Category: Lifestyle

Flat Tummy Tea-Ache

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IMGP1414.jpgWhen I first heard about a tea that can help flatten out your tummy and get you bikini body ready, I was intrigued but definitely not sold. Then after seeing some of my favorite Bachelor Nation Instagrammers talking about it too, I decided to give it a go.

After one week of this “miracle” tea that everyone is raging about, I am so over it. And frankly, I’m a little annoyed that no one mentions the main reason for any sort of tummy flattening.

Flat Tummy Tea is…a laxative.

I can’t find one blogger or reviewer who is admitting to this, which is why I feel the need to share. When you search Flat Tummy Tea on Google, all you see is positive reviews. Everyone is praising the tea for their loss of water weight and belly bloat. Well I wonder where it all went. Bet you can guess…

Every day I was on the cleanse, my stomach was majorly unsettled. I didn’t feel good all week and actually ended up eating less than usual because of this. On top of that, I’d suddenly have to bolt to the ladies room. It was extremely unpleasant. And I wasn’t the only one who felt like this so I know it can’t just be me who’s had this experience. My boyfriend said he’d try the cleanse with me and hated it as much as I did. On top of the negative effects I had, he also got headaches and felt dizzy from dehydration. Sounds super fun, right?

I’m no expert on the ingredients in the tea, but after a bit of research, it looks like the main perpetrator for such negative effects is dandelion. Dandelion is a natural laxative used to treat constipation. When you think about it, that can’t be good to use over the long haul, especially when your goal is to lose water weight and tummy bloat.

I can see that the tea works and I’m sure I would’ve achieved my flat tummy goal if I had continued using it. But for all the wrong reasons. Personally, I’d rather drink less alcohol, eat less sugar and do more cardio to get the same results. Better said than done though, right?

 

ClaudettesCorner

 

What’s On Repeat Right Now?

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I use this title almost as a joke since I actually can’t put anything on repeat on Spotify (unless I upgrade to premium). But I sure do my damndest to create the shortest playlist possible of my favorite new music, so it cycles through as quickly as possible. Here’s what I can’t stop listening to:

  1. U12 – Daya
  2. Ophelia – Lumineers
  3. Dopamine – BORNS
  4. Ride – Twenty One Pilots
  5. Sit Still, Look Pretty – Daya (again cause she’s great)
  6. Can’t Stop the Feeling – JT (how can you not?)

What’s on your hot list?

 

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Guacamole in a Big Way

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There’s nothing like a nice, perfectly ripe avocado. And please don’t tell me you don’t like avocado, or we can’t really be friends.

Just kidding. I do know people who don’t like avocado (and therefore guac…say what??), but I still think they’re crazy.

I like my guac flavorful, with a lot of lime and a bit of a kick. I don’t have very specific measurements for my recipe, since I think cooking is more of an art than anything and I like to taste as I go until I hit the perfect flavor. However, for this post I’ll give rough measurements on how I would make mine. BUT, with cooking you can change, add, and substitute whatever you like…and that’s half the fun. So take these ingredients with a grain of salt (in more ways than one) and alter them how YOU like.

Now for the recipe.

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Ingredients:

  • 1 avocado
  • 1/3 red onion chopped
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 handful cilantro chopped
  • 1/2 lime juiced
  • 20 drops tabasco sauce
  • Salt & pepper

Then it’s pretty simple. Cube and mash the avocado up in a bowl with the onions.

Add in the rest and stir until you reach the right consistency. I’d say I’m at a mid-chunk level where I don’t like it soft and creamy but I also don’t like it so chunky that you don’t taste each ingredient in every bite.

Happy medium.

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Cubing the avocado – my favorite part.

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Pre-mix with all of the ingredients

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This photo displays best guac I’ve ever had. Not even kidding.

 

Cheers Claudette 2

Epic Bloody Marys

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I’m a bit obsessed with Bloody Marys. So obsessed that my college roommate Deanna and I would pregame with a Bloody Mary every night before going out. Some people might think that’s disgusting, but I’d say we were quite brilliant. Bloodys aren’t only great for morning hangover cures – they’re also preventive. I’m mean let’s face it, you’re basically drinking an entire meal when you slam a good bloody. Plus, you can disguise a lot more vodka into a cup of hearty tomato juice. 5 shots? Totally can’t even tell its in there. Hence the brilliance.

While I don’t drink them as much anymore, I make them for special occasions and they are quite the crowd pleaser.

Here’s my recipe for one mean bloody.

Ingredients:

Bloody Mary mix
Vodka
Worcester sauce
Tabasco
Lemon juice
Pepper

Toppings: I like to keep it simple with green olives, celery, & a lemon slice

The trick is a lot of hot sauce and Worcester and I pour the vodka until I can start to taste the extra burn.

Cheers Claudette 2

April’s Dope Deals

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Cupshe: Swimsuits

Lately, I’ve been recommending this website to everyone I know. All of the swimsuits are $20 or less and you’ve definitely seen some before from name brands. Skeptical? So was I. 

So far I’ve bought three, with the 3rd still en route, and I’ve been very excited about how well they fit and how cute they are. Just keep in mind that these ship from China, so it takes about two months to get them unless you pay a shipping fee. It brings a whole new element of surprise and delight to getting mail. 

Speaking of “Dope”, I just had to get this one.

Cupshe Dope One-Piece Swimsuits

Cupshe Swimsuit – $19.99

Pier 1: Clearance

Pier 1 is usually way too expensive for my tastes, but that doesn’t hold me back from checking out the clearance section when I can. Most recent finds:

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Monogrammed Coffee Mug – $1.98

Coasters – $3.94

Joss & Main: Rugs

The main reason I was excited to move to Orange County? REDECORATING TIME! We created a little office nook on the small end end of our L-shaped living room and have been casually looking for a rug. I found one on Joss & Main and immediately knew Matt would be just as crazy about it as I was. Since they’re all about daily deals, it’s not there anymore, but they have tons of amazing rugs for way cheaper than you can get elsewhere.

Please ignore the temporary chair…still looking for the perfect fit! 

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Anderson Rug – $69

Cheers Claudette 2