- c h e e k y . c o l e -

[try to] Beat the holiday office bulge!

The holiday season is already upon us and if your office is anything like mine… THERE ARE TREATS AND CANDY EVERYWHERE!!!!

I am always running around my firm, (which happens to span 3 floors - THANK GOD! At least I can work some of the calories off) and on every floor, in every corner there is either a box of Timbits, a bowl of chocolates or a jar of cookies just waiting for me to get my hands on… [Bastards!] We may not think a Timbit here and a mini Mars bar there is going to do anything to our waistlines but boy those little bits here and there add up FAST!

I mean sure if you limit yourself to only one treat per work day nothing too major will happen. However, With all of these deliciously devilish resources everywhere you turn - I can’t imagine anyone would only eat ONE Timbit or just ONE mini Mars bar…. Come on! It just doesn’t happen lol And with Christmas coming up (in 59 days!!!!) rest assured there will be even more treats and baked goods laying around :-/

Here are ways you can help fight off those snack cravings AND EXTRA POUNDS:

• DRINK WATER! As much water as your body can handle in an 8-hour time frame.
• Avoid (if possible) the ares in your office where you know treats will be… In my office it happens to be accounting which I have to frequent about 5 times a day. Le sigh.
• Bring in a healthy snack to share with your co-workers instead of a sugar-filled one. Lead by example ;)
• Always take the stairs! If you take the elevator between a floor or two you’re not doing yourself any favors :( We use the fire escape stairwell between our floors - See if you can too!

BRING YOUR OWN SNACKS AND HAVE THEM HANDY AT ALL TIMES!

• A handful or two of Almonds, pumpkin seeds (which happen to be in season. Heeey), or sunflower seeds. I make a trail mix at the bulk section of the grocery store. Instead of eating theirs (usually full of sugary dehydrated fruits and smarties) I mix together my own faves, make sure it kinda looks the same and then just slap on the same bin number as the generic pre-mixed trail mix. Yes, That’s cheating but gimme a break!
• Celery and/or carrot sticks (slice ‘em up and throw them in a baggie with a teaspoon of peanut or almond butter for a little sweetness OR a tablespoon of Hummus for a quick savoury snack) The reason I say throw it all in a bag is because you’re more likely to actually do this than find two containers; one big one for veggies and one small one for dip etc… Throw it all together and toss it in your purse! BAM!
• Home-made protein bars! Have a few squares handy. Find the recipe here: http://nikkichick.tumblr.com/post/5613551303/homemade-protein-bars
• Apple slices. Again, toss into a sandwich baggie: some apple slices, cinnamon and a drizzle of honey or agave nectar. At the office if you get a craving for let’s say… CAKE! You can throw all of that into a bowl and microwave it for 20 seconds. Or if you don’t have access to a microwave just use the teaspoon of peanut/almond butter trick again oreat it cold (meh). Then tell your boss to buy a freaking microwave!!
• Larabars! My FAVE…. http://www.larabar.com/ Seriously, if you have never tried them you need to! They legit have only about 5 ingredients in them :D
• Greek yogurt cups. I really love the ones with blueberry or honey on the bottom :)

There are many more healthy choices out there but these are some of my personal favorites for fighting those sweet-tooth cravings!

Don’t worry, In 3 months it’ll all be over and we’ll be working on our New Years resolutions which will oddly enough probably be to get back into shape and eat healthier LOL…. DAMN YOU DELICIOUS AND FESTIVE HOLIDAY SEASON!!!!!

Toodles xxx

Healthy Hair 101

This Thanksgiving I am thankful for beautiful hair :)

Like nails and great skin, hair is a woman’s staple. Some women are blessed with a great mane that grows quickly and is naturally shiny and easy to control. Others are unfortunately not so lucky. Bottom line is; we all have hair struggles.

For the most part I love my hair. The only complaint I have is that it lacks volume due to my naturally fine strands. On the plus side it is shiny, healthy and grows REALLY fast. In your 20’s your hair is at it’s healthiest. This is when it grows the fastest. It’s still producing a lot of natural oils from your teen years and hasn’t quite started it’s “aging process” yet.

My daily hair routine differs from season to season. In the summer, my hair almost never sees a blow dryer or styling tool. In the winter, I blow dry on a low heat setting every other day and curl or flat iron when I wanna add that little extra oomph!

Some of my [obvious] tricks to a healthier mane:

• DON’T OVER DO IT! I can’t stress this enough. All of that dyeing and frying, heat damage and teasing, picking at split ends and going more than 10 weeks without a trim etc.. Your hair is a part of your body, don’t forget that. Think of your skin; When you go outside without sunscreen, use tanning beds, pick at it, put a bunch of crap in it and overall do way too many things to it - It gets angry and starts breaking out, looking dull, lifeless and overall unhealthy. Hair works the same way so be nice!
• If you MUST use heat every day USE A PROTECTIVE SPRAY or cream before blow drying, curling or flat ironing! When you’re using a hair tool, your hair isn’t smoking because it’s sexy lol it’s burning a little bit so coat it first. Also, invest in a deep conditioning masque or oil. I am a huge fan of Macadamia Oil or Moroccan Oil products.
• Get a trim at least every 7-10 weeks. Your hair won’t grow any faster with split ends and the longer you wait beween trims, the more those split ends spread up towards your roots. Point is: your hair grows faster with regular trims. When you go 6 months without a cut your stylist can see all of that damage and wants to get rid of it, which is why so many women complain about their stylists “taking too much off”. If you’re scared that your stylist is going to go too short just tell him/her that you’re growing out your hair and would like just the bare minimum cut to get rid of those ends AND start getting REGULAR trims every 7-10 weeks. Trust me, you’ll see a huge difference in growth. And what have you got to lose besides dead ends?

Some [less obvious] tips for optimal hair health:

• Good water pressure + a shampoo and conditioner containing vitamins and minerals is a must. Salon grade shampoo and conditioners are concentrated so you use less product, and they have a ton of nutrients in them. Biolage is a cult favorite and was recommended to me by my girlfriend who’s been a hair stylist for most of her adult life. (READ: http://nikkichick.tumblr.com/post/9260780944/why-you-should-never-buy-salon-products-from-a) The good water pressure is a bonus - making sure no product gets left behind that would leave a greasy residue. It makes a HUGE difference!

• Squeeze out hair before applying conditioner. Hair is like a sponge, and if it’s saturated with water it can’t absorb all the benefits from your conditioner.

• After you’ve conditioned, turn your shower to cold and let the water saturate your hair. For me, this is where my shine comes from. I swear by a really cold rinse after I’ve cleansed and conditioned. Brrrr!

• Use a wide-tooth comb to manage wet, freshly washed hair. Brushing wet hair snags and pulls which in turn causes split ends. NEVER brush wet hair!

• Use a boar-bristle brush on DRY hair and you’ll see a difference in shine almost instantly.

• GET A TRIM EVERY 7-10 WEEKS. Enough said! I am not going to say it again.

• Your hair and skin are a reflection of your insides. Do you smoke? Drink frequently? Eat an unhealthy diet? All of that will show in your biggest organ - Your skin. And where does your hair grow from?

• Drink lots of water and eat your vitamins! Omegas and C, E and A are very important.

• DO NOT pick at split ends, Ever! I promise you, you’re doing more damage than good darling.

• DON’T scrunch your hair. Scrunching = split ends. If you want a tousled look try a product containing sea salt that does the job for you. Right now I am loving Charlotte Ronson Beach Hair. Spray it in and wrap small sections of your hair around your fingers. Voila!

I’m not an expert obviously. But, I do have a pretty healthy set of hair on my shoulders so I know what’s up ;)

GET Beach Hair here: http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P293103&categoryId=C24550

What are some of your tips and tricks for healthy hair?

Cole xxx

September Favorites [so.far] <3

Hi dears (-.-)

I have been a little MIA lately with blogging for which I have no legitimate excuse for. Wait, what the hell have I been up to?! OH right! Last weekend was my weekend sans le Big T and I spent the whole time being outside or getting drunk and eating Pinkberry. Oh how I lead a splendid life! Anyways, if you care here are some things I am L O V I N G for September so far:

Pencil jeans in an in-your-face color. So fun!

I am very much loving Moroccan Oil these days. I rarely, almost never blow-dry my hair in the summer unless it’s a special occasion (aka: MAYBE 3-4 times all season lol) and my hair routine has been simple. Wash, air dry, add some oil and go! Dries with a nice subtle wave and is uber soft. Perfect.

Leopard print pumps. Nothing says KA-PLOW like these paired with the perfect skinny jeans or LBD. Awesome way to spice up an otherwise muted outfit. Momma likes ;)

The manicure with a twist… Painting your ring fingers a different color than the other fingers really adds that extra pop. I’m digging this a lot right now!

YOGA!  I’ve finally gotten around to using a Groupon I’ve been hoarding and am enjoying a month free of unlimited Yoga. I’m going 3 times a week :)

The enchanting sound of Bon Iver.. Let’s be honest here; I am ALWAYS loving Bon Iver but, they are playing the Orpheum (an awesome smaller venue here in Vancouver) in two weeks and I have tickets! Needless to say I am especially into them this month.

Coffee. Lately there’s nothing I look forward to more in the morning then having my coffee after breakfast. I’m drinking it black and sweetening it with Stevia. It’s so boring but for some reason I can’t have a good day without it.

Ryan Gosling <3  He is such an incredibly versatile actor in my opinion. He was my dream boy in The Notebook. Anywhore, My boss gave me advanced screening tickets to Drive at the beginning of the month and I recently watched Lars and the Real Girl this week - I have fallen in love with him all over again. I am going to watch all of the films he’s been in next weekend… Anyone care to join?

And last but not least my dogs (whose photo I cannot upload for some reason beyond me).    We’ve been jogging almost every day and getting lots of exercise together. I try and include my dogs in every outdoor activity I partake in because I know they probably enjoy it more than me. I love them a lot.

That’s it I guess. I like strange things maybe? But I like them anyways.

Nighty night xxx

Wanna get into shape? TIU Fall Fitness Challenge :)

Do you wanna get into shape? Do you like free healthy recipes, workout videos, motivation and lots of giveaways? Yeah you do!

Join me ;)

Follow the link below:

http://toneitup.com/blog.php?It-s-HERE-The-Fall-Fitness-Series-5172 

All you have to do is enter your e-mail address (tell them I referred you) follow Tone It Up on Facebook and do it! Those great recipes and workouts I always talk about are from the lovely Karena & Katrina at Tone It Up.

Let’s do this!!!!

Just because winter is coming doesn’t mean we should stop getting fit. Let’s make every season bikini season :)

Nic xxx