal tea

Luckily I love black coffee so I drink that in the morning, plain ice water or lemon water throughout the day and I have been drinking lots of herbal tea at night instead of my normal "eat all the things" late-night snacking habit!  

My tip of the week is to just stock up on items each week that can be quick go-to meals in case you get busy or don't have time to prep.  Have a plan, even if it's just a loose one.  I did not choose what meals I would make each night, but I did have a list of things I could make so that when it came time to fix dinner after a long day, I didn't have to search for recipes or not have something I needed!   Going to the grocery store on Sunday really helped and then I did some prep a few nights this week after the kiddos were asleep.  Not terrible! 

My goal for the next seven days is NO FOOD after 8pm.  Just herbal tea!  And to try not to snack during the day.  Of course eat when I'm hungry, but avoid the temptation for snacking. 

Week One Complete!  Anyone else doing Whole 30?  Would love to hear your favorite meals and tips for survival.  I'm still a week away from the "feel good" zone. 

Hope you have a happy & healthy weekend! 

All About My Baby's Helmet

I know I've been quiet on the blog front lately, but my latest post is something that I'm really proud to share and excited for you to read.  I hope you'll jump over to Houston Moms Blog today and check it out.  It was a hard decision for Jason and I to make to decide to move forward with a helmet for Colin, but once we decided to do it, I knew that I wanted to fully embrace the experience and share it with others - the good, the bad, the ugly.  We were lucky enough to have several close friends who had gone through the same experience before us to lead the way, but I can imagine how scary of a path it may be if you don't know anyone.

Hope you are having a great week! 

Rodan + ROSES :: Giveaway for a $100 Nordstrom Giftcard & More

It's no secret that I LOVE anything Bachelor.  Just call me a lifetime member of Bachelor Nation!  I even attended a meet and greet with Bachelorette contestants back in college {can we say ultimate fangirl}. 

When I started working with Rodan + Fields I knew that I had to incorporate these two loves into a fun promotion.  Every week that there is a Bachelor, Bachelorette, Bachelor in Paradise {my fave} on ABC, I offer something fun!

This week is double the fun since there are two episodes.  Tonight is MEN TELL ALL!!!

All Preferred Customer orders placed today will receive this Bachelor tank AND if you are a new Preferred Customer, I will pay back your $20 enrollment fee!   

AND...for a fun little huge bonus since I'm in Nordstrom Anniversary Sale heaven currently, all orders placed this week will go into a drawing for a $100 Nordstrom Giftcard - what?!?  Read my latest Houston Moms Blog post for my top picks!

So get those Preferred Customer orders in by midnight on July 31 to be included in this drawing!  If you have been thinking about trying R+F, now is an awesome time!

If you want to place an order, but have no idea where to begin, you can email me at chelsea.m.purifoy {at} gmail {dot} com, leave a comment below or take my skin solutions skin!  I can then help recommend the best products to start with based on your skincare needs and budget.

A great product to start with is the Multi-Function Eye Cream to help reduce puffiness, dark under-eye circles, fine lines and the appearance of crows-feet around your delicate eye area.  It feels great and one little jar will last you around 4 months!  It's so effective that beauty guru and Bachelor alum Michelle Money just recommended it as one of her favorite beauty products and helpful step when applying undereye concealer!!!

Happy Shoppin' & Bachelor Watchin'

C