Crystal Kung Minkoff’s Snake Print Blouse

Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Instagram Fashion

Crystal Kung Minkoff let us in on her technique for floral arrangements via Instagram, along with letting us in on the deets of her snake print blouse. And while I am unsure that I can pull off making a matching floral arrangement like her based on my lack of skill with plants, I am pretty sure with my “Add to Cart” skills I can pull off a matching snake print blouse in 3-5 business days.

The Realest Housewife,

Big Blonde Hair

Click Here to Shop her Joe’s Jeans Snake Print Blouse

Photo + Info: @CrystalKungMinkoff

Originally posted at: Crystal Kung Minkoff’s Snake Print Blouse

Lisa Hochstein’s Black Crystal Bow Dress

Real Housewives of Miami Instagram Fashion

I mean, to be the gorgeous Lisa Hochstein lounging in her gorgeous black crystal bow dress in front of a gorgeous view—I just can’t even. She captioned this photo “Waiting for @dr.hochstein” and while the pic is totally perfect I’m really just hoping my husband doesn’t see this. I mean, it might make him realize that some women do wait for their husbands to get home on the couch in something other than a tie dye sweatsuit. But then again, if he’s willing to agree that I can scoop up this dress, I could maybe get on board once.

The Realest Housewife,

Big Blonde Hair

Click Here to Shop her Area Crystal Bow Dress

Photo: @LisaHochstein

Originally posted at: Lisa Hochstein’s Black Crystal Bow Dress

Has your
breakfast time gradually slid down the day? Originally, you had to be up early,
get the kids out of bed, put something on the table for them, your significant
other, and for you, and leave in time for work.

As life
went on, the kids moved out, which gave you more breathing room. Retiring
supplies even less of a push to get up early. Breakfast might happen as late as
10 am, or as part of a brunch, especially on weekends.

You have
probably also noticed that you gain weight more easily as you enter the Golden
Years, and it is harder to take the pounds back off. You have tried dieting.
You may be on a diet now, or searching for the one that will finally work for
you.

You might
even skip breakfast as a relatively painless way to cut some calories out of
your day. Did you know that all those breakfast moves will sabotage your weight
loss attempts?

The Chocolate Cake Diet

Enter the
“Chocolate Cake Diet.” It’s research-based, but not promoted much – probably because it’s not exactly healthy. It was named for the
300 calorie piece of chocolate dessert added to breakfast.

A study
found that people who ate a 1400 calorie diet including cake for breakfast lost
more weight than people who ate a more conventional 1400 calorie diet.

At the
time, the researchers thought it was because the participants got dessert for
breakfast. But later others found that the earlier in the day you eat most of
your calories, the more weight you lose – even though it is the same food and
the same calories.

And even
if it includes a decadent dessert.

The
results are not always immediate, though – it took the cake eaters over four
months before they showed a difference compared to other dieters. So, if you
try the more calories for breakfast approach, don’t give up too early.

While
moving dessert to the morning is one way to change timing of your calories, it
is not exactly the healthiest. So, here are 5 methods to time parts of your
meals with the same effect:

Breakfast

A typical 1400-calorie
diet has low breakfast calories. It includes:

• 300 calories for breakfast
• 500 calories for lunch
• 600 calories for dinner

Adjust this
by adding an additional 300 calories in the morning and cutting out 150
calories at lunchtime and dinnertime. (See the recipes below for 2 suggestions
for breakfast additions.)

Swaps

Another
way to accomplish the same thing is to eat your dinner at breakfast time, and
breakfast at dinner time.

If
mornings are hectic, and it’s too hard to change your breakfast routine, try
modifying your snack time.

Snacks

Basically,
all evening snacks have to go. No snacks after 6 pm.

Start
gradually, cutting out the latest snacks first, then progressively move the
cutoff time up to 6 pm.

Sooner or
later you will need to move dinnertime.

Dinner

Move
calories away from dinner. Eat a heavier lunch, with a light meal – say, a
salad – for dinner, and eat dinner before 6 pm.

The 6 pm
deadline is a type of time restriction – restricting the time during the day
that you can eat. The most extreme time restriction is fasting (ugh). You don’t
have to go that far to get benefits, though.

Time Restriction

The
easiest fast you can do is a 12-hour break between the last food you eat in the
evening and the first food you eat in the morning. You can gradually increase
the time by eating dinner earlier.

Recipes

Need a healthy 300 calorie breakfast addition? Try this:

No-Crust Spinach-Mushroom-Cheese Quiche (6 Servings)

Ingredients

1
tablespoon butter

¼ cup
chopped onion

1 cup
sliced mushrooms

1 cup
spinach leaves, torn into small pieces

4 eggs,
beaten

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp
pepper

1 cup
shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Melt the
butter. Sauté the onions and mushrooms gently until the onions begin to look
translucent.

Add the spinach
and stir until it is wilted.

Pour off the
liquid (save and use in soup or spaghetti sauce).

Mix in the
eggs, salt, pepper, and cheese.

Pour into
a 9-inch pie pan lined with parchment paper (or greased).

Bake at
350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until the eggs have set.

Cool 10
minutes, then slice into 6 servings.

Note:
Other types of cheese can be used, if you prefer. My favorite substitute: Swiss

Very Fudgy Brownies

Is your heart set on something chocolate for breakfast?

Warning: This recipe
is for chocolate fanatics – the chocolate flavor is intense, and the brownies
are gooey.

Ingredients

1 ¼ cups
unsalted butter

2 ½ cups
granulated sugar

1 ¾ cups
unsweetened, natural cocoa powder (not Dutch processed)

½ teaspoon
salt

4 large
eggs

1 cup
all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons
baking powder

1 teaspoon
vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Place
butter in a saucepan on low heat. As butter melts, stir in sugar until it is
completely blended with the butter.

Do not
brown the butter.

Do not
boil the butter-sugar mix.

Add cocoa
and salt, and stir till blended.

Mix in one
egg at a time, stirring after each one until each is blended in.

Add flour
and baking powder, stir until flour is incorporated, then add vanilla. The
batter will be very thick.

For thick
300-calorie brownies, scrape batter into a 9-by-9-inch pan lined with parchment
paper, and bake for 45 to 60 minutes.

The middle
will no longer jiggle when done, and the edges will be set. (The toothpick test
does not work well.)

When done,
sprinkle top with powdered sugar and cut into 9 brownies. (These are very rich
– you can cut into smaller pieces. Just be aware that it will take more than 1
brownie for your 300 calories.)

For a
thinner version, scrape the batter into a 9-by-13-inch pan lined with parchment
paper, and bake for 30 minutes. 1/9 of the pan is about 300 calories.

Ignoring
the health issues, and going by taste preferences, which 300-calorie addition
would you rather have in the morning – brownies or quiche? Can you do the 12-hour
fast between dinner and breakfast? Which of the 5 timing techniques would be
the easiest for you? Please share with our community.

Teresa Giudice’s Pink Crop Top and Pants on Instagram

Real Housewives of New Jersey Instagram Fashion 2021

I Dream of Teresa! Needless to say Teresa Giudice’s pink crop top and pants that she wore to Melissa Gorga’s pink party over the weekend definitely made for a lewk. And lucky for you guys we’ve included the details of it down below so that you’ll be able to recreate it yourself in a blink. 

Fashionably,

Faryn

Click Here to Shop Her Zara Top on eBay

Click Here to Shop the Matching Pants on eBay

Click Here For Info on Melissa’s Skirt and the Other Looks

Photo: @MelissaGorga

Originally posted at: Teresa Giudice’s Pink Crop Top and Pants

How do we cultivate our happiness?
Does happiness can just happen, or can we make it so? As we age, we realize
that happiness is more of a choice than a random occurrence. Try incorporating
some of these happiness practices into your life every day and see what results
they accomplish in your life.

Give Thanks

Research by Michael McCullough, Robert
Emmons, Lyubomirsky, and others has revealed the power of simply counting our
blessings on a
regular basis.

Their studies show that people who
keep “gratitude journals” feel more optimism and greater satisfaction with
their lives. Additionally, writing a “gratitude letter” to someone you’ve never
properly thanked brings a major boost of happiness.

Practice Kindness

Elizabeth Dunn and her colleagues
found that people report greater happiness when they spend money on others than when they spend it on
themselves, even though they initially think the opposite would be true.

Similarly, neuroscience research shows
that when we do nice things for others, our brains light up in areas
associated with pleasure and reward. So, it seems like a good idea to show
kindness to anyone – from family, to friend, to neighbor.

Give Up Grudges

Groundbreaking studies by Everett
Worthington, Michael McCullough, and their colleagues exposed a truth known for
centuries: when we forgive those who have wronged us, we feel better about ourselves,
experience more positive emotions, and feel closer to others.

Get Physical

Exercise isn’t just good for our
bodies; it’s good for our minds. Studies show that regular physical activity
increases happiness and self-esteem, reduces anxiety and stress, and can even
lift symptoms of depression.

“Exercise may very well be the most
effective instant happiness booster of all activities,” writes Lyubomirsky in The
How of Happiness.

Pay Attention

Studies show that people who practice
mindfulness – the moment-by-moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings, and
external circumstances – not only have stronger immune systems but are more
likely to be happy and enjoy greater life with greater satisfaction, and they
are less likely to be hostile or anxious.

Notice the world around you, and tune
into your self. Find enjoyment in it. Why not reap the benefits so you can then
give back?

Don’t Focus on Material Wealth

After our basic needs are met,
research suggests that more money doesn’t bring us more
happiness. In fact, a
study by Kahneman found that Americans’ happiness rose with their income only
until they’d made roughly $75,000; after that, their happiness plateaued.

Many eastern cultures don’t associate
money with happiness at all. There’s probably a lot of wisdom in that kind of
mindset.

Be Curious

Pema Chodron, the renowned Buddhist nun, says the key to happiness is curiosity. When you look at your world with wonder and exploration, you will find joy in the smallest and biggest observations. Be curious and give the world a happy face.

Live in the Present

Now is the only moment you have. We
spend most of our time focusing on the past or the future or some distraction.
Make it a habit to keep your attention on what is here and now. Look for the
fullness in every moment.

Accept what comes to you so that you
can appreciate it, learn from it, and then let it go. The present is as it
should be. It reflects infinite laws of Nature that have brought you to this
exact thought, this exact physical response. This moment is as it is because
the universe is as it is.

17 Seconds

A thought becomes yours when you have
it in your consciousness for 17 seconds. If a negative thought comes into your
mind, release it before 17 seconds, and it will not have an impact. Hold the
thought that you are perfect just as you are, right now for 17 seconds.

Gifting Yourself

Participating in what brings you inner
joy is the most vital path to growing younger gracefully. Make sure that you do
something that makes you happy every day. Do it just for yourself and keep it
your secret.

Gratitude Journal

Begin a journal and write down one or
more people, places, or things you are grateful for. Do this as often as you
choose, whether it’s twice a day or twice a month.

Where Attention Goes, Energy Flows

Think of something joyful – and joyful
energy will flow. Where your attention rests dictates where your happiness
lands. Focus your attention on things that bring you happiness. When your
attention and energy begin to dwell on negative things, gently redirect them to
keep your energy focused on joy.

Service

Perform one act of kindness to
someone, whether they know about it or not! When it is a hidden gem, it is all
the more impactful on your own spirit.

Happiness is a conscious practice. One
last tip, as Annie sang: “You are never fully dressed unless you are wearing a
smile!”

How often do you look at the world
with joy? How often do you smile in a day? What are you grateful for today? What
do you think are 5 things you can do differently to bring happiness to your
life? Please share with our community and let’s have a conversation!