Golden Birthday Wish List

The countdown to my 26th Birthday is in on- JUNE 26th!! It's my GOLDEN birthday!!!! I've put together a little birthday wish list for fun :)

Ok so I've actually already gotten the Kate Spade Bag...Tim got it for me while we were on vacation but I told him to save it until my bday :)

New Bikini!! This is probably tops on my list and Target and Victoria's Secret are having major sales right now!! How is a girl to choose?

Kendra Scott- I really want Rose Gold earrings and necklace to go with the watch Tim got me for Christmas

Stacked Heels-I've had my eye on this trend all season but haven't snagged a pair yet. The pair above is from Sole Society

Young House Love coloring book!! no other explanation needed

Stitch Fix credit...would love to order a 2nd fix!!

Rifle Paper print- really want this one for my laundry room!

Swell Bottle- Another item I've been wanting for quite a while and haven't bitten the bullet. It is a very expensive bottle but I have a feeling its worth it!

Tone it Up Perfect Fit Limited Edition Coconut Protein Powder!!! One of my fave flavors! I am dying to try it :)

Malibu Tans RVA

3210 Skipwith Road Richmond, Virginia 23294

Anyone else have a hard to keeping a tan while working an office job all summer?  I sit outside at lunch most days and take morning and afternoon walks with Artie but I only get some color on my arms and lower legs and end up with dumb tan lines.

So I leaped at the opportunity to try out my first ever spray tan through #BloggersGetTan! I admit I've used a tanning beds before to get that summer glow for prom in high school. Of course back then, spray tans were still guaranteed to make you look fake and orange and were full of chemicals so it was a lose-lose situation to get tan quick. BUT things have changed!!

The coolest part of getting this tan was talking to Alison at Malibu Tans and hearing how important it was to her to use organic ingredients (and paraben-free) and get only the best for her clients.

Here's my pasty white before. I forgot to take an "official" before but this was less than a week before my session so not much changed.

You can see my arms had a bit of color but legs...very white! 

The experience: Alison's little tanning boutique is SO cute and welcoming. Of course this matters to me probably more than others but it definitely made me feel comfortable. She also pays attention to detail which is very important! Her products are displayed beautifully and she offers you refreshments while you wait (although it was a very short wait).

 

(Her decor is all teal and gold so that's a win in my book!! I wanted to take this ombre rug with me :)

First day after getting my spray tan!

Day 3

Day 6

The results...GREAT! The color was gorgeous. I asked Alison which shade she would recommend for me and it was perfect. She went with a medium shade AND she keeps this info on file so when you go back and you want to be lighter or darker than before she knows exactly what to do!! Also, you are supposed to wear the solution for 8-24 hours before rinsing. I left mine on for about 14 hours.

One tip is definitely to wear loose clothing. I wore a swimsuit cover up and a sports bra. Definitely should not have worn the sports bra. It was a little tricky because I had planned to run errands that afternoon so I would recommend going with the express tan if you aren't very patient.

What I learned

-exfoliate more!!
-moisturize more!!
-get the right products.

Do you guys know how many products have sulfates, alcohol and mineral oil in them? Oh my...I had to go out and buy shampoo, deodorant, body wash and lotion because I had basically nothing that would work. I picked up E Booth body wash, Jergens lotion, gradual tan and sunscreen, and Not your Mothers shampoo. They all worked out great!! I do wish I had a few extra products to help the life of my tan though.

It happened to work out that I was able to get my tan right before my vacation! YAY for not being pasty white in my pictures! But there were some downfalls to this. I wasn't able to take care of my tan as well as I might've been if I were at home. I did get in the hot tub at our cabin and I did get pretty sweaty from hiking which I do believe caused my tan to fade a bit quicker and streak some but it still lasted the duration of my vacation and I would absolutely go back to #MalibuTansRVA!!

Ok, now it's your turn!! Are you ready to get your summer glow on??  Alison is currently running a promotion for buy two tans get one free.

This is a "sponsored post." I was compensated for this post however all opinions are my own. 

Be sure to tell Alison that Samantha "Designer in Teal" sent you!!

Bikini Series Week 1

(source)

My sweet friend Liz had the great idea to blog about the Bikini Series and anyone could join in on the link up to see each others experiences so I am joining in...because my life is basically eat, sleep, breathe Bikini Series right now!! HAHA! If you aren't sure what that is, catch up in my previous posts
Goals and Inspiration
My Tone it Up Journey

You can purchase the Nutrition Plan here or get the whole bundle that includes the journal here

The Richmond notepad was a gift from Liz

 "A Sunday well spent brings a week of content"

Highs: 
Tuesday Yoga at Dogwood Dell with Jordan!! We had so much fun and got free pops (see below)
Girls day in Fredericksburg with my friend from college, Brittany! We got brunch and then did some shopping downtown.
Got up for my "bootycalls"(its TIU lingo for morning workout)  on Saturday AND Sunday!! At least I started off well.

Lows: Skipping 2 "bootycalls" when that was one of my goals to get up for more. I also didn't complete my 10k steps every day. I could say my excuse was the rain but I could've made it work.
Indulging too much over the weekend

Favorite meal: My favorite meal from the plan was the Blueberry Bombshell smoothie. I have a feeling the next smoothie of the week will be a fave too because it includes COCONUT!! My favorite meal outside of the plan were my new Dark Chocolate Kodiak cakes!!! Yes, these are TIU approved for M1-3!!

Cheat meals: King of Pops Popsicle, Starbucks Skinny Vanilla Iced Latte and maybe a few too many over the weekend BUT I'm recording them all in my journal so that next weekend I can look back and remember how guilty I felt. Plus, vacation is coming up soon so I definitely need to stay on track now!

Favorite workout: That is a tough one...my favorite HIIT style routine was K&K Slay (on the Beach Babe 4 DVD) . 1st of all...the name is awesome! Secondly, it was short but still got me sweating so that's a win.
My favorite toning routine was the new Beach Bod routine!! Also very effective :)

More Snapshots from the week:

This was the cute brunch place we went too...their menu is "Locally-sourced, all natural and organic breakfast and brunch" so I didn't feel too bad even though we had some toast and jam

 We needed a little pick-me-up after the shopping so we grabbed some caffeine from Hyperion Espresso which I will definitely be returning to.

Overall thoughts from the week

I had a great kickoff but definitely had some bumps along the way...had some stressful things come up that I let discourage me. But my girls were there to encourage me and help me stay positive. Physically I feel stronger already. I really want to improve the muscle tone in my legs, which I've always struggled with. I just need to invest emotionally this week and keep telling myself I CAN do this!! Also, didn't get to the gym once. I do want to make it to at least one class this week!

Bikini Series Goals and Inspiration

(Tone it Up)

This Sunday I will be starting my 3rd Tone it Up Bikini Series!! I've gone from a newbie to an obsessed member. But that's because it's changed my life. I've shared a little bit about that recently but today I am talking about the future, not the past! Today, I am putting my goals out there in hopes that I can stick to them for the next 8 weeks. There are a lot of things on this list and it may seem daunting but I've broken it down so that I can focus on each area. I love that Tone it Up is about so much more than eating well and working out. They want you to be your best self. Every year I finish the Bikini Series SO confident and ready to take on anything.

Nutrition: I didn't want to just say "eat more veggies" although I know I need to, these goals are more related to areas I really need improvement on. If I follow the Bikini plan, I should be eating enough veggies anyway ;) Meal prep...I know it is SO important but every time I get burnt out from doing it. K&K have really given me the tools to succeed so I want to utilize their grocery lists and menus more because I know it will mean taking a packed lunch v grabbing Panera or Chick-fil-a.

Workout goals: I haven't taken before pictures yet but I think for once I won't be embarrassed by them. I like my body now and it can only get better from there! I really want to challenge myself to do things I haven't tried before in hopes that I will see even bigger results! Some of my squad is even talking about doing a triathlon but I'm not quite there yet. I love that we each have our niches. I love doing classes like Zumba, Pound, yoga and some of the girls love running, biking or event different sports. One thing I particularly want to start again is playing tennis with my hubs!

Personal: These are my favorite type of goals to set. The Bikini series, although a challenge, is VERY FUN! Why? Because I am doing alongside some AMAZING women! It is the best community! Like I said, personally I am in a good place so now I want to help others in their journey.  And I am SO excited to be attending our very own little mini TIU retreat in September! It will be the ultimate meet up for girls in the area :D

Here is a little inspiration board I put together from Pinterest to give me an extra boost of motivation but summer approaching is actually enough for me...it's my favorite time of the year! I know the timing of this challenge will be hard because we have a lot going on during it: vacation, anniversary and it ends around my birthday.

Are you doing the Bikini Series? What are your goals and motivation? 

Young House Love Tells All

Today is an exciting day for me!!! I've been given the opportunity to attend the Inaugural "Full Disclosure from the Hipp" What does that mean?? Full Disclosure/NPR is hosting an event to benefit Caritas and my favorite, Young House Love will be there.

Not only is Young House Love a nationally known blog for home improvement but John and Sherry are FROM RICHMOND! How cool is that?

If you've been following along here, you know that I had the opportunity to meet them during their first book tour. I also attended the Richmond Homearama and got to see the show house that they designed. I am so glad that they are getting back out in the community and I can't wait to read their 2nd book.

Here's what you need to know. Its today, Thursday, April 7, 2016 at the Hippodrome Theater. The Doors open at 6:30 and the show begins at 7:30
Tickets are $50 and seating is general admission. Click here to purchase your tickets.

Full Disclosure, The NPR One show hosted by Richmond's Roben Farzad, hosts Young House Love's John and Sherry Petersik, the home improvement aficionados turned Internet rock stars. Roben will lead a discussion about morphing a passion into a living; reclaiming life-work balance; the hazards of too much social media and everything else they learned along the way. This is the first Full Disclose from Richmond's storied Hippodrome Theater, the vaudeville landmark built in 1913.

Come early for drinks and good conversation. Seating is limited.

A portion of ticket sales will go to CARITAS, which helps break the cycles of homelessness and addiction in the Richmond Community. Its Furniture Bank collects furniture and household items and distributes them to individuals and families in need.

And what better place to host than the Hippodrome? I've been inside once but never attended an event there so I cannot wait!

Be sure to follow me on Instagram- @designerinteal and snapchat- @designerinteal1 to see all of the details

Comment below and let me know you're coming!! And if you can't make it, please consider donating to Caritas. They are doing great things in the Richmond community but need your support!