I haven’t been shouting it from the rooftops, because, well, quite frankly, that’s dangerous, even when you live in a ranch home. But a few of my friends who’ve been paying attention to the clues (new shoes, chia seed pudding, and subtle weight-loss) have noticed that I’ve been getting back on the healthy wagon. A few people have e-mailed me for some help with motivation and to ask what kind of exercises I’m doing and what kind of food I’m eating. Well the answer to the last question is: Yummy food! Making sure I’m enjoying the healthy food I’m eating, not eating too much of it, and properly fueling my body for the exercise I’m doing is essential if I’m going to stick with my new routines. My favorite way to fuel my body these days, and what I look forward to the most when I’m pounding the treadmill, is this delicious post-workout chocolate milkshake.

Last Fall I knew I needed more protein after my workouts, but the whey protein powder I had bought literally made me vomit! I figured I probably had a slight sensitivity, to say the least. After a bit of research, I settled on buying this pea protein powder from Amazon because it was low carb, high protein, and had no added sugar. Also, the reviewers said it tasted pretty good— and they were right! Typically I mix the pea protein powder with unsweetened almond milk (for flavor and calcium) in this shaker to feed my muscles after tearing them down during a hard workout. But now that it’s getting warm outside, I like to treat myself to a delicious chocolate milkshake.

To make my milkshake, all I do is fill my blender with 1 cup of unsweetened almond milk, three ice cubes, and one scoop of chocolate pea protein powder. I blend it until the ice is gone and the drink has thickened, then I pour the milkshake into a glass and enjoy with a cute little straw. Such a treat!

I decided to get vulnerable with you all and let you see exactly what I look like when I enjoy these post-workout snacks. Just be glad you can’t experience what I smell like too! I’ll probably share a bit of my fitness journey from time to time here on my personal blog, but if you want to see more of my inspiration and progress, check out my weight-loss Tumblr: Mandi Makes Progress.

Most of our lives are busier than we wish. Personally, I’m all about saving time these days, especially in the mornings. Less time getting dressed = more leisure time with my morning coffee, right? So when I’m shopping for new clothes, it’s become about creating the perfect mix and match wardrobe to make coordinating outfits much easier.

Boden asked me to select a few garments, which was quite a task— because I want it all! I visited their online store considering which of their pretty clothes could mix into my existing wardrobe. These bold citrus colors, and of course the perfect striped tee, work great with the sixties style clothing in my wardrobe. Click the links below to check out each item:

1 RED TOP // 2 ANKLE SKIMMERS // 3 BRETON TEE // 4 SIXTIES SWEATER

I can wear each of these three tops with the bold, patterned trousers from Boden, but they also mix in nicely with the thrifted skirts and high waisted slacks that are already hanging out in my closet. I’m so pleased with my choices, and I even had to snag some other items myself from Boden’s clearance section. I couldn’t resist! I’ll share those later.

WIN A BODEN GIVEAWAY!

Boden is also hosting an amazing giveaway that 5 lucky somebodies will win. That somebody might as well be you, so why don’t you head on over and check it out?

Boden is a sponsor of Making Nice in the Midwest. Click here to learn about partnership opportunities.

It’s been a while since the first installment of my photography tips series, but I’m hoping this banger of a post will make up for lost time! If you’re interested in improving your digital photography by investing in a new lens, you’re in luck! I have some words of wisdom to share, including lots of tips for selecting and using prime lenses. The full installment can be seen over at A Beautiful Mess today right here. 

What will you see when you click through to the full post? You’ll learn a bit about what prime lenses are, why I prefer to use them, and which lenses I’ve decided to add to my own arsenal. Maybe you’re overwhelmed by all of the lens options out there and you aren’t quite sure what lens is right for you. I’ll help you out by sharing different types of photography subjects and what their images look like when captured by each different lens from the same point. We’ll talk about what lens is best for each subject, and I’ll also show what it’s like to try to get the same picture with different lenses. Hopefully it will be quite useful for any budding photographers and bloggers out there!

As always, you can check out my recent DIY projects at A Beautiful Mess by clicking here. Hope you love what you see and feel inspired to get creative!