Hey Pals!

Exciting news - we have rebranded and moved to our own domain! Go check out our new site at

www.lovemalablog.com

xoxo,

Mal and Lo

Marriage. Such a powerful word for only two syllables. You’ve probably heard it all when it comes to it. The first year of marriage has taught me more about myself and how I want to live than any other time in my life. That’s pretty special. You get to experience a relationship at a capacity at which you really don’t fully understand until you’re there, in it. And that is one of the best feelings you’ll ever know. Cross my heart. That person gets to see the best and worst parts of you, the vulnerability that it takes to be completely raw and naked is only found in grace, trust, and incomparable compassion for your partner.

You will find yourself so completely in love and dumbfounded at how your heart continues to grow. You will ask yourself “how can I love this person any more than I already do?” And then your heart will find a way, like it always does. It’s like the universe, limitless and growing. And isn’t that lucky? Call it coincidence, fate, divine intervention, happenstance, whatever you like. It all boils down to, my sappy little heart is going to explode eventually.

With all of this wonderful, delicious, amazing over-arching love, you learn some damn hard lessons too. What it truly means to be understanding, selfless, and also extraordinarily introspective. The first year of marriage especially, you’ll have your disagreements (like any year but just follow me here), all the silly sitcom-inspired ones, you know the ones I’m talking about. But, I’ve decided that taking too long to get out of the house or forgetting to turn off the space heater, isn’t really what it’s about. I mean of course, good habits and tendencies are all well but it’s really about learning how to disagree. And while these disagreements are far and few between, understanding how to engage in these with your specific partner, will be monumental. It’s about understanding what it takes to have a real disagreement with context and have it matter and resolved for both of you. And remembering that you are on the same team here, with the same goals, ultimately. You never feel right about winning alone afterword’s. If you win, I win, and if you lose, well, I lose. You find a common ground on these disagreements and the team endures. And that’s how you win. Every single time.

With all of its insane and inspiring beauty, marriage can also bring out sides of you that aren’t so lovely, but taking feedback from your partner and really thinking (here’s the part about becoming more introspective) about what it means and says about you and then applying it, will mean leaps and bounds in your marriage. That doesn’t mean you have to forfeit who you are or your stubborn and strong-willed nature but it does mean that on the important stuff, you can set that aside to make sure your being the best version of yourself for you, your partner, and your marriage. And grow together. It will mean everything. This has to work both ways and when it does, it’s magic. I’ll pinky swear to that one.

I am no expert by any means and always have more to learn but I feel so lucky to have a husband who makes this marriage thing, the best ride of my life and who stands beside of me every day, giving it his all. I suppose this is getting a little personal but why not, I always tell Cody, I want him to look back on his life with me and say “she gave me the best parts of herself”. That doesn’t mean I need to be perfect because I’m human and neither of us will be, that just is not real. It only means that we show up every day and do our best for each other. Be present and feel fully because I want to be that light that I see the people I love shine in. Always giving it my all, that’s what love has done for me and to my darling, Cody, I’ll never be able to thank you enough for that.

xoxo,

your LOver and sap-extraordinaire

Hey pals! We are posting and it’s not Thursday, woah!! But we are so excited, we just can’t wait to tell you. Our new website is currently under construction and we have teamed up with some amazing web designers and local artists. We are more than thrilled to share with you all of our new content and hope you love it as much as we do! Stay tuned, as we are hoping to launch this for you guys in the next week or so!

xoxo,

Lo and Mal

In an effort to maintain healthy lives, we both have made conscious decisions to put better things in our bodies, so we both rarely treat ourselves to a soda anymore! BUT, sometimes we still have that craving for something more tasty than water. After lots of trials, we have both found some drinks we can enjoy instead with less guilt!



Cascade Ice Sparkling Water - Coconut Flavor

Although it may be slightly deceiving, this is not coconut water, but rather coconut-flavored sparkling water. My favorite thing about these guys is - they're: 0 calories, 0 grams of sugar, 0 carbs, sodium free, caffeine free, gluten free, AND there is no aspartame! They have a very mild taste, so they are incredibly refreshing and not too sweet. My husband LOVES the coconut-mango and peach-mango flavors, and while I love all that I have tried, I am stuck on the coconut flavor. They typically go for $1.49/ea at my local grocery, but go on sale a ton for $0.99/ea so we stock UP when that happens. Thanks to our friend Linsey for bringing this to Lo's wedding and getting us hooked. You rock.

San Pellegrino Sparking Water - Blood Orange

While I do love all of the flavors of San Pellegrino, and certainly won't say no to any of them, my fave by far is the blood orange. San Pellegrino has a fantastic reputation for their sparkling waters, their health benefits, and have helped a lot of people turn the page from their soda-soaked pasts. It also makes a great cocktail mixer - just saying! They are a bit pricier than sodas *womp womp* but are worth it if you're just going to enjoy them as a treat.

Sparkling ICE - Black Raspberry

I am absolutely obsessed with these, my favorite flavor is black raspberry and the cherry limeade is a close second! I have had most of the flavors and they are all pretty good, the hubby loves them too. What is also nice about these is they add vitamins and antioxidants to them and who doesn't like that?! They are great for a soda fix because they have the carbonation aspect of soda and are packed full of flavor, without the guilt of all the sugar, as they are 0 calories. Yes, you read that right and with how good they taste, it is hard to believe! They are sweetened with Splenda, which is a sugar substitute. Like anything else, these are good in moderation but definitely a great go-to when you are craving soda but don't want the "empty calories". Random but they come in both can and bottle, I usually buy the cans in packs at Target because it's just the right amount of drink for me.



Crystal Light Pure - Lemonade

Some days you just need a lemonade, you know? And on those days, I recommend you take yourself to Chick-fil-a because holy guac, dudes, they are TO DIE (for those of you who haven't indulged in one). And there is a good reason for it, they are loaded with tons of delicious sugar. While I sure do love them, I treat them as a dessert and rarely get them. So these Crystal Light Pure powder mixes are made with Stevia, which is a natural plant sugar and you get a lot bang for your buck in many ways. They are only 15 calories (which is rad, rad, rad) and they have tons of flavor (I also recommend the Raspberry Lemonade), and they are pretty easy on the wallet, coming in at $2.61 at Target for a pack of 7.



At the end of the day, we each tend to reach for water more than anything but let's be honest, sometimes water just ain't gonna cut it and these substitutes have been great for meeting our sweet tooth needs. Let us know if you guys have any good drinks we should try and if you have tried these before.

Until next time!

xoxo, your sweetums

Hey guys, I wanted to spend some time today talking about what my fitness routine looks like and what has been working for me. Firstly, I would like to say, I am by no means a fitness expert or trainer, what works for one person, may very well not work for another. Success in a workout regimen can vary so much based on many different factors, including health, personality, lifestyle, etc. I just want to share with you all, what has worked for me.

I’ll be really honest with you, this is the first time in my life, I have been able to consistently stick to my fitness routine and continuously meet new, personal work out goals. Ever. Before now, I just could not find a workout that I liked enough and truly understand what my own needs in a workout routine were and more importantly, what my motivations were.

Motivation is everything. Making sure you are wanting to get fit for the right reasons, will be a huge factor in the longevity and consistency in your capability to workout. That isn’t to say there is one right reason, there are so many valid, healthy, and good reasons to work out, just make sure they are kind to you. Not out of reasons like guilt, disgust, or envy. Those motivations aren’t kind to you or your self-esteem and as easily as they can negatively affect your body image, they can also easily talk you right out of that work out you had planned later. While my motivations are specific to me, they included reasons such as self-love, self-preservation, and self-betterment. And I’m here to tell you right now, with that kind of fuel in your tank, you can kick just about any fitness routine’s ass. Period. Having good motivations is like eating good protein for your muscles to repair, its fuel for your mind. So, now that I had my mind right, it was just about finding the right routine.

It’s been almost a full year of consistently working out, guys and I had to start with small goals. Reasonable and attainable. I can’t stress how important that is. Setting small goals is a great way to avoid setbacks or falling off the wagon, so to speak. Because what didn’t work for me in the past, was saying things like “I’m going to work out 5-6 days a week” when I had no experience doing that before.  What was I thinking? It sounded easy in practice but I was kidding myself. I’m not saying that this might not work for you, you may be one of those people who can go balls to the walls and make it happen, I just couldn’t. It didn’t mean I couldn’t get there but I had to start somewhere reasonable for me. So, when I started working out, almost a full year ago, it was with my dear friends and coworkers, with whom I still work out with daily (over Skype, FaceTime, or the video feature on Facebook messenger), yea we are dedicated y’all, we make it happen! Shout out to my girls, Sarah, Chantel, and Kristen! Whether its workout partners or just a few good supporters, having those people to root you on is monumental. My husband is my biggest advocate, he got pretty serious about focusing on his fitness around the same time I did. We encourage and motivate each other to do our best, push ourselves, and reach our own goals. So, big shout out to the hubs, I’m proud of you and us, let’s kick ass.

When starting out a fitness routine, if you’re able to find someone to work out with, I highly encourage it. These girls were my accoutabilabuddies, I wish I could coin that but I am pretty sure I got that from Spongebob or some kids show, nonetheless! Having a pal or pals to work out with, will help hold you both accountable, especially in the beginning, when you’re developing the habit of working out. Like anything else, working out can be a part of your daily routine, keep doing it and eventually you won’t want to miss it, it’ll feel like your day isn’t complete without it. I know it sounds crazy but trust me people, it will happen! Remember, until this past year, I hadn’t had any kind of consistent routine and now I can’t finish my day without it. If I can do it, anybody can!

Now back to this accountabilabuddy business, I know it is not always feasible to meet someone at the gym or work out with your best friend who shares your same goals because you live nowhere near each other but what I have learned is, even if you can’t be with each other in person, just texting or FaceTiming or calling each other (speaker phone, headphones), while you both work out, can do the trick and hey at least you are doing it! And together! In all honesty, having a fitness buddy is just an added bonus, you can be your own accountabilabuddy, after all, they do say we are our own toughest critic, right? So, why can’t you also be your biggest advocate?

Now, getting into the specifics with small goals. My own personal goal, when I first started in September 2015, was to work out three days a week. It was during the work week, so I would have the weekends off. Then when I accomplished that, I bumped it up to four days a week, then five, and you get the idea. For the last six months, I have been working out at least 6 days a week and specifically for the last four months, seven days a week but my seventh day is a “light” day, I’ll get more into that in just a bit. The point of this is, start somewhere you feel comfortable. DO NOT and I REPEAT, DO NOT COMPARE YOURSELF TO WHERE SOMEONE ELSE IS AT ON THEIR JOURNEY. It’s pointless, you’ll get to where you want to be on the best path FOR YOU, so don’t set yourself up for disappointment because you are trying to do a fitness model’s routine from the get-go. Working out is so much more than just pushing your muscles or doing so much cardio your heart is about to thump right out of your chest, so much of perseverance in working out is about your mind, feed it good things.

So, what is it that I do, exactly? Before I start, this is not a sponsored post, I sincerely and wholeheartedly love these programs and would rave on and on about them because I’ve seen them work firsthand. When I first started in September 2015, I was following Cassey Ho’s Blogilates fitness plan, which is all online and completely free. You guys (and I mean girls AND guys because her work outs are great for anyone), she is amazing! Her spirit, positivity, and development of routines, based on her knowledge of the human body is stellar! I loved and still love, the Blogilates fitness plans because not only do they offer what I realized I need in a workout, which is variability but they also are free and you can do it in the comfort of your own home (or anywhere for that matter).These pilates-inspired videos for Blogilates are all on youtube, they are so accessible and even if you are doing it by yourself, you feel like you’re not with her! And you don’t have to be an expert at yoga or pilates to do this, anybody can. You just have to start.

Like I said, one important thing I realized about myself is that I need variation in my routine and having someone create that for me and an established plan, was like hitting the sweaty, toned jackpot. She creates a calendar that you can use to plan out your work outs for the whole month by just subscribing to her page, this just means you’ll receive updates from her when she has new material, calendars, etc. And on each day, the calendar tells you which videos to complete daily, ensuring that by the end of the week, you are getting a well-rounded work out. And honestly, there are a plethora of videos, you never feel like you’re doing the same old, same old. When I first started, as I said, I did three days a week and then built up, so I would pick and choose days but eventually, I began doing them 6 days a week.

For the last 4 months, I have been doing her newest edition to the Blogilates family, which is PIIT28, this stands for Pilates Intense Interval Training and the 28 is for 28 minutes. As you might have guessed, this fitness routine is a combination of Pilates and HIIT (high intensity interval training). And I’m o.b.s.e.s.s.e.d. I have been strictly doing PIIT28 for 4 months and I love it! The combination of Pilates and HITT accomplishes everything I am looking for in a routine. The Pilates helps with things like stretching and strengthening, while HIIT improves your aerobic and cardiovascular capabilities AND metabolism, for that matter. By using interval training, meaning combining strengthen-training moves with cardio intermittently and working out harder for shorter amounts of time, you can speed up your metabolic rate and continuing burning calories, even after your work out is complete. Isn’t that amazing?! If you’re interested in the science behind this, the Times released a good and quick read on why this works.

Similar to Blogilates, with PIIT28, Cassey has made a calendar for several rounds (one round per month) and then you can repeat them as you like. As you can see above, I print off her calendars and mark off the workouts each day, as I complete them. I love to check things off, I get a lot of satisfaction in completing lists, so this is perfect for me. What's also great is that with each routine she not only makes videos you can follow along with but as you can see in the picture above, she includes a hard copy walk through and descriptions of all of the moves, with picture explanations (not shown here) as well. So, you can print these off and travel with these and do them ANYWHERE (even if you don't have internet access to watch the videos, aka what I did on my two week cross country trip).

But what is different about PIIT28, compared to Blogilates, is the composition of the routines in PIIT28. Each day, I do a 5 minute warm up, 28 minutes of working out, usually focusing on certain areas each day, to get a holistic and well-rounded workout for your body throughout the week. Then 19 minutes of abs (you start incorporating this on your second round) and finally 9-10 minutes of flexibility training. It is recommended to do each step, however, you can skip the warm up, abs, or flexibility training some days, if you just aren’t feeling up to it. The important part is making sure to get that 28 minutes in. Although, I will tell you, I never skip abs or flexibility because they have both made such a difference in how much stronger I’ve gotten and how much I can push myself in that 28 minute part of the workout routine.

On a side note but important, unlike Blogilates, you do have to pay for access to receive the calendars and workout videos for PIIT28. The PIIT28 Transformation Guide is a one-time fee of $39.00 (which to me was very reasonable because gym memberships are hella ‘spensive but again, to each his own, it really is what works best for you). Anyway, once you purchase it, you will get access to the website and the downloadable materials and you will have lifetime access to it and any updates that may come your way. And for me, this is perfect because I can do it anywhere. She has other packages, which include several nutritional guides, I have not tried them out because I have my own effective meal plan established, which I will detail later on the blog but this might be something you want to try, especially if you are looking for a good reset or starter place. I know I don’t have to tell y’all but nutrition is just as important as a good fitness routine, if you really are looking to make changes. That doesn’t mean you can’t indulge but understanding what it is you are eating from a broken-down-molecular perspective and how it affects your progress when you are working out, will make all the difference. Promise, pals!

But that’s another tangent for another day, I also love PIIT28 for the same reasons I love the Blogilates program, you don’t need any equipment (with the exception of a yoga mat, if you want one) and you can build lean muscle in half the time. But don’t be fooled, you are pushing yourself the entire time, I am still sweaty most days I do it and before this, I never really would sweat very much (and not for lack of trying) but with this, oh yah!

Let’s get real, the part you have all been scrolling for, below are my results, after 4 months of solely doing PIIT28.  I do not have a 3 round picture (one month per round, she creates the calendars by month) because I was in the middle of moving across the country and forgot to take a picture (oops) but I kept doing my work outs.

I will say that you can definitely start with PIIT28 but having seven months of Blogilates work out experience and building up to working out 6 days a week was very helpful because there are very similar moves in PIIT28 sometimes. You may find it beneficial to do her Blogilates calendars first because they are free and you can get a general idea of what fitness is like with Cassey and do that maybe for a month or two and then switch to PIIT28, if you are really liking it. And what’s also nice, is you can switch between the two workout routines pretty seamlessly, as she creates the plans monthly.

It feels good to have finally found my niche, with like-minded individuals and a routine that works for me and my schedule. I wanted to share this, in hopes that you might find this is just what you were looking for and if not, that’s okay too. I love learning new fitness moves and workouts, so please feel free to share. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to send them my way. Until next time, pals.

xoxo,

your toned and thrilled accountabilabuddy

**disclaimer: if you’ve never had a fitness routine before, it’s always a good idea to first consult with your physician.

Dear Mom,


Tomorrow is the day. It's the day I have dreaded for so long. I cannot believe it has been a whole year since I laid in the hospital bed with you and felt you take your last breath. I can still feel your heart stop, and I still feel that same pain I felt on that day, one year ago tomorrow. I am still angry that I never got to truly tell you goodbye - for 2 weeks you were non responsive, and I will never know if you heard me tell you over and over how much I love you, and how proud I am of you.

It still feels like a dream; when I see your pictures, I feel like I should be able to pick up the phone and call you - trust me, I have habitually done it a few times this past year, which in turn made me even more upset. Why isn't this getting any easier? I am still really, really hurting. It has been one hell of a year, to say the very least, but I have learned a lot about myself over this past year, and about other people. I wish you were here to guide me through it all, and I wish you were here to be an example for me - you always knew the best way to handle anything life threw at you.

I sat down on Monday night to write this "letter" to you and completely lost my shit, to the point I could barely breathe. If that doesn't tell you how painful this still is for me, I don't know what will.

I am dreading this "1 year" mark so much, because people are already thinking "how can you still be so sad", and I know that people just expect this to get easier, but it isn't. Its getting harder in a way. Not long after you left me, everyone else's lives resumed, but my world had literally been flipped upside down. That has been so hard - its so hard to see everyones worlds still spinning when mine has just been stopped.

Its still so unfair. I am envious of people who are getting pregnant around me and get to surprise their moms with the big news, I am envious of people who have kids who know their grandmas, I am envious of everyone who has never had to deal with a loss like this. It is hard, and it is unfair. You were my only safety, you were my rock, my mom, my best friend. Nothing ever is going to be able to fill that hole, and that sucks.

I see people every day - bad, bad people - who are lucky enough to live out their long, healthy lives, and I look at a woman like you, who was a legitimate angel on this earth, and I get angry. Still, to this day, it makes me mad. WHY? Why does someone this world needs more of have to go, and why do those horrible people get to live long lives?

So many questions consume me, still, and I have had to go through an incredible roller coaster over this entire year of questions, and more questions, and emotions, and epiphanies, and more emotions. Why - why was it so suddenly your time? Are you ok now? If there is life after this, are you ok? Why can everyone else "feel" you, but me - the most important person in the world to you - can't? Thats not fair. Am I doing something wrong? So, so many questions, and the intelligent part of me knows they will never, ever be answered, but the emotional part of me cannot stop asking.

Mom, I know you would be so proud of me - I sought help. I couldn't do it. I tried for months to cope on my own, but I couldn't do it. I found an incredible faith-based counselor, in search of answers, clarity, and an outlet. She is amazing, you would literally adore her. She is encouraging, and wonderful, and really has helped me understand that this whole journey is normal, and is very unique to me. One more thing that I KNOW you would be so proud of is my ability to cut toxic people out of my life. Truthfully, I had to do it. Without you, encouraging me and keeping my mind right, I had to let go of them. They were toxic. They were poisoning me, and without you I couldn't handle it anymore. So I channelled you, and I let them go. I wish we could share a glass of wine to celebrate that small victory.

So many things have happened in my life since you've been gone, but I haven't been able to be excited about them, because I don't have you to call and tell. Every promotion at work I wanted to share with you, every little slice of drama both in my life and things I've heard through the grapevine - I want to share it all with you because you were my person. I miss our late-night catch-ups. I miss them so much. I wish I could hear you laugh when I tell you another silly habit I have picked up from you - you LOVED to poke fun at me for that.

I am so incredibly sorry that I couldn't look at your pictures for a good few months - it was just too painful. I would see your beautiful smile and your spirit in every. single. picture. and it would hit me like a ton of bricks every time that I can't see you again. So I had to take them all down. I hate that, I hate that I couldn't surround myself with you for a while. But as time goes on, the more pictures I restore to their rightful place in our home. And as painful as it is, still, for me to see you, I feel so much love for you with every picture I put back up.

I don't know where you are, I don't know how you are, I don't know if you are okay. I wish I could know. I just wish you were here so I could tell you how much I still need you and how hard every day has been without you.


Mom,
I miss you. 
I miss your voice.
I miss your smile.
I miss your smell.
I miss your hugs. 
I miss your silly jokes.
I miss your unconditional love.
I miss your positivity.
I miss how you made me feel.
I miss your everything.



I love you, still, and forever,
Mal

  

Guilty Pleasures, we all have them. Some vary in their level of embarrassing and the intensity at which you feel guilty whilst enjoying them. Nonetheless, we have them. We recently had a long conservation laughing about the things that we hate to love and feel compelled to say "don't judge me but..." when we share them and decided we'd share them with you all, because why not embarrass ourselves a little? And you know pals, there's a certain beautiful freedom about being able to laugh at yourself, plus it's almost Friday and a good laugh is always called for. Who knows, you may even find yourself good company in your own guilty pleasures?!

Lo:

Love Mala Blog does not own the rights to the above image; image origin:

http://www.eonline.com/eol_images/Entire_Site/201657/rs_634x845-160607155845-634-pll-season-7-poster.jb.6716.jpg

1) Pretty Little Liars: oh man, I know I'm almost 26 but I love that show, there are so many cliff hangers and I love looking at the girl's clothes! And truth be told, I'm a giant baby, so this show isn't TOO scary for me, I can handle the suspense (flying my whimp flag over here).

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http://www.mickeymartfoodstores.com/portals/77/images/Taco-Bell.jpeg

2) McDonalds and Taco Bell: I know, I know, I know. But I just love their thin cheeseburgers and the French fries, especially when they are fresh and hot. I only eat them a couple times a year but I love every minute of it. And who in their right mind doesn't love a good chalupa supreme or taco, I just can't help myself. I want it all! I regret nothing.

3) Proudly eating peanut butter right out of the jar: If I get a spoon and a jar of natural peanut butter, well, just don't let that happen, especially when I promised the peanut butter it would make its way into my energy bites.

Love Mala Blog does not own the rights to the above image; image origin:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/cbeebiesgrownups/assets_c/2012/11/octonauts_facebook-thumb-640x340-100216.jpg

4) Kids TV Shows: I can't tell you how many times Cody has come home and turned on the tv to find some random Nick Jr or Kids Disney show on. I just love watching cartoons for breakfast and man, some of these kid shows are so cute, Octonaughts, commmee onnnn!!! They're adorable as hell and you know it! Hey, at least I'll be able to enjoy watching them with my kids some day.

5) A good cry: sometimes, you find yourself in need of a good cry. Whether it's after a long day or if you have a lot on your mind, so for me, I'll listen to super sappy or sad songs or I'll pull out a good movie that never fails to makes me bawl like a baby (see: Legends of the Fall-gosh, if you haven't, just do it!). And sometimes, I will venture over to YouTube and watch military homecomings, which always, always bring on the tears(for obvious reasons).  Honestly, it's so cathartic for me and you know, sometimes you just need a good cry, it's kind of rejuvenating in it's own way.

Mal:

1) TACO BELL, and most importantly - Cinnabon Delights: ok, so I know this is totally gross to so many people, including my husband (blasphemy!!), but I LOVE Taco Bell - or as we like to joke - "Taco Smell". Its just good ole, nasty but delicious fast food. And the best part about it is, now that we are vegetarians, we can still eat everything on the menu! Just sub beans and/or potatoes for the meat and voila - vegetarian fast food! And let me just TELL you about cinnabon delights. If you haven't tried them - you have to. I don't even like cinnamon rolls, but these are incredible - icing/cream filled cinnabon balls coated in cinnamon sugar. Mmmm mmmm - I literally crave them on the regular.

Love Mala Blog does not own the rights to the above image; image origin:

 http://www.sidereel.com/tv-shows/hart-of-dixie/episodes

2) Hart of Dixie: I don't know what inspired me to start this show on Netflix a few years back, but I did, and I fell in love. Its a terribly predictable and scripted show, and the acting is generally horrendous, but it is comical and I got sucked in so easily. It is on Neftlix if anyone wants some genuinely embarrassing entertainment!

3) Donuts: so growing up, I never had a big sweet tooth, and to this day I still almost always choose salty over sweet, but DONUTS. I didn't really develop this obsession/craving until about a year ago - in fact, my whole life I have always been pretty indifferent to donuts in general, but something sparked in me and now I am a donut fiend. And no, I am not pregnant. I just crave them all. the. time.

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http://m.favim.com/image/2891702/

4) Long, hot baths: so on the surface, this might not sound so embarrassing, but I literally LOVE taking baths. Like, multiple a week (what a waste of water - I KNOW I KNOW). I don't know why, and its actually quite nasty if you think about the fact that you're just marinating in your own filth, but there is something about it that is just so relaxing at the end of the day for me. But bubbles or bath bombs - I'm a happy camper. 

Love Mala Blog does not own the rights to the above image; image origin:

http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrities/harry-styles

5) My crush on Harry Styles: I cannot believe I am publically admitting this - literally only a few people in the world know this. Until now. Yes, I think Harry Styles of the boy band One Direction is FLY. It must be the hair, after all, when I met Travis he had long, luscious locks too. And I know I am years his senior, but I don't care. He is a smoke show. I don't indulge in the band or their music, I don't pay attention to the tabloids surrounding Harry - I truly don't care about any of that, and I am not a huge fan of their music (although I don't despise it), but I just think Harry is totally adorable.

As embarrassing as some of these may be to share with you, we always like to go back and reference a quote (of course) from the magnificent Tom Hiddleston: "What's my guilty pleasure? The thing is, I never feel guilty about pleasures." - Boom. Thank you for your wisdom, Tom.

Let us know if you guys share some of our guilty pleasures or what some of yours are, we are always down for a good laugh! We hope you guys enjoyed and have a wonderful rest of your week.

xoxo, your shamelessly, silly indulgers 

Hey Pals! In honor of National Tequila Day this week (Sunday, for those of you who don't have this glorious holiday marked on your calendars), we thought it would be apropos to share with you our mutual love for tequila, and rather than just rambling about our love affair with this spirit, we thought we would instead give you some of our favorite, fun margarita recipes to give a spin whenever you want to feel festive, because hey - it doesn't have to be a National Holiday for you to show your love for tequila right?!

We KNOW tequila can be a touchy subject for some; some people love to hate it, some hate to love it, and some just hate it, often because of a bad experience in the past which usually involves drinking a bit too much, maybe some table dancing, and always hugging the porcelain throne at the end of the night. BUT, we are 2 of the lucky ones who *knock on wood* have never had a bad run-in with her. She (tequila) is our liquid courage, our drink of choice, our social drink, our date night drink - you name the occasion, tequila is always right for us.

And one way we loooooove our tequila is - you guessed it - in a margarita! We know its nothing to brag about, but we are both margarita snobs, connoisseurs if you will. We love a good, fresh margarita. From traditional to adventurous and spicy, to classically blended - you've gotta try them all! (at least we do).

We have compiled here our 3 favorite recipes of margaritas to share with you people - share the love, you know? We have one traditional, one blended, and one adventurous, and we are here to share those recipes with our pals!

Traditional
Traditional Lime Margarita 

Cheers to Mal's cousin, Anna, for providing us with THE best margarita recipe on earth - no joke. We can always appreciate a fellow margarita aficionado!

Makes 1-2 margaritas

Ingredients:
2 shots tequila of choice
2 shots orange liqueur of choice
1 shot agave nectar
Juice of 4 limes
Salt, for rimming the glass

Instructions:
1. Add all ingredients except salt to a shaker.
2. Shake
3. With a lime, wet the rim of the glass and dip in the salt
4. Pour over ice and enjoy!




Blended
Coconut Lime Frozen Margarita

Makes 4 margaritas

Ingredients:
15oz cream of coconut (this is usually in your grocery store in the drink mixers section - took us a while to figure that one out)
3/4 cup tequila of choice
1/4 cup orange liqueur of choice
Juice of 4 limes
3 cups ice cubes
Salt and lime zest for rimming the glass

Instructions:
1. Add cream of coconut, tequila, orange liqueur, and ice to a blender; blend until smooth.
2. With a lime, wet the rim of the glass and dip in the salt mixture
3. Pour and enjoy!




Fun & Adventurous
Grapefruit Jalapeño Margarita

Makes 4 margaritas

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups tequila of choice
2 cups grapefruit juice
Juice of 6-8 limes
4 Tbsp agave nectar 
1-2 jalapeños, sliced and seeded
Granulated sugar and cracked pepper for rimming the glass

Instructions:
1. Add all ingredients, except sugar and pepper, to a pitcher and stir well.
2. Keep refrigerated for 30 minutes or more, depending an your desired level of kick (remove the jalapeño slices once it is at your preferred spice level)
3. With a lime, wet the rim of the glass and dip into the sugar mixture
4. Pour over ice and serve




We hope you enjoyed our round up of a few tasty tequila treats! Let us know what you guys are enjoying (tequila or not), we are always excited to try any new cocktails. Until next time folks, it's 5 o'clock somewhere.


xoxo, your festive pals